A PAINTER’S PROGRESS
I don’t know why my enthusiasm has dipped in recent weeks. It could be this new landscape subject. I don’t have a clear approach so maybe this lack of certainty has something to do with it. I should be more optimistic, when I look at this current painting I like where things are going.
Anyway, this painting is almost finished, just need to drag myself into the studio again.
Line of trees. Day 5
Today’s painting session bought back childhood memories of painting by numbers. I had all my trees neatly drawn out and now I just had to carefully fill in the white spaces. That was todays objective. Focusing on just getting the colour right and then assessing where to go from there. I am pleased with where I have got to, only problem being, now none of my fine brushes has any sort of point on them.
I like the quality from the individually painted leaves on the left tree, and I will go in and use this more to break up the flatness of the trees.
Line of trees. Day 4.
I don’t think an employer would regard my days as full working days. Now that I am retired it doesn’t matter anymore. Still, mustn’t get too complacent. This painting is creeping along, but my concern is on quality, not time, and I am happy with how it is progressing.
I can also see a significant improvement in each landscape and this is very encouraging, 2020 seems to be ending on a note of optimism.
A line of trees. Day 3.
Painting away today, trying to capture the delicate branches of the trees, I was struck by how irreverent my concerns were in these troubled times. I decided not to dwell on this thought. Painting is a useful distraction from reality, and if you can lose yourself in it, you are a lucky person.
This highly illustrative landscape is progressing, though very slowly.
Line of trees. At the end of day 2.
I am quickly realising that the landscape genre is a whole new language, I have spent most of my time painting still lifes. Understanding what the landscape means to me and learning how I want to paint it is almost like learning to paint all over again. Anyway, I think that landscape no.3 is closer to my idea than no.1 so I am heading in the right direction.
Line of trees. At the end of day 1.
That is the best way to describe this painting. Like de Koonings grotesque women before his great late abstracts or Pollocks curious early paintings, this has the same feel. I may have strayed too far from the source material but at least it has some strength to it. It also has some charm.
As for the cherry blossom title, that was lost in the process of painting. I might do a little bit more before I leave it.
Landscape day 4.
An appropriate title for these troubled times, and if the only problem I have is my painting then I am in a very fortunate place. This painting has been bullied into the direction I am trying to go in. I can see a style that is mine slowly emerging. And that has been one of the problems with this painting up to now, it was a little directionless. A more decorative sense of stylisation and colour is coming through and I think this will strengthen over time.
Anyway, there are encouraging signs.
Cherry blossom, day 3.
Looking at this painting I feel uninspired and disappointed. Its not finished yet, but I don’t think I will feel much better about it. I will have to work out why I feel this way then I can start to turn a corner. I will have to paint many more disappointing landscapes before things start to improve.
Cherry blossom, day 2.
Wrong time of the year for it, given I took the photo in November, but it resembles it in some way. I am not sure where these landscapes are going, though this does not concern me. I will find out through making more of them. I have never had a concerted spell of landscape painting so it will be interesting to see what direction they go in.
Anyway, encouraging start.
Cherry blossom, first stage.
If this is the way I am going to paint landscapes then it is going to be an enjoyable if unpredictable wrestling match. It seems to me that I am looking for shapes and forms in the landscape that are simplified and decorative. This is probably the way I imagined my approach would be.
Anyway, this is finished, and I’m pleased with the way it turned out.
In the park. At the end of day 6, finished.
I am on the steep bit at the moment. I don’t expect to find a style that seems right for the subject for some time. However, I am pleased with the way things are progressing. I have a load of source material (photographs) to get me through the winter, and who knows, maybe I will start sketching. Though I don’t think I will do it unless I feel its a real benefit.
I think another decent day of painting and this will be finished.
In the park at the end of day 5.
I can already tell that its going to take several months before I am painting the kind of landscape paintings I want to make. I think they will take longer than the bird paintings and be more challenging, but they will also be much better paintings, both in form and content. Still, there is no rush, and this painting is starting to show some promise so I am quite optimistic that its just a matter of time.
In the park. At the end of day 4.
I spent the morning painting without looking at any source material (photographs!). Its a search for a way of painting when you are starting out on a new subject. I think it has much more room for a personal approach, this is clear, there are abstract landscape painters and photorealist ones, I am somewhere in the middle.
Setting out to find suitable views for landscape, I had my doubts as to what to look for. It seems any view will probably do, its how you interpret it. I am enjoying this far more than expected!.
In the park. At the end of Day 3
I say new, but I have painted plenty of landscapes. Still its been a couple of years and I am now searching for a ‘style’. I like the way this is going. I am not one of those English impressionists who insist on a palette of green and brown. I have nothing against this style, and in fact I like a lot of this ‘traditional’ tonal painting, but it is not me.
This painting is progressing, and I like the way it looks. It needs a lot more definition and detail and it will be interesting to see how I am painting these in a few months time.
In the park. Day 2.
No more birds, they had a limited lifespan and limited appeal. I enjoyed painting them but maybe I should have switched to landscape sooner. Anyway, it was time to move on and I think there is a lot more scope in this subject.
This landscape is from a local park, an ‘ornamental’ area that is quite interesting. There is a different character in other areas of the park and I will explore these as well. Anyway, the image is starting to appear and I am pleased with the start.
In the park. At the end of day 1.
This picture is practically finished now. I might do a few small adjustments to the branches, mostly toning down some of the bright colour contrasts. I think I am going to try a few landscape ideas I have had. I won’t abandon the bird paintings but I think it is time to try a few different subjects.
Two birds at the end of day 3.
I am glad I had another attempt at this painting, it is starting to look good. Not a long painting session today, but one where good progress has been made. Using oils now, something much more familiar. I don’t think acrylics are an unsubtle medium, its just that I would need more practice with them.
Two birds. At the end of day 2.
Another attempt of the previous painting using the same photo. I felt I abandoned it too soon, so I am having another go. This time not splitting the painting in two vertically, I think that was the problem and it made the painting awkward to view. All in acrylic so far, so a little unsubtle, but this time I think the painting will work.
Two birds at the end of day 1
I am clearly struggling to paint at the moment. One half of this painting, I cannot get to work, so I am calling this finished and retaining just the left half. As a fragment of a painting it works, just a little disappointing that I had to do this.
Blue bird in the landscape
No news today, meaning no pandemic news. I have been feeling myself sinking lower and lower in recent weeks and its time to turn the news off. The pandemic will run its course whether I know about it or not. The target is no more news for 2020, surely that can only be a good thing?.
Anyway, managed to drag myself to the easel for an afternoon. As my mood lifts hopefully my enthusiasm to paint will return. Painting is progressing.
Two birds. At the end of day 2.