"June Garden" 12x24, oil
I am in the process of packing for the annual Plein Air Painters of the Bay of Fundy paintout and exhibit, but I wanted to do one more large painting before heading out on Saturday. When I get back from the paintout - and the workshop I'm teaching for the Saint John Arts Centre - I will be teaching my Campobello Island workshops flat-out until September. Most of my painting the rest of the summer will be small demonstrations, painted to illustrate a concept. They're not necessarily something I'd paint on my own time.
This is the last cottage painting. It also happens to be a painting of our house. I've painted this scene many times - the house often has some lovely light on it - but not in a wide format. I wanted to include the tree because we may lose it soon. Last winter, it split, and about a third of it had to be chipped. The trunk has a good bit of exposed raw wood, but I minimized the damage in the painting to make it seem healthy and whole again. Before we leave for the winter, we'll most likely have it cut down so it doesn't hit the house during a violent winter storm.
Although this was painted over two sessions on warm June mornings, I sensed a coolness to the sunlight. As a result, I pushed the warmth of the shadows and cooled the light. (Remember the rule: Warm light, cool shadows; cool light, warm shadows.) I even added a touch of Phthalo Green to the sunlit parts of the house. This gives a much cooler cast to the light than pure white or white mixed with yellow.
I offer a couple of photos of the intermediate steps.
By the way, I have a new book. This is Paint Sedona: A Plein Air Painter's Field Guide to Sedona, Arizona. It's a square format (7x7) that'll fit in your backpack and includes many of my favorite painting spots in Sedona along with photos of the locations plus a map marking them. I've also thrown in my pastel and oil supply lists plus tips on plein air painting in that area. The book is only $10 (+shipping) or $7 as a download. You can order it from here: http://www.lulu.com/miragenm.
