Day Twelve- Another Background

This painting was an attempt to enliven the background because I found earlier paintings bland.  The traditional draped background Carol Marine warns against, as too complex for small paintings.  So I've been trying other things, and here's another.

Apple Six
Oil on Gessoed Paper 6 x 6

This was shot with a new camera.  The optics are much better.  I can see that it has the same effect as painting one wall of the kitchen, it shows that all the walls need to be done and I need much better lighting.  Both for painting so I can see the brushstrokes more clearly and for shooting so that the light is more diffused.  Carol Marine recommends shooting under an open porch to get that diffused light, but I don't have that.

Day Ten - Reflected Light and Backgrounds

One of my painting teachers, Arthur Gonzalez, manipulates reflected light in his studies, using the complement of the background as the reflected light.   So if a white ball is sitting on  a green cloth the reflected light would be red, rather than green.   I attempted that with this painting, but since the apple is both red and green, and placed on a red background things got a bit hairy.

Apple Five
Oil on Gessoed Paper   6" x 6"

There is something missing in the backgrounds, not sure yet what it is.  Perhaps the apples need to larger as in the detail below.   I thought about patterning, but that's too much to attempt in addition to the manipulation of the reflected light.

Day Eight

Since I didn't paint yesterday,  I looked at dozens of 30 in 30 participating artists.  I have an abundance blogs on my reading list now.

I received feedback from my Impasto Blues post, a palette knife should be tried.  If you are desperate enough to ask for advice why not take it?  I'm not even sure I have the right kind.  The first three tries were immediately scraped.  The fourth lasted until a late lunch, when I decided that the apple looked like a red billiard ball.  I almost scraped that too, but since it was going to be destroyed at any minute, I decided to take some risky moves which actually paid off.  Sometimes that works, more often it doesn't (IMHO).

Apple Four
Oil on Gessoed Paper 6 x 6

I was amazed at how much paint is required to use a palette knife.  I kept mixing more and more.
Also the values are not the same as when a brush it used.  The colors are much darker when applied with a knife.  I mixed colors that looked screaming bright and still needed to add more pigment and more white.  

Comment on Day Six - Impasto Blues

With this impasto technique,  it seems difficult to judge values with artificial light.   I think daytime light which is more diffuse may be better.   It's just been difficult to get to the easel at an early hour.  I have a huge overhead CFL daylight and a similar CFL on a floor stand.  For me the shininess of the medium and the shadows cast by the thick paint are really challenging.  My goal was to make this painting brighter than the last, I did not succeed.

The technique seems very unforgiving in terms of brushes.  I have only two that work, Cheap Joe's Serendipity and a very old Grumbacher which is no longer manufactured.  That latter is my favorite since it has densely set bristles which are very flexible and responsive.  The other "big box" art supply brushes do not have enough bristles and leave streaks.

Carol Marine suggests using Bristlon, I substituted a Red Ruby, which just slipped around the surface not applying the paint.  The bright didn't bend enough to apply the paint a large quantity of paint.

The paintings are done on gessoed paper which may not be the best substrate.

I would appreciate any feedback from those of you who have mastered this technique.

Day Six of the 30 in 30 Event

Didn't like the glittery quality of the medium in the last two paintings, so cold wax and a little gamsol was added to the Gamblin gel today.

Apple Three
Oil on Gessoed Paper   6" x 6"

Second Day of the 30 in 30 Event

Actually it's Day 3 on the official 30 in 30 blog, but since this is my second post for me it is Day 2.

Changed the set up a bit to add another color.  I'm working with very thick brushstrokes which I don't often do.  The oils are mixed with Gamblin Solvent Free Gel.  Tomorrow wax will be added to cut done on the gloss, right now the paintings glisten.

APPLE TWO
Oil on Gessoed Paper   5" x 5"

A New Year and the 30 in 30 Event

The 30 paintings in 30 days event is sponsored by a West Coast artist, Leslie Saeta. I participated last year.  It helped me organize my studio more efficiently and improved my painting because ideas that occurred to me could be implemented in the next painting.  It's so easy to forget.

If you are interested in seeing all the paintings, and there are almost 700 when I last visited, go to http://lesliesaeta.blogspot.com.   Day Two is already being posted since the event started on New Year's Day.  I was at the best party in years, so I'll catch up (maybe)

Last year I painted landscapes from photos.  This year's subject matter will be simpler for two reasons.  The first is that I have physical therapy three times a week as well as a home program following a surgery.  The second is that I am following advice in Carol Marine's new book "Daily Painting".  Her instructions involve very simple subject matter.  So here is Apple One.

Apple One
Oil  6" x6"

                                         

                                          May we all have a peaceful and fulfilling New Year.