Boathouses, 10 x 12

 

After Tim Deibler arrived in town....

....there were a couple of days before his workshop so I dragged him out painting.  'Drag' may not be the best word because after I mentioned it he was anxious to leave at 7 in the morning.  I picked him up at nine.....I'm a far more dedicated painter with more sleep.

I called Rob Weiss and off we went to the harbor where we all whacked out two or three paintings before Tim left on the ferry to tour the Seattle sights.

The week before I had ordered a few RGH paint samples to try out, which is what I used in this piece.  For the most part I was satisfied but their Cad Yellow Light is more like a Cad Lemon, which you can see in the clouds.  I'm intrigued enough to give them a call this next week to see what they offer that would be closer in hue.  RGH is used by many painters but two I know of are Stapleton Kearns and Ovanes Berberian.

Well, that's painter talk so for the rest of you:  I'm/We are off to Montana next week for some vacation, back for a couple of weeks and then I leave for two weeks of painting in Maine.  Can't wait to go both places.  I'll post again as I get an opportunity.

 

The Express, 15 x 18

Racing the sunset.....

....I sped past artist Rob Weiss's home (sorry Rob, no time to stop) hoping to have enough time to paint the Kingston Express in the setting sun.  I knew it would be just a quick study but had to give it a try.  The variety of reds in the boat and reflecting on the water were so enticing.

This is the same limited palette from the last few posts....plus ultramarine blue.

Here is an early view.  You can notice that what was, in color terms, blown out by the sun slowly turned hue becoming more orange and yellow over the course of 90 minutes.

I think there is enough here to return with a larger canvas, change the composition a bit and see where it will go.   

Bloedel Barn, 16 x 18

Downton Abbey on Bainbridge.......

.....is how I describe the Bloedel Reserve.  Streams, ponds, reflecting ponds, Japanese garden, formal gardens all spread around on a huge estate with a period main house.

This was the site of the first day of our plein air workshop during the last weekend of June.  We had a great time even though I circled the place four times trying to find people.  I got my exercise.

I also did this as the morning demonstration painting.  As in the last several posts, this is just the three pigments mentioned before.  I'm getting more and more enthralled with that limited palette, although I will occasionally add one more pigment when the painting calls for it.

If you are able, Tim Deibler will be teaching a workshop next weekend, 19th, 20th, and 21st.  Tim is a nationally known painter with a book and several dvds in publication.  From watching those vids I know he explains the painting process very well and, from all I've heard, is a very nice man.  If you can make the workshop you won't be dissatisfied.  Contact the Winslow Art Center. 

Here is a photo of the demo in progress taken by my friend Nancy.  If I look indecisive, I remember that's how I was feeling just at that moment, wondering how to interpret the fore ground in paint.

Artist in indecisive moment.

Astilbe Garden, 9 x 12

Snoozing on the couch after the festivities of July 4th....

.....visions of unpainted paintings woke me up.  Really happened.  Grabbing my paint kit I headed to the front garden and found a group of astilbe beginning to catch a bit of afternoon light.  An hour later this painting emerged and I was glad I hadn't spent the time on the couch. 

I have to admit that I was still a bit in that dream stage when I painted it, proving again that I'm just as competent when half asleep.

Hope you all in the U.S. had a great holiday.....and that those in other countries were pleased not to have fireworks until one in the morning.  More gun powder was used just in our neighborhood than in all of the Revolutionary War.....  OK.  Maybe not the whole war.

This was the same limited palette of three colors as in the last post.

Boathouse, 8x10

Sitting in the shade at the beach.....

.....I did this demo on Sunday for the plein air workshop.  The building was actually a bit more squat and didn't have this saltbox roof....I just made it a little more interesting.   

It was a great weekend.  Saturday at the Bloedel Reserve and Sunday staying cool by Eagle Harbor.  I had a group of serious painters who stretched me....I think challenging me kept them in good spirits because they looked like they were having fun.  One looked like she was even settling in for a long stay.

I asked them to use a limited palette to simplify choices and learn color mixing.  This is Quinacridone Red, Cadmium Yellow Light and Thalo Blue.  The next post or two will have paintings done with that palette.  There is freedom, believe it or not, in such a limited selection of primaries.

Here is a pic of the painting at a sketch stage:

And here is the quick marker drawing to help plot where I wanted to go: