Saturday Painting Palooza Vol.424

Hello again painting fans.

This week I will starting the new painting of the Grand Canyon. The photo that I will be using is seen directly below. I will be using my usual acrylics on an 10x10 gallery-wrapped canvas.

I began with a pencil grid upon which I added the major elements. This preliminary pencil sketch is seen directly below.

I then proceeded to paint in some base colors. These will change with time but they provide a starting point. Note that the features in the center already have a wonderful rhythm.

The current state of the painting si seen directly below.

I'll have much more to show you next week. See you then.

IEarlier paintings in this series can be seen here.

Saturday Painting Palooza Vol.423

This week I will starting a new painting. The photo that I will be using is seen directly below. I will be using my usual acrylics on an 10x10 gallery-wrapped canvas.

I took this picture a couple of weeks ago with my old iphone. We were fortunate to be able to stay right at the edge of the Grand Canyon for a couple of days. The Bright Angel Trail was only a short distance away from our room at the ancient El Tovar lodge. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

While there, I actually had an opportunity to paint a small canvas while sitting on the canyon's edge. I had carried a brush, a few paints and the 4x5 inch canvas on our trip out from New York. I sat for about an hour and produced the image seen directly below.

Not my best work but it brings back that wonderful hour sitting in the sun. Unfortunately, with such a small canvas, I had to limit the elements of the painting. The result is a rather narrow view. That orange rock is a large peninsula of rock jutting out from the El Tovar. Past the rocky peninsula, the pinkish ledge behind can be seen and past that the far distance is seen in blue. It was done mostly on site with only a few minor changes made later on. Plein air painting is a difficult undertaking even under the best circumstances. The heat at the canyon made things even more difficult with paint drying time greatly reduced. I'll try this again at some point.

Next week I will actually have some work done on the photo at the top. See you then.

Earlier paintings in this series can be seen here.

Saturday Painting Palooza Vol.422

Hello again painting fans.

This week I will be with the painting of the Holbrook service station. The photo that I will be using is seen directly below. I will be using my usual acrylics on an 8x8 gallery-wrapped canvas.

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

Since that time I have continued working on the painting.

Most notable amongst this week's changes is the clouds. They now have the shadowed and highlighted areas seen in the original photo. They make a huge difference to this scene and I'm pleased with the way they came out. Below, I've added highlights and shadows to the shrubs to the far rear. Out front, I've completed the sign. Shadows and highlights appear as they do elsewhere in the painting. With these changes, the painting is now complete.

The current and final state of the painting is seen directly below.

I'll have a new painting to show you next week. See you then.

Earlier paintings in this series can be seen here.

Saturday Painting Palooza Vol.421

Hello again painting fans.

This week I will be with the painting of the Holbrook service station. The photo that I will be using is seen directly below. I will be using my usual acrylics on an 8x8 gallery-wrapped canvas.

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 got some limited painting time this past week as we returned from our yearly family vacation. (We were out west and fortunate to have been able to hike in the Grand Canyon.) I have sharpened the service station a bit. The footings now appear (with shadows) at the entrance and between the pillars. That area now has a more grounded appearance. Note that the band around the top of the building now appears in blue/green in the lit areas. This is the true color but may not show through in the original photo. Tot the right, the tree line has been straightened at ground level. It rose in the earlier version. Finally, the sign has been defined in shades of gray in preparation of things to come.

I'll have more to show you next week. See you then.

Earlier paintings in this series can be seen here.

The Canyon

Taken just outside our park lodging at the rim.