One Day

One Day   oil/canvas   30 x 30 x 1.5

Late Summer.  A trip to our "way back" to dump garden detritus. A glance over to our out building that currently houses our wood supply for winter.  The light was spectacular!  ...it was the kind of situation that I often search for in vain.  This time it was, quite simply, happenstance. 

I have painted day lilies before.  They don't work that well singularly, but are dynamic as a group.  And, yes, each blossom blooms for only one day. 

While there were areas that offered up problems to be solved, the work was mostly simple in resolution.  My own cemented sense of design required a dark on the left edge....my preference always being to solve with value shifts.  And, yet, a heavy dark shape would have destroyed the feeling of lightness that day.  So my resolution, while a bit ambiguous, is satisfactory.  It definitely recalls the feeling that I had....that day....that hour...that moment.

Coneflowers

Coneflowers   12 x 4 x 1.5

was intended as small between-the-lines painting...nothing serious, small in size....just an exercise.  Flowers are the perfect vehicle for such a work.  Without the seriousness of a larger or more contemplative work, I feel free to explore and try out new techniques.

In this case, this very small canvas was toned with what I would call "navy blue", a neutralized dark blue that was probably mixed with French ultramarine and burnt sienna.  The background leaves and pods are closer in value to the toned ground so they fade to the background.  The pink leaves were intentionally scraped and pulled back to allow that blue toned ground to become a major player. 

I am pleased.