Monday, July 22, 2013

New Paintings

Plein air painting my way as learned at Donald Jurney's workshops, check his blog.

Even though I paint outdoors it's usually a multi day process or a combination of outdoors and studio work. When I start outdoors it gives me a feeling for the place as well as clear visions of the parts of the scene. I start with a grisaille that allows me to make sure the composition is pleasing to the viewer. If it isn't right I can easily make adjustments. Below is a sample grisaille that I did recently. The finished painting may be quite different but we'll see.


Shows coming up and I'm trying to finish up some paintings. Here are two paintings ready to go. I hope you enjoy seeing them. 

Finished painting started last November at Rough Meadows preserve in Rowley, MA. The painting has been finished for a while waiting for the right show or maybe because I like it myself and don't want to part with it. I've named it "Autumn Rough Meadow".

Sold

The next painting has a different feel to it and is a landscaped developed more abstractly by applying brush strokes and then searching the canvas for ideas and forms. In other words this painting is my own creation. A fun way to paint and sometimes it works well others times it's a wipe out and redo. I'm calling this one "Sunset Glow" unless a better name is suggested. 

Sold
More to come....soon. 

Comments email: sbluca@gmail.com

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Newburyport Ten Plein Air Show

The Newburyport Ten Plein Air group of painters has been a wonderful part of my painting for many years now. I remember my first day when I went down the dirt road through a small stretch of woods to see for the first time the expansive Nelson Island marsh.

Nelson Island At Sunset (photo)

On the left painting water colors in her car was Joan Hancock and on the right was Dan Shaw at his French easel next to Dan was Bud Smith (ie. Jacob Towle). Back a way toward the woods was Bob Gertz (Bob is now sadly deceased but his family is showing his paintings at the Newburyport Art Association) with a large piece of watercolor paper on a board with an amazing painting start. At the time they were all strangers to me, but not for long. They made me feel welcome and from then on they showed me how to plein air paint and what I needed to have with me to fight the bugs, protect myself from the sun, capture the light, compose the scene and choose the colors.

August 20, 2013 is the opening day of the Newburyport Ten Plein Air Painters annual show at the Newburyport Art Association The show will be open through September 1, 2013. The reception is Friday evening August 23, 2013 6-8 PM.


Hope you will be able to visit this show and enjoy the variety of paintings done by myelf and my friends from the Newburyport Ten group. Here is the group of friendly, adventuresome and a little silly dedicated painters.

ABack row: Margery Jennings, Bud Smith, Janet Macleod, Dan Shaw, Dale Greene.Front row: Susan Luca, Susan Spellman, Marjet Lesk, Cynthia Cooper, Susan Stranc. 

Missing from the above photo is Janet Sutherland. Oh, here she is painting at Plum Island Point.

Janet Sutherland

Comments email: sbluca@gmail.com