The weather has been a bit cooler the past few days so it's been easier to be outside painting and moving around. I'm working on a few larger pieces and they've given me real sense of freedom. One of them is an evening scene of the pond which I'm working on in the studio. I did an oil sketch beforehand and I'm usually committed to working en plein air, but the size of this canvas makes it really difficult to manage. The sun is an issue since my umbrella only shades a portion of the canvas; the wind can be a big problem too since a canvas is essentially like a large sail that can catch the wind. I am working on a morning pond scene entirely en plein air because it's small enough that I can handle it. I'm really getting accustomed to these larger sizes and am planning more to come. Some new flowers are being planted in the garden and they're really very colorful. I sketch a lot in the evening and it's great to just sit and appreciate the different shapes and colors. I can recognize many of the varieties, but some are new to me and I've been having fun studying them. Currently on the easel:
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I recently had my friend from back home visit me here in Giverny. He stayed with me for a few days and he sat for a portrait also. Obviously I love painting in gardens and landscapes en plein air, but I really enjoy portraiture and it felt great to paint this one. I also had a fun experience on Friday morning because I was in the garden painting and I saw a camera crew walking around. I was painting when a cameraman came up to me and asked if he could film me painting; he also asked if I wanted to be interviewed by their correspondent. I said I'd love to and was interviewed for a segment that will be airing this summer on the Today Show. They asked about my experience here in Giverny and what it's like to paint in Monet's garden. I'll post something once I know the air date so anyone interested can catch it on TV! Paid a visit to the local museum, Musée des impressionnismes. As I went through the exhibition with my friend, I spotted my main man: Sorolla! There were many other Impressionist paintings, but my main focus was on this beautiful, large painting.
The weather's been great and I can't wait to get back into the garden tomorrow morning to finish up some painting. Got up early today and I started a larger (38cm X 61cm) painting. It's an iconic scene of Monet's Japanese Bridge and it's starting off well. It doesn't look like much in the beginning because it's just simplified color shapes with no details, but it's more ambitious so it'll be a slower progression. I marked the time on the back of the canvas and will be returning each morning to work gradually towards completion. It's really a constant race against the sun and my own fatigue.
Bur it feels good to tackle something like this and I want to go even bigger in the next few weeks. I have some big stretcher bars up in my studio that I want to use. Of course, larger paintings require more time, more paint and more planning than smaller ones. Oh, and while I was painting this morning, I dropped my brush and it very nearly went into the pond! I wonder if Monet ever had that happen.. |
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