Friday, November 28, 2008

Pochade box paintings

Oil on panel, 5x7.



A couple of small landscapes from my oil sketch box painted on location. Eliminating the unnecessary details and just laying down the shapes of colors. Going for the statement.
As the artist Kevin MacPherson says it, "Analyze everything as particular color notes."


Certainly a good diversion from the studio pieces, and a chance to loosen up with the paint.

These works currently available, to purchase click here.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Rock and feather


Oil on panel, 8 x 10 inches, Rock and feather.
A studio painting from life. Using a gray box as a stage for the still life, I achieve some interesting shadows and reflection. The feathers were found in Illinois, the rock at the beach in Michigan. So maybe I should call this piece Midwest still life.

Enjoy, and thanks for looking. Jim Serrett

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Still life with Two Pears, finished work

Oil 24x30 Still life with Two Pears - finished work
Still life's are such a joy to paint, they can become very intimate moments in time. And remarkable abstract qualities seen within the play of light and shadow. It is those subtle and complex relationships within a painting that attracts me to a subject.
This piece was done in a very traditional or classical method of thin transparent color, "velaturas" applied over a gray " grisaille" monochrome under painting. Posted earlier in this blog.
The amount of light, depth and atmosphere you can achieve in this manner is almost magical. Multiple veils of transparent color contrasted by opaque light passages, produces a level of realism that I believe can not be matched with other approach. You literally carve out volume with this method.

Enjoy, thanks for looking.