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Wings Over Winecountry, Colleen's place (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter colleenc
- Start date
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
only thing that doesn't work is perhaps the composition - a long letterbox shape might help, but the idea is certainly there, and very striking it is too, the colours and atmosphere are very present here, as in all your work. I think this idea would benefit from another go at it.
colleenc
Well-known member
I'll try that next time out Nick...thanks
here is something I'm working on, 8x10 very tricky the water lighter than the sky at this time of day, and all the values are so close...not that crazy about the shape of the land,
I'm using glazing in this one, so wait for this layer to dry to work up the bird and final colors.
here is something I'm working on, 8x10 very tricky the water lighter than the sky at this time of day, and all the values are so close...not that crazy about the shape of the land,
I'm using glazing in this one, so wait for this layer to dry to work up the bird and final colors.
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Strandman
Well-known member
beautiful colours and tones in there
question that struck me- would the gull match the mood more closely if its head was less in alert mode, slightly smaller, settled into its shoulders a little?
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
I like this one very much as is. I don't know why but for me the only thing I'd consider changing is to add a dark value or two, almost as dark as the gull's wing, to the foreground. Again I don't know why that is. But it just seems like a bit of added contrast would be good there. Other than that though I think it really captures that sense of the gull staring silently into a huge expanse of water in front of it. Just looks absolutely lifelike to me.
phil baber
Clipped Wing
Love your re-working of the sketch piece. It seems the gull is looking up. Often birds do that to check for dangers above.
If it were me, I would leave that captured behaviour extant, and just work your magic on the seascape. Leaving the esoteric qualities of the bird's behaviour as an impressionistic "lead-off" out of the painting to a World we cannot see.
But that's enough pretentious waffling from me!
Love all your stuff!
If it were me, I would leave that captured behaviour extant, and just work your magic on the seascape. Leaving the esoteric qualities of the bird's behaviour as an impressionistic "lead-off" out of the painting to a World we cannot see.
But that's enough pretentious waffling from me!
Love all your stuff!
colleenc
Well-known member
Thanks Phil for the vote of confidence...still waffling on this one, thinking things over will try the Ed suggestion on acetate first to see if I like it....the whole thing may go kerplunk when I start glazing...
thanks Gaby
Today I went to Ellis ponds, the polishing ponds of the Petaluma water
treatment facility, big ponds that suit some of the local wildlife, including the visitor in the photo...was trying out how to do reeds, this is my first try, except for the algae in the water up close I got it fairly well, the practice is good for me...there were these weird clumps of stuff( not what you think, since the swans were eating it8-P) that clogged up half the pond and made the water still, but in the center wind and a current sent ripples in the surface, but where the far reeds were was still again so it was hard to figure out.
6x8 reeds at Ellis Ponds. oil on linen
thanks Gaby
Today I went to Ellis ponds, the polishing ponds of the Petaluma water
treatment facility, big ponds that suit some of the local wildlife, including the visitor in the photo...was trying out how to do reeds, this is my first try, except for the algae in the water up close I got it fairly well, the practice is good for me...there were these weird clumps of stuff( not what you think, since the swans were eating it8-P) that clogged up half the pond and made the water still, but in the center wind and a current sent ripples in the surface, but where the far reeds were was still again so it was hard to figure out.
6x8 reeds at Ellis Ponds. oil on linen
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solitaryVSong
Well-known member
I sometimes think we should be called Bird and Reed Artists. It sometimes seems impossible to do birds without tackling reeds. I know that they're really just around water and water birds but it seems like I'm constantly having to figure out what to do about them. You're off to a good start in this one.
For me one of the things I notice most is that there are always a few going in the other direction than most of the reeds, because they're broken, or stepped on by cranes or whatever. That adds to the visual excitement but I find often hard to paint, at least in watercolor.
colleenc
Well-known member
Right you are, and in the plein air mode I try and paint what I see, and since I now wear glasses what's far away has not much detail like it used to...the close up clump I did try to put the bent dried ones in, but at 6x8 and no way to brace my hand and all wet paint, it didn't go well. But I do think even these are useful as it makes me really observe and that helps me remember, and use a photo better, which is what I'd do if I was really doing a painting.....will try some more to figure out what kind of short hand strokes to use to suggest that.
phil baber
Clipped Wing
That's very nice and "reedfreshing!"
Your consistently fine output never ceases to astound me!
Your consistently fine output never ceases to astound me!
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
Sounds familiar Colleen. Often I just can't paint birds I haven't already drawn. Wonderful colors in this painting, but as you know I do have my biases in that direction.
JTMB
Well-known member
These reeds read really right. (Sorry!) As does the water...and I couldn't help but notice the accurate background, very much Petaluma-ish (I worked as a consultant on a long-term project in Petaluma for a year or so back in the late '80's - and was there for the 'world series earthquake' in '89). I think the swan is a really difficult subject for a plein air piece - in oils particularly. Not sure about your area, but the Mute Swan photographed here is considered a particularly undesirable invasive species in our state - they are actively destroyed by the wildlife authorities if found (a rare, but not unheard of occurrence). Though beautiful, they are highly aggressive toward native waterbirds and essentially evict everything else from whatever body of water they take over.
You've probably also heard this, but one of the top ten ways to tell if you're a serious birder is if your idea of a great vacation is to visit every sewage treatment pond within a 200 mile radius. :-O
You've probably also heard this, but one of the top ten ways to tell if you're a serious birder is if your idea of a great vacation is to visit every sewage treatment pond within a 200 mile radius. :-O
colleenc
Well-known member
I've drawn them but not enough it seems, doing it plein air is like a flash painting only harder as they are moving...the oils underneath are wet and it has to be done premier coup and I don't know them well enough yet to do that, so a day or two of field sketching ought to put that right.
colleenc
Well-known member
this is close by Schollenberger Park off 116 Lakeville hwy.....where for 3 years there's been a big fight over a nasty asphalt plant that wants to expand that has a terrible record for enviromental fines....these ponds may not have been there when you were as it is state of the art treatment by natural algae etc before being released in to wetlands that drain into Petaluma river...They don't off the swans and they seem to be integrated into the rest of all the water birds, or maybe there is just enough food for everyone, as there are about 12 species of ducks, coots, moorhens, egrets etc...around....or maybe California dude mutes are just more laid back:t:
and no I hadn't heard that!
and no I hadn't heard that!
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JTMB
Well-known member
Yes, the sewage treatment pond comment comes from the fact that often sewage treatment ponds (polishing, usually) are frequently hotspots for birds - especially if they're located in a shorebird migration area. There are two on the WA coast - Ocean Shores and Hoquiam - that are primo destination locations for a good part of the year. The one in Ocean Shores in particular has hosted rare gulls, some rare to very rare shorebirds and as a result of having those species is often a strafing target for Merlins and Peregrines.
I think one reason the Mute Swans are particularly undesirable in our part of the world is that we are a major wintering area for endemic swans - predominantly Trumpeters, but also Tundras and even, a couple winters ago, a Whooper Swan that drew gawkers from all over the country. Although the swans seem to be doing somewhat better, they have a challenging existence and a sometimes high mortality largely because of ingesting lead shot that still hangs around from the old days (all waterfowl hunting areas now require the use of biodegradable steel shot and have for quite a few years).
I think one reason the Mute Swans are particularly undesirable in our part of the world is that we are a major wintering area for endemic swans - predominantly Trumpeters, but also Tundras and even, a couple winters ago, a Whooper Swan that drew gawkers from all over the country. Although the swans seem to be doing somewhat better, they have a challenging existence and a sometimes high mortality largely because of ingesting lead shot that still hangs around from the old days (all waterfowl hunting areas now require the use of biodegradable steel shot and have for quite a few years).
colleenc
Well-known member
we did have a Tundra swan last year and it did not hang out at the ponds but by itself, so maybe that's why
here is the current state of Last Look
this is 2 glazes later, one of yellow and one of transparent gerainum lake WN and Cad orange. The balance I'm trying to keep is the lighter water darker sky, the bird not too prominent ( keeping edge values more close to bg) and land not a hunk but integrated into the surface of the painting...
will have another layer of glaze and and adjustment of all edges in the sky, and probably more of the purple grey cloud...
a lot of this painting is "scraped" surfaces where I've gotten the light canvas weave showing to keep things soft, a technique the Tonalists and Whistler used. While bringing up the weave, it pushes other paint into the lower levels. The difference here is I'm using very smooth linen, and they used very coarse canvas.
here is the current state of Last Look
this is 2 glazes later, one of yellow and one of transparent gerainum lake WN and Cad orange. The balance I'm trying to keep is the lighter water darker sky, the bird not too prominent ( keeping edge values more close to bg) and land not a hunk but integrated into the surface of the painting...
will have another layer of glaze and and adjustment of all edges in the sky, and probably more of the purple grey cloud...
a lot of this painting is "scraped" surfaces where I've gotten the light canvas weave showing to keep things soft, a technique the Tonalists and Whistler used. While bringing up the weave, it pushes other paint into the lower levels. The difference here is I'm using very smooth linen, and they used very coarse canvas.
