Reflection Studies In March . . .

"Against The Pink Glow"

9x12 oil on linen panel

"Looking Across"

10x12 oil on linen panel

Here in Minnesota it's still very much winter and we've had a LOT of snow this year, and it's still coming!!  I love the snow and find so much inspiration from the harmony it provides but this time of year I am more than craving the river open, moving, and warm with the reflections of It's banks pulling down.  It's almost as if I need it more for my soul which as far as I know is where my art comes from.  Years ago I would not have imagined that my muscle memory for imagery would ever be as strong as it is now but it's even stronger.  Especially for images and scenery I have painted from life countless times.  On these two studies above, I used a couple photos I took last year along the river, the photos were used simply for memory 'joggers'.  The imagery from the photo supplies enough info to trigger my memory of the scene when I was standing there and I'm able to use the photo as a spark to make a painting.  As far as color reference goes the photo was virtually no help at all.  The greens looked as if they were green straight from the 'lime-green' Crayola Crayon.  The warmth and feeling of a place has everything to do with temperature and saturation of color, not so much the local color.  

I each of these paintings in my 2 advanced studio classes last week as a demo on how to paint reflections.  They were each painted in under an hour.  It won't be long before we'll be out on the banks of the river again painting the moving water from life!