"The Road to Somewhere", 10x8"

Last week, I taught a workshop called "Painting Dynamic Landscapes from Photos" at the Pencil and Palette Club in Huntley, Illinois.  "The Road to Somewhere" is a small demo I painted for the group.

Here is my reference photo-- with WAY too much information for me to process into a coherent design.  I needed to simplify this photo into 3 values (light, middle, and dark) to be able to see my way through it.

Have you heard of the Value Viewer App?  It's a super simple app put out by Plein Air Magazine which allows you to download your own photo into the program, and it will simplify it into 3 values for you.  Artists have been creating value studies in charcoal and monochromatic paintings for centuries to guide their painting process.  This little app just makes things easier and quicker, especially if you're outside with limited time!

I love to paint from the 3 value study-- I often put away the original photo until the very end.  This way, I can play with any colors I like (as long as they are in the correct value ranges).  And I often come up with a painting that looks more exciting than my photo.

I think that the most successful landscapes are actually quite simple and strong.  Using a three value "map" allows me to nail down the composition right from the start.

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Road to Somewhere.

"Deepa, Monochromatic Study", 16x20"

When I only have a few hours with a model, I will sometimes limit my color choices so I can concentrate on getting my drawing and values (darkness vs light) correct.  Yesterday, I used only Burnt Sienna to make a map of Deepa's face and shoulders.  I used a rag to lift out the lighter areas, so there was no need to even add white.  I may decide to let it dry and go back in with color, or I may leave well enough alone and be content with a nice study of a beautiful model.

I will be teaching this technique at my upcoming one day workshop at Northlight Studio in Arlington Heights on March 6th.  If you would be interested in attending, please drop me a line.

"Don't Fence Me In", 10x8"

This painting was done from a photograph on a wonderful website called Lee A Brown Photography.  Lee Brown is a professional photographer who shares his work with us and invites us to paint using his references.  This piece is from Telluride, and is this month's painting challenge.  You should check this website out!

I painted this landscape upside down.  No, I wasn't upside down, but I flipped the reference over and painted the entire thing without looking at it right side up.  This is the result.  I challenged my Impressionism students to try their hands at it, and we were all amazed at how quickly and loosely they covered their canvases.

I may never paint a landscape right side up again!  I may have a small problem when I paint outdoors.  Time to sign up for yoga!

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Fences.

Another Day in Paradise, 7x5"

This is a tiny thumbnail painting of a scene that we stumbled upon in Banff.  I'm in the process of creating a much larger painting (20x16") now that I have most of the bugs worked out. It's so handy to have a smaller sketch to refer to, to keep from getting lost in the larger format.

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Paradise.

"Tall Trees, Lake Louise" 8x6"

If you've ever visited Lake Louise in Canada, you know that I'm not making up that blue! This is a palette knife painting based on a photo I shot during our trip there.  It's an unforgettable place.

And now I'm packing my bags for my trip to study with CW Mundy in New Harmony, Indiana.  I hope to learn some new Impressionistic techniques from him-- and I'll keep you posted!

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Tall Trees.  Thank you!

The Conclave, 8x6"

Well, a Conclave is a gathering of Cardinals, so I thought perhaps that would describe this one pretty well! These brilliant birds continue to flock to my branches and I feel compelled to capture them in paint.

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Conclave. Thank you!

"Fracturing" with Julie Ford Oliver

My eyes have been opened to a new approach to Impressionist painting.  If you are not familiar with the paintings of Julie Ford Oliver, I hope that you will check out her blog and her ArtByte tutorial on Fracturing.  I downloaded her tutorial this morning, and the resulting painting is above.  Be kind-- it is my first attempt at this technique, but I got very excited about the prospect of breaking through the forms of my painting to achieve a very unique mood!

My usual painting style is shown below.  I've always felt comfortable breaking up my color into various tones in my painting, but I never disturbed the forms themselves before.  I hope that I will be able to make this technique part of my style in the future.

I'd love to know your thoughts on my attempt to fracture my painting!

Twilight, 8x8"

My favorite time of the day is the moment the lights come up while there is still a glow in the sky. 

Twilight.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click on Ann Feldman Twilight.  Thank you.

La Playa II, 11x9"

Happy New Year!  Such a long time since I've painted.  I decided to lay the brushes down and enjoy my gathered family over the holidays.  I'm a firm believer in "down time" because I think that it allows us to receive beauty and reflect on it in new ways.

A wonderful customer was interested in a larger version of "La Playa", so I have done it again in the 11x9" format.  It's such a pleasure to bring out the bright colors when there is nothing but gray outside my window.

And now the new year starts!  Time to play the studio music loud, squeeze out some paint, and see what happens.

Still Waters, 6x8"

You just can't beat Colorado for rocky, wintery scenes.  I captured this moment near Maroon Bells in Aspen last spring.

Fleeting Memories, 8x10"

This small painting was created with the help of an App on my phone!  Sharon, a friend at Mainstreet introduced me to "ValueViewer", which allows artists to view their work in grayscale to check on value massing.  My painting started as it was below left.  It didn't have much punch or excitement, so I downloaded it into the App and looked at it in grayscale (below right).  I could see that I needed to separate my darks and lights a bit more for drama.  I deepened the darks and lightened the lights, and I'm much happier with the result.

If you would be interested in purchasing this painting, please click on Ann Feldman Memories.

Autumn Reflections II, 10x8"

The fall here in the Midwest has been spectacular.  I couldn't resist painting another scene with our autumn colors!

Autumn on the Lake, 10x8"

"Autumn on the Lake", 10x8", Oil on Canvas mounted on Hardboard, Palette Knife

I will be donating the sale price of this palette knife painting to the American Red Cross as part of the Daily Paintworks Hurricane Sandy Relief Challenge. 

Autumn Reflections, 8x10"

This painting was created as a demo for my Impressionism workshop at Mainstreet Art Centre.  It was painted with a palette knife and loads of oil paint.  Everyone tried their hand at the scene, and the results were spectacular.