"September Fog" oil 8 x 10

 

Today was fascinating, socked in with fog within 1/4 mile of the coast, and up the rivers, but sunny just farther from the water.  The fog was cool and beautiful, undulating between the houses, and alternating between heavy and blue gray, and a lighter yellow gray.  I parked in my car and painted from the seat, putting my canvas on a clipboard. I began the painting with a dark neutral and then adjusted within the dark by some details into the house.  As the afternoon progressed the light and fog shifted, thickened, thinned, and glowed.  I did not capture what I saw as well as I wished, and have work to do.  I did have a great chat with a couple who walked by, peered into the car and told me I was painting their house.  We had a nice talk.

Thanks for looking.  I'll post it again when I finish the painting. 

 

"Red and Green Study" oil 16 x 12

This study of reds, greens and silver is designed to draw the eye into and around the painting.  I considered standing the carnations in a vase or the samovar, but liked the angles created by laying them on the surface.  RAther than painting the reds next to one another, I painted the red shadows thinly first, then applied the red in light more thickly on top of it.  This technique keeps the shadows more flat, with less light, and the thicker paint in the light picks up some of the bouncing light and adds to the contrast.