Study #2- Purple Sunset

(Top painting is the finished palate knife study.  The bottom painting is a partially completed brush study of the same sunset over Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake)

My first painting of this image was done using a palate knife only; very challenging.

This is my second attempt at this image but I used a brush.  I think I like it better than the palatte knife painting but I was surprised at how even though I didn't have as much control over the fine details of the palatte knife painting, I did like the texture created by the knife.  It was like spreading butter on toast.

My landscape painting teacher, Diane Turner, helped me figure our how to do the rays around the sun.  After I painted the rays she had me use my pinky finger to smudge the paint to make it look diffised.  I LOVE how it turned out.

BDAC Advanced Oil Class-Landscape Painting

January 13th was my first class with Diane Turner this winter. I took a class from her last year and loved it! One of her teachers was the Utah artist LeConte Stewart; famous for his impressionistic landscapes.  

Four years now I have been taking hundreds of photographs of the sunset over antelope Island that I can see from my house. I have been wanting to paint this for a very long time. I took several photographs with me to class and chose one to work on. She encouraged me to try a new technique by using a palette knife to paint with instead of a brush.  I must admit it was very difficult at first. I almost gave up and quit. But I decided to carry-on.  I'm glad I did. In fact, I might try it again. 

During the second class I decided to do the same painting but with a brush and see how it would compare.  I am not finished with it yet but you can see a picture of it as it looks right now (The painting on the top is the one done with a palette knife and the painting on the bottom is the one done with a paintbrush).  I'll keep you posted on the progress of the second painting.

Art Classes Resume

Today was the second day of my winter session. Here you can see a photograph of DeAnn and her daughter Faith. DeAnn is working on a landscape scene and her daughter is working on a watercolor of a flower. They both did a great job.  

I love teaching!