Finishing "One Sunday Morning"

On my way out to the studio today, I had to stop and smell the roses. As lovely as this looks, without the fragrance, you really cannot appreciate how wonderful this rose is.

For those of you who know me well, or have followed my blog for awhile, you know this is the fence covered with my deceased sister's climbing roses. As I went by today I had to say again, " Thank you Mary Jo!"

When I entered the studio, here is the painting as I'd left it a week ago.

One Sunday Morning, 10 x 14 inches

Several of you out there had sent me suggestions about where to go from here. Some ideas I followed, others I ignored. But the first thing I did was get rid of the plant.

I had originally included it for two reasons: it added to the creation of an interior space and it was there in the photo. (Just because something is in a photo is the WORST reason to include it in a painting!)

 

After the plant was gone, I could really see that it did not add to the story. So I moved on to other improvements. I had to reclaim the exterior horizon. I also lightened the floor to the right side, and lifted some paint from the table legs to keep the negative space of the table legs which I really liked.

 

As I looked at the painting, I was very happy with the really strong design elements, but felt the colors were too harmonious, making the painting dead. So I picked cad orange to add pizazz. It is scary to start adding an accent color, but I just kept telling myself that I was the artist and that I needed to follow my own instincts.

 

I then put it in a mat--always a good way to look at a piece near it's finished point--and smiled.

 

One Sunday Morning, 10 x 14 inches

What do you think?

One Sunday Morning-a painting

A few weeks ago I read the Donna Zagota article in the Watercolor magazine, and decided I wanted to try a painting based mostly on shapes. Following her work, I wanted to also start from an intimate subject matter. The handiest scene to photograph was Mike and Shredder, our furball cat. The light on this particular Sunday morning was inspiring.

 

The inspiration

After trying a few thumbnail sketches, I settled on a composition with an exaggerated figure and strong diagonals. I transferred the sketch onto a small piece of 300 pound Arches, a paper I rarely use. The sketch sat on my work table for a month until I had time in the studio this weekend. I used a limited palette, 4 colors to be exact. The under-painting was done with yellow ocher and manganese blue, a combination that creates some great greens. I did all my mixing on the paper, not on a palette.

 

The underpainting

I used cobalt blue and burnt sienna to create darks and began to add details to the figure. The cat was poorly positioned (too close to the center) , so I tried to make the cat part off the figure shape and downplay its importance. In this photo, the L-shaped composition is clear. I've left only hints of the exterior landscape.

 

The painting taking shape

From here on out, I added detail, used gauche to regain some white, softened edges, created some positive/negative interest in the bottom of the painting.

 

One Sunday Morning, 10 x 14 inches
Now that I'm looking at the painting on the computer, I see that I need to soften the edges of the white swoosh under the hands. Now it is competing for interest.

I do have some questions:
- Is there too much empty space out the window?
- Do the hands need more detail?
- Should there be more transition of value in the floor?
- Is the plant between the figure and cat too busy?

Love your feedback!

Who ya gonna call? MOLEBUSTERS

 

All summer we've been chasing moles around our lawn. This has been their best year--our worst. Up until yesterday, we were sticking a stick of "Giant Destroyer" down the hole one day, and finding another pile of dirt 2 feet away the next.

 

We recently got a tip from an exterminator, telling us to use a bucket and our leaf blower to really push the gases into the entire tunnel system. By cutting a hole in the bucket, fitting the tube of the blower into that, we are able to do some real damage.

 

My job is to dig into the dirt pile, find the entrance into the tunnel, light the bomb, and step back. (All done in my pj's.)

 

Then Mike steps in with the MACHINE.

 

This is the entertaining part, we watch as the sulphuric gas begins to rise through the grass, traveling deep into the tunnels. Yes, maybe I should feel a little bit bad for the mole, but they are the trespassers here. They can dig up all the 3 acres of pasture they want, but I want a green lawn without mounds of dirt!

So what do you do to top the morning's mole hunt? Yesterday we spent the afternoon floating the McKenzie. Let me take you along with a few photos highlighting this beautiful river on a fall afternoon.

 

Ready to launch

 

Mike at the oars

 

A lunch of Greek salad, bread and beer

 

Fall colors

 

An osprey nest on the far left

 

Looking back after passing under one of the bridges along this stretch of river

 

The fall light makes it hard to see these rocks until you are past them, looking back

 

The low light makes these deciduous glow when backlit