Spring Bloom - plein air demo

Spring Bloom, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2012

Last Thursday, I painted at a beautiful park in Marble Falls that had field after field of bluebonnets. It was breathtaking, really. A friend of mine took some pictures of my painting in progress and sent them to me so that I would be able to share process notes with my students. Below each image is a brief explanation of what I am thinking about as I develop the painting. Enjoy! 

Here I am on location, facing my subject and blocking in the scene. 

Block-In - Using a dark neutral of french ultramarine and burnt sienna,

I use a line and mass block-in technique to roughly set down the scene.

I check placement and drawing before moving on.

Dark Upright Plane and Distant Plane - 

I observe the dark uprights as they recede into the distance, 

and determine how they will change as they move from foreground to background.

I mass in the large shapes with the best average color and value 

(and ignore all temptation to indicate detail.)

Ground plane - This is tricky because the ground plane is both receding 

and very light in value, which leaves a smaller range of color to choose from.

I begin to lay in passages that will travel from foreground to background, 

making value and chroma adjustments as they recede.

More Ground Plane passages...

Again, I choose the best average color and value for each passage

knowing that I will add highlights and lowlights later on.

Sky plane - I mass in the sky where the lightest lights are.

The value of the sky is a very important key to the rest of the painting. 

Although I often mass in that area last, I am thinking about it the whole time. 

Once all the large masses are in place and values are working correctly, 

I go back in to break them up and refine them with subtle value shifts. 

Final Nuances - Here is the final piece 

after all the refinements have been completed. 

(There was an equipment change for this last image - it was shot 

at a much higher resolution which explains the higher definition.)

Many thanks to Cindy DeBold for her photos!!!

Morning Splendor - Quick Draw in Dallas

Morning Splendor, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2012

Wondering what a "quick draw" is??? At a quick draw, participating painters gather at one location for a TIMED painting contest (very popular at plein air events). Think "paint off"... like "dance off" or "sing off"... it's all in good fun, but can we say nerve-racking? Pounding hearts, flying brushes, ticking clock... you get the picture. On Saturday morning, the Outdoor Painters Society hosted a quick draw at White Rock Lake Park in conjunction with our show in Dallas. We had two hours to paint - no more, no less. This is my painting from the morning's effort. I was pretty happy I had something to turn in - it was downright scary. :)


Available at the Southwest Gallery in Dallas. 

Show in Dallas opens Saturday!

 

Quiet Creek, 12 x 9, $725 framed

I'm so excited and proud to be juried into the Outdoor Painters Society's annual show, Plein Air Southwest 2012. If you are anywhere in the Dallas area on Saturday, please come to the opening reception and say hello. I would love to see you and promise that you will be able see some gorgeous artwork. This is a group of incredible plein air painters! 

Plein Air Southwest 2012 Juried Exhibit

Outdoor Painters Society at the Southwest Gallery

4500 Sigma, Dallas, Texas 

Opening Reception April 7, 3-7 pm

Runs through end of April

 

Autumn Symphony, 8 x 16, $775 framed

 

High Falls, 12 x 12, $775 framed

L.Daniel © 2012

All three paintings available at Southwest Gallery

Wandering

Wandering, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2012, SOLD

This irresistible road made me think of the words from James Taylor's song Country Road... "I guess my feet know where they want me to go, walking on a country road...walk on down, walk on down... walk on down a country road." I am quite sure that my feet DO know where they want me to go, and I've found that it's always best to just go ahead and follow. Wandering is good for the soul. :) 


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Out At The Ranch

Out At The Ranch, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2012

Oh, the joys of Spring! I know I am getting repetitive about this fact, but I think we all feel a certain excitement when color returns to our own neck of the woods. We're just ready. :) Last week, our group met up at the ranch of local artist and friend, Pat Haberman. We had the run of the place and a great time out painting. Thanks for having us, Pat!!

Three Palms

Three Palms, 10 x 8, L. Daniel © 2012

It's officially Spring now and the best plein air season is well underway here in central Texas! Everything is turning green again and the wildflowers are out on every highway and byway. This piece was my demo for my plein air class this week. I wish I had thought to take step by step pictures but... well, didn't think of it. I did, however, promise to post the final product. Here you go, guys! Great work this week! :) 

Country Corral

Country Corral, 9 x 12, L. Daniel © 2012

A few of us from Plein Air Austin met up last Saturday to paint at a wonderful ranch outside of town. It was overcast and breezy (my easel actually got blown completely over when I stepped away for a minute - no damage, thank goodness) but that didn't stop any of us. Painters have to paint!!! This fabulous old corral has seen many a day, and it's weathered patina was completely enticing. Many thanks to our fabulous hosts for having us out.

Garden of Blue

L. Daniel, ©2012, Garden of Blue, 12 x 9, oil on panel

Yesterday, a group of us met up at the beautiful hill country ranch of Suzanne Stewart, a fabulous painter and friend. The ranch is a stunning place... truly a painting in every direction. Gardens and hillsides were abundant with spring bluebonnets - already knee high in one area. It looks like it's going to be a great year for wildflowers in Texas. We must have gotten rain at just the right time. Thanks for having us, Suzanne!

First Redbud

First Redbud, L. Daniel, 12 x 9

We always know that spring is arriving in Texas when the Redbuds begin to pop their buds. It's  a visual treat. We have about two weeks to enjoy the color, so I try and get out a few times to paint the crazy pinks and purples. This is my first redbud painting of the season and I'm hoping to get a few more painted before they all turn green and blend into the landscape. 

Roadside Vista

Roadside Vista, L. Daniel, 9 x 12 

On Saturday, Plein Air Austin met up to paint some fabulous long-views up in the hills. However, the March winds arrived on cue, and we all had to find sheltered spots to keep our easels from blowing away. I parked my car on the side of the road, leaving me enough room to paint but still blocking the wind. I didn't get much of the vista but I liked my view of the roadside! I was happy.  It's always an adventure. :)

Heat of the Day - Big Bend

Heat of the Day, L. Daniel, 6 x 8

The craziest thing about Big Bend this time of year is the ever shifting weather. Hot to cold, calm to windy. At this location, I chose a small canvas and the only spot of shade I could find because it was so hot and deadly still that morning. My plan was to do a quick study and do it fast! Not 15 minutes in, a breeze came up and soon I was holding on to my easel to keep it from tipping over. Be careful what you wish for! :)


For those that know the area - this is looking out from the shadow of Santa Elena Canyon. For those that don't - that little piece of river is the Rio Grande which travels the border between Texas and Mexico. And those yellow grasses on the right? Yep, they are in Mexico.

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Mountain Majestic - Big Bend

Mountain Majestic, L. Daniel, 12 x 12 

Up at the basin of Big Bend National Park the mountain peaks jut up all around. The ancient rock is breathtaking and the green growth at the higher elevations is a soothing sight for desert-filled eyes. The challenge for me was to paint the sunlit mountains so that they looked distant. Well that, and getting the colors right, the values accurate, the scale and relationships working... it's all challenging when you are painting fast in the changing light. :)

Hard at work on the mountaintop...

 Photo by Jim Rogers. 

Thanks, Jim!

River Border - Big Bend

River Border, L. Daniel, 9 x 12 - SOLD

So... the Big Bend National Park is located where the Texas/Mexico border makes a BIG bend in its overall shape (hence the name). The Rio Grande River runs along the border separating the two countries, and since the river is a bit low right now one could easily walk across to the other side. So much for border patrol. I did paint this scene on the Texas side (but will you ever really know?) :)


A personal side note: So many of you have sent me notes congratulating the end of my breast cancer treatments and wonderful wishes for a healthy future. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your prayers throughout and words of encouragement mean everything. Deep, deep thanks and much love to all. 

Ghost Town Remnants - Big Bend

Ghost Town Remnants, L. Daniel, 9 x 12 - SOLD

The biggest town in the Big Bend area is Terlingua, a funky little place with a bonafide Ghost Town right in the middle! The ghost town sits on a hillside next to an old graveyard and all the old adobe houses are in various stages of dilapidation. This one was particularly interesting with the sunlight coming through the roof. I really wonder about the people who used to live in these homes and what their life in the desert was like.


Here I am all bundled up, painting inside another ruin to stay warm... it was so windy and cold that day.

Desert Ocotillo - Big Bend

Desert Ocotillo, L. Daniel, 9x12

I just returned from a fabulous painting trip in Big Bend (Southwest Texas) with my painting buddy Julie Davis and a bunch of other great folks from the Outdoor Painters Society. It's about an 8 hour drive, but so worth it to see the diverse and distinct desert/mountain landscape. The first morning we stopped to paint on the side of a desert road to just get acclimated to the colors and shapes. These ocotillo plants are everywhere. In a couple of weeks they will bloom with red flowers... we were just a little too early.

Verdant River Valley

Verdant River Valley, L. Daniel, 30 x 30

SOLD

This river runs through a valley in the Adirondack Mountains where I painted last summer for a week. It is such a gorgeous area of the country and painting at this ambling body of water was a highlight. I posted the plein air piece then, but recently finished this larger studio piece. Misty storm clouds were wafting away (it rained a lot that week) and the sun was breaking through in the distance. Ahhh... I do love it when the sun breaks through. 

AND, speaking of sunny breakthroughs... I finally reached the end of my radiation treatments. YAY!!! For those just tuning in, I was diagnosed with breast cancer this past November. I had a lumpectomy in December followed by 6 1/2 weeks of radiation every day. Last Thursday, I got the final blast. Indeed, a HUGE breakthrough!! Though it wasn't fun, I am so very grateful for each and every dose, and am feeling great.  

My sweet husband took me away to a spa weekend in San Antonio to be pampered... here we are celebrating on the Riverwalk. As if that wasn't enough, tomorrow I am heading out to paint at Big Bend for a few days. The celebrating just doesn't end!!! Again I say, YAY!!!

Blue Dusk Reflection - Salon International 2012!!!

Blue Dusk Reflection, L. Daniel, 18 x 18

SOLD

I am so excited to announce that this painting was juried into the Salon International 2012 show at the Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio, Texas. It is a great privilege to be able to participate in this exhibit alongside a host of incredible artists whose work I adore. The show opens April 14 and runs through May 4. If you are anywhere nearby, please plan to come! WOO HOO!! 

Hill Country Morning and 3 Workshop Openings!

Hill Country Morning, L. Daniel, 6 x 8, SOLD

A few weekends ago, Plein Air Austin met up out in the hill country and it was such a joy to be out. It was a bit of a cold January morning for us (I shouldn't complain - we are so spoiled at this time of year in Texas), but it was worth every layer to be outside dipping those brushes in paint. :) 

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UPCOMING WORKSHOP OPENINGS...

Due to some cancellations, 3 spots just opened up in my plein air workshop May 17-19, in St. Simon's Island, Georgia. Three days, 9am - 4pm, class limited to 15 people, $375. For a complete description: click HERE (disregard "sold out" sign on website). To register: contact Mary Anderson 912-634-8414.

Evening Pause (study)

Evening Pause (study), L. Daniel, 8 x 6

End of day. I love the feeling, smells and light. I love it in real time and I love painting it. :) This small study was done in preparation for a larger canvas I will post later in the spring (in conjunction with a show it will be in). As I have shared before, these small works are a great place for me to work out color relationships and composition challenges of an image before diving into a big one.

Click to purchase "Evening Pause (study)" $120 + $10 s/h

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PS - I had a number of readers request that I post my Woodland Series altogether. Here they are, in sequence... Further In, Farther Up and Circle Back...

Woodland Series, L. Daniel, 8 x 18

This series is SOLD

Circle Back

Circle Back, L. Daniel, 8 x 6

This is the third of three woodland pieces. The buyer of the first two wanted all three, so this one is not for sale. The three paintings were designed as companion pieces and I am happy that they will all be traveling to their new home together!