The Importance of Good Values .... Days 111 - 117

The days have been a little warmer and the trees are so close to budding out, but they are not there yet.  The thought of painting another grey dormant landscape is taking its toll.  Another week of rain is predicted and I am feeling a little uninspired.

A wonderful artist/teacher/friend suggested I take a break from  "recording the natural history descriptions" and instead concentrate on black and white - using 3-4 values only, painting more graphic statements and finding a way to harmonize these shapes.

To say this was a stretch was an understatement. I love doing value studies and I think it is such an important exercise, but I have never simplified them to this level. Fighting details and the problem of overstating them is a battle I fight every time I go out. I really struggled the first few days but then I realized how much more in tune I was with the compositional elements and the way strong values affect them.

I stayed with this exercise for 7 days, definitely no "pretty little paintings" here. I feel like I can now go back out with a fresh set of eyes.

Clouds and Moods - Days 108 - 110

As the grey days of winter continue, I decided to focus a little more on sky and mood in Days 108-110. There is SO much to study in a sky full of clouds. Color and value are not only everywhere, but they are also ever changing. Day 108 was a dark grey day with the constant threat of rain and Day 108 brought a clearing sky (that sadly wouldn't last long) with puffy cumulus clouds and peaks of different shades of blue in-between.

Day 110 brought the return of grey sky and rain. I was finally able to get out at the end of the day and study the interesting muted pink and lemon yellow tone to the ever present grey sky. We are having temperatures that are starting to be a bit warmer and so the Delta fields are popping out some bits of green here and there. It's not spring yet, but it's coming!!

Shapes and Structures.....Days 103 - 107

 I love painting structures, but I also feel that they are a weak spot. We had a bit of sunshine on Days 103 and 104 and I found some nearby structures to practice with. Day 103 was an old grain bin just down the highway and Day 104 is an old shed next door. Practice makes perfect and I need more!

Rain returned on Day 105.  Rain and more rain, so I gave in an opted for an indoor still life study. Having chickens that lay a variety of colored eggs made my subject matter a little more interesting.

Rain continued into Day 106 and so back to painting from to the front seat of my car.  The shape of the turn row and the little bit of color in the dormant cotton field diffused all the drab greys. 

Back to structures on Day 107. I spend all day on Tuesdays at the Charleston Art Center teaching classes and working with CARE, so I only get about a 30 minute window for painting.  When you only get 30 minutes, then that is what you use.  City Hall from the Art Center window was my subject of choice. More structure practice is a good thing.

Winter in the Delta.......Days 99 to 102

Back painting at my mom's. This pond seemed so big when I was a little girl fishing with her friends. It is somewhat more shallow  now and covered with duck weed, but it's still a peaceful place. The Mississippi hills have a much different feel than the Mississippi Delta with each being beautiful in their own right.  It was gray and threatening rain, but on Day 99, I couldn't resist the moodiness of this scene.

Day 100!!! I love the old grain bins just up the road from our farm. The sun had returned and there is a nice place to pull off of the highway, so I set up around 4:30 in the afternoon. The light was so golden, but was changing extremely fast. Captured what I could before it was all gone.

Day 101 found me back in the hills of Lafayette County. This little dirt road leads to Sardis lake. I would have loved to have walked a little further, but I was short on time. I did like the way the fence trailed down the hill, so set up and settled this scene.  The cedar trees and the oak holding on to its last bit of leaves gave some nice colors to study.         

Day 102 brought back the rain ..... and the wind.... and the cold, luckily I was able to paint this scene from the front seat of my car.  Really yearning for spring!

From Moon Risings to Sunsets, Days 95 - 98

 This week brought on the Blue Moon, Blood Moon and Lunar Eclipse, which brought not only great chances to paint the moon, but also incredible bright moonlight. We were also fortunate enough to have warmer weather, so I was able to take advantage of all of the above.

On Tuesday, Day 95, the moon came up while the sun was still shining. I rushed home after teaching class and was able to study it just as it came over the tops of the trees. The appearance of it was so big and even though it was still daylight, the glow was beautiful.

Wednesday, Day 96, brought the bright moonlit night.  The temperatures were in the 50s so if was actually a nice night to be out. I purchased a small clip on book light that I can attach to my easel. It allows me to see my paint and to mix the colors on my palette. On nights like tonight the light was so bright that I could turn the light off and actually paint by the moonlight.

We had a brief bit of sun before rain moved in on Day 97, so I struck out early to take advantage of it. I didn't have time to go far, so I went to backside of our farm where I was drawn to the shadows on the path leading to our neighbors. It was nice to see a little color from not only the pine trees, but also the few oak trees still hanging on to their leaves.

Friday Day 98, brought the most spectacular sunset I have ever seen on our hill (and we have seen some great ones!). I couldn't help but face the challenge of painting it. The vibrancy of the colors that make the sky look like it's on fire just seem impossible for me to capture.  The ever changing shift in the colors is also overwhelming, but the attempt was SO much fun.