Challenge Day 5: Leave it to Nature

"Blue Maple, Red Oak" mixed media on gallery wrap 18x24

By all these lovely tokens September days are here, with summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer.  Helen Hunt Jackson

I’m always sad to see summer wind down. But as a nature painter, fall brings so many interesting and exciting painting subjects such as leaves, vines, gourds, apples, etc.  My color goal today in this contemporary large leaf painting was to incorporate all the "color wheel" primaries—blues, reds, and yellows.

My photo reference was from a large park where there are a variety of leaf species. I started with a strong black contour drawing of the leaves. I just used a large Sharpie but I think India ink and a brush would have been interesting as well. I also quickly washed in the initial colors with acrylic before applying my oils. This is great time saver if you need an oil painting to dry quickly. 

Am I done? I Maybe… I might add some more paint layers at some point. But for now I’m content to hang it up and move on to my next challenge painting. Thanks for stopping by and have a colorful week!

Painting Around in Circles

Commission in progress 30x40 oil on canvas

Happy December everyone! This past weekend we had some nice sunny weather but tonight we’ve have an arctic cold front moving in.  As much as I’d like to get some holiday shopping done this frigid weather sounds ideal for putting finishing touches on this autumn inspired commission painting.

This is panel 2 of 3. Each “panel” is 30x40 and these have been a joy to work on—I’ve especially enjoy mixing the colors. Speaking of color, I decided to change up my color mixing routine (and when I say routine I mean like 20+ years!) for this series.

Quite simply (and intuitively) I switched to a larger circular palette. Technically I drew a large circle on a rectangular foam core board covered with plastic (paint drop cloth from Home Depot). You could also use a pizza pan or cut something into a large circle. I plan to have some foam core cut into a circle and use a large pizza box for the cover. This should work quite well.

I've used a circular palette before (the Quiller is one of my favorites for watercolor)  but like many artists for oils I’ve usually used the standard rectangle 12x16 plastic covered palette. Which is handy for pets, classes, etc. Even my small handheld palette for figure painting was a rectangle.

But I’ve found mixing in a circle even easier- I can see why it’s the preference for many artists. It feels very organic and natural. Plus, mixing color complements across the wheel is a snap. 

Since white is not one the color wheel, I’ve been putting the white sometimes in the middle and sometimes to the side. Both seem to work fine. So if you haven't painted in a circle give it a try and let me know what you think!

Before I go: Special thanks this time of year to my collectors and of course my students who continue to paint with me during a busy season.  Wishing you all a happy and colorful holiday season!