Thursday, August 6, 2015

More Making Use of Summer


    Reader on the Beach, oil on linen, 12x12

       This oil sketch was done plein air just a few days ago.  I often travel to Ft. Getty in Jamestown (where I now reside) to capture an impression of this wonderful beach.  The beach itself is primarily sandy, but, on one end is this remarkable rock outcropping, complete with passageway through a small arch, through which more water and rocks may be seen.  I estimate that another hour on the easel may help in correcting some deficiencies.  For example, the foreground plant may be too green.  This may be a consequence of my employing an "upgrade" to my usual palette.  The palette for this painting and others you see on this post consists of a modified "twentieth century" palette first successfully used by Robert Gamblin.

    Waning Light (Beavertail), oil on linen, 9x12

       At the tail end of a hot summer day I often set up on the eastern side of Beavertail Light to study the effects of the last rays of the day.  There is a resigned, peaceful mood at this time, despite the mild roar of waves rolling in.  Here the support was linen glued to birch panel.

 
    The Coming Rain, oil on denim, 12x12

     As an experiment I used this denim canvas to sketch my picture.  The surface, though gessoed, had a coarseness somewhere between burlap and medium grade linen.  The rain cloud formed as I got busy laying in the bridge at Colt State Park in Bristol, and ,in fact, I had to rush to the car to save what paint I had on the support!  If you have ever attempted to paint under a rain cloud, look up overhead.  There in the cloud you will notice veils akin to torn and rippling silk, an awesome but ominous sight.  Take cover!

    The downpour lasted about half an hour, my Soltek easel getting drenched.  The ground was covered with puddles and the light had changed too drastically to continue.  The picture here has been  worked over on the easel for another half hour.

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