Mountain Ridges, Water, & Snow Bank

This is another painting I'm happy with.  It is painted with oils, on an 18" X 24" stretched canvas. 




I painted this with help from a Wilson Bickford DVD called:  A Four Color Landscape.    You can find Wilson Bickford all over the Internet, but, his web site address is:  http://www.wilsonbickford.com/ 

On it, you will find lots about Wilson Bickford, plus, bet to see some of his beautiful art work.   Check it out! 

I was afraid about putting in the snowbank wrong and messing up the entire painting. But, I got the guts up and tried it anyway and it came out great. I remembered watching how Wilson Bickford held his knife and listening to his guidance about how to do it. Yay!

Rushing Water With Birch Trees

This is one of my favorite paintings that I've done.  It is on a 16" X 20" stretched canvas.  I painted this while in an art class with Diana White. 

Diana was always good about explaining  how to do something, then, also coming around the room helping those still in need.  I wish I were still able to be taking classes from Diana, but, hopefully soon one day that will happen again.

It was interesting painting this.  I had wanted to do a painting with rushing water and Diana was nice enough to work up this painting on her on and bring it in for us to paint.  I learned a lot doing this painting, which is great.   Diana had an awesome way of painting where the specific darker colors went in the background.  They kind of alternated places in the waterfalls. 

To do the birch trees, we used a Wipe Out tool, which has a rubber end and can remove wet paint.  We took the Wipe Out tool and removed the paint only exactly where the birch trees would be painted at.  Then, the birch trees went in real easy and used some knife work.  But, I had been practicing doing the knife work at home in preparation for occasions like this.  

If you want to see more of Diana's work, here is a link to her web site:  http://dianawhiteoilpainting.blogspot.com/   She has many beautiful paintings posted here. 

You all take care,..........Amy

Barn With Fog

I am excited about finishing this barn painting. Thanks go to Wilson Bickford for teaching me how through the DVD. I have had the How to Paint an Old Barn DVD for about a year I'm guessing. I have probably watched the entire DVD at least 5+ times and took notes all through the DVD--twice.

First, I incorporated a dragon in the painting instead of the barn---with my Niece, Jessi's help. This was a painting that a friend, Gordon, wanted. I made SO MANY MISTAKES in that painting, all the while with Jessi right there. I had gone to her place and forgot my good notes about the DVD from Wilson Bickford. She was good natured about all the mistakes though and I appreciated that. I remember that time we had yellow-white, runny grass...amongst other issues ...LOL I ended up burning that canvas. It was just horrible all around.

Jessi & I tried again on another canvas and the dragon came out beautifully, but, the rest of the painting left much to be desired. I had done my best and shipped it to Gordon anyway. In the package, Grover included an 8" X 10" wave that I had painted from watching a Wilson Bickford How to paint a wave demo. When Gordon got the package, he said he loved the wave and hung it in his bathroom. I don't blame him for not saying much about the dragon painting...

That was my first time painting since the early 70's and I don't remember any of what I might have learned from then. I only painted maybe 4-5 paintings back then anyway.

Now, today, I followed my new notes on the How to Paint an Old Barn DVD and it came out much better. I do wish I could just watch the DVD, stop it, and paint, and continue on like that,...but, I just can't remember something from the time I get from viewing it, to painting it. Ugggggg these meds....or is it just me?

Anyway, I'm so happy about the outcome. I hope you all like it too.

Amy

Beginning of 2010

All of these paintings are done on 12" X 16" stretched canvases.  I found 2 good books on oil painting and they had these paintings in them.  I started out following the directions step by step; but, after learning some of their techniques, I decided to be selective and make my own choices of techniques to achieve the desired result.  When I began learning to paint last  year, I learned a lot from Wilson Bickford over the Internet and I've found I go back to the ways he has taught me to paint a lot of things.  I still learn the new ways, but, it is my choice as to how I go about painting.  I also learned some from Diana White in her art classes in Melrose, FL.  Diana has taught me a lot about moving water.  There  is a lot to learn about moving water and I still have a very, very far way to go with the varying water situations. 

This is my first beach scene and my first palm tree on my own.  Diana helped me with one before in my first art class with her.  This one here looks kind of weeney, without many palm fronds or limbs on it---now that I look at it after the fact. 

This is a Plein Air painting I did while painting with Diana at Gold Head State Park, near Keystone Heights, FL.  Yes, the water has dropped that much--in this lake and all those around the area.  In many places, you can see people's docks and piers way up in the air, hanging out toward a distent looking puddle of water ...way out. 

Mountain Lake & Forest Stream

The mountain stream painting didn't turn out to good at all.  The ROCKS in the midground need much improvement.  Also, the trees and areas in the background need to be faded out more.







The mountain lake needs improvements in the reflections, especially the reflections of the yellowish bushes. Also, you can hardly tell that there is a bank in front of the trees / bushes. I should have used a diff color on the bank there to make it stand out and be visible.