Thursday, July 28, 2011

Plein Air with SWOPA

Out today in the swelter at Mt. Storm Park in Cincinnati. Not many of the SWOPA people made it today, much too hot. I found a shady place under some trees and painted the "Temple of Love".


That gazebo-pavilion is all that remains of Robert Bowler’s once grand 19th-century estate; it was designed in 1850 by Adolph Strauch, former supervisor of the Imperial Gardens in Vienna and designer of Spring Grove cemetery. In his magnificent home (razed in 1917) Bowler entertained the Prince of Wales, Charles Dickens and other 19th-century celebrities.

Jumping Ahead

This is Beckett Ponds 29, which if you're following this blog, is out of sequence. That's because Beckett Ponds 28 is taking some extra time. I've worked on 29 over the last three sessions at the Mason Area Painters and finished it this last Monday. It's a 8x10, oil on canvas panel and looks to be a bit more "bright" than the other small painting in this series.

I don't usually show my work in process, but here is Beckett Ponds 28, 42x54, oil on canvas. It's taking a bit longer to complete than I thought. I keep plugging away at several lily leaves per day. Once I get all the canvas covered I'll start balancing the color across the work. I hope about another week will do it!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Plein Air with SWOPA

Thursday afternoon and evening I was out painting with the Southwest Ohio Plein Air group at Devou Park in Covington, KY. I decided not to try to paint the famous view of downtown Cincinnati from the lookout there, because the humidity and smog was so bad. Everything looked like it was in a fog. Also, there was very little shade to paint from and with temps in the 90's I didn't want to fry.

I found a position under some trees just off the green for hole #2 of the golf course. This is the view of a knob with trees, with the green out of view below and to the right of the painting. Foreground left are the women's tees for hole #8, with the men's tee to the right of the cart path jog and out of the painting. The seventh green is below the silhouetted tree, with the ornamental grass between it and the cart path at top right.

I set the timing of this "View Across 2 and 8", 12" x 16", Oil on Canvas, at about 6:00P, about two hours into the session. The area was all almost in direct shadow, but secondary lighting came from the glowing haze in the air.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Beckett Ponds 27

This just finished 24" x 36" painting harkens back to the first of the Beckett Ponds Series... painting water surface reflections with just a few lily pads to anchor them to reality.