Summer Boot Camp 6/8/24 - A weekend of Paint and Canvas

 

 

 

Here we go again, aiming high for those very best walls we artists crave for!

 

 

On the WALL

Saturday, Bev completed her seascape painting from last week (untitled)  panorama canvas at 24x48. A little punctuation and this little jewel was ready for a BEST WALL introduction. 

 

Below, a new Aspen canvas on the horizon.

Bev is doing something different, not the subject, one she does well but how she's painting it. Instead of working the whole canvas at once. Some of us start at the top and work down completing the painting as we go - as far as we can take it, good parts and dull parts. She started at the side because it's a vertical moving painting with a stopping point at every tree. You might say it's a 9-square approach.

Bonnie and Poppies  

Bonnie's process is a layer system, especially when she painting Poppies. She wants them to pop and be as red as possible. However, when working in oil, it takes time for each layer to dry. Most of her colors are transparent, which often take longer set up. Neo meglip helps with drying regardless some reds and greens resist drying. When Bonnie's poppies hit the SIP Gallery wall they capture a new wall quickly.

 

Saturday, she worked out her poppy arrangement. Notice her first finished layer, the background is painted in complete. The poppies are "shaped" painted over the blue sky with Titanium white Windsor Newton Griffin fast drying alkyd white. Most if not all SIP Artists use this white as a standard. It can also be mixed with other whites oil paints to speed up drying times. 

 

Sunday at days end the poppies were in lifting off in full bloom! The poppies over the green grass were layered many times. Stems and buds are next.... The tricky part!

 

 

JO started another 9-Square only it is a 30x40 canvas. So it was converted 9 equal rectangles.  She has the first rectangle looking good. The first few rectangle will establishes her pallet and can take a bit longer.The grid works well on complex compositions.

Homework is an important component to SIP Summer Boot Camp. While everything is fresh in her mind continues on at home studio. She's leaving on a trip and wants to leave with all 9 rectangles done. Creative energy escapes with long lapse between sessions. If you wake up with your painting, your still in it.... when not, Sign it and move on.

Three more rectangles done in Jo's studio 

 

Johnye, brought in 2 large abstracts. The one she is working on has a "Brat" under new paint layers  - knowing Johnye, it will fall in line and turn into a spectacular best wall painting. Not sure whats going on with the other one.... looks familiar.

Jan, below is starting another seascape only this time with wild horses galloping on the shoreline.

 

Celebrating the thoughts of homework doing horse studies to get the feel of movement for her wild herd.

PAINTING LONDON

Believe it or not, this is a color reference - I was shooting into the sun. It was cold out.

The reference was taken about 10 years ago from the walking bridge adjacent to the London Eye. I have painted this view many times since. As you can see below, I monkeyed around with the original shot in Photoshop to use as a color chip, helps get the ball rolling.

My London canvas #1493 was started Saturday, dried over night for a second layer on Sunday. Like Bonnie's poppies I can remove anything I don't want or paint over it or add to it. I always smooth out any obvious texture after each session - If it's a good move the mark found a forever spot - won't change it.

At the end of the Saturday session: My top portion was well developed - I managed to get a few areas at the bottom more than blocked in for the Sunday session and getting rid of mixed paint on my pallet it won't be of any value the following day. Easy to go over with fresh paint to maintain my wet-in-wet style.

Nice clean work area

I'll talk more about the pallet and working off a mud pile. 

A link to a U-tube video shows it clearly   

Sunday, I started at the top and worked my way down into the lower section.

 

Saturday detail at days end 

  Sunday detail at day's end

Study your work at 30 feet - you'll see things much clearer. Bonnie is contemplating her next poppy move.... always looking for perfection.

We had a great weekend with one best wall painting on the wall, several in progress and a few new canvases started.

Looking forward to seeing everyone’s homework!

Follow us and join the journey. This summer, it’s all about creating "The Best Wall Painting."