Rural Rhythm

Working on an 11"x14" oil on a gorgeous November day...

Tunnel Hill Battle Paintout

We'll be painting both days at the annual "Battle of Tunnel Hill" --- and you're invited to join us!
Two tents are already set up for the artists - one is for display of artwork done onsite and the other is a base of operations.
There is no participation fee except for the $5 main gate entry.
The Tunnel Hill Historical Foundation has graciously allowed us to set up (FREE) - so we're asking each artist to make a donation to the THHF. This can be a percentage of any artwork sales or another amount determined by each artist.
For more information, please contact me at beejw@charter.net
or call 706-270-1626.

A Song Singing - repost

10"x8" oil on RayMar panel, painted en plein air, alla prima...$85 including shipping...This was painted at Prater's Mill, near Varnell (GA) exactly one year ago today. I've never seen this water blue, even under the bluest sky. The sound of water rushing over the dam sings a melody of the coming Fall.
Prater's Mill Country Fair will be on October 9th & 10th this year. Ya'll come on out to see us there.

Like Last Year

7"x5" oil on RayMar panel, painted en plein air...This little archway trellis leans - so that's the way I painted it. My friend said she had taken it down, straightened it and re-set it. But it still leans. I think it has a charm all its own there amongst the flowers and grasses. This painting can be seen at Ringgold Frame Shop in Ringgold GA.

The Red Earth

Painting the idea of heat and cold is sometimes difficult. I did this small oil on sanded board last year in the middle of July around 11:00am. I tried to capture the heat but also the cool undergrowth in the background.
This painting has sold.

framing for an exhibit

I've spent most of today in my studio...but I wasn't painting. There were several paintings to be framed, re-framed, backed, wired, etc. I know it's a necessity but it isn't nearly as much fun as putting brush to canvas with the smell of oil paint in the air. I've often dreamed that I'd love to just paint, then hand over the wet canvas to someone else who would do the framing, etc. Oh, and while they were at it, maybe they'd set up the shows, exhibits, art fairs, galleries, etc.

Provost HQ

12"x6" oil on stretched canvas, painted en plein air on May 15, 2009, at the Battle of Resaca(GA)...$80 including shipping...This Confederate tent was set up under a clump of trees on a hill's crest overlooking the battlefield.

They Fought Bravely

12"x6" oil over acrylic on stretched canvas, painted en plein air on May 5, 2008, at the Confederate Cemetary in West Hill Cemetary in Dalton, GA. This painting is $80 including shipping.

Sunny September Morning

8"x10", oil on RayMar panel, painted en plein air, alla prima, on September 8, '09...$85 including shipping...I realized that this late morning painting of a Tunnel Hill (GA) meadow had not been posted here. I've painted this scene dozens of times and each time it's fresh and different.

July Afternoon Late

12"x9" oil on RayMar panel, painted en plein air, alla prima, on July 4 (completed at 8:10pm)...$135 including shipping...Since I'm usually painting outdoors during morning hours, the idea of painting in the afternoon took a bit of adjustment. The light and shadows play differently and I could quickly run out of daylight...just in time for a nocturnal painting.

North from Snodgrass Hill

6"x12" oil on stretched canvas, painted en plein air, alla prima, on May 22, 2009...$80 including shipping...Last Spring I painted at Chickamauga (GA) Civil War Battlefield. It was around noon when this was completed, so the shadows are short beneath the treeline. I prefer painting in early morning, but it's good to paint outside my comfort zone.

July Afternoon Late

12"X9" oil, plein air painting in progress...I got a call to meet an artist friend around 6:00pm at the Tunnel Hill Civil War battlefield this afternoon. Since I'm accustomed to painting during morning hours, I thought it would be great to catch the setting sun on the hay bales scattered about.

finishing touches...

I've been putting some finishing touches on several "almost done" paintings. This 12"x6" oil over acrylic was started en plein air last year at the Confederate Cemetery in Dalton GA. Here it's getting a 5% touch-up.

Afternoon Storm...Maybe

8"x10" oil on RayMar panel, painted en plein air on May 31st (completed at 2:00pm)...$85 including shipping...Instead of painting the seashore scenes I'd planned, I painted this hazy, lazy afternoon looking across a wildlife sanctuary in Nags Head, NC. Each afternoon it looked like rain clouds would roll in, but rain came only once briefly.

At Day's End

10"x8" oil on gallery wrap canvas...$85 including shipping...After painting en plein air at Chickamauga (GA) battlefield last Summer, I snapped a few parting photos before packing up. It was late and the clouds foretold a coming shower. There is a bit of glare on the lower left corner.

Meadow Memories

11"x14" oil, painted alla prima, during a TV interview on March 8th...$160 including shipping. Ron Arnold, the Charter Media reporter, had asked me if I'd feel comfortable painting while we did the interview. Since I often talk to people while painting en plein air, I agreed to set up my easel and 'paint away' while we chatted.

This meadow scene is a composite of several places I love to paint. And I hope the weather warms very soon so that I can get back out to these meadows and see Nature's wonderful colors.

plein air palette

Although I've painted en plein air with only 3 primaries plus white, I prefer having a wider choice of colors in cool and warm ranges.

The cool row (near left to right) is lemon yellow, yellow ochre, permanent rose, alizarine crimson, ultramarine blue, a cool green (I don't remember which), burnt umber and titanium white.

The warm row (far left to right) is cad yellow, cad orange, cad red light, cobalt blue, viridian green, burnt sienna and titanium white.

The lower right corner holds (top) raw umber (bottom) transparent red ochre.

I've used various color palettes in the past, but I always come back to these colors. There has been speculation as to whether ultramarine blue is warm or cool. My personal view is that its temperature depends on the other colors surrounding it. Many people consider yellow ochre as a warm color, but again I feel its temperature is dependent upon the neighboring colors.

I don't use black in my plein air palette. A wonderful black can be mixed with viridian or sap green plus alizarine crimson. Another black comes from mixing burnt umber plus ultramarine blue. Mixing 3 of my darkest colors presents another black. There is very rarely a pure black in nature. (A lovely green apple color can be made using lemon yellow and just a speck of ivory black...but I still don't carry a tube of black when plein air painting).

When painting greens, I begin with a blue plus a yellow and add hints of other colors until I get the right hue. Although I have green pigment on my palette, I only use it in small touches in other mixtures. And sometimes I never touch the tube greens while painting.

A Fabulous Friday in Fall

8"x10" oil on RayMar panel, painted en plein air, alla prima, on November 13th (completed at 11:20am)...$85 including shipping. In trying several different painting ideas, I had pre-toned some canvas panels using alizarin crimson, cad yellow and ultramarine blue --- brushing the thinned paint on in a somewhat planned but otherwise haphazard way. Letting the toned canvas peek through serves to unite the painting. The pear trees, with their red foliage, contrasted with the evergreens nearby. As noontime approached, shadows were quickly disappearing. Although it appears that black paint was used, it was actually a mixture of ultramarine blue and burnt umber.

Live of a Tree -- revisited

11"x14" oil on linen panel, painted en plein air, alla prima, on November 6th, '08 (completed at 11:30) - $160 including shipping - contact me for purchase. Sandra and I painted at Mountain Cove Farm on this warm, breezy November day. The 1800+ acres were ablaze with the glory that is Autumn. Evergreens poked their heads through the warm red, orange and yellow hues and the mountains were shrouded early with a lavender mist.

Looking Again....

10" x 8" oil on RayMar panel, painted en plein air, alla prima on November 5th (completed at 4:30)...$85 including shipping...contact me at beejw@charter.net for purchase.
Sandra and I set up our easels in her front yard on a simply gorgeous day with Autumn blazing all around us. Looking directly across the road, this small stand of trees caught my eye. I had seen them dozens of times before, but in looking again.....