Original Oil 6x8"
For purchase info click here
10/07/14 (4pm)
The light changed at least a million times while I was painting this, often completely reversing itself to background hills in dark shadow and foreground trees in full light. This was a case of being commited to stick to plan A and not get seduced by B,C,D,E and F.
Original Oil 6x8"
For purchase info click here
10/07/14 (7:30pm)
Are you guys figuring out I'm an afternoon/evening painter? This actually worked to my advantage in this project as it's light in our neck of the woods until 11pm for most of June and July, so I would often start around 4 or 5 pm and paint into better and better light as the evening unfolded.
I have been reading a really interesting book called "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle. The basic premise is that talent doesn't have to be born, it can be grown, that anyone can greatly improve their skill at anything by practicing in a very specific way. To paraphrase from the book: "If you use your muscles a certain way - by trying hard to lift things you can barely lift - those muscles will respond by getting stronger. If you fire your skill circuits the right way - by trying hard to do things you can barely do, in deep practice - then your skill circuits will respond by getting faster and more fluent."
If you looking for motivation to keep working at your art on the "I forgot how to paint" days, and you want ideas on how to excel more quickly, it's worth checking out this book.
Liz, you never stop amazing me!
ReplyDelete-Julia Kirkby
You're so sweet Julia - back at ya sister!
ReplyDeleteMalcolm Gladwell wrote "The Outliers". He writes about how people who do things 10,000 times get good at what they do. Bill Gates, the Beatles, and others who spent all their time practising eventually got very, very good. It sounds like the same principle; they also grew their talents. That is why daily painters get good too. Go back and look at painting #1 for any of the daily painters and you will see what I mean.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, I love these pieces Liz!
Your right Joanne, but it can't be simply 10,000 hours of practice, it must be "deliberate practice", defined as a 3 part system consisting of:
ReplyDeleteworking on technique
seeking constant critical feedback
focusing ruthlessly on shoring up weaknesses
Lots of hours can be put in painting without focusing on these things, particularily the 3rd one, and that alone won't get you there...
Liz, these are very very pretty, and I can see the evening light, you definitely captured that. It is interesting how different evening light can be from morning light, perhaps caused by the morning being cooler and more likely wet with dew than the evening. I am a morning painter, because I love to get out early by myself, and the evening is usually more complicated to organize, but I also love that time in the evening that people have called "golden time" when the sun turns things gold, especially boats on the water.
ReplyDeleteI will be so sad when you hit 100!!
two more stunners and I'm getting that book
ReplyDelete'Shoreline Patterns' is spectacular! Painters who work from photos to avoid bewildering light reversals can never capture the magic as you have here.
ReplyDeleteBut still no Cascade... I know, I know -- you explained why it isn't a favourite, but I still keep hoping.
Thanks Bobbi and Chris!
ReplyDeleteCharlene, Cascade Mountain was # 69, and I thought of you while I was painting it! Was wondering why you didn't comment, must've slipped past you :-(
I can't tell you how much I have been enjoying this challenge and your beautiful plein air paintings. You're coming toward the end, and I for one will miss these when your challenge is complete.
ReplyDeleteWow, again! You capture the luminosity so well. The paintings feel as if they just glow all by themselves. I have many of your paintings in my head when I am painting, and many of the things you have passed on in the way of tips, suggestions, "Liz-Rules". I so appreciate the time you take out to email, or help with things. You have helped me tremendously out here in cyber-land, thank you!
ReplyDeleteClaire, I'm going to miss it as well...
ReplyDeleteElaine, you are most welcome, glad I can help! I love blogging for just that reason, it gives us all such a great forum for learning and sharing what we've learned.
thanks Liz, I will remember your three things so essential besides just practice!! I am attending a workshop with Jill Carver this October and I suspect I will get a lot of all three of those things in!
ReplyDelete