an Excercise in Extremes...

Azalea Way - Oil on Linen - K. Hitt - copyrighted

Had the luxury of getting to plein air at the same location last Saturday and Monday with VPA.  Saturday worked on a 16x20... and Monday went for the opposite extreme of a 4x6 inch panel.  Painted the same subject, in a little different location down the drive.  What the exercise showed me is that I need to KEEP THINGS SIMPLE S_ _ _ _ _.  To practice what I teach would be good too!  Here is the latter from the exercise the 4x6 which shall name Azalea Way, Oil on Linen:

The First painting from Saturday... because had the nice big canvas, think tried to put it ALL in. Though I like the contrast, and feel of the painting overall, do feel that the 4x6 ended up a bit more of a successful painting as I look as these two side by side in this exercise. In the larger piece, I got away from my thumbnail... which if I would have stuck to it, I would have not only remembered WHY I began the painting but applied that to the large format too.  I allowed myself to get lost in the fun detail and play of complementary colors... and lost the impact that the thumbnail had.  The small painting, the impact was not lost, because the impact, in a way is all that fit into the tiny 4x6 format.  So the exercise in plein air this past week was a good one... and reminded me of what I know to do... and still need to apply.  No matter how many times I paint, the old standards go along with it.  Composition, Shapes, and Values...  its not really about the detail at all. 

Gail's Trails - Plein Air Oil- K. Hitt.- Copyrighted

Have four workshops in the next three weeks at three different locations if you would like to join me and apply some painting exercises to your art work too.
See instruction page for more information or email me at: orighitt@gmail.com

May it be an UP day!  Paint away!  K