Color Notes - Making Green

I recently was teaching a private student how to paint Olives for a still life.  She had no green suitable for the painting in her paintbox.  No Problem!  Another way to make greens is to mix Ivory Black with Yellows.  You can get some really natural greens this way.  So we used Ivory Black and some Cadmium Yellow Pale with a bit of white.  Go easy on the white!  I also have made wonderful olives using Yellow Ochre for my yellow in the mix.

Portrait of Courtney

Until I moved into my current home, I was at the mercy of whatever light I could get from kitchen windows or overhead lights in my previous homes.  I now have a studio with fairly constant overhead florescents that we installed into a room with south, east and west facing windows.  I control the window lights with shades.  I am currently using my living room for a studio.  It is dark and depends on the outside light source.  Here is what I mean about light being so important.  This is Courtney.  One day she was beautiful and then the next day, because it was overcast and grey outside, she grew a mustache and green flesh on her brow between her eyes.  I will fix her as soon as I am back into the studio.

Back in My Studio Again!

My studio is  now inhabitable again.  Freshly painted walls and a new closet.  I put my easel back in today and I will get back to work tomorrow.  Awesome!

Dianna's Doberman

I won't show you the entire painting, but here is a sneak peek at the Dianna painting.  This is one of her Dobermans.  I just absolutely love to paint dogs and cats.

Portrait of Foster

I just finished and delivered this portrait of  "Foster" to a client in Leesburg.

Another Kind of Painting

Today I am doing the kind of painting I do best.........walls!  Yes, the closet is now finished except for the trim around the door and baseboards.  So, I am painting my studio, new closet and all.  I will then be able to get back to work in my well lit studio.  I have been trying to work on my Dianna painting in my living room, but just when I think it is going well, we get a cloudy day and I can't see well enough to continue it.  I had her face looking so good one day and then the next, it was overcast and I ended up with mismatched areas on her face.  I will return to the painting as soon as I can get back into the studio where the light is constant and bright.

Another Pet Portrait

Another of my pastel pet portraits done just before Christmas.   I am delivering another today in Leesburg and realize I did not bring the photo or camera.  I  will post that one tomorrow.