This is not the best photo of this painting, but it will do for now. It is an acrylic underpainting done very loosely. I wanted to capture the fluidity of the water and its blue-green tints. This was done the last two days. Today I started with water-soluble oils and will continue with oil to the finishing stages. I'm not sure I will finish it before we leave on a trip to Colorado. I will try to get as much done tomorrow as I can. Will post results then.
I started a new painting yesterday...I was fascinated by the high-keyed contrasts and almost tropical colors of the water at Cave Point in Door County, Wisconsin last weekend. I foresee my approach in this ongoing series of works to gradually become more and more abstract as I begin to focus on water reflections, and bright colors. I initially thought that the noontime light would not serve me well...I was totally wrong! The light was stunning in its crispness and in the way it heightened the intensity of the colors. I am attracted to these high contrast situations for some reason. Perhaps it has to do with my upbringing in Cuba. Although the light is considerably different up north where I've lived most of my life, at times,as we approach the summer solstice, it resembles the light of my early childhood. I savor this light when it comes. I hope I can do it justice in my work.
This is the last painting of my Painting a Day experiment. I painted it on the porch of my brother-in-law's condo in Ephraim, WI. This is the view overlooking Eagle Harbor on the Green Bay side of the Door County peninsula. This area is more well-known for its spectacular sunsets. I suppose I will do a sunset version of this painting some day. I am relieved in a sense to be finished with my commitment to do a painting a day. I wouldn't be honest if I did not admit it was difficult at times. But I learned that painting with discipline is not only strenuous physically and mentally, but it also intrudes seriously with everyday life and family activities. I have always neglected my painting for the sake of family. I have to learn to strike a better balance in order to produce more. I will try to benefit from this experience to pursue larger, more serious work during the remainder of the summer.
I was in Door County visiting with family today. I decided to take the suggestion of a friend and drive to Cave Point. I was very glad I did...the place is beautiful! I took many photos for later work in the studio. I was not totally prepared to do plein air painting, but I did have some supplies and went ahead anyway. It was fun, but next time I will use water-soluble oils. I used the acrylics I had available today and was not pleased with the results. I never worked so hard to get such a lousy painting. It is done, and so I move on to the last one tomorrow!
I did not have the luxury of time today, so I had to do a simple, small painting. This one is really small: 5" x 7". What can I say? It's not as good as Duane Keiser. I think I have to learn to premix more oil into my paints to make them a creamier consistency. I also have to get a new sable brush. The idea of still life remains for the most part unexplored for me. The small format might help me venture further in this direction without much investment of time or effort. I think I'll have to redo my signature! Moving on!
This was a real challenge for me...portraits always are. But this one I was motivated to do for a good reason. The man pictured in this painting is my godfather, Patricio Ponce de Leon. That's right...Ponce de Leon! As Cubans go, he is not typical. He is extremely intelligent (a Phd in Botany) and a very interesting person because of his varied interests. Although he is a scientist, he has an artistic streak in him. He also paints. In fact, he and my godmother were always encouraging me to pursue my artistic interests. He has been a great role model for me over the years. We've had numerous conversations about his atheism, always cordial. He will be 94 this year and is in ailing health. I'm not sure how much longer he'll be with us. But he will always remain in my thoughts.
This often-used motif was made famous by Monet. I have been reluctant to use it in the past for obvious reasons, but this time it seemed to fit my purposes. These paintings done in one day are liberating in the sense that they do not have to be all that serious. Perhaps there is a lesson there for me. The only thing that kind of crept up on me in this frenzied process was the "appearance" of a focal point almost smack in the middle of the painting. While this is something I teach my students never to do, it might be fitting in this case. I am referring to the symbolic meaning of a white lily at the center of it all. So much for not getting too serious...
This is another oil that only took one hour. Again, it's only 8" x 10". I am glad that I used up these small canvasses (the smallest I've ever worked) because the size is somewhat restrictive for me. But I suppose it's only a matter of getting used to it. I actually started painting on canvass about this size way back when I was 13 years old. I made a copy of a Van Gogh and then one of a Monet.
I got started on #3 since I got ahead a little with this one. I will use both acrylic and oils, and it will be a little larger.
Here is my first painting. Contrast is its main theme. The reeds are rectilinear and angular with high-keyed values and warm tones. The water is dark, cool and reflects undulating forms. It is a simple, straightforward composition with a dominant, heavier lower part and a smaller, yet more frenzied upper portion. It is almost monochromatic. It is a small painting: 8" x 10". I used oil paints for the first time in decades. I had been so used to acrylics, it was disorienting at first to experience the difference in drying time and blending properties. Layering washes of paint is more difficult with oils. Blending is more difficult with acrylics. I will try to combine both media in my next few paintings to take advantage of the different characteristics of each type of paint. I will try to stick with a series of lake-related paintings based on scenes in the Twin Lakes area. But I might venture into works exploring lanscapes from other parts of Wisconsin such as Viroqua and Door County.
Several artists on the web have taken up the challenge of creating a painting a day. This is an admirable task, and it can seem daunting at first. But I am willing to try this for one week, if for no other reason than to exert the much-needed pressure I feel I need at this juncture. It is the beginning of the summer, and I am free to pursue things other than teaching for a time. I will try this paradigm shift and see what happens. I have in mind a series of landscapes of the local lake and surrounding area near where I live. I have some photos that I can use, but I am more excited about the possibility of "plein air" (a French term for painting out in the open) painting. I also want to extend this effort to include other areas farther away. I am thinking of outfitting my Goldwing with a portable easel and materials to go on one-day painting trips throughout southeast Wisconsin. The next few posts will attempt to document the results of my activities this week and the weeks to come.
