Driving to my potter friend she lives in the South Downs and on the way there I always think I want to paint this view! So this time I did. (It's nr Petworth on the A272)
Quite hard to find a view whilst driving. I spotted this scene through a 6 bar gate a quick glimps of the farm house and then it was gone. So I turned around and parked. The field was on a slope so the bottom half of the view was cut off and the line was too harsh. I decided to risk it and climbed over the gate to get closer to it. Luckily no farm animals and the crop and had been harvested.
But the farmer on his tractor spotted me and made a beeline. Thankfully he was really friendly and happy for me to stand in the middle of his field and paint his farm. It was a stunning spot and I really enjoyed painting it.
The painting stages:
Greens varying them from warm to cool, and quite translucent - not much white.
The sun came out whilst I was putting in the house the tones changed so much it looked better so I adjusted the 3 sides of the house to work.
I'm trying to think tonally again as it really makes a difference to a painting. I ask myself questions: 'This part of the roof how does it compare with the trees next to it and then how does the trees compare to the sky......?
Everything should relate to each other.
My potter friends husband is emailing this painting to the farmer, lets hope he likes it :-)
What a stunning painting. Wonderful sky and perfect view. Don't forget to click on the picture to enlarge and then you can climb into the scene :-)
ReplyDeleteI love those little touches of light on the chimney tops and straw bales. And the field of golden wheat (?) in the background. Lovely rural scene.
ReplyDeleteCan I ask you something about oil primer? Do you still use it and if so, when would you choose it over ordinary gesso? I'm trying it, but it feels kind of, well, oily to lay paint onto.
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify, by 'over gesso' I mean 'in preference to gesso', not laying oil primer over a layer of gesso! Hope this makes sense....
ReplyDeleteMe again!! I was just thinking its a good angle you've got here with plenty of the gable end of the house to show that difference in tone. I'm going now! X
ReplyDeleteHi Caroline, thank you for all your comments and question to answer....
DeleteOil Primer: I used to use it as I was told it was best under oil paint, but due to practical reasons of painting many boards at once, and then stacking them together they used to stick together even when dry! Also the time it takes for them to dry in between coats was so much longer than Acrylic primer. So I now use Winsor & Newton professional Acrylic primer, mixed with a Raw Umber or stained once dry. Or I use 'Gerstaecker Gesso Primer' (you can get in Great Art) which has a slight texture but the brush sweaps across it nicely. Hope this helps, any more please comment again!
Thank you for your kind thoughts on my painting, I always appreciate it :-) Clare
Thanks, Clare. As you know, I could happily talk art equipment all day long! Unfortunately, talking instead of actually painting. I recently used up the last of my Galeria gesso and am trying some Liquitex gesso at the moment, which I much prefer to the Galeria. When that's finished I'll try the ones you mentioned. Happy days!
DeleteLovely painting and lucky find!
ReplyDelete