"Lake House View" 36x36 oil on canvas
"Zilker Gardens" plein air 9x12 oil on canvas
"Devil's Hole Waterfall II" 30x30 oil
Early this week, I decided that my foot could handle some standing for prolonged periods of time, so it was time to go up to the studio and paint!!
I also decided that I would work on a painting that I started back in June of 2010 and hadn't finished in August as planned. It's been sitting on my desk upstairs, mocking me and making me wish that I hadn't made it so monochromatic. So, I got in there and added the greyish greens that are part of the wonderful pink granite of that region of the Texas Hill Country. And I lightened up the background to add some interest. Now, I will let it sit for a bit and see if I think it's done or if I am interpreting visuals in it that no one else is, haha! It's like, I know what I see but does everyone else see it or are they confused about it.
On Thursday, I met at Zilker Botanical Gardens for a Plein Air Austin paintout. I thought the hardest part for me would be figuring out a composition and painting fast enough to keep it together when the light changed. Luckily for me, it was a very overcast day, so the light did not change very fast at all.
Unluckily for me, I set up my tripod and pochade in the parking space next to my car (not allowed to walk distances yet) and some woman insisted on parking in that space instead of one of the two on the other side of my car. I know now that I could have spoken up and nicely asked if she'd move, but I was so shocked and enraged at her behaviour that I couldn't form any nice sentences. And, since I thought she was with our plein air group, I thought it behooved me to keep my mouth shut and not alienate anyone in the group.
She took out her painting stuff and joined another group up the hill who spent the next hour or so laughing like crazy (about what I do not know), so I guess I could have gotten all confrontational on her. But, my mama raised a "nice" girl and so I just spent the morning unhappy that my composition and position had been compromised.
In the end, it may have taken my mind off of all the other things that get in the way of enjoying painting outside, so I'm a bit grateful for that (in hindsight). But, in the future, I may have to make up my own sign that says "no parking", or bring an orange traffic cone that I stole from UT Parking after they gave me a ticket that pissed me off. Perhaps, I spoke too soon about being a "nice" girl?
Friday morning, I had such a great urge to start painting the lake house view that I've been commissioned, instead of doing sketches in 2 more formats, that I just did it. We haven't decided if it's going to be portrait, landscape or square, so it's presumptuous of me to just start in on a square, but it really called to me in that format and I can always do one in a different size later.
I blocked in the darks and lights and tried hard to keep those areas together early in the painting. Then, I had fun with color in the water. I will work on that some more, because the light patches will be toned down as reflections on wind ruffled water. It's fun to paint again! If anyone can tell me how to set paragraphs, I'd be forever grateful. I lost the ability one day and haven't figured out the trick for getting that formatting back.
Barton Creek Bridge was started because I was attempting a loose composition inspired by Scott Ewen's landscapes
. It was a total failure at looseness, so I just let it sit in the livingroom to mock me. However, I was still drawn to the composition, so decided to work on the things that bugged me.
I told my hubby last night that I usually dread going up to paint when all I have ahead of me are problems to work out. But, I got so involved in making this a good painting this week that it had me totally engaged in the creative process. What a rush!
