Chuck Larivey OPA, Oil Painter: Canvas #867 and #868

Monday, November 25, 2013

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.