Coffee And A Romp - Figures on Friday #10

Coffee And A Romp, 5 x 7, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2021

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Hot coffee on the beach is a great way to start the day. Admittedly, dogs don't need coffee (they are happy with the sand and the surf, and running freely), but what a fabulous combo for that dog's human!

Bare Footin' - Figures on Friday #9

Bare Footin', 7 x 5, oil on panel, L Daniel © 2021

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(Still wet - available to ship on Dec 10.)

Footloose and fancy free! What is better than a walk along the beach with bare feet? This was a fun one for me... So colorful and happy! And if you can't tell, that dog's tail is wagging with full joy! Love that!

Morning Paddler - Figures on Friday #7

 

Morning Paddler, 5 x 7, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2021

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(Still wet, available to ship on Nov 22)

Please forgive the glare on this one. Dark paintings are hard to photograph because they are so reflective. I shot this in many different locations and light trying to avoid it... but I could not eliminate it completely. 

One reader pointed out that a whole series on "boys playing with sticks" could be fun. I agree... how about KIDS playing with sticks!!! Paddling, fishing, hiking... sports in general... it seems like sticks are always IN hand and ON hand for every adventure. This morning kayaker is a grown up example of how kids will always be KIDS! 

I love sticks too! Paintbrushes? Mm-hmmm, sticks! More please! ;) 

Big Brother - Figures on Friday #6

Big Brother, 7 x 5, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2012

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Last week you met Little Sister, and as promised, here is her brother fishing for something with a stick! Not exactly sure what he was going for, but it looked VERY important. No wonder Sis wanted a bit of that action! ;) I loved how the light and shadows defined his gesture in this scene. And the reflection! So fun to paint! 

Little Sister - Figures on Friday #5

Little Sister, 7 x 5, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2021

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Beach play... can a child ever get enough? They can dig, collect shells, and wield sticks all day... and still want more. I loved the determination of this little one as she took off after her brother (he's coming next week), intent on keeping up with him. And not to worry, mom and dad were right there, keeping a close eye. 

One fun thing about focusing on figures is letting the landscape (which I am usually so concerned with) soften and fade into the background. While it sets the tone and gives context, it is secondary. When people are in a picture, well, it is all about them! ;)

Bait Casting and Figures on Friday #4

 Bait Casting, 7 x 5, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2021

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I love watching fishermen cast for bait with their nets in the shallows. Throwing out, and pulling back in, throwing out, pulling back in. There is a real rhythm to it. They are serene and very focused... and understandably so. They are preparing for a day of fishing, their beloved sport. There was a rhythm to painting this scene as well. Shadows and light, shadows and light, big shapes, simple gesture, shadows and light.  

Spring Planting and Figures on Friday #3

Spring Planting, 7 x 5, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2021

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One of my goals with these figurative studies is to see ONLY the big shapes. I'm trying not to get caught up in details, which is such a huge temptation when painting people. Instead I'm trying focus on where the shadows and light are interacting, and how they are defining form. (Hmmmmm... just like in landscape, I am looking for planes of light and dark, and comparing, comparing, comparing.) ;)

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Join me at my last workshop of the year! Three day Art Immersion!

Register with Mary Anderson 912-634-8414, Or click below for info:

Autumn En Plein Air, Nov 4-6, 2021, 9am - 4pm, $495

St. Simons Island, GA, Anderson Fine Art Gallery

Dog Walker - Figures on Friday #2

Dog Walker, 7 x 5, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2021

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I have been collecting pictures of people for years. And for years, I have told myself, "one day, I will do something with these images." Well, it's fun to finally get around to it. Again, if you missed my intro post, I am tackling figures, one Friday at a time. I'm calling it "Figures on Friday". The goal is to get more comfortable with gestures and proportions, so that I have an easier time popping figures into plein air sketches.... AND to keep them loose and suggestive. (This man and his best friend were just minding their own business. They have no idea I even took their picture.) 

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Join me at my last workshop of the year! 

Register with Mary Anderson 912-634-8414, Or click below for info:

Autumn En Plein Air, Nov 4-6, 2021, 9am - 4pm, $495

St. Simons Island, GA, Anderson Fine Art Gallery

 

Growing Wild - Fix-It Friday #10

Growing Wild, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020

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Friends, thank you for being there for me to reach out to! These have been strange times, and my weekly "fix" has become a stabilizing force for me. Assignments I give myself, like sharing this weekly makeover, provide new rhythms in the sea of days/weeks/months. Meanwhile, I continue to work on larger works for a later reveal. It's funny how important the patterns of life are, don't you think?

Today's do-over...

 BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES:

Problem 1 - The distant plane (background) was not receding properly. 

Fix 1 - Muted the distant tree line and added cooler highlights.

Fix 2 - Muted and darkened the distant grasses which eliminated contrast and tightened values.

Fix 3 - Added richer greens in the foreground leaves and grasses. 

Fixes 1-2 make the distant plane recede. Fix 3 brings the front plane forward.

Problem 2 - The foreground and background seemed detached from each other.

Fix 1 - Added tree in middle ground layer to connect the foreground and background.

Fix 2 - Also added the tree to provide an important scale reference for both the distant trees AND the foreground flowers. 

OBSERVATIONS:

Constantly comparing elements in a painting is so important for creating a sense of depth. Issues of temperature (cool recedes, warm advances) and scale (closer-bigger, farther-smaller) make all the difference. Accurate and consistent comparisons allow everything to settle down and make sense. 

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

Bluebonnet Trail - Fix It Friday #8

Bluebonnet Trail, 6 x 8, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2020

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Can it really be Friday again? Are you like me, becoming more and more confused about what day and month it is? Yikes! The corona-calendar is beginning to blurrrrrr... Today's fix it takes place in the blooming fields of Texas in the spring time. Let's go there! :)

BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES:

Problem 1 - Composition! The focal point is poorly placed on the edge of the canvas. All the lines lead to that focal point and the eye keeps on going, right out of the canvas.

Fix 1 - Moved tree focal point away from the edge of the painting.

Fix 2 - Redirected trail... better use of perspective to let the eye "amble in" and around in the painting.

Problem 2 - Background and foreground fought for attention.

Fix 1 - Established a better defined focal point with new trees in middle ground.

Fix 2 - Muted color and softened contrast of distant tree line to push it back.

Fix 3 - Softened contrast of bluebonnets to let the eye move past them. 

OBSERVATIONS:

One composition rule says that when two design elements touch, the best practice is to either overlap them or pull them apart. Otherwise, this tangent creates visual tension. In this case, the two design elements were the tree mass focal point and the edge of the canvas (yes, the four edges of the canvas must always be considered in the overall composition.) Moving the focal point immediately released that tension. The rest of the changes were just gravy. 

This is ANOTHER reminder to give myself permission to move things around. Copying a scene tree for tree, and plant for plant does not always make the most pleasing composition. Rearranging the elements allowed this painting to flow in a much more natural, easy way.

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

Fix It Friday #4 - Dune Shadows

Dune Shadows,6 x 8, Oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020

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I spend a lot of time on the Georgia coast and walking the beach is my favorite way to start the day. I love all of its sights and smells and sounds; and the peacefulness it offers is a daily gift. This week I heard this beach is closed! I guess it had to be done because people tend to congregate there (especially at spring break), but wow. So sad.

Since I can't be there... here is ANOTHER beach scene makeover for today's Fix-It Friday. This little plein air piece had some of the same issues as my last post!!! Hmmmmm... a recurring problem... this is a good thing to learn about myself! 

 BEFORE

 AFTER

CHANGES:

Problem 1 - Another stagnant horizon line. 

Fix 1 - Raised up the foreground grasses to break through the horizon line. 

Fix 2 - Added some activity in the sky to break up horizontal bands. 

Fix 3 - Varied water line on shore to break up horizontal bands.

Problem 2 - Focal point is off the page.

See how the line of grasses and the horizon line make a racetrack to the far right corner? They take the viewer right off the page because there is no other clear focal point. 

Fix 1 - Enlarged and enhanced the first clump of grasses, making it the focal point.

Fix 2 - Enhanced sky activity to pull the eye back in.

OBSERVATIONS:

The first problem reminds me that even if the actual subject doesn't have what I need, I can change things. There are almost always examples of what I need all around - grasses farther up on the dunes, a wisp of clouds that can be enhanced. Use everything. Even memories. 

The second problem was compositional. In this case, a little manipulation helped. The taller grasses help to keep the viewer traveling around the scene. NOW, the eye sees the large grasses first, travels up the leaning grasses, jumps to the clouds, and comes BACK to the large grasses along the dune line. (The goal is to keep the viewer in the picture as long as possible!)

Biggest take-away??? Apparently I like painting dune grasses at the beach. AND, making the same mistakes. Maybe, just maybe, I should remember these lessons and approach this subject differently next time I am outside painting it. How much better to get it right the first time!! ;)

Click Here to see Fix It Friday #1

Click Here to see Fix it Friday #2 

Click Here to see Fix it Friday #3

Fix It Friday #3 - Beach Study

Beach Study, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020

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I hope this post finds you well. It has been a crazy week all over the country, as we have watched institutions shut down and events get canceled. I've had to cancel my own upcoming workshops, which makes me so sad. It's a nerve-wracking time for us all.

So... let's have some fun with paint on "Fix It Friday"... 

FIXER UPPER #3 - Beach Study, 6 x 8, oil on panel

BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES:

Problem 1 - Stagnant horizon line.

Fix 1 - Extended the grasses up over the horizon, made focal point more pronounced. 

Fix 2 - Added birds at horizon for movement and to draw eye into the picture plane.

Problem 2 - Foreground is cramped.

Fix 1 - Eliminated shadow and grasses in corner which opens up entry to beach.

Fix 2 - Kept part of the shadow lead in, but muted way down.

Problem 3 - Overall coolness in color.

Fix 1 - Warmed up sandy foreground.

Fix 2 - Warmed up clouds.

OBSERVATION:

It's always a good idea to let one element dominate. In this case the big clump of sea grasses are the main "event", but they were diminished in the first version. Giving them a larger presence and popping them above the horizon allows them to have the attention they are due.

Click Here to see Fix It Friday #1
Click Here to see Fix it Friday #2 

FIX IT FRIDAY 2 - Bowing to the Mist

Bowing to the Mist, 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020

Click to purchase $120 + $16 s/h

Welcome back to Fix It Friday! 

This is a little painting that has been on the shelf, screaming at me for years. That little tree in front was absolutely trapped, creating visual tension. It was as if it was pruned back to fit within the edges of the canvas.  When I finally took it down and reworked it, I wondered why it took me so long. And I really wondered why I didn't notice that tension when I painted it. 

FIXER UPPER #2 - Bowing to the Mist, 8 x 6, oil on panel

BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES:
Problem 1 - Main tree was cramped.
Fix 1 - Reshaped the tree to allow it to go off the edge of canvas.
Problem 2 - Color was dull.
Fix 2 - Brightened up the mist color and kept tree color more uniform. 

OBSERVATION:
The edges of a canvas are actually design elements, and they impact a painting's composition. The related design principle to remember here is that when two design elements meet up, either pull them back from each other or make them overlap. Letting the tree overlap the edges of the canvas (vs pulling them back in the original) is a WAY more aesthetically pleasing solution. 

FIX IT FRIDAY! Fixing flawed paintings...

Beach Promises, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020

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INTRODUCING MY NEW SERIES... FIX IT FRIDAY! 

Sometimes, a painting just doesn't work. Usually, I chalk that failure up to practice, and just move on. But some of those "bloopers" have captured something. They cry out for a DO-OVER, and just need some minor editing to make them "work". With a little bit of TLC, they transform and offer up lessons about color, value, or composition. Of course, the goal is always to get it right the first time; but this process helps me identify where and how I lose the plot. (It's also a great warm up activity!)

Read on, and tune in for the next few Fix-It Fridays when I will show my experiments with Do-Overs, including before and after shots and a brief explanation of changes I made. 

Fixer Upper #1 - Beach Promises, 6 x 8, oil on panel

BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES:

Problem 1 - Corridor to beach is too wide and exposed.

Fix 1 - Made opening more irregular, and enhanced dominance on left side. 

Problem 2 - Foliage is skimpy.

Fix 2 - Enhanced all foliage, keeping left side dominant.

OBSERVATION:
When I painted the original piece on location, I let myself get too stuck to what was actually there (skimpy foliage and all). As painters, we want to be free to exaggerate the "feeling" of the scene and adjust reality as needed. I hope I remember this lesson next time I need to change up the scene a little bit! ;)
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2020 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

SEE DETAILS ON MY WEBSITE: laureldaniel.com 

March 30-April 2, 2020 - Wimberley, Texas

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

May 8-9, 2020 - Austin, Texas (full with wait list)

Plantation Lawn - demo notes!

Plantation Lawn, 6 x 8, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

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Plantation Lawn is a demo from my spring workshop in St. Simons Island, GA. We were painting at the historical Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation (we always go to wonderful places and have a great time! Just sayin'...) If you are thinking about putting a workshop on your Christmas list, I would love to have you come to one of mine! For full details and contact info, please visit my website. Here are the dates and locations... 

2020 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

March 30-April 2, 2020 - Wimberley, Texas

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

May 8-9, 2020 - Austin, Texas

DETAILS ON MY WEBSITE: laureldaniel.com 

And here is a snippet of the day. I often start with a paint along demo, where students follow the same steps as me. It helps to step through the whole process together, and the "see and do" aspect reinforces muscle memory (for both brain and hand...

Getting started - Compose with lines and shapes that will direct eye flow. Create an "envelope" to contain shapes (sometimes they want to grow).

Block-in value patterns of large shapes. Mass-in Upright planes in the shadow family.

 Mass-in Upright planes in the light family.

Mass-in ground plane and sky plane.

Finishing - Finesse edges and add final highlights at the very end.

Crooked Little Tree - repeat post with active link for purchasing

Crooked Little Tree, 8 x 6, Oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

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Due to technical difficulties (okay, okay, due to operator error) I posted this small painting two days ago with a broken link to PayPal. If you were interested in purchasing it and couldn't get through, please try again. It wants to find its forever home! :)

Crooked Little Tree (purchase link repaired)

Crooked Little Tree, 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

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In his book, The Art Spirit, Robert Henri writes, "Give the tree its gesture." The full quote reads like this...

"Get one form that looks like the tree rather than little pickings at the branches. Give the tree its gesture. Some trees are heavy, ample and full. In a tree, there is a spirit of life, a spirit of growth and a spirit of heading its head up." - Robert Henri

I thought of these words as painted this crooked little tree. In fact, I try to access this idea whenever I paint trees, of any kind. It's important to look for the quirky spirit that makes each one unique. When you find it, celebrate it! It's also what makes them fun to paint. 

Not a bad lens to view ALL of life from! ;)

Winter Harbor

Winter Harbor, 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

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Another title for this piece could have been "Moored and Forgotten". Although the harbor waters were smooth as glass, the air was frosty and no one was out for water sports of any kind! The upside??? Those three boats stayed right in place for the duration of my painting session! It was pretty cold for painting too. I'm not going to lie, I didn't last long myself. :)

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2020 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

(A good thing to add to your Christmas list!)

March 30-April 2, 2020 - Wimberley, Texas

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

May 8-9, 2020 - Austin, Texas

SEE DETAILS ON MY WEBSITE: laureldaniel.com 

Palm Breeze

Palm Breeze, 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

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As a practice, I carry extra, small canvases out into the field; and I highly recommend it. They are great for focused studies of specific subjects, and perfect for shorter painting sessions when time allows. This piece hit both of those categories. I was about to load my car after my morning painting session, when I looked up to see this combination of shapes and textures. I love palm trees and clouds, and am always game for observing them both more closely. I had the time, and decided to give it a go. Always worth it!

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Start planning now...

2020 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

March 30-April 2, 2020 - Wimberley, Texas

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

May 8-9, 2020 - Austin, Texas

SEE DETAILS ON MY WEBSITE: laureldaniel.com 

Country Field - Aesthetic vs. Reality

Country Field, 8 x 6, Oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

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"Country Field" is a small demo I painted for a plein air workshop this past spring. After I finished and even signed it, I was bothered by some things. While I had managed to replicate the scene, it wasn't aesthetically pleasing to me. An additional lesson came to mind what is more important: aesthetic or reality? I say aesthetic.  

Sometimes it is necessary to adjust reality a bit to accurately portray what we SEE and FEEL about our subject. Permission granted to make changes for the betterment of your painting! 

In this case, I had stuck a little too close to the real thing and lost the feeling of the place... so... I did some adjusting! Below you can see the before and after photos of this piece, and a photo of the scene. 

Changes I made and why:

1) I gave the main tree shape a more interesting shape by cutting back in with sky and distant tree line. Before, the main tree was too perfectly round and static.

2) I cooled down distant row of trees. Before, the distant trees were not receding enough, or separating enough from the front tree.

3) I added more fencing on the right. Before, there was too much weight on the left side. The added fence counterbalances that weight and creates a more specific "path" into the scene.

4) I lightened up the highlights on the trees. Before, the highlights did not fully convey the light that came and went that day.

5) I added Bluebonnets. Before, there was no reference to season. It was Texas Spring! Bluebonnets were everywhere else and I had plenty of reference. HAD to!

Above: Before 

Below: After

And here is a photo of the scene...