Landscape Painting: Part 4, "Mt. Daly"Completed

Finishing a painting always reminds me of the sensations I had after completing a final test while in college. Happy and extremely relieved. I could hardly stand the pressure. I tried to think back to my high school days and can't remember my feelings at all about the tests back then (I must have really hated them). Ironically, now as a professional artist, I love the challenges of a painting deadline. In fact, I welcome them. Which is probably why I like doing commissioned paintings. There is usually a deadline involved and the pressure gets my adrenaline going which in turn gives me the energy and inspiration I need to see the creative project to completion.

This landscape painting was one of those challenges which I thoroughly enjoyed. The deadline gave me the excuse to paint night and day and ignore all my other day to day responsibilities.( I will admit that I still have to put some miscellaneous Christmas stuff away. Its all hidden in my laundry room.) A couple of times I painted in my pajamas for most of the day...it was very comfortable and guilt free.  But in the end, the painting was completed in time and was just barely dry enough to put it in the frame I had ordered. Two days later it was ceremoniously presented to a very deserving recipient.

Stage 8: Painting the foreground. I started by blocking in the grassy area with an under painting of a neutral green, leaving hints in the areas where the trees and rocks would go.

And then with a darker green, I blocked in the trees, rocks and then the stream.

 Stage 9: Applying the second layer of paint.Working wet on wet paint, I came in with a putty knife to apply the thicker paint that would give depth, color and texture.

Here is a closer look at Stage 9. From there, with a variety of brushes, I worked the colors into the canvas.

Mt. Daly
24 x 30", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson (c)2014

Portrait Of A Little Boy, Part 3

Stage 3: The mouth, face and neck.  

Yorkshire Lamb: A commissioned painting.

Many times when I accept a painting commission I use my own reference photos but once in a while I am asked to create a painting from the client's favorite picture. It's an opportunity to see something special through their eyes. In this case, the little lamb was photographed by one of the clients (it was a group Christmas gift) and the composition was left up to me. I decided to pull the little lamb up close to the viewer to make the subject matter much more intimate and personal. 

Stage 5: The completed painting, framed.
Yorkshire Lamb
11x14", oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Stage 4: I brushed  in the body focusing on shape, color and values. After that I went in with a palette knife to give it a nice thick texture.

Stage 3: I painted in the background with a palette knife.

 

Stage 2: The face. I used a filbert brush as well as a palette knife.

 

 

 

Stage 1: I painted the composition with a wash of mineral spirits and Burnt Umber on a canvas that I tinted with a thin layer of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber, mixed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Painting Sheep XII: Stages 1-7, Completed

This ewe was in a different setting from my previous subjects and her surroundings humored me. She seemed quite comfortable keeping company with these two chickens; they add a certain ambiance to any scene and in this case, they make me smile.

Once again, I painted wet into wet paint, but instead of blocking it in first, I decided to complete each section as I go. It was getting late and I needed encouragement to keep me going.  

I started with her face.

And with a number 4, filbert brush, I added thick paint to her body.

I felt like I was piecing together a jigsaw puzzle and I needed to complete at least one piece of it before going on to the rest.

I'm really enjoying the palette knife. When it comes to interpreting a sheep's woolly coat, I love the rich texture it creates.
With the basics of the ewe complete, I felt re-energized and ready to complete the rest of the painting.

Next came the background of a lovely stone wall and then the chickens, adding contrast and personality.

Sheep Painting Series Study XII
10x8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

 I wish you could see this little painting in person and be able to view it at a distance. The colors and textures of the thick paint seem to work together better when one steps back to look at it. Hopefully it would be entertaining to you close up and from across the room; my goal with all of my paintings.

Painting Sheep XI: Stages 1-6, Completed

I thought I was done with the "sheep theme"portion of my painting studies of Northern England.

But I was wrong.

Again.

Just when I am convinced there is not a single new sheep painting left in me, I get re-inspired.

The memories of this ewe came clearly back to me. It was a beautiful day. We were traveling by car, on our way back from a nearby village. The sun's light was shimmering on the backs of the sheep as we passed them by. I couldn't resist this scene and my daughter, Emily, clearly understood. I moaned that I didn't bring my camera. But Emily had hers. "Here," she said, "Take my camera and you can walk the rest of the way home."

As I was randomly photographing the sheep in the pasture, this ewe caught my attention. She seemed curious and trotted up to me, baaaa-ing as she came. Her boldness was unexpected. I laughed nervously. Suddenly, I was glad there was a stone fence separating us; it gave us each boundaries.

Sheep Painting Study XI
10x8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

It seems like it was just yesterday that I was there. The air was crisp and the sky was blue. As I turned to leave, this ewe became the leader as she and the rest of the sheep escorted me to the end of their pasture. They stood at their gate and watched me walk away. It was a beautiful walk home.

Painting Sheep X: Completed

Adding the thick paint and texture was so much fun that I forgot to take photos of the remaining stages. These sheep paintings continue to bring back fond memories of being there.

Sheep Painting Study X
10x8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

It's hard for me to believe this is already the tenth in my series of painting studies of sheep. I have a few more images from my visit to North Yorkshire that I must record on canvas, though the inspiration for the subject matter will be the English countryside.

Painting Sheep VIII: Stages 1 - 4, Completed

I looked in my closet where I keep my canvases and found this little 5x5" that seemed perfect for this 8th painting in my Painting Sheep Series.

This particular ewe seemed deserving of her own portrait; she has such an interesting face. Plus, painting this composition on a square canvas was nice for a change.

Sheep Painting Study VIII
Oil on canvas, 5x5"
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Painting Sheep VII: Completed

I decided to paint the background and the ewe's face a bit softer than I have in my last several paintings. For the majority of it I used a paintbrush and then blended with my palette knife.

Sheep Study VII
Oil on canvas,10x8"
Rita Salazar Dickerson

And then it was time for my palette knife. There is just something about a ewe's thick woolly coat. I love the challenge of interpreting it on canvas.

Painting Sheep VI: Completed

Sheep Painting Study VI
10x8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

When I repaint this study into a full size painting I plan on cropping off the top (most of the background green above their heads) so that the sheep are pulled into the composition a bit closer.

 It will look more like this:

Right now I'm feeling like all the green in the background is unnecessary.

More to come!

Painting Sheep VI: Stages 1-4

These first steps in the painting are important. The shapes, color and composition are all decided during these stages. If I like what is happening now, I am usually happy with the end result.

Stage 1: I painted in the drawing with a thinned mixture of Transparent Earth Red and Ultramarine Deep.

Stage 2: Blocking in the background with a mixture of Cadmium Yellow Deep and Cobalt Blue.

Stage 3: I blocked in the foreground shadows with a mixture of Ultramarine Deep and Cadmium Yellow Deep.

Stage 4: With varying amounts of Titanium White and the dark brown I created with Transparent Earth Red and Ultramarine Deep I painted in the shapes of the sheep.

Painting Sheep V: Completed

Sheep Painting Study V
8x10", oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Painting Sheep IV: Stages 1, 2 and 3

Here I go with the fourth painting in my Painting Sheep series. These 10x8" studies are in preparation for larger paintings to follow. For a moment, I was afraid that I might tire of this theme but once I looked over my reference photos of these interesting sheep from Northern England I am ready to do another.

After I had lightly painted in the shapes of this ewe and her lamb I decided to move the lamb over just a bit which allows more space on the left of the composition.

Then I started blocking in the shapes and colors.

Now I am ready to come back in tomorrow with the palette knife and complete it.

Painting Sheep III: Completed

I blocked in the last sheep and her two little lambs.

With the palette knife and a number 2 filbert brush I began adding texture to the sheep as well as the grass. At this point I was not sure I wanted much detail in the background. I was playing around with the idea of a suggestion of sky.

Sheep Painting Study III
oil on panel, 10x8"

But in the end, it had to be the stone wall which completed this piece for me. 

North Yorkshire - it was a calm and beautiful day; the little lambs reminding me of why I love spring.

Painting Sheep III: Stages Four and Five

At this fourth stage of the painting I once again blocked in the shapes of colors with a brush before I started my palette work.

As I look at this fifth stage of the painting on my computer screen I already see changes that need to be made. The little lamb was such a challenge with my palette knife, mainly because of its size - a little over an inch in width.

Painting Sheep III: The First Three Stages

This is the third study in my Painting Sheep series. I started by tinting the panel and then loosely painting in the shapes of the sheep with a small brush.

Then I painted in the main shapes of the first sheep in the foreground.

And then it was time for some fun with my palette knife.  I've had to keep reminding myself that I cannot correct my mistakes until I make them. This thought keeps me from hesitating.

I enjoy loading my palette knife with paint and seeing what effects I can have with color and values. I am so entertained with these sheep and how they all seem to have different looks and personalities.

Painting Sheep I: 1st Session

One of the lovely aspects about the countryside of Northern England is the hillsides that are dotted with sheep. It is a wonderland of rolling green pastures, stone fences, and grazing, happy sheep. I couldn't get enough of it. I literally sometimes yelled, "Stop the car! I must photograph those sheep!" And there was such a variety of them; I had never thought about all the different types of sheep that exist - all distinctly with their own look. All waiting for me to paint them.

Sheep Painting Study I
oil on panel, 10x8"
Session 1

This is the beginning of my first color study of some sheep that seemed so comfortable with me there, my camera in hand, snapping photos of them as the gorgeous light rested on their backs. When the sun shines in North Yorkshire, everything glows.