Impressionist Portraits Series 5

Frederic Bazille (from Public Domain photo)
Oil on Canvas Panel
8 x 10 in/20 x 25 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2017

Here's another painting in my series of Impressionist portraits--this of Frederic Bazille, whose life and career were cut short with his untimely death at age 29 in the Prussian-Franco War.

Paint a Panorama

Heading West
Acrylic on Arches watercolor paper
12 x 3.5 in/30 x 9 cm (image size)
Copyright Byrne Smith 2017

Pan-o-ram-a, noun: an unbroken view of the whole region surrounding an observer.

Well, that defines what a panorama is. So, when I say I like to paint panoramas of landscapes, I suppose what I really mean is I like to paint partial panoramas of landscapes. That is, I paint more of a 180-degree view, not a 360-degree view. Just wanted to clear that up for any compulsive-obsessives out there.

Be that as it may, I love painting panoramas.

They're open and usually vast in scope. They're a vista of a hopefully scenic view, if that's not too redundant.

They make me want to paint, and then they make me want to soar. You can find panoramic landscapes everywhere, or you can close your eyes and imagine one.

I like to use Arches watercolor paper, either 140 lb or 300 lb (300 gsm or 638 gsm) with an aspect ratio of at least 1:2 or better, 1:3 or 1:4.

I also like to use acrylic as if it were watercolor. This allows for flowing washes and unexpected delightful outcomes without constraining creativity.

Paint a panorama and let yourself soar!

Finding Value in an Encore Painting

From the Pier
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
36 x 24 in/91 x 61 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2008

By encore painting, I mean one that you painted sometime in the distant past. I recently shuffled through a rather crowded upstairs closet and came across a stash of several paintings I did in the late 2000s.

Seems like ancient painting history now, but I was surprised at how well they stood the test of time, at least my  test of time.

This painting is a view of Santa Barbara painted after a trip to that beautiful region of California. It was painted from a reference photo I took from their city pier looking up at the city and surrounding mountains. The photo was quite remarkable, if I do say so, being taken at the height of the "golden" hour one evening in September of 2008.

Reviewing your past paintings is a good exercise. It marks a time in your painting development. It lets you see how much you have hopefully improved over time. It's a win-win in that maybe you can find an old favorite to sell or hang and get your closet cleaned out at the same time.

I hope you find one of your own encore paintings to enjoy.