Obligatory trees
Autumn Aspens
There are pretty good and logical reasons for beginner painters to choose predictable subjects. There are beginner fruit, mainly pears and apples, then come trees of different seasons, then sheds and old houses and so on. I speculate that these subjects are selected because they are tangible and contained, have reasonably interesting but not complicated forms, are easily found and well known. It is much easier to paint something you know. The subjects being well contained allow the student to concentrate on a small area at hand with little worry of what’s next. These qualities make them well suited for teaching and learning.
I did my predictable “beginner” pears and now have moved on to my “beginner” trees. My teacher complimented my brush work in class yesterday, even showed it to other people. She is very kind and a very experienced educator. She is able to find something to compliment in a most hideous work – a remarkable ability and at the same time a necessity for a teacher. When I am faced with ugly art, the best I can do is keep my opinion to myself.
I also learned some color “recipes”. I find the approach similar to cooking recipes. When I start cooking a new cuisine, say Thai, I cook from cookbooks at first. Then something happens, I internalize the essence of new cuisine, abandon cookbooks and cook “free hand” so to speak. But in the beginning I need recipes. I was very excited yesterday to mix my own Payne’s Grey from Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue. The best part is that I can now vary my Payne’s Grey to be warmer or cooler as I need it.
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This is beautiful, Alex. I actually like it better than the pears. You really got the shape of the trees right.
Thanks, Barb! The trees didn’t come out as I saw them in my imagination :(. But they did come out looking like trees, so I will count this as an achievement. When you’re just starting, I found, things don’t always look as intended.
Wow.
I have known you as a very talented lady over the years. From your great work ability to your awesome people skills and I have seen your art in previous mediums. Nothing prepared me for this site. The paintings and drawings here are amazing.
Thank you.
Tom, so good to “see” you here! But with compliments like these one can really lose a sense of perspective (pun not intended!) and get full of hot air. I have a lot to learn. And thank you!
I laughed when I saw you say these were beginner trees. You have such a strong sense of color, design, and composition and ability to simplify and still entertain! And good for you for mixing your own beautiful grays from UB and BS. I’ve never understood what anyone sees in Paynes Gray which is just blue mixed with black.
But they are beginner trees! 🙂 They have “student work” stamped all over them. I am glad you were entertained. I am trying to get my bearings in this all new world of color and lack of precision. My left brain objects so loudly I cannot hear myself thinking. All that is left to do is laugh at myself.