Scott's Shed ... or ... Long Time No Process

  I must admit to having a case of the painting megrims. Nothing has really inspired me to seriously pick up a brush. However, I have started two today, and I managed to get this one "finished".
   The Painting is of Scott's [ my friend and farrier ] backyard shed. I was over one evening taking photos, mostly of his pup, Sadie - when she would be still long enough to take a picture. I moseyed into the back, and this scene caught my eye. It's rather stark and bleak, sort of Georgia O'Keefe-ish. But I found it compelling, and still do. In this modern world we live in, I don't approve of hunting [ I still remember my father taking my sister and I to see the doe he'd shot; the two of us had JUST seen "Bambi" ]
   Back to painting...

Rough sketch

Thin, mixed wash of aureolin, quin. pink and cobalt blue

Windows - thin cobalt blue with thick indanthrone dropped in
Walls - thin wash of a brown - aureolin, carmine and cobalt blue

Some quin. burnt orange on window, and some grey to start modeling skull

Skull quite moss-covered, so work in some greens

Detail work on skull and shed

Finished
6 x9 in. / 22 x 16 cm.

Photo - decided to leave out whatever Scott has hanging from the antler 

  

Hmmm ... Need to Work on My Landscapes, BUT I Sure Had Fun!

Original value photo

A few glazes, splashes, blops, spatters ...

As an exercise - finished

Not touched up with computer color editing


I had an interesting, and, more important, fun time with this landscape.  When I stop and think about the time, it's been years since I've painted one. I found, when I was painting it, I remembered sensations associated with the scene - what I felt, the sounds, the smells ... a very pleasant experience.  Well, I liked the process of painting the landscape. I'll definitely do more. And I would love to hear from you painters who do those wonderful landscapes.

Oh ... This and That ...

Buddy

   I've been working on a portrait for the past few days - a recently-departed friend. I have to call him that, as he was a dog with a deep soul. Buddy was my landlady's dog for over eleven years; she got him as a rescue dog [ he'd been found, wandering around local barns ] He had a very good, long life here, and he deserves all that I can put into his portrait.


  Some LOOSER, more passionate paintings are my goal over the next few months, so I was out this evening getting some landscape shots with good value contrast.

Stump mounting block, at one of the park entrances

 

Some great contrast here, on the path

You're right, it's not a value study, but the ladybug was so cute

Old early 20th c. schoolhouse

Old barn, with yours truly's shadow in the shot

A trio of cool trees

A Goose of Distinction

Himself

   I like him as  high key painting. I think if I went darker with the goose and/or the background, it would look like something out a real "Grim" fairy tale!

The Domestic Menagerie Is Coming Along ...

Miss Moo
7.5 x 9.5 in / 19 x 24 cm

Added some phthalo blue highlights and a grey "shadow map"
[ aureolin, quin. pink, cobalt blue] 

Intensify some areas, lift others

Photo taken outside - much closer to "real" hues


 Miss Moo is done, and I think she is quite sweet-looking. I took the photo this morning outside, and it gives a more better idea of the true color.
The goose needs more play with his shadows, and work on the bill and feet. I am wondering about the background. My tendency is to be quite dark and dramatic, but I think this will need something more subtle. It depends on how intense I get with his body shadows. What do you think?? 

Miss Moo Is Picking Up Steam ...

 

I left her here last night ...

I've done nostril, eye, and started inner ear
Indanthrone blue for wall shadow 

Skipped around with a grey to simulate stone wall
Did a w/w wash over her face

Background - very wet w/w wash with aureolin for trees & quin. gold for pasture


I woke up this morning very keen to paint.  I've been playing with Miss Moo for about 3 hours, and I think she is almost done. The stone wall needs work. And Missy needs more shadowing on the black and the white areas. Other than that, I am quite satisfied with this sweet Holstein face.

... and Now I Am Going to Pull a Rabbit Out of My Hat!

Simple-looking sketch [with all my notes scribbled around it]

   OK ... no rabbits today. I say that only because this effort is more than I bargained for. Yes ... simple ... only a goose. But the shadows are wild. The reflected colors on the left side of the goose are going to be somewhat of a challenge.

Graded wash of aureolin

Graded wash of cobalt blue

Some aureolin in reflected shadow area
Some quin. siena so I see something other than white

The model