Growing--Painting Process--Using a Limited Palette

When I first started painting, I used whatever paint colors I thought would best mimic the actual landscape that was my subject or sometimes used my "artistic license" to attempt to improve on nature, choosing whatever colors I wanted. Although this approach can work, and some of those pieces turned out well, I have been more pleased with the results of using a so-called "limited palette" approach. That means using just certain selected paint colors throughout one painting. Two happy results of this change were that the pieces seemed to have better internal unity and were more pleasing to the eye (in my opinion) and secondly, that I discovered a tremendous power and range in color blends. Even a limited palette can produce amazing variety in color and tone. Rich neutrals result from combinations of opposites on the color wheel, like producing an earthy, warm brown from mixing red and green (which can be varied with different reds or greens from the tube) or like the range of lively greys emerging from purple/yellow or blue/orange combos. Alternatively, one can use the opposite (complementary) color in small amounts to soften a tube color. For example, a too-strong blue for painting a realistic sky color can be knocked back with the right orange, or even with a few drops of burnt sienna.

The painting in today's photo shows early spring wildflowers at Jacksonville Beach against a white fence, photographed near an oceanfront home. A dear friend purchased the painting at my Open Studio Reception this past November, so I visit it often. The other photo shows some of the palette experimentation and notes that led to the palette used for the piece. Other color combos I tried and rejected for this particular painting are saved in a file for possible future use. The colors used here are cerulean blue, paynes grey (which is also bluish), sap green, cadmium red deep, burnt sienna, Naples yellow, buff, black, and white, with a touch of orange added later for bright highlights in the flowers. This May, I started a second painting from the same set of beach photos, one which includes a nearby bridge over the protected dunes down to the beach, and am using this identical palette again. If some of you are interested in this topic, I will include palette details in an occasional future post showing paintings. Please let me know what you think.

Question of the day: I think I have asked this before, but can't resist again--where would be without color in our world?

Learning and Growing--Critique Service Results on Dune Painting

On February 1, when I posted this 12" x 16" painting as a work in progress (the small photo), it was ready for comments from my painting mentor, Linda Blondheim. You can scroll down to that post for more information about Linda's teaching services and a link to her website. I had signed up for her e-critique service for the month of February and have found it immensely valuable in the development of five paintings. I was aware of several changes this piece needed, and Linda suggested other modifications--most of which I included in the revision. By the way, I photographed the earlier version in much brighter light, so please don't think that the whole painting is darker now. If you'd like to see more detail, you can click on the photos to enlarge them.

The work seems about finished to me, but you will notice that it is not yet signed. That means it will rest for awhile so that I can live with it and decide if any further tweaking is desirable. As I have mentioned before, knowing when to stop revising is both crucial and difficult in any art form. The piece is based on reference photos from a June visit to Jacksonville Beach, Florida, looking out at the Atlantic Ocean over the dunes. All along Jacksonville's offshore islands, the dunes are protected so that natural vegetation and critters can thrive; beach visitors may cross to the beach only on boardwalks.

For those of you who are interested, here are the main details of the revision. Probably the most noticeable change is the stronger, darker fence. Since it is the focal point, it needed more drama in size and tonal value. Even those of you who paint may not guess what gave me the most trouble in this piece--it's the top half of the dune on the right. In the earlier version, the tall grasses drew attention to themselves and distracted both from the fence and from the bright wildflowers that I considered a secondary focal area. As Linda and I considered various possible fixes, I first painted the grass out completely but did not like the look of the dune completely bare either. My final solution was to cover more of that dune with grasses, carefully keeping them soft, nearly uniform, and neutral in tone so that they would blend with the dune and not pull attention away from more important areas. Other changes in tonal balance (degrees of dark and light) on the horizon line, on the sunlit left dune top, and in the foreground increased the interest and drama of the scene. The ocean is deliberately kept as a quiet area, somewhere for the viewer's eye to rest, as one looks out toward an interesting, but not overly dramatic, sky. The painting now captures my impression of that lovely June day.

Question of the day: In your creative projects, do you enjoy the ups and downs of the process, or do you feel impatient for completion?

Growing--Our Art Studio Reception Was Great!

The Open Studio Reception in our home on Sunday afternoon was all that we had hoped for--and more. I am humbled by and grateful for all the friends and neighbors who came and supported the event. Over 50 people came and, so far, 7 paintings are sold, with at least one other person considering a purchase. She actually took notes on her favorite pieces so that she could

spend a few days making a decision. Common wisdom among artists is that the primary purpose of this kind of event is to introduce one's work to people and that we should not expect any (or very many) sales. So, I feel particularly fortunate for the solid interest shown by our guests. UPDATE: I have now added an index to all blog posts about planning and holding an art reception. Access it here.

If i had had more small pieces, like the 5" x 7" marsh studies and Plitvice National Park study (from our journey to Croatia), I could have sold more--they sold quickly. I also sold two of the three 9" x 12" paintings available, Magnolia on Purple and Cypress Swamp. Several times at the reception, someone told me that they would have liked to buy one of the pieces that had already sold. How affirming is that? I'll remember them and their preferences when I create something new with a similar feeling to the paintings they would have purchased so that I can let them know more work is available.

Also, amazingly, one 12" x 16" piece and one 18" x 24" piece sold. You have seen those as well--the former shows deep reddish wildflowers against a white fence at Jacksonville Beach, and the latter captures a blue heron at Hanna Lake Park. The couple who called the next day to say that they had decided to buy the Hanna Park Heron were attracted to the painting for itself and for two other reasons: they have a beloved blue heron like the one in the painting who frequents a wetlands area on their property, and they have happy memories of many camping outings in Hanna Park. How delightful is that? Regular readers have seen these in previous posts. If you want to view some of my paintings, simply enter the word "painting" in the search box above left, and posts that show or discuss paintings will appear.

More photos and stories from the reception will appear in the next post. For now, I want to post this much and then need to go give blood shortly. By the way, I am in the back yard photo in an aqua jacket and print skirt. The paintings for sale were displayed in various rooms of the house, as you can see above the chair in the living room.

Once again, let me thank you, blogging friends, for your helpful support and encouragement as I planned this (for me) scary new undertaking. You all bring me joy as well as new insights and ideas--thank you.

Question of the day: What joys and gifts have blogging friends given you?