I’m generally an “editor”: putting down paint, observing, changing, wiping out &/or adding on. Paintings can take weeks, months — even years to finish! But last fall I challenged myself to do a work Alla prima. That’s an Italian term for a painting with one layer of pigment instead of multiple, finished in one sitting. At once!
I had the image in mind, chose the colours and went at her! It was frightening, exhilarating and . . . effective! I didn’t have time to worry about the believability of the cows or how the light hit the fields.
This turned out to be quite liberating too. Colour mixing decisions were made on the fly and intentionally simple. Once the paint was down I moved on to the next section. Phew!
I was delighted with the results, enjoying the colour juxtapositions and the subtlety of the bovines. They kinda sneak up on the viewer.
Like artist friend, Lynne Ayers, I’m trying exercises to move me from comfortable into different & challenging. This first exercise worked out well, I think. Despite being a more traditional landscape, the colours & flow are arresting.
yvonnecallawayarts.ca 