Autumn In Yellowwood State Forest, 48″ x 24″
Autumn In Yellowwood State Forest, 48″ x 24″
“Autumn in Yellowwood State Forest” is the third, oil painting in a four season tetraptych. Each panel measures 48″ high x 24″ wide. So, all four paintings will make an 8′ wide x 4′ high installation. They are all done on cradled panels and will have strip frames.
So, this is the initial sketch on the pre-tinted panel for the autumn painting.
Next, I paint in the dark values of the creek bank and rocks.
Then I add the land surrounding the creek, using the paint to “carve out” the hillsides. At this point I start to paint in the creek using a mix of Ultramarine Blue and Titanium White plus a touch of Cadmium Red Medium and Light plus some Cerulean Blue.
More of the creek is painted in using lighter values.
A base of greens, oranges, reds, and rusts are added for the background forest.
A dark value is mixed using mostly Cadmium Red Medium and Ultramarine Blue to get the dark leaves silhouetted against the blue sky.
Lastly the sky is painted in using a mix of Cerulean Blue and Titanium White.
At this point, with the entire panel finally covered, I can step back and evaluate where to go from here.
“Thinking time” is invaluable as the painting progresses. Sometimes ideas need to percolate before applying the paint to the support. Sometimes I feel guilty taking time to just study and think about where to go next with a painting.
At this stage, I start to add the branches and trees of the forest. The branches and trees really start to give the painting depth and shape to the hills.
A layer of leaves is added. The changing leaves gradate from green to chartreuse to yellow, orange and red.
Multiple layers of leaves and trees and branches are added, working back and forth between the foreground, background, and sky.
Final Painting, Autumn In Yellowwood State Forest
Details
The Indiana State Fair
It wouldn’t be summer without a trip to the Indiana State Fair.
I rarely enter art competitions anymore. Lots of reasons I won’t go into but decided I wanted to enter art in the Indiana State Fair Professional Fine Arts Division. I love fairs. County fairs, state fairs, art fairs. And with the entry fee, one gets 6 free tickets to the State Fair worth $84 which far exceeds the cost of entry. Since I couldn’t use all of the tickets, I was able to share with friends, who were thrilled.
Free Stage
Entry to the State Fair includes access to the Free Stage with nightly concerts. Due to time restraints and other commitments, I could only go up once this year so planned to go the night of the Happy Together Tour with The Cowsills, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, The Association, The Turtles, and The Vogues. Fabulous show! So much fun. Hopefully, next year I can go up more than once and catch another concert or two.
The Cowsills kicked off the evening with “The Rain, the Park, & Other Things”. They were the original “Partridge Family” that the TV show was based on. Susan Cowsill is now 63 and has attended the Indiana State Fair since she was eight years old! Isn’t that amazing? Packed house and everyone was in a fun and friendly mood.
First Place
During my visit to the state fair, I toured the art exhibits and was thrilled to learn I won First Place in the Computer Art category. Woo Hoo! Comes with a little money so it’s all good. The winning piece features one of my fiber art designs recreated using modules to make a whole new image. Using Adobe Photoshop, I used multiple layers to get the effect of radiating sacred geometry.
The head of the art division said entries were way up this year. Can’t remember the exact amount he said — maybe 30%? But there was a lot of fantastic art. Can’t wait for next year!
Next Up
Next up is the fourth and last painting in the tetraptych, Winter in Yellowwood State Forest. Hoping to have it done in time to take to my first show of the fall season, the Fourth Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts in Bloomington, Indiana, coming up Labor Day weekend. Then I will be heading back to Chicago to the Lakeview East Festival of the Arts. Visit my Events Page to see where else I will be exhibiting this fall.
That’s it for now! Thanks for following along! I love you!
Happy trails,
Charlene
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