I’m 10 days in to a 100 day art challenge with the Woodlands and Walks series, and it’s already thrown a lot of surprises my way. What was originally a themed series has now become more of a stylistic one as I try to expand my style in subtle new ways.
The Process
Choosing the setting for the painting is the first step in the process, and often it’s less one specific place and more of capturing the style of the landscape, the terrain, the foliage and of course the mood of a particular place. I don’t copy directly from reference material, my own photographs or even my preparatory sketches, but use them all as a jumping off point.
The Successes
Working on small panels has done wonders for my creativity. With each one I know I have a safe, limited space to play and to experiment, but the small size prevents me from getting carried away. I’ve been trying out some mixed media on top of the acrylic paint, using pencil, coloured pencil and even soft pastel, and I love the depth that these often minute additions can make.
Working with a limited palette (more about that in my desert island colours post) has helped to unify the series and I love the soft greens, subtle oranges and pale lilacs that are hinted at in each piece. It’s like autumn is creeping back onto my easel…
The Challenges
There’s always one stubborn painting. Or sometimes two. One that doesn’t line up with the vision you had in your head. The area you can’t fix. The value just isn’t right. But when this happens I’m learning to slow down, put the troublesome painting to one side, and crack on with another.
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