Hydrangeas

These images represent the last 3 working sessions.  They are also a good look at how the light in the room can effect the photograph.  The top 2 images are closer to the true colors.  The days are quite gray and dim which causes me to use artificial lights in the studio.  This doesn't impact my color as much as it does coverage.

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 12"x12"

This is a quote from the an article John Yau wrote for the online magazine Hyperallergic.  It references Richard Van Buren's sculptures. 
Van Buren’s understanding of time is what sets him apart from his peers. His works are not about the timeless present (Judd and Dan Flavin) or the body (Eva Hesse), nor do they reference art history — Jackson Pollock’s poured paintings, for example. Rather, they acknowledge that time shapes us into forms that we may be unable to recognize, which, if you think about it, is a rather disquieting perception of infinity. 
Deeply, I think this refers to more than our bodies.  Our characters form into qualities that would have shocked us as children or young adults.  Sometimes this revelation is a pleasing one, sometimes not so.  
John Yau was a writing teacher when I was at Bard. And, as a poet not a painter, he was a wonderful critic and would astound me at his insight into both the aesthetic and plastic elements of art. John would probably find Hydrangeas uninspiring, boring and commonplace.  

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 12" x 12"

I spent about 3 hours today on the left side of the center blossom.   The petals on each are much smaller than the previous painting's petals.  I'm having trouble blending such small areas.  I'm afraid it might look more illustrative than I want.  

Hydrangeas

Gwen and Maggie

Maggie, Oil on Board, 6"x9"

Gwen, Oil on Board, 6"x9"

These two oil sketches are of my nieces, Maggie and Gwen Gunnels.  They are always interested in my paintings.  They live many miles from me, but write asking me to draw something and mail it to them. They are twins and wanted drawings for their 12 year November birthday.  I decided instead to give them these little paintings for Christmas.  (They got fancy hair bows for the birthday.)

The boards were salvaged from an old painting which accounts for the pentimento background.  There is also some of that in the hair.  I was unable to use it in the faces because the pentimento obscured their likenesses.  

Hydrangeas

Haven't been in the studio again for days.  We are in Boston this week.  I did manage to work a little on the center bottom blossom.  The light is really strong there.  While in Boston we saw Sargeant's watercolors at the MFA.  He handles wc like an oil painter.  OR maybe he handles his oils like his wc.  Great show, though.  Well curated with a chronological approach that focused on place:  the Alps, Arabia, Venice.

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 12"x12"

I've been in and out of the studio the last 2 months.  Time spent there has been interrupted by travel, company  and fall chores.  I have managed to work on a small rendition of hydrangeas for the Rogers Gallery.  The version here is the second stage in which I block in basic colors, shapes and values.  I have begun to refine the upper left corner.  

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

The completed piece.  I did increase the size of some center leaves.  The reds are uncooperative as a digital photograph image.  The seem not to be in focus.  However, the color is fairly true as are the petal forms.  

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

The center leaves seem too small against the large center bloom.  I've increased the size of a few and will do even more.  

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

I've been painting daily without posting pictures.  The work with red is slow because the translucency makes it difficult to build values. The photograph here does not clearly show the forms of the flowers or the work accomplished.  Red is a difficult color to capture digitally.  

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board

All the forms have been blocked in.  Next to refine the color and values.  Red is fun to work with.  The trail of making the brightest petals is reliant upon the darkest reds.  It will take days for the reds to dry enough to work. So tomorrow I will begin again on the leaves.

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

It's very difficult to find the bright red that occurs when the light shines through the red petals.  I'm making it occur by darkening all the other reds to contrast.  

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

I've return to the geraniums after a couple of weeks working on the Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase.  

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase, Oil on Board, 12"x12"

The completed piece.  I was in Maine this past week and enjoying the multitude of hydrangeas in all their varieties.  Maine has a later blooming season than we.  Still, the blue mop head is my favorite.  

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase, Oil on Board, 12"x12"

I realized today that I've been working primarily with tints and a variety of blues to create contrast.  Usually I will work with a color's complement for a deeper value.  It could just be the nature of the hydrangea: so many different blues and violets rather than one blue affected by a light source.  

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase, Oil on Board, 12"x12"

The ground darkened significantly today with the additional layer of paint.  I am going to lighten the left side as it drops below the table similarly to the right side.

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase, Oil on Board, 12"x12"

Note, when working on board in order to glaze and get highly detailed, refined results, things are great.  When working in a fast and loose manner, not so much.  You can see this in the ground I applied today.  Since there is no tooth to the board, colors that are transparent by nature slip, slide and don't cover.  This, of course, is exactly what I usually want.  But in this case of working more expressively, it slows progress.  I will have to apply the ground at least once, maybe twice more.  It's interesting to study a photograph of the painting.  Things pop that I don't always see looking at the original.  For example, the left upper edge area of the vase needs to have some of the petals overlap more so that it is clear that some petals are seen through the vase and some are in front of the vase.  Having fun with this one.  

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase, Oil on Board, 12"x12"

The board is covered. Next, to make decisions about the ground color.  

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase, Oil on Board, 12"x12"

Just a small amount of progress today in a work session that was only about 1.5 hours.

Hydrangeas, Cobalt Vase

Hydrangeas, Cobalt Vase, Oil on Board, 12"x12"

The photograph is a bit out of focus, but the color is accurate. Initially the ground was going to be a densely dark gray/blue.  But currently I'm considering the color here.  This is a commission for a baby gift and perhaps a lighter palettee is more appropriate. I've painted this vase before and always loved the form.  The glass is a very transparent cobalt.  

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

The weather is so very humid that the red areas have not completely dried in 14 days.  I did work into one with some values, and the others I simply applied another layer of red to address transparency.  The left side of the photograph has glare today.  

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

This view of Geraniums is through our living room windows onto Mink Cove, which empties into Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts.  In the past I have had the marsh as a backdrop to still life paintings.  This is the first where the foreground is ambiguous; where the viewer might be unsure of where she is.  So, I'm unclear on the outcome.  Also, the previous works of flowers have had a deep, dark ground that lent to a surreal or mysterious atmosphere.  I'm concerned this approach may look too nice and clean.  

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

Other than oiling out, which will bring out the deepest colors and enrich it all, I believe I have finished.  I'm anxious to know what the gallery thinks.  I've looked at this so long and so intensely that I can't be objective.  

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

Other than tweaking where I see necessary, I've finally completed the blossoms.  I did a bit of work on the leaves, left side.  I think I need to create some sort of separation between the large pink blossom and the blossom directly to the right.  I can't decide if I will insert a leaf or simply reduce the intensity.  The entire area is too heavy and pulls the eye away.  I may see if increasing the intensity of the leaves to the lower right helps .  

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23" x 34"

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23x34"

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23" x 34"

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23" x 34"

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board 23"x34"

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

I've been photographing the painting with my iPhone 5 and can't seem to square the image despite many efforts.  But, the phone does seem to take a fairly crisp image with accurate color.  And the Photo Stream option with the iCloud makes transfer to the computer a breeze.  Today I finished working the small blossom behind the large pink blossom.  Then I spend some time on a few leaves.  It was a nice respite to not only work a little looser, but to change palettes.  

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

Today my house critic told me this was like looking at wrapping paper.  SIGH

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

After working several hours on the blossom behind and to the right of the large pink blossom, I feel that I have over-worked it and made it as distinct and important as the pink.  It doesn't recede behind the pink.  Tomorrow I will try to either up the brightness of the pink where it abuts the other blossom OR I will rework the 2nd blossom to reduce its crispness of line and color.  

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

Slow progress on the large pink blossom.  But, I can see the forms of each petal solidify as the thin areas are repainted.  

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

As I look back on the dark values added to the pink blossom, I realize they are too intense.  I will need to gray them out a bit.  I also need to create higher contrast between the pink and blue edges.  

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

I lowered the intensity of the blossom on the left behind the large violet/pink blossom.  Hopefully, this will help it to recede.  We'll see when I work into the pink blossom and try to bring it forward.  

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

I spent the entire studio time on one leaf today.  When I asked the house critic if it was over worked, he only said, "I don't understand why you paint leaves that are damaged."  I said, "it makes things more interesting" and, of course, that is the way of nature. He contended that Botticelli would leave off a wart on the nose of his model.  

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas, Oil on Board, 23"x34"

Only had a small amount of time today. I reduced the value of the lower left corner blossom, which can hardly be seen here.  I'm ready to refine my values and begin to think about the overall unity of the piece.  A lot of white ground is still showing through, too.  When that is covered the colors will sing a it more.