Wings Over Winecountry, Colleen's place (2 Viewers)

[colleenc]

thanks all,..... well that one on the left could be a large raven, but the other two are recognizable:-O

After getting a lot of these done I may go back and develop some. The whole point now is to work fast enough that I can't do my usual thinking routine and fussing over the "rightness" of the forms and values. To make everything very simplified. I found that if I go over the 15 min mark much, I start to fall into fixing things again. I do think I'll have to do a lot of them to get the sureness of touch and brushstroke that will help me work more directly.

 

[colleenc]

took just a bit longer on this, and laid down a wet layer of paint to make it slippery...

 

[timwootton]

There's something of the Japanese style in this piece Colleen - the way the brushmarks can be seen to describe the form. It's a real beaut and deserving of the extra time invested.

 

[colleenc]

it does have and "inky" feel, must be painting into the wet background...I laid in the pale color all over and painted into that on oil primed canvas which is very slick compared to the usual acrylic gesso

 

[RussB]

Hi Colleen,
Just been admiring your Casp Tern efforts: simply superb! There's some lovely lines here. A good ploy to work from photos first; flight action is so difficult to see in many instances, but gulls and terns seem to hold 'that' shape just long enough to get an impression. Birds in flight are my next big challenge; several A3's at the ready!

I'm looking forward to seeing your efforts develop.
Regards

Russ

 

[solitaryVSong]

Another lovely piece, even better than the previous I think. You can almost see it being done with sumi ink on rice paper.

 

[phil baber]

These "15 minute Flash Pieces" are wonderful! And a great medicine for "over-working" stuff.

Colleen, you know I adore your work?

Why not start a side-thread, and get everyone here involved?

A 15 minute flash piece thread?

I'm up for it! Hope everyone else is?

All the best to you in Wine-Country!

phil

 

[colleenc]

What a good idea Phil....I'm busy with a portrait right now......It is really fun not having to slave over something, and just letting it flow....let's hear if anyone else might want to play and ideas you might have....like should it be all direct painting...or some other media too....like charcoal, maybe anything but pen and pencils????

If there is interest I'll start a thread...

 

[phil baber]

Start it.

But, in your own time.

It would be a great thread...

Cheers CC!

 

[Woody]

If there is interest I'll start a thread...

I'd probably be up for a few, as long as nobody minds if they're rubbish!

Mike

 

[gropperwinch]

I'd probably be up for a few, as long as nobody minds if they're rubbish!

Mike

me too, in fact if Colleen is busy for now I may start one up! if everyone else is up for one of course

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

I love these latest one Colleen

 

[colleenc]

thanks Arthur....

Today I took my homemade cheapo ( under $20) pochade( see post 918 for details) out for a trial it worked great here are some shots. I posted my first plein air from life oil flash on the flash thread but here are some shots of the pochade

To tweak, I'm going to get shorter handled brushes, and different ones than what I had. I need one flat bristle, 2 flat synthetics that will keep a sharp edge but move the paint, and one pointed round for details. I used Robert Doak's Goop for media, as it stays in place like a paint nut, but improves brushabilty and makes transparent washes easy but does not run...it also is used to clean my brushes, that makes the oil painting simple. I have not used the pastel or watercolor yet, but it's all there and the drawing media too.

I added an alligator clip to hold a rag or paper towel, it is attached with a beading wire,( too fine to see in the photo, strong and thin and can flip out or store in the compartment with the paint. I took one sheet of disposable palette paper and used duct tape to hold it an flattened the paint nuts, now it clears when the lid is closed and I can take the wet paint home, label the sheet with date and place and have all my color mixtures to consult if I do a larger work. Fully loaded with 4 medias, drawing, oil, watercolor and pastel it weighs in at about 3 pounds. Later I 'll put a mount for the tripod on the bottom so I can use it for landscape, right now I just put it on my lap.

 

[Woody]

Great idea Colleen. I love to see ingenuity, especially when it makes things cheap!

MIke

 

[colleenc]

you bet Mike, I can't find any pochade on the net under $150, and all of them are way heavy for me to carry and not set up for multi media like I want...Eventually if I want pastel or oil or water color I can spend another $20 and make a single media box...

 

[colleenc]

besides the flash piece I posted , I did my first sketch of the year from W 9th st. egret rookery, the place where I started field sketching for the first time a year ago...wow what a difference this one is from that. and it took only seconds to do, what a help to have drawn so many egrets that now the forms are more there to draw from by instinct.

I did this just before the painting and used it when the bird moved...think doing both at once will be a help to me.

I'd like to do a "first" drawing every year for the next 5 and then set them side by side. It feels so good to have made some progress after all the study. :t:

 

[username]

Very nice little sketch of the egret Colleen....great minimal capture....works really well for me....crackin...:t:

 

[solitaryVSong]

thanks Arthur....

Today I took my homemade cheapo ( under $20) pochade( see post 918 for details) out for a trial it worked great here are some shots. I posted my first plein air from life oil flash on the flash thread but here are some shots of the pochade

To tweak, I'm going to get shorter handled brushes, and different ones than what I had. I need one flat bristle, 2 flat synthetics that will keep a sharp edge but move the paint, and one pointed round for details. I used Robert Doak's Goop for media, as it stays in place like a paint nut, but improves brushabilty and makes transparent washes easy but does not run...it also is used to clean my brushes, that makes the oil painting simple. I have not used the pastel or watercolor yet, but it's all there and the drawing media too.

I added an alligator clip to hold a rag or paper towel, it is attached with a beading wire,( too fine to see in the photo, strong and thin and can flip out or store in the compartment with the paint. I took one sheet of disposable palette paper and used duct tape to hold it an flattened the paint nuts, now it clears when the lid is closed and I can take the wet paint home, label the sheet with date and place and have all my color mixtures to consult if I do a larger work. Fully loaded with 4 medias, drawing, oil, watercolor and pastel it weighs in at about 3 pounds. Later I 'll put a mount for the tripod on the bottom so I can use it for landscape, right now I just put it on my lap.

Let us know how this all works out Colleen. And bravo to you for going to all the trouble to put it together and get yourself set for working from life in the field. I tried some watercolor in the field again a few weeks ago and just didn't show the attempt because it was so bad. I think I have it all planned out and have all the relevant gear for outdoor painting, until I actually start and realize I'm stilling missing a least one necessary hand. It does seem to require both planning and determination.

Sketch looks great as does first painting on other thread.

 

[Andrew Ellis]

Very nice little sketch of the egret Colleen....great minimal capture....works really well for me....crackin...:t:

I agree. Keep going with these and the field painting Colleen

 

[timwootton]

And progress is definitely the name of the game, Colleen - leaps, bounds . . . skips, flips, somersaults, triple-salkos and half-pikes . . . been a real pleasure watching.