A Tale of Two Trees.

Here's the photo - I fell in love with the way the light comes through the branches and wanted to explore it in a painting - trouble is, after two jabs at working from the same reference picture, I haven't done what I set out to do. Each time I got sidetracked by what was developing while painting, and went in a slightly different direction. I'm happy with both the paintings, but I'm still gonna go for it a third time. I'll post my progress in this thread.

28"x20" - I painted this in November. I used a lot of thin washes for this painting - mixing my artisans with an odourless solvent. (I still have to buy the Artisan thinner.) I didn't use extra gesso so the weave of the canvas shows up plainly. I like the soft, stained glass feel to this painting. I would like to get a better photo once the weather improves - the painting is not quite so muted.

I started the second version yesterday. 18"x14". Originally I had a light purple acrylic wash on my canvas (as in the first painting) but decided that I needed a warmer underpainting so I added an orange-toned wash made with acrylic hansa yellow with a bit of alizarin crimson (golden acrylics). I drew the two trees in with a brown water colour pencil. Painted in the trees and the rock wall with Artisans thinned down a tiny bit with odourless thinner. (glare from flash) This time, as you can see, I zoomed in a bit and I cropped out the third tree on the edge of the picture.

Today I had another session. I meant to stop and take pics as the work progressed, but I got immersed in what I was doing. I had fun near the end putting cadmium red dark and magenta into the branches and tree trunks. It gives it a bold feel. I will probably have to touch up some of the lemon yellow when it dries because it greens up so easily, and I need to run some light down the left lower edge of the trunk of the right hand tree. I'm quite happy with the pattern of darker green leaves in the upper branches. The orangey background showing through in places adds to the warmth of the painting.

I need to buy a canvas for the next shot at these trees so I wont start that till after my trip to Calgary next month.

Those are great, I keep going back and forth as to which one I like the best and I cant decide, I really like the branches against the sky in the first painting but the second one is just as great and I really love the foreground in that one. They are both awesome!

It is interesting how you dab in mini squares of color. the blue sparkle through the trees and the whole picture gives the stained glass feel that you mention in your first post.

Judy

Sofie, your painting is looking wonderful! It reminds me of pointalism. I love the style!

I love how the light sparkles in these! You've got a very nice style/technique going there. I like you shadows very much, too (in both versions).

Dawn, Judy, Janet, and Callie - Thanks for all your support and kind comments.

These are indeed very interested and well executed paintings! I do find that when I'm working from photos, I tend to experiment more with style and I like what you've done here! Both are lovely in their own way, but I have to say I love the luminescent qualities of the second one! I also like the dappling effect you've got going in that one. Great job!

I decided to paint these two trees again as part of my painting a day for 100 days challenge. For this I had to put them through a window. I did two. Both paintings are only 6"x8", and mainly act as trial sketches. This one has an orange-toned underpainting which shows through and adds warmth. I painted the trees first, then the background, then touched up the branches. It's sort of a mini version of my second larger painting.

This is the second one. It has a slightly lighter underpainting and leaa of it shows through. I painted the sky and leaves and grass first, then carefully added in the trunk and branches on top of the wet paint. It has a mellower feeling to it.

I htink you have an awesome style with the stained glass look. Do you think you will try more paintings with the same style? It reminds me of watercolor quilting in some ways.

Thanks. I'm doing a series of tree paintings from this park and I'll paint a few in the stained glass style.

Sofie, both of the painting a day paintings are very nice!

thanks Janet. they can't really compare with the big ones, but the hour I put into each can't compare with the many hours I put into the larger ones either.