Let’s take a closer look at Ploughing in the Nivernais by Rosa Bonheur. It was Commissioned by the French government and won Bonheur a First Medal at the 1849 Paris Salon. It’s perhaps her most famous painting behind The Horse Fair which she painted a few years later in 1855. I’ll cover: Overview It’s a … Read more
(My “On the Easel” posts give you a behind-the-scenes look at what I am working on, what went well, what went wrong, and lessons learned.) Let’s take a look at how I painted Chontele and Elora in the Garden. This was only meant to be a study done in preparation for a larger work, but … Read more
One of my goals for 2023 is to do more drawing. This isn’t so much a challenge of motivation or drive but rather uninterrupted time. I’m critically short on that, perhaps more so now than ever. My solution has been to wake up around 4 am each morning and get some drawing in whilst everyone … Read more
We are in Perth at the moment staying with a friend. I haven’t been able to do any painting, but I did take a few good reference photos. You can see them below. Feel free to download and paint from them as you wish. I’m eyeing off one of those rocky shore photos with the … Read more
2022 is over and now’s a great time to reflect on what went well, what went wrong, and what’s the plan going forward. I did this back in 2020 but missed 2021 (consistency isn’t my strength). What Went Well Here’s what went well during the year: What Didn’t Go Well 2023 Goals My goals haven’t … Read more
The other day, I opened my Landscape Painting Masterclass for enrollment. This isn’t just about learning how to see and capture the beauty of the landscape. It’s also about learning how to see the beauty in everything. Most people go through life naive to the beauty around them. But, once you learn how to see … Read more
Below is a small painting I did of Elora and Chontele in my parents’ garden. This was only meant to be a relaxed study done in preparation for a larger piece, but it turned out to be quite charming in its own right. (That’s often the case with studies like this: the less I worry … Read more
Welcome to the final lesson of the Painting the Landscape workshop. In the last lesson, I showed you how my painting turned out. I’ll title it, Maleny, White, Purple, and Blue Flowers. Now it’s time to reflect on my work. Whenever I finish a painting, I briefly reflect on how it turned out, what went … Read more
Welcome to lesson 3 of the Painting the Landscape workshop. As a recap, in lesson 1, I chose a reference photo to paint. In lesson 2, I analyzed that reference photo and came up with a strategy to paint it. Now, it’s time to paint! Painting the subject is all about bringing your ideas to … Read more
Welcome to lesson 2 of the Painting the Landscape workshop. In lesson 1, I chose a reference photo to paint. Now it’s time for the planning and strategy phase. This phase will allow you to start the painting with direction, momentum, and a plan of attack. It will also make the painting process smoother, you’ll … Read more