Wings Over Winecountry, Colleen's place (1 Viewer)

[colleenc]

I forgot the egret pic, which is now attached to the post below...

Thanks Tim, saves me explaining why I keep working in pastels....hoping to master them....I do know his site...and visit so I can learn....notice he takes gobs of pastels , more than I can carry out, and that is part of what makes it work for plein air... so I'm trying to work out what I can carry and see what I can do....maybe start out there and finish in the studio or something...pastels are so full of light in a way no oil or watercolor can be so that keeps me at it.

 

[phil baber]

Love this individual piece!

 

[colleenc]

thank you sweet Phil....this is a long hard road this plein air stuff

it's the egrets again along the bank , can't get enough of them and wait every time for that one moment when they all take off for the night, takes my breath away every single time...

I think this is the only place where I do not have to explain what the white blobs are:-O

6x8 oil on canvas and I got a some reflections in!...but the rest of the water I just couldn't get....still mostly working on values and progression of planes. and yes this tree is growing in the water, and not doing well will join it's fallen comrades someday.

 

[timwootton]

Great depth and a pleasing composition. I always find that the hardest part - composing the view on the paper. These cut-out viewfinders are useful, but I've never really taken to them. Thoughts?

 

[colleenc]

yes I tried them too, not very useful I keep forgetting what I viewed in it...but I have a cheat, that works out well for me...plein air people will freak maybe,
I take a shot with my camera...take off my glasses and it's all blurry so I have a nice little frame and some shapes that work. I note where the land line is in the camera frame and make that the same on my canvas...don't tell anyone, I'm sure it's against the rules

 

[Woody]

Looking sweeter every time. The first thing I do in a location is take a shot of the scene I'm about to paint, that way I've got it framed and composed and, if I want to develop it for use as a background later on, the information is there. I've never used a viewfinder but it's one of those things that I keep meaning to do and have never got round to so any 'views' on them would be interesting.

Gotta go shopping now, yipee...

Mike

 

[solitaryVSong]

You're really getting a brighter pallette here, which I find pleasing as you could probably guess. This has a tranquil but also colorful feel to it.

I've never used viewfinders. Centuries ago I used to do little thumbnail sketches. Now I seem to already know how I'll compose the scene before I put it down. I'm not sure if this is because of all the thumbnails I used to do, because of my years doing abstract work or what.

 

[timwootton]

You're really getting a brighter pallette here, which I find pleasing as you could probably guess. This has a tranquil but also colorful feel to it.

I've never used viewfinders. Centuries ago I used to do little thumbnail sketches. Now I seem to already know how I'll compose the scene before I put it down. I'm not sure if this is because of all the thumbnails I used to do, because of my years doing abstract work or what.

Thumbnails - that's the way!
edit - actually that's probably what C and M are doing with their digi-shots, isn't it?

 

[phil baber]

Sweet!

 

[colleenc]

right Tim...and without glasses all I see are main shapes, like squinting makes..

 

[colleenc]

This is a commission maybe an entry in a show...I've been inventing new pastel techniques to do the grass, and an earlier version would probably make the crew here happier than the current one...still I think you can see Mr. Ed's influence here:-O

have two commissions right now with grass, so getting a work out...I love the dandelions which are only scribbled in and barely there but read right...and this of course is influenced by Lijefors, and his cat painting of Jeppe.

early verison posted 1st

 

[phil baber]

Inspired brilliance Colleen!

So VERY good! GENIUS stuff!

Culmination of a life's experience in this piece. I am dumb-struck!

Beautiful. A feast of light, colour, observation, and tremendously deft skill!

 

[sfrissell]

I'm sure this is a very pleasant, well-behaved pussy-cat, but, boy, that on-coming pose and those eyes! Well, I'd hate to be a mouse is this kitty's territory (patch?). I know from experience that all domestic cats can look innocent and sweet and also intense and menacing. You have caught the latter expression wonderfully, Colleen.

 

[colleenc]

thanks Phil you say the most wonderful things to me and I treasure them, but I always want you to tell the truth too, even if it's not good news, so I can always improve.

Sid, he is totally sweet, pretty domineering, intelligent and fairly serious for a cat...he is intent on his dinner alright, this is how I see him when I cat sit and call him in for suppertime...out of the wilds into the food dish:-O there are no mice, voles or gophers left in his territory between he and his partner an even more avid hunter, not agile enough for birds thank heavens.

 

[phil baber]

That is one beautiful Wildlife Painting however!

And the sub-forum is named "Wildlife Art"?

Sid's private affairs are his own! But your public posts are ours!

And that is the BEST mammal portrayal I've seen this year!

But the other comments I made on your artistry remain undiminished! That is some impressive piece!!!

Will NOT analyse it. Just KNOW I like it to bits!!!!

 

[ed keeble]

I think this is the only place where I do not have to explain what the white blobs are:-O

well done on those egrets going from shaded to light on the top bank- blobs they technically are, but must be a candidate for most simple but still effective egret rendering of all

 

[colleenc]

thanks Ed, glad you noticed that, surely a painters observation....and something you can really see when you are there, at sunset esp, it's so obvious, and a lovely thing to render.

 

[solitaryVSong]

Not sure I'd enjoy seeing him coming toward me looking like that, but a strong work, and the grasses blended in beautifully.

 

[colleenc]

well remember it's a pussycat, not a tiger:-O

 

[timwootton]

well remember it's a pussycat, not a tiger:-O

Depends on your perspective, I suppose
sorry - forgot to mention the brilliance of the piece. Goes without saying, really. . . .