Caitlin 12/29/14

Caitlin,  I believe this painting is finished but I would like to take another day or two to look it over and tweak it if necessary.  The sky went down very easy which is always a good thing but I was surprised how easy and quickly the birch trees were put in, I use a very fine brush and lay multiple strokes of paint to get it just right. I was concerned with the foreground snow but it too was built in four layers and the final one looked great. The canvas is painted on all four edges so you can frame it or hang it unframed, lastly I will coat it with acrylic varnish for a protective layer. I hope you like it! Feel free to contact me or Donna will get with you regarding payment and shipment.

Michelle 12/29/14

Michelle, I gently touched up the painting here and there and now am posting the final version. I painted all four edges so you can leave it unframed if you choose not to frame it. I hope you like it and it brings back great memories for you and your family. Donna will contact you regarding payment and shipment. Thanks so much for allowing me the opportunity to paint for you.

Caitlin 12/27/14

This winter landscape painting is about 95% finished, I will let it set for a day then go back and adjust the blue shading in the foreground and the drive in the right corner. Please feel free to comment to me on my etsy sight.

Caitlin 12/25/14

As you can see I've added the horizon trees, pines, tall birch trees, given the foreground snow a second coat, and some details on the house. There is much left to do. I like to work in a semi painterly style which means this is not a photo reproduction but a painting where you may see several brush strokes and the artist is given certain liberties as he uses the brushes on canvas. I will be traveling tomorrow and will not post again till Saturday at the earliest.

Caitlin's Blocked In 12/24/14

In this stage the major portions are "blocked in' and ready to move on to the next stage. At this point I just look at shapes; sky- rectangle, gables- triangles, foreground- triangle, etc. I'm fairly happy with the sky and may move on to the horizon, when I do that it will tell me if I have the sky color and density right.

Caitlin's Commission 12/22/14

This is the initial brush sketch on a black canvas, sometimes I use a black canvas, from here I will put in the sky, foreground, and horizon trees.

Here is the painting, I think I am 95% done.

I filled in the tree with more foliage and put in an initial out line of C. Smith

I have added the tree it is amount half way done,  and some rustic aspect of the barn wood. Please note that I am trying to keep the barn roof red like the photo.  If you have any concerns just let Donna know.

Michelle, here is the basic painting, from here I begin to add details, I am only half way done.

Michelle's Commission 12-13-14

 

I am working on a commission for a high school friend of my wife and I will be posting my progress for several days. This painting started with a black canvas and my initial sketch of a barn that was emailed to me. Please note the windmill on the far left side that I added in, not in the original photo, and will not be in the finished painting because the customer did not want it. 

1-18-14 Emma Griggs Green Farmhouse

So many farm house where sided in years past with green slate siding that I couldn't help but take notice when I saw this farm house and just had to paint it. I was concerned with getting the density of the green right and repainted it at least once. Over the years it has taken some practice to get the winter sky just right because I am trying to mix several colors all at once on the paper and keeping the horizon a different value than the top of the sky and I feel I have been able to accomplish this on most paintings, yet it is not unusual for me to repaint a winter sky on one out of three paintings. If you would like to purchase this painting please use the 'etsy' link on the right side of the page.

1-4-14 The Polson's Farm Bridge

I put in the sky with several washes of sepia, ultra marine blue, and pthalo blue and continued it down to the foreground. I put in the barn with several different reds and opaque white on the two roofs and added in the fence and bridge rail with sepia and paynes gray. Then I hold onto the painting for a few days to look it over to what to add before I droop in the falling snow. Anymore I try to keep the painting as simple as possible, adding as few extras as possible.