Receding Tide

Here is another one that ​was incomplete for a few weeks until I decided to get things done! Again, it was a problem with the sky which I have now finished. I love how rocks reflect in the shallow water as the tide recedes. It is certainly fun to paint!

The Dune

I painted 98% of this painting a few weeks ago and had been meaning to fix a portion of the sky. I finally got around to it and it only took two minutes. I have no idea why I procrastinated so long, but I am glad that I finally finished it as I am happy with the result.

Clouds over Kiawah

A high school buddy of mine has a place on Kiawah Island and said I could use her photo of a marsh as a reference. I toned the paper with orange and allowed some of that to peek through. Still using the oil paper but I computer it down to 8 1/2 x 11. I know that isn't a standard size for paintings, but I accidentally bought some diploma frames (nonreturnable at this stage) and thought the oil paper paintings would fit in them perfectly. I am still using a palette knife, too.

8 1/2 x 11

Oil on Arches Oil Paper

 

 

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Through Here

I have discovered a new product that I like, and this painting is the first result after using it. I'll try to get a better picture after it dries: a skill I still haven't mastered.

I have always enjoyed painting oils on paper, but never liked having to do the three layers of gesso (and having to wait for them to dry) before painting on the paper. I did quite a few ACEOs that were oil on paper. Plus I have so much watercolor paper around that I needed to do something with it!
Arches now makes a lovely oil paper that looks and feels like their watercolor paper. Let me tell you: it is great! It feels great, it holds heavier applications of paint, and can take some abuse. The only drawbacks for some folks may be (1) the absorbency, and (2) the inability to completely get back to the white if the paper. If these are issues for you, then it is likely not for you. These are not issues for me though.

I watched a promotional video about it, and the paper is durable enough to roll like loose canvas. Though I haven't painted en plein air with this paper, I can definitely see the potential. It is lightweight and easy to carry, and it isn't expensive at all. One 9x12 pad of 12 sheets is $7.98 at Blick Art. One 22x30 sheet is only $6.44 as you can see here. Arches Oil Paper - BLICK art materials
Now what am I going to do with all that watercolor paper lying around!?
Oil on Arches Oil Paper
9x12

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Temescal Canyon Slope

A couple of years ago, I was riding around on my lunch hour looking for photo opps.  Temescal Canyon is a recreational park off Sunset Boulevard with barbecue pits, childrens play area, picnic tables, hiking trails, etc.  I snapped a photo (which is actually pretty horrible) through my windshield because the bougainvillea was so beautiful.  Sometimes terrible photos can make painting fun!

The Foot of Notre Dame de la Garde

Last year I visited Marseille and Provence.  They have these little tourist trains (as they do just about everywhere in Europe) that will take you around town so that you can look at stuff.  At first, I was embarrassed to do this, but my friend Sheila and I realized it was the best way to get to see Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille at the top of the hill.  I snapped a random picture of a tree at the bottom of the hill, because I liked the intense shadows.  This tree could've been anywhere, but I know it was in Marseille at the foot of Notre Dame de la Garde! That is one of the reasons I prefer painting from my own pictures.

6x6
Oil on Board

Santa Monica Sunset

I've never had that much success with sunsets. I always end up wiping them down, so I went a little semi-abstract with this one. Block in was done with a large brush, and the rest was structured with a palette knife. This is also bigger than usual and I really enjoyed it.
Oil on Board
18x24

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"The Barrier"

I played with my pastels recently and used a homemade surface with last weekend which was Art Spectrum pastel primer on Gatorboard.  I haven't found the best way to cut the gatorboard though.  It's more heavy duty than regular foam board.

"Tree on Right"

I have to do something about these titles.  Semi-abstract tree.  This is just a study of a portion of a future large painting I intend to paint ... eventually.

I am a fan of this French artist Alexandre Monestier.  You can see his work here: http://www.atelier-monestier.sitew.com/.  His father, Pascal Etchenic, is also a painter, and some of his work can be seen here:  http://www.galeriedecannes.com/gallery/artist_detail.php?artisteID=3.

When I first started painting (and not knowing anything about working with oil paints), I made some attempts to mimic their style.  It didn't work out very well.  Trust me.  However, I like this little semi-abstract tree.  I intend to paint a large landscape or seascape with flattened out colors as Monestier paints.

I think I had to learn to "construct" before I learned how to "deconstruct".

"Sunny Forest Floor"

I've never painted a scene anything remotely like this.  Initially I was intimidated, but it wasn't that difficult, actually.  Partially painted with a palette knife and partially with a brush.  Partially painted yesterday and partially painted today.  I'm partial to this painting.  :-)
6x6
Oil on Board

"Brewing Storm"

I wasn't sure whether or not to consider this painting "finished" or not.  I suppose it could just be a semi-abstract landscape.  I did, however, like the color scheme which was a pretty limited palette of: Cadmium Red Dark (Classic Artists Oils), Quinacridone Red (Classic Artists Oils), Hansa Yellow Orange (Classic Artists Oils), Cadmium Yellow Medium (Utrecht), French Ultramarine Blue (Winsor & Newton) and Titanium White (Winsor & Newton).

Normally, I would have used Gamblin Galkyd as a medium, but this was a lunch hour painting and all I had were my paints, the board and a palette knife.

I started out with a very thin underpainting (on the land and rock area only) with the Quin. Red and the Hansa Yellow Orange.  Hansa Yellow Orange is like Indian Yellow in other brands, but I particularly like Classic Artists Oils' Hansa Yellow Orange better.  In the dark areas, I used a combination of the Cad. Red. Dark and Fr. Ult. Blue.

The gray in the painting was made from all the colors in the palette scraped together with a bit of white added to get the right value.  I rather like it.

"Fitting In"

Fitting In is the finished product of a painting I apparently started a couple of years ago and set aside. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of how it was before. Because the apples are so small on this 6x6 painting, I only used the palette knife a little bit. The apples were then shaped with the brush. The drapery was largely done with the palette knife and polished with a brush.

I also made a change to the name of my blog. For marketing purposes, I think it is best to be consistent, so the name is donnaweathers.blogspot.com as opposed to mosaichippo.blogspot.com. It isn't as clever, but it's less for potential collectors/buyers to remember.

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SOLD - "Baby Blue"

98% of this was done with the palette knife. Since it's a small painting, I had to break out the brush for his beak and eye.

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Repainting Painting

I revisit paintings a lot.  Maybe it's a comfort thing.  Maybe it's a lazy thing.  I painted these pears from a reference photo from Wetcanvas in pastels (and sold them to a friend).  Thank you, Sandy.  There's a big difference between the oil version and the pastel version though.  Here I was very bold with the colors, and the use of the palette knife brings about quite a different painting.
The pastel version first, and the oil version second: