This will be my last post on my plein air journey and my second to last post for the season. Over the course of this learning process, I have learned a number of things.
1. Linseed oil is essential.
2. Setting up and taking down a French easel is like wrestling an ungainly deer with injured legs.
3. Oil paints aren’t as intimidating as everyone makes them sound, and every artist should try them at least once.
For this week’s painting session, I complained that I was tired of painting trees, and then hiked about a mile until I reached a spot completely surrounded by them. Naturally. However, at least my arms got a good workout from carrying all those supplies, even if I terrorized the local goose population by lugging my burdens directly through their flock. The spot I finally settled on involved a steep, winding path that stretched up into a thinner section of forest. the light shining through was pleasant (even if it looks dark in my reference photo, which was taken in a moment of overcast skies.)
Strangely enough, knowing that I would be taking studio time to straighten out any issues I had with my painting actually made me a bit more stressed at first. I suppose I was thinking of the fact that an image of the location couldn’t capture the subtleties of actually being there, and would then cause me to both overcomplicate the work and create a stiff-looking image. As a result, I wanted to get as much humanly possible done as I was in the woods. Firstly, my perspective ended up being a little wonky, as the path is not actually as steep as depicted. However, in a way, it helped give a greater sense of depth, or at least that’s what I have convinced myself. The warm tones of the burnt sienna already greatly complemented the green tones of the scene, and the appearance encouraged me.
I will admit I wish I had gotten an image of the in-between stage before adding so many details, but I will have to do my best to paint with words instead. To begin with, I added the sky, which was the brightest part of the composition. To create the trees in the background, I added some sienna to the sky color to create those soft, less discernable shapes. The made sort of an archway around the path, which I greatly enjoyed. The dark tree trunk in the foreground was a giant blob for a long time, but as I wanted to practice making more sharp edges, I spent a lot of time making sure it looked crisp. Adding the secondary colors on top, with those hints of blue and green, ended up being my favorite part of the painting. The leaves, as usual, ended up being a pile of undiscernible marks, a weakness I definitely need to work on. There are just so, so many leaves, and I am not sure still how to depict the overabundance. Once I was generally satisfied with my foundational painting, I took it home for studio time.
Once home, and once enough time had passed to where I could see it with fresh eyes, I began refining my composition. I attempted to make the leaves look less “blobby” and hopefully succeeded in some areas. The effect of the cadmium yellow to produce a sunshine-like effect is unmatched, and I added it to the sides of the trees and to thin patches in the canopy. Perhaps I should have simplified the ground covering more, but it was absolutely fun to paint. The many colors of green I mixed all came in handy. Overall, the effect does appear busy, and there are definitely improvements to be made. However, this week I learned that synthesizing a photograph with your actual knowledge of the place is not as difficult as it seems. When looking at the picture, even though the lighting wasn’t the same (since it was taken at the beginning of the session, before the sun was setting,) it helped me better differentiate the foreground from the background. It helped me notice the bright light pouring in at the end of the path. It especially helped me notice how saturated sections of he leaves are. This painting obviously took the most time, but it offered a chance to practice my observational skills twice over. And that skill, of noticing the beauty of life and the world around you, is more valuable in this present day than any of us can imagine.
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