Pochades, etc;

I went out this morning to do a couple of quick landscape paintings on 8"x10" panels. I'm teaching a landscape workshop next week and i told the students to only buy four colors, alizarin crimson, cadmium yellow light, ultramarine blue, and white. Since they were beginning students I thought I would keep the palette simple. Only problem is that I'd never painted with that limited of a palette myself, so I thought I'd better give it a try. I was very happy with the results. The camera is just not working for me anymore I got to come up with a better system. The lemon painting also isn't photographing accurately for some reason, but it gives the general idea. It's a good idea, I think, every once in a while to paint a little looser once in a while. There are things to be learned on the cuff, so to speak, that I won't pick up with my more finished methods.

"Paint Out" Day 2

Fortunately it didn't rain. I ended up having to paint at the same spot. What to do? I thought about focusing in on some shoreline rocks but then I caught sight of this view. The only problem was the shoal and tall grass mound were on the right side. Not easily discouraged I took Carlson's advice and decided to put them where I wanted them. I kept the background and distant boats greatly simplified to keep the eye on the foreground-middleground area. I actually like this one better than the one I did yesterday, but yesterdays painting was framed and submitted for the auction which takes place at Gallery North on Sunday.