Sunday, June 7, 2009

Seeing Red


Friday, we happened across an amazing field of poppies that put the prior one to shame. It was as if the ground opened up and oozed lava over the entire area. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to capture this onto canvas -- a nice treat for our last day of painting.

I normally don’t sit when I paint, but in this scene the best view was when you crouched down and immersed yourself in the crimson pool. I wanted to show the layers of depth, not just in the field, but also in the distant hills. With so many flowers, I felt my best approach would be to invent a pleasing pattern inspired by the red. I started this painting by completing all of the far trees, hills and cypress first. Then I proceeded top to bottom with the poppies, choosing a grayish red for the back and intensifying as I moved forward in space. I varied the colors from red to orange to purple to give it a nice variety. Then, as that became more of a foundational color, I used bits of white and yellow to move your eye around, fading it as it recedes. To show the far village in the distance, I re-introduced a reddish tint to give a hint of warmth in the upper part of the painting.

Note: Using your drying box as a stool is not advisable if you enjoy circulation in your legs. Ciao.

11 comments:

  1. Before I read your post, I felt swallowed up by the poppies! I think your goal was accomplished masterfully.

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  2. I definitely feel immersed in the flowers. This painting also has a TON of depth to it.

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  3. Wow! I just visited your blog today for the first time, glad to find you and your work. I just love it. I am enjoying the Italian views. I have begun studying the language through "Rosetta Stone," in hopes of visiting the country in the near future. I will return to see your beautiful painting!

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  4. This one really has that WOW factor with the orange and green - stunning! I like where you put the cypress trees in the background of this painting, if the trees had continued to be round masses (like the ones on the left) the overall painitng wouldn't have been as exciting. Again, wow!

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  5. As always, You amaze me! Love you, Brenda

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  6. Hi Greg... I am happy to be a follower to your blog from Yorktown Hts. NY. Your work is truly inspirational! I too, just started blogging, in hopes of sharing my "journey" with others. It was a (visual)pleasure to "meet you" today! I'll look forward to viewing your paintings again!

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  7. Greg, I found your blog via Kim VanDerHoek, and I am so very glad she steered me here. Your paintings are stunning and capture the Italian countryside perfectly.

    If you like painting in Tuscany, hop on over to Croatia (for instance, the hill town of Motovun on the Istrian Peninsula, which is an easy ferry ride from Venice). Less-traveled and a treat for a painter with a gift for portraying the soul of a place.

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  8. beautiful composition, and congratulations on the fast painting competition.

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  9. Beautiful work with wonderful colors.
    Regards

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  10. Greg, I have been following your blog the last month and it is such a joy! Thank you for that. Your painting skills are fantastic and I enjoy the way you describe the process. You make it sound so easy, it renews my hope.

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