I loved how hot these flowers looked. They make me feel warm when it is cold and rainy outside. They brighten my days.
8x10 Oil on Canvas
200.00
Linda Dalton Walker web-site.
Contemporary Fine Art International
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Artist Linda Dalton Walker, Flowers, Red Butte Garden, Oil Painting
I loved how hot these flowers looked. They make me feel warm when it is cold and rainy outside. They brighten my days.
8x10 Oil on Canvas
200.00
Linda Dalton Walker web-site.
Contemporary Fine Art International
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
"Sage Valley" - Watercolor - Russell Black
"Sage Valley"
22" x 15" - $400 US
Today, the local watercolor society went out to a spot just north of my home here in St. George. I tagged along as a guest and produced this little painting of the sage brush leading up to Pine Valley mountain. I kept things simple rather than a detailed description, which is more my style.
Artist Linda Dalton Walker, Flowers Red Butte Garden, Oil Painting
I was surprised to find these beauties tucked around one of the buildings at Red Butte Garden. I love the way they all cluster together - much like friends who help each other.
8x10 Oil on Canvas
200.00
Linda Dalton Walker web-site.
Contemporary Fine Art International
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Artist Linda Dalton Walker, Magnolia, Red Butte Garden, Oil Paintings
I wanted so badly to capture a Magnolia flower. They always make me smile when I see the tree in bloom. This was close to the last survivor - such beauty.
8x10 Oil on Canvas
200.00
Linda Dalton Walker web-site.
Contemporary Fine Art International
Monday, May 20, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Linda Dalton Walker, Flower Painting, Red Butte Garden, Oil Painting
I recently finished some paintings from flowers in Red Butte Garden to accompany my art show at Whole Foods in Sugarhouse this coming June.
They are 8" x 10"
200.00
Linda Dalton Walker
CFAI
Friday, May 17, 2013
"Maynard's Gate" - Watercolor - Russell Black
"Maynard's Gate"
15" x 22" - $400 US
My final painting for the Earthfest event out at the Maynard Dixon ranch. It was a fun week.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
"Sugar Knoll - Mt. Carmel" - Watercolor - Russell Black
"Sugar Knoll - Mt. Carmel"
15" x 22" - $400 US
Today's painting done live out at Earthfest. This view of Sugar Knoll is from the front of the Thunderbird Foundation at the Maynard Dixon ranch.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
"Milford's View" - Watercolor - Russell Black
"Milford's View"
15" x 22" - $400 US
This was done today out at Earthfest and is the view from the front yard of Milford Zornes' home and studio (which also belonged to Maynard Dixon as well).
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
"The Coop" - Watercolor - Russell Black
"The Coop"
15" x 22" - $400 US
Today's painting out at Earthfest.
ARTOUTWEST BISON WILDLIFE OIL PAINTING BY DIANE WHITEHEAD
36x36
Old Man Bison
I will be posting sporadically for the next week or so. Packing it up and heading to Montana!
Monday, May 13, 2013
"Kanab Farm" - Watercolor - Russell Black
"Kanab Farm"
15" x 22" - Sold!!!
This painting was done today at the Earthfest event over in Mt. Carmel.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
"Barn Clutter #2" - Watercolor - Russell Black
"Barn Clutter #2"
15" x 22" - $400 US
This painting was done today out at the Earthfest event over in Mt. Carmel. To see more of my work, please visit my website at... http://tinpanpainter.webs.com/
Friday, May 10, 2013
Sketch - "Good Eats" - Russell Black
Line Sketch
Getting ready for a week long plein aire event takes a bit of prep work. Painting on location doesn't mean that I have to begin every painting from scratch when on site. Even though these sketches take only fifteen minutes or so to do, there is quite a bit of time spent making the decisions as to what to include and what to change or alter within the scene before I pick up my marker. The actual "design" time can range from several minutes to several hours. When I'm on location, I usually do this work between washes and there is never a guarantee that my efforts will bare fruit. This is why I like to bring along several pre-planned paintings just in case I hit an idea dry spell.
VPS - "Good Eats"
With several sketches in hand, I can relax when I'm out on location for the first few days of the event. I can concentrate on just painting and I don't have to generate ideas under pressure. If you're going to be out in the spotlight and demo, then you need to set things up to be successful.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Sketch - "Kanab Ranch" - Russell Black
Line Sketch
Still working from recent sketches, I pulled out this one of a ranch house over in Kanab, UT., which is just south of Mt. Carmel. One thing about this area is the ability to still find rather rustic dwellings. Most have been replaced by more modern structures, but some farms still have the original buildings from the early 20th century standing. You sometimes have to drive further down the dirt road to spot them, so always ask permission to cross onto someone's property.
Value Pattern Sketch
Back home is where I produce my VPS. In this case my notes suggested that the original "scene" lighting from the left was fairly good, so I kept it. I've rearranged a few things in the scene to make it a better painting, but that's our job as artists. We're not in the business of reporting the "truth" of what something is, but rather we are entertainers giving the audience an experience. I'm hoping this idea will communicate the idea of the scene without being too literal.
The one thing I haven't discussed in this series of sketches (see previous posts), are my color choices. I rarely try to match local colors unless they are particularly interesting or unusual in some way. In the sketch, I've left certain areas (the roof for example), as a blank shape. Roof colors here can be anything from the traditional brown, shake roof to practically any color of galvanized metal. When I'm out on location next week, I might just pick a color that pops up along my drive over to Mt. Carmel. Let the Fates decide.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Sketch - "The Coop" - Russell Black
Line Sketch
I'm still preparing for my on location painting trip over to Mt. Carmel and Earthfest (see previous posts), and today I pulled out another quick sketch that seemed promising (above). I love farm life. My Grandparents were farmers and I still spend a great deal of time in rural areas here in Utah.
VPS Sketch
Following the same procedures as before (see previous post), I added in the midtones and darks of the design to produce my VPS (Value Pattern Sketch). Chickens make great additions to any barn scene and they are not all that difficult to paint. I had an Uncle who raised these tasty creatures (1,000 of them to be exact), and I had some up close and personal experiences with them on my Grandparent's residence back in the 60's. One particularly nasty rooster even chased me up into the back of a truck.
He did, however, provide us with a fine dinner that night. Grandma wasn't too fond of that rooster either.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Sketch - Barn Clutter #2 - Russell Black
Basic Line Sketch
In preparation for next week's Earthfest (see post below), I'm going through my sketches to see what I can use for my first day's painting. I usually like to hit the ground running so to speak, and having the first painting already laid out is one way to reduce a bit of the stress level. Since I will be out in Mt. Carmel, I naturally pull out the sketches from that area. I recently did a painting of one of the local barns in this area ("Barn Clutter" which I posted back on April 1st), and I also have several other sketches of this same subject to work from. One of these is the above which shows a slightly more "normal" approach (above).
When I'm out sketching, I just do a simple line sketch using my Ultra Fine point Sharpie marker (the new ones that don't bleed), and this is what I come home with. I rarely use a camera anymore, having made a commitment to do the work by hand. That decision made more than twenty years ago has served me well.
The next step is to create the VPS (the Value Pattern Sketch), that I will paint from. The VPS is a vital and necessary part of the process. One mistake made by most amateurs is that they skip this all important step, and their work shows it. In workshops, I'm constantly asked by students how to "fix" a bad painting in progress, and 99% of the time the real problem is that the student has no game plan, no visual idea of where the painting should be going. In short, they're lost! That's the job of the VPS. It gives you direction and tells you exactly where you are in the process and most importantly, where you need to go and what to do next. If there is any "secret" to getting better as a painter it's this - learn to create a good VPS.
Adding the Midtones
My next step towards the creation of the VPS is to add in the midtones (above). I pick a location and direction of the light source (in this case the upper right corner), and add in the basic cast shadows and areas of shade based on the principles of constructed light. I don't rely on the actual "scene" lighting in most cases. The problem with on location lighting patterns is that you are typically on site during the worst time of day (11am to 3pm), and all you have to work with is rather flat, overhead lighting. Not the best conditions when you are trying to make a visual statement. It's better, therefore, to construct the lighting patterns that you need when you get back home. This isn't difficult, but it does require you to know and have a working knowledge of how light works. I use a 50% gray Prismacolor marker for this step.
Adding the Darks
The final step is to add in the dark values (above). Again, I use a black Sharpie marker for the job. I know that there are a number of instructors out there who dislike the Sharpie, claiming that the ink fades over time. So what? This isn't a finished drawing which needs preservation. It's a working sketch that only has to last long enough for me to complete the painting. Besides, I scan in all of my sketches these days. I also make a few final adjustments with my gray marker, placing a few cast shadows where needed.
Don't go overboard with lots of details. It's not necessary. Save the explanations of "what" something is for the actual painting. The VPS shouldn't take you more than fifteen or twenty minutes to produce and will save you countless hours of frustration. It doesn't matter what medium you paint in (watercolor, oils, acrylics, etc.), these sketches are like money in the bank. Especially if you paint in watercolor as we have to plan ahead to reserved our whites. Another advantage of the VPS done in this manner is that it's also the same sequence of tonal application as in the actual painting, i.e., painting from light to dark. With very few exceptions, when I make a VPS, I know exactly how the entire painting will be accomplished when I pick up my brush. Yes, in watercolor there are those happy "accidents" that are certainly a part of the process, but in general we need to paint according to a plan and apply our layers in a specific order.
The VPS is the plan and the way to get the job done. With the VPS in hand I can now consider the options of color more easily as I have my tonal road map to guide me from here on out. I can splash away and get really bold with my strokes and colors, as long as I remember to follow my value plan.
Earthfest
Just a reminder, I will be painting on location at the Earthfest out in Mt. Carmel at the Maynard Dixon property. This ranch was once owned by both Maynard Dixon and Milford Zornes and is being preserved as a part of Utah's art heritage. If you live in the area or are visiting locally, please come and see the art on display in the gallery and visit with me and the other artists taking part in this event.
We look forward to seeing you.
Friday, May 3, 2013
"Rockville Victorian" - Watercolor - Russell Black
"Rockville Victorian"
15" x 22" - $400 US
To finish up this painting, all that was needed were the dark bits of calligraphy (see previous posts). The line work snaps everything into focus. A simple painting, but it tells the story without all of the fuss and bother.
"Rockville Victorian" - Part 2 - Russell Black
Continuing from the previous post, once the first layer has had a chance to dry, I now begin to paint in the various shapes of the design. I apply a mixed violet to the areas that will represent shade and shadow areas of the building.
I then mix a green and make some bold marks to indicate the basic idea of foliage.
Using both red and brown, I make marks that suggest the roof line and several trees.
I add in some calligraphy to further indicate the notion of trees.
I finally add in some of the darker shapes within the foliage and some marks on the stones. Remember, this is all just symbology for the "things" in the scene. Most are all made of single strokes, done directly with the brush. This stage will now dry before I add in the line work that will tighten things up a bit.
"Rockville Victorian" - Watercolor - West Coast Style - Russell Black
When I begin a new painting, I always consider the "style" that I want to use to capture my feelings about the subject. As the old saying goes, "...there's more than one way to skin a Gundar." Anyway, since I'm originally from California, I'm choosing to paint in the regional style of CA, sometimes referred to as the "West Coast" method.
For those of you not familiar with the WC style, I'll refer you to the website... http://www.californiawatercolor.com/ for further examination.
The subject for this painting will be a home over in Rockville, UT, which is just a stone's throw away from Zion National Park. There are several "Victorian" style homes in this quaint little town, and my idea is to give this subject a more abstracted, Californian look. I begin with a quick sketch...
I'm influenced by several artists of the CA period and I intentionally flatten the space and simplify the subject down to just the basic component parts. This isn't "reality" and I know that the sketch looks a bit primitive. Great. Just what I'm after.
My next step is to produce a value pattern sketch, which I do with a 50% gray marker and a black marker. I keep the abstraction idea going by using a basic checkerboard pattern, also typical of the CA or WC style. With this done, I'll enlarge the sketch (now at 4" x 6"), up to a half sheet of watercolor paper (15" x 22").
Note: students make a fatal mistake here. They tend to paint too small (quarter sheets at 11" x 15", or smaller ???), and subsequently they can't get the dynamics of the brush strokes into their work. Working small may seem safer, however, it limits what you can do and you never get the strength of the brush marks into the work. This painting needs bold strokes and you just can't get those when you paint on a post card size piece of paper. I know that it's scary holding a 3" wide flat brush full of paint in your hand. Get over it. If you want your work to look fresh, loose, and bold, then you need to ditch the micro brushes and sling some paint around with a large brush.
After wetting my paper on both sides (or you can soak the sheet), I use my towel to surface dry the front side. This leaves the paper wet at the core, but gives me control when I apply the color. I can get both rough texture and soft texture at the same time. Painting on "damp" paper is one of the hallmarks of this style and isn't mentioned much anymore in books. Why? I don't know, but it's a great way to get a painting started.
Using two colors (Cadmium Yellow and Cadmium Red), I lay in some bold strokes using my 3" and 2" flat brushes. I also use a 1.5" flat for some of the smaller strokes. Again, big, bold, directional strokes of color. I'm not concerned with "painting inside the lines", another typical mistake. Notice in some cases I went through the established lines, in some cases I pulled up short of the line. This gives the work an "off register" look. Where I want stability (the base of the house), it's there that I hit the line on the nose.
There are a couple of classical CA techniques employed, such as the haloed sun and the push-pull on the right hand tree. The areas of white paper are also important as "white" is used as a color in this method of painting. The white areas are critical to this piece and since I can't use white paint, I must plan ahead to make sure that they are in the proper place within the design.
After a quick dry, I'll continue.
For those of you not familiar with the WC style, I'll refer you to the website... http://www.californiawatercolor.com/ for further examination.
The subject for this painting will be a home over in Rockville, UT, which is just a stone's throw away from Zion National Park. There are several "Victorian" style homes in this quaint little town, and my idea is to give this subject a more abstracted, Californian look. I begin with a quick sketch...
Line Sketch
I'm influenced by several artists of the CA period and I intentionally flatten the space and simplify the subject down to just the basic component parts. This isn't "reality" and I know that the sketch looks a bit primitive. Great. Just what I'm after.
Value Sketch
My next step is to produce a value pattern sketch, which I do with a 50% gray marker and a black marker. I keep the abstraction idea going by using a basic checkerboard pattern, also typical of the CA or WC style. With this done, I'll enlarge the sketch (now at 4" x 6"), up to a half sheet of watercolor paper (15" x 22").
Note: students make a fatal mistake here. They tend to paint too small (quarter sheets at 11" x 15", or smaller ???), and subsequently they can't get the dynamics of the brush strokes into their work. Working small may seem safer, however, it limits what you can do and you never get the strength of the brush marks into the work. This painting needs bold strokes and you just can't get those when you paint on a post card size piece of paper. I know that it's scary holding a 3" wide flat brush full of paint in your hand. Get over it. If you want your work to look fresh, loose, and bold, then you need to ditch the micro brushes and sling some paint around with a large brush.
First Wash
After wetting my paper on both sides (or you can soak the sheet), I use my towel to surface dry the front side. This leaves the paper wet at the core, but gives me control when I apply the color. I can get both rough texture and soft texture at the same time. Painting on "damp" paper is one of the hallmarks of this style and isn't mentioned much anymore in books. Why? I don't know, but it's a great way to get a painting started.
Using two colors (Cadmium Yellow and Cadmium Red), I lay in some bold strokes using my 3" and 2" flat brushes. I also use a 1.5" flat for some of the smaller strokes. Again, big, bold, directional strokes of color. I'm not concerned with "painting inside the lines", another typical mistake. Notice in some cases I went through the established lines, in some cases I pulled up short of the line. This gives the work an "off register" look. Where I want stability (the base of the house), it's there that I hit the line on the nose.
There are a couple of classical CA techniques employed, such as the haloed sun and the push-pull on the right hand tree. The areas of white paper are also important as "white" is used as a color in this method of painting. The white areas are critical to this piece and since I can't use white paint, I must plan ahead to make sure that they are in the proper place within the design.
After a quick dry, I'll continue.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
ARTOUTWEST DIANE WHITEHEAD FINE ART OIL PAINTING WESTERN COWBOY
36 x 60 x 1.5 Oil on Canvas
I wanna be a Cowboy
Friday, April 26, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
ARTOUTWEST DIANE WHITEHEAD FINE ART OIL PAINTING MOOSE CHROMA
MOOSE CHROMA
40X40 OIL ON CANVAS
I Love the color in this painting.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
ARTOUTWEST DIANE WHITEHEAD NEW BEAR IN TOWN OIL PAINTING ORIGINA;L
NEW BEAR IN TOWN
Thinking about all the photographers in Yellowstone today snapping photos and having a great day. Wish I were there!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Chickadee, Pansies & Watering Can
Chickadee, Pansies & Watering Can
Patricia Lee Christensen
9" x 12" Watercolor on 140 lb Arches Cold Press Watercolor Paper
Available at my Etsy Shop
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
"Bodie Mill" - Watercolor - Russell Black
"Bodie Mill"
15" x 22"
I'll think that I'll let this one stand as it is. There are a couple of things that didn't turn out exactly as planned, but then that's watercolor. It would be worse to correct the issues rather than to keep things as they are. Better to leave it slightly false and fresh. An overworked painting never looks good.
"Bodie Mill" - Stage 2 - Russell Black
Stage 1 - Basic Shapes
Once the first layer has dried (above), I continue the painting. For the next step, I want to keep things as loose as possible, just like the first layer.
Stampings
Using an old piece of mat board, I stamp in some of the elements like the beams and roof lines (above). This technique is both quick and a little unpredictable. You can stamp with just the edge of the mat board, or you can drag the edge to make larger marks. I also added a few actual brush strokes into the mix. I quick dry this with my hair dryer.
Brush Work
Using a number of different brushes, I add in the calligraphy which describes the subject. I try to keep this brief and do as little as possible. Less is more.
At this point I want to stop and evaluate the painting. It might be finished or it might need another touch or two. I'll place it in a temporary frame and view it for a couple of hours and see what I think about it. Often, it's a good idea to stop well before you think you're done. You might actually be surprised to see that you have stopped just in time.
"Bodie Mill" - Stage 1 - Russell Black
"Bodie Mill"
Yesterday, I showed you a way to simplify this idea in preparation for a watercolor painting, which produced the sketch below...
Bodie Mill - Sketch
To begin the painting, I'll duplicate the basic shapes onto a half sheet of 140lb cold pressed watercolor paper.
Sketch on watercolor paper using a #2 yellow pencil.
We only need the basic shapes that were a part of the original line sketch (see yesterday's post). You don't need details. Drawing too much leads to a tight, rather stiff painting. I want to keep this one as loose as possible for as long as possible, so I'm going to start off Wet-into-Wet.
Wet-into-Wet beginning.
After soaking the paper completely (dripping wet), I begin to apply my colors using my 3", 2", and 1.5" flat brushes. Notice how wet and shiny the paper is and you can see that the colors do bleed quite a bit. That's okay. This medium is all about "wetness" and a watercolor should look wet, even when it's dry. That's the whole point of this medium.
The painting a few minutes later after it has set up a bit.
Above is the painting after a few minutes. The colors have had a chance to set up a bit and stabilize. The bleeds are still there and will become part of the painting's charm. This has to dry completely before I can continue.
With this first stage I try to get the basic colors in place at about the right value. I've also done a bit of scraping with a plastic card to indicate some windows and possibly some scrap boards and other junk that I can take advantage of later on. Remember, if you draw every little detail out on your paper, then you feel obligated to paint all of it. You play "coloring book" with the painting instead of using a more painterly approach. Keep that in mind.
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