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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Snow Day - Step-by-Step Demo

To combat the cold, I softened a pile of white with Neo Megilp
Premixed greys to match value structure
These were the thumbnails I started with to determine the layout.
I did these very quickly because it was so cold but you can see that a few simple marks
can help guide your composition.
Drawing - done with grey marker - Normally would
use brush & paint but this was fast.
Thinned application of warm darks to mass in shapes
I like the look of the thinned, loosely mixed and colorful darks.

Modeling the darks with more paint and adding variety in colors and brushwork.
Began adding sky with palette knife.

Worked greys into background trees to show atmosphere.
Working back and forth between sky color and tree colors to define trees and branch structures.
It's difficult for me to get the effect I want with the fine branches.
I like adding sky holes by lightly dragging sky color over the mass of branches with my palette knife.
That gives a variety of edges. 
Me in my winter painting attire.
Brim of the hat block sun glare, hood blocks wind, down coat keeps the heat in!
Painting in snow is very bright but I don't wear sunglasses since they alter color and value.
Not wearing sunglasses is not so good for my eyes though :-(

Finished painting - after adding warmer, lighter snow masses and snowflakes.
"Snow Day" | 9"x12" | Oil

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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Spring Break Snow Day

March brings wild weather to Colorado...sunny and 70 degrees one day and snowy and freezing the very next!  A major storm came through yesterday dropping 8-10" of fluffy power snow.

I've had my eye on this fantastic barn to paint for a few years now...only problem is that it stands in the middle of a golf course, making it impossible to paint on site.  So, with the snow storm closing the course I packed up my gear, hiked out onto the course and painted the barn in the middle of the snowstorm.



"Silent Snowfall"
9"x12"  Oil on linen mounted to panel
SOLD

As always, your "likes" and comments are greatly appreciated!!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Foothills West of Longmont


I painted this scene on site a couple of weekends ago.  These are the foothills of the Rocky Mountains looking West from Longmont Colorado.

Foothills West of Longmont
9"x12" | Oil on linen mounted to board

Sold

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Vibrating colors and juicy brushstrokes


The clear light in Colorado on a blue sky day produces exquisite colors in the fresh snow.  The violets and blues vibrate alongside the warm golden tones.  This piece looks great in a black frame.


"Winter Silhouette"  |  9"x12"  |  Oil on linen mounted to board
Painted on location February 2013