I decided to put the first painting in after taking another look. Not as bad as I thought….oh I don’t know! I am not too keen on those leaves that I decided needed to be there but at least the lighting is beautiful.
I figure that my madrone tree series require a category all to itself. I have so many large madrones on the property, I could paint 100 paintings and still keep at it. The only thing with madrones is that they are an evergreen, so I won’t have much variety other than the lighting, the surrounding environment or time of day. I will be painting in all angles, different groups, the more I looked around the more I realized, dang, there are a lot of large madrones here! I think Monet had painted his pond and garden many, many times.
These madrones were painted yesterday morning. This morning while I was preparing my coffee, I noticed the lighting that always seem to suck me in but I resisted, yay me. It was 7 in the morning and I convinced myself that it is too late, it worked (this time).
I encountered several problems for painting #2, such as the background foliage, there was a myriad of light, foliage and drama in the background but I struggled with trying to marry that up with the focal point.
My learning points:
- With this painting, I focused too much on “how do I do this” which cut my freedom of expressing in half, I faltered, which affected the painting.
- Continuing to learn values and color relationship, very important.
- Be decisive! Be Bold, it won’t break me or my brush.
- Choose my focus, is it the background lighting or what is in front of my eyes, choose! I can’t have it all, quick, decide.
- Painting en plein air is important because while I painted these madrones I kept thinking that if I didn’t do all this painting with the subject in front of me, I couldn’t do these madrones justice. Madrones has this beautiful red quality to the bark and interlaced with black and burnt sienna. My personal experience with painting en plein air keeps me striving to keep the integrity of the subject true. I can’t do this without personal observation and experience.
The tree looks powerful somehow. The way you’ve drawn it, I mean. I think it wants to become the subject matter. I had to look up madrone tree. I’d never heard the word before your posts, but then I’ve never been to the west coast. We have no madrone trees in Maryland and we are the poorer for it. There’s another use for art — to spread round the images of things.
From what I’m reading about the tree on wiki, sounds like its bark is richly colored. Seems like the kind of thing that Monet would love. Sounds like you’ve found your inspiration.
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yes I have found an inspiration. Oh good, I think my focus was so torn but the madrones won! thank you for your comments and “seeing eyes” 🙂
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I especially LOVE the top one!!! beautiful!
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guess what? my watercolor of the beach scene with rocks wc #8 is on the flip side! lol now what do I do? oh, I love complication, don’t I?
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Your latest Madrones have a great abstract quality – I really like that (by the way like Aletha, I had to look them up to see what they look like – lovely looking trees!)
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One of my favorites in my area, I must say. Though the coastal redwoods are my all time favorite. 😀
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MADRONES – I am learning a new name of a new tree. I say let it all happen! Looks fab!
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thank you!
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Glad you added the top one. It’s very jazzy. And the leaves work well. The different textures provide contrast.
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See…..sometimes I can’t trust myself to judge my own paintings! lol
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I’m a little jealous that you have lots of madrone trees! Your paintings reflect the spirit of the tree. Have you ever used any part of the tree for food/beverages? I bought a book a few years back, by a local (gold country) author, with recipes using local ingredients. I remember that there was several using madrone berries, bark, and even leaves.
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I have heard that you can use the berries for a tea….I’ll have to look into that! 🙂 I am happy with my trees but as you well know, they are gloriously red/burnt sienna and I could really punch up that color, I’ll get there. 🙂
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I enjoy seeing how your paintings come to life.
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I want it all too Margaret.
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I get a dizzying feeling of looking up at a huge tree from both of these, particularly the top one. Score! I think you captured your feelings about the trees, Margaret! ❤ Always love your colors and the light that I see in your paintings too.
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thank you Laura! I have been watching some of these trees because the drought has been hard on them…..last year I was like a fretting mother hen, looking and checking and praying!
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awwww I can totally understand that. And I love you for it. What a good mama you are. ❤
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I do love trees…..I don’t think that I could live in a place with no trees. nope
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I like the colors you used in these. You captured the feel of sitting among the trees.
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Both are beautiful – the first one is my favorite! The wet in wet painted foliage on the left side and the sharper shapes on the right – brilliant!
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Why thank you Carsten! I am glad I went back and included that painting, it was a last minute decision.
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