Tuesday, October 25, 2016

092816 S 30x24 Twilight in the Snowy Forest

I wanted to create a 30" x 24" oil painting inspired by a plein air oil I did on location several years ago.  To be honest, I regret selling this painting. 
"Twilight in the Forest, February 5, 2013", oil on panel, 16"x12", by Charlene Marsh.  SOLD

I set up an "inspiration board" of past plein air snow paintings,in addition to the one above, that I could refer to and pull out the best of the best features. 
I start with an initial sketch using my brush dipped in oil and transparent Primary Red-Magenta.
I mix a black using Ultramarine Blue and Cadmium Red Medium.  I also use Ultra Blue with Primary Red-Magenta and sometimes a touch of Cadmium Yellow.
I have a very simple palette with just six primaries plus white.  I usually mix one or two secondary colors with the primaries and then combine those two secondaries to get a tertiary color.  Or a secondary color with the complementary (opposite on the color wheel) primary color to get a nice range of neutrals from grey to brown.  You can see here where I have mixed an orange(secondary color) using Primary Red Magenta and Cadmium Yellow. I  lightened the primary color, Cerulean Blue with Titanium White.  
Using various combinations of the complementary colors, I could mix a wide range of neutrals to block in the shadows on the snow. 
I continue blocking in the snow, starting with the shadow areas and working to the highlights.
For the sky, I mixed Cerulean Blue with Titanium White and a pale orange color.  The pale orange was blocked in along the horizon line and the blue was painted in higher up on the panel.  I could then gradually combine the two complementaries to get the neutral colors where the two intersect.  Neutrals can be magical!  They add an ethereal glow to the painting.
I pop in some of the sky orange on the creek where the sky is reflected.  I paint in a shale blue for the water mixed from Cerulean Blue, a touch of Cadmium Yellow Light, and a bit of Cadmium Red Medium.  Cadmium Red can be a very strong color so a little goes a long way!

I then work the surface adding the delicate salmon colored ash leaves, branches, trees, weeds, twigs, and more water reflections all weaving across the painting.  I work back and forth between the background and foreground.  Towards the end, I pull out the foreground elements so they sit in front of the background features.  

I was very pleased with the finished painting and the rich tapestry of colors and forms. This painting evokes the same feelings of awe and wonder that the plein air one did, maybe even more so.
"Twilight in the Snowy Forest", Code #092116 30x24, oil on panel, 30" x 24", by Charlene Marsh.

I love to hear your comments and questions!

Thanks and Happy Trails!

Cheers,

Charlene

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Saturday, October 22, 2016

091116 12x16 no2 Zinnias and Marigolds by the Goldfish Pool

This is a plein air oil painting done by the goldfish pool in my front yard.  I made the glass sculpture from recycled glass and it features blue glass with a crystal topper birdbath.  I planted zinnias and marigold seeds early in the summer just so I could paint the flowers by the pool. 


There is also a potted habenaro pepper plant loaded with orange peppers on the right side of the painting.  I have wintered over that habenaro plant for several years now.  Nothing like a year round supply of hot peppers!  I learned my lesson the year I got bit by a copperhead and was laid up for two months.  My garden fell apart and I didn't get any hot peppers to dry and grind.  When I tried to buy organic hot peppers in the winter I discovered they were totally wimpy!!  No fire!

"Zinnias and Marigolds by the Goldfish Pool, September 11, 2016", plein air oil on panel, 12" x 16", c. Charlene Marsh

Thanks for following along!

Happy Trails!

Charlene 

P.S.  Be sure to sign up for THE ART BRUSH newsletter where you can receive news, tips, special pricing, exhibitions, and more!  As a bonus, when you subscribe, you will immediately receive a FREE one page report on How to Create Health, Wealth, and Harmony Using Fine Art!


Wednesday, October 19, 2016

091116 16x20 no1 Morning Glories, Ironweed, and Glass Sculpture

This plein air, oil painting depicts the Morning Glories, Ironweed, and one of the glass sculptures in my yard that I make from recycled glass.  I did this painting as part of the Brown County Art Guild Paint Out.


















  
"Morning Glories, Ironweed, and Glass Sculpture, September 11, 2016", plein air oil painting, 16" x 20", c. Charlene Marsh

Happy Trails!

Charlene 

P.S.  Be sure to sign up for THE ART BRUSH newsletter where you can receive news, tips, special pricing, exhibitions, and more!  As a bonus, when you subscribe, you will immediately receive a FREE one page report on How to Create Health, Wealth, and Harmony Using Fine Art!

Monday, October 17, 2016

092116 S 24x36 Reflections in the Forest

I just love the colors in this plein air painting, particularly the color of the reflection in the water, and used it as the inspiration for a larger oil painting.
I also set up an "inspiration" board with past plein air paintings to pull from.  You can see the original, framed painting on the left and the "inspiration board" on the right.
I have sketched in the layout for the painting using a paintbrush dipped in cold pressed linseed oil and the transparent pigment, Primary Red Magenta.
I mix a dark earth color using Ultramarine Blue and Cadmium Red Medium, sometimes adding a bit of Cadmium Yellow.
I block in the hills using a mix of Primary Red Magenta, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Red Medium and Light with a touch of Ultra Blue and/or Cerulean Blue.  I work the entire surface throughout from background to foreground to background again. 
I worked into the night (more than once) on this painting so the light changes from the natural light in the studio to artificial halogen.  So the colors in these photos really shifted. 
I blocked in the golden yellow on the creek with a mix of Cadmium Yellow Light, Primary Red Magenta, and Titanium White with a touch of Cerulean Blue.  For the turquoise color, I mixed the Cerulean Blue with a green mixed from a tad of Cadmium Yellow and Cerulean.  I also often add a touch of Cadmium Red Medium to the Cerulean to get a nice, slate blue color. 
After the "muscles" of the painting are blocked in, I start adding the "skin", with autumn leaves dancing across the surface, reflections in the water, branches and limbs weaving throughout.
And here is the finished oil painting:
"Reflections in the Forest", oil on panel, #092116 S 24x36,  c. 2016, by Charlene Marsh.  SOLD

Thanks for visiting!  

I love to hear from you so please leave a comment or question!

Happy Trails!

Charlene

P.S.  Be sure to sign up for THE ART BRUSH newsletter where you can receive news, tips, special pricing, exhibitions, and more!  As a bonus, when you subscribe, you will immediately receive a FREE one page report on How to Create Health, Wealth, and Harmony Using Fine Art!