Here I am back from my "bolgcation" a month earlier than I had planned. I left the landscaping job. (It seems working in 100 degree heat doesn't do good things for my body.)
Before I took time off from blogging, I said I was thinking of taking my art in a new direction. I am still working that out as I type this, but here's a hint... I actually took out my watercolors!!!! I know... I was shocked too! But let's not get ahead of the ourselves. This is about a new journey. A new direction for Daily Painting Practice. ( with some familiar bumps in the road.)
I have always had a deep love of nature and have always had a special place in my heart for birds, flowers, plants and trees. I have been a bird watcher since I was a child, I remember illustrating my own book of birds in the 4th grade. Botanical drawing and painting has always fascinated me as well. The Dutch flower painters from the 1600's.have also intrigued me. The exquisite quality of their work is fascinating but what interests me is the study and knowledge that is behind those paintings. So that is where my journey will begin.
When I say begin, I mean I am a beginner at this. I have piles of sketch books in the studio... all empty, waiting to be filled with plant studies, bird sketches, and flowers... lots of flowers.
My idea is to do as much study from nature as possible, then take those sketches (and photos) and develop compositions from them instead of copying still life set ups in the studio. I will create the arrangements in my head and work them out on paper like the Dutch Masters did. I often wondered how they were able to put flowers that didn't bloom in the same season, in the same picture.
I am finding that the sketching takes so much longer than I imagined. However, I have discovered one of the gifts that comes with this practice.... It generates ideas. The time spent sketching frees space in your mind that allows creative thoughts and ideas to flow in. Think of it as yoga for your brain.
Above is a thumbnail sketch of an idea for an arrangement fora painting of peonies.
I took a bunch of photos of different peonies and did some sketching and arranged the composition.Some of the peonies are the same flowers turned and only a few days older so they opened up more. (can you find the peony bud I used from the sketch at the beginning of this post) So far so good, right?
I decided to transfer the drawing to another piece of paper and try to do a complete tonal study in pencil and charcoal...but I ran out of patience ( need to work on that). I just want to start painting!
Here's my first mistake. I started playing with the arrangement of the flowers and changing the drawing. I thought the flower on top should be a little higher.....and lean toward the right..
Now the flower pot looks too small.... Creating your own reality is harder than I thought.
Made the pot wider at the bottom and changed some of the flowers.... funny thing, after doing all that work on the sketch, I am now making changes with the brush directly on the canvas.
I start adding cooler colors and I change the location of the buds several times.
Now I am actually relaxing with the paint and enjoying the process. I don't like the handles onthe vase.. Change them. Change is my friend...I love change...
But then that voice...something is not right or is it right. I can't tell anymore . My reality is slipping away....
I ask she who must not be named " What do you think? What's wrong with it?"
" That flower on the top is too high for the vase it would fall over."
Now I can't decide. so I took it out.
I have a painting problem. Every problem I think I solve I cause another to appear. I'm hoping those of you still reading this can help me solve some... take a look at the last two photos. Was there anything wrong with the top one? Does the arrangement feel right or should it come out? Any ideas on what to do?
I love change... change is my friend....change is good.... I need a cup of tea.