Contra Costa County

Trying to finish these two:

Contra Costa Marshland, #2, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Contra Costa Marshland, #3, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

To The Gallery!

I'm pleased to have finally finished something. This little painting is on its way to the gallery, and (hopefully) just in time to attract a Valentine's Day buyer.

The Last Rose of Summer, © 2017, (click on image for larger view)

And I worked on a lot of detail on this one this morning, also washed the last dark glaze over the right-hand corner and wiped away a bit to make the legs more visible. I'm happy with the way the last glaze is working, though you really can't see it well in the photo. I'll take another picture once the glaze dries down.

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Deadlines

There are a few shows coming up fairly soon, and I need to get things finished so I can enter them. So I'm going to have to start prioritizing.

This morning:

Counterpoint, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Sold!

Yay! Another painting has sold. Now I can buy art supplies!

Atlantic Ocean Series (Turquoise Phase) © 2015, (click on image for larger view)

Running Errands

Had to run a bunch of errands today, which kept me out of the studio, but here are the images from Whole Foods that I was unable to upload the other day.

Whole Foods, © 2017, Detail, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Whole Foods, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

And: the start of a new floral.

Window Work

Mostly worked on the subtleties of light and reflection in the front windows of this one today, but also darkened the upper corners.

Pershing Square, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Two Other Landscapes

From the Virginia Vineyards series.

Narmada, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Bluemont, September, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Glazing

So I got to work with the glazing medium this morning; below you can see a progression from the initial, very wet glaze through some wiping and on to where things stand now. I probably need to do another layer of the glaze. Those figures are still a little too distracting.

Very wet.

Initial wipe.

After a thicker application and light wipe; now drying
Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

I also worked on more tiles... so tired of tiles... Need to remove that tape.

Counterpoint, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

I'm having trouble uploading some of the other images of today's work from my iPhone to my computer. They're from the Whole Foods painting. Maybe later?

Persistence

After sulking for a bit yesterday, I went to pick up a new bottle of glaze medium and worked out at the gym. Then I got back to this one, and cleaned up the brush-overs on some of the black tiles. I know it's hard to see the progress from one posting to another, but this one is moving forward a bit at a time.

Protective Coloration, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

And a Few Mistakes

I decided to darken in that upper-right hand corner on the dance floor painting, and then discovered the glazing medium was missing. I searched the house for it and interrogated the cat, who is the prime suspect (he hates it when I paint), but he asserted his innocence and walked away with his tail held high.

So I worked on a couple of other things but was too distracted by the missing medium and started making one mistake after another. Decided to stop for the day and turn my attention to other things. 

Coffee With Andi, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Nearly Done

Maybe two more sessions on this one. I think I need to glaze a little transparent vermilion over the purpley areas on the petals, and I'll probably find something else that needs work.

The Last Rose of Summer, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Two Landscapes

In case I haven't mentioned it before, these are two views from Amtrak as it winds its way across a few rivers and bays east of San Francisco. The marshlands are rich in colors— ochres, yellows, greens— and the distant hills are bare in spots with small clusters of trees punctuating the open areas. It's a wonderful sight.

It's hard to imagine more dismal weather than we're having today, but I do love the rush of wind in the treetops. It seemed a good idea to work on something more cheerful than what's outside my window.

Contra Costa Marshland, #3, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Contra Costa Marshland, #2, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

What I Did On Saturday

I did not paint. I did not get across town to the art supply store (did that today). I spent the day with a half million other people. It was fun.

Incremental Progress

It's a dismal, rainy day here in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Everything outside the window has an air of sadness and dejection about it.

Progress, as they say, is often two steps forward and one step back. But there is always progress, no matter how long it takes to come to fruition. It can't be stopped.

I did a lot of freehand painting on this one today, paying attention to the variations in value on the lighter tiles, and evening out the dark color of the black ones. I got sloppy and impatient on the smaller tiles in the right side mirror, but that's the sort of thing I can get back to later with a little tape. So the progress is incremental, sometimes hard to see, but I am still moving forward.

Protective Coloration, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Foliage

Foliage drives me crazy. I see other artists who have a real knack for creating boughs of leaves with just a few well-placed strokes, but when I try to do it, it doesn't look right. And don't get me started about color. There are color geniuses out there, but I am not one of them. Still, I plug along, and here is today's work:

Bluemont, September, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Wall Color

I changed the color of the wall to be more like the dirty white floor tiles in an effort to focus more attention on the figures and unify the painting. Not sure the shadows are dark enough, not sure either that the wall on the right side, where the window is, is light enough. Bah.

Counterpoint, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

And I did a little work on this one, too. Am getting closer to finishing it.

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Power Failure

The power inexplicably went out this morning, and what that means is, NO POWER = NO PAINTING, as all of my reference material is digital images. I prefer using them to the old color prints because the color is richer and everything can be altered. If I need to see detail in a shadowy area, I can lighten the image up, for example.

So after a while the power came back, and here's what I worked on:

Contra Costa Marshland, #3, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

But the best part of the day was gone, so I only worked on one other:

The Last Rose of Summer, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

And that was all on the bottle. But, as Scarlett O'Hara would say, "Tomorrow is another day."

Good Afternoon

Managed to work on two more after lunch.

The Last Rose of Summer, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Contra Costa Marshland, #2, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

More Work on the Last Two

Before my lunchtime break this morning— tried that grey glaze on the far right side of Whole Foods and worked on the blue panel below it:

Whole Foods, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

And some details on the glasses and the salt and pepper shakers:

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Unification Theory

I'm beginning to think that a grey or pale blue glaze over the interior details of Whole Foods would unify the painting. Right now all of those white areas are a little distracting. If I glazed over most of them and left just the lighting fixtures white, it might not be a bad idea. But here's what I worked on today— mostly the window frame between panels 4 and 5, and the area below the blue, where there's a bike or two.

Whole Foods, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Foreground Napkin

The few artist friends I've shown this painting to have all said the same thing: "That napkin looks like it needs work." So this morning I put an hour into the napkin. I think it looks more believable. ?

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Impatience

I got tired of taping and went to the use of a plastic ruler for some of those grout lines. Of course the paint bled underneath and my right hand was a little shakier since I had to use the left to hold the ruler in place. So the painting looks smudgy and smeary. But I will sharpen up those edges over time.

Also, the best property of the tape is its ability to stick tight and prevent bleeding, but this is also a detriment in that it sometimes peels away a layer of paint (see the left side cheek of the woman in the painting). So I need to use the tape cautiously.

Protective Coloration, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Order vs. Chaos

The foreground in this one can easily collapse into confusion. I've been painting in dark areas that will eventually be covered with medium-to-light tones, but I have to also keep an eye on patterns, ripples of darkness and light in the marsh grass. Otherwise it's just going to look like static.

Contra Costa Marshland, #2, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

The Significance of 4

Spent a lot of time working on Whole Foods (see below) but also put a few touches on the dance floor painting. It's amazing how the addition of the numeral 4 on the table card makes the painting look more finished. It gives it an identity that had otherwise been lacking. And it helps hold that upper-left hand corner, visually.

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Whole Foods, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Details

Did a lot of detail work on the rose and the bottle. It's like a photo coming into focus.

The Last Rose of Summer, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Also: worked on this one late yesterday.

Contra Costa Marshland, #3, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Filling In Some Background

Today's work:

Coffee With Andi, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Drying Time

When you look at this one up close, it's a big mess, but once I get the tile edges straight I'll be able to go back and even out the paint in places where it's currently sloppy and haphazard-looking. The left side of the piece is more like the way I want it to look in the final version.

Now to get back into the studio and work on something else while the black edges dry. I still need to attend to the "white" ones.

Protective Coloration, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

More Tiles

Another painting that I've been avoiding because of the tedious work that needs to be done on the tiled floor. I mixed a bunch of colors to create that dirty white that you see on cafe floors: Yellow Ochre, Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Van Dyke Brown, Portland Grey Deep, and Permalba White. I should paint in some scuff marks, too. After the "white" tiles dry, I'll use the Frog Tape to clean up the edges of the black tiles.

Counterpoint, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

More work today refining the dance floor in that upper-right hand corner:

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Moving Along

It turns out that I can peel the tape away from the painted parts sooner than I'd thought, so now I have hopes that this will go more quickly. The green tape is called Frog Tape, and it's far superior to any painter's tape I've used in the past. It leaves a fine line with no bleeding underneath.

Protective Coloration, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

All of that staring at the unfinished painting on the wall has led to an understanding that the tiles on the visible back wall are a different tone (due to the lighting) than the ones reflecting the wall behind the viewer in the two mirrors over the sinks. This makes me excited to work on the painting, for some reason. And I'm particularly anxious to get to the reflections on the tiles and the grout between them— I think that's what's going to make this a believable space.

Just Do It

In an attempt to switch gears, I decided to get back to a painting that I've had on my wall for a while now; after looking at it for some time, I can see what I need to do. But it's hard.

I like that Nike slogan, "Just Do It." Don't complain, don't make excuses, don't keep talking about doing it; just DO it. Taping off so many different areas on this painting will take a lot of time and patience, but it's time I finished the thing.

Protective Coloration, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Easy

I enjoyed the little escape painting so much (it's nice to work on something that can actually be finished in a matter of weeks) that I decided to start another one. After all, it is a series; I might as well continue in it while the paint on the palette is still fresh. I'll get to the other paintings later today and the rest of the week.

Contra Costa Marshland, #3, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Weekend Escape, Part 2

Got a little further on this today; have to let the paint dry so there's not so much unintended mixing of color on the picture plane.

Contra Costa Marshland, #2, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Much color adjustment to do. You can't always tell what a color's going to look like until you get it on the support; in this case, the sky and water are wrong. The water needs to be lighter on the left side of the canal, and the sky is just plain wrong. It should be more lively, more of a cerulean blue.

Weekend Escape

All of the paintings I've been working on lately are now at that tedious stage where the fun and excitement has gone out of it, and all that's left is the tedious stuff. So i decided to start the second of a series on the marshlands just south of Napa, working with photos I took on Amtrak one year. It's fun, it's fresh, and I feel happy painting it.

Contra Costa Marshland, #2, © 2017, work in progress (click on image for larger view)