Done for now - -

I  will stop here with my oil painting - - - - I finished by myself, and maybe there will be changes to make.  For now, I will let it dry  in site, while I think it over - - - -how I could do this better - - and many things about oils - - -they are different for sure.   Its magic when I watch Ray put down a brush stroke on one  of his paintings.  And last year, in June, I watched Charles Muench paint a beautiful small plein-air of a blue house here locally.   It was just beautiful work.    You have to applaud those who have gone all the way, doing all the work and studying in Oils all  they possibly can and then finding the time to PAINT, and paint steady so they can grow in their art.  Amazing dedication, and a true love for art.    I do enjoy art, but seem to go a  lot slower!   I will be out will my pastels, plein-air again soon.  I spotted a great painting that needs to happen just today as I was on my bike!!!    I do enjoy plein-air!!

Another morning painting on my own.......

Can  you tell I have been painting on this again?  sometime the underpainting of Burnt Sienna looks like the painting itself.    Today I was brave enough to have another go at it, studying it carefully for a place to begin I tried to continue.  After having Ray;s wonderful help, and seeing that I had so much to correct last time I was a lot more hesitant.  I do understand that this is my first studio painting in Oil, and that it will be a huge learning curve even to be able to mix my paint - - - -but I don't think I really understood the actual feel of working on this with no answers except to try this and that, in a way!  Ray has been wonderful in his help, and the way he helps.  He lets me do my thing---study that, then find ways to correct it.  That way I can really see what I am doing or thinking wrong.   I really appreicate his help.

I have a lot in the saddle area to do, and his rope to finnish, and most likly a lot of corrections - -  -but this is where I am today.

Another morning in Oil paint

Well, today I began painting again----=my last day on this I had begun to feel that I did not have some of it drawn right, which made the body of the mare feel too cramped in - - -so I did send an S O S  out to my friend who is so very good teaching painting in Oils, as well as painting pretty amazing himself.   Ray Freeman came back out to help me figure out where I went wrong.   Yes, it was in the drawing mostly.   Measure---Measure- -  -measure!!!    we must learn to measure, and compare relationships.  I had drawn this imagine using a grid method, which works - - -but I do need to pay  more attention to spatial relationships and to learn to use this method more effectively.   As a result, I needed to lose those hind legs - - -- I had wanted to retain a little of them, feeling it would look odd without them - - -but hey - -  -you really don't feel that way when the corrections were made.    I also was struggling with my background-----So, after Ray left, I thought about it again---and this is where I am now.    I may yet change it.   In taking the photo today I see I cut the dogs legs off-----I will do better next photo as her legs are still there!    I also did a small dog this week in Pastel.   He belongs to my elder 1/2 brother, and is very cute.  Am still working on this background, too.

But here he is - - -I may add some softer violets and a bit of yellow to this background.   Hope you are all painting!!

corrections!!

This is the second  layer on this painting, with value and color corrections!   I spend the first days on my own as I painted  and decided I needed some help from a very good oil painter that I know, who does a lot of western-type scenes as well.  So I called him, and he came over to see what he could do to help.   Its Ray Freeman, and he is not only a wonderful artist - - he is a very patient teacher, and very invested in the whole effort.  We go Plein-air painting together sometimes, and I have painted on site in oils with him - - but not very well.   He also does pastels.   So, with his help, we worked this over and brought those values closer in some areas, and he talked a lot about mixing warm and cool  value for each color mix we had going.  We talked about color harmony, and he really gave me a lot to think about.   I haven't touched it since he was by, but I have plenty to work out on my own!   Oil color is the same in therory, but you do need to learn the properties of each color,  and mixing with the white and black is a lot different.  I am not using black per se' in this painting, tho.

finally, a new post!

Today I want to quickly post my newest efforts in Oil.  I have my poor camera back, so I took a few pictures today to show you what I have been up to this month.   Its been cold, sunny each day, and no storms, but cold.  So I began an oil painting to do indoors so I can learn to paint in oils, and mix colors easily.     This is one I have already done in Pastel, so I am a bit familiar with it.  This time, I wanted an abstract background, but showing light and shadow.   So far I have this.

Painting the dog was fun, and seemed to flow for me----the rest, not so much!  Sure am wondering where I am going with this!  I did choose a limited palette, to make mixing easier.  I left this for about 2 days, then tried again today with the horses head and got this far.

                                           

This picture seems to have gotten a lot of shine reflected back into my camera--I did shut off  the flash.  I am painting in my home by the bay window that faces to the North.  Really nice to be at home, but I have to say----Plein-air painting is still my favorite!!!     So, as I paint more I will post and let you know how this experience is going for me!