Over the weekend, I completed the underpainting for Frank’s Farm #8 and was able to get some of the background down today. It was bright and warm out today (even 60 feels pretty warm on a sunny day!) so my studio was full of natural light. Painting with artificial light is neither fun or accurate and I’m never (ever) happy with the result. This is precisely why the piece I should have finished last week is now in a very unhappy place and on hold. The light was so poor in my studio and it was cold and raining (40 degrees and dark dark dark!) all last week. I need to rework it yet again…
Tomorrow, I’ll be sketching in the farm for Frank’s Farm #8. I am really feeling the need to paint more of Frank’s Farm since Frank died. His grandson is now farming that beautiful property but they are busy with their young family, chickens, ducks, and such. I really miss seeing Frank haul ass on his gigantic John Deere tractor. He was such an inspiration to continue to live and engage life, even up until his mid-90’s. I hope to be like Frank when I grow up.
I photographed Frank’s Farm #6 in the corner of the new painting as I had it there to draw from. It’s been seven years since I painted #6 and I want to be sure that the colors and composition as remaining cohesive to the series.
I hope to have a bunch more to post tomorrow. Stay tuned!