Towards Te Aroha and Sunset on Raglan Hills

Artists Blog – New Works: Towards Te Aroha and Sunset on Raglan Hills. I just wanted to share with you a post about some new works that I have completed. The process and story behind each piece and what I am working on next.

My Process:

To break up the white canvas, I paint a very thin acrylic background in very even strokes. I always do this in a cohesive colour (usually a blue or ochre). I then sketch in (with the same colour) the outline of where everything is, making sure that the composition is pleasing to the eye.

And then once this is dry I always start at the furtherest away point (usually the sky in a landscape) and work forwards. This gives the illusion of depth.

Time Allocation:

Sometimes if there is a tricky area that I need to tackle, clouds etc. I will allocate an hour to this spot (by way of a stopwatch). Then I tackle the next layer, perhaps the trees, and then slowly work forward. With the next painting session I’ll revisit those areas and allocate some more time until each area is finished.  I find then that it is not too overworked. It also feels like I have really accomplished a lot in the hour. It helps to move on to a fresh area as realistic landscape pieces can at times be daunting. If I do find that I am really in the flow of a particular piece of the painting then I will reset the timer and give it some more time.

Materials and Tips:

With my acrylic painting I use a retarder which helps to move the paint around easier. It also helps with blending and to keep the paint from drying too quickly.  An essential piece of arsenal when doing acrylic paintings.

I find that when I come back to a painting it is nice to refresh my palette and start clean so that the blended paints are crisp and don’t appear to be muddy. I use baking paper on a board, so I just rip that one off and start again. Saves time and energy!

I really enjoy listening to art podcasts whilst painting which helps to inspire me.  Sometimes I can’t always concentrate on the podcast if I am concentrating on some hard technical pieces of the painting. Quite often I need to replay the podcast a few times.

Once I am fairly happy with the piece, I’ll hang it inside and if any bits stand out then i’ll make sure these are touched up. I usually do this for an hour or so and then it’s done.

There are always the moments where you think is it over worked and the last minute confidence crisis. Sometimes when you have spent so much time on a piece you lose site of it. But after a few days after you have forgotten the blood, sweat and tears – you fall in love with the piece all over again and remember the lovely moment when you captured the piece and what you were trying to achieve and feel at the time.

About the Paintings

I have done a wooden floating frame on ‘Towards Te Aroha’ which I think adds a special touch to the piece.

‘Sunset on Raglan Hills‘ – My nine year old son went to camp at Raglan and while they were settling themselves into bed I captured this shot from the campsite – I really loved painting this sunset and the light that hit all of the hills.

Both of them went to an exhibition but weren’t picked up so they will soon be on my website available for purchase.

Until next time:

Thanks for taking the time to view my blog – if you would like any further information on these pieces or any other art information please get in contact.

As I am always experimenting I’d love to know what style of painting you think I should try next?

With thanks and kindest regards Kirsten