Limited Palette

Ramsey Creek

11" x 14", Oil on Stretched Canvas

Ramsey creek is located in the foothills of South Carolina.  We spent the day snapping pictures, following a trail running along it's banks.

This painting was done with a limited palette of ultramarine, alizarin crimson, cad. yellow light, and titanium white.  One of my favorite things about a restricted palette is the harmony that seems to be created almost automatically.  Mixing colors is a bigger part of the process, no easy greens to grab...if I wanted green, I had to mix it, then if I wanted brown, I had to mix up some green to add to my alizarin, and so on and on and on.  Still, it was fun. 

Sundown Countdown

"Sundown Countdown"

8" x 24", Oil on Canvas

This is my second time painting these seagulls.  The first painting I did was on a 2:1 ratio canvas, and it just did not "fit".  This time, I ordered a 3:1 canvas, and voila!  Success.  I love that the birds lined up 1, 2, 3, 4, and watched the sun go down with me.  

Hope everyone has had a wonderful summer,

Cindy

"Reflection of a Rose"

"Reflection of a Rose"

Watercolor on Arches 300 lb. cold pressed

11" x 11"

This lovely rose grows in our yard, and we call it "Mrs. Todd's Rose", because that's who planted it originally.  It has delicate yellow and pink petals, and as it matures, the petals turn more pink.  It was challenging to capture all the colors in this photo-realistic painting, but I got it finally, and then had fun putting in the reflection in the window.  Love, love, LOVE that all the roses are starting.  This is the first one I cut this summer.  Hope spring is popping out all around you too! 

"Not Everyone Fishes"

Put a little more effort into this one.  I wanted to paint people doing something, anything, and this was the opportunity.

"Not Everyone Fishes"

11" x 14", oil on stretched canvas

Have a great day,

Cindy

"She Dances"

.......sometimes a painting appears as soon as you touch brush to canvas...like magic

"She Dances"

8" x 10", oil on canvas board

"Not Everyone Fishes"

Work in progress, sloooow progress for sure!  This is from a fishing spot that is heavily populated with fishermen, except for the guy on his cell phone...., well, I thought it was funny.  I still want to put the background people in, and more fishing debris.

"Not Everyone Fishes"

10' X 14", oil on stretched canvas.

Garden

"Garden", watercolor on Arches cold pressed.

Painting watercolors in the coach is certainly easier than oils!  This is from a photo taken along Florida's gulf coast.  

Have a great day

"Sundown Countdown"

Finished "Sundown Countdown".

"Sundown Countdown"

10" x 20", Oil on Stretched Canvas

This was a real challenge for me.  Next time, I will use a 3:1 ratio substrate, rather than 2:1.  The big lesson relearned was that the size and shape of the canvas matters in the overall composition. Trimming off about 3 1/2" along the bottom will improve this one:

 Have a great day!

Cindy

Progress

I've only had a few hours a week to work on this one, it's also very slow going with all the birdie details but here's an update on the work in process, and in process, and in process....I feel like I will never get it done some days!  I've also changed the name to "Sundown Countdown".

Back at the easel after a very long break.   Can I get away with saying that summer and fall got in the way?  No?

Anyway, I am happily back at it, and here's a start on a painting that I plan to call "1, 2 ,3, 4"; I was astonished when my photograph showed the birdies all lined up as if they could count.  Honestly, critters can be so funny.

"1, 2, 3 ,4"

10" x 20", oil on stretched cotton canvas

This still needs a lot of work.  I wonder, does anyone else take forever to finish a painting?