FISHERMAN'S ROCK, PART 2

Here you can see that I have got quite a lot done. I should have taken a pic after I had completed the background but became so involved in the painting that I forgot! I used a mixture of greyish-blue for the sky, going slightly darker (and greyer) for the distant mountains - actually Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island. I worked on the sea a little but I will probably have to do some more to it when I have got most of the painting done, The rocks were first laid in using a thin pale mix of yellow ochre scrubbed on with a bristle brush then over-painted with darker browns and a touch of ultramarine blue. Further details and textures etc were added with a smaller brush while the paint was still wet. Unfortunately there is a glare in the upper left of the painting caused by the wet paint but I am happy that this one at least is going in the direction I want it.

FISHERMAN'S ROCK, PART 1

After taking a look at the smaller oil study that I did of this subject, I decided on a slightly different composition for this painting. A small drawing in my sketchbook helped solidify things in my mind then I drew the main elements of the scene on an acrylic-primed canvas. I used a thin wash of raw umber for this and although looking a bit messy at this point, I was satisfied that I had accurately transferred my idea from my sketchbook to canvas. Next I'll get some paint on - starting as usual with the background and working my way forward.

FISHERMAN'S ROCK - STUDY

This small study was painted from a day I spent visiting Peng Chau (a small island in Hong Kong). Usually when painting on location, I use either oil or watercolor trying to get an accurate representation of the subject along with my own feelings for the place. I did this one quickly (in about an hour or so) and although not quite what I had in mind, it did serve as a useful beginning to a larger study that I'll post next time. Fisherman's Rock, oil on board, 5" x 7".

GREEN BOTTLE, PART 3

After laying in a slightly deeper toned background (and carefully painting around the bottle), I worked for awhile on thew shadow softening the edges and adding a slight translucent shimmer where the light came through. I feel I am close to completing this one now. I'll let the paint harden for awhile then take another look in case there are a few other areas that I want to work on before signing and framing, but for now, it's finished! Small Green Bottle, 8" x 8", oil on board.

GREEN BOTTLE, PART 2

Here I have completed the second pass, again using thin layers of oil and slowly building up the intensity of the colors. I looked carefully at the patterns that I could see in the glass and tried to reproduce them as I saw them. There was quite a lot of irregularities in the glass even though this bottle came out of a mold ( there are slight vertical lines on the sides where the edges of the mold join) so they were an important component and had to be included. I'm getting close to finishing the bottle now, I still have the shadow to do and also am thinking about slightly darkening the background, with a further subtle darkening of the foreground - we'll see how that goes.

GREEN BOTTLE, PART 1

I have only recently returned to the studio after having been away for 2 months and had not been able to log into my blogger account so unfortunately no posts until now. I do hope to catch up with these soon as I have a lot of new paintings to update - this bottle being the first of them.
I have a love for bottles of all shapes and sizes so when I saw this interesting pale green one that went from a square base to a round top, I knew that I had to add it to my collection. Meaning to paint it some time ago, I only recently got around to it! Starting with a gessoed panel (which I have to say is just about my least favorite surface on which to paint) and first laid in a thin even grey over the whole surface. When that had dried, I lightly drew in the outline using thinned oil taking care to get the correct shape and perspective. Painting very thinly as if I was using watercolors, I then put down washes of oil color using soft tipped brushes trying all the while to represent the various qualities of the bottle. The panel was then put aside to dry for a few days. Next I'll darken some of these initial tones and add more details.

ROOTS

Over the last year, I have been slowly completing paintings that I started some time ago. Most of the time these pieces don't need a lot of work to finish them and that was the case with this one. Initially I wasn't that happy with the way the rocks came out so decided to re-paint that area. This took longer than usual (naturally) and was only finished late last week. Although this is a medium-sized painting, I feel that this is more of a study and I hope to get to finish a larger version of it sometime in the future.
I first came across this scene many years ago when I lived in Hong Kong. The huge roots of a Banyan tree cascaded down the hillside, hugging the contours of the surface rocks and provided support for the massive tree above. In a space between the roots, a government worker had painted a fire hydrant marker showing the direction of the closest hydrant and also the type of water etc. The scene had a huge impact upon me when I first saw it and I knew back then that I would do a painting of it. I loved the various elements of the scene which I felt brought man and nature together. A few studies followed then I set to work on a larger stretched canvas using oil paints. Over the years I did bits and pieces here and there before finally getting my act together and finishing the work. Size is 24" x 36" (61cm x 92cm), oil on canvas. Private collection.