Color Steals Back Into the World

Happy Birthday Dear Janet....This painting was a present for my sister, Janet. I got it completed, framed and delivered to her in Massachusetts just before Christmas arrived. Not too bad considering that her birthday was in November.

This scene is dawn at Long Lake in Southern Maine. Janet and her husband Peter have a home right on the lake and they wake to this scene many a morning in fair weather. Janet calls the lake in this condition "smooth". My goal was to capture the sun just as it was about to break above the horizon, to make the canvas look like it was literally being lit by the sun. It was fascinating to notice and capture all the colors emerging from the dark. The hard part was holding back on the colors to let the sun's light remain center stage. This photo doesn't do a great job of capturing the effect of the painting in real life for you to judge if I succeeded. One of my 2013 resolutions is to get better at photographing my own paintings.

A Perfect Canvas

Once the Rabbitskin Glue coat was dry, I applied a coat of lead-based white primer. When that was dry dry, I tested the canvas for taut (It should sound like a drum when pinged.) and adjusted the stretcher keys in the corners until the canvas was tight. You can see the keys in the corners of the back side in the second picture. Then I applied a second coat of primer. The canvas is now ready for a ground coat color as the final step, often a thin wash of burnt sienna.

Before tackling this beautiful surface I will take my courage pills.

Classic Canvas Making and Preparation

Very interesting process. The photo shows the result of Day 1 of Canvas Making with Edward Povey and Donna Tolar. The stretchers are assembled; the linen is prepared and stretched; and one coat of rabbit skin glue has been applied to seal the linen. (Yup, glue made from actual rabbit skins just like in the time of Van Gogh.) In the next step we apply primer. I am learning the methods of the Masters that have stood the test of time. Paintings from the middle ages remain intact while 20th Century paintings are challenging conservators. Poorly prepared canvas causes the paint to fall off over time. My canvas is on the right in the foreground.

No Deposit, No Return - Oct 2012

Galveston, Texas summer 2012. In the long light of the late afternoon this little discarded jewel caught my eye.

Indian Lodge Rock - June 2012

It has been a while since I posted. I have been working and learning. This painting has taken some time. My mother may recognize this as the rock above the Indian Lodge where we stayed on her last visit.

I have just finished a 3-day Master Class on Color and Glazing taught be Edward Povey. It was an intense class. With fear and trepidation I included this new painting among my painting for review. I really didn't want him to choose it as THE one we would work with. On the other hand, I wanted to learn as much as I could possibly learn so I held my breath and took it with me. Of course, of the 6 options this is the one he picked. I guess it was the one he thought would be the best learning example and that it could be improved by glazing. So here is the "after" shot.

The class was very enthusiastic about the changes. In some ways I liked parts of the previous version but I believe that the painting is stronger overall. Here is what we changed. The cools are cooler and the warms are warmer. The light versus dark values are pushed out (more extreme) which makes the hill look more three-dimensional because of stronger values. In the actual painting the lighted face of the rock is not quite so yellow. (I struggle to learn how to photograph my paintings.) The painting has more impact and punch after the glazing. The stronger dark blue in the sky in the upper left with the addition of some warm glaze in the sky on the bottom right makes the fields behind the rock lay down and look more believable as well as making the sky more atmospheric, pushing the air further away.

Tangelos - March 2012

To get back in the swing of things Jean let me paint something simple after being away from painting for so long. I notice that I didn't remember to sign this.

I am working on another West Texas landscape. It is taking a loooong time. Tough project. Who knows when it will be ready to post here.

Costa Rica Summer - Jan & Feb 2012

Mike and I visit our home in Costa Rica typically some time from December to March. This year it was half of January through the end of February. I painted like crazy but not on canvas, on the exterior walls of our home there. I'll be back soon with some serious painting as soon as I get my Texas legs back.

Little Dragon - Jan 2012

In this Year of the Dragon the Wehmeyer and Purdue family is waiting for the arrival of Xiao-Long, Linh and Carl Wehmeyer's firstborn. He is also to be known as Collin and is due to arrive in March. This little crocheted dragon is getting the nursery ready for his arrival.

He is a bit of a show off displaying his back do you can admire his curvy spine.