Landscapes in the rain

While preparing for my 6th grader this week, I realized we haven't done anything with landscapes yet. (And I've been itching to get outside for some plein air painting if and when the rain stops!) I thought it would be fun to show her how to break down a scene into big shapes by using photos. I found three images in a Garden Design Magazine and off we went. Here is one of hers!

She really got it! It looks kind of like a John Marin watercolor! No? 

Here is the demo I did for her. 

I know it is infinitely better to paint from a photo that you actually took yourself, having been "at the  scene" to personally experience the sense of place. But I do think this exercise helps you break things down to just the big shapes and allows you to approach it more abstractly.  

  

Fun with Figures

"Kids and Dogs" 

8 x 16 

For a while now, I've been exploring different ways to express body language with just a few well placed strokes. I've never been a very "accurate" painter, believing that the intuitive expression of a thing is far better than a precise copy. I would like to have a better understanding of proportion though, so when I saw Diane Rappisi's figure drawing class at the North River Arts Society last September, I signed on. Her method is designed to capture the gesture of the pose with just a few straight lines, creating large geometric shapes first. We then "concentrate on the big shapes of light and dark. Work big to small, dark to light. Like putting together a puzzle." Everything I've been taught over and over, from John Kilroy to Ken Auster. It's what I teach my students! So why is it so hard for me to get my brain to act nice and let me handle a live model the same way I do an apple or a barn? I have really struggled in this class. I guess "letting go of what we know" is tougher than I thought.  

  

Here are a few of my efforts from class 

Go figure. 

Getting Ready for Easter

Lindt Bunny 

When my young friend Morgan came over to paint with me this week, I set up three objects. This chocolate bunny, some peeps, and cadbury creme eggs. We did three small 6 x 6 paintings on gessoed water color paper. I forgot to take an image of hers. They were priceless. 

On another note, I read in the paper today that "ornamental grasses should be sheared to within a few inches early in the season to minimize damage to growth as it emerges." So I got out my hedge clippers and gave them a haircut. I didn't know what to do with all that beautiful grass so I stuffed a few baskets with it and filled them with beach rocks. The perfect re-cycled Easter basket!  

(A "Simply Living" entry in my "Simply Painting" blog)  

Beach Light

Peggotty Beach

Scituate, MA 

 I have been inspired by a show of work by Dora Atwater Millikin that I saw yesterday at the Walker-Cunningham Fine Art gallery in Boston. (Click on "artists", then "contemporary") She really captures a sense of "beach light"in her paintings with very simple shapes and terrific values. Today was the only warmish day we are going to get this week, so I packed off to Peggody Beach in Scituate Harbor this morning. There was wonderful late-winter stark light, filtered by high thin clouds shining on the beach houses. Right when I started, the wind picked up and the light went away so I had to paint it pretty quickly. About an hour. It was a slice of heaven.  

"Beach Light"

8 x 16 

I Couldn't Resist

"Maddie" 

8 x8 

I just had to paint that sweet face! It's been a while since I've attempted a "portrait" of any kind so I wasn't surprised by how difficult it is to simply capture the character of the subject. And all that "yellow" fur! I discovered that Labs aren't really yellow. They are purple, blue, orange, gray, black, and pink!

Spring!

I got to dog sit a sweet 6-7 year old female yellow lab this weekend. She was such a love and so easy to care for. On Friday I set up my gear in the garden, gave her a big marrow bone to keep her busy, and painted the purple crocus that are finally showing off their pretty faces all over the place. There is nothing like those first warm days of spring in New England. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted and everything is light and airy again. I love it.

Maddie and her bone 

My Set Up 

  

Welcome Spring! 

6 x 6 

Six Paintings on View in Scituate tomorrow night

"You Lookin' At Me?"

8 x 10 

$375 

Six of my paintings will be exhibited tomorrow night at an Open House hosted by my friend Poppy Troupe, a Coldwell Banker agent. 45 Turner Road, Scituate  5:00 - 8:00 pm. The house is offered at $429,000. Also showing will be watercolors by Mary Lizzotte and a trunck show featuring Camilley's Closet of Hingham Sq. Stop by and check it out.