Red impatiens

Red impatiens

After several work sessions, the red impatiens painting is basically done. I am not quite happy with the red hue – I think it needs to be redder – but that is the only red I have in my paint box right now.  Last year I bought a package with 9 colors in it just to get started,  Now that I am painting a bit more and getting a better idea of what I like to use, I probably need to pick a bigger variety of paints.

This looks okay to me.  This has really been an ongoing  process.  It’s only this year that I have felt that the paintings have become something more pleasing and unique, starting with the lily pond ones over the winter.

Lately, I have decided that the gloss varnish has been the way to go.  It definitely added something to the greens and blues in the pond in a very good way.  The reds here will pop more when I varnish it.

 

Advertisements

Red impatiens this time around

Impatiens pencil drawing

First layer of acrylic

From lilies of the valley to impatiens.  I decided to stay with the floral theme and again took inspiration from my own flowers.  The photo reference for this comes from the decorative baskets flanking the doorway and sidelights on my front porch.

Just like the lilies of the valley painting, it was easy to get lost in all of the flowers and foliage. I started out small and spread out just to help me keep track of where I was.  At some point, the grid disappears and you have to go with the color flow.  When I’m finshed, I do think this will go well with some of the products in my new Society6 store.  Check it out.  It’s under ruthsartwork of course.  I’ll be adding more of my images as time goes on, but at least I’ve started.  Our internet is so slow here I have to go over to my mom’s place to upload the larger image files.

The lily of the valley painting is finished

It’s done

After a lot of reworking, the lily of the valley painting is finished. All I have to do is sign it.  This was pretty difficult – more than I thought it would be.  I repainted the leaves several times as well as the little bell shaped flower clusters, but it was hard to get the balance of the yellow vs blue tint to the green.

I think I am going to use a gloss varnish this time around.  It should help the greens pop a bit more.  I finally got around to varnishing the lily pond paintings and I used the glossy type.  I really liked the effect it had on the greens and blues in that set and I hope it will do the same here.

Lily of the valley

Pencil drawing

First layer of acrylics

After that spate of architectural commissions in March and April, I decided an acrylic painting or two might be in oprder.  My lily of the valley had started blooming in the front flower beds and I proceeded to work from a few photos I had taken of them.  Easier said than done.  The foliage and the shadows got quite complicated in a big hurry.  My eyes and brain needed a break so here is where I stopped.

One Last Pond Painting

Koi pond

I decided to paint one last acrylic of the Boise Train Depot pond.  There were quite a few large koi swimming in the pond and it seemed a shame to ignore their presence.  So here are a few more lily pads and one large koi.

Somehow, I forgot to take progress photos of this one, so you get to see the final right away.

Pretty much finished

Boise train depot

After a few extra days of fiddling around, I think this one is pretty much finished.  I like the way this one has turned out. The building is delineated but not overpowering.   The white tower and slight orange of the roof reflect subtly in the pond surface.  The lily pads break up pond water but allow the reflections to come through.  I framed the whole thing with the green of the trees and a little bit of shore.  All in all, I think it worked out well as a minor foray in an architectural in acrylic.

The Boise depot

Depot pencil drawing

First layers of paint

After the success of the previous pond paintings, I thought the Boise Depot itself should finally have a feature.  I was not happy with the first achitecturals I did a couple of years ago, but I thought now it was time to try again, but with a slightly different emphasis.

As a compromise to my feelings of inadequacy in painting buildings with acrylics, I wanted to make the building recognizable, but not the main focus. One reference photo seemed to fit the bill.  While the main tower grabs the eye first, its reflection in the pond lets your eye move around to the water and surrounding vegetation.  I was not so intimidated with the building in the background and  I was feeling good about how the previous pond pictures had gone, so this seemed to be a good next step.  I was happy with how things gad progressed to this intermediate step.