in plein air

after several years of busy busy schedule and where do i fit in my painting... i finally found a local teacher who held workshops on my actual day off for several months in a row AND was affordable! the stars aligned for this one, seriously, because not only did i need to find a way to practice, i needed to learn from someone who paints in a style similar to mine (and a style i actually like) with the added bonus of being nice enough not to intimidate me but also stern enough to push me through. i can't explain why painting is such a struggle for me and such a pleasure, but this time around i was happy to see that ALL my fellow painters made the same unsure and nit picky comments about their own work too. maybe it's part of the process, you don't want to be to cocky or proud or something. strange! so here are a few of my attempts:

the main thing i have learned is that big shapes go in first, ALL the big shapes before you add details. in the past i would block in large shapes but might get carried away with some details before adding the sky or something else and then something was off and i wouldn't know what. i have slowed way down and focused on getting the foreground, middle ground and background put in accurately (in value) and then put in the fun stuff. most of my workshop paintings are really not finished, but to me they are correct and as done as they need to be.

i really love the beach scenes best and plan on continuing to work on palm trees, rocks and waves during the summer when our teacher takes some time off. i finally got my garage somewhat cleared out so i can set up my easel and practice inside. i would love to try painting some of the scenes from our italy trip, a large italian scene would be fantastic to look at day in and day out. i've had a lot of positive feedback from friends and family which has really inspired me! since i started this blog, my life has continued to evolve as i revisit my past and pursue new interests. i can't believe my oldest starts high school next year, the same high school i went to! how did that happen? gotta hang on tight for this ride, seriously!