031717 S 24x36 Twilight in the Snowy Forest

This is one of my very favorite, plein air, snow oil paintings painted late in the afternoon with the sky starting to turn a peachy sunset color.  I wanted to work this up into a larger, 24" x 36", painting.

"Twilight in the Forest, February 16, 2014, plein air oil on panel, 12" x 16", c. Charlene Marsh.

So I started with a sketch on a magenta tinted panel. 

I mixed up a dark value for the creek water using Ultramarine Blue and Cadmium Red Medium.  I also mixed up an orange with the Cadmium Red and Cadmium Yellow Light and then added generous helpings of Ultra Blue. 

The same mix of Ultra Blue and Cad. Red, heavy on the Cadmium Red, is used for the treeline on the horizon of the hills.  Cerulean Blue and Titanium White, with a touch of Cadmium Red and/or Yellow is mixed for the shadows in the snow.  I wanted to keep this palette on the warmer, Cerulean side of blue.  I often slide over towards periwinkle and blue-red-violet for the shadows to keep the golden highlights from shifting to green.  But for this painting I wanted to keep it in the cyan blue range and use peaches for the highlights. 

I often set up the palette for a painting based on a foundation of complementary colors that also make a nice range of ethereal neutrals.  Some highlights using the peachy colors are used on the top of the hills.  Cooler hilltops use various blues mixed with white.

I continue painting the snow on the hills.  The sky color is mixed with two complementary colors.  First, Cerulean Blue and Titanium White are mixed for the sky color at the top.  A second color is mixed from Cadmium Yellow Light and Cadmium Red Medium and/or Primary Red-Magenta to get a sunny, peachy orange.  Generous amounts of White are added to this sunny color and used along the horizon line. 

The two colors, blue and peach, are mixed to get the magical, middle color in the sky.

Once the surface is covered, I start adding the trees.  The major, big trees are painted in first with my palette knives from a deep brown mixed from Cad. Red, Ultra Blue, and a bit of Cad. Yellow.  I use a rubber tipped implement to add twisting and twirling branches and limbs throughout the entire painting.  I continue adding trees and branches with the palette knives. 

I also added the delicate, light, salmon colored ash leaves that cling onto the branches throughout the winter.  I work the entire surface, back and forth from foreground to background, and then back to the foreground pulling the foremost trees out.  I will even go back into the sky to push back certain areas and pull others forward.  Golden orange highlights are added to the foreground of the creek.

 And here is the final painting:

"Twilight in the Forest", oil on panel, 24" x 36", Code #031717 S 24x36, c. 2017 by Charlene Marsh. 

Thanks for following along!

Happy Trails!

Cheers,

Charlene

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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082416 S 6x8 no2 Winter Snow

A little snow painting to remind us winter is coming!  I love the snow paintings especially in the summer!  Makes me feel cool just looking at it.

"Winter Snow", oil on panel, 6" x 8", c. Charlene Marsh SOLD

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!

032016 24x36 Snow, Commission Oil Painting

This painting was commissioned by a couple who wanted something that would reflect the native forest to hang over their fireplace.  They found my website and then visited my studio/gallery.  They selected their favorite paintings and we discussed what they liked best about each one.  I took notes so I could incorporate the features they particularly loved into a special painting for their living space.  

We also discussed what kind of frame would work best for them, their space, and the painting.  I sent them pictures of samples of frames to select from.  They took exact measurements of their space so I could create a framed painting that would fit perfectly.  

Here's my work space (above).  I use two easels, side by side, to support the painting.  I have track lights overhead to use at night or if it is too overcast.  Otherwise, I like natural light and have plenty in the studio from large windows and skylights.  I have a couple side lights to shine directly on my taboret and palette and one to shine on my reference material, as needed.  In this case, for reference, I have two paintings (one is on the work bench on the left)and a photo of a painting that was adjusted in Photoshop to reflect the dimensions of the 24" x 36" panel.

The couple decided that the painting needed to be 24" x 36" with a 3" wide, mahogany frame.  Incorporating everything we had discussed, I sketched out the painting on the 24" x 36", tinted panel with a brush dipped in a mix of oil, cerulean and magenta crimson.

I mixed a dark black using ultramarine blue and cadmium red medium with a touch of yellow.  I never use a premixed black from the tube.  The black is blocked in where ever there are the darkest darks in the scene.  In this case, the creek bed.  The bluff on the left has more cadmium red and yellow mixed in to give it the earth color of the soil.

The gulleys between the hills are painted in using various mixes of cerulean blue, magenta crimson, ultramarine blue, and cadmium red medium. I mix small portions at a time and dab it in throughout the painting.  I like to "carve" out the hills with the paint before adding the trees.  Using an anatomical metaphor, the initial sketch is the "skeleton", the hills are the "muscles", and the trees and leaves and branches and other details flesh out the "skin".

The background trees, mixed from cadmium red medium, ultramarine blue and lightened with a tiny bit of white, carve out the shape of the hills where they meet the skyline.  Lighter snow shadows are mixed with the brighter cerulean to reflect the sparkling cerulean sky. 

Here, I start to add the highlights to the snow on the hills.   With lots of white, I mix a touch of cadmium red light, cadmium red medium,and a pinch of cadmium yellow light to make the warm highlights to contrast and pop against the cooler, blue shadows of the snow.  I also add the major trees to the landscape.

For the sky, I mix a tad of cerulean with generous amounts of white putting the lightest value along the horizon line next to the trees.

I continue adding trees and more of the creek.  I use leftover colors from the palette to indicate the creek bed with the earth tones and shale.  I mix up the blue-green shale with the cerulean blue, a little bit of cadmium yellow light, and a touch of cadmium red medium, the complementary color, to grey it down.

The delicate beech leaves, bleached out over the winter, are mixed from cadmium red medium, cadmium red light, cadmium yellow, and varying degrees of white, with a touch of ultra blue, again, the complement to grey it down a bit.  The beech leaves are worked over the landscape and particularly in the gulleys where they tend to concentrate.  More trees and branches are added.  The rushing whitewater is added to the falls of the creek and the ripples of the flowing water.

The painting continues to be adjusted, working over the entire surface as well as background and foreground and back again.  I dance close in and back out from the easel, fine tuning the painting until I am satisfied with how it looks. Often I stop when I don't see anything left that "bugs" me!   

As soon as I was done with the painting and, while it was still wet, I shot a photo of it, adjusted it in Photoshop to accurately reflect the colors, and emailed it to my clients.  Knowing how computer monitors can vary in depicting color accurately, I invited them to buzz out to the studio to see the painting in person.  Luckily, they live in the neighboring county and were able to come out the next morning.  

As soon as they stepped in the door, they were ooohhhiing and aaaahhing and I knew they were pleased with the painting.  They told me that when they saw the photo on the computer, it appeared to have more blue (no warm colors) and more purple blue than they preferred (they wanted warmer blues like cerulean).  So they were ecstatic to see the painting in person and see that it totally met their expectations!  I was thrilled, too! 

Here is the finished painting:

"Hill Country in the Snowy Forest", 24" x 36", oil on panel, c. 2016, by Charlene Marsh, #032016 S 24x36.

And here is the painting installed in my clients' home!  Looks absolutely fabulous!  The grand windows to the left feature the same hilly, wooded topography depicted in the painting.  The colors of the painting go perfectly with the decor and woodwork of the home.  This painting is the focal point of the open concept living space and truly makes the heart sing in this home!

Thanks Doug and Saundra for trusting me to create a gorgeous painting just for your home!

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Happy Trails!

Charlene

Snowy Vista at the State Park, 021516 12x12

Grey day in the Brown County State Park with temperatures in the mid-thirties and a gorgeous vista!  I love the way the snow is so white against the trees and grey sky.  This is a highly visible spot to paint along the main road with a small parking area for the scenic overlook.  Since this is an activity as part of the Arts in the Park grant I received from the Indiana Arts Commission and the Department of Natural Resources to celebrate the bicentennial of the state of Indiana, I wanted to maximize exposure to park visitors. 

 

I was able to park my car in the small lot nearby and carry my gear to this vista.  Easy peasy!!  MUCH easier than backpacking deep into the woods to paint.

For this painting, I started with the gleaming, sparkling white of the snow in the foreground.  If you follow my blogs, you know I usually start with the darks but this time I started with the lightest, brightest white snow.  I wanted to capture that virgin white and use it to set the values of the background colors.

I say "virgin white" but I never use paint straight out of the tube.  I mixed a violet from magenta crimson and ultra and cerulean blues to get a nice crystal snow blue violet, mixing it with lots of titanium white.  I wanted the white to be fresh, like the snow. 

Here you can see my painting with the vista.  Hard to compete! 

Temps felt quite warm after working outside in the low twenties just the day before!  The paint stays workable rather than turning sticky and making "icicles" of the paint. 

And here you can see the finished painting:

"Snowy Vista in the State Park", 021516 12x12, oil on panel, by Charlene Marsh.

Thanks so much for reading!  I love to hear from you so please leave a comment.

Happy Trails!

Charlene

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Falling Snow on Valentine's Day 021416 12x12

Bitter cold, 21 degrees("real feel" even lower), with snow falling when I headed out to the forest to paint.  I took my umbrella to try to keep the snow off of my palette and panel.  I failed.  Snow still fell on my palette and the frozen crystals mixed with the paint giving the finished painting a certain authentic quality that could not be created in the studio.  Snow on the painting surface creates a very unique crystal effect that cannot be duplicated.

Kendra and I getting set up, again standing in the creek.  The snow is coming down quite heavily at times.

The water in the creek is the darkest dark in the whole scene so I start with that.  I use Ultramarine Blue with some Cadmium Red medium with a bit of yellow to make a dark, rusty green for the creek bed.

You can see from the pictures that I was in tight quarters with the creek bank directly behind where I was standing making it impossible to step back. Snow piles up on my umbrella.

 Here's how the painting looks under the umbrella near the end of the session.

And here, below, is the finished painting.  The colors are very delicate and hard to really capture in a photograph.  The paint surface and thick, crystallized paint is hard if not impossible, to see in a photo.  A photo is a pale shadow of the actual painting!  I guess that is why I am so passionate about REAL artwork!

"Falling Snow on Valentine's Day", 021416 12x12, oil on panel, by Charlene Marsh.

Thanks for following along!  I love to hear from YOU so please leave a comment.

Happy Trails!

Charlene

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Snow Starting to Melt Deep in the Forest Code #012416 12x12

"Snow Starting to Melt Deep in the Forest, January 24, 2016", oil on panel, 12" x 12", c. Charlene Marsh.

I hiked back a good mile in the forest to paint this scene.  The temps were not as bitter as recent days - low to mid 30s - and the sun was out.  I painted this between 3-6 p.m.  Still some sun on the hill tops but shadows growing on the creek bed.

I really don't remember the light on the trees being this golden.  For once, a photo(by me) that looks good!  I like the sunny sky reflected on the creek in the photo below.  The picture is a little deceptive because it makes it look like my easel is set up right next to the creek when I am actually set up high on a bank overlooking the creek.

Here's a shot further back that shows it a little better.

Because the sun was going down behind the hill at my back, I tried to paint in the lights on the hill top first before it all went into shadow but I don't think it worked very well.  I usually start with the darks and move to the lights.  Hard for me to get the light key right starting with the lights.  So I moved to the darks.

You can see how the light has changed dramatically in this photo, below.  The sun has fallen behind the hills and everything is now in shadow.

Here is the final painting.  

"Snow Starting to Melt Deep in the Forest, January 24, 2016", oil on panel, 12" x 12", c. Charlene Marsh.