Winter Clearing

"Winter Clearing"  

image size 20" x 28"

framed size 32' x 40'

We are fortunate to experience the four seasons - lots of artistic opportunities.  The interplay of shadows and sunlight on the snow is one of my favourite subjects.

Barn Raising - Final Draft

Finished! I have added a few more details - the darker shadows on the silo, the windows and around the base of the barn.  There are some tree trunks to the right and some shadows in the foreground.  I have taken off the masking tape from the perimeter and as I mentioned in one of my first posts, the white edge allows me to observe the painting without the distraction of messy edges.

I will be framing 'my barn' with double white acid free mats and a dark wood frame.

I hope you have enjoyed following my painting process.  I am getting prepared for 'Welcome Back to Otterville'  Studio Tour  November 21 & 22  10am - 5pm  There will be many new works including the barn.

Barn Raising - Lesson 5

Lots more detail!  

Starting with the foliage - I have intensified the foliage on the right and added some darker values at the bottom to indicate shadows.  Pine trees are now growing around the silo.  I am not really a fan of green trees so  you can probably see some orange and purple in the branches. 

The silo has some contours on the top and the base and I have added the window and eaves on the barn. Often architectural element can be emphasized just by adding the shadows they cast.  The barn board effect was achieved with dry brush.  

I have added a more intense wash to the foreground and added a bit of texture to the field.  

Things are starting to pop!

Barn Raising - Lesson 4

The architectural elements are now more obvious.  As I 'build' the barn and silo I am also adding more washes to the foreground keeping the values balanced.  For the watercolourist, I am primarily using a dry brush technique to add details but quite often use clear water to soften edges.  This is a large painting - the paper is 22" x 30" - and it is important to use detail for the focal point and not the whole painting.  The eye doesn't want to be jumping around the composition.

Barn Raising - Lesson 3

I hope you are enjoying my painting process!  You can start to see the outline of the barn and silo as I work on the surrounding trees and brush.  This is a 'wet in wet' technique.  Water is brushed on where the foliage will be and then pigment is dropped in and encouraged to migrate through the wet area.  I like to use lots of colour  - so green, violet, yellow, sepia and indigo are some of my preferred paints.  Once the paint is in place I lay a piece of plastic wrap over the wet areas and 'scrunch' it up and leave it to dry.  Once removed there are subtle textures suggesting foliage.  Of course this will be added to in the next stage.

Barn Raising - Lesson 2

Well I have intensified the washes in the sky and the foreground.  Once this dries I can start work on the barn and surrounding trees.  While a painting is drying I am working on a couple of other pieces.  I sometimes have 5 boards going at one time.

Barn Raising - Lesson 1

I am starting a new painting and will be posting the various stages of development.  If you find this interesting let me know!

I have stretched my watercolour paper on a piece of plywood and stapled it around the perimeter.  I have added an edge of masking tape.  This gives me a white edge when I am done and keeps the board from getting covered in paint.  

This is a rural setting with a barn and silo.  I have started with a loose wash of cobalt blue and cerulean for the sky and yellow and sienna with a bit of cobalt for the foreground.  Once dry I will develop the sky and foreground further.