If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, surely you’ll know this spot. Yes, it’s my driveway. It’s a great spot to do a painting when the weather is threatening rain, graepple or snow, as we’ve had plenty of all 3 lately. A hasty retreat is simpler when you’re home to begin with. When I started this one, there were just a few clouds; by the end it was 100% cloud-covered.
Here’s my setup:
In case you’re wondering, those yellowish spikey things on the left side are Siberian iris. Every spring they bloom the most beautiful dark purple.
Painting #2 of the day was a challenge (aren’t they all?). I parked on the side of Scott Road, just over the hill from my house. The clouds were sailing in from the NW and I loved the starkness of the “basket bushes”. I think they’re some kind of juniper; one of my old neighbors always called them basket bushes. I loved the sassy way the branches seem to flip around. And the colors were “yummy”, as we often say. Maybe it’s not the most popular subject, but I love a good challenge. I’d sooner struggle to paint this than scrub floors. Part of the struggle was how much/and how quickly the scene changed. First there was a line of clouds. Then just clear, blue sky. Then clouds. I’ve been listening to Scott Christensen’s teaching videos lately and the latest one I watched was about clouds and forms. So I’ve been trying to pay extra attention to clouds. And value. And color. Yikes — a lot to contend with as it changes constantly! I can see where painting from photographs might be advantageous.
And here’s my setup:
Margie Guyot Art 