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I wasn’t thrilled with the linen in my photos so I set my lightbox up and took some photos of just the linen that I’ll be able to use for reference.

Each painting has its own menu item. After each painting session a photo will be added to that painting’s post so I can look back at the process.

Stained my homemade linen panels with a middle value burnt umber and mineral spirits wash, mostly mineral spirits. The fast drying wash is a little thicker than water so there aren’t any brush strokes. Waiting for five photos to arrive.

Just sent this photo to Shutterfly. I might use this instead for the 16″ x 20″ painting. It’s probably a better composition.

This is a photo I took last September while visiting Canyon de Chelly National Monument in northeastern Arizona that I’m going to paint. It will be 16″ x 20″. The bottom two fifths will look more like blocks of color than a recognizable landscape. I cropped the very bottom of the photo off because it’s just a flat rock I was standing on. The paintings I’ll begin this week will all be painted on oil primed Belgium Linen mounted on 1/4″ masonite or cradled basswood panels. The two 11″ x 14″s and one 16″ x 20″ are linen mounted on cradled basswood and the two 9″ x !2″s are linen mounted on 1/4″ masonite. Oil Primed Belgium Linen is supposed to be the best. I’ve never painted on a high quality surface. Better do it now cause life is short.

After I glue this piece of linen to the basswood I’ll stain each surface with a middle value brown. It’ll be mostly mineral spirits with a little white paint and a little burnt umber or burnt sienna paint. It’s a little easier painting onto a middle value surface than to paint onto a bright white surface. Once they are dry I’ll transfer drawings of each photo to the surfaces.

Yesterday was spent setting up and photographing still lifes (I think lives is correct here but I don’t know) to paint.

Today I uploaded these four photos to Shutterfly to be printed. When I receive the prints I will begin painting them, two 9 x 12s, and two 11 x 14s. I still have a bit of work but not much to the two paintings I was working on until last week.

Tweaked the shadows at the base of the objects a bit. I’m sure I’ll tweak things a couple more times.

Yesterday I subscribed to Photoshop and Lightroom. My problem is not how to paint, it’s what to paint. There’s a steep learning curve to Photoshop but once I learn a few things I’ll be able to modify photos from my trips or still life compositions for painting references.

Worked on my landscape. It’s pretty much finished. I’ll dick with it a little Friday and Sunday and then paint the sides black or blackish brown. I’m not spending the money on a custom frame. It isn’t a standard size. It will be a nice splash of color on a wall.

After hanging my still life on a wall and looking at it off and on I decided the linen isn’t right and it isn’t quite finished. I’ll play with it a little bit.

I’m calling this “finished”. There are a few small shadows at the bases of the grapes, pear, and glass I’ll improve but those corrections will be quick. In a couple of weeks I’ll “oil it up” and post a final photo. That will tie it together a little better.

Tomorrow, Friday, and Sunday I’ll paint on the landscape and hope to finish it Sunday morning. Next week I will start another landscape and still life.