Weekend Painting with the Plein Air Buds

Kim Painting on the Rocks, oil on panel, 9x12 inches

Went to Treasure Island this morning bright and early to get some outdoor painting in with the Plein Air Buds!  These are a group of friends that organize painting outings.  They even have their own Instagram @pleinairbuds.  My buddy Franklin Lei (another skilled painter to check out) invited me to paint with them, and it's a great way to get outside and paint in a totally different way and environment than when you're painting in the studio or at home.

I was lucky, the very talented Kim Herbst set up to paint close to the water right in the middle of these big rocks, which gave me plenty of time to paint her while she was painting.  It was too tempting the way the sun was hitting her and the rocks surrounding.  I was happy with the way this painting came out.

Orange Scissors on Blue Paper

Orange Scissors on Blue Paper, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Another small painting of these orange scissors.  I'm finding them to be a very interesting subject to paint and to look at!  

Curvy Vase

Curvy Vase, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

This beautiful vase I got from home.  I used it for the painting of tulips I did just before this one.  I really love how the vase opens up at the top and flows as if it were a flower itself.

Tulips in Vase with Water Jar

Tulips in Vase with Water Jar, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

I bought tulips yesterday. I have always found painting flowers to be difficult.  Maybe because they are so delicate and organic, it's hard for me to paint without those hard lines.  But I want to get good at painting them because I find flowers so beautiful and a great subject in paintings.

Yellow Flowers on Green Plate #2

Yellow Flowers on Green Plate #2, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Here is the same set up of flowers, only I wanted to center them in the picture frame.

Yellow Flowers on Green Plate

Yellow Flowers on Green Plate, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

I've always had trouble painting flowers, but I love seeing them beautifully painted.  Herein lies the dilemma. I want to be able to paint flowers in a way that translates the beauty of the flower using the beauty of the paint. So now is as good a time to start as any I think.

Coat Hanger

Coat Hanger, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Another object that was in my studio that I thought would be interesting to paint.  Some things just look like that make good shadows, and that's really what does it for me.  I look at something and if it looks interesting to me at that moment...boom. Inception.  And I will paint it.

Coffee Cup

Coffee Cup, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Impression of Glass Swan

Impression of Glass Swan, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Single swan swims silent and sweet.

Silver sun shines a slight silver sheet.

Settled smooth stream stands so still.

Spots shone silver as silk stars spill.

Nothing on my Plate

Nothing on my Plate, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

A still life using my super reflective silver plate.  Even though you can barely tell it's silver because the light is shining directly above it and the plate is reflecting darkness!  The jar of water was in the shadowy background which made a great addition to the composition, I thought.

Self Portrait: What Have I Become

Self Portrait: What Have I Become, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

I was very excited to give this a try.  I had a very reflective plate in my studio, and it was basically begging to be used in a painting somehow.  It was a bit difficult to get everything set up so that I could see myself clear enough to paint, and that I at least looked kind of like a human in the reflection.

I haven't done a self portrait in a while, and this wasn't the most straightforward way to do one, but I thought it was such a cool idea, and I'm very proud of the result.  I do believe it has room for improvement, but I am still very happy with it.  Maybe I won't sell this one.. 

Eclipse

Eclipse, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

What started out as a simple subject turned into a very..... not..simple subject.  I just happened upon this when I placed the glass of water on my foreground and the light pointed behind it.  The values were soft, simple, and beautiful!  I thought it would be easy, but I ended up working almost 2 hours trying to get my value relationships correct.  But all the while it was a fun process because I just thought it was so beautiful, and I love the colors that came out.

All on the Table

All on the Table, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

This little scene just so happened to be this exact way, and I thought, "There's a still life right there!  All set up and everything."

I'm using more drawing as I paint, whereas, before I was doing the drawing in the beginning and then trying to fill in the color/values.  

Orange Scissors Everyone Has

Orange Scissors Everyone Has, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Here's a pair of orange scissors I had in the studio.  I'm sure many of you have a pair just like these.  I have seen other artists paint these scissors and they always turn out interesting.  They must just be a very well designed pair of scissors!  I liked painting it because of the different shapes and colors it has in it.  It's round and sharp.  It's orange but creates a deep reddish orange shadow.  And the metal is sharp, simple, and reflective.  I enjoyed painting this 

There is No Spoon

There is No Spoon, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

I loved working with this single, simple object.  It has a power or an attraction to it, I think.  I definitely want to do more of this with other simple objects.

Spool of Gold

Spool of Gold, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

I've been sick the past couple of days, but I'm able to get to the studio and keep up my daily painting at least.  Here is one I painted yesterday.  I bought little spools of ribbon that I found at the dollar store that I thought would be fun to paint.  The start of this painting was terrible, and really looked like it was going to fail really quickly.  But luckily I still had the vision of how it could succeed, so I made the adjustments and took it from bad to rad.  Or maybe from terrible to bearable haha

Glass Water and Two Sidekicks

Glass Water and Two Sidekicks, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Expanding beyond the single glass of water, adding two elements into the image.  Tried to play with light and depth.  Though I like the results I think a bit more emphasis on the distance would have helped show the glass is in front.

Glass Half Full

Glass Half Full, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

I really wanted to get back to basics on this one, and I felt great about it!  I was trying to use only a few colors (Ultramarine Blue, Burnt sienna, Yellow Ochre, and Titanium White), but I snuck a little Cobalt Blue in there ;).  Anyway, the goal was to work loose, only record the truly important elements of what I was seeing, and to keep a balanced composition.  And I feel like I accomplished that!

I tend to fuss over brush marks, even when I tell myself to work loose, so one of my goals was to put a mark down and leave it.

Hens and Chicks and Green

Hens and Chicks and Green, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

On my third painting of the hens and chicks outside my studio and I'm starting to understand it a little better each time.  I like these subjects because it's a simple exercise of light and shadow.  The only thing I need to figure out is how to photograph my work immediately after without getting so much glare!  

Hens and Chicks and Gold

Hens and Chicks and Gold, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

2nd Hens and Chick succulent plant painting.  I'm really starting to enjoy painting these!  From start to finish, I feel like I have a good plan and it and it goes pretty smoothly.  I really like the way they turn out too.  I'm not too sure about the decorative additions around the flower (the little white flowers).  Maybe it would be better without it, or maybe I rushed them.  

Little Green Plant

Little Green Plant, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

This little green plant was outside my studio building and I really loved the way it looks with the sun shining on it, so I took a bunch of pictures!  This is one of them.  They are really small.  My painting is probably bigger than the real flower.  Unfortunately I don't know the real name of it so I'm just calling it Little Green Plant.  

Blue Gold and Red

Blue, Gold, and Red, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Quick still life today. Thought I would compose the colors and I was really happy with the result.  Though, I have a tough time working within a short time frame.  I didn't stick to my time limit because it was not going to look finished at all.  So, I think I need to commit to a time limit next time and really try to have it finished by that time.  

Oh and I thought I would try these Ampersand gesso panels, and I really am liking them!  They are smooth and consistent.  The first time I used it was weird because I wasn't used to the smoothness.  The panels I gessoed for myself all had a bit of a rough texture, but I was thinking it might end up damaging my delicate brushes, so these Ampersand ones are a nice change up, and I think I will stick with them for a while, and also experiment with other surfaces when I can.  

White Flowers

White Flower, oil on panel, 6x6

Today I really wanted to get loose and draw as I went.  I took some photos of my mother's flowers she has in the kitchen.  I experimented a bit with the color again.. Actually everything was just an experiment, really.  The color, the composition, and the way I painted (quick and loose).  I wanted to work within a time frame, too, because I heard that is a good way to improve: give yourself a time frame and try to finish within that time, which forces you to think fast and paint fast.  I will definitely try the time limit again.

Boat on the Bay

Boat on the Bay, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Back at it again with the daily painting! I'm learning more about color and composition so I thought I'd play around a little with both.  This was done from a photo I took a couple years ago.  Since the photo was a relatively simple composition of light and depth because of the strong light of the sunset shining through the fog and sparkling on top of the water, it made clear and strong values to work from.

It looks like a simple little painting, but I must admit I probably spent way more time on it than I should have.  The water turned into a much more complicated subject than I originally thought.

Opening Reception at Studio Gallery

I took the day off yesterday to spend time with my girlfriend, Renee.  We don't get to spend a lot of time together since we both have a lot going on in our daily lives, but yesterday we went to the Millbrae Art and Wine festival, and we had a great time.  We've been last year, and we both agree that this year was way better.  They had so many booths, games, musicians, food, and we had to try some of the wine!  Anyway we had a great time, even though it was so hot we ended up taking a break to walk through Safeway just for the AC.

Today is the opening reception of the show, Delicious, at STUDIO Gallery in San Francisco.  It's from 2-6pm if you read this in time and have a chance to stop by.  I have a painting in the show (shown below) and there are a lot more beautiful paintings there as well. 

Green Fridge, oil on canvas, 20x16 inches

Blue Bowl

I liked how this little blue bowl turned out, and I enjoyed the process of painting it.  I think I was fussing with it a bit too much at times, and my original drawing wasn't perfect when I started, but I feel like I am learning little things with every daily painting I do.

"Paint as you like and die happy."  --Henry Miller