Plein Air 3-30-14

Yesterday was beautiful much like today is, minus the gusty winds. We saw temps in the 50s and 60s. I set out to paint and had it in my mind that I would paint a vehicle, specifically an old truck. I drove and drove and feeling depressed I didn't find anything that caught my eye, I started to head back into town. As soon as I entered town there was this old 50s Ford. I whipped around, pulled in to where it was. It was out in the front of a woodworker's shop (a stair-builder) at the industrial park. I got out and asked how long he'd be there (specifically the truck). He said an hour to hour and a half. I quickly set my easel with a small 8x10 panel and started on this little sketch. The day looked like fall with warm temps and no new growth, a display of greys and ochers. The gravel and background was simple and was a sun-washed high key low chroma kind of deal. It made things easier to paint quickly and simply. 8x10, oil.

Figure Drawing 3-18-14

Here are a few sketches from last night's figure drawing. 15, 20, and 10 minuters.

Recent Interior Painting

This is a recent painting I did. "Studio, Southeast Corner." 20x16, oil. I really enjoy painting interiors and different obscure corners of the house. I find them just as challenging as painting outside especially when relying on natural light because the lighting conditions change just as they do outside. Often if a room has multiple windows, skylights and lights on, the end result is a mixture of multiple light sources bouncing light throughout the scene and across objects in a manner that makes me have to think about the dynamics of light and color a bit more than outside. One good thing about interiors vs. outside is the consistent temperatures and relaxed atmosphere of being inside instead of out in the elements. This was painted over a few sessions (multiple days) during the same time of day with similar light conditions outside.