"COW DAYS OF SUMMER'--where I will stop. . . . .

This is where I will stop.   I will leave this on the board in plain site in the kitchen, and as I do my chores and cook, I will catch a view of it once in a while.   That way, things that are not right will jump out at me-----and more subtle things that may need to be change will all of  a sudden be noticed.   You can see the texture of the board, made with the PVA glue, acrylic Matt medium, and pumice.---I like this texture for some things and thought it may work for a field of summer grass.   I can not believe its almost August!!!!  It was so hot today, and we were sorting cows and taking them to other pastures, with another small batch  of calves to brand in the morning --EARLY!   I am so hot right now, just dripping wet and its almost 8 pm!   I get up at 5:30 each day and just love that.   Soon, I will be plein-airing again!!!  Maybe Sunday morning, I hope so.         And I also saw a wonderful place to try a afternoon plein-air----it was amazing.   Maybe I will go and sketch there first, and plan a point of view, or something.  At least get familiar and watch how fast the light leaves.   I am already excited!!    Often for me, the subject is the light,   as it touches something---or how it feels to be there in that particular light.   I can't really explain it, but its something I have always felt--.  And I wonder......Should I frame my cow?   I think I will just let her sit awhile as I think about that.  There is always a period of time after having done a painting, that we, the artist, just fall in love with it and can't see where it may need something.  That's another reason to let it be for a while---maybe you will see it differently in a few weeks.   Just my thoughts here.

Where I got too today!

I  began early this morning as its so much cooler in my old garage working place.  I tried to think my way thru this, to get the right color and value with out covering all of my underpainting.   The old Grumbacker's are sure nice to use on this hard surface, and I plan to finnish the ground with the soft Terry's.   I still have her face, and eye to do---and face-shadows.   The calf in the distance is fairly finnished----I need to think a lot on the ground work----I mean the foreground shadow----and the whole ground cover, including strokes!!!!  So until tommarrow  A M  I am at this point.

The first block-in

This is the first block-in Layer.   I don't want to loose the sun-lit effect that the underpainting helped to set up.  I need to go slow and think, and not loose site of the light I see in my mind's eye.  I want the distance hillside to appear hazy  with sunlight, like when you squint yours eyes and look toward the sun.   The edge of the cows hips should be hazy also, going into the sun, and that edge should be a " Lost" edge.   The calf in the background gives a dark shape in which to show off the cows white head, even tho the side of it is in shade.   Also, that calf is black---but I want some hints of other colors, like blue--purple--showing up   , in the correct value.   The foreground and field  are the flat planes of the painting, and are being hit by sun, so should be light in value.   Foregrounds are hard,  grasses should be acknowledged   - - - - but how much?

So, I will stop here for the day, and think carefully about color.   It will be hot in my OLD  garage studio working space,  I can only use it early in the day or in the evenings.  As I get up early, evenings are hard  . . . .  I am tired by then!!!   Oh well.   It will actually go fast.

Working on this surface so far is fun.  I don't want to comelelty cover my underpainting- - - this is some of what I am trying to learn!    I have been reading a book by Caroline Jasper, who studied with Henery Henche, who studied with Hawthorne.  So interesting!!!!  All of us should give this a careful read,  And push the way we think.

Also, the little gallery reception was fun. Lots of travlers going thru, and gave me a chance to meet other artists.  Very nice work is being shown, and mine will be there until July 31.   Then its home again, with me trying to LEARN  MORE!

Cow (not dog!) days of Summer

I  have finally made a choice about how I was going to plan this painting.  With the cow already drawn as a value drawing, plus the size I wanted the next things to consider were : Background- color- light- support-and method.   Actually , maybe this isn't even the right order of things.  Support is important, because then the way you do it is easier to figure, or picture in your mind.  But, then, as you picture the outcome--and how you can make that happen, the light-source needs to be considered.  I was lucky with this one, tho, as we know.  It was, is summer, and the light is bright and warm----so its important to use the right colors to show just how good that sun feels in the A. M.------Maybe I think to much. 

So, using a large piece of 8 ply-matt board coated with Gesso on both sides-   then when really dry, coated on one side with PVA glue and pumice  seemed like an interesting way to go.   I then got my drawing onto the support, and used watercolor for the underpainting.  This is like a map, if I stay within the right values, I should be able to get the 3-D effect of the cow--plus show the sunlight hitting her red coat,  and her hapiness at being there!   Just an idea. I do plan now, to finnish her in pastle, with a very sunny obscure background.

I haven't been out plein-air latley, we have been moving cows around from one pasture to another, as the summer grasses begin to go.  Everything is irrigated real well, but some pastures are farther from home and now ready for cattle.  In the fall, we will have little "drives" to get each bunch closer to home for the winter.  Tonight is a small rececption at the little gallery I have some artwork in.  The town is very small, but qutie a tourist destination, and the lady who open the gallery just this year asked me to try it out.  It will be an experiance for me,  I guess.  Sharing is always fun, and visiting with other artists really enjoyable.  I love seeing all their work, and seeing what each is up to.   Selling my own hasn't been a concerne as I feel I come late to the party and have a lot to learn and experiance.  I am not sure Of even my own style yet, or what I love to paint most.   I know I do love Plein-air, and learning about that.  I also love all animals,  and learning about compostion which best expresses what I want to show.  This part is the kicker!!   Oh well,  I will carry on.

This A. M.---back at Plein-air

Out in the front Yard.. 7-8  a.m.

I thought I had an appointment today to help an artist friend who lives nearby.  I wanted to paint, and thought I would try a small plein-air to see if I could!!  The Morning light across the Carson Valley is amazing at times.  The sun just coming over the distant mountains seems to have a hazy yellow cast as it goes up to a soft blue sky.  The far mountains are so blue!! Especially toward Carson City, to the north.   I sat my easal up in the front yard, under a huge spruce tree that was planted about 100 years ago, and yes I know who by and approximately when!  I didn't finished the fence in front of the metal grainery----ran out of time----and was mainly trying to match each color out there as I saw it.   This is on Canson paper, pink, and mounted to an archival board.  This is a favorite scene, and so I will be doing it again, in different ways.    I hope I am back again with the every morning plein-air!!

Learning art and Life!: New Plans----

Learning art and Life!: New Plans----

www.wetcanvas.com

New Plans----

 These last 2 weeks I have been going out to plein-air regularly,  in fact everyday!  I have many sketches in my sketchbook, and many on-site notes drawn.  Trying to solve the many problems before I spend 2 hours stumbling thru with all the wonderful colors!   My friend from Dayton was here on the 9th, and we drove to Charity Valley , which is above our well known Hope Valley on Hwy 88.  We spent a wonderful around 3 hours, after walking around and looking at the scenery, on our paintings.  It was great, no one around except mosquitoes,  a great place to work with log tables for our stuff, and we drove right to it!!  Still----maybe too wonderful, if you know what I mean!!!  All that amazing spring green!!  I have to re-work my effort, Or toss it!!

So, the next day, I was out again very thoughtfully looking at the landscapes before me and making sketches in my sketchbook.  AND  re-reading John Carlson's book, which, by the way along with Edgar Payne's', are the best books for explaining all the things you go thru learning to Plein-air paint!!!!!   The above cow is from a photo I took of our cattle in the meadows at the Diamond Valley ranch.  She is a Hereford.  Well, some of her,  She really is a cross-bred with a lot of Gelvhich, too.

So----back out there doing skethes and planning places to set up my easal for actual work.   Oh----one of my plein-airs sold this weekend.  I have  a few in a local gallery.
They are small---about 7 x 12---and matted nicely, but not framed.  It didn't sell for a lot, of course, but its incouraging!  I bring the remaining works that don't sell home on July 31st.   Its a good experiance, and the first time I have done this!!  Well---back to the drawing board!

Happy 4th---and recent art ideas

The recent holiday, the 4th, was a long and busy one.  No art was done, all though each morning, after feeding the calf, (Lucy)  I did look for good plein-air spots.  I drew in my sketch book, did not paint, and in general hunted for nice places to take my friend from Dayton when she can run away to paint with me.  Its good practise, tho, to use your sketch book.    Family came to enjoy a B.B.Q---and  a lot of fun was had by all. I did work on a watercolor that I have been thinking about doing.  These flowers bloom each year along the road ways here, and I have been taking pictures of them I was told the name for these poppy-type flowers is "Cowboys eggs"  now, this may just be their nick-names.   They are very happy looking flowers, and do look like sunny-side up eggs.  The sun filters thru the petals with a lot of color when they are back-lit.  Here is a picture for you to see.

And this is the water-color I managed to get done.  I am doing this again, and hopefully planning the darks, and negative spaces better.  It was fun to do---I use a lot of water, and sometimes use a plexiglass board to paint on with my paper completely soaked.  This one was done on dry paper, stretched, then re-wet with a lot of water.   I need to get back into watercolor----but the pastels are just soooo much fun.   You can use them in so many ways, on so many different surfaces for so many different looks.  I guess you can watercolor, too.  I am also interested in Gouache painting.  Did I mention my horse is getting fat?? (Maybe I am , too!)