I did a plein air of a garden corner this morning when the rain came spitting down. I had time to hastily finish, but it was good to be out painting plein air again.
Oxalis in a pot
oil on board, 35x24cm
Oxalis in a pot plein air.
A still life and a plein air in oil;
Yesterday was cold and grey and it was unpleasant being outside, so a still life was my choice of duty. I felt much better after completion of the still life; Not sure whether it is was the fact that I painted, ot the bright yellow of the suflowers. Probably a good mix of both.
Two sunflowers
oil on board, 20X15cm
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Two chairs
oil on board, 35X24cm
Today was sunny and warm and pleasant. No question. A plein air was on the the to-do-list. The garden is in a state of neglect with us working on the house and the cottage the last few months. I think the painting perfectly reflects the charotic character of my unkempt garden of late.
à bientôt
Ronell
Winding path; oil painting
Our fields in late summer with a winding path; It ihas been a very dry year and the garden and fields suffered. I have done a fair amount of plein air this year and the paintings can be seen and are available for sale on my website, Ronelle’s art
Winding path
oil on board, 35×24 cm
à bientot
Ronell
Roses in the garden.
Painting flowers doesn’t come natural to me. But I never realized how much I will enjoy it. Especially when I can do it outside. Painting outside just has some magic to it, which only a plein air artist will understand. My plein air work is always much better than my atelier work, more intuitive, more spontaneous. My biggest problem is leaving the painting as it is AFTER I have returned to the atelier. I forget that I am an artist and I turn into a plastic surgeon. I see a little something that needs “lifting” and so I begin to I nip and tuck this beautiful plein air work up to a point here it becomes totally unrecognizable. I lose that fresh plein air touch and I end up with tired and overbotoxed painting. Sigh…
Generosa carmeline
oil on linen, 33x47cm
This is the completed painting I carried from the garden to the atelier. I was happy.
Roses 1: The first steps – getting in the shapes and the darks for shadows. A white canvas always threatens me, paralyzes me. This is a perfect way for me to lose that fear of the white surface I have to fill.
Roses 2: Almost done
Roses 3: Painting completed.
Roses 4: Back in the studio, the artist got kidnapped by the plastic surgeon and the painting transformed completely. All my hard work in the garden, my lovely strokes, the depth in my blooms…all gone.
And so another painting had been a lesson learnt the hard way. Studio painting is studio painting and plein air painting is plein air painting, basta.
à bientôt.
Ronell
September 26: Three chickens.
It is very very hot and humid. Everybody is moving around like limp fish. The horses are in permanent rest under the apple tree, the cats don’t lift an eyebrow when I walk past the them and even the chickens lay motionless in the shade of the hibiscus bush. I was busy, or trying to be. I took down washing, hung the next basket full, every time walking past the chickens. When they didn’t move when by the third pass, I thought they might just keep that pose for another 30 minutes. Et voilà, indeed they did, or almost. This was fun.
..Three chickens..
oil on board, 30x30cm
.à demain..
Ronelle
September 24 & 25: Houses in the hills en plein air.
When I drive on the narrow country roads, I love staring at all the country houses…their gardens, their latest activity, the latest changes, their potagers (vegetable gardens). Life is never quiet and static at a country home. Sometimes the houses are nestled on top of the grass hills, entouré (surrounded) by trees for shade and coolness during hot summers. Sometimes they are sunken deep in the valleys and their presence is betrayed only by their roofs or a trail of smoke in winter. How I love the country side!
..the house on the hill..
oil on linen, 38×46 cm
The opainting below was done earlier today and I spent only about 20-25 minutes on it before I packed up. Today is very humid and hot and the clouds are moving in and pretty soon the thunder will be rolling. I worked almost carelessly, tired and not really wanting to put in the effort. But it is actually starting to grow on me and is not as bad as I initially thought. Maybe I should do more 15 minute plein air paintings.
..three roofs..
oil on linen,
..à demain..
Ronelle
Africantapestry 