New commission

I just got some new commission work. Back to a pen and ink with pastel architectural! Hooray! I forgot to take the pencil up photo so here we go directly into the finished pen. Lots of nice landscaping in an established neighborhood.

Done for now

I worked long and hard on this one, but it seemed that most of the effort was at the end after the painting was basically finished. I had put the orangy tones in the water last of all, but they seemed to be too strong and competed with the lily pads. I used multiple greenish glazes to tone down the water and pop the lily pads more. I am letting it sit while I am working on the commissions I got a couple of weeks ago. Got to get that Christmas gift money in the purse to spend. LOL

Finished for now

More lily pads

Base coat and pencil up

Acrylic layer one

More lily pads. I am currently working on three house portrait commissions but I wanted to show what I had been working on before I started on the new ink and pastel work. The pond works may be a bit boring for some by now, but I am totally enjoying painting them and trying to be creative so that none of them are very alike.  I feel pretty successful in that endeavor. Also my technique is improving, don’t you think. LOL

Also, I have items with my images on the Society6 website and the pond paintings have been popular along with the Boise paintings. Another big plus. Check out the link in my blog roll if you are curious about my art on various household and personal items. I am pretty pleased with the variety.

I can’t decide

Is it done?

I can’t decide if this is done or not. Sometimes I like the reflection area above the lily pads and sometimes I don’t.  I think I need to lighten it, maybe with a glaze, maybe with some repainting.  So much fussing with these three pond paintings.  

I have started working on two new house commissions so these acrylics will be on the back burner for a bit.  Maybe I will get a little perspective.

Day two and three

Color, day two

Day three

Slowly but surely, this is coming together.  Surprisingly, I am actually fussing the most with the pinkish reflection on the top.  I really like it in my reference photo, but I am having a hard time balancing it here.  A lot of work to go.

New pond painting

The underpainting and drawing

First acrylic layer

I really love these pond paintings. There is something so freeing about putting on the paint here. I concentrate on the colors more than the absolute structure of the image and let the brushes fly.  So different form the pen and ink work.

I wanted to put in the reddish reflections from the Boise Train Depot roof on the upper area to pop up the color palette.  It’s not quite right yet, but I am working on it.

Finished, I think.

Finished

Mostly I am fussing with this now, so I think I just need to stop.  I must have painted over that hill in the distance at least a half a dozen times.  I faded it out with some glaze and redid the shrubs and lower sky so much that I was having trouble seeing what effect I wanted.  Still, I am happy to set it back for a while.  It feels balanced and, as ever, it looks better in real life than in the photo.  I can only manage to color correct so much in my Photoshop Elements.  It has to sit for 2 weeks before I varnish it for listing.  Maybe my perspective will change by then, but I can live with it now.

Another painting up

First acrylic layer

Layer two

I decided to keep in painting mode. I have been watching a lot of art videos this spring and summer while we stay home and it has helped me stay inspired to work.  I painted this scene last year closer in and on a smaller canvas, but felt that I could do it again in a larger format. I loved the vivid colors then and I still do.

This one will need something in the lower third.  I haven’t decided what yet.

I’m still fussing with this one

Still fussing with it

I have been fussing with this one for over two weeks now.  I am trying to add some green to the water in the lower right.  First I add something and then I take it away.  I can’t seem to get it right to my eye just yet.

I am pleased with the depth but that front is driving me crazy.

New painting

Stream landscape pencil

first acrylic layer

After my trip to Boise, I decided to go back to the acrylics. Once again, a British tv show has inspired me. I have been watching “Fake or Fortune” from the BBC on Youtube. They take paintings suspected of being by famous artists and try to get authentication for them. Quite interesting to see and I recommend watching at least a few.

For this painting, I am using a photo from 20-30 years ago and have no idea where I took it.  Still, I found the meandering stream in the woods scene engaging enough to take the picture.  Next session will be to add depth.