#47,48,49, & FIFTY

Tell me, this doesn't even look real, does it?
Well, it is, and that's me getting work done in the vastness of it all.

Where to begin? It's been several days since I last posted, but I promise I've been painting.  Between the Worlds Series, Field hockey and life in general, I haven't found time to post.  And honestly, my paintings have been so darn awful, I haven't wanted to.  The weather here has been extraordinary and I've taken to the hills to paint the Headlands.  Let me be the first to tell you, how challenging this is - for me at least - a "friction" situation, for sure.  So, let me post the three terrible awful no-good very bad paintings:

Me again, struggling with the Headlands.
 At least I'm holding the end of my brush .  I'll take that as a minor victory.

But first, let me tell you how I came across these awesome photographs.  I met this wonderful couple while I was painting and they offered to send the photos they took of me while I was painting.  Little did they know how tortured I was feeling at the time. Fortunately, you cannot see my face.

Now, look through these quickly.  Ready, set, go!

6" x8"
Awful painting #47
Looking back across the lagoon at Rodeo Beach

6" x 8"
Awful painting #48
I found this pretty little secret beach, but you'd never know it from this painting.

6" x8"
Awful painting #49
No, this is not a giant deer hoof stepping into the water.

The Headlands are irresistible on a beautiful day and we have had about 3 of them in a row.  I figured I need to learn how to paint the California coastline, so I've been focusing on that this week and just about driven myself mad i the process.  Also, I'm going to a workshop all next week (for my Birthday) in Carmel and I imagine we will be painting lots of cypress trees in front of the ocean, so I thought I would benefit from some practice, and was I right!  Today it rained, so I went into the studio do some copycat paintings and to try to teach myself how to paint the California Coastline.  These are way better.

8" x10"
#50
Copy Cat of Ken Auster
I love how misty those headlands are in the distance. My palette is a much higher key.

Ken Auster

6" x 8"
This is actually painting #49 which I scraped away because the deer hoof was so scary,
and I couldn't bear to look at it anymore.

A copycat of a painting I pulled from the internet.
 Not sure who's it is, but I love how loose it is and I love the palette.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! XOXO

Fall Sunrise

6" x 8"
Early Morning Marsh #45

I drove right out to the marsh this morning after dropping the kids off at the bus stop.  I really wanted to capture that morning light.  It's tricky considering how fast the sun rises - everything is constantly changing.  I tried to keep the marsh dark like it was when I first got there and took the photo below.  But, I think my painting is more of a combo of light - there aren't any shadows to keep me honest, so it turned out to be more of an abstract painting.  Oh, and  I LOVE how black those faraway bushes are against the sun.  The marsh is a smorgasbord of fall color right now - I didn't make this up (well, I kind of made it up a little).

Sunrise in the marsh.  No color anywhere.

A blurry shot of the Marsh when the sun is up.
Color is everywhere (but you can't tell in this awful photo)

First of all check out how blue those distant hills are. I mean, really.  You can kind of see the fall color situation in this photograph, but trust me on this, it's full-blown autumn out there.  Once I started on this little painting, the light was totally different so I put in the greens in the foreground and  exaggerated the orange in the distance.  I'm happy with the composition and overall, feel like I learned a lot today.  I think I'm going to tackle the Headlands tomorrow, maybe try  2 small paintings again; one looking toward the rising sun and one of the ocean crashing into the rocks.  Time to create a little "friction", as Mr. Paquet would say.

6" x 8"
Sun up at the Marsh #46

#43

8" x10"
Sunrise #43

I got outside early this morning; early enough that I saw my BF, who was finishing up her 20 mile daily morning run, while I was parked in my warm car, with hot tea in hand.  I wanted to see if I could capture that early morning light.  I think over all, you do get a sense of early morning or evening.  The light changes so fast that time of day - you gotta work fast. When I made my sketch, it was dark - everything was in silhouette, but then the sun rose and the colors started coming out.  I blocked in the creek reflection and the bright green algae early in the game, before it disappeared.  I think you must have to use a photograph to really capture that moment when the sun rises,  just because the colors change so fast when your outside - there's no way not to add them as you paint the scene.  I'll investigate and get back you on that.
In the meantime, I'm going out again tomorrow morning after I drop the kids off at the bus - I can't wait to try it again.

8" x 10"
#44
Copy Cat of Jim McVickers Painting. I could have sworn my sky was more yellow than this. 

This afternoon I went to my studio and copied one of Jim McVickers' paintings. I love the way he treats those backlit trees, and his darks are SO dark.  His trees don't come any where close to looking like my dark "tree-blobs".  You know right away that those trees are fir trees, even though they are so loosely painted.  And that sky has that early morning cast to it, too.  However, when I see the paintings posted side by side, I realize how off I am on my palette, but no matter.  I think it was a good exercise to practice some trees and morning light.  I'll try to remember how I did that tomorrow morning.

McVickers Painting.  I love the backlit trees & color palette.

I'm going to spoil you now and show you one of my favorite paintings.  This is how an amazing painter does light.  Or at least how he does a sunset -this painting below is by Tim Horn, of course.  I am in love with this painting. Just look at how he deals with the sun as it hits the horizon.  I want to paint this - I love to watch the sun just before it rises or sets, and to be able to paint it so beautifully would be totally awesome.

Made it to Forty

8" x10"
Bel Marin Keys #40

 I painted out at Bel Marin Keys yesterday. It was such a beautiful fall day (there was actually some sky action)  and this meadow caught my eye. Those telephone poles run along a levy that goes all the way out to the Bay and on the right is a huge meadow that seems to go on forever, or at least, all the way out to the Bay.  This view has some of those brown weeds that I love to cut for arrangements and, yes, they really are as dark as I painted them.  The painting came together well and there was no struggle for the most part.  I'm thinking a lot more about my composition before I begin painting and it seems to be making a difference.  I'm also working on clumps of trees that are backlit.  When I set up in the morning, I've been facing the sun so that I can get some darks in the composition.  With this however, comes dark blobs of trees.  I've been looking at other artists' works and seeing how they deal with this and I feel like I'm getting better equipped to handle this situation after a week of dealing with the distant Blobs.

6" x 8"
Sorich Park looking our at the marshlands beside the Bay #41

Here is another backlit tree-blob.  These blobs can be super-dark with no sky holes - well, maybe some tiny sky lights on the edges and that makes it tricky.  It seems that the Pros grey the Blob out and make them look misty and out of focus, so that's what I tried to do here and I think it works pretty well.  I must say, I really like that piece of marsh way down there in the distance.  I omitted the shopping center and highway 101.  This is probably what the scene looked like 100 years ago.

8" x 10"
Tidal Marsh behind Nordstroms #42

This is what I did today.  It was so pretty out this morning and so I set up facing the sun and found some Tree-Blobs in order to get some darks in the painting.  I pushed that far away mountain blue and played up the red marshy grasses.  I'm not so sure about this palette - the marsh colors are always challenging to me.  I definitely experienced some "friction", as Mr. Paquet recommends.  Also, I had to pack up a little sooner than I wanted to because the tide was coming in and beginning to surround me.  

Check out the before and after photo.

no water in marsh

lots of water in marsh

I think I need to do some copy-cat paintings of marsh scenes that have a good color palette.  I'd love to go back to this spot again this weekend if I have time between ALL THE FOOTBALL games that need to watch.  I really need to beat Cordelia this weekend in Fantasy Football, so that I can have a 4-4 record.  I went on a losing streak for a while, but now I'm back in the game and she's currently number one in our league - she needs to get beat bad.  So, Cordelia, if you are reading this, you better watch out because I'm primed for a WIN.  Love BadMammaJamma

Sorry to digress.  I'm obsessed with fantasy football right now, and painting, of course.

Sorich Ridge

6" x 8"
Mt.Tam from Sorich Ridge #39

 I did 2 small paintings today and clocked them both in at under an hour (not including the sketch and the notan) and I used a big #6 brush to keep me loose.  I'm only going to show you one of them, as I ran across a lot of "friction" from the first painting and it didn't turn out so good ( I know this is incorrect grammar, it just feels like a good time to use an adjective).  Mt. Tam has so many distinct profiles.  This view is from the North looking South - the Mountain is so long from this vantage point.  I challenged myself to some close-up leafless bushes and dead grass and am pretty happy with my attempt to make it interesting.  My teacher, Tim Horn, quoted another painter, who I can't remember, who said, "don't even bother to include anything in your compostion less than 50' away from where you are set up".  This works for me.  It's much easier to set things up when you have some distance between you and what your painting.

For those of you who are attentive to detail, you will notice that Sorich Ridge is covered in Eucalyptus.  You will also notice, that I didn't include any in my painting.  The problem is that you are sitting under them and can't get a view of one from far away.  And I must say, there is nothing pretty about sitting under a Eucalyptus - they are messy and dirty and Eucalyptus stuff is always falling on you.   Maybe I'll go back tomorrow and put one in the foreground, maybe...

Mt. Tam really is blue.

Forty is just around the corner

8" x 10"
Bel Marin #39

I found a great spot out in the marsh that included a giant Eucalyptus and Mt. Diablo (at least I think it is - it looks just like it and is in the same general direction).  I'm reading Edgar Payne's book, Composition of Outdoor Painting, and I think this is one of his "approved" compositions!  I've been struggling with my compositions on the big landscapes - I need to simplify, a lot.  But, I think this one works, plus, I'm happy with my palette.   Here's an example of some of his composition sketches from the book.

A page from Edgar Payne's book

It's a fairly detailed (i.e. DRY) book, but he gives lots of good advice, plus the wonderful little sketches of every composition you could possibly imagine, which he guarantees work.  You just have to remember them all.

I saw this on Joe Paquet's website recently and thought I'd share.  I like the part about having the opportunity to experience some "friction".  Apparently, this is a good thing for painters. (Mr. Paquet clearly does not live with teenagers)  I'm not sure where I'll go tomorrow, but hopefully it will be sunny and I can go outside and get out of my comfort zone.

Why paint outside? by Joe Paquet

White on White

6" x 8"
One Last Tomato #38

It was raining again this morning, so I decided to challenge myself with a white mug on a white background.  I'm happy that little red tomato survived the weekend and was able to add a pop of color.  I hope to get outside tomorrow...fingers crossed.

Tomatoes on the Vine

6" x 8"
Vine Ripe Tomatoes #37

I ran up to the store yesterday morning and bought some vine tomatoes because I knew I would be in my kitchen most of the day trying to get this one little painting done.  And sure enough, it was 4 o'clock by the time I finished.  It's really hard to get a painting (or anything else for that matter) done at home, especially when the kids don't have school and are roaming about.  I was up and down out of my chair for most of this painting - I probably only spent an hour of actual painting time, but it took forever.
I like the tomatoes, but surprisingly, found the brown-paper-bag color a real challenge.

6" x 8"
Tomatoes #38

I'm still in the kitchen.  I cut up the vine this morning and rearranged the tomatoes. I think I'm done with carpools and tomatoes for a while.

Rain Day

6" x 8"
Translucent Orange Slice #36

The Rain kept me indoors yesterday.  I thought I would work on translucency in the morning and do a copy after lunch.  I'm happy with my translucent orange.  I didn't really think through the whole "translucent thing" when I painted it for our last assignment.  Let me explain in layman's terms: the translucent color appears on the opposite side of the light source of a diaphanous object. In the case of an orange, it's the shadow side, not the light side and the color is saturated and pure. You gotta put down that color first thing, and not go back into it and risk muddying it up.

Below is my copy of one of my favorite paintings in the book, "California Light" (you have to get this book if you don't already have it).  I love the composition, how the horizon line is way down at the bottom and how the farm structures are just little brush strokes indicating buildings and machinery. His brushwork is crazy- check out that sky.  I used a big #6 Bright for the entire painting and made myself hold it at the very end of the brush handle in an effort to stay loose.  It was really fun to work on a larger panel and to paint that abstract sky.  I can't wait for our sky to get some winter cloud action, so I can get outside and paint it.

9" x 12"
Copy Cat of John Budicin's painting

Critique Day

Post Critique
My paintings lined up for help

My critique group met today for our monthly critique, lead by our fearless leader, Tim Horn.  The best part of the whole thing is to see his paintings at the end.  Here are photos of a couple of them.

I love the simplicity of that barn, and check out his interior - those red velvet curtains glow in that sunlight streaming through the window.

Tim's painting of a barn in Sonoma

Tim's painting of his green velvet chair in his studio

Fortunately for us, Tim's paintings come last.  I went first to get it all over with.  I put up some of my recent landscapes and compared them to the Copy-cat paintings I've done.  I was ready to get all the answers.  "I want to paint this way", pointing to the Copy-cats.  "What's the deal? Why do my landscapes all seem to look alike, and not like how I want them to look?" Big questions, but he is a professional, after all.  Here's what I got: I need to intensify the saturation of the colors in the foreground - mine are too chalky (a common mistake) and work on composition.  From now on, I'm to draw a sketch and Notan (a black and white drawing with a Sharpie to determine shadow shapes) before painting. And I'm to keep painting...a lot.

When everyone left, I went to work on the following paintings and tried to apply my new knowledge in making corrections.  I also followed this step by step procedure (Elizabeth Tolley) on how to paint a Eucalyptus when I re-did the painting below.  I think the tree shape on the right definitely looks more like a Eucalytpus now.  It's the first of many more to come.

8" x 10"
I got rid of the Black Hole

8" x 10"

8" x 10"

Bel Marin Keys

Bel Marin Keys 

 I met a friend and we painted at Bel Marin Keys this morning.  I've never been up there before to paint, so I was mighty surprised by how wonderful it was.  It has pretty much everything: Eucalyptus EVERYWHERE, marsh, reflection, distant hills, wildlife (not painting that), and utility poles! I think I can spend a lifetime up there, and after looking at today's painting, I may need to do just that. Augh.
The photograph makes it look worse than it is. In fact, when I was finished, I didn't think it was half bad.  But now it looks muddy and the reflection in the water looks like a black hole, and I'm going to stop here.
Oh well.  I'm headed back up there Thursday and can do it all over again.

While we were painting,  a man stopped and started chatting us up.  It turns out he was a Marin painter, Thomas Soltesz.  He showed us the painting he had done up the levy and I must say, I was quite impressed.  He said he spent ONE hour - not two like the one below.  Jill and I decided we need to work faster (and better). We also decided to focus on painting a Eucalyptus tree, and are both going to follow this instructional chapter on "How to paint a Eucalyptus tree" in Elizabeth's Tolley's book before Thursday.

8" x10"
Bel Marin #34
There were no less than a dozen white swans swimming around in the marsh while we were painting.  But, the black hole that I painted, sucked down all the swans with its super intense gravity forces.  That's why you don't see them here.

6" x 8"
Roadside #35
ONE HOUR (like Soltesz)

I walked back to the car and ate lunch while deciding to paint another painting in EXACTLY an hour - nothing like a little friendly competition; if this Mr. Soltesz can do it, so can I.   I even challenged myself and included a Eucalyptus.  Here it is.  It's actually better than the first one I labored over, but not quite as good as Mr. Soltesz - but no matter - I did it.

My critique is tomorrow, so I hope that Tim will enlighten me somehow, and I will be painting master pieces up at Bel Marin Keys later this week.
Stay tuned.

Sunday

8" x10"
Copy Cat Painting #33

22" x 30"
Jim McVicker

I copied one of my favorite paintings today.  It has a lot of elements that I need to work on: dark trees with a bunch of limbs, distant water & grass color.  My painting is a lot smaller than the original, but I stuck with the large brushes (trying to stay loose).  This grass color can be difficult for me to mix on site, but I think McVicker nails it in this painting - mine could still be more mustard and less green. I'm going to paint at China Camp tomorrow or somewhere that has some distant water; at least, that's the plan.

Rotten Tomatoes

6" x 8"
Tomatoes #33

It was foggy this morning, so I decided to paint these rotten tomatoes. The little one at the top is oozing it's tomato-guts out the back, but I took my artistic license and chose to spare you the gore and just paint the pretty side. I bet you would have never guessed it.  
It was fun painting still life again- super simple compared to the landscapes I've been painting lately. I was trying to be loose and free with my brush work, it's looser than some of my earlier still lifes, but I still have more room to improve.  

I primed a bunch more panels for next week.  I like painting on Gessoboard Panels, but they need a layer of color on them first. I use Tim Horn's method of mixing a pale warm fleshy color thats a light value. A couple of coats, then you're ready to paint. I'll take a photo next post so you can see what I'm talking about. 

I'm in my Thirties now

8" x10"
Blazing Hot #30

I hit painting number 30 yesterday! Things are getting better and better, but I still have a long way to go.  Take for example this painting.  Going into it, I thought it was going to be a masterpiece, but then towards the end, I was just trying to salvage the whole darn thing.  I realized that the composition was way too complex and it just wasn't working, so I started to edit - big time.  Then finally, I came to my senses, and it was time to call it quits and move on.

6" x 8"
Marsh #31

I wanted to end on a positive note, so I did a quick little painting of the marsh.  The tide was coming in and creating little sparkles of light blue.  It was so pretty.  I want to go back and do an entire series of sparkly marsh pools and forget cast tree shadows for a while.  They give me headache.

8" x 10"
copy cat painting #32

I fell in love with this painting by Joseph Paquet.  I want to paint like he does.  He uses a prismatic palette (no earth tones) like Tim Horn (and I) do.  His brush work is so loose - I love it.  So, I decided to skip the heat today, stay inside, and copy this painting, hoping to loosen up some.

The Original by Paquet

My photo is overexposed on the left - in real life my shadows are darker, I promise.  I love how loose his little house is and how it sits so firmly in the ground.  I still drew it too big! Apparently it is common for beginner plein air painters to draw the focal point too big - this is true, I know for a fact. He uses a lot of grays, but the colors are still clear and the painting is very colorful.  It was a great exercise and I hope I can apply my new loose ways tomorrow out in the field.

China Camp

8" x 10"
China Camp #29

 I drove all through China Camp today for the first time.  There are some great pull-outs for some great paintings.  I'm going to be going back there a lot.  We had clouds today, so I blocked those in first before they all blew away. (Meanwhile, my umbrella blew away twice before I tied it down to the car) I need to re-work those grass shapes on the far island - they look kind of weird.  But, overall, I'm pleased with how this painting turned out.  I'll be back at it tomorrow.

Catching up

8" x10"
Nicasio Church #28

I'm a few days behind with my posts.  I drove out to Nicasio this morning and painted the church before it got too hot (we are having a heat wave for those of you who don't live in Northern California).  I took a workshop from Tim this spring and he did a demo from this exact spot, so I knew the composition was going to work.  While I was painting, a man in a truck stopped and asked if his angry mother-in-law (who coincidently lived across the street) had come out to harass me.  Fortunately, she had not.  Apparently, I was set up on her dog's grave.  Weird place to bury your dog, if you want my opinion;  road side under a telephone pole.  Anyway, she must have been in a good mood today, because she never came out of her house.  I focused on values and think I came pretty close in this painting.  Also, I worked on reflection and this building, in particular, has a clear reflection under the eave.  It was fun to paint.
I took a break and painted another small painting after lunch.  But, it is not worthy of posting here today.  It will be spending some time with the sander later this week.

Hot Dog 

6" x 8"
CityScape #27

 Here's the city scape I did in an hour before Hall's football game on Saturday morning. I think those buildings need to get way darker - they don't really read like they are in shadow.  Anyway, it was a good exercise and totally out of my comfort zone.  I took a workshop from Ken Auster last spring and we did a day of cityscapes.  I think it's total mind bender because there are so many things to think about, and the drawing alone is enough to make you crazy.  I have a lot of opportunity for improvement in this department.
I think I'm going to head up to China Camp tomorrow and paint a pure landscape - no buildings!