New Palette

January 20, 2015

My husband made me a new palette which is 32 inches wide.  It is so nice to have this extra space for mixing, but I am actually using fewer colors.  Back to the split primary palette with a change from cerulean to phthalo blue. I tried it and you can just mix some white into the phthlo to create a cerulean and it's nice to have that dark on your palette for making dark greens and black.   I'm reading Carol Marine's book and she uses phthalo blue (green shade.  I go back and forth between the three primaries and the split primaries. 

Here are two recent paintings using the limited palette (split primaries), doing a small study first then a larger one using what I learned from the study about color and composition.  I pushed the darks in the second one and used fewer brush strokes. 

Primary Palette

January 14, 2014

Playing around with the limited palette of three primaries

My last three paintings have been done using the primary palette, just three colors plus white.  I'm starting to really like it.  In the past I have used the split primary with a warm and cool of each color. Then I tried the Zorn palette for awhile.   It's fun to try new things.  Plus I'm making an effort to limit the brushwork. 

 

Daily Paintworks



Repetition

January 12, 2014

Repetition seems to work for me (except for photography).  Here is the 4th version of this painting and the one I like the best.  Sometimes the first one is the best, but I think the more familiar you are with the subject the chances are you will try something new. 

 

8x10   - (the photo has a little glare on it-my photographic skills are not improving)

 

I've been posting my paintings on the 30 day Challenge website and Daily Paintworks. 

Today is day 12. 

 

http://lesliesaeta.blogspot.com/

Carol Josefiak Painting a Day: Repetition

Carol Josefiak Painting a Day: Repetition

Repetition

January 11, 2015

Lately, I have been doing at least 3 paintings of the same subject.  It really helps me try new things.  Here is the photo of my subject for painting #2.  I will probably try a third one, but haven't decided what approach for this one.  I might add some flowers.

If you want, try painting this set-up with a new spin. 

 

Here pushing the use of darks and thinking about edges.

 

Here emphasis on lots of paint, but I don't like the brushwork,  wish I had used a palette knife for the heavy paint.  (I used a palette knife for the heavy paint in painting # 2).

Interview by Cindy Williams

Interview - January 10, 2015


Cindy Williams is interviewing a different artist everyday in January at her blog.  I admire the way she has taken the time to do this.  She must be very organized.  Thank you, Cindy, for including me.  One of the things I like about blogging is that way you get to meet others who are also interested in art. 

Here is a link to the interview.  Painting every day has helped me along with blogging and teaching.  Happy Painting!

Interview by Cindy Williams

I have painted this one three times.  The others will be on Daily Paintworks by tomorrow.  The shiny metal and the foreshortening were the biggest challenge. 

Repetition is my friend. 

Focus on Brushwork

January 5, 2015

#4 of 30 in 30 Challenge  (not too late to join)

My focus is on brushwork, keeping it simple and big and not changing it once down.  Here is photo I used and final painting. 

 

 

Listed on Daily Paintworks

 

Practice

January 4, 2015

Practice the parts that make up the whole.

The 30 day challenge coincides well with "Keys for Improvement" that I wrote about in my last blog.  So far I have kept up with the challenge, but admit to it being a pressure.  This time my theme is to practice something specific in each painting. 

On the last two paintings I concentrated on using the Anders Zorn palette of white, yellow ochre, cad red, black and cer. blue.   I was lucky enough to receive a book for Christmas with beautiful photos of his paintings along with the story of his life.  It is a gorgeous book.  (link to book)

(on an older blog I showed how to do the grids for Zorn colors).  If you do a search available in the right-hand column, you will find it.

The 30 Day Challenge with Leslie Saeta really reinforces the idea of daily painting and practice.  It's not too late to join in.  Here is the link to her blog:  lesliesaeta.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year

 

One of my last paintings for 2014. 

"Dance into the New Year"

 

(It might sound a little corny, but I think there is a song with a message like this and I always thought it was good advice. 

 

 

 

Daily Paintworks

 



Since my goal for every year is always to improve my paintings, this "Keys to Improvement" caught my attention.  I read it on a blog and wrote down the three points, but forgot to write down the address of the blog.   Thank you to this blogger for putting this together. 

KEYS TO IMPROVEMENT

1.  Practice the parts that make up the whole. 
2.  Purposeful practice makes perfect.
3.  Find a mentor.

My mentors don't even know they are mentors.  I watch and re-watch my DVD's by artists I admire and watch Carol Marine's Tutorials on DPW.  Thank you to Carol Marine for inspiring so many artists.  It was an article that I read by her in Professional Artist magazine several years ago that motivated me to join DPW and participate in a more disciplined way in daily painting.  Before that I was painting almost everyday, but felt stuck and didn't see progress. 

If you didn't get her book for Christmas, order it from Amazon.  Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_12?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=carol+marine+daily+painting&sprefix=carol+marine%2Cstripbooks%2C154