Sunday, July 11, 2010

Mountains in Chicago?




"Private Interiors"
"Along the Grove"
"Mountains in Chicago"
6"x8" oil on linen mounted on archival board
This was one of those lovely mornings when all you had to do was turn slightly to see something new to paint. My intention when I set myself in these Savana Oaks forest preserve was to focus on how to paint dense greenery. But it quickly became evident that at what seems to be green leaves and grass is so much more. The dark shadows were very warm and rather orangish. The bright morning light filtering through and back lighting, created rather coolish lime-y appearances.

On the last painting,
I planned on painting over one of my pieces from our winter plein air trip to Sedona when we were either painting in a hail storm or heavy rains. As I started I thought maybe I could leave the mountains and work a meadow into the foreground. I think I should have been more sensitive to the foreground. I may go back and tweak that area so that it looks more meadow-like.
($99. each)

5 comments:

Pam Holnback said...

I love all the color in the wood/bark in the first painting! Saw you had Palos Plein Air listed. I lived in Palos Heights from age 1 - 12.

susan hong-sammons said...

Hey Pam, small world My daughter rides horse in Palos. It's the closest we can get to country living. While she rides I often makes some oil sketches in the woods. One day I'll have to try to capture the horses.

jsicignano2.blogspot.com said...

Susan, these painting are lovely. Your colors are outstanding. Once again your make the ordinary, extraordinary. Well done.

AK said...

I agree with Joan...you make the ordinary extraordinary. Brilliant.

susan hong-sammons said...

Hi Joan
Hello AK
Thanks so much. I don't know why, but I love to paint the things we often just walk right by.