Girl with Yellow Umbrella - NFS

6/30/10 "Girl With Yellow Umbrella", 10" x 8", Oil
Its a good thing I am documenting these exercises, because already my memory is failing--which painting on which day and what concept was I attempting?  However, this painting illustrates at least one concept that Peggi talked about over and over--the idea that the shadow in a light area is always darker than the light in a dark area.  So in this case, the shadow of the dress which was very light in local color/value was darker than the sunlight on the grass, which as a local color was much darker be begin with.  In another later exercise there was a major exception to this rule which I will talk about in a future post. If I remember correctly, this was a 40 minute exercise.

Massing Shadows #1 - NFS

6/29/10 "Massing Shadows #1",  8.5" x 7", Oil
This 20 minute exercise was to mass all the shadows with the same arbitrary dark color.  This type of exercise is kind of a revelation--in fact, the thing about Peggi that is so inspirational is her prodigious work ethic and drive to master and teach visual concepts through these types of exercises.  As a learning tool, I love the the 20 minute time limit because it so focuses the mind.  This morning I painted three small 10 minute sketches of the Cove, and that's about all the time it takes for the light to dramatically change and the wind to pick up.

Three-Value Color Study - NFS

6/28/10 "Three-value Color Study", 12" x 8", Oil
This is another 20 minute value study from Peggi's workshop. The exercise was to do a black and white three value study and then do the same sketch in color.  I almost succeeded in keeping strictly to three values--its trickier with color.

Two-Value Studies in Black and White - NFS

6/27/10 "Two-Value Studies in Black and White", Oil
I was so energized by the Peggi Kroll Roberts workshop that I got up this morning and painted three small landscapes before breakfast. But first I want to show you what we did at the workshop--not because my paintings are incredible, which they are not, but because doing these types of modest exercises are so basic to getting the foundations of painting into my head and I want to keep a record of the experience. It is so easy to forget and go back to the old way of doing things. So the first morning we started off with 10 minute (I think they were 10 minute--my mind is already forgetting) quick sketches using two values in black and white.

Hawk Creek Trail - Sold

6/24/10 "Hawk Creek Trail", 9" x 9", Oil
Now I'm really going back to find something to post this week while I am gone.  This was one of the Eastern Washington paintings from the beginning of May.  We came out to this creek--the light was pretty flat, everything seemed pretty gray and I was thinking there was nothing to paint, until I turned around and looked up creek and the sun lit up the path to the falls, which I didn't paint, because this was the spot.  I probably won't be posting again for a couple of days because I will be traveling.

Zangle Cove #20

6/22/10 "Zangle Cove #20", 5" x 9"
Limited Palette: Ultramarine Blue, Venetian Red, Titantium White.
This is another small sketch with big brush strokes, this time with a limited palette.

Zangle Cove #19

6/22/10 "Zangle Cove #19", 8" x 10", Oil
I am trying to study all of the moods of the Cove.  This was a still day, with only a little breeze and mostly overcast sky--flat light.  I'm in California at Peggi's workshop and I didn't bring a good camera to take photos of the exercises.  Will post some next week.

Zangle Moon - SOLD

6/21/10 "Zangle Moon",  10" x 12", Oil
Sometimes the full moon is amazingly big as it rises over the Cove. In celebration of the summer solstice, this is a memory piece, not a painting of even the particular landscape of the Cove, but more about the feeling of it.