Canvas 870 Trafalgar Square

After my commission, I decided on making another run at Trafalgar using the same 30x30 size with the idea of staging it (a defined area that can be completed in one session) as opposed to Alla prima....anyway, so far it hasn't happen in this series. I guess too many design elements, but more probably, I wear out faster these days. My focus will be the challenging water feature. The process so far was following my evolving light and colour in the painting. However, because of continually adjusting it, it ends up overcooking my fountain spray which has to stay fresh and clean. Primarily a wet in wet painter it shows as a flaw if I don't. So this time I'll leave it to the end with everything else in place, give it a fresh start and see what happens.

Stage 1 - sepia sketch/sun location

Stage 1 - Nelson blockout

Stage 1 - Nelson detail - I'll work the sky into this wet paint and adjust Nelsons shape to suit.

Stage 1 - end of day

The fountain was left bare except a bit of golden yellow halo, giving the necessary tie in to my filtering sun and surface mist. At this point, everything above the white area is complete.

Stage 1 - Completed detail of Nelson

Stage 1 - Detail of Lion base

Stage 2 - frame test

My water fountain is standing out too much - over powering the suns reflection on the water surface.

NOTE: All the lower section was completed in my 2nd session. I also didn't get any stage photos, but I did complete all the square, figures, fountain base, and suns water reflection including all the necessary connections before doing the water spray.

Stage 2 - Detail of water feature

The glow of the fountain is greater than the suns reflection on the water. I have a yellow outer halo but...it needs to be darker with a lot more yellow to make my suns water reflection stand out....I can't make it brighter....soooo the fountain goes darker....tomorrow!

 Stage 3 - completed fountain detail

Normally I don't use any glazing in my process but I had basically good shapes, a white background  with some colour (almost dry) so adding several quick moves in a number of yellows, with lots of medium, quickly balances the water feature and the suns reflection. It also did something equally important; it connected my suns saturated yellow with my fountain and surface fog already in place.

#870 Morning Sun - Trafalgar Square 30x30 oil on linen (11-23-13)

SOME DETAILS 

Favorite figure detail and my new favorite Williamsburg colour Provence Violet Bluish used pure wet into wet.

I'm going to stop the series here and move on to another subject. I got what I was after, plus I need a break. Next I want to explore florals with lots of colour;  a subject I set aside a few years ago in favor of water lilies....that gets old too..:=) 

Later..........

Canvas #869 Tuffton Pond

Tufton Pond was a commission painting I thoroughly enjoyed doing as a welcome change from my Trafalgar Square saga. One of the nice things about only working on one painting at a time is I am able to move quickly with complete focus on a new project. No back projects to haunt me, just a clean slate....very efficient use of time!

Shown below are the nightly progress stages emailed to the mom. A mom who wanted a moment in time captured in paint of her dad and two boys fishing in the back pond. She had a particular wall in mind which established the size, 44x40. The brick wall was one of the few remaining elements of the recently remodeled family home.

Main Reference as a group

Granddads clothing and hair reference

View reference with sun behind washing distant horizon

 Stage 1 - sepia outline

Stage 1 detail

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 4 detail

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 7 - frame test and sleep on it.

Stage 7 - detail

Stage 7 detail

SOME CLEANUP WORK
I had some work to do in the upper left trees....a bit confused.

Stage 7 detail of crooked tree trunks needing additional work

Stage 8 detail - much improved revision

Stage 8 - completed painting
#879 Tuffton Pond 44x40 oil on linen (11-20-13)

Completed painting framed and installed on brick wall.

Mission accomplished!

Later.....

Canvas #867 and #868 - Trafalgar Square

One of the more interesting places I found to paint in London was Trafalgar Square. My camera perch is high up on the National Gallery entry portico around 10:00am mid January.....sunny but cold. I've painted this view before, and then as now I don't want a literal translation of the day....so plein air is not what I'm interested in here even if I had the time. I want good reference material I can use in my studio.

Trafalgar is a veritable candy box of complex shapes and goodies for any painter. A rising sun in a good spot reflecting off two main water features. Human activity, in this case with interesting cast shadows to decorate the vast squares surface.

This is all about exploration and learning so it could be a messy process, leaving me with a pile of over cooked canvas. So I'm leaning towards a small 30x30 square, a size I can also do Alla prima....however in the end the painting rules time.

During this process I'll lean more about Trafalgar shapes, especially the fountain (challenging) and perhaps how to pronounce "Trafalgar" too!

REFERENCE

MY REFERENCE photo - cropped to a square

I was deliberate about shooting into the sun....I'm interested in shapes not detail.....I have those shots too.

Canvas #868 30x30

Sienna wash

Stage 1 - end of day

#867 Trafalgar Square 30x30 oil on linen (11-2-13)
Completed - stage 2

Framed and hanging over the mantle at LeGrand's November Soiree

Note: #867 was varnished with Gamblin's new "GAMVAR", a very thin water white picture varnish, dries fast, odorless and can be used once the painting is touch dry - thick parts firm dry....typically in a week or two.....wonderful finish results.....Love it!

SECOND REFERENCE

This time I want to adjust some of my design elements position, such as more separation of my fountain and the tall building directly behind it. I also want this angle showing down the avenue to Westminster and Big Ben but still the full Nelson column as my original reference at the top, which I think is more stately than chopping it off. 

Again I'll use a 30x30 linen canvas. But, now I'll have (2) photos and canvas #867 as my reference and inspiration.

CANVAS #868 

 Stage 1- end of day

Stage 2 - end of day - frame test

Fountain detail

After looking at this detail overnight - this section is chalky mush! I liked the concept of pulling the sun down into my fog but not the result....so back to it!

Uncluttered and more defined but labored- looking back, my fountain was looking good at my 1st stage below....:=(

Stage 1 - Fountain detail

I went backwards from this point....unfortunately I ran out of steam and didn't finish my thought. I should have left this as a white area then started fresh the next day........a design element, like Nelson, that needed to be done Alla prima

 

STAGE 3 - Major clean up...perhaps

#868 Trafalgar Square 30x30 oil on linen (11-7-13)

Stage 4 - My painting is clearly labored in some areas with a few minor improvements. The new arrangement of my key design elements, fountain, sun and Nelsons column is a much improved composition over my last effort #867 but I need to move forward with a fresh canvas

SOME NELSON DETAILS

One of the important design element I worked on was Nelson himself - he has a very distinctive shape and needs to read right.

Photo reference

Photo reference

Nelson detail #633 (previous painting)

Nelson detail #867

 Nelson detail #868

I have a commission to work on but will return to Trafalgar straight after I finish. I'm not there yet!

Later...

Canvas #866 - Golden Koi

One of my favorite colours is yellow and I'm in the mood for it. All we've had lately is rain and grey day skies.  Also some new 44x40 frames arrived. I want to see how paintings will look in them so I'll use a 44x40 canvas with Koi as my subject.

Stage 1

Stage 2

stage 3

SOME DETAIL SOLUTIONS 
 

Top Koi looks like he lost part of his tail

 1st move - merging water and Koi to the left

2nd move - additional movement

Nice solution - the added movement is leading the eye left, connecting up with my red lily pads

My golden Koi also needs a bit of movement at the tail highlights - they look lonely

Delicate brushwork connects my (2) small yellow highlights, again equates to movement

Closeup showing delicate brushwork - Time to sign it!

FRAME TEST

COMPLETED PAINTING

#866 Golden Koi and Red Lily Pads 44x40 oil on linen (11-1-13)

 FAVORITE KOI DETAIL

FAVORITE KOI

Finally presented at Crossroads November opening

SOLD!

678 London Fog 24x24  oil on linen (6-27-12)

Congratulations LeGrand Fine Art!!

Later....