Painting

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Poppies With Betsy – Plein Air 13 May 2021

This morning we are painting poppies in my yard. Here’s my sketch
My artist friend from Ripley Ohio joined me…a peek at her sketch.
my underpainting…
betsy is working in pastel…laying down her darks and getting color on her panel.
the panel is covered with some color…next building up more colors and details
betsy building up darks for her pastel
Poppies are popping…down to the last details
The poppies are coming!!!
I think i’m finished! The camera did a weird light balance thing…let me take a better photo for you all.
Betsy works a lot slower than me. She cropped her panel, and is building up the poppies!
poppies plein air 13 May 2021 – Oil on Hardboard 7×14″
Poppies – Pastel by Betsy Adams
“Friends Are Flowers In The Garden Of Life! -thank you Betsy for visiting my garden, and making art with me…what a fun morning! — with Betsy Adams.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Poppies plein Air – 11 May 2021

hello everybody!
these poppies are popping in my yard. lets paint them!
here’s my sketch. today, im going to paint a big one (12×24”).
lets start painting!
here is the underpainting. i love this composition…now for the fun part…color!
oh, wow! these colors are wild!! its a mess right now, but i’ll keep building colors and details, hopefully settle on some kind of color harmony.
its starting to come together….some more details, and ill be finished!!
These poppies are finished!!! This color combination is NOT what I set out to do, but I love it, and how it highlights the poppies.

This original oil painting is AVAILABLE to purchase. Click below for a better look, and more information on how to order for your art collection.

Thanks for painting with me today!!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Dottie’s Irises – Plein air 11 May 2021

My neighbor, Dottie, has the prettiest irises right now. I thought they would make a good model for today’s painting…
Here is the rough sketch… after making the sketch, i realized i was out of panels with that proportion. I’m going to paint it on an 8×10 instead…stay tuned!
i was getting so excited with the underpainting, i almost got started on the color, without sharing the step before that.
…ok, now it’s COLOR TIME!!!
I have the panel covered with color…now time to refine the colors, and develop the details
almost finished…just a few more details.
Dottie’s Irises
Oil on panel 8×10″

thank you Dottie, for letting my paint your pretty flowers…and supporting my work, by giving this painting a home!!!

Thanks all for painting with me today!
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Plein air painting/meet up Ripley ohio

Greetings from the river village of Ripley, Ohio! There’s no rain, but today’s forecast is cloudy. Still lots of pretty scenes to choose from. Stay tuned!

I decided to paint some of the flowers in Roses memorial garden. Joined by Northern Ky and Ohio artists, Ivanka lempitskiy, Jackie Braden and Margie lakeberg
I really like the sign at the entrance to the garden. It got cropped from our group photo, but it really set the vibe for the day!
These flowers caught my eye…maybe they will be in today’s painting?
I also like the house with Pickett fence…
a rough sketch…still trying to decide: house, or nah?
The underpainting
laying down some colors…
my new painting buddy!!! Refuses to model unless I have tuna. I left my tuna at home–next time!
more color and details…
the finished painting!
a time lapse of the finished painting
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Downtown Maysville, plein air 25 April 2021

I’m spending the next couple of days working with an artist friend who is JUST getting started with plein air painting. I don’t have step by step progress photos to share, because i wanted to be able to give them my full attention. This is the scene they chose for our first lesson/demo. We almost delayed the session because of fog, but i’m glad we didn’t! The scene was perfect for a paninting! Stay tuned!

Here is my finished ‘demo’ plein air painting. For our session, we only used 3 colors 2 earth tones (yellow ochre and burnt sienna) and ultramarine blue –and then Titanium white.

this is a big (to me) canvas panel (18×14) I was supposed to be the ‘teacher’ but I think i learned more than the ‘student’. I really enjoyed the bigger surface…and using only 3 colors really pushed my color mixing.

sorry the painting is out of focus, ill share a close up so you can better see the details next

Here is my finished ‘demo’ plein air painting. For our session, we only used 3 colors 2 earth tones (yellow ochre and burnt sienna) and ultramarine blue –and then Titanium white.

this is a big (to me) canvas panel (18×14) I was supposed to be the ‘teacher’ but I think i learned more than the ‘student’. I really enjoyed the bigger surface…and using only 3 colors really pushed my color mixing.

sorry the painting is out of focus, ill share a close up so you can better see the details next

here’s the finished ‘demo’ plein air painting.

This one is big (18×14″) -out of my comfort zone–but was a lot of fun to make.

It was created with only 3 colors (burnt sienna, yellow ochre and ultramine blue) — and titanium white.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Plein air painting Augusta, ky 22 April 2021

Today I’m in Augusta, ky. A little river village very close to my heart. It’s been difficult picking a spot to paint, but I decided on this scene on 4th street.

I’m interested in the porch with rocking chair, flowering trees, hill in the distance while looking into the morning light.

There’s a lot here, and I’ll have to use my artist eye to edit the scene and put it all together into a painting. This will serve as a great example of how painting from life lets you do things a photo can’t

I have a rough rough sketch…this scene is going to be tricky, but I can do it!!! Let’s start painting!!!
I used a muddy mix of ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and cadmium yellow to work out the composition and values. Now it’s time to start laying in the color. I’ll have to work fast, because as the sun rises, all the colors change.
I’ve laid some morning colors on the panel…time for details, and building up more colors
I got lost in painting, and forgot to give you all an update. Even with editing, there is so much in this scene…busy little 4th Street. Time to pull it all together and get some lunch!
This site was really close to my artist friends, Deb and Brad’s house. Lucky me, ran into them, and got to catch up, and got some tips on how to finish the painting.

It’s nice to see friends again…especially other artists. what a treat to get a nice photo of ME while at work on a painting?!!!!

photo by Brad Wooldridge
Here it is! Spring morning on 4th street – Augusta, KY
This was one of the trickiest paintings I have made. It was such a busy scene, and I had to make a lot of choices about what to keep and what to ignore. Unfortunately, the rocking chair on the porch (that initially made me want to paint this view) did not make it into the final scene.

Click above to see close up photo with more deatails- and more information about the painting!
Thanks for watching!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Iris Plein Air Painting – 20 April 2021

you all will not believe what popped up in my garden today?!?! irises!!!! They are early for Northern Kentucky!They are in a funny spot, and it’s impossible to get a good photo with the distracting background. This session will be an example of how a painting filters and interprets a scene through the artist’s eye in a way the camera cannot.

after doing a little bit of pruning, and changing my perspective, i have a rough sketch (to work out my composition) now it’s time to paint!
I blocked out the basic shapes with a yellow ochre and burnt sienna…the warm yellows will make a nice contrast to the purple irises.
Color Time!!! Using my broadest brush (a #10 flat bristle) I laid out the basic shapes and colors…now time to push paint around until it looks right…
i Just cracked open one of my FAVORITE colors…a radiant turquoise…I’m trying to mix colors (not using ready mixed colors), but this one is so bright and saturated with color, right out of the tube. Warning: once i start painting with it, you’ll see this color in EVERYTHING i paint– until it gets out of hand and we have to have an intervention
I’m still using a pretty wide flat brush (#8 bristle). I had to step away because there is some BEAUTIFUL brushwork in the painting right now. I don’t want to lose it when i go down to the #4 flat and working on the details…I put the tube away, but might need a few more areas with radiant turquoise?
I’m so close to finished…just need to think about those last minute details.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Overlook at devou park

I’m in the city today and thought I’d try to capture the view of the skyline from devou park.
I’m trying to squeeze a lot in here , but I think it is going to work. Here’s my sketch to work out the composition.
Some rough rough shapes worked out….now, time for the details
More details…time for color! I need to hurry, as the sun is rising and changing everything
Laying in the sky and river colors…trying to pay attention to the atmosphere
The light is so different from when I started ..at this point, I’m ready to wrap it up and get those last minute details
I’m calling it finished!!!
Posted on by — Leave a comment

The log cabin print shop- Plein air painting 18 april 2021

I’m painting Plein air LIVE. Keep watching this post for updates as the work is in progress!

Today’s Plein air painting will b at the log cabin print shop. This location has a special meaning to me, because it is our community printmaking studio!
My sketch for the painting.
I’ve worked out the composition and values in an orange brown color.
Color time! I’m trying something different today…more toned down colors. Im a little freaked out at this point. I don’t mix colors this way, but will see what happens!
I’m unhappy with where this is going…going to wipe the panel and try something different.
A clean slate…let’s try again!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Plein Air Painting in Fleming County, KY

I’m visiting some good friends in fleming county, ky. Their home has one of the prettiest views i have ever seen…i seriously could just paint from here for the rest of my life. Watch this album for progress as I paint

I’m visiting my friends Rick Cain Sharon Cain and Rachel S. Wirrig in fleming county, ky. Every time I visit, i tell them their home is like being in a painting…today, I’m going to try to paint this part of their view. Stay tuned for work in progress.
Thumbnail sketch of my view…I’m interested in the winding road crossing the creek, and the yellow field, and the mountains, and the barns…ok, I’m interested in all of it!!! Time to start painting!
I had a little bit of a setback….left my jar of solvent at home!!!!! Fortunately, Rick Cain made a trip to the hardware store, and Sharon Cain had a mason jar i could usthank you both! Now i have some of my darks and lights in muddy paint,. This painting will be a challenge, because it’s partly cloudy with wind…meaning the darks and lights change every few minutes as the clouds move!!! Stay tuned!
Starting to add colors….
More clouds have moved in, so the scene is a little flat….no wait!!!! The sun is back!!!! ….no there it goes again!!!! Well, i keep painting…it’s beautiful no matter the weather!
Its finished!!!! Plein air painting- rick and sharon’s view. Oil on panel.
What a wonderful day!!!! I had a great time painting and catching up with good friends. Thank you again for all your support, friendship and giving my art such a beautiful home!!! Stay tuned, Rick is going to make the frame for their new ken swinson painting (it’s going to look great!)