Three Wave Studies

I have been busy with not only drawing and painting, but working in our community garden, playing music, working in my little yard, sewing, and a whole host of other things. Summer has been overflowing! Thankfully, at least in my eyes, Summer is winding down and fading into Autumn. I think Autumn and Spring are fairly tied for the title of my favorite season. Spring has my birthday in her favor so it might be a bit weighted toward that season.

I have given myself permission to take a break from sharing every little study, drawing, and painting. I felt I needed a bit of time to flounder around and try a few new-to-me things without having to post every little triumph and many failures. Every once in a while though, I make another wave study and I am sharing the last three I have done.

Wave Study #86 is painted with my full palette, which is nonetheless a limited palette of a cool and warm of red and yellow, ultramarine blue, plus a warm white. I also tone my canvases with Burnt Sienna. Here is #86:

© 2015 R.L. Delight, Wave Study #86, 6"x8", oil on canvas panel, plein air.

It was one of those beautiful misty mornings where the sun was just starting to burn it off. I love the colors that pop out with gray skies. They can be both subtle and startlingly intense.

Starting with Wave Study #87, I decided to use just black and white paint for a few studies. I am not sure how many I will do in just black and white but I am finding it not only educational, but fun. To be specific, I am using Gamblin's Chromatic Black (a combination of alizarin permanent and viridian), and Gamblin's Warm White. I rather like Warm White over the Titanium White. My subject matter here on the Northern Oregon Coast tends to be on the chilly side. Warm White gives a subtle warmth to the painting. Here is  Wave Study #87:

© 2015, R.L. Delight, Wave Study #87, 8"x10", oil on canvas, plein air.

Using black and white forces me to focus on value of course. I start out with paint laid out in a 5-value range and add in between values as needed. I really am enjoying the process.

Finally, here is Wave Study #88, also painted with black and white:

© 2015, R.L. Delight, Wave Study #88, 8"x10", oil on canvas, plein air.

This was painted this morning and I took the picture on site so there is a tiny bit of glare on the photo in the upper right. Today was a lovely sunny fall-ish kind of day. Very bright, with the sun beginning to slide to lower angles. I love the quality of the fall light on the coast. It has a lovely red gold cast that only occurs this time of the year.

Here is a parting shot of today's office. You can see the black and white progression of paint on the palette along with the splotch of Burnt Sienna that was used to tone and draw a rough sketch-in to start.

View from the "office"

Summer is nearly over but there is plenty more adventures and painting ahead!

Happy painting,

-Renee