The Sound of Silence ... Mine

You will no doubt have been greatly relieved to have heard the sound of my silence these past three weeks; rearming, refitting (my painting supplies) and general maintenance of equipment, as well as constructing a shelf in the back of my truck to safely transport my suitcase solar array, has taken more time than anticipated, and I have a bit more yet to do before I can get back on the trail.  That being said, I am posting an Oil Sketch which was painted on my way back up the Oregon Coast, a couple days after I left Brookings and the Redwoods country.  (I just discovered that this did not get published on the 26th October as planned, so here it is now on Halloween ... spookie!!!)

C1569

"Morning & Rising Tide"

(Face Rock from Cathedal Rock, Bandon, Oregon Coast)

Oil Sketch on Centurion Oil Primed Linen Panel

With additional coat of Williamsburg Lead Primer

5" x 7"

Click here to make this your Own

(Take Note: for those of you who have signed up to be notified by email of new postings to this blog, you have been receiving not just a notification, but an actual copy of the new blog posting as the email.  As this does not show the images of the paintings in the best possible light, you should click on the title of the latest blog posting at the top of the post, and not the title of the painting itself; this will open up the actual blog itself, and you may then enjoy the paintings at their best.)

(Take further note that the photos of the past few paintings have been taken with my tablet and thus may not be up to the standard seen when the originals are scanned ... can't wait to get my laptop back!)

To find this view of Face Rock, at Bandon, you must enter the caves beneath Cathedral Rock, and clamber through to the far side.  This is not always possible as pools periodically form and block the way; this time I was fortunate.  Even once successfully through, the rising tide has to be watched so as not to become trapped.  The tide was on the turn when I began to paint, and it became an an exercise in concentration to complete the sketch in time to beat the tide ... it was close.  The face looks up and to the right towards the waning gibbous Moon.  And thus this entry is short and to the point, much as when doing the sketch.

Imprimatura: Venetian Red, with the block-in with Ultramarine.  The rest of the pigments were Blue Ridge Yellow Ochre & Italian Burnt Sienna (from Rublev), Ultramarine, Cobalt & Cerulean Blues, Venetian Red and Cremnitz White (all by W&N).

The Wind Continues

C1559

“Lost in the Mist”

(South from Face Rock,

Bandon Beach, Oregon Coast)

Oil Sketch on Centurion Oil Primed Linen Panel

With additional coat of Rublev Lead Primer

4” x 6”

Click here to make this your Own

The next day the wind was not as bad, but was still off putting, so I had in mind to return to the wayside, and work up another oil sketch from one of the drawings done yesterday.  This is done looking north towards where Face Rock might be seen on a clearer day, to the left and beyond the farther sea-stacks just visible in the enshrouding mist.  When I was working on the sketchbook drawings, there was not a hint that Face Rock might be lurking in the fog. 

I chose a 4” x 6” panel because its heighth to width ratio is slightly longer than the other small panels, and I could use that extra length; it is the same ratio as many of my standard sized Watercolours.  I worked on the white ground with no imprimatura, so as to work in a bit of a higher key; I also wanted to see how the mist and fog would work out in this higher key.  I rarely if ever do a pencil drawing on the panel before beginning to paint, since oil paint grows more translucent as it ages, over time the graphite will show through, unlike charcoal or black chalk.  But this was too small a panel for charcoal or chalk, and I wanted the shapes to be perfect, so I lightly drew them in with pencil, and then dabbed the lines with a plastic eraser, until they were just visible enough.  Normally I draw in the composition with a brush in oil paint.

I used the same palette of Yellow Ochre, Venetian Red, Cobalt Blue and Cremnitz White,  as on the last painting, so that I might compare between similar misty scenes the affects of one having an imprimatura and one not. I applied the pigments thinly and with a bit of W&N Liquin added; later additions to this layer caught a bit better as the Liquin became tacky.  Without the warm imprimatura the work results in brighter paint layers, but one has to work a bit so that the finished piece does not end up too cold.  Both methods are inherently harmonious due to the limited palette, but the warmth imparted by using an earth red imprimatura is very seductive, and seems to reach a satisfactory state, with less work; perhaps this is not really so, but I will keep this question in mind while painting.