Vineyard View - Fix It Friday #23

Vineyard View, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020

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Today's fix is from a Napa Valley trip I took a few years ago...

The day I chose this location to do some plein air painting, the sky was full of gorgeous clouds. When I came back the next morning, it was foggy but I blocked in my painting leaving LOTS of room for that glorious sky. I just knew it was coming. It never did. The fog never wore off. Best laid plans gone awry, and the painting stayed misty. Until now...

BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES

Problem - Canvas looked "cut in half" at the horizontal center line.

Fix - Raised up the mountain tops slightly past center and added activity above the center line.

Problem - So much canvas devoted to the sky, but nothing going on.

Fix - Added a sky feature - clouds! 

Problem - Foreground field was disconnected from distant field layers. 

Fix - Darkened the foreground to a value more similar to the field beyond, and added "field markings" to make it feel like a continuation of tilled land.

Problem - Background mountain range was disconnected from previous field layers. 

Fix - Added just a "suggestion" of fields continuing into distant valleys, in order to make the valley feel expansive and cohesive.

OBSERVATIONS

Thank goodness I took some pictures of that first day with all the clouds! And thank goodness I still had them in my files! It took me awhile to revisit this one, but I'm so glad I did! It now looks like, feels like, smells like the lush valley vista that I was so compelled to paint on that California hillside!!

Beach Cove Overlook - Fix It Friday #12

Beach Cove Overlook, 18 x 36, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2020

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Today, I am re-sharing a "fix" I made a few years ago... 

After enlarging a plein air piece I painted in California, I immediately saw problems that had not surfaced in the smaller study. Sometimes that happens when going from small to large. 

Here's what happened next...

BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES:

Problem 1 - The main subject was unapproachable (grass and foliage in the way).

Fix 1 - Added a pathway that leads to the main subject and focal point. 

Problem 2 - The cove was too circular and dominant.

Fix 1 - Pushed it back by making the shape of cove and waves more elliptical.

Fix 2 - Increased the mass and height of grasses on the bluff to visually overlap the cove (which also helps to subdue it and push it back). 

OBSERVATIONS:

This had the classic battle of different elements fighting for the spotlight. Background was trying to come forward, and the subject was a bit buried. By clarifying a hierarchy of elements, the tension lifted and the whole scene was able to settle into place.

Click Here to see Fix It Friday #1

Click Here to see Fix it Friday #2 

Click Here to see Fix it Friday #3

Click Here to see Fix it Friday #4

Click Here to see Fix it Friday #5

Click Here to see Fix it Friday #6

Click Here to see Fix it Friday #7

Click Here to see Fix it Friday #8

Click Here to see Fix it Friday #9

Click Here to see Fix it Friday #10

Click Here to see Fix it Friday #11

Misty Spray - painting in Laguna Beach!

Misty Spray, 10 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

Available - Click HERE for information

I saw this spot from above and decided to hike down to it. In theory, I was just "checking it out", but deep down I knew I would not go back up until I had finished a painting. Partly, because of the climb... for sure. But more importantly, I have learned that if I don't settle down and get started, I might roam around for two hours with nothing to show for it!

Soon after I started, that overcast sky began to drizzle. It was my last morning to paint in CA, and I was not about to turn back. Thankfully, I had my umbrella (which works just as well for rain as it does for sun), so I popped it up and was able to forge on. I'm sure you have heard that oil and water don't mix, well it is very true! If the canvas gets wet, the paint won't stick!! 

2019 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

November 8-9, 2019 - Austin, Texas

Contemporary Austin Art School, FULL - Register for waitlist Here 

2020 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

March 30-April 2, 2020 - Wimberley, Texas

Contact Helena Hauk, Wimberley Artists Workshops, 800-327-1913

April 16-18, 2020 - St. Simons Island, Georgia

Contact Mary Anderson, Anderson Fine Art Gallery, 912-634-8414

Palm Tree Promenade - painting in Laguna Beach!

Palm Tree Promenade, 8 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

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This parklike setting overlooks the ocean in Laguna Beach, and has a constant breeze off the water. It was particularly stunning when the sun came out and made everything sparkle! 

A few of you have asked what took me to California... well, lucky girl that I am, I was invited along to an annual conference with my husband. This was our 5th year and it's always fabulous! He did have meetings, but don't worry that he missed out. His afternoons included wonderful golfing opportunities, which he very much enjoyed! Everyone got to do what they wanted! :)

2019 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

Nov. 8-9, 2019 - Austin, Texas

Contemporary Austin Art School, FULL - Register for waitlist here 

2020 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

March 30-April 2, 2020 - Wimberley, Texas

Contact Helena Hauk, Wimberley Artists Workshops, 800-327-1913

April 16-18, 2020 - St. Simons Island, Georgia

Contact Mary Anderson, Anderson Fine Art Gallery, 912-634-8414 

Rock Passage - painting in Laguna Beach!!

Rock Passage, 12 x 10, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

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Last week I had a wonderful opportunity to do some painting in Laguna Beach, CA! SUCH fun!! It's a beautiful place and there is a compelling view in every direction. The hard part, as always, was choosing what to paint and how much to include. This iconic rock formation is probably the most painted spot there, but I couldn't resist giving it a go. 

Here is my set up from the overlooking cliff...

2019 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

Nov. 8-9, 2019 - Austin, Texas

Contemporary Austin Art School 

FULL - Register for waitlist Here 

2020 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

March 30-April 2, 2020 - Wimberley, Texas

Contact Helena Hauk, Wimberley Artists Workshops, 800-327-1913

April 16-18, 2020 - St. Simons Island, Georgia

Contact Mary Anderson, Anderson Fine Art Gallery, 912-634-8414 

Hidden Beach - Painting on the West Coast

Hidden Beach, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2018

Available - click for more information 

I know I have been missing in action for a couple months, and I am happy to report that all is well with me! Thanks to those who checked in! Once I finished those large commissions, I got my house and studio back in order, and I took a break! We traveled some, had a long visit with our daughter and her children, and just enjoyed life. 

This is a painting from our trip to Carmel, CA, one of our fall excursions. Hidden Beach is a small cove, off the hiking trail at the end of Point Lobos. It was a bit of a hike to get down to, and I had a fabulous quiet morning painting the waves and rocks in a lovely patch of shade. (The bright sunlight can be challenging and I forgot my umbrella, so that shade was a welcome surprise.) Very few hikers ventured down the path, so I had the "beach" pretty much to myself. It was awesome. 

Here are some other art-making moments... You will be happy to know that even though I was taking a break, my studio was in full use!

Craggy Shore and a winter group show in Austin!

Craggy Shore, 30 x 40, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2018

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This painting is an enlargement from a small plein air study I did a year or so ago. It was the perfect subject for our current group show, "In Depth", at the Davis Gallery here in Austin. For this exhibit, each gallery artist was asked to consider the 5th element of art - space - as we created works to be included. I always get a sense of HUGE space when I stand at the edge of the ocean. In this scene, the rhythmic pattern of the rocks and water disappearing into the distance helped to tell the story of that vastness.

Below: this painting ended up in the gallery window for the show! YAY! Here is a shot taken from outside after the opening reception. The show is up through February 24th. If you are anywhere near Austin, please drop by!

Also in the Davis Gallery show: 

Beach Cove Overlook, 18 x 36, oil on canvas. 

See blog post on this piece. 

Free to Roam, 18 x 18, oil on canvas.

See blog post on this piece. 

Beach Cove Overlook - and reworking a painting

Beach Cove Overlook, 18 x 36 , oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2018

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"How do you know when you are finished?" This is an often asked question to which I usually answer, "when there is nothing left in a painting that bothers me." This is one that kept bothering me as it dried on the shelf in my studio. Apparently, I was not done with it.

I stared at it for weeks (sometimes these things are hard to figure out) and finally determined what the problems were: 1) the foreground needed a stronger lead-in, and 2) the cove in the background needed to settle into the distance a little better. Below are the "before and after" shots so you can see the changes.

BEFORE...

AFTER REWORKING

Adding a path was the obvious solution for the lead-in problem, but the cove issue was trickier. Was it the shape? (Yes, too round.) Was it the size? (Yes, too dominant.) And most important - how to fix it? After much thought, I decided to add more grasses to overlap some of the water. It was a scary choice and a bit counter-intuitive to hide a beautiful, natural water feature. 

Well... That small change made the cove more of a sliver, and pushed it into it's proper space in the background. Instant relief! I'm glad I kept at it until it stopped bothering me. :)

Bay Pine

Bay Pine, 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2016

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Our last morning in Spanish Bay was gorgeous, but I only had a short window of time to get out and paint. To go or not to go? That definitely was the question. Painting with a ticking clock in my head has its challenges, but sometimes it's perfect for a quick little sketch. Since I had considered painting this sea view several times AND it was close by, I decided to give it a go. What a delightful morning I had! I LOVE those Monterey Pines and when that sailboat showed up, I knew I had made the right choice! 

Sea Spray

Sea Spray, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2016

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A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to paint in Carmel, California. My husband had meetings in Spanish Bay, so... there I was, and I just happened to bring my paint kit along! ;) The famous 17 Mile Drive was right outside our hotel, so I got out early to study that glorious, rugged coastline. What I didn't anticipate was how many tourists would be stopping by that same spot, and how many people would ask to take my picture. It was pretty funny. I can only imagine the number of family slide shows I ended up in! 

I finally asked one of them to take a picture with MY camera too... so I could have a picture for my own slide show! Here I am on my rock in full painting mode... a beautiful morning with no winds. Pretty idyllic!

See that little Sea Gull in the top right corner sitting on the rock? He watched me paint the entire time I was out there. He was great company!

Tea Time

Tea Time, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2015

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I didn't paint our cute little cabin in Napa, but I did capture a bit of the charming courtyard that was out back. After a chilly morning, tea in this sheltered area led to an afternoon painting. The light was hitting it just perfectly!

Please join me for my last workshop of the year...

En Plein Air: Strong Starts, November 6-8, 9am-1:30pm

Register @ The Contemporary Austin Art School

Towering Eucalyptus

Towering Eucalyptus, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2015

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This stand of Eucalyptus trees was just down the hill from our cabin in Napa. Some friendly cows kept walking and snorting all around me, but none of them would go sit under the trees for me. I think they were more interested in the smell of the oil paint and in figuring out what I was doing there! 

As I was hard at work, a new friend from the conference came along and took this picture of me... Thanks Deb!

Misty Vineyard

Misty Vineyard, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2015

This fall has become a crazy time of travel for us... all good things, but crazy nonetheless! :) This past week, I had the good fortune of accompanying my husband to a conference in Napa Valley, CA. We were in the heart of the wine country and since he was in meetings, well, you know what I did! These rolling hills of vineyards were right outside our cottage door! Quite divine!

Please join me for my last workshop of the year...

En Plein Air: Strong Starts, November 6-8, 9am-1:30pm
Register @ The Contemporary Austin Art School

Mist On The Rocks

Mist On The Rocks, L. Daniel, 9 x 12

Back at Point Lobos on day two of the Weekend with the Masters... 
I studied with plein air painter Joe Paquet, who is passionate about painting, art and life. The day was overcast and foggy, and Joe did a great demo showing us how he paints air and atmosphere into his vista paintings. We started with an underpainting of all the shadow elements using cobalt blue, black and lead white (or flake white). Sadly, I didn't think to take photos of that stage so I can't show you what it looked like. My goal here was to create distance between the various receding elements and the underpainting helped me get the values set correctly from the beginning.

Addendum... it turns out that my friend, Leigh Sparks, took pictures at the workshop and happened to catch my painting at the early stage. Here is the underpainting using cobalt blue, white and black. Color was added on top of this. Thank you, Leigh! :)

Point Lobos - Six Quick Studies

Point Lobos Study 1, L. Daniel, 6 x 9, NFS

Last week I had the great fortune to attend the Weekend with the Masters  in Monterey, CA -  four days filled with workshops, demos, and lectures featuring some of our country's best artists and teachers. I spent one of the days studying with Ray Roberts, who focused on painting quickly in the field to capture important shapes and fleeting color notes. Learning to work fast means being able to bring home more options for painting a scene larger and more carefully in the studio. We did 30 minute studies, repositioned, and started again.

Some tips for doing 30 minute studies? Do not limit your palette (bring primary and secondary colors). Premix tints. Keep it simple (really simple). Use lots of paint. Focus on getting correct values and identifying major color families. Do not try to get finished paintings - stop when you have the notes you need. And practice, practice, practice. 

These are the studies I finished that day at Point Lobos in Monterey. It was an incredibly fruitful day and I think I caught the rhythm of something that will really benefit my work. Many thanks to Ray Roberts. (These studies are not for sale.)

Point Lobos Study 2, 6 x 9, NFS

Point Lobos Study 3, 6 x 9, NFS

Point Lobos Study 4, 6 x 9, NFS

Point Lobos Study 5, 6 x 9, NFS

Point Lobos Study 6, 6 x 9, NFS

American Art Collector Article!

Afternoon Overlook, L. Daniel, 36 x 18

I  am so excited to share the news that the April issue of American Art Collector magazine includes an article about my upcoming show at the Davis Gallery! This is a great honor for me; and very encouraging in my journey as a painter. My Barnes and Noble doesn't have it yet, but subscription holders are beginning to receive it in the mail, so keep an eye out. WOO HOO! :)

This piece was inspired by some plein air work I did in California this year. I was caught by the mass and scale of these trees that thrive along the coastline. 

Please visit my website for a preview of all my paintings for the exhibit. 

Read show review in American Art Collector - April issue (p. 104).

Lessons from the Colorists

Mission Light (finished piece), L. Daniel, 12 x 9

Mission Light (color block-in/start), 12 x 9

Daniel Pinkham Workshop - Block-in Process Notes:

Squint down to see at least three large masses in the darkest value.

Compare differences between each massin color and temperature.

With turpentine color washes - block-in large masses.

Repeat for mid-values and lightest values until canvas is covered.

Hold onto the values and temperatures as color is added.

(Wow - that sounds so logical, but easier said than done!)

  

I spent two days at the Masters Weekend studying with teachers from the Colorist tradition. Daniel Pinkham studied with Russian master Sergei Bongart; and Camille Pryzewodek studied with American master Henry Hensche (who studied with Charles Hawthorne). Both of these traditions find their source in Impressionism, specifically in the work of Claude Monet. It would be impossible to sum up each of these approaches so I will simply relay how they got us "started", both with a painting and with learning to "see" color. These two painters have devoted their artistic pursuits to understanding the color of light and the color of air (light filters through air and both affect everything we see). Please click on their names above and see their work - you will love it.

  

Mission Color (finished piece, palette knife), L. Daniel, 9 x 12

Mission Color (color block-in/start, palette knife) 9 x 12

Camille Przewodek Workshop: Block-in Process Notes:

Sketch composition with light blue pastel pencil.

Observe patterns of light and shadow - organize into flat planes.

"Hues on first" - paint spots of color in correct temperature and value.

Keep color spots separate until canvas is covered.

Compare and correct temperature, value and hue relationships.

When relationships are correct, add color nuance and subtleties.

Bring shapes together; retain value & temperature of large masses.

(Palette knife is important for avoiding detail too soon!)

Afternoon Overlook

Afternoon Overlook, L. Daniel, 8 x 6

This is my afternoon painting from my session with Frank Serrano at Weekend with the Masters in California. At the end of day the light moves quickly, and Frank emphasized the importance of painting with a sense of anticipation. This means blocking in the shapes and composition, but holding back with the color that will change as the sun does its thing. On that day, a wonderful glow lit up the whole hillside. I was so glad I had waited!

Just FYI - Frank Serrano is a great painter and generous teacher. He came early, stayed late, and did three demos for us (which can be so stressful)! He is also really down to earth and fun. Check out his work here. I will tell you about my other painting teachers when I post my work from their sessions.

There was not a minute to spare at the Masters Weekend - it was chock-full of not-to-miss events! I watched still life demos by David Leffel and Richard Schmid, a duo portrait demo by Scott Burdick and Daniel Gerhartz, and I listened to a fabulous panel discussion about technology and art. All of this brought about stimulating dialogues... such an enriching experience!

Beach View

Beach View, L. Daniel, 9 x 12

Well, I am still basking in the afterglow of the 2010 Weekend with the Masters! We had four days of non-stop workshops, demos, panel discussions and all around joie de vivre! It was a fabulous time with so much to take in. Of course the highlight was being able to paint under some plein air teachers I greatly admire: Frank Serrano, Camille Pryzewodek and Daniel Pinkham.

In Frank Serrano's class we focused in on atmosphere. He is from the California coast and is exceptionally good at catching the subtle tonal shifts caused by fog and salty air. Frank had us start with the sky first - really getting color and value right. Then we keyed the rest of the values off the sky as we worked our way down into the painting. This is just the opposite to what I normally do! The idea here is that since the light in the sky affects everything else, it's important to get that correct first. I definitely found it very helpful. This was my morning painting from that day; a view looking down at the Dana Point Beach.