Monday, August 31, 2009

Looking West


In the early 1800's the great British landscape painter John Constable said, "There is room in the world for a natural painter." I think that's still true today. So in the spirit of the master Constable's plein air paintings, I'm starting a new journal series, "From the Hill." My rules: all work is outdoors and subjects within walking distance of my studio; pigments used are a triad of oil colors (any three primaries); size is 6" x 8" or smaller; and paintings are finished in under two hours. My goal: a regular meditation of sitting quietly and looking carefully.

2 comments:

Altoon Sultan said...

I'm curious as to why you want to limit yourself to just 3 primary colors (plus white I assume). Is it for the challenge? From looking at "Looking West" I see that your color is rich and varied, so wow, you do a great job. I could never do it.

Susan Abbott said...

Three primaries (plus white)so I have fewer choices (far fewer color choices than I give myself in the studio), keep materials simpler and can work more quickly. Even when I'm painting with a full palette of colors outside, I'll usually base a painting on a triad, and then move off of it a bit if needed.