Landscapes

Prior to starting the Landscape painting class, I set three goals for myself. First, I envisioned creating depth and strong horizontal movement. I thought I may accomplish this by working in a geometric format and simplifying the form. Additionally, I was interested in working on square canvas and creating diptychs, while allowing each section to hold its own as a painting. Lastly, I wanted to experience the colors and vastness of the landscapes by being aware of the moment

and establish myself in the environment.

In creating the first painting, I started out drawing the landscape using geometric forms and analyzing were planes intersected and created angles and areas of interest. As I painted, I struggled with having depth in the sky, keeping my greens clean and picking up the values that were established before me. As I painted I was able to keep the angles created in the initial drawing and maintain some simplification of form.

For my second painting we were limited by some drizzle in the air, however we found a beautiful outlook weighted by the mist. The sky was heavy with greyed purple haze. I found my composition by lowering my horizon line. While establishing the ground, again ,I was challenged by dirtying my colors and mushing the greens, depleting them of the pure state they started in. I worked very thick and I had to allow the paint to dry a bit in order to create the depth in the right side of the painting. The atmospheric mood is strong in this painting. I still craved creating more depth and working with my palette rather than against.

On the third day I ventured into the diptych format. I also had a epiphany to use two palettes, one to mix and one for my pure colors. I laid out the composition and use a tree to join the two canvas. The morning had a moving theatrical sky, and an eerie smooth quality to the water. The purples in the sky amplified the yellow greens in the grasses. I was challenged to simplify the foreground while trying to maintain the difference in the grasses vs the bushes along the water line. The sand was another challenge. I was not able to capture the light and blue shadows dancing across the sand in the foreground. After our group met in critique, I went back and hit the sand with some highs and lows. Adding these lights and darks made the painting a more cohesive composition. After returning to the motel room I was able to compare the color to the previous paintings and observed a greater sense of depth and greater sense of interpreted color.

The following day I continued in the diptych format and with the two palette epiphany. I set up my easel and pant when a man came to me and informed me he would be spraying the grape plants with fungicide. I had to take down my set up and moved across the street until he had finished. While across the street I could still observe the colors and began to mix. I returned to my spot and started to paint. The painting painted itself. The colors were pure the landscape was there, all I did was interpret it all. I felt that I had reached part of the goals I had set.

On the last day of painting I was interested in creating a diptych, but with different dimensions this piece was created with a 11x14 and a 18x14 canvas. I realized on this day that I maybe trying to push oils the way I push acrylics. I tried to think of the last time I had used oil prior to this week, it had been a while. I applied the same compositional technique to split the horizontal line with a tree to join the two together. I was mesmerized by the vast open landscape in front of me. I was intimidated by the greatness. I kept myself grounded by carefully mixing colors and battling the wind. The colors were constantly changing and I sat and observed the effect on the trees and the flat planes dividing the groupings. I applied simple marks and left strong colors alone. I lighten up my heavy brush hand and let to colors describe the landscape After talking my way through the layers of greens and oranges I was pleased to walk around the painting with my eye and establish space, color, and form. While taking this class I learned so much. I ascertained goals, I surrounded myself in the moment and became aware of my marks. I gained so much from Nora and by other artists in the class. I think that painting is a process and we are always growing, changing and reflecting. Having the opportunity to submerge myself in painting is indescribable. I want to thank all of my classmates for their talent, insight and support of one another. Overall I had a wonderful time and meets some amazing people.

Some homework images.