Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Landscape du Jour and Dream of the Blues

A quick study showing process. J. H. Thomas has an interesting approach on landscape painting that fascinated me. My response was to take a 5" x 7" canvas panel and try his method. I'm not sure if the painting is done, but I'd like to think so. I started with a thick covering of cerulean blue and titanium white, followed with the major shape of the mesa with an indian red. Later, I added the mixture of alizarin crimson, french ultramarine, etc., for contrasts. I did use a palette knife and brushes.
  I miss playing my guitar lately. "The Marshall is supposed to be 200 watts, but mine's never worked right; it peaks out at 80."--Stevie Ray Vaughan.  Yeah. This is how I feel. My amp is an old Legend...but, when it works right...80 watts is enough.

9 comments:

Edgar said...

OOoowweee. That's a beaut!

Melinda said...

Put down that bottle of Hobgoblin and try to wax eloquent. Where have you been, out in the desert dirt, sitting in a chair under the night sky, contemplating stars, watching the lightly waving mesquite tree branches and wondering where your pochade is and whether it's even possible to watercolor in the dark?!
Nah, I suspect you're trying to be clever with your hint to another pun....about buttes and mesas. But, I'll take that as a sincere gesture.

Karen said...

This piece has a really strong presence because of its simplicity of composition and minimal detail. But it also seems to hold back, to retain some mystery as to its exact place, like it doesn't need to say everything. I say its done (but of course more versions are needed!).

I love posts on process...so interesting to see.

Edgar said...

Eloquent? Moi? C'est impossible. And, no fair to bring up the Nectar of the English Gods when there's nary a flask in the locker.

You certainly have been putting on the christmas tree decorations on your site... an amazing slide show, and tunez, to boot. Boot, get it? The butt of another beaut!

daviddrawsandpaints said...

Working to a small scale like this is very satisfying when you can put down thick layers of paint on top of the coloured base 'alla prima'. Makes for a bold statement. Good stuff!

oh, and by the way, I have posted an apology and retraction on my Peruvian Trumpets for my wayward mouth. Don't know what got into me.
Sorry.

Melinda said...

Thank you, David. This was surprising to me. I had started with brush work, thinking that I'd do a quick study and ended up loathing the piece. Not wanting to wipe it out, I began adding layers with a palette knife. Magic seemed to happen...an embarrassing, easy magic that formed the mesa, as though I merely held the knife, and the mesa drew the image. It was great fun and I am now a bit intimidated to repeat it.
No apology necessary! You were just funnin' with me. You'll have to work a lot harder than that to offend me! ;)

Jeffrey J. Boron said...

Love the colour here Belinda, the simplicity really does add something to this piece. I can almost feel the sun on the back of my neck while lookin' at this one.


Jeffrey

Jeffrey J. Boron said...

I appoligize Melinda, don't know where these things come from?
Melinda...Melinda...Melinda....

Jeffrey

Melinda said...

Hi Jeffrey,
Thank you for your comment. I really appreciate what you wrote. I'm struggling with simplicity. When working small, I have a tendency to get a bit fiddly with paint and brush. This was an attempt to put down large blocks of color and do little after that. It was very challenging.

No problem about the name thing! I had to delete a response the other day because I misspelled an artist's name.