Reminder: APRIL (this month!) is the last month before June that I can ship or arrange pickup for purchased artwork.  I will be in Flagstaff AZ for all of May for ArtX, and will not be able to ship work or arrange for pickup during that time frame.  If you would like to purchase artwork and have it shipped or picked up before June, now is the time to make those decisions.  Onto the email…

4.10.24 - Wednesday - Cherry Blossoms 2024 Art Notes, Part 3 of 5

“tues 3.26.24

begun 10:30am to 12:30pm, overcast, 30 x 42" almost same view as yesterday, overcast”

Although I don’t recall exactly why I did so, I began a new 30 x 42” painting the very next day of almost the identical view.  The weather was certainly less sunny, so maybe that was my motivation to not carry on with the previous day’s work, or maybe it was just a timing issue, not wanting to work on an early afternoon painting in the morning.  Regardless, the piece that this became was one of the most successful of this year’s paintings.  The blossoms were definitely falling in droves now, and I felt the time crunch of having to finish some of the ongoing works soon, before the trees themselves looked too different than the initial washes of color.  I was feeling confident working on this piece, and had the added benefit of a practice round of nearly the same view (from about 20 feet further back) from the previous day.

“thurs 3.28.24

begun 11:20 or so, same as tues, until 1:25... more rain breaks”

The rain coming down didn’t allow for too much more work on the piece begun Tuesday, but I was able to render the facade of Raitt Hall before the rain drove me off.  The building provided some shelter, too, as I was getting so thoroughly soaked, as was all of my gear, that I had to call it off in the early afternoon.  I recall being very, very cold and completely soaked through.  I had to empty all of my supplies out for everything to dry off.

"fri 3.29.24

10:15am - 1:15pm finished! in sunlight”

I spent three hours painting furiously to finish the 30 x 42” piece, and was pleased to have it done in a fairly successful manner.  The light had gone from overcast, to sun, to rain, back to sun, and the piece reflects, in part, those different atmospheres.  The blossoms were a bit thinner than when I began, but not by much.  The pedestrians had cooperated and their aspects stuck in my memory, but I was not fully satisfied with the figures at right.  The girl with her legs crossed near the vanishing point, as you follow the line of benches into the background, I was able to remove pigment to render the white of her shoes, her light-colored shirt.  She moved on before I was done with the piece, but the student with the laptop, reclined on the entrance to Raitt, was still there as I finished the painting.  I went over and showed her the result.  A word to anyone who is in my line of sight as I’m painting - the longer you stay there in one spot, the greater the chance you have of making your way into the painting.

Tomorrow is Part 4 of 5.

Cheers,

David