Climbing Up a Learning Curve

Indian Beach, Ecola State Park, 4:30 pm

I am working on a few specific things in my painting technique and process at once. I might need to narrow it a bit as I occasionally slip down that learning curve! The sun is back so I went up to Ecola State Park to paint today at Indian Beach. The tide was just coming in to high tide so there wasn't much beach to paint on. I was perched high on a bank of cobbles.
I am trying to refine a process approach to painting. I have been studying and trying to take more care in the composition I choose, create a thumbnail, do a quick drawing and block in, etc.
Well, it was a struggle today. I also added painting a larger size to the mix. I wanted to give up several times and, after looking at the time, kept on painting until the light was just too challenging.
The light was indeed challenging. When I started the sun was well hidden behind clouds but was shining brightly through thin cracks in the cloud. I figured it would come out eventually, and it did.
Unfortunately for me, I didn't realize that the low hanging winter sun this far north would burst out and shine directly in my eyes from behind my painting. The sun is still pretty low on the horizon this time of year and the colors, while beautiful, make it hard too see anything. I just couldn't see the colors accurately. It looked like my painting was in silhouette.  
I painted nearly two and a half hours before deciding to stop. I also decided to wipe the painting off. I rarely do this, preferring to keep the studies to learn from. I thought this time I would take a picture and wipe and reuse the panel.
So here is what I painted today on 11"x14" gessobord panel. A bit larger than my usual 6"x8" size.

Ecola State park plein air, Indian Beach. 11"x14", oil on gessobord.

In spite of wiping the painting away, there are a few things I was happy with. I liked the composition. I put some thought and care into selecting what and where to paint. Believe me, there is a life-time of painting on this beach to be done and it was challenging to choose! I simplified some of what I saw and included the smoke from a campfire. There were a lot of surfers in this spot today, being a weekend and having calm weather. I felt the smoke (blocked in on the far left of the painting) added a timeless element.
The painting was at the block in stage with a few details started. I am still struggling a bit with getting it all blocked in properly before adding details. Some I had to add as they were changing second by second but then I would forget to pull back to the block in. This picture was taken at an angle due to the sun.
The first photo is a parting shot from the upper parking lot and picnic area. The clouds are all but gone and the sky really was that amazing blue!
Tomorrow I plan to head back to Short Sands to paint. I bet there will be plenty of surfers in spite of the Super Bowl. High tide is at 1:30 pm. A bit of an awkward time for painting but I am just going to roll with it!
I will try the 11"x14" panel again and keep hammering away at those skills.
-Renee

Golden December Days

Short Sands Beach. Oswald West State Park

Did you hear that whooshing sound? That was the sound of the winter holidays speeding by! Our weather went from frigid winter to late fall warmth in the blink of an eye too. The sun is shining and the temps are up to the low 50º F which, for this time of the year, feels lovely.
The urge to get out to paint becomes a roar on days like these. I haven't painted as much as I would like to due to the seasonal celebrations. My mate and I spent the afternoons of Christmas Eve and Christmas day on Short Sands Beach. It is a 5 minute drive up the road and about a 1/4 mile hike to the beach through a beautiful old forest. The trail to the beach runs along Short Sands Creek which empties into the sea.
Christmas afternoon we took Twill's ashes to their final resting place. We still had them as I had a purpose for a tiny bit of them to remember her by. That will be included in a future post. She is now resting in a perfect spot where there are many dogs to visit her and a beautiful beach to enjoy.
Before Christmas, I took a field trip to the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria Oregon

It is one of the best Maritime Museums in the state. The Columbia River meets the open ocean close to Astoria. The river is still quite mighty when it hits the sea and makes the Columbia River bar crossing one of the most dangerous in the world, even to this day. They had awesome footage of a huge cargo ship being tossed around in the waves. Even on a good day the crossing is tricky. I could go on for a whole post on the museum. I have been there before but needed to do a bit of research for a painting I have in mind.
Today, at last, I got out and painted. I went back to Short Sands Beach to paint and commune a bit with my Twill. As I mentioned last post, I am changing things up a bit. I didn't paint the waves even though they were quite spectacular. I was there at low tide so the surf was quite a ways out. High tide is after dark at the moment. Here is a two hour coastal landscape study:

© 2013 R.L. Delight, Short Sands oil sketch, 6"x8", oil on canvas

I decided to paint a sketch as I am just starting to paint the rocks and trees. A bit of a change and I felt anxious the whole time I was painting. The light changed so fast. I need to take a different approach than the one I use for painting the waves.
The rock formations in this area are beautifully layered sandstone with jumbles of basalt scattered out to sea. The wind and water carve the sandstone into fantastic shapes and caves. Where we live, the forest meets the sea and creeks, streams, and waterfalls cross the sands into the waves. The Oregon Coast is a beautiful place. I could have painted several different paintings without even moving my easel.
The clouds will be returning over the next few days. I will be spending time getting ready for the January challenge and refining my goals for the new year. I am also happy to report that two of my paintings have sold!
Welcome winter.
Stay warm everyone.

Branching Out

© 2013 R.L. Delight, Stacked, 6"x6", oil on copper panel.

I started this painting en plein air in October. It was a bit challenging for several reasons. I needed to go back to get the detail but the weather changed, as it does so often here. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to get more detail due to the fact that what some people build, others enjoy knocking down. This rock stack wasn't as easy to see and was one of the more beautiful ones I have seen built. Much to my relief, I finally made it back, after a failed attempt, with my sketch pad.

© 2013 R.L. Delight, sketch for stacked. Graphite on paper

Of course, this was drawn on a different day around the same time as I wanted to catch the right lighting. I painted it not long after but wasn't happy with it. Something was off so I set it aside to think about it. Oh, and sure enough, the rock stack was knocked down a week later.

Over the past couple of months, I have had a lot of thoughts and ideas about how to grow and improve as an artist. Some thoughts due to reading and studying and some from thoughtful suggestions by artist friends. I have been studying hard and doing a lot of reading. Two books in particular, Composition of Outdoor Painting by Edgar Payne, and Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting, by John F. Carlson. I have also been reading several wonderful blogs and am currently making my way through Stapleton Kearns' blog.

With all that I am learning, I went back to this painting and changed a few things. Mostly a bit of the values (tone, or lights and darks in the painting) and a bit of the color temperature (warm or cool). It is working much better now. I learned quite a bit on this painting. I am going to put the brush down on this one and move on.

The seascape studies are slowly continuing in the background. The weather has been too cold and intense to do much these past couple of weeks. I have decided to expand my painting subjects a bit. I mainly want to focus on coastal landscapes in addition to waves and seascapes. I also have been working on still life painting during the days when I am not able to get outside to paint.

All of it is good for honing the skills. I want to make a leap in my skills for 2014 which is why I am studying more and will be taking a workshop. The studying does cut into painting time temporarily and I know I also need to put in the brush mileage. With that in mind, I will be participating in another 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. Those that have been reading this blog a while will remember I did this last January too. It will be very challenging this year as I will be working three days a week for the month of January at an outside job. I am getting prepared and hopefully will be more prepared than I was last year. I did manage to complete 30 paintings in 30 days last year!


Wishing everyone a wonderful winter holiday!

Easter at Hug Point

© 2013 R.L. Delight, Hug Point Study, 6"x8", oil on canvas

Yesterday the weather was sublime. We hit 70 degrees on our front porch! That is summer weather around here and not a common occurrence in March. Suddenly I "misplaced" my to-do list and decided that reading a book in the front yard was the most efficient use of my time.*
Today the weather changed again. I purposefully took Friday and Saturday off to get things done so I could start this week with today. The tides were below zero feet, otherwise known as a minus tide and the weather forecast called for sun so perfect conditions for painting at Hug Point. Lowest tide was at 10:35 am so I headed out the door at 8, along with my mate, to have plenty of time to paint before the tide turned. Alas, as often happens in this area, coastal fog has set in. I still went to paint as you can see from the picture above. It was cold though. This is a one hour study and I was shivering by the end of it in spite of my layers. I decided we should go back home even though I had planned to do another one hour study.
I have written about Hug Point before. It is a magical place but can be tricky. The last time I went the tide and surf were too high to paint this scene of the old road bed over the ocean. That is what this painting is, a portion of the view of the old road bed that used to be the only way to get a vehicle or horse down the coast. It was dangerous then as well and you had to time it right to cross before the tide came up. Certain times of the year it became impassible. At least, that is what I have read.
Here are some photos I took so you can get an idea of the scale of the place:

Hug Point road bed looking Northwest

Hug Point cliffs. Taken with back to the ocean on a misty foggy Easter day

Hug Point. Road bed along lower left of the cliff.

The cliffs on right side of this picture are riddled with caves which is how far back the waves go when the tide is high.

Hug Point roadbed from beach looking Southeast.

I will be painting at Hug Point again. Going there is bewildering because there is so much to paint. I could easily spend years, and hopefully will, painting there.

The waves were quite puny today. One of the drawbacks to painting at such a low tide. The fog obscured what little there were. This isn't too much of a problem since the surrounding scenery on the Northern Oregon coast is nothing less than stunning even on a bad day.
I haven't decided where to paint tomorrow but will probably get some wave studies in.

* I was reading The International Bank of Bob by Bob Harris. Highly recommend it, specially if you participate in making Kiva loans or are curious about it. It can get a bit gritty in some spots but leaves you with hope and faith in the world.

Summer Days

We have had a wonderful run of lovely summer weather the past couple of weeks. I have been busy getting yard work done and soaking up the sunshine for those long dark winter days ahead in addition to the usual daily chores. I have been working in the studio too but I haven't been spending a lot of time online.
I am still attending life drawing and, after adjusting my expectations and process a bit, have found a way to make it work for me. I just don't want to give up my only source at this time for live models.
In the studio, I am currently trying a new-to-me technique or process. I am using a combination of photo references and oil sketches to paint a more formal beachscape. The photos are those I took when helping to watch over a newborn seal on the beach. The seal still had its umbilical cord attached! It is important to keep a distance from the newborn so that it will have a chance at reuniting with its mother as the tide comes back in. I took pictures with my largest lens attached. I cropped the picture quite a bit to compose the painting. I wanted to convey both the vulnerability of the newborn seal and the incredible strength and resilience these wild creatures have. I printed the photo in black and white and did a few thumbnail sketches in oil before starting on a grisaille. I am glad I did the grisaille before moving to the color as studying the tones also helped in my study of the waves. Here is the grisaille so far:

I still have a tiny bit to adjust and much detail, such as foam patterns and water sparkles, is left out at this stage intentionally. I will make a few corrections tomorrow and then move onto color using my oil sketch as a color reference. The canvas is 9"X12" and was toned with yellow ochre. In addition to taking many pictures, I made an oil sketch when I was helping to watch over the newborn seal. That is the sketch I will be using for my color reference. It was posted on the blog a while ago.
We were there about six hours or so before the tide came in far enough for the seal to swim away. It was a wonderful way to pass the time and quite a magical event for me. I have since signed up for the stranded marine mammal volunteer group that has formed with guidance from the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network . I attended an informational meeting and learned quite a bit about the sea mammals in our area and the people who work to protect them.
I haven't taken the time to research my next featured woman artist but promise I will for my next post. I am getting excited as I have the workshop with Robert Librace coming up at the end of this month. I am looking forward to that with both excitement and a little anxiety. It will be a challenging workshop for me. A bit of time before that takes place though. We have more company coming and events to attend before we go.
Until next week,
-Renee

Eva Gonzales and a Beachscape

This will be the first post of I hope a number of posts about women artists, both past and present. I would like to introduce you, or perhaps reintroduce you, to Eva Gonzales. There should be an accent over the last "e" in Gonzales. Eva Gonzales was a Parisian artist born in 1849 and died at the early age of 34 due to what is believed to be puerperal fever after the birth of her son. Before I continue, here is one of her beautiful paintings,

I have seen two different titles for this one. One is Early Wakening the other is Morning Awakening. Either way it is beautiful. Like so many women artists in the past that I have read about, Eva faced the obstacles of gender bias and just plain not being taken seriously (?!!). She was the only student, after achieving wonderful proficiency as a student of the portraitist Charles Chaplin, of Edouard Manet. She studied with him for three years and, as was often the case, became his model as well as his pupil. She was unfortunately overshadowed by Manet, and was not always taken seriously as an artist. Some of her paintings had stylistic elements of Impressionism but she never really belonged to that group. She had some success and recognition toward the end of her short life. I imagine like so many painters who have had their lives cut short, her work would have continued to grow in recognition and development.*
I admire Manet's paintings but when looking at Eva's next to his, I feel that Eva Gonzales had a more refined and delicate touch that I find much more appealing. That is my personal opinion of course!
Now for my own humble work. We had one incredibly beautiful and warm day on Saturday. I took advantage of it to go down to the beach in the evening to paint Neahkahnie Mountain where it reaches into the sea. This is my favorite area of our beach. Our town is nestled at the foot of this beautiful mountain. The views from the top of it are breathtaking. This is an oil sketch I did in two hours. I was a bit frustrated as I didn't take a small enough brush with me to capture some of the detail I wanted to get but I am not displeased with the sketch.

As I was packing up when the light changed too much, a mist came up and became a fiery haze as the sun set. I want to go back when I have the chance and try to capture those colors and effects. Of course, being on the coast, when the inland area becomes warm it generates mist and fog here at the beach so we don't usually get several days of clear sunny weather here in the summer. I was going after some of the afternoon light effects on the cliffside. I was intrigued by the way the shadows kept changing. I didn't spend a lot of time on the water and sky. I will be painting this mountain many times.
With any luck, I will have another chance at plein air painting this week. Work continues on the still life.
Until next week,
-Renee

*Most of my information on Eva Gonzales comes from the book 50 Women Artists You Should Know by Weidemann, Larass, and Klier. I did a bit of online searching too but found the best info in the book.