Sunday before Christmas, 2010

Charles Le Brun - "Announcement to the Shepherds"

2 Timothy 2:8
Remembering that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel....

It's interesting, perhaps even curious, to me that I have come to this verse in my personal study a week before Christmas. As wonderful as Christmas is, the events in Bethlehem are only prelude to Passover in Jerusalem, and even the Crucifixion loses its significance without the Resurrection. So when Paul defines the energizing element of our faith and action it is the fact that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Merry Christmas!

(Notes from my personal study, dated December 18, 2010)

Sanded Paper Texture

Things I Leared Today

This post is an experiment - keeping notes on-line of things I learn or of which I need to remind myself.

Today - different textures of sanded paper respond differently to broad areas such as sky or backgrounds.

Smooth paper - UArt

• Rembrandt harder pastels work well. Blending with fingers can wear out the fingers.
• Sennelier works well for accents, last touches.

Textured paper - Arches self-sanded

• Rembrandt does not blend well over broad expanses - the paper texture keeps it from being smooth or blending one color into anohter
• Sennelier works better can be blended with the fingers

Caravaggio - "The Adoration of the Shepherds"

In my estimation, Caravaggio captured personality and emotion in his work better than anyone. At this season, I wanted to remind myself that above all else, this event and the life that followed are the center of all life, time, and eternity.

Winter Road

Charcoal on paper - image size 10.5 x 7.5

This 30 minute value study for a larger work turned into a multi-day project. My inspiration was a return to a road that I had painted earlier. This particular stretch or road undulates over the hill and then makes a sharp left beyond the abandoned farm place at the top of the hill. The winter shadows were long and dramatic, but the light was still bright. There was some light snow in the bottoms, yet the colors in the fields were still warm and brilliant.

I still plan to do a larger work, so I've left the reference marks in the margins. I will eventually mat and frame this one!

This scene and this day were especially poignant for me because I had my father with me who is in ill health. One never knows when we will return to this place.

Winter Road - nearly complete

I still have some more touches to add to the road, shadows, and the right foreground. The last step will be to deepen some of the values and bring out highlights. I should be finished tomorrow morning.

I left the registry marks on the outside edges so that I can mark it up for a larger work if I need to without going back into the drawing. Charcoal tends to be a little messy for that.

Winter Road - 12-13-2010

Work-in-progress

This drawing started out as a value sketch for a larger work in pastels - I expected 14x10. As I began working in charcoal, I soon decided that the finished work should be more than just a sketch. I have been working upper-left to lower-right to keep my hands from smearing the charcoal unexpectedly.

There's more work to do, but I wanted to take a picture to mark my progress and get it up for comments.

Winter Road

This is the photograph that I'm using for the initial drawing and design for a new painting. I have selected the size of my first effort on this to be 14x10 on self-sanded Arches cold press paper. I like the texture that the paper transmits to the final work giving it a sparkle and life that I've not been able to achieve on UArt paper.

While I was in Iowa with my ailing father, I did not have time to do any sketching or painting. I did take a few photos. This is the winter view of the same stretch of road that I used in my previous work "Spring Road."