Underpainting.....Blocking in

This is a photo from one of the oil painting classes I taught earlier this year and I LOVE painting birds.  Before we hit the canvas with oil paint, I had students "block in" the darkest parts of the bird with acrylic gesso (or acrylic paint). The acrylic dries fast so we can finish the painting in one sitting and it locks in the main parts of the bird.  That way we could paint our background without losing our lines.  Remember you can go over an acrylic with an oil, but you CANNOT go over an oil with an acrylic.  I try to stress to my students to make your tools work for YOU!  We had great results with this little painting as you can see from the work in progress shot here.  

Here's our reference.  I have amazing students!!!!

Happy Painting!!

www.kimvanlandingham.com

Check out paintings for sale on ETSY or DAILY PAINTWORKS

My first painting on Daily Paintworks....

Well, I just joined Daily Paintworks and I'll be listing a few of my small paintings there and selling them from my ETSY page.  I honestly don't know what I'm doing yet, but hope to spend some time over the next couple of weeks figuring it out.

One thing I've learned as an artist in this day and age, is to use social media as much as you can.  I really wish I had gotten more involved years ago instead of doing only the bare minimum.  Honestly, I dislike working on the computer, but I have to admit, my time spent there usually pays off.  

Happy Painting!

Horsehair Pottery & Feathers
5 x 7 inches, oil on canvas board
$49.00

 

The blog is back!

Well, I took a year or so off from the blog, but thought I would get it going again.  Thanks to those of you who've let me know what you would like to see on the blog site.  Where to start?  How about a finished painting from a previous post of a work in progress.

Here's my Hollyhock.  I'm crazy about my flowers.  Oil on canvas, large format 54" x 42" inches.  

I started out on the wall and after I blocked in, stretched the canvas and completed the painting.  I love working on these large formats when I'm living in Kentucky.  (And have the space.)  I used several photos of this beauty while working.  Plus, I had the luxury that first season to walk outside and get some closeups.  I've been working on some smaller works un-stretched then mounting them on masonite.  Helps with traveling so I can just roll them up after painting outside. 
Happy Painting!!!

Happy Independence Day!

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day Weekend! 

On my daily outdoor walks (with my camera..always!), there were a bunch of these fungi that popped up.  I almost didn't take a photo of them, but decided to.  The next day they were gone.  It amazes me how fleeting some of these beautiful things in nature really are. 

For current little miniature paintings (& the above painting),  I have up for auction on ebay, just click the link at the above right. 

Changing formats a bit for ebay...

Some of you may have noticed that I've only been listing miniatures and ATC's for ebay.  I may throw in some larger format, but most will be in this small format for the time being.  I'll see how it goes.  As always if you want to commission something larger, just email me.  

Some of you who take painting classes from me may recognize this scene.  Though this one is 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches....way smaller than the one we did in class, I like the scene.  Small canvas, big art right!!

This is another one of the spring wildflowers.  I think it's a Dwarf Larkspur.  I watched this plant along the sidewalks where I walk for days and days.  This was the last photo I got of it.  I couldn't wait for it to bloom out.  The next day, the landscapers came in with a weed-eater and chopped it and several other of the wildflowers I had been watching, down.  I guess they didn't have the same appreciation for them that I did.  This is also a fairly common wildflower for Kentucky. 

Summer's end....

I don't know where the time has gone this year.  What a busy and fun summer!  We're prepping to do some more traveling out west and I can't wait!  I've got a very large painting of the Rocky Mountains in the works, but no photos yet.  Here's a few updates on a couple of paintings I've been working on.  The first is a work in progress of one of our horses that is no longer with us.  I don't have many photos of him and the one I have is not very good.  I'm enjoying the painting though.  I've also included an update of the Hollyhock painting as well.  I'm farther along now and need to take an updated photo. 

I've got a lot more work to do on him, but he's blocked in.  My camera did some adjusting after I darkened the background.  Also, below is another shot of the Hollyhock.  I've been doing more work on the leaves and I've made a few changes.  I'll try to post them next time. 

For the below painting...or other little paintings I have up for auction on ebay this week, just click the link at the above right.