Today, let’s review sunflower oil paintings.
I am painting them because they look happy. The category is Because I Want To.
Painting happens in stages.
These may now be finished, or may need a couple of touch ups before letting go.
Go ahead, admit it – they make you feel ever so slightly happy when you see them!
P.S. I have little bitty sunflower plants in my garden and am hoping they survive deer, drought, pill bugs and gophers so they can bloom and bring happiness.
After finishing the 6×6″ painting of the Buckeye Bridge AKA the Paradise Bridge, I studied it along with the 12×16″ version. Why was the 6×6″ more appealing?
More contrast. Brighter colors. These are the usual reasons.
Now, the larger painting has brighter colors. When it is dry, I’ll rescan it and then we can compare apples to apples, or bigger paintings to bigger paintings, to be literal about it. (This is just photographed while wet on the wall rather than wreck my scanner by putting oil paint on the glass. I’m just cautious like that.) When it is dry, I’ll scan it so we can truly compare the before and after.
A few years ago, I was hiking with a friend. She wasn’t familiar with the foothills of Sequoia National Park, so I took her to see the Buckeye Bridge. She exclaimed, “Oh my, that is so beautiful! If you paint it, I will buy it!”
Being a realist (both as an artist and in life), I recognized the exclamation as an emotional reaction to beauty, a momentary response rather than a commission to paint.
I also recognized the scene as a potential subject, so I painted it.
Buckeye Bridge, 12×16″, oil on wrapped canvas, $225
When my friend saw the 12×16″ oil painting, she asked how much. I told her the price of $225, and she got all quiet. Then she said, “Oh. I thought it might be around $75.”
Ahem.
Doesn’t matter. I used the painting in my 2015 calendar of paintings called “Beautiful Tulare County”. Another friend who shares my love of art and this area, got all excited when she turned to the May page of her calendar. Her friend’s dad helped to build that bridge, and she commissioned me to paint it 6×6″ as a gift for that friend.
It is almost finished – maybe a few more little touches and then a signature.
I paint better now. The original painting will get moved into the category of “Do Over”, AKA “I Paint Better Now”. Or, perhaps I photograph better now?
First, I get an idea. . . sunflowers!
Second, I look through my photos. . . sunflowers, where are they, I know I have some good ones, AHA, right under the category of florals.
Third, I attach a hanger, write a name and inventory number on the back, list it on the inventory list. . . Sunflower, Orange Sunflower (clever, eh?)
Fourth, I start painting. . . oh boy, this is sort of complex. Does it matter if I actually include every single petal?
Fifth, I paint again. . . okay, this is starting to look possible.
Now it is better than before. And it will continue to improve.
Improvement in my book means more detail, greater contrast, more accuracy.
Better Than Before is the title of a book I want to read by Gretchen Rubin. It is about how to develop good habits. She is the author of The Happiness Project and Happier At Home. She is an excellent researcher, but more importantly, she has a gift for summarizing her research in a simple, helpful and entertaining way. Her writing is full of personal examples and stories, and I follow her blog and podcast because if I lived in New York, I’d hang out with her!
The reason I called this post “Better Than Before” is because I have paintings in progress and can show you how they looked at the beginning of a work day and at the end.
The two paintings of the Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King weren’t on that day’s schedule. Or, maybe they were, but I got too involved with the other three paintings. They were dry-ish enough to take to the Redbud Festival.
(I’ll tell you about the Redbud Festival later this week.)
Meanwhile, here are Gretchen’s books and links to her podcast and blog.
The Oak Grove Bridge, 6.5 miles up the Mineral King Road, is my favorite bridge and favorite subject to draw and to paint. This is the 11th time I’ve painted it in oil, and although this is only partway to being finished, you may see it now.
As I did last time, I am exaggerating the colors. Why? Because I like it that way!
Do you like it brighter than the colors of real life?
Sometimes when life is hard, it helps to focus on lighter things. (Life has gobsmacked my family – you can read about my brother-in-law here.)
So, these 2 little gems are in progress.
Doesn’t look like I know how to paint at this stage, although I’ve seen paintings of this caliber sold for big money.
I wonder if those artists are laughing all the way to the bank or if they actually did their best?
None of my beeswax. . . it is my job to do my very best for my customers.
Don’t you just wonder sometimes about lots of stuff? Nah, you prolly just watch teevee and have another beer. I’m sure that must be the demographic that reads my blog.
Just kidding! Trying to keep things light here. Buffoonery is a method of coping.
These paintings have been waiting for attention for weeks, or perhaps months.
It is true that what comes easily is usually more fun. I find painting to be work. It is satisfying, but laborious and more often than not, it is difficult.
In troubling times, I gravitate back toward that which brings me pleasure and comfort. Drawing in pencil fits that description.
Perhaps I am just procrastinating. Or maybe it has to do with life’s difficult situations using up whatever extra oomph is needed for me to tackle more challenging projects. Whatever the reason, right now I am choosing pencils over paintbrushes.
Poppies at the Beach, graphite and colored pencil on paper, 11×14″, not for sale
Studio. Workshop. Painting workshop. The building where I paint.
Who cares? It is indoors, with consistent light, an easel that holds still, and nothing blowing around. I like being a studio artist. There is a snobbery out there in Art World about plein air painting being superior. It is a specialized skill, and I admire people who can produce good work in a short amount of time with light that changes and changes and changes.
I am not one of those people.
The painting on the left is 8×8″; the one on the right is 6×6″. This is the Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King. I paint it and it sells so I paint it again. Any questions?
Sorry. That sounded belligerent. Perhaps I feel a bit inferior when I compare myself to those awesome people who can paint on location.
Comparison isn’t a good thing. It is right there with perfectionism in terms of wiping out one’s confidence.
I’m painting my favorite bridge again. This will be done with brighter than normal colors, as I did it last time. This time it will be 11×14″, not a square. Paintings that turn out well restore my confidence, in spite of the inferiority complex about being a studio painter. If I tried to paint this in plein air, I’d either get bitten by a rattlesnake or run over. It’s scary enough just taking photos of it!
This is a set of 3 6×6″ paintings, all done with brighter than normal colors because it makes me happy to mix those kinds of colors. This is layer #1 and there will be at least 2 more layers added to each painting.
From left to right: Lake Kaweah, Moro Rock/Alta Peak, Blossom Peak with the North Fork of the Kaweah River. (Long title, small painting) All three are Three Rivers scenes.
These little paintings take a long time to do, but because of their small size, their value is perceived as a bargain. Often, people mistake them for 4×4″ and expect to pay $30 each.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Each one takes probably 5 hours to paint in order to get it to the level of detail and precision that I like.
Sorry. There’s that bad attitude again. Sigh.
What a relief to be painting in the studio. The light is consistent, I’m not cooking in the sun, and nothing blows away.
This: 
becomes this:
It will dry awhile, and I’ll make it better. Those flowers were sure fun – it is rare to just put bright colors down in a world of browns, grays and greens.
This:
becomes this:
It will dry a bit, and then I’ll work on it some more. The colors look a little wonky when they are shiny because of being wet. And there are some messy parts in the foreground that I will have to decipher and then interpret. This painting and the barn are somewhat loose interpretations of reality, but those who have been there will know the scenes.