A drive further south 2: Gravatai; scale; priming

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Gravatai

 

Gravatai is a satellite town serving Porto Alegre, and not especially charming. It's untidy  and seems almost  completely over-run by the needs of cars. I sensed that it was quite polluted. There are few buildings of architectural interest, and it would be hard to find anything distinctive about it.

There was a cyclone here which shut down electricty and water in the neighborhood where I was staying for several days.

 

 

 

 

Gravatai, from a roof terrace, oil on card, 28 x 25.7 cm unavailable

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Gravatai, view up a little street, oil on card, 23.5 x 29 cm unavailable

 

 

Gravatai, view up a little street -  detail

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Where I stayed are runs of smallish suburban houses- in Brazil these are rather individualistic. Their excentric shapes make them difficult to paint.

 

Gravatai, a house, oil on card,34.5 x  27.5 cm-  -unavailable

 

 

 

 

Gravatai, a house- detail

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A bit bigger

 

  I think I'm now at the largest size (34 x 27 cm) that is comfortable for a number of reasons- the length of time I like to work in a session (up to two hours) - the issue of carrying wet paintings. 

With the former, I am limited by both my energy and the likelihood that the scene changes. 

With the latter, the issue is that the boards are not stiff enough not to bend a little and touch the sides of whatever they are being carried inside.

 

 

Acrylic priming

 

The texture of the acrylic primed surface was very dry, which makes it hard to manipulate the paint.

So, I will add another oil based priming to move the brush with speed leaving paint on the surface.

These experiments take a few months to be realised because of the time it takes for primers to dray and the time needed for the oil painted surfaces to dry.

 

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A drive to Isla do Mel and Curitiba

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Florianopolis to Curitiba via Pontal do Sul

 

 

The idea is to visit Ilsa do Mel via São Francisco do Sul, then head to Curitiba and return via Balneário Camboriu. 

The driving time is, in total, 12.5 hours but that will break into four much more manageable stages.

 I suppose nine days in all.

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A drive further south 1: Torres

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My trip 

I drove south but I didn't stop in Imbituba on the way back up as originally planned. I drove to Gravatai via Torres and stopped on the way back in Ferrugen.

 The trip was a delight. I had the chance to work on a larger format and discover some new places.

Torres

 

 

 

Torres, sea through rocks, oil on card 29.5 x 27.5 cm -  discaded

 

 

 

 

 

Torres, sea through rocks - detail

 

Torres is a small, orderly and beautifully situated town with some wonderful rocks and splendid, if windy, beaches

On the first day the weather was rather wonderful. The second was overcast.

 

 

 Torres, sea and clouds, oil on card, 28 x 26 cm - available

 

 

 

 

 

 

Torres, sea and clouds- detail

 

 

 

 

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A bigger picture, a bigger palette

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Carrier and two supports

 

A bigger palette

B i g g e r !

I'm moving up again. I've primed these two cards with acrylic gesso. They are 34 x 32 cm: I hope to use these on my upcoming trip. Usually I paint my carriers, and perhaps I'll do that when I get back.

 

I've been gradually moving up for a couple of years: a bigger size allows more brush stroke variety and a fuller engagement with colour. it's nice to feel able to move around, to breathe.

 

 There are storage issues with unsold paintings, however, and of course transporting big pictures is much harder.

I'm using a bigger palette too.

 

A common mistake among beginners is to use those traditional wooden kidney shaped palettes: these are elegant but they don't allow much space to spread the paints out and mix colours. Additionally there is the constant problem of one colour polluting the rest. And, they are surprisingly heavy.

 

 Instead, I use these pieces of old cards from grocery boxes which I clip to a larger piece of cardboard. The printed sides  don't absorb too much oil- though I can use the unprinted reverses if I want a less liquid paint. I can unclip a card and put a fresh one down if I need a clean area for mixing fresh colour. I can close the larger cardboard and transport it without making a mess- something that is difficult to do with the wooden palettes.

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A drive further south: Torres, Imbituba and Gravatai

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Florianopolis to Gravatai via Torres

 

A little drive further south- to Gravatai, near Porto Alegre. There are fine rocks in Torres. I will try to stay there and paint.

 Perhaps I will stop in Imbituba too.

Recently, I`ve been bored. I`m always doing the same things, but I can`t think of more enjoyable or better things to do, or new ways to do what I like but am bored of.

 

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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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