Catching up on some posting, there are a set of small (4x5 inch) gouache studies I did in May. I was recovering from what I think was H1N1, and didn't feel up to standing outside in the cool, windy spring weather - so I painted these in my car. It's kind of cramped, but I can see doing more of these in the future. Each one took about an hour. I've tuned these jpegs to look closest to reality on my laptop screen, so the colors are a little over-saturated (garish) on my older CRT monitor. Some of these may serve as inspiration for studio paintings this winter.
First one at Adams Basin (on the Erie Canal), about 4-5 pm on May 9. This was the second one I did that day, but I prefer it to the first (see below).
This was actually the first one I did, also at Adams Basin, from 3 - 4 pm. Felt quite rusty and wasn't thinking too much about the composition, just wanted to get the "gouache feeling" back.
Last one from May 9, from about 5 - 6 pm. My favorite of the day, unfortunately the subtle colors in all the spring greens don't come through really well here. This one in particular could become a studio painting, I think. Springdale Farm area.
May 12, noon - 1 pm. Braddock Marina. Not much to say about this one...
Study of a half-peeled tangerine. Experimenting with fading the shaded side into the dark background. This is a 5x7 oil painted on a new surface for me - a baltic birch panel primed only with shellac. I have seen this surface used by other artists and wanted to give it a try. The jury is still out...I have to try more of these.
Another tangerine, viewed from above and set on a folded piece of white fabric. I haven't painted fabric very much, so this was another experiment. It's not easy! Note that the scan has over-emphasized the reflected colors from the orange for some reason...
