Summer Hay Bales

There are cut fields in Tuscany with round hay bales everywhere this summer.  The fields have a different color depending on the moisture and type of hay.  We are lucky to be living near several fields with beautiful hills in the background.  I managed to get a few photos of this first painting in different stages.  To arrive at this beginning point it did take quite a bit of walking around in morning and afternoon light trying to find the right angle.  Below is the view I chose. 

Starting point

The drawing

Blue hills

I usually put down some white on the horizon as a sort of value check, I know that I will have to keep that area extremely light.  This works for me because I usually don't have time to labor over the sky when I am in the field, at least on the first day.  Later when I do my tweaking at home I mix some patchy light color spots into that white zone.

almost there

Below is the finished painting.  Other than the biting gnats, the afternoon was peaceful.

Rotoballe Sulla Collina  o/c  40 x 50cm   available at the Stage Door Gallery

Dry fields of summer

June is the time for cutting the hay in the Maremma region of Tuscany.  The fields change color after being cut, appearing  quite dry a few days later.  I was attracted to this view from an overlook near our place - by the contrast of the dark green Oak tree branch against the hazy light colors of the background fields and mountains.  Below is a photo of the location.

Summer heating up

I was thinking, can I get an interesting composition with just a branch sticking in the side of the painting?  With a bit of simplifying I came up with the small painting below.  I tried to put down the values as I saw them late in the afternoon.  The super dark branch worked out, and I remembered to leave some bright underpainting spots to add sparkle.  Some days later the hay baling tractor arrived -  and I have been busy ever since.  There are round hay bales everywhere,  too many to paint and also little biting gnats...

Campi di Giugno  oil/panel 8x10in  -  Available at the Stage Door Gallery

Beach day

There are some fantastic beaches around if you take some time to find them.  This area is a short walk on a trail from a dirt parking lot.  It was June and the water was warm and the few early  tourists were swimming.

What is so beautiful are the dune areas with a rich diversity of plant life.  There is too much to look at.  

Tombolo di Giannella, Toscana   o/c  40 x 50cm

Painting a hilltop village in morning light

Monica and I found this view of Cana on a cloudy day in April.  We stopped for the view and to pick some wildflowers.  After wandering around a bit I was hooked by the composition of this open field with the gap that leads through the tree groups and on up to the village.  I thought this would work with morning backlight.

Cloudy day in April

It took until June to get back here on a hot sunny morning.  I really had the backlight - right in my face.  Below is an image of the painting well under way.  I try to build up layers of paint starting with thin washes without adding white.  I have to concentrate to leave spots of thin wash that will show through to add sparkle to the light.  Underpainting with orange/yellow/red works well for the areas receiving light, and purple or blue thinned down with solvent or Liquin works well for shade areas.  At least that's the usual plan, most of the time I am in some sort of frenzy when starting a painting - having spent too much time on the initial drawing.

Underway in the hot sun

Below is the finished painting.  I am happy that we stopped by the side of the road on that cloudy day in April.  It was a pleasant morning in June - the hay was quite high, almost time to harvest. I am pleased with the way the grass on the lower left bends in towards the gap in the field.  It takes time to find interesting compositions, and sometimes things work out with some luck.  Even moving back and forth for a meter or two can make a difference. 
    

Cana, Toscana  o/c  40x30cm

Working indoors

Late May was a bit rainy and windy here.  It was frustrating with all the rich  green landscape outside to paint.  After a long spell of bad weather I decided to paint inside, so I set up this still life with roses.  It is always fun to work on a still life, trying to get the shapes right that span only inches as compared to working outside with huge vistas.  

Le Rose di Cinzia  oil/panel 10x8in - FOR SALE $175.00

May, working in the fields

Everything is green.  What a change from the winter months. In this first painting I am trying to capture the light late in the afternoon before sunset.  The ground values are darker than normal, but the sky remains bright.  Below is a photo of my workplace, followed by the finished piece.  This area is within walking distance from where we live, far away from it all.

Tranquility

Poggio al Tramonto oil/panel 8x10in  FOR SALE $175.00 SOLD

Next a beautiful field that is downhill by foot from our place.  It is always a struggle to work with so many greens.  My eye jumps to the mountains and sky to get some blue relief from all the green.  I was attracted to this site because of the composition and the dark trees that contrast with the light field.  

Getting the major shapes and values down, keeping light and shadow separate

Il Campo Nascosto o/c 40x50cm

Olive Trees

Painting olive trees can drive one crazy.  At a distance they become the same color as the far hills, so they disappear in your work.  Up close they have this difficult color that changes with the light and breeze -  however, the up close option is the best especially if you  warm the cool olive color slightly.  The thing that makes olive trees interesting are their trunks,  the form of the twisted wood that gives the trees character.  Below are 3 examples from the Liguria region of Northern Italy.

Gli Olivi di Case Mancin  o/c 30 x 40cm - available at Galerie Art Passion

Tra gli Olivi  o/c 30 x 40 cm

Vecchio Olivo 70 x 50 cm o/c  -  Galerie Art Passion  SOLD