Daily painting routine
One of the great discoveries of creating small daily paintings is that I can take more risks. This is because I don’t have to concern myself with a great investment in material or time.
my normal approach
My usual way of approaching painting is to do a thumbnail sketch. Then I enlarge it and transfer the image to my support with pencil or dark earth paint. Next, I double check proportions. Then, I block in dark values, followed by light, then mid-tone values.
Next I apply paint, starting at the top of canvas and progress to bottom; and from left to right. This is a practical consideration: I’m right handed; and by painting top to bottom, I’m less likely to smudge my work with my hand. If I was left-handed, I imagine I would start at the top, going from the right side to the left.
advantage of smaller size
The small size of the painting substrate for challenge paintings alleviates 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 mountains seemed to reflect that of my husband and me as we pondered the many changes a threatened lockdown would bring to New Zealand and our life.
Coming back into light after many kilometers of cloudy misty mountains was a relief.
No matter what happened, we were determined to emerge on the other side, in our journey and through the Covid situation. 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 ”. The painting is for sale.
Shown to the right is “Otiaki Near the Pass” with “St. Bathans II” in situ. Both have been framed and are shown in my studio.
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