This is the time of year that makes living on a street lined with golden rain trees so wonderful. First come delicate tiny yellow blossoms that float downwards. Then, over the next few weeks the blossoms are transformed into robust scarlet seed pods that dominate the view no matter which way you look. We are at that moment of transition from predominantly yellow to red, and it is so much fun to try to capture it all.
This was another unfinished sketch which I worked on this afternoon. The figure was pretty much completed so I added a background that would tell a story.
I have the hardest time painting without an actual landscape, model, or still life in front of me. At this point I think I should be able to look at what I am doing and make the kinds of changes to what I see that would strengthen my paintings.
Today I thought that perhaps if I take some of my many unfinished paintings and force myself to complete some without looking at any photo references that I might have taken, that this might help me along the way. I started with a piece I began along a road near Canyonlands in Utah. I simplified the sky by removing the clouds and broke up the large purple area on the right.
Art Lesson under the Eucalyptus TreesWe painted under eucalyptus trees today, with a gray sky and gentle lighting. My friend stood on the uneven hill a little ahead of me. I did not initially intend to include her but when another in our group came along and I watched them considering the painting and the trees, I was struck by how special a small moment can be and quickly sketched them into this painting.
Tides on the San Diego Bay
Yesterday morning our weather had a hint of fall. It was slightly cooler, we had a breeze, and there were billowing clouds.
I went over to the San Diego Bay thinking conditions would be good for seeing the different textures that the tide makes as it flows in the harbor. I like how there is an under color that differs by it’s location and flow, and how the waves’s shadows are aligned in patterns.
Most of this was painted on the spot but I did not have enough courage to do the birds there. Instead I came home and used my photos since I was uncertain of what the gulls really look like when flying.
Yesterday I had enough time to make two paintings of Doane Pond at Palomar State Park. Because it is later in the afternoon and the view is a little more to the east, the sun is shining more fully on the pond and contributing to stronger reflections in the water.
Yesterday we drove up to Palomar State Park and painted at Doane Pond. I loved all the textures I saw all around me and tried to capture these in this gouache painting.
Deliberate Sketching 