Oh, my next painting is going to be SOOOOO trite. But, in keeping with my resolution to go back to having FUN while I paint, I'm going with an impulse. I do love our little suburban back yard, and can't get enough of it when there is a line of laundry hanging there. . I've been known to stand at the kitchen sink window and just smile at the yard when the sun and breeze are tossing my sheets and making them smell wonderful.
 |
| Here's my sweet little back yard |
So, this week I sketched for a while (until the mosquitoes drove me back inside), then took a bunch of pictures and am now drawing the various elements of the yard that truly make me happy. Trying to reorganize the elements into a good composition, as I think most landscape painters may do (yes?). Many years ago, as a new painter, I succumbed to this same temptation and ended up with such an embarrassing mess, it's been painted over with gesso and re-purposed long ago. No images remain, except in my head. The memory of that one has kept me from trying again - until now.
 |
| And here are some first sketches. |
By the way, we live in an OLD suburb, thank goodness:
none of those snooty
neighborhood association rules - I hope YOU, dear reader, are not a
laundry snob. And while we are on pet peeves, does anyone else have issues with neighbors with lawn services that use (loud) blowers to "clean" off lawns after mowing, throwing all the dirt into the air, onto clean laundry, and through open windows?
Okay, end rant.
We live in an older suburb, too - no rules except what is placed by the city council like taking in the garbage cans and not leaving them out for days, etc. I couldn't live in a place that had association rules because I can't seem to keep my yard pretty enough - no green thumb with flowers and no lawn service because we love to look out and see the rabbits eating clover in the back yard or the birds coming to the feeders. The frogs are calling at night now, every night. To me, it's a beautiful sound but I wonder if any of our neighbors are annoyed by it. Different strokes. I think your laundry painting is going to glow :)
ReplyDeleteIf you do it right, it won't be trite! Sorry for the bad poetry.
ReplyDeleteI think that's the sign of an experienced artist, that you know what to leave out and what to put in, when you're painting your outdoor scenes. I used to think it wasn't good unless I drew everything exactly the way it was in reality. But when you or anybody else thinks about that scene in their mind, they don't really think about how far the shed is from the evergreen, or how tall the sunflowers are, they think about the way the scene felt and what things created that feeling. You're doing this beautifully, and it will be a perfect representation of what the yard felt like when you looked at it.
ReplyDeleteI don't see a "followers" gadget on your sidebar. I'd like to become a follower if you have one! (being that my name matches all the names I see around me on this page! I feel very at home among all the katherines and kathys)
Hm, nothing happens when I click that "Followers" on the sidebar. It might be a different gadget that you need. In your "layout" menu there is a list of gadgets, and there is a link to "more". If you go to that list there is one there called "followers", is that the one you used? It might be that one, or maybe you need the one that says "Google+followers" from the first list of gadgets. I'm not sure. I'll check back! I love your blog and your artwork!
ReplyDeleteYou have been busy! I like how you are posting different versions of the same theme of painting. I will be interested to see how this painting evolves.
ReplyDeleteDiane, you will see several these in person at our next "CEO" meeting: I need our critique groups help to move forward, I think I'm stuck now. I'm feeling blessed that in spite of family challenges of this spring and summer, I've still found time to paint (my garden is a sad case, though). See you in a few weeks!
Delete