10 July 2015

Come paint with me! and what not to do when plein air painting.


I'm starting to get excited. I am going on a week long workshop in the French Alps at the end of next week with Richard Robinson a New Zealand painter whose painting style I admire. It is essentially plein air (outside) painting. I've never really got into the swing of painting outside away from my garden so this is going to be a new learning experience.

So I have started kitting myself out for the adventure - plein aire easel, rucksack with a seat, water-soluble oil paints etc, etc.

To practice and test my set up, we set off at 530 am on Wednesday morning to drive up our local mountain (1000m) to catch the sunrise and paint. My husband did the driving and brought the hot water and coffee to supply me with my usual morning pick-me-up.  We had a 15minute walk to the spot I wanted and I managed fine with the rucksack.

I set up the equipment

to paint this view. (sorry terrible pic)

and what is one of the most important things to remember? DON'T FORGET THE WHITE PAINT!

I couldn't believe it. After all my planning, to do something so daft. Definitely a senior moment!

So I drank my coffee and blocked in the painting. Then packed up and came home. It was good practice setting up and packing up and I now know how my easel folds together.

The expressionist painting at the top was what I achieved on site. I have worked on it somemore and shall take a photo for tomorrows post, along with some of my other home-made gear.

04 July 2015

Evening Shadows over the vineyard palette knife painting


Evening Shadows over the Vineyard
Palette knife painting
Oil on 3mm MDF canvas panel

The late afternoon sun was shining from the trees to the left of the vineyard casting long dark shadows.

A sister painting to yesterday's vineyard painting see here


Some close-ups of the knife work



How it looks displayed on a mini-easel


03 July 2015

Vineyard painting - Waiting for the Bees

Waiting for the Bees - Provence vineyard painting
Oils, palette knife
18x24cm (approx. 7"x10") on 3 mm MDF canvas panels.
Available
You may have noticed that I like painting vineyards. (As an aside - I also like drinking the end product, always in moderation of course!). They always make for an interesting painting with the lines of the vines taking your eye through the painting. Care has to be taken that you don't created tramlines and very straight lines that don't allow the eye to rest and explore.



Close-up of the palette knife work


How it would look displayed on a mini-easel