Saturday 31 January 2015

Art Class

After a break of a couple of uninspired weeks, I've taken up my paintbrushes again. This is the view of the entrance to St Johns Harbour from Cape Spear. Part of a bigger photo that I took when I was in Newfoundland last September.

Still lots of work to do on it.
The colours are not right yet and the coastline in the distance should be softer. And the sea is never that delightful blue colour, well, maybe in the Carribbean, but not the North Atlantic. And I want the sky to be stormier, even though it was a lovely sunny day.

The canvas was underpainted in Cad Orange, and some of the orange is bursting through on the actual painting giving it some energy, but it doesn't really show in the photo.

I'll keep painting, and I'll post a pic when it's finished.... but is a painting ever finished? It's so hard to tell, there's always something extra to add. The trick is to know when to stop!

Meanwhile, my friend V and I have signed up for another 8 week landscape painting class, with a different teacher this time. And he has a completely different approach to art from our previous teacher, which is giving me nightmares! I think it will be hard to adapt to his way of thinking, but I'm willing to try. But I've already abandoned what we did in this week's class, and started again.... not a good sign!

11 comments:

  1. Wow! I wish I could paint like this! I have absolutely no artistic talent. I can't wait to see it when you're done, it already looks so good. You are right about knowing when to stop. My great grandfather was a painter. He would paint beautiful pictures. But he couldn't leave them alone. And by the time he did more and more, they were a mess and he had made them worse.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my goodness, this is so good. I love the warm glow (that's thanks to your under painting) it's nice when some of that shows through. Those rocks are great, they form a pathway through for the viewers eye to take the journey into the painting. Don't over paint it. Can't wait to see what you do with this.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SUe used to paint a bit -- watercolour -- but then there were neck and back issues. :(

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are brave to start from another approach. I would find that difficult in the extreme.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hurray! I love seeing your paintings! Hope the rest of your lessons with your new teacher are more fruitful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I somewhat agree with EG CameraGirl, but perhaps you'll be able to establish your own touch by learning different way of approach. I’m very clumsy when it comes to painting. I wish I could draw and paint much better. Keep up the good work.

    Yoko

    ReplyDelete
  7. You are so talented. Beautiful painting. How lucky you have a great talent.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow! Love your painting, so beautiful! You are very talented for sure! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Stopping can be the hard part! When my wife paints (not for some time now) I sometimes urge her to stop, saying that if she carries on she will spoil it. She ingores me, and proves me wrong :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good for you!
    Watercolor classes are on my bucket list.
    I think you are doing terrific.
    Learn from each teacher and then make your painting Your Own....That's the artist in you....after you learn some techniques...Own it...

    ReplyDelete
  11. That's very impressive! I agree that it's difficult to know when to stop and I feel I've often ruined a picture by over working it, though oil paints can be altered to some extent and water colours definitely cannot!
    Keep up the good work.
    Maggie x

    ReplyDelete

All comments welcome.... unless your name is Anonymous..