Gail G. Slockett Aspiring Artist

I think it is finished..at least it is signed.  I keep thinking of all the things I could change to make this better though.  I have been studying the paintings of Peter Fiore, a wonderful landscape artist and teacher.  I have taken two workshops with him.  I highly recommend them! I love his colors and shadows and light on snow.  Rather than mess around with this painting I have decided to try this same scene again but with deep blue shadows on the snow in the foreground and brighter highlights going back.  Check out his work at www.peterfiore.com

I managed to get into the studio a couple of times in the last few days but, unfortunately, I can't paint for very long at one sitting. My leg starts to cramp up.  I started this with only a palette knife but during the second session I couldn't resist picking up a brush.  I have been watching knife painting demos on youtube but it is a lot harder than it looks!  I found the palette knife much more useful when putting in the details, (like the birch trees and the twigs in the grasses), than when doing the original block in.  This is a very good subject to try all different brush and knife techniques as I am really a novice at landscapes, trees, and meadows. When I return to the studio I thought I would make the mountain in the back cooler and work on the grass line on the right before adding any more detail to the birch trees on the left and the grasses every where else.  I am waiting till I am satisfied with the snow before putting in all the larger twigs in...

This is a value or tonal sketch I did a couple days ago for a landscape painting I am hoping to work on this week.  I used a gray toned sketch pad and dark gray and black ink pens, and a white chalk pencil.  I would like to try doing this painting primarily with a palette knife. Below is the reference photo for the painting.  I took the photo while in New Hampshire last month.  The colors of the reeds and the snow were much more vibrant.  I hope I can remember them and reproduce them.

Another Sunflower Painting, Oil on Cradled Panel, 6"x 6" I did this little oil painting during my last class a couple weeks ago.  This is the third sunflower painting I have done.  I don't know what it is about sunflowers that make them so much fun to paint.  Maybe it's the chance to use bright yellows and oranges, and that they lend themselves so easily to a palette knife.  I am just starting to incorporate the palette knife into my paintings.  It really is a learning process but so exciting and fun!  I would like to get proficient enough to use them almost exclusively when painting plein air, especially when we are sailing, as there is really no clean up involved.  I had originally put in a part of the vase they were in but found it really did nothing for the painting.  It was just a distraction and I like it much better without it.  This is for sale on my website. Click here for purchase information

"Tomatoes", Oil on Panel, 6"x 8" I started this little painting in a still life class and was about to post the work in progress to Instagram. I had never used the Instagram filters before but I started playing around with them. I was looking for a looser and more exciting direction to go with it and a few of the filters gave me some wonderful inspiration. The filter I chose is called "Lo-Fi". I liked that it made the tomatoes look like they were on a wet surface. I am very happy with the result! (no filters on this photo). This is the last painting I did before my foot surgery. It is for sale on my website.  Click here for purchase information.

Last week I had foot surgery and I will be incapacitated and unable to paint for at least a few weeks.  So I finally have time to start the blog I always wanted to write.  I love this purple!  Although I usually paint standing, constantly stepping back to view my work,  I have set up my easel and studio to be able to work sitting down in a rolling chair.  But for the next few weeks I have to keep my foot elevated and painting that way is just not working out.