Day Nine of the Challenge

It's 11PM, the painting is just finished.  I could say that I've been challenged.

This is the late afternoon view from my studio window.  The mountains become really ominous and brooding with the sun behind them. 

Some new things were attempted with this painting.  For starters I did an acrylic tonal underpainting, something I learned in John MacDonald's workshop this summer, but haven't used so far on the challenge.  Master of rationilization that I am, I thought that I didn't need to do it on these small paintings, but it became apparent as I kept changing the values that indeed it was needed.  I had hoped that the acrylic would stop the gesso from absorbing the colors, but that didn't happen.  An oil ground is needed on these gessoed canvas panels, I would like the colors to be stronger.

Then the rest of life intervened.

Later I added cold wax medium to the painting gel hoping it would matte the paint, so the photo wouldn't have so much glare.  It works for the light colors but not the darks.  This may add to the lack of brilliance in the light colors as well.  But I did enjoy mixing all those pinks and lavenders.

Day Three is out of order, more of my Blog learning curve.  Sorry for the confusion.

Western Sky
5x 7 Oil on Canvas Panel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                      
Off to clean the brushes.  See you all tomorrow.