Painting Trees - II

The final painting - Changing the Light, by Robert Genn

It is a joy to watch the landscape painting process of Robert Genn, a British Columbia artist who works in acrylics. Luckily for us, he has filmed the process of creating several paintings, and shared the results on YouTube.

Robert Genn begins painting what will become Changing the Light

Changing the Light begins with Genn working on location on the shores of a lake. He begins to sketch the basic structures of his composition. Unlike me, he does not step back and turn his canvas upside down to check the composition (it's still a good idea!), nor does he begin with a thumbnail. However, he has been working en plein air so long that he no longer needs what is pretty useful to many of us.

Developing the painting

Notice that he is working on a toned canvas? In this case, it is toned a mid-gray. You can tone your canvas any color you like, if you want to try this – it is one way of pulling the colors together and harmonizing them.

Covering the painting with a wash

Genn then wipes a wash over the entire painting – another method of harmonizing the colors.

Changing the light... a good reason for the title!

Now the magic happens, when he brings sunset light into the sky (changing the light). Notice how he paints the negative spaces around the tree branches?

You can watch the video online at Changing the Light. Robert Genn's username is painterskeys, and you can also watch his other videos. To study the painting of trees, I especially recommend Forest Spirit and Cuckoo. You'll enjoy his studios-on-wheels, too.

You can see more of his paintings, and learn more about him, at www.RobertGenn.com.

Genn also writes a thoughtful, perceptive newsletters, with thousands of subscribers. Each week he writes two letters, and then posts some of the responses on his website. You can read them – and subscribe – at www.painterskeys.com. I've been subscribing for over ten years now, and I always learn something new. I heartily recommend it.

The Green Goo principle

Morning Celebration in progress • © 2010 Karen Lynn Ingalls

Someone once told me that if you were to open a caterpillar's cocoon before it emerges as a butterfly, what you would find would be green goo. The caterpillar essentially has to dissolve in order to reconstruct itself in its new form, and go through a complete transformation.

Morning Celebration in progress • © 2010 Karen Lynn Ingalls

This is a lot like the process of painting!

Morning Celebration in progress • © 2010 Karen Lynn Ingalls

You start out by creating the essential underlying structure or gesture of the painting, and everything seems very clear as you block in the big shapes.

Morning Celebration in progress • © 2010 Karen Lynn Ingalls

Then, as you get further into the painting... something happens. Clarity dissolves. You want – what color there? Is that really working? Those shapes look weird. What WERE you thinking? It just doesn't seem to be coming together.

Morning Celebration in progress • © 2010 Karen Lynn Ingalls

This can be very depressing (if you let it).

Morning Celebration in progress • © 2010 Karen Lynn Ingalls

What it actually means is that you are right on track. (You didn't expect to hear that, did you?) You are in the Green Goo phase of the painting. It's most helpful (and not easy) to remember that a butterfly WILL emerge, as long as you follow the process all the way through.

Morning Celebration in progress • © 2010 Karen Lynn Ingalls

Sticking with it at this point can be difficult. You may feel frustrated – you may want to chuck the whole thing. Stepping away from the painting for a little bit – an hour, a day or two or three, a matter of weeks, a matter of months – may be a good solution when you're really stuck. Then come back to it. You'll be surprised how, suddenly, you'll see the next step you need to take.

Morning Celebration in progress • © 2010 Karen Lynn Ingalls

I have had some paintings wait years. I have some paintings waiting for me now... easily a dozen or two. Morning Celebration has been waiting for a few months now.

Morning Celebration in progress • © 2010 Karen Lynn Ingalls

But the butterfly will emerge! Don't be hard on yourself; just trust the process. If it feels difficult and frustrating and everything seems confused and unclear, remember: you're in the Green Goo phase of the painting. You're right on track.

Angus Wilson's painting process – and a demo

Still from video – painter Angus Wilson talks about his painting process

Angus Wilson, whose colorful abstracted still life paintings can be seen at www.anguspaintings.com, will give a painting demonstration this weekend, Saturday, May 15th, from 2:00 to 5:00 at Galllery i Fine Art, 685 Cannery Row in Monterey, California. If you want to go, the gallery asks that you R.S.V.P. at (831) 375-1617.

Angus Wilson arranges the still life setup for a photo shoot

You can watch a three minute video interviewing Wilson, "The Painting Process – Angus Wilson," at www.galleryifineart.com/events.asp. In it, he talks about how he doesn't see himself as a still life painter. For him, "it's all about color and form and shape – and the fact that I'm painting flowers and fruit and tables – it's just an incidental detail."

In preparation for painting, Wilson arranges and rearranges the objects in various arrangements, photographing them from different angles. Then he chooses the photos he likes the best. He says he can usually create two or three paintings from each photo shoot. He's often scouting flea markets looking for interesting bowls and jugs and other objects he can use in his paintings.

Angus Wilson with a painting in progress

Here, you see a painting in progress, with a reference photo posted on the right, and his color plan beneath it. He has already decided on the colors he wants to use, and knows where he wants to take the painting before he begins it. At this point, he has drawn in his composition, and is blocking in the big shapes.

Closeup of Angus Wilson's painting in progress

At that point, he just paints - and concentrates on enjoying the painting. He's already made his big decisions beforehand. Enjoy the video!