Stormy Fields - Fix It Friday #22

Stormy Fields, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020

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Today I am revisiting a plein air piece from a dark and turbulent day in 2016. A storm was coming and the sky kept changing with each passing moment. My painting ended up with a sunless sky and a well-lit foreground. Well, which was it? Those fast and furious efforts of mine depicted a contradictory tale. Hmmm...

BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES

Problem - Sky plane and ground plane disagreed about the light.

Fix - Muted ground plane and added more "lowlights".

Fix - Lightened the sky plane with soft light in clouds.

Problem - Clouds were flat (they were not rain-laden).

Fix - Gave clouds volume by adding a "light side" to the shapes.

Fix - Reinforced the shadow sides of the clouds (to indicate heaviness and the density of moisture-about-to-burst.)

Fix - Developed cloud layers and filled the whole sky to emphasize their size.

OBSERVATIONS

A general "rule" about darks and lights in the landscape is that usually the sky is the lightest plane because that is where the sun lives. Since the ground plane simply reflects the sun's light, it is usually darker than the sky. My original painting had that relationship reversed: the sky was much darker than the ground. (Sometimes a stormy sky can be darker, but this one just wasn't working.)

Also true: Color often appears intensified on a muted, dark day. I did love that intensity, but I totally overdid it with the grasses in my original attempt. As I made other adjustments to make the scene "read" correctly, those needed to be altered too. It was a bit of a toggle...

Flying High - Fix It Friday #21

Flying High, 16 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020

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TGIF!! Or, should I say, TGIF-I-F!!! I do love fix it Friday.

This is a painting from last fall that kept catching my attention. I liked it, but something was off and I didn't know what it was. That "nudge" became crystal clear after my last post about finding depth in a painting. (Be careful what you preach... it may come back to haunt you!) ;)

Here's why...

BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES

Problem - The sky plane was... flat! The cloud layers all had the same treatment of light, shadow, shape, and color. 

Fix - Created scale shift between foreground clouds (made bigger) and background clouds (made smaller). 

Fix - Removed contrast from background clouds (made them more muted, less highlights).

Fix - Added contrast to foreground clouds (gave more color, stronger highlights).

Fix - Increased gradation of blue sky from muted at the horizon to more intense at top.

Problem - Ground plane was also a bit flat.

Fix - Added marsh creek into layers to create a sense of space and depth. (It breaks up the marsh grass and reflects the sky.)

OBSERVATIONS

I remember this day, I was in the moment, responding and having fun. It is so easy to forget principles when we are in the thick of things. And, sometimes it takes awhile for awareness to catch up. Now, I can relax into the scene when I look at it! Ah...

Backyard Rest Stop - Fix It Friday #17

Backyard Rest Stop, 16 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020

Todays makeover is one from the archives, and it's a good lesson in composition (on what NOT to do). I was drawn to this cozy scene in my backyard for it's familiarity, good vibes, and simple one-point perspective. I also wanted some practice observing perspective and architecture, so I gave it a go. (It was also raining and this was the only place to paint, and stay dry.)

BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES:

Problem 1 - All the perspective lines led the viewer's eye right past my subject.

Fix - Added a railing to contain the eye within the porch area.

Fix - Made the coffee table edges curvy, to slow down the "racetrack" effect.

Fix - Lushed up my subject (added more flowers, warmed up color, added more suggested detail.)

Problem 2 - Overall tone was drab and flat.

Fix - Popped some warm light onto bricks.

Fix - Warmed up white window frames and siding.

OBSERVATIONS:

Lines of perspective can have a very strong directional impact. They can be like pointing arrows. In this case, my goal was to create a scene that the viewer would sit down in, and want to stay for awhile. Wouldn't it have been great if all the lines were pointing to my sitting area?? That wasn't happening. 

We want to use built-in lines of perspective (and other elements) to take the viewer TO our focal point... NOT away from it. What I learned from this one is to pay attention to where the "lines" are pointing, and be intentional about how I use them. 

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Flowers of the Field - with process shots!

Flowers of the Field, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

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Painting wildflowers in the hill country is always a treat for me. Maybe that's because before I moved to Texas 20 years ago, I was pretty convinced that this state was all just desert. I could not have been more wrong. There are so many different regions here, and the Hill Country might have the most unexpected beauty of them all. I still wonder at the color that appears each spring and fall!

For you painters out there, here is a series of process shots to show how the painting came together...

My start was a loose sketch for placement and composition.

Building on that initial sketch, I paid close attention to form and value. 

(That yellow stain is a place holder for flowers that will come later.)

Working dark to light, I painted the foreground uprights first. Then I moved to the distant uprights, muting them down to make them recede into the atmosphere.

Next I added the ground plane and sky plane. Since value and color are all relative, it's important to constantly compare and adjust to make all the parts work. 

Finishing the piece included muting the distant uprights even more, and popping the highlights on the foreground elements. I always save those marks for the end, so I can key them off what is happening in the rest of the painting. 

Here is a shot from my easel... parked ever so cooly in the shade! ;)

Flying High

Flying High, 16 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

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This painting represents pure summertime joy... birds flying high in a playful sky and shimmering colors on the marsh... island time, my fave! I can never get enough! Is it a coincidence that I am dreaming of warm sea breezes on this freezing day in November? I think not! ;)

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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 

Texas Spring (study for commission)

Texas Spring (study), 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

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Back in the spring, I was commissioned to paint a "classic Texas" scene. What did that include? Well, live oaks and bluebonnets of course, but there was also a request for some TEXAS LONGHORNS! If you follow college athletics, especially football, you will have heard of Bevo, our beloved Longhorn mascot at the University of Texas. This painting was to be a gift for my client's husband, who is an alum. I totally "got it"... why it was important, why it had to be. This is Longhorn country and I am a fan, so I happily jumped right in! 

The first thing I did was to find a local ranch where I could study an actual herd, and take pictures from lots of angles. I had a lot of fun on that mission, and this field study became the jumping off point for the commission piece that came later. My next post will be all about the process of a commission, and how this one came together. Please stay tuned! 

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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 

Dockside Line Up

Dockside Line Up, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

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Shrimp boats in the low country make such a beautiful sight... whether they are hard at work out in the ocean (with millions of birds circling them), or resting quietly at the dock. I love painting them because it's such a challenge. They are incredibly complicated with booms and nets and lines going everywhere. But for me, it's all about the overall scene... the light, the setting, the colors, and the feeling. Too much hard detail will distract from that. My strategy is to get the basic positions, shapes, and angles as accurate as possible, and simply suggest all the rigging. Then I let the eye fill in the rest. 

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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

Date is firm - details coming soon!

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

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

May 8-9, 2020 - Austin, Texas

Contemporary Austin Art School, Registration opens in December

Seaworthy

Seaworthy, 16 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2017

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This past weekend I made a quick trip down to St. Simons Island, and that almost always means some good painting time outside! It's fun to just start driving and see what inspires. Boats always catch my eye and sailboats have a special romance. Even though I don't even know how to sail, I sure do love the look of them! This one was docked and ready for a run... fortunately, it stayed put for the duration of my painting. :)

For those of you who have kindly inquired, ours and our family's homes were all spared any damage in Hurricane Irma. There was quite a bit of flooding on the island, and many trees were stripped and burned by the salt winds. The island was closed for almost a week, but I am happy to report that all is now calm. These storms are scary. 

Swirling Vines - with process shots

Swirling Vines, 12 x 16, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2017

Collection of the artist

The Georgia coastline and St. Simons Island are known for their huge Live Oak trees draped in Spanish Moss. I love them so much (and have since my first encounter), AND I find them very challenging to paint. There is just so much going on... this one was especially complicated, with tangled vines wrapped all around its multiple trunks. 

Below is a photo of the scene and some process shots. You can see that I simplified the background quite a bit, a necessary sacrifice in order for the tree to emerge. One thing I have learned along the way is that you can't have it all! ;) (That is true for a lot of things, isn't it?)

Setting the scene... the tangled tree in a grove of Live Oaks.

In my initial sketch, I tried to establish the movement of the vines.

As the painting progressed, details came and went... and came back again!

When the light peeked through, I popped in highlights and final marks.

That moss? I dragged it in at the very end.

Local Color - Georgia Coast

Local Color, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2017

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The Crab Trap, a restaurant on St. Simons Island, has been around for ever and ever it seems... through changing times and all the new trends. There is nothing quite like their fried shrimp and hush puppies. But besides all that, they have the best display of flowers! I love driving by and simply taking in all the colors!

Just as I was finishing up this painting, a sweet little girl and her dad came over to see it. She told me (quite confidently) that she will be an artist when she grows up. So, of course, she happily took me up on my offer to make a little painting right there on the spot. My apron was a bit long, but she had a ball! I believe she is ALREADY an artist!

Well done, my little artist buddy!

Quiet Moment Under the Lych Gate - Georgia Coast

Quiet Moment Under The Lych Gate, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2017

Christ Church, Frederica is a beautiful, historic church on the north end of St. Simons Island, GA. It is surrounded by gardens, a cemetery (where some our family are buried), and huge live oak trees that were standing when it was first established by the English colonists in 1736. The term "Lych Gate" refers to a covered gateway to an English-style churchyard. This one does just that, and its path leads through a dappled yard to the gothic-style episcopal church. A few years ago I painted the church entrance and steeple - see below. Together, these two paintings may give you a bit of the very quiet and dappled feeling of this hallowed place.

Sunlit Steeple, 16 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2015

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Stormy Fields and Upcoming Workshop

Stormy Fields, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2017

On stormy, overcast days, I notice that color in the ground plane is much more intense. This piece is from late fall and I just kept forgetting to post it. Sometimes life gets busy! I loved the combination of colors this day... a muted, periwinkle sky with those rich, yellow grasses. 

UPCOMING WORKSHOP (still a couple of spots):
En Plein Air: Strong Starts
March 30 - April 1, 2017
Contact: Anderson Fine Art Gallery
Email: mand@mindspring.com
Phone: 912-634-8414
More details, click HERE.

Cafe De Flore

Cafe De Flore, 16 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2017

Auction Donation - Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL

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This cafe scene is all about the leisurely joy of lunching with friends. Do we EVER make enough time for that in our lives? I don't think so. Here's to slowing down more often. A cuppa al fresco does wonders for the soul!

Available at the Huntsville Museum of Art Gala and Art Auction - March 4, 2017.

Patio Welcome

Patio Welcome, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2017

Auction Donation - Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL
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This weekend, the Huntsville Museum of Art is holding its 26th Annual Gala and Art Auction. One of my dear patrons is one of the chairmen, and she invited me to join in. This little patio garden scene will be in the silent auction on Saturday night. Unfortunately, I will not be able to be there, but if YOU are, have fun and I hope you find some art that you can't live without! All proceeds benefit the museum. 

Beach Walking Day

Beach Walking Day, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2016

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Walking the beach is one of my favorite things to do, and these folks had the right idea... they got out early to beat the heat (like me)! I didn't initially plan to include the people, but they seemed to walk right in! I couldn't say no. ;)