Fearless Friday, Winter Moon

the Painted Apron

6 years ago

My life has been so crazy lately, chasing squirrels at the beach house, dodging hurricanes, endless meetings about estate matters, transfers, accounts, and this week it was a crazy tooth that sent me to several dentists who ultimately decided that I was ~~nuts~~ a little stressed… 😜

One of them even said, “Go to the beach and relax!”

So my painting opportunities have been limited, but thank goodness I have Fearless Friday to push me to create time for art

I can’t believe it’s November, and to start getting into the holiday spirit, I did a quick snowy scene for my Society 6 Shop

I underpainted a canvas with black gesso

I had a simple scene in mind with a group of evergreen trees and a full moon

I used various mixtures of titantium white, cobalt blue, and Payne’s gray acrylics

The lightest part of the sky will be where the moon will go

Next a large evergreen, painted with a brush loaded with shades of greens and yellow

Quick short strokes from top down, slightly curved to each side, indicating the shape and texture of the evergreen tree

Next a lighter tree, just in front of the first one

I continued to add to the forest, using a variety of shades of greens

I rarely use greens from a tube like the one in the photo below, upper left, because I think mixing your own greens produces a much more vibrant color.

I typically use 2 blues: cobalt, cerulean blue, 2 yellows: cadmium yellow medium, and Hansa yellow, to create a variety of green shades

I add white for a softer green or black for a more intense green

I paint fast, and like to use a disposable palette paper, with a spray water bottle at hand to keep the paint wet while I’m working

Next the snow on the ground was indicated with more fast, short strokes in various directions

Painting on a black underpainting creates effortless shadows and depth

Now for the full moon, deepened snow shadows, and a few snowflakes

This is how my palette typically looks when I’m finished. If you have paint left on your palette, transfer it to a plate or plastic container with a palette knife. Spritz it with water and cover it with foil and refrigerate. Paint will stay fresh for a couple of days! If you have a plastic covered palette, even better!