Beach dunes ●

Plum island dunes #2, 10X10 in, Oil/linen panel

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I visited Plum island in the fall this year. I am in love with its landscape and vegetation. Plum Island is named after the beach Plum trees that are found here. In November, the area is so peaceful and quiet. The only sounds you hear are the splashing waves and the calls of native birds.
I wanted to immerse the viewer in the landscape of Plum Island.

Design notes
 This landscape is inspired by the paintings by Frank Dudley. He painted many landscapes, the dunes, the trees and shrubs of Indiana Dunes. The colors he used were dreamy yet earthy. 

Plum island dunes

Beach dunes, 10" X 10". o/l, Sold

This view is from the boardwalk that is closest to the parking area near the entry. You walk up the stairs and you can see the marsh from this viewpoint. On the other side are the dunes and ocean. I tried to capture the shrubs and grasses in this energetic and expressionist painting.



Design notes
I pre-mixed all the colors on the palette first, taking cues from one of the paintings by late artist Frank Dudley. I created a cleaner composition from my sketches. I love the color of the shadows on the left bottom.

Sketch from reference photo

Painting a landscape using Palette knife with some color theory notes

 Painting with palette knife and notes on color theory

1. No mess, No fuss
2. Mixing with palette knife is quick
3.  Easy to keep colors clean
4. You can have many color variations
5. Fun to paint
6. Palette knife makes abstract strokes easy
7. Mark making
8. Scraping
9. Good for environment
10. Solvent-free studio

There are many different ways a painting can be constructed using only the palette knife and paints. Some examples of my work are below.

Spring in the mountains, 6" X 6", Oil

This is a small painting, but a variety of colors exist. The colors are clean. Here the palette knife was used to apply paint in small areas. By varying the colors in each area a beautiful picture has emerged.

Large acrylic painting with palette knife

In this expressionist abstract paintings, I have used the quick-drying qualities of acrylic paint to scrape paint over already dried areas. The long vertical and horizontal marks are made with the edge of a large palette knife.

 Rowboat on Essex pier,  12" X 9", Oil

This painting was completed on location in just two hours. By using the palette knife, I was able to quickly apply paint without wasting time cleaning brushes.

Abstract floral bouquet in blue vase, 12" X 12", Oil

 I often carve out the foregorund shapes by using thick white paint towards the end of the painting. Then I go back to this white paint to make marks for steps and leaves.

A rainy day, 10" X 10", Oil

 I have scraped the paint in parts of the road. The telephone poles have been carved out using a fine pointed end of a small paintbrush. I have applied dabs of pure colors here and there to make the painting come alive.

Notes on Color theory

Color is composed of three elements 

1. Hue
2. Value
3. Chroma

Example of different Chroma levels

Converting to grey scale

Color temperature bias

1. Every color has a warm and cool bias
2. Why is it important to know temperature bias?
3. To get high chroma colors, always mix colors of the same temperature bias.
4. Titanium White has a cool temperature, it makes warm colors chalky
5. Make warm and cool grey from Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber.
6. Mix a similar value grey to a color to make it greyer 
7. Don't use black to darken colors. Use the complementary color to mute it.
8. Always mix a dark color into a light color. Mix very little at a time and work your way towards your final color.
9. Try not to use more than two colors.

Reference picture

Sketch with outlines and values

Let's get to work!

1. Paint a transparent orange ground, let it dry
2. Sketch the landscape on the canvas
3. Mix colors on the palette with a palette knife, wiping it with each color change.
4. Paint the darkest darks first.
5. Paint the medium tones
6. Paint the highlights last.
7. Work all over the canvas, not just in one area.
8. Within each value, vary color temperature (depict direction of sunlight)
9. Make your mark, Scrape, Soften, scribble 
10. Add finer details using a brush if needed (be careful not to overwork).

Reference books

1. Color by Betty Edwards
2. Guide to Landscape painting by John F Carlson
3. Making Color Sing by Jeanne Dobie

Happy flowers ●

Happy flowers, 20" X 24", Oil

This floral abstract is part of the series that feature a thin tall vase. The flowers seem to jut out of the vase giving a feeling of playful energy. Layers of paint in different consistencies,  bring out interesting colors and surprising effects. This is what abstract is all about.

Desert boulders

Desert Boulders, 12" X 9", Oil on linen, $85

Western landscape transports me into another planet. I live in New England, where trees and lakes abound. As much as I love them, I also like to visit places with different scenery. The Joshua tree National Park is a perfect place to experience different.
Rocks and Boulders, scanty grasses and the unique Joshua trees and just some of the wonders here.


Design notes
The sun and shade are main actors in this rocky scene. The path leads us into the middle distance shrubs. The rocks are sunlit, but the shadow areas get reflected light from adjacent boulders, hence the saturated reds and oranges.

Plum island marsh ●

Plum Island Marsh, 24 X 36 X 3/4 in, Oil/canvas

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