Day #13 Maine Farm Scene, 5x7, oil

Initial sketch on toned canvas.

Laying in the mass tones.  

Maine Farm Scene, 5x7, oil

This was my reference photo.  The horizontal bands prevent you from entering into the picture. I opened the bands and added the red barn and the scattering of cows to invite your eye to wander into the distance.  I warmed the foreground and modified all the greens.  Green is a difficult color, adding bits of orange, red and violet seem to help.

This painting is available on my Ebay page.

Thank you for visiting,
Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com 

Day #12 Rainy Day, 5x7, oil

Black and white reference photo.

My goal - to add color without losing the mood of this gray and rainy day.

Rainy Day, 5x7, oil

I needed a simpler painting today because I had a date with the vacuum cleaner and duster this afternoon. I liked the moody feeling of this lone figure. Subtle colors were added to the sky, a little texture and warmth were added to the foreground. I saved my strongest color for the figure and umbrella. I like this simple picture. I can almost feel the dampness of the rain.

This painting is sold.

Thank you for visiting,

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

Day #11 Storm Tide, 5x7, oil

This week a student asked me to explain how I paint the ocean. I thought this would be a good subject for my next painting.

Beginning the colors of the water, lighter in the distance,

 darker and warmer in the foreground.

For the far distant water, I use a slightly darker version of the distant sky color. As the water comes toward me, I make the color slightly darker and add more blue.  The water also picks up a muted version of the sky colors.  Therefore, the color of the ocean depends on whether the sky is dull or colorful.  As the water continues to come forward, I follow the rules of aerial perspective. adding green to my color mixture so that the sea becomes darker and warmer. Remember that the flat planes of the water are influenced by the sky colors directly overhead and that the angled planes of the water (waves) are darker. 

Storm Tide, 5x7, oil

As the waves grow and just before they break, their tops become thin and translucent and looks a bit greenish. Aerated water is also greenish and the foam and spray catch sparkles of light and act like mini prisms, splitting the light into diamond chips.  Water washing up on the shore is thin and aerated and the modified colors of the sand and rocks can be seen through the water.  Wet sand and wet rocks are dark and if they are shiny, they reflect the colors around them and also reflect the sky colors on their horizontal planes.

Colors are based on the angles of reflection.  Determine what colors are perpendicular to each surface of the objects and notice how these surfaces are affected.  Shiny surfaces reflect more color than dull surfaces.  And don’t forget to modify your colors with grays to keep them from becoming harsh and unnatural.  There are more grays in a landscape than most students see. 

Since the ocean is in constant motion and that is how we see it with our eyes, there should be a slight blurring of shapes.  I think this is a more natural interpretation than the sharp focus of a photograph. 

Take the time to really look and analyze your subject. Paint what you actually see, not what you think you see. Preconceived ideas can get you into trouble. I tell my students, “The answers are there, look closely and analyze what you see.” Also, know your subject. It would be very difficult to paint all the nuances of the sea and shore if you have never spent time there watching the surf and seeing the subtle color shifts. That goes for all subject matter. If you only have someone else’s photographs for reference, if you have never actually seen the subject and taken the time to study it, you run the risk of creating a painting that is artificial and amateurish.

The Wild Sea, 8x10, oil

These are my thoughts, and as I've said before, I can only teach what I believe. Both of these paintings were painted from my visual memory and not from photographs. I have spent a lot of time watching and studying the sea.

Both paintings are available on my Ebay page.

Storm Tide, 5x7, oil - sold.
The Wild Sea, 8x10, oil

Thank you for visiting with me.

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

Day #10 Picking Strawberries, 5x7, oil

Reference Photo

My goal was to simplify the background and make it look more charming.

Picking Strawberries, 5x7. oil

Every summer we pick strawberries at this Maine farm.  The people in the reference photo are my daughter-in-law and her mother.  I added myself for the third person.  I can almost smell the strawberries.  This was a fun painting with great memories. 

This painting is available on my Ebay page. 

Thank you for visiting with me.

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com   

Day #9 Green Bottle and Grapes, 7x5, oil

Set-up.
My goal today was to paint transparent glass and have fun.

Initial Drawing

Beginning to mass in shapes and colors.

Green Bottle and Grapes, 7x5, oil

I didn't have a lot of time to paint today, so I thought it would be fun to set up these simple pieces.  Still-life is my favorite subject, especially the reflective surfaces of brass, silver and copper, and the transparency of glass.

Again, I found my problem is deciding on a background color.  I leaned toward orange in this painting because the color scheme seems to be the secondary colors.  The background color is very important because it sets the stage for your painting.  How do you decide on your background color? I would love to hear from you.

Thank you for visiting.  I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

This painting is available on my Ebay page.

Celene Farris

www.CeleneFarris.com 

Day #8 Incoming Tide, 5x7, oil

Reference photo and initial sketch.  I am working on an orange toned canvas, which is my usual procedure.  I like the warm underglow.

Goal - Working with blues and correcting the photograph. 

Massing in the blues.

Aerial perspective tells us the sea becomes cooler and lighter as it recedes into the distance. But the sky has different rules.  It is darker, ultramarine blue, at the zenith, warming as it goes to the horizon, cobalt with a touch of permanent green light, or cerulean blue, all mixed with white, continuing to a soft peach at the horizon.

This painting is a little heavy on the right because of the dark land mass.  I could balance the weight with the clouds, as I have done in this step, but the busy sky would detract from the crashing surf which I planned as my focal point.

  

Incoming Tide, 5x7. oil

Here I have lightened the land mass and increased the surf to the left. Adding the sailboats on the left also helped to balance the weight of the painting. I softened the sky so that it wouldn't compete with the focal point - the surf at the little point of land.

It's great to paint from life, but often you have to paint from photographs.  I always remind my students that "Photographs are 99% wrong" - especially when it comes to values, colors, edges and very often, composition.  The camera sees in a mechanical way, putting everything in focus and flattening the perspective. 

The photo is used for reference only and you should work from your own photographs, because you have been there and have an image in your mind that is far better than anything a camera can catch.

This painting is sold.

Thank you for visiting with me.

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

Day #7 Blue Jay on Ice, 5x7, oil

Reference Photo

Goal – To paint ice on tree branches.

Blue Jay on Ice 5x7, oil

This photo was taken from my kitchen window after our ice storm in December.  Ice differs from snow because it is translucent with sharp highlights, much like frosted glass. I think my ice looks too much like snow.  But I said I would post my paintings, successful or not.

I reduced the number of tree branches, choosing only those that complemented the blue jay, making sure that the pattern and density of the branches didn't rob the bird of his importance as my focal point.  

This painting is sold.

Thank you for visiting,

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com