Wall Shadows - Six of 30 in 30

Wall Shadows, 8 x 6, Oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2015

#6 in 30 Day Challenge

I do quite enjoy painting glass and water... and shadows and light. It's interesting to note that the shadow of clear glass will not be solid like the shadow of something opaque (like the tulip). That may sound obvious, but it's hard to remember to do, and oh, so important when trying to paint glass. The incomplete shadow tells the viewer that light is passing through the glass element. 

Please join me for these upcoming Workshops:

January 22-24, 2015 | Still Life | Austin, Texas

March 26-29, 2015 | Plein Air | Austin, Texas

April 30-May 2, 2015 | Plein Air | St. Simons Island, GA

Amethyst Sparkle

Amethyst Sparkle, L. Daniel, 8 x 8

Whenever I teach a still life class I get the urge to paint beautiful lit up objects myself. This week I got a chance because my daughter was home. She had to work so I set up some small still lifes to paint in between our numerous chats throughout the day. Such fun. :) This purple blown-glass vase belonged to my husband's grandmother, Noonie, and I just love its chunky simplicity. (There is also a blue one that may make its way to my studio at some point!)

Amber Glow

Amber Glow, L. Daniel, 8 x 8, SOLD

I found these two old beer bottles on a ranch this summer when I was out scouting for paint sites. They were dusty and filled with dirt and bugs, but I loved them instantly. Their wonderful, weathered patina and rounded edges made them wildly compelling as painting objects for me, but when I held them up to the light, well, "delicious" is all I can say. 

See more Small Works

Amber Glow Mosaic Study, 6 x 4, NFS

a quick pre-study for shapes and color blocks, 

and loose simulation of block-in method

Sunflowers In Water - Color

Sunflowers In Water, L. Daniel, 16 x 12

I painted these examples for my still life class which met again today, where we continue to focus on water, glass and light. (I am sure you recognize the sunflowers from yesterday's value study - those flowers were just so paintable!!)

All my set-ups for class included glass vessels again, but this time each had something in the water. Though it seems a simple addition, it did complicate things! :) We started with the small "mosaic" study first; observing spots of color throughout the subject (and resisting the urge to connect and refine). The idea behind this warm-up is to identify shapes and placement and to loosen up before tackling a larger canvas.

Sunflower in Water Mosaic Study, L. Daniel, 6 x 4

Water Glass

Water Glass, L. Daniel, 12 x 12

My still life class entitled, "Water, Glass & Light" started at the Austin Museum of Art School yesterday. You guessed it, the whole focus is on painting transparent objects and it is going to be fun! (As the teacher, I guess I may be biased, but there you have it.) While this may sound obvious, the fact that glass and water are CLEAR is the most important thing to remember. One is really just painting what is seen THROUGH the glass and water. We painted very simple still lifes with just colored fabrics and glass. It's a great way to get the concept of "seeing through".

Warm-up Exercise:
Before painting a full sized canvas, we did little studies like the following to warm-up. We are using a block-in method that starts with simple shapes and color notes, almost like a mosaic. This warm-up is a mini-version of that block-in method and it allows the painter to identify and locate color and shapes spatially without getting too caught up in detail. Getting it "right" is always a stumbling block for artists, so this is very freeing.

Water Glass Mosaic Study - 4 x 4

.

Explanation/directions (for those who want to try this at home):
Observe the important spots of color as they occur throughout the painting (really necessary with glass with all the reflecting and refracting) and put them down. No preliminary drawing - just use the color to block in shapes and negative shapes. Pay attention to how the colors are altered when seen through glass and water. Lay in color next to color but don't connect the spots - keep it loose. Resist the urge to "finish" it. It's a good reference for a larger painting.

This is a great exercise, and I think it helped my students as they approached their larger pieces with the same process. Of course, for the large one, they did get to follow the urge to finish. Great work guys!! :)