Again painting plein air in Grandmother's Garden to take advantage of the summer flowers. I painted for a couple hours and got a good start on a painting while battling the mosquitoes! Photos below of the scene I chose. I will post the final painting when it is finished.

"Saturday Afternoon, Grandmother's Garden", oil on canvas panel, 12" x 16". painted en plein air this past weekend

I finished another plein air painting in Grandmother's Garden this weekend! Please see photo below. I still have to make some minor final edits in the studio.

Steps in creating an outdoor painting: top picture: I sketch out the main shapes with a brush in a dark color (ultramarine blue and burnt umber), 2nd picture: usually start with the top in this case the sky and then place the darks throughout the painting (with viridian green, ultramarine blue), 3rd picture: made my way with some of the basic elements such as the pathways, the structure of the building, outline of the tree trunks and limbs and the medium greens, the photo reference is just a snapshot in time. The light on the various bushes changes drastically over the time period. Bottom picture is the final painting. I complete the painting with the lighter green colors and the different colors of the flowers blossoms. I then add highlights with details to the building and the flowering tree on the left. After a day looking at it I make the final edits where I see corrections have to be made. I let it dry for a couple months before I brush a gloss varnish on the painting.

Sketched in outlines of shapes in brush with dark color

Painted top sky, and added darks in foliage

Placed main colors in building, pathways and medium greens

Photo reference

Final painting

Plein air paintings from my plein air painting workshop last weekend in Gloucester, MA with TM Nicholas. I still am not happy with the boat painting and will make some more edits to it.