Painting the Same Subject Three Times
There was something about this image that really captured my attention so I painted it. My first attempt is one I really love. The coldness of this scene was entertaining to capture, but I didn’t quite get the warm contrast I was looking for. Also, the towers feel diminished by the butte behind them and…
Everything I Painted in November 2022
It’s nearly December already. November was a crazy busy month for me, but I still managed to sneak in a handful of finished paintings. I’ve clearly been on a panoramic kick this month since nearly all of these paintings are in that format. The first painting is from a photo I took earlier this year…
Two New Paintings
This week I was busy preparing for a big market I have in a couple of weeks. I had to restock prints, cards, stickers, as well as varnish and frame paintings. There is still a lot to prepare, and I feel completely underprepared for the number of potential sales I might get at this next…
Value Sketching
I’ve never been a painter that spends a lot of time mapping out or planning paintings. I tend to just dive right into a painting. The majority of the time this tends to work out decently for me, but not all paintings work as well as I’d like. During a recent plein air class, I…
A New Large Painting
I finished this painting in early Septmber but hadn’t had a chance to get a good photo of it so it hadn’t made an appearance here until now. It’s a large 12×36 inch painting, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. I had a specific vision for this painting and actually managed…
A Week of Plein Air Painting
It has been a week of plein air painting. I feel like it could’ve gone better, but I just so happened to get sick right at the beginning of this competition. Going forward, I think there are a few things I would change. First, I will definitely use a fast-drying medium if I do another…
My First Plein Air Workshop
In anticipation of the upcoming Red Rock Arts Festival, in which I’m competing in the plein air competition, I decided to participate in my first plein air workshop. The 2022 Red Rock Arts Festival (RRAF) is a four-day multimedia, participatory arts festival inviting creative connectedness and activating public spaces in vibrant Moab, Utah. Designed to…
Pitfalls of Painting Large
If you’ve been following me for a while, you may know I tend to paint small. For example, 6×8 inches is a very common size for me to use. While this has worked pretty well for me up until now, I’ve been frustrated lately by trying to fit so much into such a small area.…
The Top 10 Best, Weird, and Unexpected Tools for Oil Painting
When I typically think of oil painting supplies, I think of various brands of oil paint, mediums, brushes, and surfaces. But there are a lot of peripheral items that can make oil painting easier and more enjoyable. Below are my favorite items that make my painting experience all that much better. Derwent Pastel Pencils –…
How to Paint Over Old Oil Paintings
Today I have some old paintings I was never happy with or never finished up on the chopping block!
Back in the Saddle
Hello again! I know it has been quite a while since my last update, but I lost interest in blogging there for a while. With shit life things happening and being busy, I just didn’t want to write about it. However, I’m now trying to get back to weekly blog posts. While I may have…
Sennelier Limited Palette Challenge – Week 4
This final week was definitely a challenge for me. I just didn’t want to paint. Once I started, I was fine, but getting started was difficult. I painted a few images from a trip to Wilson Arch last year and I absolutely loved painting them! I did so many because I was really enjoying creating…
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