Adventures of a Plein Air Artist

A new low; 86'd from the Salinas Train Station. June 3, 2020

I was walking around with my sketchbook under my arm, looking for a spot for another sketch. The station employee asked me what I was doing there, and I explained that I was sketching. She said I'd have to leave because they couldn't have people hanging around there "with all that was going on."
So, I left. I'm glad I got a chance for one sketch. I'm hoping to start a painting. If I have to go back for another look I can park farther away in the parking lot, very low profile... 
At first I thought she was talking about the George Floyd killing and the protests and unrest, but after I left I realized it was probably the COVID 19 virus that was affecting their policies. After she ran me off, she headed over to another loiterer. I heard him say he was waiting for someone to arrive on the train. "Which train, she asked.."
Beautiful old train station, no doubt it has beheld many dark days over the course of its life. Many tears of joy and sorrow.

Rose Madder Genuine versus Quinachridone Red Oil Paint

Here's a bit of information I found interesting, while comparing my own tubes of colors for this painting.
The Flower Chair background rose color is Daler and Rowney Oil Colour, Rose Madder (Quinacridone).

 "The term Rose Madder is most commonly used to describe the colour made from the Madder Lake pigment which is a traditional lake pigment extracted from the roots of the common madder plant Rubia tinctorum." This and more detailed history on this romantic color at: Winsor Newton Spotlight on Colour: Rose Madder Genuine

Left to Right:

Winsor Newton Artist Oil Colour, Rose Madder Genuine$21.50 for 37 ml (shown)
Daler and Rowney Oil Colour, Rose Madder (Quinacridone) $6.97, 75 ml tube (shown)
Gamblin Artist's Oil Colors, Quinacridone Red $4.77, 37 ml tube (shown).
 * Prices from Dickblick.com, as of 4/25/2020.
Quinacridone is sold is a less expensive substitute for rose madder, but there are differences in color. I will definitely keep all three, but if I want to cover a lot of canvas, I'll opt for the Daler and Rowney.
 
It's hard to discern the subtle color differences on screen, but to my eye, the Winsor Newton is the most beautiful and subtle, the Daler and Rowney a close second in terms of imitating the rose color of the Winsor Newton. 
The Gambin quinacridone red is a beautiful red in it's own right, but less of a match to the Winsor Newton. They all share a lovely transparency, which is why the white canvas shines through on the Flower Chair.

Where to Begin?

It can be anxiety producing to pick up a paint brush and begin. I'm trying to discipline myself to do thumbnail drawings, quick sketches, any sort of preparatory work before diving into anything. I'm hoping that this little chair will pass the screen test and provide me a new star for my chair series.  This exercise is an excellent way to edit out boring non-starters, and gives me a way to begin.

These are all on large sketch paper, which seems wasteful but forces me to work fast and large, and keeps me from bogging down into small detail. It also enables keeping the eyes straight ahead and not looking downward. The idea is to use large, sweeping, whole arm movements.












#1 - Five minute timer:
Not too bad, but I didn't get the angle right and one leg is too short.
















 #2 - 15 minute timer:

 I put a box around it to have a reference to line up the front with, and to help me get the perspective. It was hard to stop at 15 minutes, but that's the whole point.

 #3 - 20 minute timer:

Perspective can get thrown off if too much is added that isn't actually within the frame - as I've done here. The immediate area around the chair is really all that's in frame, so that got away from me. Drawing is such excellent exercise. After I've done a few, or many, I've made all the possible mistakes and will hopefully avoid them if this goes to paint.