I started this painting ages ago. Reworked it in fairly recent times. And it’s been rephotographed.
It’s brightly colored. I love the crepe myrtles, marvelous trees. I cannot get enough of drawing and painting them.
Seems an apt choice for today. Happy summer solstice, everyone.
I have some plans for a largish painting that will feature an abundant amount of red. I think about it often. The studio is set up for other things at present, so I have to finish those first. But for my “warm ups” I have begun doing small pictures that are very red.
It’s fun. It’s thrilling — to have a few bits of the much longed for experience. I love playing around with colors.
The painting at the top measures 9 x 12 inches. The lower on is 8 x 10. Both are painted with acrylics.
I decided to embark upon a more visceral sort of painting so sometimes I take a small canvas and just paint. I thought it would be fun simply to respond to what I see in as unmediated a fashion as I can manage.
So here’s one small painting made with that “get ready, get set, go!” spirit. It measures 8 inches square.
I have this little 14 x 11 inch still life that I pulled out of the stack. I’ve already altered it a little to conform to the new drawings that I’ve been making of the motif. Like The Big Painting, I am painting this from drawings. The objects are set up in a still life right here in the studio, but the light has been variable — plus I cannot commit to being in the studio at the right times since The Big Painting is the priority.
But it’s nice to have something else toward which I can turn my thoughts. So here’s the side project. Small, fun, no worries.
Here’s some of the studies so far — all the studies except one are made using Neopastels on various pastel papers:
This one needs some adjustment to the size of the compotier bowl, just visible, that hangs above the frog’s head. Yes, again, frogs!
I love dealing with the edges around things and the spaces between things. I like the “things that are not things” in a picture.
The above drawing proves that I can draw a motif that has no frog in it . See, no frog.
This pastel above (traditional dry pastel) is from an earlier suite of drawings. I found it among some dry pastels and was surprised to encounter my current subject.
And here’s yet another recent drawing that I started and haven’t as yet finished. Then again, does it really need to be finished? I mean, hey, the frog is there …
Today on Instagram I posted a painting I made ages ago. I painted a still life sketch of some daffodils — on paper — am amazed that it has survived through the years. Oil paint is strong! even on paper.
I guess I have always loved painting flowers. Since nature loves making flowers, it’s a great subject, one that’s always abundantly available. I figure that nature wants us to paint them.
I also posted these.
Doing some blast from the past posting. It’s fun seeing how paintings I made a long time ago relate to things that I’m painting now.
Come visit! @alethamkuschan
Got a chance to take a picture of my latest painting on exhibit. It’s the long format landscape on the bottom right. It’s now on view at the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Here’s another view:
I liked the first version a lot and thus was reluctant to have another whack at it right away. And there’s nothing wrong with that: I had plenty of other things to keep me busy.
But it’s undergone another swipe. I still like it. And I still think it needs some further something, though I’m not sure what that something is, so once again I’m briefly setting it aside while I contemplate my next move.
The earlier version is visible here:
https://alethakuschan.wordpress.com/2018/01/15/crepe-myrtles-in-acrylic/
The painting measures 36 x 18 inches.
I decided to let loose with the paint over pretty much the whole scene. It has different colors with a slightly different ratio of sky to land and other changes of a “bustin’ loose” sort. This acrylic painting on canvas panel measures 18 x 14 inches.
I like it a lot better than before. I knew I would do this at some point, repaint it using a loaded brush. I just didn’t know when I’d do it. And now I’ve done it.
The earlier version is here:
https://alethakuschan.wordpress.com/2018/01/12/little-meadow/
Measuring 13 x 8.5 inches, this little picture is a color study for a new, upcoming landscape motif. It’s painted on un-stretched, raw canvas treated only with clear acrylic (to make the surface less absorbent).
I like the raw color of the canvas, though I glopped on so much paint already that the raw canvas doesn’t show anymore.
Lots of garden plants are here with their slightly differing shades of green. A couple roof tops are visible in the upper right.
I painted this summer scene of crepe myrtles a while back. It will become part of a landscape portfolio that I’ll be assembling soon. It’s an oil painting measuring 30 x 24 inches. In contrast the ones I’ve been posting lately are acrylic paintings.
It’s fun to see how it looks with its new landscape companions.
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