Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Oil study #141 - plein air

Wow! Judging by your comments and emails I better stick to plein air a little longer :) Thank you all for your kind words!

This was done on a cold morning and I started half an hour later than the previous paintings. I thought I would paint a little bit later instead. Well, my body/mind said otherwise. At noon it was over: I was hungry (my snack was long gone) and I needed a bathroom break... My focus wasn't on the painting any more...

I tried something different to paint the reflections of the trees and it's too dark and not dull enough compared to the reflected tree above. I like the grayer background trees. There is so much more going on there (houses, boats, etc.) , but I'm not ready to put that in yet. The foreground trees on the right could have used a bit more light to show some volume. The hanging branch belongs to the foreground trees but its color and value makes it part of the background trees :( The water needs to be darker in the foreground and blended with some ripples at the top of the trees' reflection. And the sky holes are ugly. That painting could have easily used an additional half hour :)
Oil on canvas, 6 x 8"

5 comments:

Bob Barker said...

I can only take your word for it that your painting has some warts that need fixing, but it is lovely, nevertheless.

Regina Calton Burchett said...

You are still the water queen!! This is lovely, Johanne - it has a wonderful feel to it!

BJ said...

I always examine the painting before reading your comments. Your analysis is very interesting, but I love the painting and trust that your comments are for your own learning experience. We just enjoy.

Louise and David said...

Your artist's critical eye can't spoil perfection for me on this bend of the river, Johanne. I love it!

JohanneMorinFineArt said...

Thanks everyone!