What I did over my summer

Well, I don't write often so in case you haven't heard, I don't love doing landscapes because I just can't seem to bring an added value of what is already overwhelmingly beautiful in nature. Also, in the good old summer time, I am always fighting the greens. Green Green Green and not a color to drink up.

The image above is the inspiration. What started out as a cloudy day and cleared. Hence the painting looks sunny. I did and finished in my studio. which is so much more satisfying.

But my buddy Will gets me out there and I give it the old try. Well Will also turned me on to Stapleton Kearn's Blog. Now Stapletton is an opinionated mother but he knows how to paint up a good painting. I think he could do it with his eyes closed and one hand tied behind his back. He knows his stuff and he knows stuff. So I read this blog and things slowly sink in. Having been taught to paint through observation, I now find, has really held me back from enjoying the landscape. Why? because it's more fun to make things up and be inspired by what you see not a slave to it!You can design things, add color change color, change forms, eliminate, add. etc. The more deliberately you can make your decisions the better the painting will be.

Stapleton knows so much that your head could explode trying to remember it all.I ventured forward at Swan's Island Maine, staying with a few principles at a time which I could keep in my mind:
Design with a center of interest in mind.
Mass the dark areas
Break up straight lines.
Add reds to the greens and where ever you can mix them in. It really does help control the greens. I used Cadmium red deep.
And use blue but keep it under control. The less blue in a sky the better.
There are so many more helpful hints but I can only swallow a few at a time.