Untitled, 14" x18", Frank Gardner © 2009
This one is from today. Not quite finished yet. I am going to touch up the tree a bit when it is dry. Maybe a few other spots here and there too. I love this scene and have been wanting to paint it for a while. My friends Holly and Mario from this ranch wondered why I wanted to paint the ugliest spot on their property. I think it has a lot of good color and shapes.
Untitled, 11" x 14", Frank Gardner © 2009
Last night Jerome and I were invited up to a rooftop to paint with two of my students from the workshop last week. This photo is about 5 minutes before I had to stop painting. There were some rain showers drifting around. It made for great light and a dramatic sky, but when the sun sunk behind a big cloud bank my light was gone. I'll finish this one up soon. I worked on it for about 45 minutes I guess. You can see how I approach the block in stage.
Below is the sky looking back the other way.
Frank Gardner © 2009
Untitled, 18" x 24", Frank Gardner © 2009
Private Collection
I set up my Gloucester easel (Take it Easel) on one of the mornings of my workshop to demo a larger painting. The class worked on their own while I painted this landscape. Jerome helped the class with their paintings so I could keep going on this one. I need to adjust a few values, but this is about how I left off. There was a lot of great color in the atmosphere earlier in the morning. It has pretty much flattened out in this photo.
"La Capilla, March '09", 11" x 14", Frank Gardner © 2009
Private Collection
This is the same scene from a demo a few weeks ago. I was asked if I would do a similar demo for the second class. The composition is a little different. Again, you can see how much the light has shifted from the time I started the painting.
20 comments:
Great to see you back to posting, Frank. It's a pleasure to see these paintings on the easel, in front of the scene. Some wonderful lessons on how you approach painting, and how you approach seeing, as well--the way your eye edits and selects--terrific!
I think you make even the ugliest spots look good.
Frank--just when I've "gotten over" Mexico, these blogs (and Marian's) have gotten me yearning again. Must be the lousy weather here.
Looks like your workshops were a great success and you can surely build on that ongoing.
These paintings as always bring back memories especially ElRancho and that very steep street which always reminds me of one of those ski slopes you can't see the bottom of. I'd like to go back to Capilla someday, too.
THAT painting of the "ugly spot" is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!
Looks like you're still having a great time painting. It's nice to see all of what you've been up to and even get some fun little memories of the workshop. What fun!!
I agree with Don... I love to see how you've interpreted a scene ... sometimes with lots of what seems to be changes and sometimes with less.... Always Frank!
Frank, it helps so much to see how the colours in the painting are intensified compared to the photo of the landscape and probably the landscape itself can look bleached out to the naked eye when the sun if full on it.
I love seeing your paintings on the easel right in front of what you're painting, w/ the painting in progress. And, liked seeing another version of La Capilla.
Thanks for sharing those great photos, Frank. They are very instructive and helpful. They go beyond the normal work in progress photos.
Beautiful work, Frank! We'll have to visit you down in Mexico sometime and paint.
Hi Don, It's good to be back on line. Glad you liked the painting on the easel shots. I think that between the 4 of them you can see a bit of how I approach the block in and editing.
Thanks Bill, that's what it's about, finding beauty in even the "ugly" stuff and arranging it. They may look at their junk pile in a different way from now on.
Hi Jack, you can never "Get Over" Mexico amigo.
When is your next trip down?
Hope all is well with you and Bonnie.
Thanks Marian, I guess you know exactly where that spot is.
Yes, we are still having lots of fun. Wish I had someone to run around and do all of my other stuff for me so I could have more hours to paint.
Hi Sheila. I think it is a combination of the camera focusing on the colors of the painting and then the sun washing out what is in the scene. The opposite happened in the roof top view of town. The painting is in good light, but the scene was dark because the sun had gone.I push the colors some too.
Hi Pam. Thanks. I think it is interesting to compare the two paintings of the Capilla. Keep in mind that I was talking and explaining stuff while I painted those two.
You are welcome Dean. Thank YOU for checking them out.
Thanks Michael. You should. You get pretty close some times, it would not be far to pop on over.
I am really amazed by the photos with the paintings in front of the motif. You seem to be an excellent painter and teacher!
Hi Frank, Wow you have been busy since I last came by. I love love love the painting with the little red building. Such wonderful colors.
Mario and Holly won't think that spot is ugly once they see your painting!
So glad you are back, Frank. I wondered if something had happened to you!
I really love the red building partially hidden in the brush and trees. There is something about that shade of red that draws me to a painting more quickly than any other! This particular painting is beautiful - can't wait to see it finished. Have a wonderful rest of the week.
Gorgeous paintings, thanks Frank. Will be following your blog.
A fellow plein air painter, Jana
www.janavanwyk.blogspot.com
Thanks Mans. Sorry that I am not smart enough to get the accents right on my keyboard. I appreciate your visiting my blog.
Hi Barb, Thanks! I am glad that so many people have commented positively on the "ugliest" spot of the ranch.
Hi Holly, thanks! They saw it, I'll work on them to appreciate even the ugly stuff.
Hi Joanne. No, nothing happened, just getting some other stuff done.
Thanks Jana!
My favorite part about this post is the two sky views in your photos - antracite grey one direction and a firy sunset the other.
The paintings are great, too, but my computer couldn't pick them up as well in this post, so...
What a great time it seems like you had in your workshops! Wish I'd been there.
Hi Solveg. I love the contrasts of that sky too. The photos don't even come close to capturing the drama of that evening.
Photos never do. That's why painting still exists after the invention of the camera, right?
: )
ha ha, yeah.
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