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Sunday, April 20, 2008

Is this a Mulligan or deja vu?







The last posting I did was this snowfall scene from North Carolina done in oil. Since then I did another in pastel. I was pleased with both so I won't call this a Mulligan. For those that don't golf, a Mulligan is a second shot taken after you've blown the first. Since my skill at baseball did not translate well to my golf game I've shot a few Mulligans. My drive off the tee can actually go almost anywhere to tell you the truth. My iron shots on the fairway are deadly -- the only good part of my game. Once I'm on the green it can be quite a while before I make it to the cup. This is why I had to give that up. Art can be frustrating, but not as bad as golf. I've been on the course at hole number 11 wishing I could just pack it in, but I can't leave my buddy behind. That's the great thing about painting; you work alone most of the time and you come and go as you please. I've yet to have my palette cup remind me of the 18th hole at the golf course -- not a lot of fond memories there; but I digress...... I worked quite a while on this pastel and got tired of it -- close value. I knew it would take me about three hours to finally finish it and darned if it didn't. Somehow when I got into the fine points of drawing I got a second wind. I've included a couple small portraits I did at the watercolor class. They're fun and I like doing them.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Close value -- Snowfall: Brasstown, North Carolina


This is a large (for me) landscape, 22" X 28" - oil on canvas, of a scene in the hills of North Carolina. I was there painting for a week and while I was there it snowed, which I gather from the natives is rare. The snow only lasted a day or two and then melted. I was trying a slightly different approach, which is simply to paint thicker than I usually do. The paint stays wet and workable at least a day or two. Actually this one is still wet a week later. I got it on my fingers putting it up to take this picture. I remember what the canvas felt like before and after: it's a lot heavier now. My last post had pictures of the snow in my home area -- that's all gone as well as the temperatures are in the 50s and 60s. This was fun to paint, but challenging as well -- keeping the backgound back. The background hills are very close values with plenty of colors and subtle warms and cools.