It’s really overcast today and the studio lights affect tones. It’s either the studio lights or a flash, which would be worse, so the photo isn’t very good.
Picnic is 40″ x 56.” It’s oil over acrylic toned ground. The ground is the same as in the painting I finished yesterday, and, as with that painting, the ground is not optimal and I’ve had to fight it at times. My propensity to experiment with grounds and other materials sometimes gets me into trouble. But I’m determined to see it through. It’s not that I’m stubborn (which I am), but when I try something, I give it a fair test. I’ve been fooled before, thinking some technique or material was good only to discover its limitations later. I’ve also had the reverse happen; I’ve dismissed something and learned later I was rash. Now when I try something, I make sure to put it through its paces before reaching a conclusion.
The unfinished ‘Picnic’ on the easel
I’ve worked through other issues with painting as well. It took me awhile to work through them. I wanted a lot of life–activity–in this painting. I’ve added about a dozen figures in the middle-ground, and I’m pretty happy with it now. It still has a long way to go.