Saturday Painting Palooza Vol.255

Hello again painting fans.

This week I'll be starting an entirely new painting. The photo that I will be using is seen directly below.

I've actually been carrying around this photo for some time and have been meaning to get back to it. Now is a very good time. Before starting what I consider to be a major piece (major for me!), I want to add some needed variety to this series.

I will be using my usual acrylics on a 5 by 5 inch gallery-style canvas.(This is a thicker canvas similar to the one used in the Cape May 2nd Empire house painted just prior to this piece.) I've never previously done a western scene on a square or gallery style canvas.

I started this piece by visually separating in my mind three horizontal sections. Below, the first section is comprised of the foreground/middle ground. In the middle are the far mountains. Finally, the third section is the sky. These have all been painted in shades of blue.

The current state of the painting is seen in the photo directly below.

That's about it for now. Next week I'll have more progress to show you. See you then. As always, feel free to add photos of your own work in the comments section below.

Earlier paintings in this series can be seen here.

Saturday Painting Palooza Vol.254

Hello again painting fans.

This week I'll be continuing with the Cape May Second Empire house seen directly below. I'm painting the house from a slightly different angle showing just a bit more of the left side.

I will be using my usual acrylics on a 6 by 6 inch gallery-style canvas.(This is a thicker canvas similar to the one used in the Hudson river scene.)

When last seen, the painting appeared as it does in the photo directly below.

Since that time I have continued to work on the painting.

I continued by first adding another thin layer of watery white paint fading slightly the overly bright colors of the house. At least they seemed overly bright to my color blind eyes. Unfortunately, the prior photo (above) was a poor image and does not make for a good comparison with the photo below. I then moved on to the tree to the extreme left side followed by the lawn, front steps and railings. Finally, I added the old iron fence and curb in the extreme foreground. (I've also revised the sky and right underside of the porch roof.) The painting is now complete.

Seen in the photo directly below is the current (and final) state of the painting.

I'm okay with this piece but would add more contrast were I to do it again. What do you think?

That's about it for now. Next week I'll have a new painting to show you. See you then. As always, feel free to add photos of your own work in the comments section below.

Earlier paintings in this series can be seen here.

Saturday Painting Palooza Vol.253

Hello again painting fans.

This week I'll be continuing with the Cape May Second Empire house seen directly below. I'm painting the house from a slightly different angle showing just a bit more of the left side.

I will be using my usual acrylics on a 6 by 6 inch gallery-style canvas.(This is a thicker canvas similar to the one used in the Hudson river scene.)

When last seen, the painting appeared as it does in the photo directly below.

Since that time I have continued to work on the painting.

Unfortunately, I did not get as much done this week as I would have liked. An 8 hour loss of power last Sunday started things off poorly. After that there were various obligations. I did get to make a few changes.

I started with the windows. They now have the drapes(?) seen in those of the photo. Then I moved on to the top of the lefthand tower. I've repainted the window in the Mansard roof. It now falls into line with the other 2. Finally, and most noticeably, the sky has received its first layer of paint. It is presently a uniform blue. I will vary things a bit and possibly add a few clouds.

Seen in the photo directly below is the current state of the painting.

That's about it for now. Next week I'll have more progress to show you. See you then. As always, feel free to add photos of your own work in the comments section below.

Earlier paintings in this series can be seen here.

Saturday Painting Palooza Vol.252

Hello again painting fans.

This week I'll be with the Cape May Second Empire house seen directly below. I'm painting the house from a slightly different angle showing just a bit more of the left side.

I will be using my usual acrylics on a 6 by 6 inch gallery-style canvas.(This is a thicker canvas similar to the one used in the Hudson river scene.)

When last seen, the painting appeared as it does in the photo directly below.

I've continued to refine the house. There are a multitude of small changes. Starting at the top, the Mansard roof (and its windows) now has a clarity of form and detail. This roof is the hallmark of the 2nd empire style. Getting the shape right is perhaps the single most important part of this image. I am satisfied with it though there may be a few small changes to come.

The cornice/soffit below the roof now has the suggestion of moldings and brackets. These also appear just above the first story. The windows and adjacent panel areas are now clearly delineated. I will continue with the windows for next week. Finally, the shadowed areas now provide a strong geometric quality to the structure.

The current state of the painting is seen in the photo directly below.

That's about it for now. Next week I'll have more progress to show you. See you then. As always, feel free to add photos of your own work in the comments section below.

Earlier paintings in this series can be seen here.