Behind the studio
Posted in Reference Photos
The first daffodils in my yard have bloomed. It's officially Spring at this house. 🙂
These guys are a lemony yellow. The deeper yellow as well as the pink and orange varieties bloom later in the spring. I enjoy painting and drawing daffodils, so I try to get photos showing the flowers from all sides like this photo. Hope you are having the warm, sunny weather that is already there in Pennsylvania this morning!
Posted in Reference Photos
What a difference 24 hours makes! Friday I was taking photos of the trees nearby. The leaves were just beyond their peak of fall color and I wanted to grab a photo before I missed it completely. Twenty hours later…..SNOW!
The 3 inches of sloppy slushy snow has melted and everything looks like the first photos. Even the bushes that looked like someone stepped on them have bounced back. If you experienced the October snow, hope you have bounced back to normal as well!
Posted in Reference Photos
After battling poor soil, and every creature this side of the Mississippi, we have tomatoes! Ok…. two tomatoes! We have success with what the critters don't like to eat – peppers, chives, squash of all kinds. But for some reason, we can not get a tomato inside before someone snacks on it. Apparently tomatoes in our yard are the equivalent to chocolate cake – gone in a jiffy! I picked these a little early before they disappeared. They'll finish ripening up in the window sill for a day or two.
Here they are! I like photographing fruits and vegetables on a white surface. It keeps the focus on the subject and really shows the shadows, highlights, and details. These guys are now on my very long list of painting ideas.
Posted in Musing About Art, and Reference Photos
Here's one of the newest batch of bunnies. Do I dare ask how many batches a year rabbits have?…..best not to know, just enjoy they're adorable cuteness! These photos were taken from inside, through the window.
What is it about this planter that attracts the bunnies?
Luckily he's so little that all his munching won't do too much damage.
Each rabbit is a little different. This little guy has a white spot in the middle of his forehead. It's fun to get to recognize each individual rabbit as they grow. I probably won't paint his little white spot in a painting because it's not very common and would distract from the painting. Good old artistic license – keeps the painting from looking like I splash white paint on his forehead!
Posted in Musing About Art, and Reference Photos
I paint a lot of daisies. I love seeing them waving in the summer breezes in July & August. Their whites and yellows are so airy and fresh in the summer heat.
I have several patches of them around the yard to paint en plein or photograph for later. [En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors.]
Daisies are a simple flower to paint and I like that they can be painted in so many different styles and moods. Give them a grey undertone, and they have a softer, understated feel. Paint them with greens tints and they have a more woodsy feel. Punch up the yellow centers and they have a happier feel. They can be painted loosely or finely detailed. It's a great flower to paint!