Thursday, August 10, 2017

Penhasco Preto







Penhasco Preto

16" x 12"
Oil on Canva-paper by Canson



I was drawn to this primarily for the design that I wanted to install.

Lori says that she likes the warmer palette paintings better but I loved installing the design on this painting.  It has a full underpainting in burnt sienna, something that I should do more often.

I did not bring the underpainting oil that I prefer to use but this worked very well. 
Incidentally there is no black in this painting.

It is also a study in achieving a focal point.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Oliveiros



Oliveiros

12" x 16"
Oil on Canva-Paper




This painting is  relatively high key. Which makes this a break from the painting before and the one after it.

Cobblestones or pavers are very common for sidewalks everywhere and streets [rua] in the residential and smaller roads. They are sometimes great and easy to walk on and sometimes very rough and noisy for cars.

These are sandstone, granite is also very common everywhere.

Streets in Brasil are usually clean. Those owning the street front property will clean the area each morning and trash is promptly picked up and removed.

I painted this after visiting Embu which is a peaceful, re-energizing art area outside Sao Paulo.​







Sunday, July 9, 2017

Pinheiros



Pinheiros
histórico

12" x 18"
Oil on Canva-Paper

Os Pinheiros is a river in southern coastal Brasil. It might look somewhat like this with lush vegetation. Or rather it should look like this, unfortunately it is a polluted, smelly remnant without attractive peaceful areas anywhere near Sao Paulo.
It means  The Pine Trees although pines are a minority species around Sao Paulo.

Since I am painting in Brasil I am using Canva-Paper made by Canson. This is 136 weight acid-free paper which has a somewhat canvas textured surface.
It actually works better than I expected.
I clip it to the masonite surface when I am working and keep it there until it is dry. [you can see one clip on the right side] I plan to glue any paintings that I like to wood panels later.

I'm using a modified table easel with good brushes and poor inside light, so I use the afternoon light and need to stop painting at about 5:30

With all that I'm enjoying the times that I can find to paint.

The red clay soil is everywhere here and with rocks out of the same. The climate grows shrubbery, trees, weeds and lush plants everywhere that it is allowed to do so

Palette: yellow ochre,  cadmium yellow medium, ultramarine blue and burnt sienna with zinc/titanium white