magnolia update 1

My intention today is to establish some darks, distinct from the main image area, which is largely high key. So I'm using the same palette that I did in the initial wash, but those colors are a bit strudent in their natural state, so I added a bit of Burnt Sienna to each, which gives me a softer look. I thinned my paint with Turp and worked the colors around the entire painting, keeping it loose, knowing that any detail will come much later. Once I got the background largely blocked in, I used a paper towel to "wipe out" the lighter areas where the magnolias themselves will be.

My easel is placed beside two, floor-to-ceiling windows that face north, so the light if usually ideal. But today, about 1:00 in the afternoon, as I was working I noticed that it was becoming more and more difficult to see the painting well. The wind outside was really gusting, and it was very overcast. I put down my brush and within a half hour, the sky opened up and it began to pour. The weather folks told us that a cold front was coming through, so it rained for the better part of the day, gusting throughout the night.

Winter is on its way, and all indications are that this year is going to be a memorable one!