Daily painting practice - Starting a north woods painting

Going back to the Northwoods to begin another painting.

It really helps me to put myself into the landscape and pretend I am there when I begin a new painting.  If I imagine I can feel the sunlight, smell the air, and  hear the wind, I believe it helps me paint the scene.

Not only should you see yourself at the place but also at the time of day and time of year. You should know whether the sun is coming out to warm the  ground or  is going down. Are the leaves on trees dry or wet with dew? Are the clouds gathering or floating  by?

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Back to the Northwoods
- work in progress

24"x36"

oil on canvas

 I have mentioned several times in this blog that Winslow Homer is one of my  art heroes. He was someone that definitely captured both time and place  in his paintings.

Lately, I have been enjoying  watching videos of artwork on YouTube.  It is a great way to view work  by your favorite artists. I particularly like it when people create a video that uses interesting music. The music selection can  really change the way you experience the artwork. One day I'm going to learn how to do this with my work.

Here are two videos with similar art by Winslow Homer, but the music is different. Enjoy!