November 19, 2008 by pleinairman
After the weekend’s tropical storm, the weather cleared, lickety-split. Brisk winds and drier air brought with them proof that there really is more color to the Maritimes than greys and other neutrals. The clear air makes the late autumn colors glow. Late in the afternoon, I went out to capture some of the beautiful reds that now liven up our fields, thick with bare blackberry and raspberry canes.
For this little oil, I laid down a transparent wash of Cadmium Red Light and Cadmium Yellow Deep in the foreground as a base for the field colors. Next, I killed the richness just a bit by taking those same two colors and adding a bit of white and Ultramarine Blue to them. This kept the brilliant colors from competing with my focal point, which is the sunlit end of the house on the hill. That little block of light consists of white plus just a smidgen of Cadmium Yellow Light. It doesn’t take much to warm it up and to make the mixture appear even “whiter than white.”
By the way, I’m reading a new book. It is
Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay. In it, the writer records her search for the origins of some common pigments that have been key in painting over the years. It’s a fascinating read. Beware, though; the writer takes some authorial side-trips. Interesting at first, they become less so. The good news is, you can easily drive on, and the writer will catch up with you soon enough.
Posted in Books, Technique | 2 Comments »
November 18, 2008 by pleinairman
Now that the book is done, I’m diving into a few other unfinished projects. One of these is my 2009 portfolio. I do one portfolio a year for galleries and collectors. When I publish it, I ‘retire’ the previous year’s, which will never again be available.
Here’s the cover of the 2009 one. This 40-page book contains 35 paintings – 17 pastels and 18 oils. If you’re interested in purchasing it,
please visit this link for more information.
Now, no more publications. I promise! I’m off to do more packing for the trip!
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November 17, 2008 by pleinairman
Believe it or not, this weekend the weather service issued a tropical storm warning for Downeast Maine and the Canadian Maritimes – in mid-November! The temperature climbed to 60 degrees, nearly two inches of rain fell and the winds whipped up to over 50 miles an hour. Needless to say, I retreated to the studio. I decided to do a pastel “de la fenêtre” – out the window.
I was intrigued by the color scheme that an imminent tropical storm can bring to our Canadian landscape. You’ll note lots of violets and blues but also in the foreground some very rich greens. And with all that rain in the air, I had a hard time seeing detail. I found that using light, scribbly strokes was a good way to describe the softness of the scene.
“The Yellow House in November”
9×12, pastel
For this one, I used Unison pastels on an
Rtistx board.
Posted in Technique | 3 Comments »
November 13, 2008 by pleinairman
The cold weather has begun to pour in. Thick, bluish clouds gather, letting only a glimmer of sunlight through. Even the sunlight seems cold. The apple trees over in Friar’s Head meadow hang onto the last, few apples of the year. Pithy and scarred by worm and frost, they will provide winter meals for the squirrels.
I took some time off this afternoon from other projects to paint. The apple trees are beautifully sculptural, especially now that the leaves are gone. I found one that I liked best, and set up my easel.
“End of the Apples” 9×12, oil, en plein air
These apple trees have gone feral. Unmanaged, unpruned, their limbs and twigs weave a wild basket, full of holes. How do you paint something like that? I start off with a gestural sketch with thin paint to establish the rhythm of the limbs. Next, I block in the entire shape of the tree, solid. After that, I poke in a few “sky holes” with the color of the background clouds, sky and water. I return to the tree and repaint a few key limbs. Then it’s back to the sky holes, taking care that I don’t give the tree an unintentional shape. (It’s so easy to go awry when chipping away.) I go back and forth between limbs and background until the tree has the shape I want. It really is a weaving process, not unlike the way the limbs themselves have grown.
At the end, I paint the apples. I start with darkish, greenish blots and gradually lighten them with spots of dull yellow and red. There are so many of them in the tree, but I paint fewer to enhance the idea that the season is drawing to an end.
Posted in Technique | 6 Comments »
November 8, 2008 by pleinairman
I really can’t complain about living in the “grey zone” here in the Canadian Maritimes. This extended period of fog, drizzle and rain does me a favour. The grey overcast saturates the colours, pouring rich color throughout the landscape.
I went out this afternoon – again, between bouts of rain – and got caught. Not as much drizzle as yesterday, but enough that I could see it building up on the paint surface. I tipped my easel forward to keep any more rain off the panel so I wouldn’t have to fight with the water.
“More Drizzle, November”
5×7, oil, en plein air
Reminder: The Holiday Sale runs through November 24. If you missed the post, please click here. Also, my new book is out, and you can click here for that post.
Posted in Technique, Travel | 1 Comment »
November 7, 2008 by pleinairman
After spending several days working on tight-deadline magazine articles, I decided I really needed to get out today to paint, even if just for a few minutes. We had over an inch of rain in the last 24 hours, and this afternoon the rain abated. I even saw a sunny break in the clouds. So, I picked up the gear and headed out.
I got about 30 minutes into this 5×7, almost near the end, when a light rain began to fall. It didn’t take long for both palette and panel to be fairly drizzled with water. (I didn’t take the umbrella.) I began to experience severe adhesion problems. The brush was actually lifting off paint and leaving white spots – everywhere! I ended up bringing the painting into the studio to finish. I had to hold it over a hot lamp for a few minutes to dry off the water first. The painting is below.
By the way, please don’t forget the Holiday Sale, now going through November 24. If you missed the post, please click here. My new book is also out, and you can click here for that post.
“November Drizzle”
5×7, oil, en plein air
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November 6, 2008 by pleinairman
As Trina and I prepare for our trip out west – I can’t believe we’ll be leaving in a few weeks! – I need to deal with the pastel paintings that have been building up in the studio. These were done in the past year, but I haven’t had time to frame them for the gallery. I need to make room for more painting inventory.
And so begins my Holiday Sale! I’ve selected 10 each of the 9×12s and 5×7s. The 9×12s are $70 each; 5×7s, $40. I’m applying a flat shipping fee of $10.
SALE ENDS NOV 24, MONDAY!
Payment
must be received by Nov 28 because I will be hitting the road shortly thereafter. Email me at
mcj.painter@gmail.com with the titles you wish, and I will send a PayPal invoice.
However, you do not need a PayPal account to pay the invoice. You can easily pay by credit card. (I don’t want to have to reserve paintings and wait for a check to arrive!) First come, first served.Here is a preview of two paintings. Click on the text to the right of them to see the others. Thanks for looking! Get a leg up on the holiday shopping! Someone you know would like a piece of original art. (And don’t forget that my new book,
Backpacker Painting: Outdoors with Oil & Pastel, is now available. Visit
my web site for more information.)
Posted in Good News, Holiday Sale | Leave a Comment »
November 1, 2008 by pleinairman
I’m proud to say that my new book,
Backpacker Painting: Outdoors with Oil & Pastel, is finally available!
This 164-page paperback is packed with 12 demonstations, in both oil and pastel, and 72 paintings and 125 illustrations.
In the book, I answer all the questions my students have asked over the years:
- My approach to what gear is absolutely needed
- How I cut excess baggage
- How I capture the landscape quickly and accurately
…while still having fun!
For advanced painters, I include plenty of tips as well as special sections on how to bring your outdoor painting to a higher level.
The book has taken me over a year to write, but it’s been a rewarding task. I think you’ll enjoy it.
From the Introduction:
One of the most rewarding ways to paint en plein air is to go out with the least equipment and materials possible. “Backpacker Painting” sums it up. If I can squeeze whatever I need into my backpack, then I can paint anywhere my feet can take me.
But Backpacker Painting isn’t just an approach to equipment and materials. It’s also an attitude. If you approach the act of painting outdoors with the philosophy of portability, you can practice ‘backpacker painting’ anywhere. You don’t have to hike into the wilderness and brave the bears. You can do it in your front yard.
There are many situations where you can strip down your gear, both mental and physical. If you can do the job with just a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, why take the whole hardware store with you? This book will show you how to simplify your painting life.
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
November 1, 2008 by pleinairman
I’m proud to say that my new book, Backpacker Painting: Outdoors with Oil & Pastel, is finally available!
This 164-page paperback is packed with 12 demonstations, in both oil and pastel, and 72 paintings and 125 illustrations.
In the book, I answer all the questions my students have asked over the years:
- My approach to what gear is absolutely needed
- How I cut excess baggage
- How I capture the landscape quickly and accurately
…while still having fun!
For advanced painters, I include plenty of tips as well as special sections on how to bring your outdoor painting to a higher level.
The book has taken me over a year to write, but it’s been a rewarding task. I think you’ll enjoy it.
From the Introduction:
One of the most rewarding ways to paint en plein air is to go out with the least equipment and materials possible. “Backpacker Painting” sums it up. If I can squeeze whatever I need into my backpack, then I can paint anywhere my feet can take me.
But Backpacker Painting isn’t just an approach to equipment and materials. It’s also an attitude. If you approach the act of painting outdoors with the philosophy of portability, you can practice ‘backpacker painting’ anywhere. You don’t have to hike into the wilderness and brave the bears. You can do it in your front yard.
There are many situations where you can strip down your gear, both mental and physical. If you can do the job with just a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, why take the whole hardware store with you? This book will show you how to simplify your painting life.
Posted in Books, Good News, Plein Air Gear, Technique | Leave a Comment »
October 31, 2008 by pleinairman
Trina and I are safely back in the Maritimes. It was hard to leave the 80-degree, constantly sunny weather of Sedona, especially since we’ve come back to a cloudy, blustery, 40-degree day here by the ocean! It’s a good time to spend a few hours catching up with paperwork and to re-focus on some outstanding projects. One project is the book, and I’m happy to say it is done. Tomorrow, November 1, it’ll be available for sale. Watch for a special blog post!
In the meantime, I thought I’d post this little piece I did before my fall travels began. I decided to try to not do what I usually do, which is to push color. I wanted to capture the color as accurately as possible, without exaggeration or interpretation. I think my experiment worked pretty well!
Posted in Travel | Leave a Comment »
