tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67702778465915154352024-03-06T21:33:13.498-06:00The Painting Lifeorbisplanis.blogspot.comByrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.comBlogger678125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-29719846207002889892023-05-21T15:58:00.001-05:002023-05-21T15:58:45.827-05:00Urban Sketching y Cafe de la Manana<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mgBq_9JbrPOVfM7DzR1eiy6Y2tRupgqdpdq8Aaww9E8U3Au6hFcBW1kRwJfrDjFrk06lOeiY8jgOeqnOWzh5FHGX0aiCW7aInVIdWEgrHT--I-6NBa5gzSFMcYCnJSw_1DEfGfHPZDM8F1Xq1cDktaXOQQidNWyjlZ8X4iEw6BbM1yvdl8yF_xOe/s2576/20230519_125554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mgBq_9JbrPOVfM7DzR1eiy6Y2tRupgqdpdq8Aaww9E8U3Au6hFcBW1kRwJfrDjFrk06lOeiY8jgOeqnOWzh5FHGX0aiCW7aInVIdWEgrHT--I-6NBa5gzSFMcYCnJSw_1DEfGfHPZDM8F1Xq1cDktaXOQQidNWyjlZ8X4iEw6BbM1yvdl8yF_xOe/s320/20230519_125554.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Another installment of my sketches of local area coffee shops I've visited recently. Sometimes a simple interior sketch is all that's needed. That's especially true when the exterior is basically low-slung box of a building and all you really see is a parking lot full of customers' cars.</p><p><span style="text-align: center;">However, the full parking lot told me that La Panaderia is a very popular place. It's a local bakery [pa-nuh-DEH-ree-uh] with local ties to bakeries in <span style="color: #202124; font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: nowrap;">M</span></span></span>exico City, so the pastries and baked goods were excellent as was the coffee. Two locations in San Antonio, downtown and Alamo Heights area, if you're visiting. </p>Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-21789500487386133422023-04-30T15:32:00.001-05:002023-04-30T15:32:34.160-05:00 New Life for Old Buildings, Perfect for Urban Sketching<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7U2BHmlu4gUgpFfKC13PP7vTug5NJpLtvDqR1VVHWN8EUzdirSq5TDbnn7Ji7MOVs0G8dMgjlEFYmpbcPoM815gaLVZKCXjE8evbUQEjU0Hk-f7WkGGokofT92skn_NhTXkXlgRwKHhc6-4p0aWHYPRgdPbrYaTuQXzC43COXCQm8dQ2fXynq9x3f" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="2576" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7U2BHmlu4gUgpFfKC13PP7vTug5NJpLtvDqR1VVHWN8EUzdirSq5TDbnn7Ji7MOVs0G8dMgjlEFYmpbcPoM815gaLVZKCXjE8evbUQEjU0Hk-f7WkGGokofT92skn_NhTXkXlgRwKHhc6-4p0aWHYPRgdPbrYaTuQXzC43COXCQm8dQ2fXynq9x3f" width="320" /></a></div><br />I decided to take a break this week from my Coffee Shop Sketching series. A few weeks ago I did another of my #lineandwashdrawings in the #urbansketcherstyle . This of St. Paul Square in the Depot District downtown.<p></p><p>This is a somewhat charming old urban area (from the last century when we rode trains everywhere) that is being revitalized and brought back to life. New night spots, shops, and restaurants - always a good thing I think.</p>Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-3296823515454696802023-04-19T12:44:00.004-05:002023-04-19T12:49:54.346-05:00Coffee Shop Sketching No.3<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXVJunYEB0020Ws6JnRAT7btDZnw2q03BJiSnDchWOM8UwNufQPQ4vAZORxQnGI6pfGJr8PcqgmEMUMcljAovZ5267iPWnGDIGxHrJ3ShC22PDhiE4DPYYr1ITZvCsRX3duUu3g7KZhbUmJNf6y6RFhW1HmZ5C3H6HH-rAXe7bmDGUw1i6mICnFqQa" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="2576" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXVJunYEB0020Ws6JnRAT7btDZnw2q03BJiSnDchWOM8UwNufQPQ4vAZORxQnGI6pfGJr8PcqgmEMUMcljAovZ5267iPWnGDIGxHrJ3ShC22PDhiE4DPYYr1ITZvCsRX3duUu3g7KZhbUmJNf6y6RFhW1HmZ5C3H6HH-rAXe7bmDGUw1i6mICnFqQa" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Here is another urban-sketch in my local coffee shop series. This shop is different from the others in that it's not a storefront coffee shop, such as Starbucks. Rather Theory Coffee started life as a mobile truck coffee shop. It's owners found a perfect location in the neighborhood at the intersection of a busy thoroughfare and a freeway. The spot had been a gas station in its former life but was perfect for a mobile coffee truck. The property was updated, and the awning/portico provides the perfect place to sip coffee with shelter from the sun and weather. The coffee is excellent, too, so it's always busy.</p><p>#urbansketching #watercolor #urbansketchers </p>Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-54571201292214454542023-04-12T11:30:00.001-05:002023-04-12T15:28:26.740-05:00Coffee Shop Sketching No.2<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2qygi4Vpx-lOIyts6BPQ93nQwSGwJ_SmuxmeALK8opZrcl9zSFnB84iwwJPXolyjJ_asZ-CkJod8NgUJV0JCUUeYA0H3wy_XqRE3V2ZfLDsZr_9xDzcYbD2ooJ2FkUpgNMeAAdiW6mxZRKXM0SeTTejSlWJxpfSBrRcwKYaL74kHXMl8yqwF8HEj/s2576/20230411_185407.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="2576" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2qygi4Vpx-lOIyts6BPQ93nQwSGwJ_SmuxmeALK8opZrcl9zSFnB84iwwJPXolyjJ_asZ-CkJod8NgUJV0JCUUeYA0H3wy_XqRE3V2ZfLDsZr_9xDzcYbD2ooJ2FkUpgNMeAAdiW6mxZRKXM0SeTTejSlWJxpfSBrRcwKYaL74kHXMl8yqwF8HEj/s320/20230411_185407.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;">In my last blog I told you how I had decided to visit some of the coffee shops in the local area and sketch what I saw either from an an interior window seat, or even better, from an outdoor seating area or patio. Today's image is from another Starbucks nearby, no surprise, they're everywhere! This one at the Oak Park location at N. New Braunfels & Nacogdoches.</span></div></div></div>Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-28771968685214156692023-04-02T11:42:00.000-05:002023-04-02T11:42:51.784-05:00Coffee Shop Sketching<p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeqH6b3BwuEFu5rnaSe007HGooSjK5ow7hiQdFJzc-Hky85nqOHdjLVwKXjImnjTJlVLDV_2mSynuaYSgL8sM2ha8vTfu-pAvCLmSsTKY2D3-0tHB-f_M_sE00Ncz7T4GrlQolw3QiLIuP2SBomfgk0xT_Xmz9px72nmv4FTMVkykclb6a4TxF43GR" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="2576" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeqH6b3BwuEFu5rnaSe007HGooSjK5ow7hiQdFJzc-Hky85nqOHdjLVwKXjImnjTJlVLDV_2mSynuaYSgL8sM2ha8vTfu-pAvCLmSsTKY2D3-0tHB-f_M_sE00Ncz7T4GrlQolw3QiLIuP2SBomfgk0xT_Xmz9px72nmv4FTMVkykclb6a4TxF43GR" width="320" /></a></div><br />Good morning, buenos dias, etc! I hope you have had your morning coffee today or tea or chai or whatever gets you going.<p></p><p>Recently I joined a group and began urban sketching, which, as it turns out, is a worldwide pastime of artists and sketchers and painters and some architects even. Who knew?</p><p>I'm enjoying the new challenge and decided to scout out some urban locations to sketch. With the proliferation of coffee shops on almost every corner it seems, I started there.</p><p>I've been visiting several in my nearby area and, after purchasing my brew of the day, usually dark roast, I find a seat, either a window or outdoor area, and sketch the view.</p><p>Today's image is my sketch of the view from the leafy Starbucks in Alamo Heights looking north on Broadway. Hope you like it.</p><p>In upcoming blogs I'll talk about what I'm learning about the many different tools of the trade used in this endeavour. Note: I'm still figuring out which ones work best for me.</p>Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-17876224439456413002023-03-28T12:42:00.000-05:002023-03-28T12:42:05.369-05:00Urban Sketching in San Antonio<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBeeXsWzOqQtZBOD7FNuolKmsUaMqGb6JQ74UffJYOe4gGL4M7AtbaokzYLmlvo6xAUPbW0sNTTgW7c4bZu78JnY7eArsI0OCrpLtMhH8GH3jVcDvoV67WhKFGI3d467Al5a-Fhx2h27WdqmsE6QvqWv_SZhQhJUNAzKgoLEk18Y16FlGNm2HY6V9/s2576/IMG_20230328_111714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="2576" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBeeXsWzOqQtZBOD7FNuolKmsUaMqGb6JQ74UffJYOe4gGL4M7AtbaokzYLmlvo6xAUPbW0sNTTgW7c4bZu78JnY7eArsI0OCrpLtMhH8GH3jVcDvoV67WhKFGI3d467Al5a-Fhx2h27WdqmsE6QvqWv_SZhQhJUNAzKgoLEk18Y16FlGNm2HY6V9/s320/IMG_20230328_111714.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />If you've re-discovered The Painting Life blog, aka orbisplanis.blogspot.com, thank you for viewing. As you may have seen in my last post, I started posting again after a multi-year hiatus to attend to a family crisis.<p></p><p>In order to make my posting to The Painting Life blog as easy as humanly possible, I'm using the most basic blogspot formatting tools so that I may post quickly without fiddling with the look and feel. I hope you don't mind.</p><p>The topic of today's blog is Urban Sketching, in which I recently started participating. I knew very little about this art phenomena, although I had heard snippets about it for years. So I did a little online research. Seems it is way bigger and more widespread than I imagined - worldwide in fact! There are urban sketchers in every part of the globe and it appears in most of the world's urban population centers.</p><p>I was pleasantly surprised to find one in San Antonio and one in Austin. I found them on the MeetUp app and joined the movement. The San Antonio group meets roughly twice a month at notable locations around the city and in nearby Hill Country towns.</p><p>Today's image is my sketch from last Saturday at Mission San Juan Capistrano, one of San Antonio's famous missions dating from the Spanish colonial era. </p><p>Hope you enjoy it and maybe it will spark an interest in your trying urban sketching.</p><p>#urbansketching, #acrylicpainting</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-35974992855934065722023-03-02T12:50:00.003-06:002023-03-02T12:50:41.385-06:00The Painting Life Blog is Back<p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4f8BUTugVe5yXhk2lhBff_IOzrD_ld-ly8xA4ZMFCJqjReRC8UGzVEgIHysZ7BaW8JNZMPrmngO9o8QIK1sc1J4U3mRsD_fyp9F3-0mErTWPzCMBJFrGu1vXR8rmnWMnYVrv11YjMFdEYiPPbsdhm7qW7hCX4m44EmCKTmEoWcZo12nSiAejVw_T/s2576/20220711_120148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="2576" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4f8BUTugVe5yXhk2lhBff_IOzrD_ld-ly8xA4ZMFCJqjReRC8UGzVEgIHysZ7BaW8JNZMPrmngO9o8QIK1sc1J4U3mRsD_fyp9F3-0mErTWPzCMBJFrGu1vXR8rmnWMnYVrv11YjMFdEYiPPbsdhm7qW7hCX4m44EmCKTmEoWcZo12nSiAejVw_T/s320/20220711_120148.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Two Pears</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Acrylic on Canvas Panel</p><p style="text-align: center;">20 in x 16 in</p><p style="text-align: center;">Copyright 2023, All Rights Reserved</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;">If any of you reading this blog remember way back in 2018, that was the last time I posted on </span><i style="font-family: times;">Orbisplanis</i><span style="font-family: times;">.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">As happens to all of us sometimes, life intervenes, and we must face the challenges we're confronted with. In my case, and without going into any details, the challenge was the diagnosis of a terminal illness of a loved one. This stark reality lead to life-altering changes for the family. I was completely overtaken with the subsequent illness, death and recovery period (if you can call it that).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Needless to say, <i>my painting life</i> was put on hiatus for the duration. It has only been recently that I was able to re-kindle my interest and pick up my paintbrush.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Today's image is a by-product of my new reality.</span></p><p> </p>Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-6655510417345660272018-11-10T11:41:00.002-06:002018-11-10T11:41:54.365-06:00Take Comfort In Your Oil Paint<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dOlJX-pyLaE/W-cXZfdBthI/AAAAAAAAo9M/5zSbp99qDcknx_9JCk955iGewYXd-2cQgCLcBGAs/s1600/20181110_111527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="1600" height="251" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dOlJX-pyLaE/W-cXZfdBthI/AAAAAAAAo9M/5zSbp99qDcknx_9JCk955iGewYXd-2cQgCLcBGAs/s320/20181110_111527.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Blazing Sunset</i><br />Water-Soluble Oil on Canvas Panel<br />10 x 8 in/25.4 x 20.3 cm<br /><i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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With the holiday season right around the corner, the weather finally starting to feel like autumn (in the northern hemisphere anyway), and as a way to cope with everything going on in the world, I needed to take comfort with my oil paints.<br />
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I equate using oil paint with eating comfort food in my mind anyway. Compared to painting with watercolor and acrylic, oils provide the oozy, rich warmness you get from eating mac 'n cheese, lasagna, cheesy mashed potatoes and the like. At least I think so.<br />
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I think in Denmark they have a word for it: hygge (hue-guh). It loosely means having that feeling of being cozy, charming or special--just like painting<br />
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I can't think of anything better than mixing up a palette of all values and colors of oils. Then you apply it via brush or palette knife for the cozy satisfaction of rendering a painting well painted.<br />
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Take comfort in your oil paint.Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-82067525384949903292018-10-31T14:35:00.000-05:002018-10-31T14:35:58.298-05:00Painters Should Not Be Bored<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIpdhJDmvnQ/W9oDbLyuRlI/AAAAAAAAo7A/4hGYSkF-aAYEbEb_w98ovHdufow9SHL6gCEwYBhgL/s1600/20181031_140857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1589" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIpdhJDmvnQ/W9oDbLyuRlI/AAAAAAAAo7A/4hGYSkF-aAYEbEb_w98ovHdufow9SHL6gCEwYBhgL/s320/20181031_140857.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Indian Summer</i><br />Oil on Canvas Panel<br />6 x 6 in/15.2 x 15.2 cm<br /><i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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Before the month was completely gone, I wanted to post again. I've had a slow week or two getting going with my painting. I don't know why, but suspect it's painting ennui, that is, boredom and lethargy.<br />
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The only way I know how to break the cycle is to paint and paint some more. So that's what I did this week.<br />
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I also decided to use a different medium than what I've been using of late. I switched to water-soluble oils rather than my usual acrylics. That did help since you use them differently, not altogether differently but enough to make it more interesting. The ennui was overcome, at least for now.<br />
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I decided to paint a little impressionistic landscape before the seasons changed completely. Hope you like it.<br />
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Painters should not be bored.<br />
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Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-90118352806865631072018-10-17T16:53:00.000-05:002018-10-18T15:16:17.233-05:00Seascapes and Beach/Water Scenes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8URzWdGP8Fw/W8euTygQNOI/AAAAAAAAo4o/Au0cvr-YtzQgV6FJ4HhcJpWAoh2rWLLmACLcBGAs/s1600/20181017_164336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="1600" height="307" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8URzWdGP8Fw/W8euTygQNOI/AAAAAAAAo4o/Au0cvr-YtzQgV6FJ4HhcJpWAoh2rWLLmACLcBGAs/s320/20181017_164336.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Beachy</i><br />
Acrylic on Canvas Panel<br />
6 x 6 in/15.2 x 15.2 cm<br />
<i>Byrne Copyright 2018</i></td></tr>
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One thing I like about seascapes and beach/water scenes is that there is an unlimited number of combinations between the color of the sky and the color of the water. There are a myriad of reasons, such as the time of day, the weather, the season, the geographic location, and the surrounding landscape, if any.<br />
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What attracted me to today's image was the contrast between the predominantly ultramarine blue of the sky and the cerulean/pthalo green of the water near the coast. Beautiful, and it also helps set the mood, bright and sunny, a winning combination.<br />
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Beach scenes also keep the painter on his toes by having to create the correct color of the sand at the location of the painting. Similar to the reasons mentioned above, the types and colors of sand around the world are almost limitless.<br />
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The sand in today's painting was mixed with primarily titanium white, but you have to add very small amounts of cad yellow light and and cad red light, along with a dab of ultramarine blue to help gray down the other three colors slightly. I always forget that until I notice that something with the sand is not quite right.<br />
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I hope you like it and that you will paint your share of beach/water scenes.Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-62881527649451122432018-10-01T14:05:00.001-05:002018-10-01T14:08:55.386-05:00A Time to Reflect with an Autumn Landscape<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NzdEjUWkGN8/W7JuQIk3ndI/AAAAAAAAouM/2CbgMU-_JYQWs29BTvYUQYl03yJQsZicwCEwYBhgL/s1600/20181001_130823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1293" data-original-width="1600" height="258" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NzdEjUWkGN8/W7JuQIk3ndI/AAAAAAAAouM/2CbgMU-_JYQWs29BTvYUQYl03yJQsZicwCEwYBhgL/s320/20181001_130823.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Central Coast</i><br />
Acrylic on Canvas Panel<br />
14 x 11in/35.6 x 27.9 cm<br />
<i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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As summer turns into autumn, I wanted to paint a landscape that celebrates the changing seasons. This after not posting in September while I was figuring out what to paint next and where to take my painting.<br />
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This time for reflection has happened before, and I'm sure it will happen again. I feel sure it happens to most painters at some time. Neither a slump nor a retreat, it feels more like reaching a plateau, and now it's time to take stock and move on.<br />
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I now feel clear-headed about continuing on my path of painting acrylic landscapes and seascapes. although I may try painting on larger supports soon.<br />
<br />
I hope you take some time to reflect on your work now and then.Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-754039508520693432018-08-22T13:50:00.002-05:002018-08-22T13:50:45.422-05:00Paint With a New Perspective<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9aaA-AXpBA/W32vWwMa5vI/AAAAAAAAogg/s9YahyQqq0gdOiGF5C9Un-NW5qcM6sOdQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180822_130746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1073" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9aaA-AXpBA/W32vWwMa5vI/AAAAAAAAogg/s9YahyQqq0gdOiGF5C9Un-NW5qcM6sOdQCLcBGAs/s320/20180822_130746.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Beach Walk</i><br />Acrylic on Canvas Panel<br />18 x 24 in/46 x 61 cm<br /><i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I spent the week painting this rather non-traditional landscape (or maybe it's really a seascape). I say non-traditional because of the perspective and viewpoint, almost overhead the beach below. <br />
<br />
Most landscapes are typically a straight-on view with the horizon line positioned somewhere with the sky above and the usual fore-, middle, and background view of the land.<br />
<br />
In my painting there is no visible horizon line, and the viewer is looking down at waves, shallow lapping water, the beach, and vegetation at a steep angle. That's probably what drew me to paint this scene. Even though it's highly realistic, it's also somewhat abstract when you step back a bit.<br />
<br />
Also, don't miss the five figures and a dog walking along the shore. They don't jump out at you because of their small size, but do provide scale, which is very important for this motif.<br />
<br />
I understand it's good for viewers and collectors to be able to look at a painting and almost immediately recognize who the artist is by his or her style and subject matter. But it's also good to try new things and new ways now and then.<br />
<br />
It will certainly give you a new perspective and may just get you out of a painting rut.Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-90093226892668559552018-08-01T11:50:00.001-05:002018-08-01T11:50:26.030-05:00A Calming August Acrylic Landscape<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uJ8r7RHrero/W2Hiz0n15oI/AAAAAAAAocY/HNCB8yE9v9o-epw5uMbNzOG4_G0E_rhZACLcBGAs/s1600/20180801_111636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uJ8r7RHrero/W2Hiz0n15oI/AAAAAAAAocY/HNCB8yE9v9o-epw5uMbNzOG4_G0E_rhZACLcBGAs/s320/20180801_111636.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Summer Dusk</i><br />Acrylic on Canvas Panel<br />20 x 16 in/50.8 x 40.6 cm<br /><i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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Well, it's August 1st.<br />
<br />
If any month deserves a calming landscape, it's August (and possibly December also). The heat, the glaring sun, the heat, the dash from car to building, the heat, the sunscreen, the glowing perspiration, the heat, the must-go-now holiday/vacation. Did I mention the heat?<br />
<br />
Today's image is the one I mentioned in the previous blog--the one I let rest for a while. As I suspected, I did make a couple of changes that I thought would help. The main thing I did was to tone down the setting sun so that it was less intense to match the time of day, which was dusk. I also lowered the intensity, slightly, of the orange glow around it for the same reason. I added a few darks to the immediate foreground for depth and, of course, signed it.<br />
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In paintings like this, I find acrylic to be most beautiful with the ability to blend and blur just the right places.<br />
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I hope the painting ushers in a calming August for you, too.Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-3144217340164748772018-07-20T15:19:00.000-05:002018-07-21T14:24:41.501-05:00Luminosity In a Floral Acrylic<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qtrdGBrTgyc/W1JCCDAeiPI/AAAAAAAAn2w/1AIuw67cdLkVs_-8_7L6GSdzwAI7VODzwCLcBGAs/s1600/20180720_150744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1025" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qtrdGBrTgyc/W1JCCDAeiPI/AAAAAAAAn2w/1AIuw67cdLkVs_-8_7L6GSdzwAI7VODzwCLcBGAs/s320/20180720_150744.jpg" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Yellow Flowers in an Asian Vase</i><br />
Acrylic on Canvas Panel<br />
5 x 7 in/12.7 x 17.8 cm<br />
<i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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<br />
Last week I worked several days on a landscape. I decided to let it rest for several days before I view it so that I will see it with fresh eyes and hopefully make a few changes, if necessary, to improve it. I recommend this approach for all paintings. Step away.<br />
<br />
But while I was waiting I still had to paint. You know how that is. I decided to paint a small floral. I started painting small florals, which was a new motif for me, earlier this year.<br />
<br />
The florals I paint all seem to have decidedly dark backgrounds. The ones I admire from other painters also seem to have dramatic lighting, which I'm still working on.<br />
<br />
Today I want to talk about luminosity. I thought I knew what luminosity in painting was, light surrounded by dark, but I wanted a better artistic definition. This one came up first when I Googled luminosity defined: the glow or brightness in a piece of artwork; refers to the created light which can vary in gradation, and other ways (i.e. reflection and/or amount of diffraction or intensity). Yikes. I like my definition better.<br />
<br />
Be that as it may, I tried to create luminosity in my floral with the lightness of the vase against the very dark background. My intent was to make the vase appear to glow in the ambient light, which I think I did.<br />
<br />
Also, another fun fact I discovered while painting this--another way to make green. The background color I used was Payne's Gray, a bluish black. When I painted a very thinned down Cad Yellow Medium for the stems, I got a subtle translucent green, not to detract from the bold yellow flowers.<br />
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I hope you like it.Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-74526430733979483912018-07-10T16:31:00.001-05:002018-07-19T16:22:44.044-05:00An Acrylic Panorama<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zEY8xvmwOGM/W0Uj9R7C7RI/AAAAAAAAn08/d7qH5w6fFAckPTyfzL1U1L7I0NpEuI6VACLcBGAs/s1600/20180710_160739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="779" data-original-width="1600" height="155" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zEY8xvmwOGM/W0Uj9R7C7RI/AAAAAAAAn08/d7qH5w6fFAckPTyfzL1U1L7I0NpEuI6VACLcBGAs/s320/20180710_160739.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Summer Panorama</i><br />
Acrylic on Canvas Panel<br />
10 x 4 in (image)/25.4 x 10.2 cm (image)<br />
<i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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With summer now in full swing, I thought I would celebrate the season with a painting.<br />
<br />
If you are a regular reader of The Painting Life blog, then you know I have recently been painting panoramic landscapes, that is, landscapes with an aspect ratio of at least 2:1, sometimes more.<br />
<br />
I usually paint in relatively fluid acrylic on Arches watercolor paper trimmed to fit the horizontal layout of the panorama. This time I decided to paint acrylic on a canvas panel instead, painting with the acrylic in the more conventional way.<br />
<br />
I really liked this landscape with the road on the left leading toward the distant mountains. I hope you like it, too, and that you're having a great summer.Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-75109099793467976962018-06-28T15:21:00.000-05:002018-06-28T16:13:50.822-05:00Painting a Floral Summer Still Life<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hDnmylQ_mrs/WzVA0ScrXUI/AAAAAAAAnxE/SPuz8XuCVtEiDKkglTSpECxXAJp8ndm4QCLcBGAs/s1600/20180628_142729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1588" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hDnmylQ_mrs/WzVA0ScrXUI/AAAAAAAAnxE/SPuz8XuCVtEiDKkglTSpECxXAJp8ndm4QCLcBGAs/s320/20180628_142729.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Daffodils in a Vase</i><br />
Acrylic on Canvas Panel<br />
6 x 6 in/15.2<br />
<i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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Well, the daffodils quit blooming a few months ago.<br />
<br />
The summer heat is about to cause a lot of other plants and shrubs in the backyard--roses, coreopsis, African daisies, day lilies, and some varieties of lantana--to stop blooming and go into survival mode as July and August approach. For now, the firecrackers, roses of Sharon, and hibiscus seem to be taking it in stride.<br />
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This not being a gardening blog, I'll explain.<br />
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When the daffodils were blooming, they were quite striking, and so I wanted to paint them. I also firmly believe summer is the time to do different things, and that goes for painters, too. It's a time to unwind and re-charge.<br />
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If you follow The Painting Life, then you know I rarely paint flowers or still lifes for that matter. Summer should relax and re-charge you.<br />
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That's what painting daffodils did for me. I hope you like it, and I hope you're doing some relaxing and re-charging yourself.Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-23453063120586074652018-06-22T16:12:00.002-05:002018-06-23T13:10:58.615-05:00Mixing Acrylic on a Canvas Panel<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R_6kQ6r_ro8/Wy1j27yF8gI/AAAAAAAAnvo/ETlDv5gw7Wk9JNgcpSgjh-Q1WoiA6KAAACLcBGAs/s1600/20180622_153052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="1600" height="255" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R_6kQ6r_ro8/Wy1j27yF8gI/AAAAAAAAnvo/ETlDv5gw7Wk9JNgcpSgjh-Q1WoiA6KAAACLcBGAs/s320/20180622_153052.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cooling Off</i><br />
Acrylic on Canvas Panel<br />
8 x 6 in (image area)/20.3 x 15.2 (image area)<br />
<i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. I was busy working on a few paintings and also cleaning out my collection of old art magazines, columns, articles, reference photos, etc., etc. They had stacked up and become almost useless as I didn't know what was in any of those stacks.<br />
<br />
But I digress. I also decided to tweak my acrylic palette slightly. It was based loosely on one Colley Whisson used--not sure whether it's his current one or not. (If you don't know his work, he is a well-known and respected contemporary Australian impressionist oil painter.)<br />
<br />
Anyway, the palette was basically warm and cool primaries with a couple of earth tones plus cad orange, pthalo green and white, of course. Previously, I didn't include cad orange as I felt it superfluous since I could mix cad red light and cad yellow light. I had sparingly used pthalo green, as we all should; however, more recently, every time I used even the slightest amount, it overpowered whatever color(s) I mixed with it. So, I decided to banish pthalo green and just go with the cerulean blue, which was the warm blue already on the palette (it has a green tint anyway). And I added cad orange.<br />
<br />
Also, I am attempting to mix more of the colors on the canvas itself rather than the palette. This, as you know, was the method used by the Impressionists, but it's not as easy as their paintings make it look. Daubs of color next to each other sounds easy, but it's not-- just one more thing to master in the painting life.<br />
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The result is today's image--an attempt to paint a cool motif to make me think I'm cooler on a hot summer's day. Hope you like it.Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-80884097771639259482018-06-04T13:53:00.002-05:002018-06-04T15:22:55.217-05:00Another Fixer-Upper<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jHuPenm9ixs/WUmOJScgUtI/AAAAAAAAjeo/P2VEla6nFdIYym3Yj0AgaS95_aicdUoSACLcBGAs/s320/20170620_155727.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Before</b><br />
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<i>West of Roswell</i></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Acrylic on Board</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
24 x 24 in/61 x 61 cm</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2017</i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xLbXAYYk6qA/WxWIpvo1zFI/AAAAAAAAnqw/f2AT_VovOOoA4vXg3pnJQegNKdnHx3QOgCLcBGAs/s1600/20180604_130837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1577" data-original-width="1600" height="315" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xLbXAYYk6qA/WxWIpvo1zFI/AAAAAAAAnqw/f2AT_VovOOoA4vXg3pnJQegNKdnHx3QOgCLcBGAs/s320/20180604_130837.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>After</b><br />
<i>West of Alamogordo</i><br />
Acrylic on Board<br />
24 x 24 in/61 x 61 cm<br />
<i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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If you recall, I posted several blogs recently about how it's never too late to re-work one of your "completed" paintings.<br />
<br />
I want to tell you about my latest fixer-upper. I also wanted for you to be able to view my "before" and "after" efforts and judge for yourself--and hopefully encourage you to consider doing the same.<br />
<br />
I finished the original painting almost a year ago, in July, 2017. I felt fairly pleased about it, enough so that I varnished it and hung it in my home. Every day I would see this painting multiple times just passing by.<br />
<br />
As time passed, I began to notice minor things that I thought, gee, I could do better than that. What began as a few minor issues became, overtime, glaring errors that bothered me every day and every time I passed by (at least in my mind).<br />
<br />
So finally, last week, I took the painting down, and it became my latest fixer-upper. It was acrylic on board, and I checked if it were OK to paint acrylic over acrylic varnish. It is.<br />
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The main thing I did was to remove the figure and the pathway. For some reason, neither seemed to fit into the New Mexican motif. Monet could paint fantastic figures in fields, me, not so much.<br />
<br />
With the figure gone, I felt I needed to re-paint the foreground to look more naturally arid, which it is. I brightened the earth tone and color with broad, horizontal strokes. I also darkened the foliage of the lone tree and randomly added darker, horizontal strokes to make the scene appear to be in bright sunlight, which it was.<br />
<br />
To add interest I decided to change the locale so that there is now a view of the White Sands National Monument. I used zinc white for the distant white sands and re-titled the painting. Lastly, I beefed up the cumulus clouds by adding more white to the puffy tops.<br />
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I hope you like my "after."Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-71212731646292201772018-05-15T14:19:00.000-05:002018-05-15T14:19:03.339-05:00Another Panoramic View<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bejR-r4Lajc/WvswH9UJ6AI/AAAAAAAAnio/Q2gFd3NaSwsIcaP_U8pICM-LvJI_Ux1MgCLcBGAs/s1600/20180515_134021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1600" height="115" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bejR-r4Lajc/WvswH9UJ6AI/AAAAAAAAnio/Q2gFd3NaSwsIcaP_U8pICM-LvJI_Ux1MgCLcBGAs/s320/20180515_134021.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Highland View</i><br />Acrylic on Arches 140lb/300gsm Watercolor Paper<br />22 x 7 in/55.9 x 17.8 cm (image area)<br /><i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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It's been several months since I last painted a panorama. However, I still had a sheet of Arches watercolor paper left over that was already trimmed perfectly so that my motif--a very wide panorama--would exactly fit.<br />
<br />
As I've mentioned in previous blogs, if you haven't tried painting with acrylics as if they were watercolor and painted on watercolor paper, you should try it. I predict you'll be surprised at how much using the medium this way enhances the creative aspects of painting, at least it does for me.<br />
<br />
Even though it's only mid-May, summer has arrived on time in our area and will stay around for the next five months. With daytime temperatures in the mid-90s Fahrenheit (that's mid-30s Celsius), I will be painting in the air-conditioning, and will only venture out occasionally for a reference photo or two.<br />
<br />
I'm also feeling the need to bring out my water-soluble oil paints very soon, maybe this afternoon. It's been several months since I put them away, and I want to feel their buttery texture on my canvas again.<br />
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If you paint, I'm sure you understand.Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-24379505096264800332018-05-04T14:08:00.001-05:002018-05-08T15:05:36.677-05:00It's Never Too Late to Re-Work a Painting<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iOWB5XYhr6Q/WuyrD6728xI/AAAAAAAAk78/suaj0BeUeIAvmtMWwMZE7LjY-4Sjpr-cgCLcBGAs/s1600/20180504_130115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iOWB5XYhr6Q/WuyrD6728xI/AAAAAAAAk78/suaj0BeUeIAvmtMWwMZE7LjY-4Sjpr-cgCLcBGAs/s320/20180504_130115.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Paradise Awaits</i><br />
Acrylic on Canvas Panel<br />
20 x 16 in/50.8 x 40.6 cm<br />
<i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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A couple of months ago I posted a blog on how to improve a painting after you have completed and hung it in your studio or, more likely, filed it away wherever it is that you keep your finished work.<br />
<br />
I mentioned I was cleaning out my painting area, and that included going through all my completed paintings and looking at them with a more critical eye. That's because you become more experienced over time. I had culled all the ones I didn't like anymore, if I ever did, and threw them away. Imagine that.<br />
<br />
There were several, however, that I thought could be rehabilitated somewhat if I re-worked them with my hopefully greater painting experience.<br />
<br />
Today's image is another one I "saved," originally from 2015 (I think). I thought I had posted it in one of my blog posts around that time. I wanted to be able to show you the "before" and "after," but I searched through my archives and could not find it. I must not have used it in a blog. Sorry. Maybe even then it wasn't one of my favorites.<br />
<br />
But I'll explain a little about what I did to the painting. First, I did not re-work any of the sky and clouds--I decided I could not improve upon them at all. However, the water, the waves, the land mass, and the foliage were all completely re-painted. In my original work, the color of the water and blue sky were not at all harmonious, and it was the first thing anyone would notice. So I gave the water more cerulean and added more waves, and that helped.<br />
<br />
I also changed the tone of the land, which had a rosy hue--I must have used alizarin crimson. I changed that to more of a natural reddish earth tone. That made it appear as if the scene is now in bright sunlight, and it also acted as a complementary color to the water and sky.<br />
<br />
Lastly, the foliage, which had been a dark, dark green, probably a Jenkins green, was lightened up a lot, and I painted greens that lean toward yellow on the color wheel.<br />
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Believe me, it looks much better now. I hope you like it.<br />
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<br />Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-40246986081153386952018-04-23T15:28:00.000-05:002018-04-23T16:33:52.475-05:00A Gift of Paint<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_lmBYMws458/Wt4-5JsnI9I/AAAAAAAAk4Y/pF6BBGwYIzEcrc3yU4bRNQxSJelBlqVxQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20180420_161835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1600" height="231" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_lmBYMws458/Wt4-5JsnI9I/AAAAAAAAk4Y/pF6BBGwYIzEcrc3yU4bRNQxSJelBlqVxQCEwYBhgL/s320/20180420_161835.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lemons On a Plate</i><br />
Acrylic on Canvas Panel<br />
7 x 5 in/17.8 12.7 cm<br />
<i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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I've been offline for a couple of weeks as one of life's aggravating tasks took precedence, but now back to painting.<br />
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Recently I was trying to decide what birthday gift to give a relative. After shopping around for several items I thought would be appropriate, I decided what could be more thoughtful or personal than an original painting?<br />
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People in the family know I like to paint, so it wouldn't be as if this came out of nowhere. To be honest, I hesitate to give relatives and friends my paintings because you never can be sure if they really like it, or they're just saying that. I certainly don't want them to feel obligated to like (or hang) any of my work. So I gift paintings very sparingly.<br />
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I convinced myself this was still a good idea. But just in case, I decided to make this a small painting that could be displayed (or not) on a small stand.<br />
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My gift is today's image, and the relative said they liked it. Here's hoping.Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-31380430009390038772018-03-29T14:31:00.002-05:002018-03-29T14:52:42.652-05:00Painting With a Limited Palette<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8DidnqerJiA/Wr08VtaZAGI/AAAAAAAAkyU/KYKuNC2YhaQ4VuMVBzodqv-43B7JRucKACLcBGAs/s1600/20180329_133905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="1600" height="117" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8DidnqerJiA/Wr08VtaZAGI/AAAAAAAAkyU/KYKuNC2YhaQ4VuMVBzodqv-43B7JRucKACLcBGAs/s320/20180329_133905.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Southwest Sunset</i><br />
Acrylic on Arches Watercolor Paper<br />
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16 x 6 in/40.6 x 15.2 cm</div>
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<i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></div>
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I think most painters already know this, but in case you didn't: your work will be more successful with the fewer colors you have on your palette.<br />
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I'm not talking about just one color (plus white), although there is a school of thought that says that's a good way to start because it makes you concentrate more on values than color. I am talking about using the absolute minimum number of colors to achieve your painting goals. That usually, but not always, means a variation of each primary plus white (maybe). With just these limited colors, you can mix all the rest. It's an exercise in learning about color.<br />
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You've probably heard of Anders Zorn and his famous "Zorn" palette. He was a famous Swedish painter who used only three colors plus white. He used mars black (the blue), yellow ochre (the yellow) and vermilion (the red). His somewhat muted paintings are beautiful and it's surprising the number of values and colors he achieved with just these three plus white. If you're not familiar with Zorn, you should read up on him and his palette; it's fascinating if you paint.<br />
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Another thing about a limited palette is that it makes your paintings more harmonious. That's because every value and color variation in the painting was produced from just the few colors. All the colors in the painting go together, and you get instant harmony.<br />
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Today's image was <i>not</i> painted using Zorn's palette. I did use a limited palette, however, consisting of cad red light, cad yellow light, raw umber plus titanium white. I was pleased.<br />
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Just think how much you'll save on paint.Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-83657551985890525712018-03-19T13:29:00.000-05:002018-03-19T13:29:02.153-05:00Pretty In Peach<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CtUFE2HVoAo/WrAAEXYMwHI/AAAAAAAAks0/gdW6iW0wGd4LWcagQF3uDYoxBQrCPkDeQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180319_121420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="966" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CtUFE2HVoAo/WrAAEXYMwHI/AAAAAAAAks0/gdW6iW0wGd4LWcagQF3uDYoxBQrCPkDeQCLcBGAs/s320/20180319_121420.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pretty in Peach</i><br />Oil on Canvas Panel<br />5 x 7 in/ 12.7 x 17.8cm<br /><i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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As I mentioned in a couple of recent posts, one where I painted a sunflower and the other a small vase of flowers, I haven't painted many flowers as still life, although occasionally I have painted them en masse in a garden or in broad meadows.<br />
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I said I didn't have much of a relationship with florals. However, since the beginning of the year I have spent time looking more closely at the work of excellent floral painters, such as Richard Schmid, Neil Carroll, and many, many others.<br />
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As somewhat of a learning experience, I have tried my painting hand at several works with a flower (or flowers) as the subject. I tend to agree that one of the great things about being a painter is that there is always the opportunity to learn and experience more.<br />
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Much to my surprise, today's image turned out to be <i>completely </i>different than either what I had envisioned or how I had begun the painting--the surprises and joys of the painting life!<br />
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<br />Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-74759232565541831772018-03-05T12:45:00.002-06:002018-03-08T16:55:13.152-06:00You Can Improve Your Paintings<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OdqcVC3k344/Wp2FjN7ZtoI/AAAAAAAAkoc/vVUBXfmb1wk-SIkrJfZn9ZLlpIEuCc5gACLcBGAs/s1600/20180304_144646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="1600" height="254" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OdqcVC3k344/Wp2FjN7ZtoI/AAAAAAAAkoc/vVUBXfmb1wk-SIkrJfZn9ZLlpIEuCc5gACLcBGAs/s320/20180304_144646.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The View</i><br />
Acrylic on Canvas Panel<br />
20 x 16 in/50.8 x 40.6 cm<br />
<i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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Whether you refer to it as a re-work, a re-new, a do-over, an update, or simply a fix, it's never too late (or too soon) to go back and look at your paintings with a fresh eye. You may be surprised at what you see, or can now see, after the passage of time.<br />
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You may be surprised at how your artistic eye now perceives your work after your eye, your brain, and your hand have continued to gain experience since you first completed it.<br />
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I'm sure some painters can't bear the thought of going back and making even the slightest change to any of "their work." Really? The work is not trapped in amber in whatever year it was done.<br />
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In a recent post I mentioned how I had gone through my old paintings that were taking up too much space. I said it was entirely permissible to throw some of them away, which I did. But I also saw several I thought could be worked on with my more experienced eye, brain, and hand.<br />
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Today's image was painted in 2015. I added chroma in the upper sky and the foreground to add more contrast to the composition. I added some elements, such as the blue flowers in the foreground, and improved some lost-and-found edges in others. I re-titled it, too.<br />
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Consider carefully how to go about making changes and remember rules, such as not painting acrylic over oil, still apply.<br />
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If it can be improved, do it!<br />
<br />Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770277846591515435.post-66328955283250600742018-02-23T14:51:00.001-06:002018-02-23T15:59:49.550-06:00More Than a Landscape<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sbPAx7KBsDE/WpB7wpNOm1I/AAAAAAAAkm0/DE0B3tYV4tUEkQMd3frQ4pD1IlXZ3MZ-wCLcBGAs/s1600/20180223_141523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="1600" height="251" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sbPAx7KBsDE/WpB7wpNOm1I/AAAAAAAAkm0/DE0B3tYV4tUEkQMd3frQ4pD1IlXZ3MZ-wCLcBGAs/s320/20180223_141523.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Summer Clouds</i><br />
Acrylic on Canvas Panel<br />
20 x 16 in/50.8 x 40.6 cm<br />
<i>Copyright Byrne Smith 2018</i></td></tr>
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If you had to classify the type of painting posted as today's image, I suppose most painters or anyone really, would call this a "landscape." But actually the "land" in this painting is only about 20 percent of the image. The remainder is all sky (and clouds).<br />
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All kinds of skies (and clouds) are the subject of lots of paintings, many with a little land and/or water. If there's more water than sky or land, they're called "seascapes."<br />
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Skies are beautiful. Maybe we should be calling these mostly-sky paintings "skyscapes."<br />
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Not all that important in the scheme of the painting world, I suppose, but what else are Friday afternoons for?<br />
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Cheers.<br />
<br />Byrne Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07483285005782515422noreply@blogger.com0