Author: eibhlin

This is the second of two paintings of this morning’s sunrise.  Within minutes of completing the early sunrise painting, shades of pink seemed to dominate the sky.

Continuing the theme of “urgency” from my previous work, I deliberately chose a larger canvas.  This painting is on an 11″ x 14″ stretched canvas.

My thought was: Since I have to work quickly to capture the scene before the light changes, if the canvases are larger, my work may convey even greater urgency as I hastily scrub in the colors.

So far, this is a successful experiment.  I am very pleased with this painting.

At right, the photo shows a one-inch band, from top to bottom, in this landscape painting.

Like the previous work, there’s tremendous variety in the thickness of the paint.  In some areas — particularly the clouds and the snow — the paint is thick and juicy.  In others, the cadmium red underpainting and texture of the canvas show through.

The passion of the color and the emotion of the scene were what I wanted to convey.

I think this work has succeeded.

I also think I’m making some tremendous breakthroughs with my recent art, as I push toward greater contrast and more vivid colors.

I may use this oil painting to inspire a larger version with similar colors and energy.

This is the first of this morning’s two oil paintings capturing the sunrise.

I was consciously working with more vivid colors to capture the true impression of the sunrise.

Though I wanted to keep tweaking the painting to get it “just so,” I’m also very inspired by yesterday’s discussion with my daughter, Amber.

As we talked about art in general, she used the term “urgency” to describe what makes the earliest album by U2 so compelling.

We agreed that we both like music that’s still raw and untidy, with glaring imperfections almost obscured by powerful emotional content.

That’s what I’m working toward with my art: The raw, emotional content that’s so important in any art form.

So, some of my coming works may be less “tidy” than in the past.  It’s part of the process.

This is an oil painting on 9″ x 12″ canvas board.  The paint is thick and a little unruly, but it’s also very expressive.

The detail at right represents a one-inch section of the painting.

In some areas, the paint was applied thick, quickly and with flourish.  In others, the cadmium red underpainting shows through.

The trees at the horizon are cadmium orange with a suggestion of green between them and the blue band of color immediately above.

For me, this piece captures the vivid tones often overlooked early in the day as the sun is barely visible in interior New Hampshire.

This is an oil painting on a 9″ x 12″ canvasboard.

Some of my oil sketches are sort of doodles… quick artwork exploring themes.

That’s a good description of this sketch of the woods near our home.

The purpose of this was to see what would happen if I tried to convey sunset colors through the trees.

It’s a whimsical piece giving me more to think about, as I consider what I want to capture as I paint a different landscape outside my studio windows.

For me, trees are a challenge.  I’m never sure how detailed to make them, and what’s most important to include.  No two artists will make the same decisions about trees.

I think I’m heading toward a more lyrical approach, but… I’m not sure, yet.

This is an 8″ x 10″ oil sketch on canvasboard.

(Note: I later painted over it. See it at Tree Sketch – Evolution Series, Feb 2011.)

I hadn’t planned to paint on Saturday.

My husband and I spent most of the day running errands.  The new indoor farmers’ market in Concord (NH) was a delight, and we returned home with great food items and some yummy-smelling soaps.

However, as sunset colored the landscape, there was an amazing contrast between the lilac and lavender tones near the horizon, and the contrasting deep red-orange colors of the hills.

Though the sky seemed to retain its blue (also reflected on the snow below) far later than usual, the orange/purple combination was what energized me to quickly sketch the scene.

This is a 9″ x 12″ oil sketch on canvas board.

A later, similar painting: Orange Hills Revisited.

Toward dusk on Friday, the sky had that eerie mix of muted colors, from pink to blue to a greenish-blue cast.

When the colors are that subdued, the more unusual colors in the hills seem to glow, and the snow is dark but intense.

It was lovely, accented by light snow flurries.

Of course, I took out my paints and captured the colors as quickly as I could.

Though I love the coastline, New Hampshire’s interior scenery can be equally powerful in the winter.

This oil sketch will definitely be an inspiration for a larger oil painting.

I’m very pleased with these colors.  They’re subtle, but just dramatic enough.

The original is 9″ x 12″ on canvas board.