A painting a week. Week 87

“A corner of the garden.”

The summer is over and we moved into the autumn. The weather is still good though, quite dry, quite sunny, calm breeze ... best time of the year.

So, I decided to try another plein air. After struggling all weekend with a floral still life with an orchid. I wasn’t convinced by the composition, still not sure, I will try to finish it next week, probably on Tuesday. Anyway, I set up my easel in the garden and painted a corner of it, with a view towards the house. The apple on the left, still has some apples in it, the broom has died, only some twigs left.

I used a palette with two blues, three yellows, a red, white and some browns (ochre, Italian cassel, transparent brown oxide). No medium, just some turps.

Again, I have used the Italian field easel with the MOSEPI palette and the Best Brella umbrella.

So, here it is:

“A corner of the garden.”

Oil on linen.

20 X 30cm (8” X 12”).

A painting a week. Week 86

“A rose, and few other things.”

I managed to snip the last rose from my garden, so I had to paint it. Not sure if I sniped it to paint it or Just for fun and then I had to paint it ... complicated matter. Anyway, the weather is back to normal, the usual dump and cool – lovely British weather.

I had to find a composition for my rose and this was a difficult process. But, I managed to put something together, a bottle of moonshine, two tall shot glasses and a small statuette depicting a cat, right in the middle of the composition; I have used it as a central focal point, instead of the rose.

And then I painted it. It took me longer than usual, lacking concentration and perhaps procrastinating, just a bit. I started with the rose and I just sketched the rest of the composition at that stage. After finishing the rose, only because roses don’t last long, I finished the background and the other objects, last ones I worked being the tray and the shadows.

I used two reds and a white for the rose, cadmium red light and alizarin and for the rest of the composition I used two browns, two yellows, a blue and white. I used an extra yellow for the highlights, yellow lemon. And, again, I didn’t use any medium, just turps.

So, here it is:

“A rose and few other things.”

Oil on linen.

35 X 45cm (14” X 18”).

A painting a week. Week 85

“Still life with rose in the living room.”

Another week flew by. Extremely busy at work and not much time for painting. But I still managed to complete one painting. On Tuesday at the life drawing class I was in for a surprise, they were having a sculpture class. Which means the pose is rotating every 30 minutes or so; sculpture is 3D, so you have to see the model from every angle. But it was a good experience. I set up my easel and working with sight size method, I did a series of 5 quick poses, 30 minutes each, on the same page. I am more than pleased with the result.

The rest of the week, I worked on the evenings, after work on a still life. Rather complicated, with a rose in a Japanese vase, the bottle of cherry liqueur (what is left of it), a tall glass and added  by my other half  a fig from the garden and a wilted leaf. The rose was also from the garden and it lasted incredibly long, four days! For the setup I dismantled the shadow box and used the wall as a backdrop, paintings and art on the wall included. I was trying to finish it on Saturday, but failed to do so. Hence I had to finish it on Sunday. But first ... being my birthday, a visit at an artistic place. It is called “Sculpture by the lakes” and it is situated in Dorset, few miles away from Dorchester, in a little village called Pallington. It belongs to a family of artists, Simon and Monique Gudgeon, Simon being a renown sculptor. A beautiful and tranquil park, which displays 30 sculptures by Simon Gudgeon. And a lovely cafe, with great food, made with local ingredients. We found out that they have art workshops and classes, including plein air painting and they would allow artists to paint on location. A great experience and I will be back for some plein air painting.

So, in the afternoon, back to the painting. I used a palette with three yellows, two blues, two reds, three browns and white. No medium, just turps.

So, here it is:

“Still life with rose in the living room.”

Oil on linen.

12” X 16” (30 X 40cm)

A painting a week. Week 84

“Cherry liqueur and a rose.”

Obviously, the good weather couldn’t last long. It lasted long enough anyway, probably the longest warm and dry weather in recorded history. But it ended suddenly, after the last weekend. Now, as per usual, rain most of days and a lot cooler. Which means, more difficult to paint outdoors, but more time for still life painting.

I started this week painting early in the week, but it was a long and painful process. And this was because I didn’t like the setup to start with. It was a joint effort of me and my other half to arrange it and initially I wasn’t convinced, but she liked it, hence I had to paint it. I struggled all week, being more and more unhappy with it.

And in the process, the glass and the bottle, where moved a bit on the stand and the rose grew from a little bud to a gorgeous yellow rose. So, after a week of fighting with myself, lack of concentration, procrastination ...

After a chat with my coach, I decided to give it one more push.

So, after redoing the rose on Saturday afternoon, I begun working on the painting on Sunday morning. In the process, I started liking it more and more, and because of this I was able to concentrate more and managed to complete the painting.

I used a palette with two whites, one more opaque and one warmer and transparent, some yellows (cad yellow medium, light and deep, lemon yellow and yellow ochre), cerulean blue, cobalt blue, transparent brown oxide, Van Dyke brown, alizarin crimson and cad red light. I haven’t used any medium, just some turps.

I painted it in layers, obviously, because it took me a week to complete it, but the last two days, was mostly wet on wet (alla prima).

So, here it is:

“Cherry liqueur and a rose.”

Oil on linen.

24 X 30cm (10” X 12”).

A painting a week. Week 83

“Freshwater bay, Isle of Wight.”

Finally, I did another plein air painting, after few months of procrastination (my excuse was still life painting – and I am getting better and better at and like it more and more – so I can use it as an excuse for not painting outdoors.).

Anyway, I finished preparing the wooden palette from MOSEPI. I treated it all over with three coats of Danish oil, bought from the hardware store. Left it to dry about 24 hours in between. Then I applied two coats of boiled linseed oil, only over the palette area and over the brush holders and left it to dry for longer, about two days in between coats and few days after the last one.

And I decided to test the setup today. The setup is lightweight, an Italian style field easel and the Mosepi palette. We went on the Isle of Wight and ended up in the rural town Freshwater, less crowded with tourists then the eastern coast of the island.  In spite of that, it is a picturesque location. We had a little wander around and stopped on the far western part of the beach, right underneath the cliff. We spent few hours, most of the day painting.

The setup is brilliant. Sturdier than it looks and definitely sturdier than I thought it would be. Although it was quite windy, with a constant fairly strong breeze, the easel stood firmly. The palette, also is quite strong and can hold brushes, medium dippers and even paint tubes.

I had the canvas prepared beforehand with a reddish coat.

I didn’t use any medium, although I had some with me, just paints and turps.

The palette was quite reduced, two yellows, two blues, white and two browns.

So, here it is, my first plein air painting in months and the first done using a new setup (for me):

“Freshwater Bay, Isle of Wight.”

Oil on linen.

30 X 40cm (12” X 16”).

A painting a week. Week 82

“5 O’clock tea.”

Another hot week is gone, and the hot dry weather gone as well. And how annoying is this: after few weeks of clear sky, just the night the big eclipse was supposed to come, storm, rain and heavy clouds. Hence, we were unable to watch the blood red moon. It would have been a great experience, perhaps some good reference photos taken ... but, no, it is always cloudy when something like this is coming. But, enough about weather.

Regarding art, I have had a great week. I have received the new instalment of the “Art Gallery” subscription at DeAgostini and already started reading it. I read about  E. Munch. An exceptional painter and print maker. It was a great lecture and looking forward the next ones.

I also studied about a contemporary artist, which I think is one of the greatest living artists. Odd Nerdrum, a Norwegian painter. After I discovered him online and looked up many of his paintings, I watched this week a documentary about his life and how he came to paint like he does today. The documentary is called “Hunt for Odd Nerdrum.”

And, for my weekly painting I have chosen to do another tea themed still life. This time, not with a PG box, but with a little Twinings sachet. And it looks less like an advert and more like a still life.

I used a reduced palette, withe two reds, three yellows, black, two browns and a blue; I am still working on reducing the palette, but for the moment I can’t find the answer to reducing it further.

I didn’t use any medium, just turps to thin the paints. I worked it mostly alla prima, but over few days, so some drying happened as well.

So, here it is:

“5 O’clock tea.”

Oil on linen.

24 X 30cm (11” X 14”).

A painting a week. Week 81

“Two lemons and a lime.”

Last few weeks, I only managed to complete one painting a week; previously I was doing two and a bit. I thought I was beginning to procrastinate, but I managed to pull myself together and started painting more again.

During the week, I have received my new wooden palette box I bought from MOSEPI. It is very lightweight, yet sturdy and it is designed to attach to an Italian Style field easel, or similar. The one I have received is the new, improved model, with a new attaching system. Because is made of wood and intended to be used outdoor I wanted to treat it before first use. So I put three coats of Danish oil, all over and then I will put at least two or three coats of boiled linseed oil on the palette area. It weights less than a Kg. And I bought an Italian style easel, branded Windsor and Newton. So, now I have a new, lightweight outdoor setup. I will post a complete review after I will start using it.

And I managed to complete two paintings, both still lifes, because the weather is still to hot for outdoor painting. But, as I said before, I enjoy still life painting more and more. The first painting of the week, was a still life about tea. A simple composition, with a cup, a saucer, a tea bag on the side of the saucer and a teaspoon in the cup. And a big cubic box of PG tea. Perhaps a bit to advert like, but I am pleased with the result.

For the weekly painting I have chosen to do a small still life, with two lemons and a lime. I played a bit with the light and perhaps I got the shadows a bit to strong, but I think it adds to the drama. Palette, reduced, as usual, couple of browns, three yellows, a blue and white.

I worked alla prima, layering the background, over few sittings.

So, here it is:

“Two lemons and a lime.”

Oil on linen.

18 X 24cm (7” X 10”).

A painting a week. Week 80

“A brass mortar and pestle with a coconut.”

Another week of continental summer, with unbearable heat and drought. All the vegetation around us is slowly but surely dying; I have just noticed today that even the moss on the roof is turned brown.

Obviously, this kind of weather keeps me indoors, but I am not complaining. Still lots to practice and experiment with still life painting. I wanted to do something different, hence I have chosen a brass mortar and pestle, which is in my family for many years, possibly a century, or so. I paired it up with a coconut and changed the setup, with a black backdrop and a white cloth.

I wanted to experiment a bit, so I played with some medium; I used De Mayerne medium, for the dark background, hoping that the background will stay vivid. It did, but in the process, I have lost the character of the brushstroke and the background is very shiny. I hope it will dry a bit duller, but not sure about this. The lesson is to use the medium, sparingly and with caution.

I used a reduced palette, with three browns, transparent brown oxide, Italian Cassel and burnt umber, three yellows (cadmium yellow lemon, cad yellow light and yellow ochre), some white, some cobalt blue and a touch of alizarin crimson. The canvas used was covered with vermillion and left to dry.

So, here it is:

“A brass mortar and pestle and a coconut.:

Oil on linen.

30 X 40cm (12” X 16”).

A painting a week. Week 79

“A rose.”

The time is flying by. It feels like it goes faster and faster. And on top of that, all of the sudden, summer. A very hot summer. The hottest summer in a long time. Not to mention dry. And these are only a few of the reasons I wasn’t able to paint en plein air lately. I’d rather paint something in the relative coolness of the studio. And that means, a still life, obviously. I was, again and unsurprisingly, very busy at work, hence I got back home, quite late, every day. This combined with a bit of procrastination, yes I admit it and I ended up at the weekend with nothing completed, not even started, something new for me, but I guess, we all have bad moments.

Anyway, because I was planning for this Sunday to visit the Royal Academy of Art, Summer exhibition 2018, I have decided, for my weekly painting to go small. Not tiny, but one of my smallest sizes, 18 X 24 cm (7” X 9”).

I finished the painting on Saturday afternoon, after work; I started it on Friday evening, and did few retouches to the background on Sunday after coming back from London.

And I have to say, I had a great day in London. Very warm, but a great experience. We visited the Summer Exhibition at the RA, which was an anniversary one, the 250th edition. And the lead coordinator was the great artist Grayson Perry CBE RA.

A very enjoyable experience.

And, because we had some spare time we went to Victoria and Albert Museum, where we visited the paintings section; it is a huge museum, it would take days to visit it properly. There is, at the moment an exhibition about Frida Kahlo, but it was all sold out for the month. We will try to see it later this year, it goes till November.

Back to the painting now. I set up one rose, using a black background.

I didn’t paint sight size, this time, enlarging the rose, for a better composition. I used a reduced palette, as per usual, again no medium, just some turps. When I returned from London, I have noticed the background dried rather dull, so I retouched it, with some Italian Cassel, cobalt blue and some yellow ochre. I applied it rather thick. If it dries again the same, I will have to revive it with some Liquin, as I did with other paintings before. Because of the thick paint I will sign it after it dries.

So, here it is:

“A Rose.”

Oil on linen.

18 X 24cm (7” X 9”)

A painting a week. Week 78

“A vase with roses.”

For the third week in a row I have decided to paint roses for my weekly painting and this is because I feel I need more practice with them.

They are beautiful flowers, but have an immensely complicated and intricate structure, with many overlapping petals, of various sizes and shapes, positioned, more or less on a spiral. Anyway, I find painting roses a great challenge, hence I will start painting more, for more practice and because I like roses.

For the setup I have used five roses from our garden and a little ceramic vase we bought few years ago from Delft. It is Delft ceramic, decorated the same as 400 years ago with a blue pattern.

As per usual, a quite reduced palette and no medium, just turps.

I have decided to experiment a bit, so I went for a much darker background, to make the flowers and the vase pop.

So, here it is:

“A vase with roses.”

30 X 40cm (12” X 16”)