Sunset Study

Sunset Study, 6 x 8

This week Plein Air Austin met at one of our member's homes on Lake Travis for a sunset paintout. Never having painted a sunset before, I was impressed by how much more quickly the sun sets when one is attempting to paint it! I believe it's a more challenging process than the typical plein air painting experience--we're always capturing a moment in "light" time, but in a sunset, one must chose the minute and really stick to it. The show changes so rapidly, and every moment is so enticing that it's easy to chase the light.

I did two paintings in about 35-40 minutes, and in addition to being blinded by the reflections on the water, I was seeing spots, and the darkening sky made it difficult to see my paints! I felt like I was slapping paint down and wasn't even sure what colors I was using. All this said, it was a ton of fun, and we all enjoyed pizza and a glass of wine afterward--a well-deserved reward for all the work!

-julie davis

Wimberly Ranch

Wimberly Ranch, 9 x 12
sold

I'm always focused improving on a particular technique or subject while painting. I'm not sure when that stops and one can simply paint with abandon.... Today I again was exploring foreground. I did learn a few things, or at least had an "aha" moment or two.

-julie davis

Gray Morning

Gray Morning, 6 x 8

sold

The last post or two I've worked with keeping my value range tighter than usual. I'm working on gray days, and it's hard for me, because I'm most often drawn to darks in paintings. It definitely creates a mood to keep the values more closely tied to each other, whether it's a gray day or bright or nearly dark.....all good times to reduce your value range.

-julie davis

Valley Farm

Valley Farm, 8 x 6

sold

As much as I love painting the Texas Hill Country, it's always fun to paint a different area of the country. California has an entirely different feel--both in light and topography. A hazy day in October is when I was there last, and this little farm caught my attention.

-julie davis

Summer Afternoon Rain

Summer Afternoon Rain, 9 x 12

Today's post is one I've been wanting to paint since some of us traveled to Bryan, Texas last summer for a Plein Air Austin event. We stopped at Lake Somerville, and I painted another scene that day, while everyone else painted this view. I took reference photos, and just gathered the courage to give it a shot.

FYI, the palette knife touches I'm using in these last few pieces seems busier on the computer screen than it does in person--something I'm beginning to notice and am not sure how to correct, except to put it out there.

-julie davis

Morning on the Lake

Morning on the Lake, 9 x 12

If you're lucky enough to enjoy a morning on a lake, then you know what a beautiful time of day it can be. In Calvin Liang's workshop last week, we met at Cypress Point Park on Lake Travis the last day. I painted this today from a field sketch I did that day.

-julie davis

Sunlit Grove

Sunlit Grove, 12 x 16

sold

This is a larger version of a post a week or more back called "Field Guides." I lowered the horizon line and played with things a bit and am very happy with how this one came out.

The Rogue Valley runs through southern Oregon, and these trees are down in the valley beneath Weisinger's Winery in Ashland. I did take some artistic license and reduce the size of the mountains--they're gorgeous, but too much for this composition.

-julie davis

Lake Travis Peninsula

Lake Travis Peninsula, 9 x 12

Today in Calvin's workshop, we met at The Oasis, an Austin restaurant on Lake Travis. The Oasis is huge, with many levels of decks that overlook a western view of the lake, making it a perfect place to view the sunset. We weren't there for sunset, but this morning we captured this view of a peninsula that juts out into the lake.

-julie davis

Fall Color

Fall Color, 9 x 12

Last week, my friend Laurel Daniel and I went out to McKinney Falls here in Austin to paint. Fall is finally showing up here, and I took the opportunity to paint some of the color.

Calvin Liang's workshop met today at Highland Lakes Marina on Lake Travis. I didn't get home in time to get a photo and post from today, but will hope to catch up tomorrow.

-julie davis

Anderson Mill Study

Anderson Mill Study, 12 x 9

Working on 5 hours of sleep, today I started a plein air workshop here in Austin with Calvin Liang. Having spent an unplanned TEN hours in the San Francisco airport Sunday due to weather delays, and getting to bed at 1 a.m. Monday morning, I was not as prepared as I had planned for the morning, and inconveniently left my tripod behind. I did retrieve it, but missed some valuable demo time!

Today we painted at the site of a replica of the Anderson Mill, a mill apparently used during the Civil War. It's a lovely subject to paint, and Calvin's demo was a joy to watch--following his painting with my own of the same subject was kind of a bummer! I like some aspects of this, but when I do a larger one in the studio I'll make some adjustments to the wall in the foreground--indicate more water, or include less of the wall....don't know yet. It was a great day, and I'm looking forward to the remainder of the week. Thanks to Qiang Huang for getting Calvin to Austin!

-julie davis

Field Guides

Field Guides, 9 x 12

sold

These trees are down in a valley in Ashland, Oregon below Weisinger's Winery. Every time I'm there I am so drawn to them, and how they're beautifully backlit by the sun. I'm hoping to do this one larger and work on the composition to some extent, but I really enjoyed this one.

-julie davis

Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea, 8 x 6

sold

Last Thursday, Plein Air Austin met at a local favorite Tex/Mex restaurant on Lake Travis to paint. The spot is known as The Oasis, and has tons of small vignettes to paint within the courtyard of the restaurant. After a wipedown of a larger scene, I settled on this bougainvillea in a pot--did a fast study and was out of there--for Austin, it was chilly, and in my shady spot, I was quite cold! I think it was something like 59 degrees. :) Now you know what a tough girl I am.

-julie davis

Fall Fields

Fall Fields, 9 x 12

This is the foreground exercise that I feel like I relied too heavily on my palette knife. The muted colors make it work, but I think the texture that the knife adds begins to lose its effect if it's everywhere. I definitely like it as a tool in creating an interesting foreground, though.

-julie davis

Distant Farm

Distant Farm, 9 x 12

Part of the fun of working on foregrounds is getting to play in the paint near the bottom of the painting. A little thicker paint, a little looser palette knife work....

-julie davis

Field of Hay

Field of Hay, 9 x 12

donation to Vanguard School, Waco, Texas

As promised, here is another piece in which I gave myself a higher horizon line in order to force myself to develop the foreground. It may be obvious, but to convey depth, it's necessary to vary the colors--and often values--as the ground plane recedes. Not simply a constant lightening of the ground plane as it recedes, but a variation back and forth within the context of a general increase in value with distance.

-julie davis

Sunblock

Sunblock, 6 x 8

sold

This backlit tree and field is the first of a few paintings I've done lately in which I'm experimenting with textures and temperatures in foreground. It's something I'm finally growing into studying, if that makes any sense at all, and I'm often captivated by how other painters handle foregrounds in paintings. This is a teeny, tiny bit of foreground, but I figured I'd start small. :) I wasn't focused as much on composition, and I can tell it, but I had fun with my brush and palette knife in this one, and have found myself using my palette knife--perhaps relying on it? a little more--in the ones I'll post in the coming days.

-julie davis

California Road

California Road, 16 x 12

sold

Again, working "larger." For me and many, time is the enemy when I paint. It's pretty easy to wedge an hour of painting time in every day--mostly. But fitting three to four hours of pure painting time is less so; it's usually a once a week occurrence at most. And more than four right now--forget it! That said, this is a 3 1/2 hour attempt from a 6 x 8 I've "grown up" to a 16 x 12 for my show. My post from October 1 is the smaller version.

-julie davis

Morning Light

Morning Light, 12 x 16

Austin was hopping this weekend with the ACL (Austin City Limits) Music Festival. The weather was unbelievable --it just couldn't be better here right now. Perfect for plein air painting, too. :) This piece is a larger version of the painting I posted on September 21. I'm creating some larger works for a show I'll be a part of at Wendow in Austin starting December 1.

-julie davis

Hill Country View

Hill Country View, 9 x 12

I always love a vista as subject matter in a painting, but I don't find I enjoy actually painting them as much. This is probably because I get a huge kick out of expressing trees in paint, and in a vista, there just isn't much to a tree....

This is the color version of yesterday's post. I admit, this feels like I missed it on the values, which I kind of suspected after doing my value study, but forged ahead anyway. Now I know.

-julie davis

Value Study - Hill Country Fields

Value Study - Hill Country Fields, 6 x 8

Another quick value study--when I say quick, I mean 20 minutes--not something I take a ton of time doing. I guess it's almost like a sketch in my sketchbook. I'm still finding it shows me whether I have a viable/striking painting idea, and if so, if/where I need to push anything lighter or darker in value. I don't see doing this every time I paint now, but it's teaching me some things and preventing some mistakes, and doesn't take much time at all.

-julie davis

Out to Pasture

Out to Pasture, 12 x 16

sold

Here is the color version of yesterday's post. I used a little larger panel than I normally do, which is a time challenge for me, since my painting and all-things-painting-related time is typically 2-3 hours at a time on the days I get to paint. I also paint alla prima, so it's finished when time is up! It keeps me from fussing around too much and helps when I'm painting outside because I'm accustomed to making painting decisions quickly. This one and "Hay Bales" will soon be heading west to Sedona for a stay at Windrush Gallery before hopefully finding homes.

-julie davis

Value Study - Out to Pasture

Value Study - Out to Pasture, 6 x 8

I'm still doing a value study every now and then before I launch into a larger full-color version of a painting. Until I see that I'm really nailing the values instinctively in these I think it's a good exercise for me. It's not only a good warm-up, but ensures I stay loose and draft a good composition as well. This one appears more sepia-toned because I took the photo inside tonight--it had gotten too dark outside by the time I got around to taking it.

-julie davis

Ocean Overlook

Ocean Overlook, 6 x 8

donation, Trinity Valley School, Ft. Worth, TX

In Frank Serrano's workshop at Weekend with the Masters, we painted on an overlook above Doheny State Beach, where a surfing competition was taking place. First lesson, simplify what you see.....therefore you see no surfers here. :) Frank Serrano is a fine painter and a relaxed teacher, and made the most of our day, keeping those of us who could stay later than required for an extra demo.

Judging the mass of color for the distant hills was much of our lesson in the morning. His demo was of this scene as well. He stressed constantly comparing colors and values--squinting to see the average color of each mass, opening your eyes to compare values. Getting the proper relationships between the three rows of hills wasn't as easy as it he made it look, but I think I got close.

-julie davis

Guardians of the Road

Guardians of the Road, 8 x 6

sold

Every time I go to California, I fall in love with its trees. I think these tall ones are eucalyptus--someone correct me if I'm wrong. Majestic and bathed in warm California sun....

-julie davis

Hay Bales

Hay Bales, 9 x 12

And the color version.....I think doing this pushed my value contrast further in the end that if I hadn't done the study.

And my apologies that it's taken me a bit to report back on the Weekend with the Masters. I've been busy doing some technological housekeeping before I begin posting with Daily Painters Originals, and like any housekeeping, it takes time!!! But back to the Masters...

It was such fun to immerse myself in the art world for five days! I'm such a newcomer to all of it; no background in art--been painting for close to four years.....so it was such an education simply being with so many artists, the conversation, the panel discussions, the chance to meet so many artists I admire, and the opportunity to study with such fine teachers and alongside artists of every level. I felt like a child in a candy store! I took workshops with Frank Serrano, Camille Przewodeck, and Daniel Pinkham, not to mention the demo with Scott Christensen, and the many lectures I had the pleasure of attending.

So as of Friday I'll have work posted with DPO (if I've done my technological homework correctly). Visit the site. It's a great group and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.

-julie davis

Grayscale Value Study 2

Grayscale Value Study 2, 9 x 12

As promised, here is another value study I did last week (this time in preparation for the color version). I was surprised at how much further (higher) I needed to push the ground plane value than my instincts told me. All a part of learning to see....

And the Weekend With the Masters was amazing! I can't wait to share what I learned and incorporate it. Just being immersed in the culture of the contemporary representational art world for a few days taught me more than I ever anticipated. More tomorrow--I hit the ground running today and will have time to write more then.

-julie davis

Early Light

Early Light, 6 x 8

Here's the color version of yesterday's post. Remember, I did this one outside, and went back and did the value study because I wanted to see the difference it would make in the range of values I used. I also corrected what I thought were some drawing issues in the second one. I think there is a more dramatic range in the black and white study--now if I'd just do it again in color!

Tomorrow I'm heading out to CA for the Weekend with the Masters workshop, so I won't be posting for a few days. I can't wait and will have much to cover when I return I'm sure.

On another happy note, I'm thrilled I've been asked to join the Daily Painters Originals group! I'll begin posting with them sometime after I return from my trip and can focus on that. Thanks to all the members of DPO for the warm welcome!

-julie davis

Value Study

Value Study, 9 x 12

My approach to this was backwards. I painted a full color version of this scene first, then realized that I hadn't pushed the values enough in it and decided to "go back" do a black and white value study to force myself to do push further. It made an impression on me. The tendency to hover in a few close values when painting in color just disappears when you're painting black and white--it clarifies the values like nothing else. Great exercise. Tomorrow's post will be the color version of this one (done pre-value study).

-julie davis

Oregon Vineyard

Oregon Vineyard, 6 x 8

This little piece is another of Weisinger's vineyards, but I used a bit more palette knife on this one than the other two. The owner, John Weisinger, sent us some photos yesterday of some bears that have been sneaking into the vineyards at night to eat the grapes. Smart bears.

-julie davis

Vineyard Barn

Vineyard Barn, 6 x 8

Another painting from my Oregon trip. As many barns do, this one houses all kinds of equipment for the vineyard and has been used for decades. When the light filters through the old boards, it's almost magical. Unfortunately, it was overcast for much of our visit, but it didn't diminish the fun.

-julie davis