California Foothill Painting Series

Lately I have been working on a series of paintings of the California foothills in the Gold Rush country.  I want to show some of these paintings at a solo show at Hovey Winery Tasting Room in Murphys, CA, a sweet Gold Rush Town.  I have been working from photos I took many years ago and am enjoying revisiting them.  Below is my first one in the series.

Warm Summer Day in the Foothills  9" x 12"  oils

I really like the composition on this piece.  The sunlight was hitting the tall, golden grasses which cover the California foothills in the summer.  

The second painting was worked on a dark gray gessoed panel.  Below you can see my progress.  I have been doing some small, practice paintings on old gessoed postcards.  They are about the same size as the photograph, 4" x 6".  From those I have been working on the larger painting.  

Photo below - practice painting above

Working on a 9"x12" stretched canvas which has been prepared with a dark, gray gesso.  Laying in the highlights first!  This is new for me and I learned the technique in a workshop with Peter Adams recently.  A different way to start a landscape.

Here you can see that I have begun to block in the trees, shadows and sky.

Liking it and since I was tired, I went to bed. But in the morning, I looked at it with fresh eyes.  It seemed much too yellow and light.  It lacked the warmth I wanted showing the late sunset glow.  So I added more warm colors to give it that glow!

I am much happier with this one!  "The Long Road Home"  9 x 12

These paintings and more will be available for sale
at Hovey Winery Tasting Room, Murphys, CA
 in October / November 2019.

All artwork copyright protected.  No copying!

Finished Commission Painting

"Cornflower Field"  30" x 40"  oil ~  on the easel

After working on my commissioned painting most of the afternoon, I feel like it is finished.  But I will let it rest tonight and look at it again with fresh eyes in the morning.  If you compare it to the last post, you will see that I decided I did not like the two mounds of hay and thought it would look better with just one.  So I painted the left one out, added more of the walnut orchard and gave the viewer a peek into the distant hills.  I completely re-worked the barn and I am so much happier with it it.  It matches so many barns I see here in the Central Valley of California.  I worked on the trees to the right and the foreground as well.  Lots of other small changes as well.  

Now to sign it and let the paint rest and dry.

Day 4 work on my commission

I had a great time in Monterey this past weekend visiting artist's studios in the Monterey County Open Studio Tour.  Some very good artists and fun to see their studios.

I really enjoyed Annette Corcoran's studio.  She creates some of the most spectacular porcelain tea pots.  She is 87 years old and quite a lady.  She has been doing these ceramic pieces for 30 years and has many of her pieces in museums.  I recommend looking her up on the internet!

Today I had time to work on my commission painting again.  Made lots of changes and I am very happy with them.  New sky, pushed the distant mountains back some, reworked some of the trees, and worked a little more here and there.  Tomorrow I will be working on the foreground and the trees on the right and perhaps a few more changes.

Keep checking my blog to see how it is coming along!

Preparing to Do a Large Commission

I am so blessed to be doing a large 30" x 40" commission painting.  My client wants a copy of a pastel scene I did many years ago.  It is one of my favorite scenes I worked from a photo I took on the way home from Monterey.  I was driving near Casa de Fruita when I noticed a field of beautiful purple corn flowers, dark purple tall weeds, trees, houses and the golden, rolling foothills.  The scene captured my heart.  I have passed by this same spot many times since, but never found those flowers again.

Small oil studies

To get ready to paint the large painting, I have been working on some small oil studies.  One in black & white to study the values and a second smaller 8" x 10" painting, also in oil, to work out any problems I may encounter.  I toned the small canvas with an orangey background color to see if that would work, and I like it.  

You can see the steps I made along the way in the 8x10, although, I was so engrossed in the painting that I forgot to take more photos.  I am so looking forward to getting started on the large canvas.  Come back to this blog as I will be posting my progress... if I remember to take photos!  

Blocking in the dark and light values

Adding buildings and background grasses

A peek at my palette

Moving right along

Working on the foreground

Adding some of the cornflowers and pine tree on the right

Come back later to see work progressing on the large painting.

All work copyrighted.  

Visit my website:  www.RhettsStudio.com

and my Daily Paintworks Gallery

Foothill Paintings now on Daily Paintworks

    

Side By Side   12" x 16"  oils

Pat's View   12" x 16"   oils

Country Living   12" x 16"  oils

Bring in the Clouds  12" x 16"  oils

I now have 5 new foothill landscape paintings up on my Daily Paintworks Gallery.  These are from a series of paintings I did from scenes in the California foothills east of Modesto and up toward Sonora.  All the seasons are shown here.  

Check them out on Daily Paintworks.

Spring Creek  12" x 16"  oils

New Gallery on Daily Paintworks

I am so pleased to announce that I now have my own gallery on DailyPaintworks.com  I am just starting so have only a few painting up right now, but planning more soon.  Just put up some note cards for sale and have a painting in the auction.  So hopeful for more sales and exposure.  And check out the new widget on the right!  Links right to my DPW gallery.

Note Card sets available on DPW

In the Auction on DPW
CLICK HERE TO BID