Daddy Daughter Dance - Figures on Friday with process shots!

Daddy Daughter Dance, 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2022

NFS

This sweet tiny dancer is my grand niece. I caught her dancing with daddy at a family wedding where she was the flower girl. Of course, she stole everyone's heart in that little tulle dress! She is a teenager now and still a beauty. This blast from the past was VERY fun to paint. I've been thinking about it for years!  

I started this painting a little differently. Here are some process shots...

1) To start, I covered the entire canvas with a thin layer of ultramarine and burnt sienna mix (sorry, no picture of that!) THEN, I loosely wiped out the light areas of the image. I chose this approach because the scene was very dark, and "wiping out" made it easier to establish a high contrast, back lit setting. 

2) Once large areas of light were wiped out, I painted back into the panel using the same dark neutral mix. This time, I was careful to check my shapes for proper proportions and to adjust the composition. 

3) I finished the piece in my usual fashion: working directly into the underpainting... building it from dark to light. And as always, I saved the tantalizing highlights for the very end. :)

Dappled Path

Dappled Path, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2022

Available 

This is another plein air piece from the Georgia coast at the end of last year. I am always enthralled with the huge, beautiful oak trees and the climbing vines that boldly climb everywhere there! These are on the barrier island of Jekyll. 

This view from shade into distant light was a bit tricky, because those warm colors of the marsh wanted to come forward. One way to solve that problem is to mute down the distant color. Another solution is to make the foreground much stronger in contrast and value. Doing BOTH helps, too! ;)

Going Fishing - Figures on Friday

Going Fishing, 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2022

SOLD

Figures on Friday is BACK! I had so much fun with these at the end of 2021, that I have decided to keep doing them. They train my eyes and hands in new ways! AND, they make me happy! :)

This little guy was up early and ready to get going! Can't you just imagine that he was dreaming of "the big one" as he looked out on that cool, bright morning? I hope he always has that determination and excitement... that's what keep us going! 

The Road Goes on Forever - process shots (and a song!)

The Road Goes On Forever, 8 x 10, oil on panel

SOLD

Today's painting title comes from a song of the same name by Texas singer-songwriter, Robert Earl Keen. It's fun to be in a concert when he sings the chorus, "the road goes on forever and the party never ends!", because EVERYONE joyfully jumps in. It's contagious!! Robert Earl announced his retirement last week... but I have to say, it's for all the right reasons. He wants to go out while he still LOVES what he is doing (not because he is sick or tired or bored). Good for him!! 

This painting is a demo from my last workshop. Throughout the painting session we all kept singing that song's refrain (well, some did, and you Texans know who you are), so I had to use it for the title. An homage.

And below... process shots... the road goes on forever... 

1) Sketched outlines of big shapes for placement, size and composition.

2) Blocked in masses of value, to indicate the planes of the landscape:

Upright plane, distant upright plane (or slant), ground plane, and sky plane.

3) Massed in best average value of greens for the uprights.

Distant uprights are cooler and more muted than foreground uprights.

4) Massed in ground plane observing color changes within the overall value.

5) Added sky plane, and included a variety of temperatures at the horizon. 

Broke up masses in each plane with highlights and lowlights. 

... and the party never ends!!! 

Thank you, Robert Earl Keen!

Call of the Marsh, and Happy New Year!

Call of the Marsh, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2022

Available

I just returned from celebrating the holidays with my family on the Georgia coast. It was a delicious time with four generations, and never a dull (or quiet) moment with our grandkids having cousin time! 

Happily, we planned an extra week for ourselves and I was able to get in some painting time as well! It felt so good to dip those brushes and focus back in after a few weeks away from the easel! ;) Inspiration is everywhere at the beach, and I can never get enough! 

Wishing you all a happy and inspired new year!