The Art of the Quick Sketch

15 minute quick sketch

photo of quick sketch subject

good friends and fellow painters, hard at work

Recently, my dear painting friends Janice Robertson, Liz Wiltzen, Sarah Kidner and Jean Pedersen let me talk them into a visit to my studio in Sorrento BC.  The purpose: to eat, chat about and figure out the big questions surrounding art (and life) and to paint ourselves into a corner.  Literally.  We painted the model for four days in a row, everything from a lithe ballerina, to a very handsome young aussie fellow (Jean just wanted to hear him talk) and ended our last session with a white bearded older gentleman.

Painting the model from life is most challenging.  We did a lot of portraits, but started out with the infamous "quick sketch".  These were done in paint primarily.  Two, five, ten, twenty minutes tops - and generally wiped off immediately after being finished.  I have put a quick sketch above that I took a photo of before wiping off.  The purpose of short lived quick sketch is to serve as invaluable practice.  The name of the game is to sharpen the eye.  Proportions, tonal values, color relationships. You have heard me talk about these before, and may be rolling your eyes right about now.

I included the photo just to serve as an example, so that you can see that only the necessary information is recorded. There is simply no time for the extraneous.  This is not a finished painting, it is a PRACTICE PAINTING.

We think it logical that musicians practice scales and arpeggios many times, not for the purpose of performance, but to make them better when they do perform.  Likewise dancers spend many hours strengthening and conditioning so that they are able to "deliver" when it comes to the actual performance.  Yet we artists.......

So, this was practice time.  A very profitable and fun week indeed.  I only have a few "keepers" from the session, but I increased a skill set.  That was the point. I think I speak for the whole group when I say it was challenging, frustrating,  completely engaging - and it was fun.

I have decided to offer a painting from the model "quick sketch" workshop at the end of February.  If you are interested, please drop me a line - we will paint from the model for three to four days, and I guarantee that you will find it hard work.  You'll also have a blast.  I know we did.  I will post the particulars on the sidebar of this blog and also on my website:  gayeadams.com.

Keep those brushes flying!

Gaye

Color vs. Tonality

This small study was a good excercise in moving colors in and out of light.  By that I am referring to what happens to a color, say red in this example as it moves away from the light.  Obviously, the red gets darker.  Notice that it does something else as well.  It desaturates.

What does that mean?  So glad you asked.  To desaturate a color is to move it in a more neutral direction.  Instead of having one or two of the primaries  (red, yellow, blue) in the mixture, it has all three.  In the shadow size of this apple, the red has  both blue and yellow mixed into it.  Blue darkens the mixture, yellow helps to neutralize it, but red still predominates.  I find students get confused around this process.  The thinking  that we have to resist is that in order to make the red darker, we  must add black.  Black can - and usually does - change the mixture to the wrong color and the wrong temperature. Using white by itself in order to bring an object to light creates similar issues of course.  Black and white out of the tube (and remember there are numerous whites and blacks that can be purchased in the tube and no two of them are the same color) will change the color as well as the tonal value.


One must consider both chroma (color) and tonality (relative lightness or darkness) at the same time.  Notice the yellow on the lit side of the apple, and how both the chroma and tonality change completely as it moves into shadow.  All of these relationships need to be right, or the painting will not "read".  It will simply look wrong.  To help with this process, it is useful to isolate various passages in order to view them more accurately.  The use of a "peep hole" aids me greatly when I am having trouble seeing things accurately.  A small hole in a gray piece of paper will work just fine for this.  Move the peep hole from one area to another, and compare what you see.  Is is darker, lighter, warmer, cooler....and then believe your eyes.

This is a good way to convince your mind of the truth your eyes already see.  And the truth shall set you free.

Happy painting,

Gaye

About Aerial Perspective

Aerial perspective is the term given to the effect created when objects are viewed through the atmosphere.  Dust, smoke, or moisture particulates suspended in the atmosphere viel what we see in the distance.  Generally hills or whatever else we are viewing through the layer of atmosphere become lighter in tonal value, and cooler in temperature.

In the Canadian Rockies, this effect is virtually unnoticeable on a very clear day and at a high altitude due to thin atmosphere and virtually no particulates, whereas in coastal locations there is often mist, fog, etc., that creates cooler and lighter distant vistas.

Of course, this changes again when you are in an area where dust particulates gather in the air with moisture droplets.  The dust hanging in the air (or whatever other pollutant may be present) creates a warmer distant color than if there was just moisture present.  Are you confused yet?  There is an elegant solution:  paint what you see.

I find the tendency is to  paint the distant hills darker and warmer than they actually are.  Be aware of this tendency and look again.  Harder.  Believe your eyes - it's only your mind that plays tricks.

Happy painting all,

Gaye



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Back to the land of the ice and snow

Goleta Beach was my last painting location in Santa Barbara - I'm back to Sorrento, but still California dreamin'.  I painted faster than I posted, so I still have some plein air sketches coming your way over the next two weeks.  Perhaps  looking at the southern Californian landscape  will help keep you warm:).

After a whole month of painting on location I have to ask myself what I learned.  These small paintings are certainly not as lucrative to sell as larger studio paintings, so why would I spend a whole month doing it?  The easy answer is that when I get back to the studio after a stretch of painting out doors, the studio paintings seem to go more easily than before.  All that training of the eye - nothing like it.  Really.



Happy painting,
Gaye

A word about painting trees....

This trip I seem to be painting a LOT of trees - I'm trying to find the "bones".  These are such complex forms that they have to be simplified - I don't have all day you know - and the basic structure has to hold together.  Studying the Gestalt of the thing is important.  If the structure (drawing) is wrong, the painting on top of it will not hold together.  It is like putting siding on a house that is framed out of square - it just doesn't work.

John Carlson (Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting) talked a lot about the nature of trees, how slow growing trees (like oaks)  have more crooks and curls, faster growing trees  (like this Eucalyptus tree) are taller and the limbs straighter, and how no tree  ever grows straight up and down.  I am finding all of this out - tree by tree by tree.  I am doing a meditation on trees.  And this place certainly has a lot to meditate on.

Happy painting, everyone.

Eucalyptus Study 8X10" oil on canvas

I've been looking at the Eucalyptus trees ever since my first visit to Santa Barbara but had not yet painted one except as a distant element.  The trees are so large that it is difficult to get back far enough to see the entire form.  I had an opportunity this last week, and so here is my effort.  It was a lot of information to simplify.  A lot can be left out, as long as what you leave in is correct. Besides, there is no time to paint a lot of detail.  Changing light and chilly breezes certainly encourage brevity.

It's humbling this painting out doors.  It feels so often that my vision exceeds my grasp, yet I keep bellying back up for another round.   Ah, the thrill of the chase.

Best,
Gaye

"Goleta Beach Tidal Estuary", oil on canvas 8X10"

So, I'm at this AMAZING beach, and couldn't decide what direction to paint - as you can see, I didn't paint the beach.  These oak trees, which are very old and very plentiful in this area, silhouetted against the distant lit hills caught my attention.  You have to paint what engages you, otherwise the energy for painting the thing well is simply not there.  At least not for me.

"The main thing  is to keep the main thing the main thing" (Stephen Covey) - especially when there are a lot of interesting elements to choose from.  So many important lessons I am learning as I spend a month painting in the great outdoors.  One burning question stays at the forefront of my mind every time I set up:  "When is this going to get easy???"

Happy Painting,

Gaye

"Cliffs at Leadbetter Beach", oil on canvas, 10X8"

This little demo painting was completed in about 45 minutes during the workshop I taught here in Santa Barbara.  The light here is different than in BC.  The palette is generally warmer than what I would use at home, and the forms are unique to this area as well - such an adventure.  Also, I am loving the excuse to spend all day in some really stunning locations.  The trick is to try and do it justice - one can only try.

I have posted below a photo that I took today of the Monarch butterfly migration - here they are clustering on a Eucalyptus tree while resting and warming themselves.  An amazing thing to see.  Speaking of warm, it was about 80 degrees F here today.  Sending some warmth your way....

Happy painting!
Gaye

Life's a Beach....

Hard day at the office!  I just heard my driveway back in Sorrento, BC has a foot of snow on it so I am feeling understandably smug.

I just finished teaching a four day workshop here in Santa Barbara, and had a wonderful group of painters.  This is an amazing place with amazing light - I'll be sending some more images over the next couple of weeks.  Just about every place I've set up to paint, it's tough to know which direction to face as there is such a plethora of stunning visual elements to work with.

I've been painting most days since I have been here, and will start to post those paintings soon.  In the meantime,  I hope all of you will try to stay warm.  I'll be sending you warm thoughts :).  Below is a very quick demo done at the end of the day, turned 180 degrees from the beach I painted on earlier. 

"Hendry's  Slough", 30 minute color study, 8X10"

The Painting is the Teacher....

Last weekend, my good painting buddy Janice Robertson invited me to come out and introduce daily painting to a group of her painting friends.   The top photo is in Janice's new studio and the bottom photo is of the group of wonderful women  I had the pleasure of working with (Janice is middle second row, I am middle bottom row).  It was a good group of painters,  some of whom paint professionally. The idea of teaching anything to those that probably know as much as or more than me was a little daunting, but the group soon put me at ease.

I am convinced anew at the value of this process.  Every single little painting presents new lessons, no matter what the skill or experience level of the painter.  For each participant, the lessons began with the first brushstroke and never stopped.  The painting is the teacher, and we are all, always, students.

Thank you Janice for your hospitality, sharing your lovely space and your wonderful friends. Thanks to Mark Hobson for the great photos, and to the workshop participants,  for their willingness, good energy and hard work.  You guys rocked!

"Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment" - Eastern Saying

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween, kiddies!  The leaves are yellow, the pumpkins off the vine and a decided nip is in the air here in the interior of BC.

I enjoyed painting these tiny pumpkins - so many plane changes - lots to work with.  I wanted to do something I haven't tried before, so I threw some foil wrapped Werther's candies into the mix.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to get them to read as shiny, but then I remembered  these words of wisdom - "YOU CAN ONLY EVER PAINT THREE THINGS - VALUE, COLOR, AND SHAPE".  Get those things right and the painting paints itself - it's sort of like putting a puzzle together.  If you start by getting one color/tonal/shape relationship right, then put the next right one next to that, etc, all the pieces fit in the end.   If you do this, the painting gets easier, not harder, as you progress.  Having said that, I did make some adjustments as I went along.  I don't often get it exactly right with the first stroke.  And that's okay.

Stay warm and have a safe, fun Halloween.  Don't eat too much candy.  Isn't it tough when the traffic of little trick or treaters to your door slows down and you think - whatever should I do with all this chocolate? Oh yeah....

Happy Painting,
Gaye

"Fall Tomatoes" 6X8", oil on canvas

This is a very simple subject matter made interesting with gradations, temperature changes and a complimentary color palette.  When the subject matter is this simple, it's easy to make a boring painting.  It is necessary that all the small changes be exactly right ie, the color and tone of the reflection of the plate on the bottom of the tomatoe,  and the careful drawing of the green stem.

Its a lot of fun to experiment with different color palettes during these daily paintings.  When painting the landscape from life, most of the visual information is dictated by what  is in front of you.  I have fun looking through my fridge, my stack of colored cloths, and my plates and trying different things.  Sometimes making a decision on what to paint and then finding a workable design takes as much time as the painting process.  And really, why shouldn't it?

Have some fun with these little paintings.  Come on out and play.

Best,
Gaye

Practice, practice....the yoga of daily painting

I've done quite a few small studies this week, and get the sense my painting chops are sharpening greatly from just a week ago.  I practice yoga daily, and it has been said that if you do yoga every day for a month, you  will become a yogini for life.  I have found this to be true - a day without yoga always feels a little "off" so I always come back to the mat.  I have become aware of how much better I feel and function when doing yoga regularly.  I gotta say, this practice of regular painting from life is much the same way.  It does for my eye what yoga does for my body.

I leave tomorrow to teach a daily painting workshop in Calgary - perhaps I shall see you there!

Paint on brothers and sisters, paint on.

If you don't use it, ya lose it....

I've spent the last two days just doing these little still life set ups  (this one is a little 6X8" study) - and omigosh, I can't believe how quickly I got rusty - it just took  a matter of weeks. It's interesting.....Richard Schmid describes the process of "seeing" as mental discipline, and just like any other discipline, lack of practice creates atrophy.  It would seem that if you don't work regularly from life, this atrophy will most certainly occur.  In my experience, drawing skills fade first, then  the ability to see tonal changes, subtle color and temperature changes, etc.

If you ask anyone that is a regular painter about the phenomenon I've just described, I'm sure they will confirm my opinion.  I have two sons that do art for a living; one a graphic designer, the other an animator.  Both of them are superb drawers, and we have had this discussion many times.  It seems neither right nor fair -  we argue that once we have learned how to draw/paint we should be able to keep that skill level whether we use it or not - but it ain't necessarily so.

Soooo.....maybe I've convinced you to set up a still life today and jump into the deep end of the pool?  I hope so.

PS working from a model or painting outdoors will of course achieve the same end - need I mention this? :)

PSS I have a couple workshops coming up that are painting from life - check them out on this blog or on my website.

Happy painting,
Gaye

Studio Work Season....

Today I am showing you another studio piece.  Fall is typically the time of year that I am hunkering in to my studio to catch up and produce some gallery work for fall and Christmas shows.  It is a shift for sure after spending much of the summer painting small studies from life. Although there is a certain satisfaction in completing a larger studio piece, I have to say I have quite fallen in love with the practice of working from life and know that I will keep doing it throughout the rest of my painting career.  I would like to think that the practice informs my larger studio pieces on quite a number of levels.

Over the next few weeks I will be getting in some days devoted entirely to working from life (GOTTA keep my chops up) and I am looking forward to that.  I'm loving the challenge and the results I see in my growth as a painter as a result of the practice of daily painting.  I will post some of those as I get them done.

In the mean time, I'm hoping all of you are keeping the paint flying and the brushes wet.

Best,
Gaye

"Hat Creek Pony" oil on canvas, 16X20"

This is a little studio painting....time to push out a few larger paintings.  I find it interesting how much more quickly studio paintings go since I have been working at improving my core skills by drawing and painting from life.  As I have discussed with fellow painters, skill levels tend to plateau when only studio painting is done - and by this I am referring to paintings that are  executed  primarily with the use of photographic reference, working 2D to 2D.   Working from life is a lot tougher, but really necessary if you are wanting to see improvement.

I am always curious to know what the experiences of other artists are like in this regard, so drop me a line if you have some comment around this.  Inquiring minds want to know.

As always - happy painting!

Gaye

Whistler Workshop

This was my demo piece today - the students asked me to paint something with glass - which isn't my first choice for a demo painting, but I dove in anyways.  This was 8X8" and painted up without incident.  It always fun to see how much I can leave out and still make something read, and here I left out a lot of information in terms of the small shapes in the glass, but it I think it worked. Less is usually more.   

 Here's me and my group (I'm the blonde in the front row) - a great bunch with wonderful energy. 

I threw everybody in to the deep end of the pool, with only three days to hammer in a lot of basics - design,  drawing, tonal relationships, temperature relationships....all the basics of representational painting.  I am more convinced than ever of the value of daily painting as a teaching tool.  As usual, there was some frustration rising initially, and some were needing to "take a moment" to decompress when frustration rose up, but, without exception, everyone persevered and in the end seemed as proud of their efforts as I was of them.

Great work gang!  Also thanks to the folks at Whistler Arts Council and at Nita Lodge for looking after me so well.  I'd come back here in a heart beat.

A word about the demo process....

This little painting was another demo done while I was in Gibsons.  Here's the thing about doing demo paintings:  the concentration required to get all of the necessary elements in the painting reading well - drawing, tonlaity, color temperature relationships, etc., is a very right brain process.  If concentration is off, things generally start running amuck, and sometimes very quickly.

Talking to a group of people about what I am doing while I am doing it,  drags me back into a verbal, analytical mode that does not lend itself into seeing things well.  It's quite the mental excercise to focus between verbal expression around painting process and  getting the painting right while doing it. 

Many students have told me that they find the demo work time in the workshop most valuable to their learning,  so demos will always be an important instructional tool in my workshops. It is a time honored teaching method, and one that most instructors I know find to be a little nerve-jangling.   I  grateful that I always find myself painting to a gracious audience.

Best,
Gaye

"Pair of Peaches", 6X6", oil on canvas

I had the opportunity to work with a bright and engaging group of painters at Gibsons School of the Arts just recently.  Omigosh, they worked so hard!  This is a demo painting  I did about half way through the workshop.

The room was silent, as students one by one came to the realization that I WAS REALLY ASKING THEM TO PAINT WHAT THEY SAW.  I think some had hoped there was some "wiggle room" in the task I was asking them to perform; namely that of painting from life, and getting all the shapes, tones,  and colors right.  Thought also needed to be given to design - in fact design was the first job on the slate as they each set up their own still life. The angst was palpable at times due to frustration levels rising as different challenges presented themselves, one by one.

In the end, everyone was smiling and quite pleased and perhaps surprised by what they had accomplished. They also (I hope) came away with the knowledge that the point of the excercise here WAS the excercise.  The practice, on a regular basis, of training your eye to see by painting and drawing by life, is the best skill builder I have ever run across.

My thanks to Sandra, Terry, Shirley and all the folks at Gibsons School of the Arts for a wonderful instructing experience.  Thanks also to my hard working and good natured students.  You guys were amazing, and it was a pleasure to work with you.

Keep that paint flying!

"Quill Lake Sunset" 6X8", soft pastel on paper

Dear Readers,

I have been sooo remiss in my postings.  I've been wandering around studying and teaching in this last month and it has taken my time and energy, but it's been a great month!

This is a pastel demo rendered during a workshop I recently taught in Qualicum Beach.  There is a WONDERFUL pastel showing there right now.  All soft pastel - a rare thing indeed.  The workshop was in conjunction with the show.  Pastellist Dan Gray organized the show which can be seen at The Old School House.  The show includes work by AY Jackson, Harley Brown,  Grandmaison, and includes a wonderful selection of  current Canadian pastellists.  Top notch in my books.

Pastel was my first medium, and I painted in it exclusively for many years, so it was great to get my fingers dirty again.   Its immediacy, malleability and opacity make it a very straight forward and rewarding medium to work in.  The study above probably took about half an hour - gotta love that.

The Quick Sketch

The first five days of the 10 day workshop with Scott and Sue was strictly drawing, starting with the "quick sketch".  These were poses from the model that were 1-5 minutes long.  The instruction is to draw the model as a series of angles, using plumblines to align verically, and the horizontal of your pencil to see angles.  I hadn't really drawn this way from the model for some time.

Here's the thing about drawing:  seeing accurately enough to get the drawing right deteriorates over time unless we are constantly practicing.  Drawing from photos is much easier (2D to 2D), so practice from life is essential in order to get the drawing chops honed.  If ya don't use it ya lose it, much in the same way our body loses condition if we stop excercising.

I included this drawing of a short pose so you could see the process of finding angles and alignments.  A nude model is much easier for this purpose simply because you can see the structure and have points to measure off of.  It is also easier to tell when you have gone astray because there is no clothing to cover up your mistakes. 

Draw, pardner.

Workshop with Scott Burdick and Susan Lyon

I'm in North Carolina studying with Susan Lyon and Scott Burdick.  Susan and Scott are two of the most gifted painters in North America, I'm sure.  They are husband and wife, and have been conducting a ten day workshop on figurative and portrait drawing and painting.  They have very different approaches, which has created fascinating counterpoint within the workshop.

I have learned a ton!  The above is a figure study that I was working away on, and Susan came over and "dissapeared" a bunch of the edges on the painting, which brought it together quite nicely.  Lesson learned for that day:  Less is always more, especially in art.

I'll post more after I return home to tell you about the other epiphanies I've received from these two very gifted teachers.

Happy painting, y'all.  Yes, it's true....I'm beginning to pick up the local drawl.  Time to get back to Canada!

"Silver Creek Farm" 8X10"

As I continue to paint in the great outdoors, I have conversations with more and more painters around why they do not bother.  The reasons are many, and they run all the way from mosquito problems to dealings with distracting passersby.  The biggest reason I hear is "I never like anything I paint outdoors - I'm no good at it".

I think outdoor painting has got to be the most challenging of all subjects, except maybe painting from the live model.  That's why we avoid doing it, and that is why we don't get better at it.  The hook for me is that I don't just get better at "it", i.e. outdoor painting, I get better at painting period from merely engaging in the attempt of painting outdoors.  My eye sharpens, my concentration sharpens, my color mixing skills improve, precisely because it is a difficult process and I am challenging myself, much in the way we build muscles by overloading them.

It's an art "work out".  No paint no gain.

"Notch Hill in Early Spring"

This little painting was done from my tail gate a few miles from  home.  On a small canvas, it is so important to decide early what can be left out.  The nuetrals of the background trees not in leaf yet were laid in with some very grayed and lightened greens, and only a few strokes.  I find it a very engaging process getting something to "read" with only a stroke or two.  Less is definately more - and it's certainly more fun than struggling to render little tiny shapes on little tiny canvases, which is just a recipe for unpleasantness in my opinion.

So, spring has sprung, and time for another season of daily paintings in the great outdoors.  Gotta love it!

Happy plein air painting, pilgrims.

"The Coral Scarf" 12X16" oil on canvas

This lovely young woman modeled for the local sketch club and I had the opportunity to do a 1 1/2 hour oil sketch from life.  I took some photos of her, as I wasn't done yet, and completed the study in my studio.

It was interesting that as I pulled out the photo reference of her, I realized that the camera simply was not capable of capturing accurate tonal and temperature changes, which was a great reminder of why I am on this path of working from life on a regular basis.  In fact, as I look on my monitor at this image, my trusty camera dissapoints me again (or perhaps my skills as a photographer, or the callibration on the monitor, or....) as again it loses many subtle relationships in translation from painting to photo of painting.

It is an interesting experiment to start a model or a field study from life, take a photo while set up to paint and finish the painting in the studio.  The amount of missing info, or altered info in the photo is far more profound than you would expect. Experience in painting from life definitely informs the end product.

Happy painting,

Gaye

Beautiful Blue Eyes, oil on canvas, 12X16"

I have been out of touch with you, my dear readers.  Apologies - I have been away on a silent retreat, but more about that in an upcoming post.

What I want to talk to you about today is painting from the model - a really amazing alla prima adventure.  I was invited by my good painting buddies, Liz Wiltzen and Sarah Kidner, to paint from the model for five days running.  This is the kind of training I wish I would have invested in years ago!

I found it challenged me on every level.  This a the 2nd of 5 paintings.  Each was a three hour sitting and most efforts got wiped due to color problems, drawing problems, etc.  I had, well, technical difficulties.  So many subtle color changes, tonal changes, soft edges.  It was not dissimilar to the experience of doing small still life paintings, but WAY harder.  As was the case this time, so often the excercise IS the point of the excercise.  If you walk away with a keeper (I had a 60% wipe off rate) it's a bonus, not an expectation.   It didn't necessarily get easier with each sitting, and there was a new set of challenges with every model, every lighting situation.  I highly recommend the process, although not for the faint of heart.

Keep those brushes wet!

Best,
Gaye

"Grapefruit on Glass" oil on canvas, 6X6"

I had a keen group of students to my studio week before last, and this is a demo painting from that workshop.  "Show us how to do reflections" they asked.  "Sure" said I, "No problem".  It turns out that it was a bit of a problem.  Judging the values took more effort than I had estimated, most especially in the reflection. I misjudged and then had to make changes accordingly.

I think that painting is like music, you do not have to be a musician in order to ascertain when someone misses a sharp or a flat, and nor do you have to be an artist to know that something is not "reading" in a painting.  The musician or the visual artist will,  however,  be the one able to retrace their steps and  make the needed correction.  It's not about never making mistakes, it's figuring out how to fix them that counts in the end.

Happy painting,
Gaye

COME PAINT SPAIN WITH ME!

I am very excited to announce that I will be teaching a ten day workshop in Andalucia, Spain at the end of April, 2012!

Southern Spain in the spring time has an idyllic climate for outdoor painting.  Accommodation is at El Molino, and old mill in the country side that has been refurbished with lovely patios, bedrooms, baths and a gourmet kitchen.  Gourmet meals are prepared by our hosts, Hilary and Mike, who also know the area like the back of their hands.  They will take us on trips to the surrounding villages and towns to paint and experience the architecture, people and cuisine.

For further info, click here:   http://www.flavourofspain.net/2012.htm

It is a small, intimate workshop - only seven students, and registration needs to occur before June 1, 2011.  You can email me directly at gayeadams@telus.net or call 250-675-2976 with any questions.

OLE!

"Lovely Lemons"

I remember over a year or so ago, when I painted my first painting ever of lemons from life.  I simply could NOT get the yellows right, especially as the lemons turned into shadow. The yellows appeared too gray, then too green, then too violet.  This little demo painting almost painted itself in half an hour.

It also occurs to me that I have made gains seeing and rendering edges.  I think my compositional skills may be improving too.  Or perhaps I'm just in a chipper mood.  Time will tell...but I suspect that this daily painting stuff really is a great skill booster.  This is a happy thing.

Warmly,
Gaye

DAILY PAINTING WORKSHOP NEXT WEEKEND

I have a few spaces left in my daily painting workshop coming up on March 11,12 13th.  The workshop will be held in my home studio in Sorrento, BC.  For details,  see the side bar below on this blog.

If you have interest, or if you have questions, please email me directly at gayeadams@telus.net.

I've been teaching aspiring painters for over 20 years,  and I have to say that this particular workshop is without a doubt my favorite to teach.  It is effective, and it is fun.  Let me help you launch your daily painting practice.  Spaces are very limited, as it will be a small class.

Happy painting, everyone!