Dance of the Sun

6x8 inch oil on canvas panel

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Comment by Jennifer Beaudet Zondervan on October 30, 2012 at 5:45: Thank you Jess!

Comment by Jennifer Beaudet Zondervan on October 29, 2012 at 13:16: That is a great painting Stu. I can see why she bought it. I love how that tree stands out. I want to find a group but I live a very small town now, only about 3500 pop. Although we do have some artists because it's a beautiful area, I haven't found a plein air group yet. We have mostly watercolorist here and they can do plein air but I think it's more popular with the oil crowd. I really don't want to go alone because we have some wild animals around here. I moved here (lived here for 10 years but moved down to L.A.) about a year ago and have a couple pieces in a gallery and am getting in another one this month so maybe I'll find some painting buddies that way.

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on October 29, 2012 at 12:40: Plein air painting is fun but frustrating. I have been a studio painter since childhood but only started painting plein air about 5 years ago and tried it on my own for a year. Start with smaller paintings (6 by 8, 8 by 10, 9 by 12) and work your way up to larger paintings. Give yourself a set time limit from when you start painting to when you stop, because the light changes and also you will tend to overwork the painting. The best thing I did was to start taking plein air workshops; my work progressed much faster. Also find a painting buddy or group to go out with; that makes it a lot more fun plus the sharing of ideas is very helpful. I take a photo just before I start to paint and another when I finish and write down the date, place and time of day on the back of the panel. I go through these periodically to see how I am doing and compare them to the photos. Last Summer I was on vacation in Vermont and was painting on a road beside a river; a woman walked by and asked me if she could buy the painting. I put some finishing touches on it and delivered it to her the next day. Here's the painting. Stu

Comment by Jennifer Beaudet Zondervan on October 29, 2012 at 12:01: I see the same thing, paintings everywhere! Too many to paint. I could paint a new painting a day from all the photos I've taken but I agree it's best to paint when it's still fresh in the mind. I haven't really started painting plein air yet. I almost have my setup all ready to go but I need to get over my fears (and laziness) first.

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on October 29, 2012 at 11:42: No you don't; just paint what moves you at the time; your passion for the subject makes a better painting. If you take a really great sunset photo, paint it while you can still remember why you took the shot. I carry a camera in my car and often shoot right through the windhield or side windows if I see some great light on objects. I have tons of digital photos and I will go through recent ones and pick out some ideas to paint and it is usually because of the composition and the value structure--very much like your sunset painting (I am assuming you did that from a photo you took). Stu

Comment by Jennifer Beaudet Zondervan on October 29, 2012 at 11:02: Thanks Stu. Your photos sound wonderful! I can't wait to see what you create! I should do more too since this is my first. I have a hard time focusing on one subject. I tend to jump all over the place and I notice successful artists like to stay on one subject and vary the colors or the scene slightly. It may be for the purpose of a show in a gallery so there work is cohesive. Anyway, I have a problem with that. I have different groups of fans and try to cater to everyone. I really need to focus on one thing.

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on October 29, 2012 at 9:17: Signature looks better and I like your colors much better. Very nice painting. Makes me want to do some more sunsets. I just shot a whole bunch of sky shot photos near sunset after this last storm with all the clouds. Stu

Comment by Jennifer Beaudet Zondervan on October 29, 2012 at 8:11: Thanks Stu! I like that idea. I changed the signature. Made it smaller and grayish blue instead of pink. The colors in the whole painting changed because I retook the photo, and are much closer to the actual painting now.