Finished and Finished
The painting above (18×24 inches) is the final stage of the painting sequenced in my last blog post. Not too bad but nothing to write home about either. What I have the most problem with is the less than interesting cloud flattening out the top third of my canvas. The longer I stared this thing down the more aware I became of my need to DO IT OVER!
Seems I do that a lot but I have found in most cases it’s worth it and beyond that, for this one anyway, necessary. So….
this is how I began my re-do of what’s above. The canvas is 36×48 inches and is museum stretched canvas. The “wash” is a mixture of Raw Umber and a little Cad Orange.
I wasn’t planning to post a progression of this one so I only took one photo of how the top portion was laid in. My friend, Kirk Larsen, asked for a sequence so I took a few more pictures of the rest of the process.
I’m not sure why I worked from the top down on this one. Maybe it was my preoccupation with that cloud but it seemed to work and I painted
and finished as I went.
So, this is the second finish for this piece. Much better, yeah?
Have a great week!
EW
May 19, 2011 at 5:07 am
Hi Eldon,
I actually like both of them. I like the cloud that has no definition because I’ve seen that. In the rainy weather we’re having I saw it just the other day.
But I also love the one that pleases you more. And of course I see what you
wanted to achieve and did so well. Kudos to you.
Your friend in Toronto,
Barbara
May 19, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Hi Barbara!! Thanks. Absolutely. I like things about both of these and probably could have lived with the first one. It was a real learning thing for sure. Sometimes I just feel the need to improve on what went before. I love it when a plan comes together.
E
May 19, 2011 at 9:42 am
Eldon, this is way much better in so many ways and areas. Its a really well executed work. Congratulations on a work well done.
Best to you always
Lorna
May 19, 2011 at 6:45 pm
Hi Lorna! Thank you. Sometimes ya just gotta do what ya gotta do, right? I can relax a little now that I put it the way I had hoped for originally.
E
May 19, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Beautifully accomplished, Eldon. I’m with you on making the scene compositionally improved. This is lovely and fresh and well done.
May 19, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Hey Jill, Thanks. Yes, it’s the same but different and better for it in general. Improvement is always the name of the game.
E
May 19, 2011 at 11:34 pm
It’s an extension of the confidence and clarity of vision develops as a plein air artist. You Knew where it needed to go and as you said you had the cloud in your cross hairs so “BAM-PAINT IT UP A NOTCH!” Cool work! It must be so much more rich in person.Cool work!
May 20, 2011 at 4:37 pm
Yes, sometimes a plan just comes together.
And you’re right, the plein air time is certainly time well spent. It sharpens the edge so to speak.
May 20, 2011 at 3:24 am
I definitely like the new and improved version Eldon- there are just enough peek throughs so that you can see the mountain and know it is there.
May 20, 2011 at 4:29 pm
Mornin Sue! Thanks. I’ve got several more of these big ole canvases. I think I’ll start another. I kind of enjoy them at this size. One of these days even bigger. Katie bar the door!!
May 20, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Hi Eldon, I like both paintings but although the cloud in the top picture may look just like that, it is a bit too much. I covered the top quarter of the art and it looked better. I like the 2nd picture better. Glad to see you painting and having fun
Peggy