Beginning a New Painting Collection: A PNW Landscape Series
A little bit about my week and then to the good stuff. As I start my collection of Pacific Northwest landscape paintings, I share with you my process for creating a new collection from the beginning.
I’m finalizing this newsletter on a Sunday morning and this is what it looks like. It’s my first day off after the work week and the previous night’s enjoyment still sits out on the kitchen counter, along with an ever-present pile of dishes in the sink. As with all things though, it’s coffee first.
I usually spend this morning reflecting on my week. I think about what went wrong, how I could have done things differently, and end by congratulating myself on my wins. Very often these wins are pretty small things, but they're important. I am an over-critical person, by nature, and it’s been a conscious act of self-love to recognize the things I get right, rather than consume myself with my shortcomings.
There were plenty of wins, it turns out:
-I finished my website and sent out my very first newsletter on Tuesday. I was humbled by the kind and encouraging responses from all of you. Thank you for that.
-I managed to have a night out with a friend midweek, which for an introvert like me that struggles with agoraphobia, was an accomplishment. In honor of Townes Van Zandt’s 80th birthday anniversary, Portland fans came out and celebrated the renowned musician as members of the Portland Country Underground and guests took turns performing his songs. One of the things I’ve missed most about my home state of Texas is the pervasiveness of live music there, so this was a real treat and a rowdy good time.
-J and I spent an afternoon walking in Kelley Point Park on a much needed sunny day. My favorite part was the barking sea lions searching for fish in the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Their heads would pop up all around the cargo ship being tugged into the port. They were so animated, these flippered mammals bobbing in the water around the immense and slowly moving boat carrying upwards of 200,000 tons of economic goods. What a sight. It made me want to pinch myself, just to be sure I was awake.
As a creative, I’ve learned that you cannot pour out your art if you’ve not first filled yourself up with moments of beauty, reflection, and play. This week felt well-balanced in that way, which left me feeling ready and inspired to dive into my next creative project.
As I was compiling my creative cv for my website these past few weeks, I was surprised at the amount of work I had produced. When I was in Savannah, GA, I showed paintings in eight group art exhibits and had four solo shows in the six years that I lived there. Since I’ve been in Portland, however, I have done exactly none of that. So, that’s the focus of my next endeavor, to create a collection of landscape paintings highlighting some of the breathtaking destinations I’ve been to since moving to the Pacific Northwest. I want to share with you my process of doing that, from start to finish. For this purpose, I selected the first piece in a triptych of beach paintings I am working on.
When I pick a photo from my camera rolls, I am looking for, not only a good composition, but dynamic light and color play. This photo had such interesting colors to play with: cool and dusty purple undertones, a bright and light blue, lovely soft pinks, and warm neutrals. Compositionally, I love how the landscape mimics the line of the clouds and how the shadowed foreground balances the big asymmetrical expanse of sky above it. Starting with components like that goes a long way to making the painting process easier, as you have to change very little.
Once I’ve selected the reference photo, I like to do a mockup in Procreate to see what color choices work best and the order in which I will lay down color. This gets my brain thinking about the act of layering paint from beginning to end. Visualizing this helps me avoid mistakes later on and keeps me from deciding to change a central element halfway through the process. I get clear on my vision at this stage before any paint is applied.
Next, it’s time to lay down a base color. Sometimes I’m looking for a base color that will create tension with the colors I’m working with, so that the piece almost vibrates with intensity.
In this instance, however, I am looking to lay down a base color that sets a cool, muted tone for the rest of the piece. My observations for this decision went like this:
The photo itself sets a quiet scene. The last soft light before the sun fully sets. It’s a still moment. A pause. An inhale. The waves are crashing softly behind you and a soft breeze brushes your hair across your shoulder.
To convey that feeling, I need to pick the right colors. I start with the dusty purple of the sand. It is muted and soft. The color of dusk. After laying down this base color, I lightly sketch out shapes for the colors of the next layers.
After I’ve done that for the entire triptych, I will apply paint on all three canvases as I mix each color, layer on top of layer. When I work on a grouping such as this, I like to work on all of them simultaneously so that the colors and brushstrokes are consistent from piece to piece.
Once I finish with these three lovelies, it’s on to the next in the series. My goal is to complete a 10-12 piece collection of paintings. Then, when they’re all finished and photographed, I can start looking for a venue to hang them in. In the meantime, I’ll share some process shots and videos as I work.
Are you a painter or other type of artist/creator? What is your process like for creating a piece? Is it similar to mine, or very different? How do you prepare for a project? Let me know in the comment section.
I hope this week finds you inspired and determined to create, friends. As ever, thank you for being here.
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