Friday, February 13, 2009

Dixon Adobe at Night



Back to the easel today. I got the panels which I had gessoed yesterday back in their racks. Seems like I am drawn to working on them versus the paper these days. I can remember when approaching a 30 by 30 board/panel seemed like a monumental task. Since I've been working on some larger pieces it doesn't seem so bad. Plus, I'm lovin' the chalk! I can't believe how much it eases the composition procedure. Today, I pulled a photo from one of my photo boxes. It was of an old adobe in Dixon. A photo I took many years ago when Becky Towne & I headed down to Dixon for their annual artist tour. Anyway, I've painted from the photo many times. So, as I approached the panel I drew it relatively similarly to the actual photograph. (I never bother to get it just like the photo--just leave the photo and forget the painting, right?) But as I studied this elongated adobe I decide to pull one of the house wings (if you can call it that) towards the front of the painting. To create a reasonable perspective, that made that part of the house (probably just a room or two) much bigger than the other wing. And, it made for a much better composition. I never would have changed that if I had been using my graphite. I actually redrew the one part of the house about 4 times. I'm thinking now that I have exaggerated enough--the structure, I mean, not my comments. I tried a new roof color and think it works. Will wait again until tomorrow to see if it really does work. I think a good exercise for me would be to work up some new color combinations on some small pieces, especially in terms of building colors. I tend to get stuck in a rut--either white/payne's grey purple or Sennelier #18 with Sennelier 90 and 32 as the shading. I'll add to my to-dos.
JuneBug's back leg was much improved so we walked this afternoon. I'm still trying not to fetch too much as I figure the jumping up for the frisbee puts more strain on the sore paw.
I got some images to Katherine McDermott for the postcard for this year's Moreno Valley Arts Council Artsfest advertising. Last year I won Best In Show. As a partial reward I get to be the postcard artist this year. I wonder which one MVAC will pick. Hopefully, I can hold back that piece until the show this July.
A box arrived today from Jerry's Aartarama with some new supplies. I don't know why it always jazzes me when I get new art supplies. I mean I use them every day. Anyway, I got some other colors of the water soluable oils and will work with those this next week. I think I've got some good ideas. Just need to decide if I want to do burnt sienna underpaintings or work with the colored gesso. Maybe a little of both. But I was really disappointed that they were out of another substrate I wanted to try--I'd ordered in several sizes and think I may be able to cut it to any size I choose. I wish they'd let me know. I even searched Dick Blick and aswexpress and decided to go with Jerry's because they had more in stock--hah! They were lying! But it did get me to place the order with them. Oh, well. Maybe I'll learn.
Got an email from Emily who sounded like she was really enjoying her birthday. I think it is really cool she's turned a teenager on her Star Birthday! Hopefully she can be like my grandma Evie and stretch the celebration as long as possible.
Anyway, Happy Friday the 13th, everyone!

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