Laguna Rocks

"Laguna Rocks

Image size 8" x 10"

Water Miscible Oils

I participated in a fun morning workshop in Laguna Beach last Saturday.  There were three different teachers helping students.  I worked with Rick Delanty.  I met him several years ago when he was a judge for an art show.  I have always admired his paintings and he is a wonderful teacher.  I learned a lot in the short workshop.  I wish he still taught classes, but he now spends all of his time painting.

This was the first time that I had tried water miscible oils.  In the past, I have talked with people that have tried them that didn't like them, so I was never tempted to try them.  I surely don't need another medium.  

After using them in the workshop, I think I really like them.  They act like oils, but don't have the noxious smell and they clean up with water.  I like thinning them with water since it seems more natural to me with my watercolor background.  I also like the slow drying time.  They have the blending capabilities of oil with the easy clean-up of acrylics.  It seems like the perfect medium for plein air painting, which I am wanting to try.

Palm Tree Trio

"Palm Tree Trio"

Image Size 6.5" x 5.5"

Encaustic

I've painted this scene many times because it is one of my favorite views in Laguna Beach.  The reference photo was taken from Heisler Park looking down to the beach.

I painted the support red because I really liked the red specks peeking through on the wave painting I finished recently.  I wanted to see if I could get a similar look using red oil paint to start the painting rather than coating the surface with red wax.  I also used oil pastel to add some detail as finishing touches to the painting.

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Laguna Beach in Silk

Laguna Beach in Silk

Image Size 20" x 20"

Silk dyes on silk

My silk painting demo last week went well.  I really enjoyed it and I hope everyone else did also.  I didn't do much actual painting.  There was so much information to give them so I painted a sky using the watercolor technique (on a different painting) and did some color blending in a couple of other areas.  Mostly, when the resist lines are used on silk, painting the piece is like 'filling in the blanks' and I know anyone new to silk paintings can do that on their own.  I described what to do and how the silk dyes would react but didn't want to waste time having them watch something so simplistic.

I took this painting to work on with the sky and border already painted so that they could see a finished sky and an example of the texture on this border but I worked on another painting that I had done the resist on but not any painting.  You'll probably see it finished in a week or so.

The border texture in this painting was achieved by adding alcohol after the dyes had dried.  The texture in the foliage is a combination of salt being added to wet dye and alcohol being added when the area was dry.    I tried to demonstrate how salt reacts with the dyes but it was so dry here (5% humidity) that the dyes dried before I could add the salt.  Luckily, most of the people watching were watercolorists so they were familiar with using salt.  This painting hasn't been steamed yet and its just pinned to a board.  After it's steamed, the white lines will be more distinct and I can stretch it so that the borders are even.

I've used this image many times but never in silk and since it's one of my favorite spots, I had to use it again.  I think it translates nicely to silk.

A View From The Bluffs

A View From The Bluffs

Image Size 8" x 10"

Oil

This is another view from Heisler Park, which is on the bluffs above the beach in Laguna Beach.  I love these red flowers on the aloe plants that are growing all along the bluffs.  This is one of the most beautiful places I've seen and I'm lucky that I live fairly close to it.  

I painted this on a 8" x 10" canvas which is very different for me.  I usually like to paint on square or long, skinny canvas shapes but this scene seemed like it would look best on this shape.

Heisler Park Vista

This is the third time I've painted this scene and I think it will be my last.  I really do need to get some new reference photos.  The first two were only 6" x 6" and this one is 14" x 14".  I painted this one to enter into a contest so wish me luck.

Heisler Park Vista
Image size 14" x 14"
Oil

Laguna Palms, 30 in 30 - Day 18

I finished another one of the poured watercolor paintings.  I really like the graphic quality of this method.  These paintings look a bit like wood block prints to me.  I have one more to finish so you'll probably see that one in a couple of days.

Laguna Palms
Image Size 11" x 15"
Watercolor

Looking South, 30 in 30 - Day 15

We are having 80 plus degree weather here so another beach scene seems appropriate for today's painting.  This is another view of Laguna Beach looking down from Heisler Park to the southern part of this bay.  I have painted this scene before in oils using a brush.  This one is done with a palette knife.

Looking South
Image Size 6" x 6"
Oil

A View From Above - Encaustic

This is the third encaustic that I've done since I took that one day workshop in October and they are so much fun.  This one is the largest one so far.  It is 10" x 10" and my first two were 6" x 6".  I have a few supports that are 18" x 18" so my next ones may be even bigger.

On this one, I used encaustic gesso to prime the wood.  This time, I didn't put a layer of clear wax on first and I was much happier with the result.  When I had the clear layer of wax as my first layer, it made the colors I put on top do weird things.  I had much more control this time.

For me, the fusing is the fun part of encaustics.  Trying to get the wax to level out without moving it where is shouldn't go is a challenge.  On my next one, I think I will pick a subject with more detail to see what I can accomplish.

The finished encaustics have such a wonderful finish.  They can be buffed to a beautiful sheen and have a very unique look.

A View From Above
Image Size 10" x 10"
Encaustic

Laguna - Poured Painting

I haven't done a poured watercolor painting for a long time so I decided to do one this week.  Poured paintings have a very graphic quality, which I really like.  Each time a layer of paint is poured and dries, another layer of resist is added to areas that don't need to be any darker to save those values from future pours.

This is a large painting, 22" x 30", and doing each pour was a bit messy.  I ended up with a lot of the paint on my shoes.  I haven't quite learned how to keep the paint on the paper while I'm blending the colors together.  I think I might be using too much paint.

I didn't stretch the paper because I have been told that the paper can be manipulated better if it's not stretched and can be bent to make the paint go where you want.  This paper, Arches #150, dried with big vertical ripples in it which made subsequent pours very difficult.  I think I'll try the next poured painting on stretched paper and see how that works or maybe I'll use a thicker paper.

By the time a poured painting is done, it is almost completely covered with resist so it's hard to know what it is going to look like when the resist is removed.  Taking the resist off is like opening a package.  You don't know what you're going to find.  It's really fun!

Laguna
Image size 22" x 30"
Watercolor

The Beach

On June 30th, I participated in a plein air workshop given through the Tustin Art League.  Kevin Davidson was the instructor and I really learned a lot.  Kevin is a wonderful artist (and instructor) that works in both oils and watercolor.  For his watercolors, he usually works on yupo paper and is truly a master at it.  He makes it look so effortless.  I find it very frustrating.

For this workshop, he painted in oils.  He did a demo for a little over an hour and then we worked on our own paintings with him giving us pointers.  I find plein air painting just as frustrating as trying to paint on yupo but I'm glad I took this workshop and it does get easier each time I paint on site.  It will never be my first choice in painting experiences because I have a very short attention span.  By the time I get set up I'm usually ready to leave.  Also, I enjoy my creature comforts of being in my studio, close to the kitchen and other facilities.  : )

I am really happy with how this little painting turned out which will probably make me sign up for the next plein air experience with a little less kicking and screaming.

The Beach
Image Size 6" x 6"
Oil