How to Paint. Easy as 1-2-3.
Kathleen Elsey painting, ”The Porch Revisited”
Painting signed by Kathleen Elsey, Santa Barbara artist, lower left, 16” x 20” 2007 Sold
Once again I am in Sonoma, visiting my favorite screened in porch. It brings back such memories of my own childhood. I imagine how many families have lived in this old country home and how many memories, now many conversations took place here. How many Sunday dinners? How many Mother's Day brunches? How many game were played at the table and how many children were raised in this cozy home nestled on the side of Sonoma Mountain? So I keep painting it. Each time with different sunlight at a different time of day. All I hear when I am painting is tree frogs, birds and the gentle breeze flowing through the lavender and the trees. Ah...such peace. It is really the perfect location for a plein air painter to paint. No distractions. Lots of quiet time to think only about painting.
Below you see my painting after about an hour of sketching on my pad then "dividing the space on the canvas." If I like the looks of the colored lines dividing the canvas when I stand back and think about composition, I continue to "cover the canvas with paint". And again, I stand back to make a quick evaluation and if I like what I see, continue adding more paint! Painting can be as easy  as 1, 2, 3 especially if you are in the right frame of mind and have no distractions. I paint with my heart and soul and try not to let my brain and rules get in the way. Let my eyes make the decisions. Here is another painting of the same porch.
Read more about Kathleen Elsey painting workshops. 
Kathleen Elsey painting above: how I began "The Porch, Revisited." I sketch in my sketchbook, then I sketch the scene with paint on my canvas. Stand back and look and make sure I like the composition. Then I begin laying in the paint with shapes and colors. Notice how important the shadows are to me. They are painted in very early in my process. Kathleen Elsey painting workshops offered in California, New Mexico and New York. |
