Painting: Cloud Painting II

I had so much fun with my first cloud painting, that I decided to try it again. This is another 11"x14" and it is taken from the same photograph as my First Cloud Painting. It was fun to see how this one turned out and what was similar and what was different.

I didn't bring in the first painting so I wasn't sure how the palette might have varied.

I think the two of them actually look good together! I think this would make a fun diptych. I like that there is variation in the blues too. Not sure how I'd frame this--I like a bit of space. The paintings are canvas on board so they're flat--maybe it would be possible to float them on linen. I'll have to experiment.

I'm going to try something different next week. I have a whole stack of photos now that I would like to paint from. That's one thing I have learned and loved about this class. The instructor, Susan Gallacher, does an amazing job of referencing a photo and improving on it. I have always tried to stay so true to whatever I was seeing--whether live or a photos. She has shown me how ou can colmbine a photos reference with knowledge of the subject, the way the light works in a landscape, rules about form and artistic license to produce something much better than the photo you started with. I don't know that I accomplish that necessarily but she really does and it's inspiring!

Painting: First Cloud Painting

I wanted to try painting clouds and this is it! It was so much fun! I don't know where I took the sky picture I referenced but the clouds were amazing. Somewhere driving in Utah I'm sure. This is 11"x14" and I finished it in the class time. I like painting loose and fast--the only thing I do that way!

I like the brush strokes, paint quality and colors. It's funny though. I always have something a bit different in my head. I was telling the others, "no matter what my paintings always end up looking like I painted them!" I guess one can't really change that. I am just not sure my style is my favorite style. :-)

I feel like this marks a good bit of progress from my first landscape, so the practice time seems to be paying off! Maybe I'll do another cloud landscape adn make a diptych.

Painting: Third Landscape

Third, and final I think, landscape based on the Bay of Fundy State Park. I went back to 8"x10" because I had the canvas. This view was a bit more complicated--more going on with water, and reflections on water, and misty cloud covered mountains in the distance. It was a fun challenge but I don't love the final result. It's ok I guess. Maybe it would look better in a frame.

Painting: Second Landscape

This is another landscape based on the photos from the Bay of Fundy State Park. I tried something a little bigger this time (11"x14") and still had the goal of finishing in the class time. I like working quickly.

Not sure about the results however. I like the colors but the values are a bit messed up I think... Oh well. "Time in the pool." That's how my sister, Christine, and I refer to painting time. It's about investing the time and then hopefully seeing the results, similar to when we trained for our first triathlon earlier this year and had to do laps.

So hopefully this time in the pool will start to pay off.