Daily painting liberated me
Daily painting liberated me to take more risks because I didn’t have a great investment in material or time.
How I usually paint
My usual approach to painting is to do a thumbnail sketch. Next, I’d enlarge enlarge it and transfer the image to my support with pencil or dark earth paint. Proportions would be double-checked. Then, I’d block in dark values, followed by light ones, then mid-tones.
I’d then start applying paint at the top left of the canvas and progress to bottom right for practical reasons. I’m right handed and so by painting top left to bottom right, I’d less likely smudge work with my hand. If I was left-handed, I imagine I would start at the top right, and work to bottom left.
advantage of smaller size
The small size of the challenge paintings alleviated problems with smudging. I continued using my limited palette on this work, but decided I needed to add lemon yellow in order to create the high-chroma grass green
allowing the mood to prevail
The mood of the Maniototo seemed to reflect that of Bill and me as we pondered the change that might come with threatened lockdown in New Zealand.
Re-emmerging again into light was a relief after many misty mountainous kilometres.
No matter what happened, we determined we’d emerge on the other side of our Danseys Pass and our COVID lockdown journeys. I determined the changing moods of the light as well as our own would be shown in the works.
Otiaki Near the Pass
The result from Day 9 is entitled “Journey Through the Danseys Pass – Otiaki Near the Pass ”.
Shown to the right is “Otiaki Near the Pass” hung “St. Bathans II” in situ. Both were framed and shown in my studio.
Day 9 Result
Click to learn about more the challenge paintings
