I know some of you have asked to see some photos and I may post some sketches or paintings in the future, but for the time being I am sticking to less personal subjects here on my blog.
This is the most recent painting I have done. Its done plein air in my local allotments, I particularly like this one, I think its the lighting I like so much, it has been on my mantle piece for the last few days and although I could add more details to the foreground I feel that would spoil the simplicity and economy of strokes.
Its a funny thing painting, sometimes you paint something that really 'sings' this is one of those for me.
I began with my canvas already prepared with a sort of ochre, warm beige ground. I like to have a colour all over it before I begin, I would never take a white canvas with me to paint on, it would always have a base colour of some sort on it.
So this is how it all started.
I try and place everything I want to include in my composition, scrunching up my eyes so I see blocks of colour and tone. I sometimes get carried away in some parts and have to stop myself before I become too engrossed in 'part' of the painting rather than looking at it as a 'whole' so the painting slowly emerges out of the canvas.
That way I can alter the compositing as I go.
I always find it amazing when I see people working on a tiny section of a much bigger painting, all in splendid detail and the rest left white. I can't think like that, I need to see how the whole things will look rather then just a tiny bit at a time.
This was the middle stage, before I added any details.
I can now add things like posts, grasses, flowers, any clutter I see... the tricky part is knowing when to stop.
I really think I will leave it alone and not be tempted to fiddle!!
