Springtime is busy when you work in a garden but it is also a great time for Photographic experience. I have a series of paintings on panel canvases I have been planning. I photographed and sketched for a week or two and then I did the drawings for the 4 paintings. I have now done the base drawing on the canvases, although it did not photograph well.
I have also done many, many new photographs and a couple small pieces I have not photographed yet. We are having our Spring Open Days at work and I have been planning and organizing those events as well as the other work and that is also a creative project.
John Fairey, founder at Peckerwood Garden has a new project for me to work on with my photography that both shows the garden well and is helping me a lot.The invitation into another world or a dreamlike state is the current practice from John.John has blended colors, shapes, lines, tones, lighting, smells, wind patters, and more to create this place that is amazing to photograph.The framing of the vistas to draw you further than you can see really appeals to me.I really like long views through openings or pathways in the garden to a dreamland, many were years in growing into place.The sudden spots of brilliance or an amazing shape of a rare plant or well placed plant is part of the charm of Peckerwood Garden.We have some great blooms but they are not the focus here, they are a great way to practice focus and light and framing however.We have had quite a lot of visitors lately and they have offered a new range of photographic experience and a new view of Peckerwood Garden.This panel series of paintings is based on these concepts and on this garden as well as the images and styles from Buddhism.John was very right in his comment the other day that I should work on capturing the dreamlike state in these framed vistas.
I have been again taking pictures but I have done a new painting, a new mixed media and have the base sketches done for the 4 panel painting set I am starting. I will need new paint to do those and a larger space than I have right this minute.
Mixed Media MagnoliaTree in My yard beginning to bloom
Acrylic orchid in processFrom Peckerwood GardenMagnolia
A sampling of this weeks art, 2 acrylics and an oil. All of these are miniatures, 4″ x 4″. I have done quite a number of pictures this week, here is a sampling of my current work. I love how the Butterfly in acrylic came out. The Orchid in oil has changed a time or two due to cat’s landing on it or me knocking it over, but I like it The tree is an interesting one I think I want to work a little more on.
These are 2 of the several paintings I have done in the past week or so. I have a couple of running projects related to painting. First, is these abstracts. Second is I am learning watercolor. With all the forms of art I do, I have never done watercolor, it is foreign to me.Â
Both of these paintings have an aspect with lighting. They change drastically depending on the lighting you view them in. Even moving your head when viewing changes how they appear. It is one of my favorite things about them.Â
Abstracts are a challenge for me because although I tend to paint in a very impressionist and abstract style of imagery, my style is very realistic and representational. The combination can make it very challenging to judge when a painting is complete and what the focus is as I progress.
A sampling of this weeks art, 2 acrylics and an oil. All of these are miniatures, 4″ x 4″
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Art's Folly 