Another View of Goose Lake

 

I had a difficult time getting  my photo to marry up with my painting but I tried, keep that in mind.

 

Goose Lake on Lanaquarelle 140# quarter sheet

I have been working on multiple paintings and this one is pretty much finished though I might put in a few dark sections in the back woods. Goose Lake is up in the same area as the Sierra Buttes and for some reason I am intrigued with this view. Here are my previous posts of Goose Lake: Goose Lake in Sierra County and Pastel of Goose Lake and last but not least Acrylic of Goose Lake.

As I worked on the above painting, I kept to an over-all feeling and gist of Goose Lake and tried not to rely solely on my reference photo. I like to imagine myself at the scene, hearing the birds, feeling the environment as I paint. I usually listen to music that helps me to imagine that I am there, in this case Native American flute music. Often when I paint a forest scene, I will listen to nature and bird sounds or lately Chinese music.

Again I truly feel that it is important to paint what you know and love, but that is my own personal prerequisite. I worked on this painting (as I am accustomed to do) when I am in the zone. Once I feel my artist eye or view wane, I step away. The sky, backwoods were painted wet on wet. I went back in to put in some calligraphy. I took more care with painting the trees in the front.

Lately my goal is not to be precise or detailed, I want the essence of a scene, there is something appealing to me about this approach.

Colors used: Aureolin, Cobalt Blue, Prussian Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Quin. Gold, Moonglow

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.

 

 

Old River Haunts

 

painting #1 on Canson Heritage 140# quarter sheet  

On this painting I wanted to practice a little detail work rather than full blast “see what happens”. I enjoyed it though I would like to make that right bank of rocks not appear so mushy and yet I do have a desire to detail an entire painting. I might give it more definition where needed. My favorite area is perhaps the bold light and the distant rocks in the background, love that area! I am going to make notes on how I painted them and the colors that I used. Here are several posts about painting this same spot: Revisit to A Yuba River Scene and A Look Back .

 

painting #2 wip on Canson Heritage 140# on half sheet

Of course I just have to tackle the Sierra Buttes yet again, imagine that! Obviously I am not finished but wanted to show my progress. I am really loving this paper because it has such a wonderful texture in that it is scratchy which makes dry brush so fun. Also I have discovered that this paper is very forgiving and you can lift paint quite well, right back to white, always a plus!

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.

 

 

Old Miner’s Shack

 

on Saunders 200# 11 x 14 inches

While I worked on several paintings alternately today, I wanted to exercise my artistic muscles with a loose rendering of this miner’s shack. This is referenced from a photo that I took of an old miner’s camp called Carson Camp in Sierra Co. My husband and I took a trip to the high country last summer to scout out the area, he wanted to show me where he worked as a miner in a hard rock gold mine. Close by is the Ruby Mine where he worked back in the 1980’s. It was amazing to have him show me around and to explain the various buildings and equipment. My photo here is close enough to my painting though the Burnt Sienna used didn’t seem to stand out as it should.

I am thinking of perhaps either crisping this up a tad or starting another one. I wasn’t concerned with details as I was going for feeling. I had to catch myself when I wanted to render too much. I would like to abstract the building a bit more and to know what to showcase and leave the rendering to that area.

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.

 

North Valley to the Mountains

 

painting #1 on Fabriano soft press 300# 11 x 14 inches

I have painted this a few times before Busy with Landscapes and this one I like the best: Glory Be!  I have been going through a general dislike of my paintings but I know that I go through this cycle every month or so and it will pass, thank goodness!

 

painting #2 on Arches  140# rough 11 x 14 inches

This painting was from a reference photo that I took from my adventure with my brother to go see Bear Valley in Glenn County in the north valley here in Northern California. This place was amazing because of all the rain we received, the land breathed with moisture. I have never seen green as I did on that trip. Most of the roads were dirt or gravel and ranches were everywhere.

 

Bear Valley in Glenn Co. California

I saw something that I have never seen before and my brother had to point it out to me. Along the fence were two coyotes who had been shot and strung up, apparently this is suppose to be a deterrent to other coyotes. My husband told me that he remembers seeing this as a youngster on the school bus passing a ranch in Nevada County.

 

Acid green hills!

 

painting #3 on Arches 140# rough 11 x 14 inches

Last but not least, a view of the North Yuba river in Sierra County. Now onto other paintings and hopefully I’ll get into a better frame of mind with the next paintings.

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acrylic of Goose Lake

 

Goose Lake on 11 x 14 inches

I decided to use up some of my Liquitex acrylics and to make sure I really want to get back into the medium. I didn’t have all the colors I wanted, for one I had to substitute white gesso for Tit. white. I “made do” and I was surprised how much I enjoyed painting this little scene. I referred to the pastel plein air rather than the photo.

I had difficulties trying to match up my photo to my painting. The purple in the far back trees doesn’t show up too well or the light blue highlights in the water. The yellow highlights on those trees on the left is subdued, it is in actuality a beautiful bright yellow. Oh well!  I hope I can get my camera to take good enough photos because I won’t show my paintings unless I feel comfortable with how the photo depicts the paintings.  I might work on this further or call it good, I might gesso it and re-use it or keep it.

 

 

plein air pastel of Goose Lake

 

photo of Goose Lake

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.

 

 

 

Thinking of the North Yuba

 

on Arches 300# rough 11 x 14 inches

This is a studio painting that I painted several weeks ago. The photo was difficult to marry up to the real painting. The background is more of a greenish blue and the water is more of a yellow gold and there is more of an over all lime green throughout that isn’t showing up in the photo. I am not sure why I couldn’t get the correct depiction but I tried.

I have many more paintings to share and deciding on which ones is difficult. Today I am working on a forest scene of light coming through a grove of redwoods, a photo that I took about 15 years ago.

 

my scene of the North Yuba at Rocky Rest

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.

 

 

Glory Be!

 

Glory Be on Arches rough 300# 10.5 x 13.5 inches

I have been busy with painting every day and loving every moment. I think that for now I am allowing myself to veer in the direction that my creative spirit thrives in. Such as the painting  above. I didn’t want to fiddle around with all the little shrubbery, rocks and gravel so I decided to abstract that jumble of detail.

 

my reference photo

I might work on this painting more and maybe not! I will let it sit for a while and we’ll see. I like this no pressure approach, it truly works for me. I can’t emphasize how important it is to get out in nature to experience it fully if you plan on painting it. I love painting portraits, you wouldn’t think that I do if you have been following my blog because you never see them!

As a child the landscape has always pulled me, intrigued me to no end. While people tire of looking at landscapes whiz by while on road trips, my spirit soared. It wasn’t until I started plein air painting and hiking out to get to my spot to paint, that this love came to a deep realization.

Know your subject and paint what you love, I can’t emphasize that enough. True, I love portraits but right now I think that I love landscape more. Yes, I am a loner, perhaps that has something to do with it?

Have a wonderful weekend!

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.

 

 

Making Do During a Snowstorm

 

wip of the Sierra Buttes

The top painting is one that I started a week ago and am taking a slow process completing it. I have yet decided to call it finished.

My reference photo for the painting above

on Fabriano 300# 7 x 9 inches

 

wip on Arches 140# rough 7 x 9 inches

wip on Fabriano 300# 7 x 9 inches

wip on Arches 140# rough

The above paintings were painted while I was stuck indoors without power during a big snowstorm.  I decided to haul my watercolor equipment down into the living room next to the north window and the woodstove. I used several plein air pastel paintings to use for my reference.

I would like to know if anyone else has trouble with their WP account. I have the most difficult time putting my post together. I can’t hardly change anything here or even copy and paste. I am so close to letting it go because it is so frustrating. Any ideas?

One of my pastel plein air that I used for a reference.

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.

 

 

Pastel of Goose Lake

 

pastel on grey Colorfix paper

I was hoping to work longer on this pastel but my carpal tunnel is giving me fits and I was getting tired of painting with my left hand. I am thinking that I need to work on more depth in the water, right now my blue scrumbling over the surface is too uneven and not realistic. I want to remain loose with this painting and working with my left hand helped me in that aspect.

 

My photo and painting almost marries up except that the blues are jumping forward too much in the photo which I can’t seem to eliminate, keep that in mind. I initially started this painting with a watercolor underpainting but ended up covering it completely with pastel. I think that in the future I’ll use watercolor paper rather than a sanded pastel paper. Check out Debi Riley’s beautiful painting here Watercolor to Pastel isn’t her painting divine? She is such an inspiration and I was hoping to follow her lead but overdid my pastel. There is always next time.

 

My reference photo

Learning Points:

• Use the appropriate paper for the method
• Take breaks for a fresh look and to keep those tendons loose
• Remember excessive detail can kill a painting, if you want excessive detail, make friends with photography (my opinion)
• Pastel is fun!

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.

 

Goose Lake in Sierra County

 

My scene-Goose Lake

My daughter and I and her dog took a hike up at where I had gone before Bear Lakes Loop- World Watercolor Month #2 but instead of taking the fork that proceeded onto the Bear lakes I wanted to explore the loop that goes to Round Lake. To shorten this story, we ended up hiking up a mountain and went “around” Round Lake. We headed back and I painted at Goose Lake along Lakes Basin Recreational area.

 

painting #1 on Saunders 200# 7 x 9 inches

My warm-up went better than I thought it  would being it was my first one. I used a flat rather than my usual squirrel mop. I love to abstract my paintings, you can see it in this one especially with the foreground rocks and the trees in the background.

 

painting #2 on Saunders 200# 7 x 9 inches

I could for the life of me to get my photo to marry up with the correct yellow in my painting. It is not as acid yellow and blotchy as you see here. I struggled at first with this and it wasn’t until later that it grew on me. I don’t know what it is but today I fought with the painting process,  I wanted my painting to go a certain way and when I do this, I get either frustrated or doubtful and I was doing both this time around.

 

painting #3 on Arches 300# 7 x 9 inches

While trying to edit this photo, I lost the wonderful warmth of the middle part of that headland but know that it is a warm yellow/red color. I initially didn’t like how muddy the water looked in this painting but truthfully that is how dark it looked when the wind wasn’t whipping up the water. In a way this lake and the surrounding area reminded me of the marshlands of Alabama.

 

On the trail to Round Lake

 

Fall colors in this alpine area

I might try to hike out to the Bear Lakes in a couple of weeks to try to paint once again, we’ll see if the weather holds out.

Learning Points:

• Trust the painting process, be willing to let go and not control every aspect of the painting journey.
• Push the fear and doubt that rises up while painting, it gets in the way of creativity.
• Don’t judge while painting, the critical kind of judging, that is.

Rain is in the forecast for the next three days which means I won’t be able to get out and plein air paint. Next Wednesday will be clear and I have plans to paint. Get out there and see and experience nature, you will not be disappointed.

 

 

*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.