pretty good week

It feels like I  had a pretty good week painting wise. This one is from this morning off of Cherry Vale rd. The trees are turning there fall colors every where you look. It is such a beautiful time of year.

This is from this after noon. I went back to sawmill ponds where there is something to paint any direction you look. I am on the shadow side of these trees. Trying to paint the light coming in from the other side was the lesson of the afternoon. 

This was painted last evening from our deck. I set up about an hour before I new the light was going to look like this. I had it all laid out and ready to go for when the light was just right, then I had to work fast to get all the colors and values just right. The sun was down in no time. All in all I think it turned out pretty good.

This was done Friday late afternoon from our deck. Again the sun went down quickly so I had to remember. I am quite happy with this.

I painted this earlier in the week I think my new under painting technique along with a new medium is starting to pay off.

This is another under painting done in our Weds night figure session. It was raining when I took it out to the car. Being oil I wasn't worried, but apparently this medium is water soluble. That's where all of the little spots came from. I think it looks kind of neat, Like snow is falling.

and finally I thought I'd throw this one in. I was able to get Leo to sit still long enough for me to get this quick sketch.

Trying to break out of a bit of a slump

I feel like I've been in a bit of a slump this week. This one is the best of the bunch. I went back to Sawmill ponds yesterday to paint. It was really hazy, which I think is kind of cool for painting. It's much easier to see the atmospheric perspective.

This is also from sawmill ponds. I am undecided on this one. I may work on it some more.

While there Some geese came in and landed on the water. I tried to do a quick sketch of one. They were gone by the time I started putting color on. I'm not sure, aren't their necks all black?

I am trying a new medium to do my under paintings, to try and gain some control. This is a self portrait with that medium. I've been practicing more since this try and am looking forward to useing it this Weds. in figure drawing/painting.

I've done this painting before and thought I'd try again. I had to cut my session short so it seems unfinished to me. But, still I think it has some things going for it, so I thought I'd share

adjusted paintings

I just was not very happy with the two paintings I did at Kenosha pass yesterday, so when I got home from work, I tried to make them better. The color of the aspens was not popping the way it does in real life. I opened a new tube of yellow and it seemed a lot more vibrant than my old yellow, so I started putting it on straight out of the tube and then worked in some oranges and greens. I think I've improved them. What do you think?

Plein airs this week

Hi all. It has been a struggle this week. I am back to work full time and boy do I miss vacation. I didn't get a good painting in figure this week so I only have the plein airs I've done to show. This one was done after work on Tues. It was cloudy and stormy. I tried to capture that soft light that goes along with these kind of days.

I painted this Friday after work. It is of the bottom of Coal Creek canyon.

Yesterday we went mountain biking off of Kenosha pass. We were stunned to see how colorful the aspen were. I left early this morning and went back for some painting. These next two were done there.

Back on schedule

I am back on the usual Sunday night new blog post schedule, and here are the paintings from this week. This is from the boulder creek trail head east, just south of Boulder off of 93. Eldorado canyon is in the back ground right.

I wanted to paint at home this day so I dug up our old step ladder and wheel barrel. 

I painted this this morning. It also has Eldorado canyon in the back ground.

And this I painted this afternoon up in boulder canyon around an area called Castle rock. In case 

you cam't tell, this is of the creek, water rushing around some big boulders.

This of course is from our Weds. figure session.