1/5 # 4 painting finished!

While the quality of the paper isn’t ideal, this style of painting, which is very fluid and spontaneous, still worked out well. I would have liked a little more drama to the sky, but it just wasn’t flowing for me with this paper. There were a few spots where the water dried as I applied it, leaving behind some unusual marks.  One of these marks resembles either a daytime moon or sun peeking through the clouds, just above the sideways bird. 

1/4 My attempt to add a base didn't quite match the vision I had in my mind, but overall, I'm pleased with the outcome. I had a lot of fun creating these four pieces, and I definitely plan to do more! Perhaps this experience even helped me with painting Jane’s animals—who knows!

Jane, be prepared, I think I’m writing a book here! What can I say but thank you! Landscapes are my area of comfort; I find joy in escaping to each destination while I paint. You have introduced me to a whole new way of enjoying painting these scenes. This class came at the perfect time, right after I had finished a wild, loose café scene with Will Elliston, where I freely followed my intuition with the brush. I must say, these landscapes allowed me to experience that same sense of freedom. I felt liberated to let go and allow the paint to flow. Between both classes, I believe I have discovered the best approach to painting 'loosely,' which has been challenging for my detail-oriented mind to grasp! 

I didn't have the same paper you used, so I opted for two different, less expensive papers instead of my usual choice of Arches. Additionally, I didn't have any matboard frames available. When I searched online, I couldn't find any with a 7x7 opening, so I decided to make mine 8x8 and ordered some frames that were delivered today. The difference that framing makes in how the artwork is perceived is incredible! 

I have five initial attempts at the first painting (sky only); however, I realized the four I didn’t select can also be transformed into something fun later on. Interestingly, I ended up using the first attempt I made because I really liked the bloom effect in the sky that gave it a stormy look. Somehow, I even captured the shadow of the sky reflecting in the water. Painting # 1

 

The second painting also seemed to have a mind of its own, just as you warned. When I added salt to the sky on the left, it got away from me, but it ended up looking like trees with leaves (or birds) so I made a tree instead of a church. Painting # 2

 

In the third painting, I decided to experiment with a yet another type of paper. Unfortunately, it did not lift color well, and I ended up with a tear in the paper next to the tree. To fix this, I improvised by extending the bushiness of the tree's leaves downward to cover the tear. This is probably the most enjoyable aspect of painting this way—you can adapt and go with whatever happens! Painting # 3

1/5 update: 4 painting now complete!  

1/4

I haven’t started the fourth painting yet, but I plan to give it a whirl tomorrow. Like your father, my grandfather was a talented painter, but in oils. He sold some of his works, but we also have many newspaper clippings documenting the donations he made to charities, dance events, and special occasions. I hope to find inspiration in one of his mountain paintings when I begin working on my fourth piece. I will post it here when completed! 

I've decided to share a few of his works with everyone! (Proud granddaughter here!). Although he passed away before I was born, he has inspired me throughout my life. He was also a skilled carpenter, and our family has many of his beautiful wood pieces too. All the paintings that the family acquired were considered his 'throwaway' pieces, but I’m so glad my grandmother never let him discard them! Many of his paintings were done on plain wood boards. (Grandma said he sadly wouldn’t sign his ‘throwaway’ paintings)

Paintings by Reginald Nepean from early 1920’s to 1940’s