Road trip
Right now, my dear daughter and friend are on a road trip across the great southwest on her trek to relocate herself for two years at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business. Go wildcats! As much as I’d like to have stowed away in the back of her minivan under the featherbed and stereo, I will content myself instead with painting something of the landscape she may be seeing right about now in New Mexico. I painted this last night “alla prima” (all in one sitting) and it will probably take a few days to dry. It’s 9 x 12, oil on canvasboard. I used a limited number of colors – a cad yellow, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, thalo blue, white and a little raw sienna. Surprising how many other colors those few colors will make!
This is also my post for the “Inspire Me Thursday” open challenge. My challenge of the year has been to move beyond sketching and journaling into painting. I’ve done a lot of watercolors but this is only my 6th or 7th oil painting. My goal is to paint at least 2 oils a week – more if I can.
Kate (Cathy) Johnson
August 13, 2006
GORGEOUS. I hope it helps…
Tami
August 13, 2006
This is beautiful in it’s deserty way! I was just reading about limiting my colors and how many colors one can create out of a very few. My sentiments are with you in regards to your daughter going off.
Mine just move to Washington about a month and a half ago, up until then she has lived about 10 minutes away.
Niff
August 14, 2006
WOW! I LOVE THIS! When I started painting in art school and as a child, both my professors taught me to use a limited pallet as well. It really teaches you how to mix colors. I think I started with alizerian crimson, ultra marine, raw umber, cad yellow med, white and thalo blue. I of course got impatient and had to add a few of my own, but I still stick to that palet…I love naples yellow more than white however. Less chalky.
Anyway…this looks so free and quick and full of life. Keep at it!
Jana Bouc
August 14, 2006
This is great! The best yet, I think. I really like it, though being a watercolorist I can’t help but miss seeing it in watercolor…and now I’ve got the itch to get out the oil paints again one of these days.
Jana Bouc
August 14, 2006
P. S. I meant to say how much depth there is in this painting…just like the real scenery, it seems to go on forever into the distance.
Karen
August 14, 2006
Jana,
Well, I might try it in watercolor, too, just to observe the differences! I find that I discover something new each time I “mix it up.” There’s one scene that I did in pastel then oil – still getting around to watercolor one of these days. Yes, do get them out and see how you surprise yourself!
Ouissi
August 18, 2006
This is lovely…I would so love to be able to paint!
Ouissi x
n.b.
August 18, 2006
Hey, you are really good at oil! This is a very nice little oil sketch. Is there ANY medium you aren’t proficient in?