"Fog Bank Off Mink Point"
12x16, oil/canvas
I usually work exclusively with a brush, but occasionally I'm reminded that a painting knife can provide useful accents in the finish. During one rainy day this week, I spent some time reviewing Richard Schmid's landscape painting video, the one in which he paints a lovely picture of a Vermont barn. The last hour of this nearly three-hour video was devoted to adding painstaking, miniscule accents and corrections with a knife. Although I can do it, it's rare for me to muster that degree of patience. (And maybe that's why his paintings sell for more!)
Yesterday was sunny, so I headed out to paint in one of my favorite spots, Upper Duck Pond. The name is a misnomer, since it's really a broad tidal flat. I've seen more clam diggers there than ducks. I like it for the rock outcrops that you can walk to at low tide. I found an unusual perspective down near the waterline, which meant I had to keep my eye on the tide as I painted. I also had to keep my eye on the fog - a bank of it sat ominously just beyond the last island the whole time.
I painted broadly and got the piece to what I considered my usual finish. But when I returned to the studio, I thought it lacked sparkle. Then I remembered Schmid. So, I picked up my knife and went to work, adding a bit of light green foliage on the main rock outcrop and a little bit of glistening water in the foreground. I was really pleased with how just a few dabs could improve the piece.
Here are some details of the knife work.
