Praia da Lagoinha; Prussian Blue

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Praia da Lagoinha, oil on card, 26 x 28 cm  available

 

 

 

 

 

Prussian blue is a nce deep green-blue. But it is very strong and tends to overpower. Because of this, I'd jetissonied it from my regular palette. But it it mixes well with brown to Vandyke Brown to give an excellend dark shadow colour, so I'm going to use it again every now and then.

 

 Cezanne used it a lot and I feel it is sometimes too strong a presence in his pictures, forcing the mood. It isn't as noxious as Phthalo Blue but it can really stain everything if you aren't careful.

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A little drive south: Urussanga

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 Urussanga

 

 

 

Urussanga, Rua Pref. Lucas Bez Batti - availabble

 oil on card, 24 x 28.3 cm

 

 
 

 

Urussanga, Rua Pref. Lucas Bez Batti- detail

 

 

 

Urussanga, Avenue, Praça Anita Garibaldi

 oil on card, 22 x 24.3 cm - unavailable

 

Urussanga, Avenue, Praça Anita Garibaldi- detail

 

Urussanga is one of those well-maintained interior towns that you don't hear much about. It's got some lovely old (for Brazil) architecture and feels very safe. It's friendly.

The day became overcast. I like empty urban spaces and I like a certain dream-style city art- as in Sironi and the city paintings of Whistler. 

Hence:

 

Urussanga, R. Pref. Jacinto de Brida, oil on card, 29.7 x 27.5 cm - unavailable

 

 

 

 

Urussanga, R. Pref. Jacinto de Brida- detail

 

 

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Getting out of Florianopolis was very good for me, and I'll try to do some other road trips in the next months -  it's so costly at the moment to fly anywhere that this is the best way to give me the change of scene that I need for inspiration.

 

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A little drive south: Laguna; attempting to work much more quickly

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Laguna 

 

 

 

Sun, Laguna, oil on card, 20.7 x 24 cm - unavailable

 

 

 

 

Laguna, July 2022, oil on card, 28 x 25.5 cm SOLD

 

 

Laguna, July 2022 - detail

 

 

Laguna was beautiful, empty of tourists and full of silent charm. The way the town perches between lake and sea and hills is wonderful.

I will certainly return.

 

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Attempting to work much more quickly

 

My logic is this: that the paintings are "worked out" within the first fifteen minurtes, after which there is a period essentially of filling in which takes up to thirty minutes. 

From experience, I can say that almost nothing I do after these forty-five minutes will make much difference- except perhaps to weary the picture by overworking it. That means the colours becoming increasingly grey or brown or just dirty, and brushstrokes losing their sharpness as marks are "corrected".

 In addition, the longer I work the greater the possibility that the scene will change, usually because of the sun moving.

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A little drive south

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A little drive south

 

 

The way to Urussanga: a three hour drive

 

All being well, on Monday I go down to Laguna, a charming town with nice old buildings, and then on to Urussanga. I suppose I spend four nights away. I'm going to book hotels on the way.

 I now have a little laptop, and the idea is that I continue teaching as necessary online and get to go painting in new places.  I haven't done this before though I should have. 

 

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Painting has been quite difficult lately, I think partly because of overfamiliarity with certain motifs. You get dulled by ease and familiarity.

Hence, travel.

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Sambaqui, bay

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Sambaqui, bay, oil on card, 30 x 27 cm - unavailable

 

 

The sun came and went making it hard to settle on an approach.

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Lagoinha do Norte, morning, July

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Lagoinha do Norte, morning, July, oil on card, 30 x 28 cm  available

 

Lagoinha do Norte, morning, July - detail

 

 

 

 

 

The paintings are growing steadily larger and this means that colour effects- whether harmonious or otherwise- become more obvious. It makes me think my colour is very brash. But perhaps I am simply over-sensitive? At what point does bright become brash?

I love the freedom of movement that a larger format gives, especially with scumbling and other brush marks.

 

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 This camera, a Lumix DMC-1X7 is not good at registering certain contrasting colours. There's a peach colour in the picture that is not effectively shown here.

 

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Aberdeen, sea, May, 2022, oil on paper, 25 x 30 cm: framed

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Aberdeen, sea, May, 2022, oil on paper, 25 x 30 cm, framed, SOLD

 

 

 

This painting has been very nicely framed in white. 

 

Many thanks to Jill for the photo.

 

 

 

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