Hi Subscriber,

It was just over a week ago that I did the first online demo via Zoom. It was a tricky endeavor, but a lot of fun!

Wondering why it was tricky? It was because no matter how hard I try not to, I seem to always end up cobbling things together.

It was a very makeshift studio set, with a little of everything being used. But it worked!

I wedged myself between the stool and easel, a little off to the left. You can see the phone holder for recording the actual process and the laptop holder to the right, on the green box.

The clock is taped to one tripod and my instructions (so I wouldn't forget) taped to another. A light to the left of everything helped balance out the light from the windows.

I hope to have it a bit less clumsy before the next demo. I guess it proves you don't have to be super cool to do things.

The paint didn't even slide off the palette, which I was a little concerned about since I don't usually use a vertical palette. I wanted everyone to be able to see the paint being mixed right next to the painting.

I did tape a brush up there just in case, to make a little shelf for stop it if it did slide. Thankfully, the paint didn't slide.

You can see the reference image clipped to the easel, along with everything else that was clipped there. It was a really great reference and I didn't have to do much for deciding how I wanted to paint it.

I did know I wanted a horizontal format so did a couple of super messy and loose sketches, just to get an idea of where I wanted to place it on the canvas.

Super messy! But it was enough. If I had wanted to use the cows and tree in a much larger setting, I would have done more sketches exploring those possibilities.

You can see on the little color sketch I put a line to the right of the cows, and extended the left side with pencil. That was to make sure I had the cows more to the right in the painting, when I got there.

Here's the painting after a few finishing touches done after the demo.

By the Old Cottonwood

11" by 14"

oil on linen panel

Doing this demo was a bit like doing a Quick Draw at an event. I was conscious of making decisions as I went, but there was an aspect of shooting from the hip also.

I'd like to get to the point where I have a good enough plan, because of previous studies, to be able to get this same kind of spontaneity you see here in a well planned painting.

I've just submitted By the Old Cottonwood, and a couple others, to the 27th Annual National American Impressionist Society Show. I'll know in a few weeks whether or not it gets in the show.

Either way, it was a lot of fun painting it for a demo! I'll let you know when the next demo will be, sometime in June, in case you want to catch it.

Till next time,

Ginny