The lifting morning fog is the most recent addition to my art collection. Birch trees have always been a favorite for autumn paintings, especially, when I have a few students who want to learn painting fall colors. The classic involves an artwork which we started in 2018, and it got not finished until now. Half-done paintings sort of nag and urge me to not be lazy and just add a few layers of paint.
Every day is only worth what its accomplishments are. I believe every day is good when I can show something for it. Therefore, time I devote to each artwork feels as a well-spent day. While everything else is rather slow and inconclusive in our life at the moment, one aspect of it is always unchanging: the creative aspect and pleasure of creation.
Acrylic paints dry darker, that’s why we need to learn what color combination is suitable for background, middle and foreground. I’ve talked a lot before that applying color is not the same as building it up. Building up color creates volume and color shifts, as well as allows implementing color temperature.
Textured birch trees on bright forest ground takes its origin probably in 2015 if I am recalling this correctly. I apply textures on canvas which is painted in the base color, grey or brown usually. I cannot judge yet whether it will become a good painting or not, therefore, many layers of paint are required to make it work.
Textured paintings are more problematic to photograph because the textures are raised and reflect more light. Color play is important part of textured paintings, but it comes to full expression seeing the art in person.
Here is the Rusty gold of autumn birch: it’s the same painting, compare with the image below; but pictures show completely different background colors. Unfortunately, neither one is absolutely true. The actual painting isn’t yellow, and the background isn’t bright blue, but the options are either to publish or not, and I would most often choose to publish. Rusty gold of autumn birch painting is 24 x 20 in or 61 x 51 cm.
I started to paint the lifting morning fog at the beginning of August. I had a very diligent student who attended private classes, and she was interested in fine detail of acrylic painting, layering colors and achieving a certain grade of realism. Nobody without experience can just jump in such art right away with the first brushstrokes. We managed, but such art takes much longer than a few hours. In my case, it’s rather a few weeks.
The lifting morning fog painting is created on my favorite size canvas: 24 x 18 in or 61 x 46 cm. I love this size for both, watercolor and acrylic.
Pictures were taken with iPhone, and that sometimes adds way too much contrast and changes the color temperature. Colors usually on pictures are either stronger or weaker, but not my actual colors. My experience is that grey becomes strong blue and that disturbs color balance of my artwork. I’m using a grey-bluish shade which is carefully crafted, unfortunately, it looks very blue on the images.
I hope you like the new additions to my art collection, and some will also be put up for sale soon. Currently, there are quite a lot of acrylic paintings, and I update the sale pages quite frequently. Stay in touch and all the best enjoying the October colors!
Beautiful paintings Inese! I also have a few unfinished pieces that constantly nudge me. But I love when I make the decision to pick up the brush and complete them. I agree, there’s nothing quite like the process of creation 😊
Thanks Maria!
Over the last 17 years in Canada, I have accumulated many unfinished artworks. Some I just let go if neither subject, not colors look anymore appealing to me.
Some are very large, and that means they’ll take many hours and days.
It is very satisfying to accomplish at least some part of all works. For watercolors, I’ve definitely lost count, acrylic works are fewer, but we’re still talking hundreds. I am especially hesitant with small size works. Whenever possible, I paint large because it’s much easier for me.
I appreciate you stopping by and I hope there’s no shortage of creative ideas which you want to implement also!
I’m always amazed how layering paint adds more volume when the actual paint layer can be quite thin. Your textured birch trees on bright forest ground are mesmerizing!
Thank you Cheyenne!
I use acrylic only because I cannot do oils due to some bad impact on me, but I think layering acrylic is the only way to get it look somewhat right. You’re right, it adds volume, it adds lots of things. The birch textures are very much touchable, therefore, they work well.
I basically always use layers of paint, even with watercolor. It allows creating more targeted colors and their shifts.
My only problem always was and still is: getting a picture of painting. I get a painting done, it looks great, and then I take lots of pictures in all kinds of light, with, without background, etc. and the painting doesn’t look at all like it is. It becomes flat and my colors are gone. I know people think I’m complaining, but I’m not. It hurts that I never ever get the original look on photos. Well, I also have only iPhone at the moment. Camera is out of order, has been for about 4 years. New one will have to wait.
I appreciate your comment and all the best to you!
I love your birches. They put me right in the fall forest in Ontario. Thanks, as always, for sharing.
Thanks! I know everybody loves birches. Colors and textures, they look bright. I think I will do more of forest floor paintings, sure, there will some tree, as well.
My personal favorite is the fog one. It’s not always so that I can get it it right on the picture, but the actual painting looks very good. The few people who saw it in person totally agreed.
Thank you very much for commenting!
All the best to you and you’re doing so well that there’s nothing more to say. Stay well!
I love these pictures, they are so realistic! Fall is a beautiful time of year with the changing of colors. We don’t get much here as there aren’t as many hard woods growing here. Plus, it pretty much stays hot, are at least mild, until December, January time-frame.
Blessings~
Thanks very much Robbie!
I get a lot of fall colors here, trees are just starting to shed leaves. Thankfully, it’s quite nice and sunny at the moment.
I love how these paintings came out, especially the newest one, The lifting morning fog. It’s quite large and looks well leaning against the wall. As you know, I rent, and, therefore, I’m not allowed to attach anything to the walls. I do attach very light sketches and watercolor studies in the studio room, but everything else is simply placed along the walls. It still looks very good with all colors and moods, and it feels very cozy.
Have a good weekend!
You are so very welcome.
The paintings are all so vibrant! I really enjoy seeing them.
I can just imagine how pretty it all looks in your home.
I know what you mean about rentals. During my husband’s military career we lived in rentals and military housing. There were so very many arcane rules.
Have a wonderful week!
Renting is currently the only option, with the house prices all in millions, like, who can buy anything?
The rules are strict and many. I am a very neat person, thankfully, very organized and so forth, but I certainly cannot decorate or change here anything. Unfortunately, that includes not attaching big or heavy art to the walls.
Renting is one more worrysome part of life because as one gets older, it is more and more difficult to move things around. I try not to ever think about this, playing ostrich, head in the sand, that type of thing because I have no answer to how the future looks like.
That allows living for today.
I hope you have a good day! I know from myself that some days are good, some ok, and some disastrous, but that all belongs to the real life.
I hope you, too, have a good week!
Renting was our only option, too. It’s so frustrating and much less home like when you can’t decorate the home as you wish.
I understand about playing ostrich, too!
Have a wonderful week.
Blessings~
While it is ok, at least for now, I cannot imagine how I keep moving every second year or so when I’m 75, 80 or older. That’s what scares me most.
Moving art and relocating studio is extremely tough, too. I don’t really know what to do with all these paintings. I wish I could have some serious people coming in or something, but so far I’m kind of off anything.
At some point it starts to make no sense posting and posting on social media, and there’ s overload of everything.
While my drawing skills are quite unique (I haven’t met here anybody who can draw from real things like I do), I just cannot get the message around.
I have two people attending a few private classes, that’s about it at the moment.
This week is just as the previous one and the next one, nothing much happening here.
You, too, have a good week!
Thanks for great comments!
I’ll try and reply more next week.
Blessings, my friend~
No problem, we all have sometimes problematic periods. I hope you’re ok. Blessings and stay safe!