Painting in the Garden - Always an Adventure

Yesterday was a beautiful day. We have had smoke from the fires in Alberta Canada since last week creating a very gray environment. Finally, the air was clear and the temperature was perfect. The iris in my garden have not looked this good in years. In Denver, the weather conditions definitely determine what the garden is going to look like, or not, in any given year. I have not been outside painting, with the exceptions of my field sketches, yet this spring. And here it is almost June! 

All is going well for awhile until about an hour into it. I am enjoying being outside and in the flow. The occasional distraction of my puppy charging the fence barking as people and dogs walk by. THEN, a house a block away and down the street, which has been under construction for the past two years, started using a high power washer to wash the new black brick that this compound was built with. You think, down the street a block, what is the problem? It is the short block, and it is a busy street that slopes up to my house. So this street acts like a megaphone into my property when there is noise going on there. Another monstrosity, being built two doors down, and called THE PRISON by neighbors on the block, has not been half as disruptive as the one further away. It is like a microclimate situation. Living in a neighborhood that has been under constant construction the past 6 years, you would think I would be immune to the noise by now. It is not so. I don't think myself a sensitive type, but I am becoming very reactive to it, which serves no purpose, yet drills into the brain and psyche nonetheless. I had to quit working on the painting, thinking I would set up again today and finish what I could before my afternoon appointment. 

No. This painting was not destined to be completed outside. At 4 PM a wicked fast and furious hail storm blew through decimating my iris, among many other plants. Shockingly, the Particular stems I picked were the least damaged. I believe because the tree above provided some shelter. Iris in other parts of the garden were not so lucky. The good news is, that the buds withstood the assault, so not all is lost.

As of yesterday, not finished

Iris before I started

Noon light is bluer

Iris after the hail-could be worse! Morning light is red!

In the two photos of the iris, you can see part of THE PRISON. Thankfully, that piece of work is finished.

Lilacs

Day 3 -mostly done-thinking the 'vase' is too prominent

Wednesday of last week (May 10, 2023) everyone on our morning walk was talking 'hail!' So, I came home, covered my vegetable garden plants (we here in Denver know not to plant before Mother's Day-but who listens?), cut some lilacs, iris and hellebores, 'just in case' to bring inside. If nothing else I could enjoy the heavenly scent of the lilacs, or possibly even do some sketching of the flowers on the grey day that ensued. It did rain for 24 hours straight, but thankfully, no hail here. The area where I live has been called  "hail alley."

Sketch of Lilacs

Friday, so two days into the cut flowers shortened life, I decided to paint one of the vases full of lilacs. Being still overcast outside the arrangement was under artificial overhead light. I went and found an unclean previously painted panel, 24"x12" and proceeded. Sometimes, the first run on a used panel is the toughest, especially if the painting was varnished, as this one had been. I could not find a photograph of the painting so I am surprised it was varnished. Despite the effort put in by me, who knows how long ago, to remove the varnish and then sand it, it still lingers. The first flush of new paint means it is absorbed by the old varnish so I must remember to go darker and lighter in value to combat this phenomenon. It doesn't seem to matter - it all ends up monotone.

From Nicotiana to Lilacs- starting the block in- carving out shapes

Day 1-Black almost covered - allowing this layer to dry a bit

Saturday is not so gray and the sun actually shines forth from time to time. But in keeping with what I had started, I turned on the overhead lights. My thought was even if I don't finish the study, it has been fun painting from life and fighting the substrate at the same time. Today's effort felt less like a wrestling match and more fluid and easy. 

Day 2- Big shapes defined

Day 2 before quitting for the day- Lilacs holding up so far 

Day 3 Sunday is just to finish the vase. Which is really for drinking wine, I believe. I inherited it from my parents and is from the 60's when we first moved to Germany. I am not sure what it says on it but I believe it has to do with cultivation of wine.  It does have a handle but I have ever only used it for a vase.