Pine And Fancy

Pine And Fancy

8x8

oil on panel

This is the second of four paintings I did with a limited palette (Cad. Yellow Light, Phthalo Blue, Crimson, Yellow Ochre and Titanium White) on my second day at the Kenderdine class; another tree top study. I loved the feel of the paint gliding onto the smooth board and again I used the walnut alkyd to speed the drying time. I wish the photo/ monitor could better show the movement of the brushstrokes in the blue sky and the sheen the medium gave the paint. This painting is done on one of the boards I sealed with Golden brand GAC-100, so the actual colour of the board shows through the paint here and there (see detail below). It is a different effect than the second detail I have posted which shows the black under-painting on "Branching Out".

Pine And Fancy - detail

clear GAC-100 under-painting

(the golden yellow colour by the leaves 

is the board showing through)

                 

 Branching Out - detail

black latex under-painting

What I found was that the edges on "Branching Out" looked sharper and slightly outlined wherever the under-painting showed through. I have since rectified that and the under-painting is now more subtle, but in the detail above you can still see some of that black coming through. As well, I found that while painting outside the colours I mixed seemed brighter, but when I got inside the studio at the end of the day I discovered some areas looked dark and flat... actually Degen, the instructor, brought it to my attention. These things all made the paintings look somewhat illustrative to Degen and she said that was fine if that was what I was going for (it wasn't), but if not I needed to add some more light areas, especially to the pine trees, and watch my edges. So I did some tweaking that evening and I liked the paintings far more once I implemented her suggestions. That being said, I really like seeing edges, whether they disappear into one another or sometimes look cut out. What I came away with from that day of painting was that I am still on that almighty learning curve! And it doesn't look like I am getting off anytime soon!



NOTE: The name for this painting comes from a store at Waskesiu Lake that sells candy, new and old hard-to-find kinds, as well as souvenirs and toys... you know, the kind of place where kids love to go with their allowance (i.e. parents money!). My sisters and I have always giggled at the name, Pine And Fancy. We love it! Anyway, this title came to me as I realized I had painted one little pine tree surrounded by a bunch of fancy, leaf fluttering Birch Trees.