Two revised, more panels!

Cold and clear.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MattChinianPaintings

I revised this a bit, the tree in the foreground was hugging the falls and even though it was like that in nature, it looked weird.

This was from Sunday @ Salem Art Works, it's 8 x 10 it too was hard to get the bright white on the snow,  worked on it a bit to get some of the drawing better and better define some of the shadows, not a great pic, but......

I always love seeing this!  I made a bunch of large (for me) panels, 16 x 20 and a new size, 16 x 18, and a bunch of  my usual 11 x 14, 12 x 16 and 14 x 16,  I'm not sure I'll be able to work the large panels out in this cold, we'll see!

Dionondahowa Falls Once in 7 years, turkey on a birthday!

28  F  sunny and calm
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MattChinianPaintings

Here is where I ended up today. It's my 52nd birthday!

Look at where I went.

This is off Windy Hill Rd. in Middle Falls, just west of  Greenwich.

This is my scene, WOW.

My first blocks. This is the first vertical painting in ...

I started at 12:30 and went to 2:30, had a few visitors this is about 1/2 way.  It was challenging painting looking down, and behind the foliage on the right,  The trees on the left hug the waterfall, a fact that eluded me until I got it back huh?

I'm going to change the line between the fore-ground tree and the waterfall. I also don't know why it was so hard for me to get the sun-lit portions of the white water to jump out, as they did maybe taking the value of everything else!

I admit that when I first heard about this falls, I imagined a rock ledge, no railing and yeah, but this was nice and safe, oh well!

Center Falls, Greenwich NY.

29 F  clear and a bit of wind.

Here is where I ended up today. I painted this same scene last January or February, 7 x 10, it sold at the Landscapes for Landsake show.  Today I knew I wanted this scene.

Here was my scene when I got there, about  11:30. The sun was right there blasting off the water, making everything else look black. I really liked the foreground waterfall, but my format was 12 x 16 too horizontal, I just got the top part of the fall.

First block in.

 Sky and  (some) water.

As the session wore on the sun moved up in the sky, changing the dynamic, not so monochrome, not so dramatic.













 

Today is really, really winter! Snow in Salem?

Wicked cold, windy mostly sunny.

This was the temp. this A.M.  It will get colder, so....

I thought there was more snow in Salem, and there was, but not much, The dirt driveway holds the snow  so I picked this scene: Salem Art Work's back lot with the kiln in the middle ground, the sun bouncing violently off the snow. The cold takes all the moisture from the sky and everything is super-clear, The veils of brambles and branches make for a softness that counteracts the sharpness of the atmosphere.

Now I remember why I did small paintings in the winter, speed! It also forces you to work quickly, focus on the essential, and not bother with the frivolous, what happens is a result of getting through the conditions, and it may be good and it may not.

 Just a few minutes into it.  Just a week ago I was swearing off of small paintings, they were too small to get anything, it's amazing what a change in the weather will do.

I liked seeing some green grass lit up in the middle ground, as well some yellow ocher and some random reds here and there.

This is where it ended up today, though I think I'll work it some more,  In the end, does it matter that you freeze your ***off? if you don't get something out of it?  Let's do a re-enactment....

Working at SAW is like home away from home,  so I can just paint when the weather throws a challenge, at least until I re-quaint myself with the cold. Thanks SAW!







 

10,000 Page views for this blog! Today, Fish Creek, Town of Saratoga. Winter is really here.

38  F  windy chilly!  some sun, some clouds.

This is what I got today, it's 9 x 12, and I worked quickly, it was cold, at least, so far for this season.

I was coming back from Ballston Spa and had a little time to paint, I was going to go to Hudson Crossings park, It was cold & windy, and I was under dressed for the conditions,  so I decided it would be warmer in a more intimate location.  I have admired this spot for a while, and today was a perfect day to stop.

This was really quick, and you can tell!

The creek is relatively low, another advantage of this time of year, and the spot is just a real short few steps from where I parked.

This is my new Truck magnet sign.





I just got to 10,000 page views for this blog, it's been a great experience!  A BIG THANK YOU!

First winter painting, a little scramble, a little sun.

38  F @ start, mostly sunny.

Here is where I ended up today. I will probably tweak the highlights a bit, and maybe the trees and some of the dark notes in the water...

This was my scene in about the middle of the session, about 11:00 of so. I started just after 10:00, early for me, and went to about 12:00 or so.

Here is my start.  I take a bit of time to compose and it's done when I block in the black(dark purple) as you know I like diagonals and  X's . I also decide how "big" the picture will be, I find some thing on the right and left sides to be my "stop" so I can at least try to measure stuff out.

This is about 45 minutes, and I've got everything in play, These colors clearly say winter, as does  the 10  F  morning temperature, my layering of clothes, etc...

By now it's moving right along, and if my colors are too far off oh well!  I mean you can change things here and there but basically your colors are there.

The sun was moving toward the center of the scene, which enhances the shadows and the reflection, but in just 2 hours it starts to become a different painting and I don't want to chase it.  I may go in and tweak the painting.

This is the Owlkill Creek, one of my favorite, I've got a few spots at various places, this one was a bit of a scramble from the road down about 20 ' of  overgrowth to a bunch of deer paths, thanks, deer!  It's also a place way too overgrown in the summer, and when it snows may be impossible to get to in the winter....

Duel Hollow Day 2 down on the farm after Saturday at the Met.

56  F   big nice clouds.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MattChinianPaintings

Here is where I ended up today.

 I went to the Met in NYC this Saturday for 4 hour by myself so I could look at acres and acres of paintings.  I could go on about this experience, but I'll just ask: well, what does it do to your own mind after seeing such beauty and genius?  It scrambles it up, shocks it into mush, sends it into a fit of darkness/piercing bright light and leaves you spent that's what.

Here is my scene today, the water was higher, and there were some nice clouds in the sky (which I butchered) but I think it was pretty much the same as last Thursday.

.

Here is where I started today.

This is about an hour into today's session,  I had a hard time getting a grip.

This is just a few minutes shy of the end of the session, a bit over 1 1/2 hrs today,  I really did get lost, and wasn't sure of the way home,  I guess I started back, but wanted to look at this more at home before I made any more  judgments.

Return to The Holy Grail, tailgate party! Two bridges, finished!

40  F   Mostly clear

I called this spot as the Holy Grail of landscapes When I first found it, and when I drove by today, I know why.

Here is my first cut of dark color, much of what I started to see as dark, went into the grey side as my session went along.

Sky.

I got 2 hours in today, 1/2 day for elementary kids, I'll need to come back, but I not until next week.

It seems like a while since I've worked off the back of the truck, what a luxury!

I tried to get the temperature of the bridge cooler and a bit darker, this photo did something weird too.  I think I moved it in the right direction, but the fussing makes the paint all fussed over, and that's not as good as fresh,  and done.

I just needed to take this shot again,  but it too looks a bit washed out.

Battenkill River near the Hudson River, Another Bridge, freshly painted.

44  F   some sun early, then clouds.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MattChinianPaintings

This is where I ended up today. Looking at the painting and the photo I can see now how "painted" the bridge looks, well it's too light and monotone, so I'll fuss with it a bit, but won't go back.

Here is my scene. I had to go to Saratoga to drop off a painting, so I thought I'd paint on the way, Last January  I did a small painting of this bridge from the other side of the road.

First block in.

2nd block in.

Most everything in place.

My spot was on the far bank,  the backpack is perfect for this kind of location, I can't park there.

Old New York,  this bridge needs some fixing!

View from my spot looking down river, not far from here it enters the Hudson.

Once you start to look for places like this you can really sniff them out.