So:
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| Nicasio - 8X10 Oil |
It looks like I'm going to just keep trying to get it right! Trees are
one of my current challenges. So, I got on the internet and studied at
artists who know how do it, masters of the art. Most recently I looked at
Brian Blood
because he is a northern California painter and does lots of eucalyptus
trees beautifully. Well, you should have seen me with my mouth skewed to
the side and even my tongue sticking out as I concentrated. I
couldn't quite get it. Then I was looking at
Ron Guthrie's latest
paintings. He also is a California painter and does lots of wonderful
landscapes, which include eucalyptus trees, as well as a variety of
other subjects. In trying to see what I could learn about painting these
trees from both artists, something clicked a little bit.The background has been simplified some, the sky has been worked a bit too. This is definitely a learning experience, and I'm glad I've been able to spend the time on it. Now I'll leave the eucalyptus alone and try something "painterly" with the background.
When it comes to composition, the clump of bushes in the very center of the painting don't seem like a good idea. They might just go away, or get converted to something more straggly and a shallower slope. I just got a tube of "Naples Yellow," and I sort of got carried away playing with it on the hills and grasses.
This was a plein air I started last year at a horse ranch in the Lucas Valley at Nicasio.
Darn it, that sky sure looked better in person. Now when I look at the photo, most of what I did looks faded. Another lesson.
