March and April are usually write-offs for me as far as plein air work. I find the florescent greens of new growth combined with the browns of winter to be really unpicturesque. My own attempts at blossoms are usually miserable failures so I avoid them. I also have a lot of studio work to catch up on, mostly enlarging sketches of Italian subjects from last year to meet gallery commitments.
That said, I did get out a few times and here are the results.
Cows at Sint-Martens-Voeren (Belgium). 30 x 20 cm, oil on panel.
Luxembourg Sketch. 20 x 30 cm, oil on panel.
Canal in Maastricht. 35 x 25 cm, oil on panel.
Oud-Valkenburg Roofs. 20 x 30 cm, oil on panel.
Windmill at Ohé en Laak. 30 x 20 cm, oil on panel.
Windmill at Ohé en Laak #2. 20 x 30 cm, oil on panel.
I’m off to Italy next week so this will probably be it for my Dutch period. It’s too bad as the colors are just getting interesting again.
I like the variety of light in these paintings. All of them have strong almost graphic shapes that make ordinary views look so much more dynamic.
Good luck Marc,
You did get the most of the Dutch Greys tho!
Safe travel and take care.
Really enjoyed your paintings from your Dutch stay, looking forward to the September workshop in Pujols
Very nice paintings!
I find this latest group of sketches extremely interesting with a much different dynamic than this time last year. I see it most clearly in “Luxembourg Sketch” and “Cows at Sint-Martens-Voeren”. It looks as though you have attacked the surface with much thicker paint and sturdier brushes. Have you changed your materials or just your approach? I really, really like the results. Once again I find myself marveling at the actual scale of these panels. They feel much larger.