Tag Archives: oil painting

Tern Fishing on Lake Huron

I love it when the wind raises on Lake Huron, and the waves come crashing in. This painting is of a tern fishing on a windy day in a bay off of the lake. I spent nearly an hour a couple of months ago watching him swoop into the water and fly back out, fightingContinue reading “Tern Fishing on Lake Huron”

Goldfinch in late winter

I think that goldfinches are lovely birds. This past winter, I was house-sitting for a friend (she has three adorable dogs that require special care since they are getting older) and got an unexpected bonus: I saw this little fellow perched on a rail right outside the window. My friend is an avid birdwatcher, too,Continue reading “Goldfinch in late winter”

Kildeer on the Beach: oil painting

Kildeer are beautiful little birds, and I love watching them on the shores of Lake Huron. In this painting, I wanted to re-create a sunny day with the kildeer in typical postures. I used my usual earth-toned palette, but added cerulean and a touch of cadmium yellow to it.

Learning to Paint Impressionism: Lilac blooms

A few days ago, I set up a still life in my studio with a lilac sprig that I took from the bush outside. I wanted to paint my impressions of light and color, following the Hawthorne method as best as I could. Because of the late afternoon sun, there was a lot of goldenContinue reading “Learning to Paint Impressionism: Lilac blooms”

Lesson 2: color study

I have decided to put myself through a course of painting in the basics, as a refresher. In this part, I first did a value painting by: 1.Using burnt umber for the darks 2. Rubbing out my light areas; 3. I then went over it all again to darken the darkest areas, and added aContinue reading “Lesson 2: color study”

Back to Basics: Value Study

I have been reading some books on painting, and have decided to put myself through a full course of lessons. On this blog, I will share what I am doing, and learning, because I want to improve (and this type of “back to the beginning” will hopefully have that effect). The first lesson involves workingContinue reading “Back to Basics: Value Study”