Impressionist Portraits Series 6

Young Mary Cassatt (from Public Domain photo)
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
8 x 10 in/20 x 25 cm)
Copyright Byrne Smith 2017

Another painting in my Impressionists Portraits Series, this one of a young Mary Cassatt. I used thinned down acrylic so that it acted similar to watercolor. I also used the naturally transparent acrylic colors of Hansa yellow, cobalt blue, and primary red (similar to permanent rose) along with alizarin crimson, which is semi-transparent. I hope you enjoy my work,

Another Encore Painting

Stucco Lighthouse
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
24 x 18 in/61 x 46 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2014

I found another painting "in the back of my closet" in the studio that I decided to frame and hang so that I could look at it all summer long. I remember how much I enjoyed working on this back in 2014.

I hope you enjoy it this summer, too.

Acrylic Painting on Paper

Picacho Peak
Acrylic on Arches Paper
12 x 3.5 in/30 x 9 cm (image size)
Copyright Byrne Smith 2017

Well, I decided to spend some of my painting time this week working in acrylic on watercolor paper, Arches 140 lb/300 g/m2 paper to be exact. The great weight, texture, and finish of this product make it perfect for painting with acrylics as if they were watercolor.

I also decided to paint two of my favorite subjects: panoramic landscapes and New Mexico, this of Picacho Peak near Las Cruces in the southern part of the state.

If you haven't tried acrylic on watercolor paper yet, especially Arches, you should. You're in for a painterly treat!

A Landscape for the Summer Season

West of Roswell
Acrylic on Board
24 x 24 in/61 x 61 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2017

Sometime during the day today or tomorrow will be the "official" start of summer in the northern hemisphere. On that happy occasion, I thought I'd post one of my latest paintings.

It's a summery landscape of a scene in the southwestern US state of New Mexico. As a former resident of the Land of Enchantment, I can tell you there is a lot of beautiful scenery to paint there.

I hope you enjoy my work, and a  happy summer to you.

A Still Life for the Summer Season

The Kitchen Window
Oil on Board
24 x 24 in/61 x 61 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2017

I don't typically paint still lifes. It's not that I dislike still lifes, I really do like them, especially many painted by the Impressionists.

I just don't paint them very often, probably because I don't put enough thought into what I would paint. I'm also not very good at planning ahead so that I don't have any (or many) items on hand that would lend themselves to a good still life painting.

That being the case, I pretty much made up this painting in my head about what would make a good still life. I used several reference photos of lemons that I grouped together, but the rest was imagined. That includes the tabletop, the wallpaper, and the kitchen window with the unremarkable view--they don't exist anywhere but my mind.

I like the results, and that's all that really matters to me. I hope you do, too.

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.

Impressionist Portraits Series 4

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

Another in my portrait series of the Impressionists--this one of Edgar Degas. If you recall, in January I attended a great Degas exhibition at the MFAH--http://orbisplanis.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-degas-exhibition.html

If you want to put your painting skills, not to mention your patience, to a test, try a portrait!

Another Bluebonnet Painting

Yes, Another Bluebonnet Painting
Acrylic on Arches Paper
26 x 18 in/66 x 46 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2017

Well, it had been four years since I painted a bluebonnet, so disregarding my blog post from 2013, I went ahead and painted another one. I hope you enjoy the view of the Texas Hill Country.