Grateful Notices: Tree Veil, Blues and Greens, oil on canvas, 36 x 60 inches

Private collection, CO. 

Thank you to the collectors of this oil.

About this oil:

Often when I am beginning an oil I set out a task for myself. This is a favorite motif of mine and for this piece I wanted to increase the complexity but at the same time, to create a scene that is more delicate and atmospheric.

There is the color of course, the reason I love going into the studio, and although there appear to be 3 major colors, each is supported by a variety of other colors and contrasts, both light and dark.

This began as a demonstration for one of my art classes and the point was to make a good start. In the hour allowed for this, the general composition was painted in and the vertical trees were indicated. 5 feet is a lot of canvas to cover in a short time but after the ‘sprint,’ the new oil showed potential.

This is one of those oils where it was quickly coming to life as I continued to work on it. There was the tendency to rush, but instead I took my time along with the other studio works in progress, giving it a couple of months for all that complexity to come into a balance and elegance.

Grateful Notices: Into the Forest Surround, Oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches

Into the Forest Surround,  Oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches

Exhibited: Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico
 
Thank you, Dominique and to the couple that purchased this oil for their collection.
 
About this oil:
When talking with other artists and students, I like to bring up the question of how can we make a green forest more interesting. Color is an obvious tool but composition, complexity, contrast, depth and atmosphere are some of the many other solutions and here they are the drivers of this oil.
 
At least that is what I started out to do last year. This painting is a variation of a smaller, vertical one I was very happy with, so I laid out this more ambitious, 4 foot square version. As it turned out, I literally got lost in the woods in this one and after a number of studio sessions and a lot of hours, I just put it away for a time.
 
Months later I brought it out and took a hard look at where the painting was and what would be needed to make it better. In this case, the most obvious solution was contrast - more darks and lights in the tree trunks. Once that was attended to, more depth in the painting emerged and the oil immediately came to life. 
 
This is where it is fun to be an artist that loves color, so that said, I pushed the color everywhere, while adding whatever made the painting more interesting and compelling, putting more hours in and pushing it to a better place. 
 
The painting will tell you when it is finished, and although I didn’t want to let it go because the process was so enjoyable, there was nothing left to add, so out into the world it goes.

 

From the June 7-9, 2024 Making it Fine Art Workshop

Next Workshop:

3-Day, Making it Fine Art Workshops, Moving to the Next Level

Open to only 5 artists.  Workshop flyer

October 18-20   2 openings remaining

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The July 26-28 workshop was just completed and remarkable works were made. Much was learned, dared and everything came together in a fun way! 

Here are some of the works in progress from the weekend. Much was gained from the experience and I hope you will take the opportunity to join the October workshop.

Thank you!

From the July 2024 workshop with works in progress by: Annie Wieland, Amy Lorenz, Adrienne Sousa and Juls Payne.