An Apple A Day..

I have taken some time off my studies to spend time with my son. He came home for a couple weeks and I really enjoyed spending some time with him. It always feels a little empty around here when he goes back to Virginia.

Now that he is gone, it is back to the sketchbook for me.





Since the canvases I received for my birthday will not paint themselves, I decided to start painting something. I bought a couple bags of apples for the kids. When all else fails, apples are a beautiful subject. I placed them on a stool near the window and began painting.




I kept my palette pretty simple. Ultramarine Blue, Cad Red, Cad Yellow Pale and of course Titanium White. I avoided using white except for the very lightest of places and was quite pleased with the results. I really like the variations of browns that can be achieved with this particular palette.

I did not fidget with my brush strokes nearly as much as I have done in the past. Rather than try to fix a brush stroke, I covered it with a better, more efficient brush stroke. I have a tendency to be very economical with paint. I am not sure why.

I really enjoyed painting today. I haven't painted in quite a while. As I was cleaning up, I realized that my overall approach was much more confident from start to finish. All the sketching I have been doing has really helped get over my fear of where to put that first mark. Making adjustments is the easy part once I get that first mark down. Giving myself permission to be wrong allows me the opportunity to be right more often.