8/2/13

Falling into a Routine

My "Outdoor studio" set up with 24x36" panel

I'm finally feeling like I have my life back in order after my past two adventures. It's funny how we love routine and then hate it because of its common place, old boring ways. I love the adventures but also love returning home to my old sameness.  My equipment has returned back home from Easton and my home is getting back into reasonable shape with all my supplies organized and stored for the next impromptu paint out.  I have been taking time painting outdoors in a make-shift studio out in my backyard.  I've had this large umbrella from festival days gone by and propped it up to give me even light over my easel. I then set up a long shaped card table with a long slice of old plexiglass that I fashioned for my oil palette. Then I put a drop cloth under everything along with a cushion to ease my back on the cement.  I'm ready for something big!


I started out with my typical "orange" underpainting as you can see above.  I thought "Gee, I use orange when I pastel paint, why not with oils?"  Not sure of it's outcome yet, but it makes sense to me, and besides, it's OK to experiment, right?

Here is what is on the easel now...yet to be finished.

So, in preparation for an upcoming group show (see post below), my friends and co-artists have been preparing large works for the show.  Yikes! All I have are small plein air works straight from the field to offer at this time, so I figured I should at least try to keep up with them lest my work be dwarfed.  So I'm set for getting a few last larger pieces painted for the show, and yes, they will be "outdoor studio pieces" painted from plein air works, as advertised.

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6 Comments:

Blogger Sergio Lopez said...

How did you like the orange underpainting for oil? I've never been able to make a bright underpainting work for myself, the color pollutes the finish a little too much. I think Jennifer McChristian is the one person who really makes it work to her advantage. With pastels though, I almost think the color of the paper is close to as important as the color on top of it.

8/3/13, 2:13 AM  
Blogger Brenda Boylan said...

Hi Sergio,
I love your questions and observations. They alway make me think more academically about art than my musings. When I was starting out with this I thought little about a potential clash with color and hoped for the relationships of the secondary triad color combination to lift the orange underpainting out. It is still an experiment, but also more intersting is that I think it's' working. . I love Jennifer's work and from what I've been able to figure out is that she uses a bright red underpainting as if it were a mid tone grey (value) and perhpas that is what she is doing. Orange on the otherhand is lighter in value than orange, so it is still up for debate. Personal prefernces may be the deciding factor with orange here. :)

8/3/13, 9:08 AM  
Blogger Celeste Bergin said...

hhhmmm "Orange on the otherhand is lighter in value than orange"....whaa?? I don't get it. Anyway, LOVE the big painting and the outdoor studio. I do the same thing (paint on the patio) and I find it very pleasant! I am sure you will have fabulous new works in your Aug 29 show!

8/3/13, 9:49 PM  
Blogger Brenda Boylan said...

Ooops, good catch there Celese. Orange is ligthter in value than red. Hope to see you at the show this coming 29th.

8/4/13, 9:58 AM  
Blogger Kim Vanlandingham said...

Love your setup! Nothing like re-purposing things right! Lovely painting!

8/7/13, 10:55 AM  
Blogger Brenda Boylan said...

Hi Mimberly,
Yeah, it's kind of nice having another "room" especially with such nice weather. 'I'm enjoying it every day now which is more than I can say about my indoor studio space.

8/7/13, 12:04 PM  

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