Monday, May 25, 2009

Different Stroke Painting of the Week - Farm

'Farm' 8" x 10" Chroma Atelier Interactive acrylics
For the current DSDF challenge.

"Put the brush down, and step away from the painting!" - that's one of my favorite sayings, but rarely do I remember to listen to it! Painting is hard. Period... Pastels are much easier for me.

I decided to use some of the leftover Chroma paints which I saved from the workshop a week ago. They were inside a covered plastic container and still in good shape. I'm still not sold on the paint, but I can't really say its the brand. Its just that I am so rusty working with paint. If I would have had some of the extra mediums which were sampled at the workshop (to slow drying, thicken, etc.), I might have been happier. I don't want to buy any until I decide that I'd like to work in paint more. I have a dozen or so tubes of regular acrylics, so not sure the Chroma would be a good investment until I get more practice with acrylics in general.

I started this painting last night, and wasn't having much luck, so turned off the light. Later, I peeked in and it looked like it had promise. So this morning I went back to work on it. I was still struggling with finding the right brush and tried a palette knife, trying to figure out how to apply the paint. Should be such a basic step, right? Perhaps I was really wanting a thicker application, but I didn't have a thickening medium. - Excuses, excuses....

I kept working on it and decided enough was enough and was just going to quit on it, and perhaps do one in pastel instead. After I returned to the studio from cleanup, it looked pretty good from a distance! I think I might have captured the sunlit sky hitting the rooftops. To me, it looks like a very bright day, with deep shadows formed from high full clouds blocking out some of the fields.

I need to remember to step back and look at my paintings from afar. Too many times, I get so knit-picky, working too closely.

7 comments:

Peggy Montano & Paintings said...

Just great! It looks like those paints worked well.
Also like the paintings below this.

Ann Rogers said...

Looks like you captured it! The colors work so well and you achieved such great distance in the mountains.

Maria Kovalenko Leysens said...

I think it worked out well for you. I love the colors, soft and cool. Feels like spring to me.

Nancy L. Vance said...

Thanks everyone!!

L.Holm said...

I think you did a great job. I've heard chromas are tough to work with. Especially nice job considering it's not your usual medium.

Gwen Bell said...

Nice work! I like the vertical format too. Although the reference shows that huge horizontal view, this format "feels" roomier and more balanced.

dominique eichi said...

I like it what a great rendition for DSFDF