Jan, 2026 Virtual Hike - New York City & Analogous Colors

The Virtual Hike's destination for January 2026 was New York City. I searched  Google Street Views and found this interesting photo of somewhere in Brooklyn.

Here is my Google Street View photo and my initial underpainting

in black & white acrylic on a red toned canvas.

The finished painting.
Autumn in New York, 6x8 oil on canvas panel

 

As you can see, I seriously edited the orginal source photo. I'm also working with a very limited palette - 5 tubes of paint. My colors were - Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Lt Red, UM Blue and White. Then at the very end I added a few spots of bright turquoise as a relief color. 

This is called an analogous color scheme. (A color, its two neighboring colors and its complement, plus white, with a bit of a discord color added as a relief.)

There are many color combinations available in an analogous color scheme and I enjoyed the discipline. I plan to explore it further.

This painting is available in my eBay Store. And, as always, you can purchase this painting, or any of my paintings, directly from me if you prefer. Just email me at - mail@CeleneFarris.com for more information or if you have any questions or comments. I'd love to hear from you.

How about joining our painting group - The Virtual Hike. We'd love to have you. It's free, fun and no strings attached. And no judging. You can interpret the scene anyway you wish and work in any medium... All in the comfort of your own studio and at your own time schedule. Check us out here - The Virtual Hike Painting Group.

Thank you and happy painting,

Celene

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Composition Again

If you're happy with your paintings there's no need to read any further. But if not, maybe this will help. 

We are always learning. Some artists are happy where they are - and that's fine. Other artists seek ways to learn more. I guess I'm one of the seekers. My present (continuous, it seems) study is composition, structure and discipline.

I am always looking for ways to improve my work, so back to the books and instructional DVDs I go. Here are my latest notes. The information may sound repetitious but the underlying fact is that this information is essential for succcessful painting. You will notice that the key words are discipline, planning, structure, simplification and composition.

First of all, thank you to all the great artists who have written instructional books and made painting DVDs to share with us. Here are a few notes and quotes from my latest studies.

"Good painting requires discipline".  Force yourself to paint using a structured, no-nonsense approach.

"A good reference photo, taken for the structure - not the subject - is essential".  The photo should have simple shapes, a strong value pattern and strong directional lines leading to a definite focal point. Look at the underlying structure, not the scene itself. 

"The focal point is a place, not a thing".  It is a directional force between the vertical and the horizontal planes that draws your focus to a certain area. This force is often called an armature.

"Most paintings fail within the first few minutes because of poor planning".  This is the time to work out your composition and simplify the design - now - not after you begin oil painting. Create a simple pencil and paper value sketch. Or you might try a simple underpainting to work out your composition. I find these essential.

"We are creating - not copying".  Simplify, adjust, move or eliminate anything that is not essential or weakens the composition.  A strong, simple composition is essential for success. Don't include something just because it is there. Reduce the clutter. And follow the rules of aerial perspective and color transitions. Watch your edges.

"A painting is finished when you have removed as much as you can."   

"Don't look at the subject - look at it's bones."

These above short notes all focus on improving our paintings with a better understanding of structure, design  and composition. Of switching our thinking from just painting a pretty picture to creating a painting with strong "bones". We all want to just paint, but to be successful, we have to pay our dues first - by studying. Composition can be a complicated subject. I find it fascinating. There are many good books on the subject. And check out U-Tube to see some very good artists. (And some not so good.) 

Take the time to study. You won't be sorry.

Something to think about. Happy painting,

Celene

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Overworking? Try Direct Painting.

Are you tired of reworking a painting - over and over - correcting shapes, adding lights, adding darks, fixing colors - only to find that you have overworked the painting again, destroyed the colors and values - and are so frustrated that you might as well wipe it off or throw it in the trash? All that wasted time, effort and paint!

We've all been there - myself included! So let's try Direct Painting and see if that works better. 

After working out a good composition with thumbnail sketches and drawing it on your canvas, apply a base coat of simple shapes of correct, flat colors and correct values over the entire canvas. This creates a firm foundation to work on and allows you to make any small adjustments to the composition before continuing.

This is the time to make any corrections - not in the next layer.

After this has dried, we begin Direct Painting which is the technique of painting one area as correctly and completely as possible before moving on to a new area. 

These completed areas provide strong reference points for judging each new area.

As you work slowly and deliberately across the canvas you are striving to paint the finished painting as you go. There may be small bits and pieces to add later on, but if done correctly, no major changes will be needed. And since no area has been overpainted or fiddled with, your colors and values should remain clean and crisp. The painting is now 99% done!

The next day, after it has dried a bit, add any small bits and accents as needed. Done. 100%... 

I read that "Most bad paintings fail within the first 15 minutes because the initial planning and design was faulty"....  Something to think about.

Give it a try!

Happy painting!

Celene

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Artist - Magician

Composing a still life painting is easy because you are in control of the scene and the lighting. You choose the items and create the arrangement. 

Composing a landscape outdoors is much harder. Nature puts everything on display - the good, the bad and the ugly - all fighting for attention. And she isn't concerned with their placement, color, size, shape, value, etc.

Painting landscapes from photographs is even harder. Not only do you have all of nature's tricks, you also have the camera's interpretation. We know that the camera alters colors and values, and flattens perspective. The camera doesn't pick and chose the best items - it captures them all, even giving them a bit of a twist.

If you include everything in your scene you will have a painting full of bits and pieces that are just that - a bunch of stuff. No story, no definite focal point. You can say, "But it was there" or "See, I copied the scene exactly." But that's a poor excuse. The painting just doesn't work.

So what to do? Become a magician. Decide what the painting is about and where the focal point will be. Then choose just the objects that help tell your story and make the rest of the clutter disappear. If there is something missing, add it. If something needs to be emphasized or modified, do it.

Just as a magician makes you see what he wants you to see, you can make the viewer see what you see. Feel what you feel. You can make them stop and look, mesmerized by the play of light and shadow. Fascinated with the brushwork and lively colors. Captured by the subject matter. Intrigued by the mystery. They won't care that you left out all the clutter.

How to get rid of the clutter? Seriously look at the scene and decide what caught your eye. Was it a certain feeling, the mood, a light effect, the colors, an object, a person, the weather? Whatever. Then, like a magician, make the clutter disappear by eliminating everything that detracts. A successful artist once said, "A painting is finished when you have taken out all that you can."

And like the flamboyant magician - paint confidently and boldly. Be generous with your paint. Let your brushwork show so the viewer can see and actually feel your energy. This adds a special dimension to your work that further connects you to your audience. 

Don't be afraid to push the extremes and paint out of your comfort zone. You may surprise yourself. It's only paint, you can always wipe it away and try again. Like the magician, you have to keep practicing and taking chances. Simplify. Intensify. Add more excitement and drama, unexpected color, strong contrasts - more magic to your work!    

After all painting, like magic, is just an illusion!

Happy painting,

Celene

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Fixing a problem painting

I received an interesting question. “How can I fix a painting that isn’t working? I’ve tried everything, but it just gets worse.”

My thought is, "maybe you can't."

When I have a painting that doesn’t work, I step away for a few minutes and return with an objective eye. For me, the problem is either technical or the subject matter. If the basic structure of the painting is wrong, no amount of fiddling will correct it. If I’m not excited by the subject matter, I know it will be a battle all the way and I will probably lose. My solution is to admit to myself that this painting will never work and that I need to wipe it off. If I can’t remove enough paint and think the remnants will bother me, I can either throw it out or repaint the entire canvas with a flat, neutral tone and put it aside to dry.

It’s empowering to wipe out a failed painting and start over. Without a new beginning, no amount of fiddling or reworking will succeed. When a painting is working you can feel it. You are in “The Zone”. If that spell is broken by distractions, stop and take a break. Some days painting is easy, other days it is a struggle. I don’t have as much time for painting as I would like, so I’m not going to waste my time on a compromised painting.

If you feel that your painting isn’t working, put your brush down, step back and analyze it for composition, subject matter, drawing, perspective, values, colors, mood - all the many technical components that make up a good painting. Be honest with yourself. Admit that the painting isn’t working and try to figure out why. If you continue to overwork a bad start you will be frustrated and the results will be stiff and unsatisfactory because the underlying problems are still there. So have the courage to wipe off your canvas and start fresh.

When working from photographs, don't just copy what you see. That's what a camera does. It captures everything - the good, the bad and the ugly, while distorting values and colors. You are an artist and need to make the necessary technical corrections while imparting a bit of yourself and your emotions into each painting. You need to create a painting - not copy a camera's mechanical interpretation.

Failed paintings are necessary for growth. How can we improve without making mistakes? Learn from them. Accept them as part of the learning process and don’t let them overwhelm you.  

Another thought. If you have a recurring problem, try to find the solution in your art books or ask an artist friend for advice. I'll often ask my husband for his honest opinion and he often points out things that I didn't notice.

If all else fails, it's a great satisfaction to throw the failed painting in the trash. Out of sight - out of mind. Grab a cup of coffee and start over.

Happy painting.

Celene

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All those extra tubes of paint

Ok, so you want to simplify your palette of colors but what about all those extra tubes of paint you bought?

Sorting - Get out all your tubes of paint and sort them into 7 piles. A pile for each primary color - red, yellow and blue. And a pile for each secondary color - orange, green and purple... And one pile for all the "odd" colors.

Now choose two versions (a warm and a cool, or a bright and a dull) of each of the three primary colors  - 2 reds, 2 yellows and 2 blues. This is your basic double primary palette. Six tubes of paint.

As you become familiar with this simplified palette, you can begin to expand your primary color range - example - substituting a purple or green for one of your blues, or an orange or purple for one of your reds, etc. See image above.

You can also add special colors for a special needs. But try to limit your palette to 6-8 colors, plus white.

You now have an interesting and controllable range of colors that you can adjust as needed.

(Remove that "odd" pile of colors and put them away for another use.)

After you have sorted through your tubes of paint, you might find that you have enough choices so that you won't have to buy any more paint - except maybe white - for a long time. Isn't that great!

Happy painting!        

 Celene

Hello April - Goodbye March

March in Maine is a long month, acting like a spoiled child - sweet and all smiles one day and temper tantrums the next. That was our March this year. Cold, gray, gloomy days of snow, then rain. Ice, then mud. Then sunshine. Repeat.

It was a good time for spring cleaning both our house and my studio. And a good time to inventory my work for the coming season. I did find quite a few unfinished paintings that showed promise. And, of course, some that went in the trash.

And the first of the month means a new destination for Marla's "Virtual Hike". I look forward to each new adventure. It's interesting to explore the area and that leads up to researching information about my chosen sites. I find it fascinating and hope to chose two sites each month!

Our Maine landscape colors are quite neutral right now - an assortment of browns and grays for the bare trees and fields, the birches, the road and the patches of old snow. Dark green for the evergreens. Raw sienna for any lingering leaves left on the trees and for the dry, wild grasses. A variety of browns for mud and dirt. The sky a grayed blue but often there is a bit of pale orange in the sunlit clouds. The colors may sound a bit dull, but there is a feeling of awakening and a nice warm harmony of colors with all these neutrals. It reminds me of an old tweed jacket, a bit shabby but still warm and comfortable.

Soon our landscape will change into a riot of bright colors. Green grass and all the spring flowers!

Thanks for visiting with me. Happy painting!

 Celene

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March's Virtual Hike - Australia 2

March's Virtual Hike, using Google Street Views, continues in Australia. 

I continued my travels along The Great Ocean Road to Wrecks Beach at Great Otway National Park. This coastal area is known as "The Shipwreck Coast" for a good reason. 

From the parking area, it is a steep, 350 step descent to wild Wreck Beach. There the rusted anchors and various metal debris of the Marie Gabrielle and numerous shipwrecks can still be seen at low tide, a haunting reminder of the lives claimed by this treacherous stretch of water. More remnants are submerged in the deeper waters. 

Park signs are posted along the beach warning visitors to - "Be aware of local and tidal conditions and be well prepared". Access to this beach is only at low tide.

Wreck Beach, Vic. Australia
11x14, oil on canvas panel

The exploration and local history is another reason why I enjoy the concept of this painting group. We certainly live in a fascinating world!

Our group uses Google Street Views from Google Maps to explore our assigned monthly destination. We choose a scene, paint it and send a picture of our painting (with the Google Map link) to Marla. She posts it on the group's page on her blog. It really is a fun adventure. And it's interesting to see what the other artists have created!

Would you like to join our virtual painting group? We'd love to have you join us!  New artists and experienced artists - everyone is welcomed!

It's fun, free and no strings attached. And you can interpret the scene as you wish.

For more info and to join - just click on Marla's link The Virtual Hike Painting Group .

This painting is available in my eBay Store. And, as always, you can purchase this painting, or any of my paintings, directly from me if you prefer.

Thanks for visiting. Happy painting. Happy exploring.

Celene

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Tell your own story.

Waiting for Spring, 9x12, oil. SOLD

January's cold, snowy days are a perfect time to sit in my studio with a cup of hot tea and pull out my art books. No matter how many times I read them, I still find something interesting to think about. Today it was landscapes.

Landscape books often recommend beginning with the sky. The inference is that the sky's coloration and mood set the key for the whole painting. It is also suggested that we paint from the top down, working back to front. Supposedly when we reach the foreground, the painting should be complete. Maybe yes, maybe no.

To me and my way of painting, it make more sense to begin with the most important aspects of my painting - the focal point and the story I want to tell - and key my painting to that. I don't want to be hindered by trying to force my painting into a certain structure. I would rather just paint and see where the painting wants to go. 

Because my paintbrush often has a mind of its own, a sunny day in my reference photo might progress into a stormy day or even a night scene. Starting with the sky doesn't work for me.

So when you start a painting, decide what you want to show and the story you want to tell. Establish your focal point and then just paint. Put the photo aside and enjoy the process. Tell your own story - in your own way.

My thought for the day. Happy painting.

Celene

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The Virtual Hike - Greece - step 1

 Greece - The black and white underpainting

As I mentioned in a previous post the new "Virtual Hike Group" has begun. Our first destination for Dec. and Jan. is along a designated route in Greece - from Athens to Marathon. Since side trips were allowed I "hiked" eastward to the coast.

This is my initial lay-in in black and white acrylic. This method gives me time to work with the scene, adjusting and moving shapes a bit to strengthen the composition. And time to think about my color and value choices.

Nature doesn't stand still. In a few minutes the colors and values will change as the sun and clouds move across the sky. Shadows will move. The weather may change. This photo, if taken at a different time or on a different day, would look different. This knowledge gives me a chance to use my "artistic license" to make the changes I need to strengthen the composition. Most of all, it allows me to paint the scene - my way!

The next step is working in oils. Did I mention that I love to paint? Stay tuned....

If you'd like to join our group, click below to meet Marla and read about the group and how to post your work to the site. Its free, fun and no strings attached.

 https://marlalaubisch.blogspot.com/2024/12/greece.html

Thanks for visiting with me. Happy painting!

Celene

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A New VPO is back!

Years ago I was a member of a group called "The Virtual Paint Out". The concept was to explore a designated area using Google Street Views to find a scene to paint - without leaving home - a virtual paint-out.

New destinations were assigned each month. Our submitted paintings were then downloaded to the VPO site as part of a monthly display. It was a great concept - from exploration to finished painting.

Then, after many years, our director retired.

Last week, I received an email from a fellow artist who would like to start up the program again. She would call it "The Virtual Hike". This is a tentative start. She is hoping to engage many artists to join. I'm in - for sure!

Our first destination is the route between Marathon and Athens in Greece -with side trips allowed. I think I have already found my spot, but I'll keep exploring for awhile.

This destination will be up for Dec. and Jan. as this is the first step and she will need this time to organize and collect artists.

This is a free group. You are under no obligation to continue. It's just a fun group of fellow artists. This will be a lot of work for our new director. Thank you so very much, Marla.

For more information and to sign up, please visit her blog at -

 https://marlalaubisch.blogspot.com/2024/12/greece.html

Give it a try. It's free, fun and no strings attached!

Happy painting.

Celene

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Splash!

 Another few paintings from my new Maine Seascape Series.

Splash! 5x7, oil SOLD

Morning Surf 5x7, oil

Heavy Seas 5x7, oil

I do think that photographing the finished paintings is harder than the painting process. What a job trying to match the colors and values in photo shop. These are pretty close. They will be available in my eBay Store in a week or so. They are almost dry and then will be varnished. The paintings can also be purchased directly from me. The price is $125 with free US Shipping.

Hope you are enjoying the fall weather. We are having a marvelous fall here in Maine.

Thanks for visiting.

Celene

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Storm Brewing, 8x10 oil

 Part of my new seascape series.

Storm Brewing, 8x10 oil

This painting is available in my eBay Store or directly from me. Please contact me with any questions. This oil painting is on an 8x10 artist's archival canvas panel. Sold unframed so you can purchase the frame of your choice.

Photographing the finished painting is difficult. Trying to get the correct balance of color and saturation to match the actual painting can be a problem. I have tried my best to be correct. So as always, you can always return a painting for a full refund. 

Hopefully there will be more seascape paintings to come. The ocean is fascinating, always moving and changing - ruled by the moon and the weather. It's a great subject, challenging but fun.

Thanks for visiting. 

Celene

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Seascape Underpaintings

I am currently working on a series of seascapes. Living on the coast of Maine is my inspiration.

Working from my sketch books, I have created my underpaintings in black and white acrylic. These underpaintings will serve as the foundations for my paintings.

There are five major components in a painting - inspiration, composition, shapes, tones and colors. In my underpaintings I have solved the problems of the first four components.

Now for component number five. I will now switch to oil paint to add the colors. This is the most time consuming and difficult step. It's very important to pick subjects that you know and understand. Subjects that you have studied under different light conditions. And you must understand color and all its variables.

Painting is complicated. Breaking it down into steps makes the process a bit easier - hopefully.

Tomorrow is a color day!

Celene

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Jazz & Painting

I watched a wonderful Ken Burns series on Public Television called “Jazz”.  The similarities between music and painting were striking and worth thinking about.

Jazz is a combination of many musical styles. It’s distinctive sound ranges from smooth, classic jazz all the way to extreme jazz. The jazz musician takes an ordinary melody and transforms it into a new sound. Some musicians push it even further until the music resembles an abstract painting. It is music that we can feel, as well as hear. Music with a soul. 

In painting, a good artist can take the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. I've heard it called "the wow factor".

The elements of jazz, like a painting style, are difficult to define. One key element is Improvisation. Improvisation is a part of our everyday life, our inner being, influencing how we live, how we dress and speak, what we do and how we act. And it is constantly evolving. 

The dictionary defines Improvisation as - “Creativity; spontaneous or unplanned changes; the ability to create something personal; a unique process of expression”.

In the movie, “The Glenn Miller Story,” Miller (played by James Stewart) was an unsuccessful and struggling bandleader. Out of desperation, he came up with the idea to modify the reed section of his band by altering the sound pitch. Success! His distinctive new sound was born. He said,” A band ought to have a sound all its own. It ought to have personality.” 

The traits these successful musicians all had in common were hard work, dedication, a love of music and a determination to find their own voice. We all start as beginners producing the technically correct but stiff painting or music. Somewhere along the line, our inner muse awakens and we begin to feel the freedom of self-expression. Our paintings begin to have “a personality and a sound all its own” - and how far we take it is up to us. 

As Duke Ellington said, “It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that swing.”

Can you put the "swing" into your paintings?

Happy painting,

Celene

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Underpaintings

The reasons for an underpainting. 

Trying to juggle shapes, values, composition and color all at once often result in frustration, muddy colors and unsuccessful paintings. Breaking the painting process into two distinct parts will greatly simplifiy the process.

A painting can be broken down into two basic steps - 

1.  The Foundation (underpainting)- establishing the composition, shapes and values. This is done as a monochromatic underpainting, creating the structure of your painting. In this step you can easily add, subtract and move objects around. Here you also establish your value pattern.

 

 

2.  Color - To the finished, dried and correct underpainting you now only have to worry about adding color with all its subtle nuances and complications.

The underpainting is done in either thin oil washes or in black and white acrylic. If I am outside painting I do an underpainting in thin oil washes that will dry quickly in the outside air. In my studio I prefer black and white acrylic. Acrylic, a water based paint, dries quickly, covers well, is easy to work with, and has no odor.

I ask my students to think of baking a cake. You cannot frost the cake until it is baked. And if the cake doesn't have good ingredients, no amount of frosting will make it better.

In painting, if you don't have a strong foundation, no amount of color will make the painting better.

So break the painting process into two steps. First create a strong, correct foundation (underpainting) of shapes, values and placement. (Your cake)

Now you can concentrate on adding color, with all it subtle nuances. (The frosting)

This is such a logical way to paint. Painting is difficult - so why not try to simplify the process a bit by breaking it into steps? 

Below is my black & white acrylic underpainting. I worked on it, making changes and adjustments until I was satisfied. The second picture shows the beginning stages of adding the colors.

The Blue Bottle - black & white acrylic underpainting.
The composition, shapes and values are established.

Now I can begin to add the color in oil paint.

Something to think about. Give it a try. 

Your questions and comments are always welcomed. Happy painting!

Celene

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