Pages

▼

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Draped and poised...

Flower Garlands, 12 x 16


On Thursday of this week, my painting group met up at a local botanical garden and discovered plants blooming everywhere! It was difficult to choose a subject (there was so much color for these starved winter eyes) but I couldn't resist these lacey trees, bedecked with flowers. They seemed draped in their finest and poised for a portrait.
at

8 comments:

  1. michael clark fine artMarch 7, 2009 at 10:03 PM

    I love this painting. To bad I missed you guys this past week. It is nice to see that spring is almost here. Its weird in Michigan spring shows up in May if you are lucky.

    ReplyDelete
  2. KarenMarch 7, 2009 at 10:49 PM

    Those blooms just dance off the painting! They are such a beautiful contrast and compliment to the strokes in the trees.

    And the website looks great and certainly does your painting justice. If I might ask, what color do you usually tone your canvas with/underpaint with?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Barbara MuirMarch 8, 2009 at 12:47 AM

    Hi Laurel,

    Isn't this just sooo gorgeous. I am ready for spring -- and you've captured the incredible beauty of
    the season. Just smashing as always.

    xoxoxoBarbara

    ReplyDelete
  4. Laurel DanielMarch 8, 2009 at 2:26 PM

    Thanks so much everyone.

    In answer to Karen's question: Although I only ever paint with oils, I use acrylic yellow ochre or yellow oxide to tone my canvases. The acrylic paint helps create a smoother surface which I prefer. The yellow gives me a nice midtone to start on and provides a warm glow where it shows through.

    Karen, thanks for asking... do you have a favorite color you tone with? It's always so interesting to hear other people"s processes.

    ReplyDelete
  5. KarenMarch 9, 2009 at 10:03 AM

    Thanks for the info...I've been using a similar combination of yellow oxide/transparent red oxide/green earth. I've never tried the acrylic base, I wonder if that reduces the drag more so than using an oil base?

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMarch 9, 2009 at 10:25 AM

    What wonderful fresh instinctive brush strokes! good to have found your blog Laurel. r.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nancy B. HartleyMarch 9, 2009 at 2:41 PM

    Laurel, Beautiful landscape, as always. I love the look of your paintings, so effortless and free.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Laurel DanielMarch 11, 2009 at 9:46 PM

    Karen, one more word about the acrylic toning - I don't use any turpentine in my process which would typically be used for a quick "wash" before painting. (Refined linseed oil is my only medium.) So pre-toning the canvas with acrylic means it's all dry when I go to paint. And yes, it reduces the drag.

    ReplyDelete