Sunday, October 20

Green Luangwan Sunset

NFS

It has been difficult to photograph this painting, and get the colours 'true'. It is a composition derived from 3 photographs, but certainly not a Photo-shopped pasted image. 

It is in my imagination, held in my emotions......... and the wonderful experience of being the person in the back of the small khaki coloured 4WD with my husband, and our two amazing guides. The guides have stopped the vehicle for us to admire the beautiful spring sunset, whilst they discuss where it might be possible to see leopards.

The orange light on the tall green savannah grasses creates quite geometrical swathes, as do the routes of the night strolling hippos. A wonderful experience....... the hush of the night, the wonder of an African sky so clear....... magical, precious, unspoilt Zambia. May it stay that way forever.............

Monday, October 7

Quick Alla Prima

NFS

A quick one hour study to explore the differences between under painting and glazing, and quick brushwork. I have found doing the 3 increased my 'feeling and connection' with my choice of subject matter. The process is essential if you want to scale up. What next? if I were to scale up, and this were not just a study, I would explore the use of different 'sky palettes' against the green/blue-green of the landscape :-) which would give you a much sharper contrast, rather than marshmallows pinks! Perhaps it's a knee jerk reaction to the harshness of the glazes ...........

Saturday, October 5

Sunset stage 2

NFS

A quick experiment with glazes, using only transparent colours, no opaques. I enjoyed the experiment, but will stick to the Alla Prima in future :-)
The process of glazing with layers of paint diluted with Liquin is just too tedious for me - the energy of painting with enthusiam gets lost in a process. It was fun to try.................... and that's it.

Thursday, October 3

Sunset Stage 1

NFS

This is a quick exploration of the use of a chromatic black under painting using ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and titanium white. My darkest darks are the chromatic black, my far greys are blue bias, and my near greys blue bias/warm bias. I used a size 10 filbert on an A4 sized board. To speed up the drying process my pigments were mixed with Liquin.

This study developed from Richard Robinson's online workshop 25

Friday, September 6

The Macaw has Landed

NFS

This is my response to an artist friend's challenge to paint animal statues in saturated hues. Mr Macaw is just a few centimetres high and sits on a little branch - I just couldn't resist perching him on a lemon to get the plastic model to a suitable painting level. Thank you Dirk for the challenge and the persistence to get it done before my packing and travelling to Tuscany.  The painting took just under an hour using Harding's oils on canvas, and pressure and speed paid off :-)

Sunday, August 4

Simple Greys

NFS

This is a simple study using greys - greys can be many different coloured greys :-) This little painting is 7"x 4". Blogs will return to normal after so long away from my painting - life has been more than just a little busy for me this year. x

Thursday, May 9

'Early Morning Dubai Greens'

NFS

I just love the tree forms on the Emirates Hills golf course. This is just a quick study in 'Greens' with the tower blocks towering behind :-) xx

Wednesday, May 1

'Iridescent Beads'

NFS

Capturing iridescence in oil paints is difficult................... lots of layering up of different hues of different values. The term 'iris' means rainbow so it is important with iridescence to capture the wavelengths of white light, so back to ROYGBIV of my former years as a scientist  :-) xx

Monday, April 29

'Golden Piglet'

NFS

This study focuses on getting lustre into a painting - hence the little piglet money box. I have also linked it to some colour studies ................ little piglet does look as though he wants to take flight ;-) xx

Thursday, April 25

'Enjoying the Sunshine'

NFS

A quick block study in water soluble oils............... and enjoying the sunshine of sandy city :-)

Monday, April 1

'the Elk tree'

NFS

This is a large painting, inspired by a Richard Robinson class online. It is still very much a 'work in progress' and already has a wall in our house to be! ;-)

Friday, March 22

'Coast Care'

NFS

A quick study........... attempt 2 of a seagull :-) The weather is terrible for getting a true colour shot. The original is sharp, bright and full of light. Again I am working on values and hues, as I venture towards the end of my third year with VAA. I think this shows that I have returned to 'my style' ..... with greater knowledge of the 'hows and whys'.

Monday, February 11

'Dubai Course Trees'

NFS

Time for reflection on values, form and notan.............. now it's a case of matching my hues to value, whilst not losing the notan ;-)
This was a study in acrylics in the warm sunshine......... paints quickly became plastic, but actually this proved no problem - and no wet painting to carry home.

Saturday, January 5

'Land of Fire and Ice'

 NFS

This painting is on a larger canvas than I normally use for my studies, a 10" x 12" canvas board. My New Year's resolution is to plan more and sketch out ideas with value patterns before I start to paint. To bring this sense of discipline ''is needed if I want to make progress and develop paintings that 'work' to the human eye.

I used my December calendar page as the inspiration and developed a zig-zag composition designed to take the eye from the ice keyhole at the bottom - across the yellow water - to the mauves - over the volcanic coast where the sunlight hits - up the edge of the cloudline - and across to the mountain. I am happier with this one :-) a good start to 2013.