Michael McGuire Art

I finally got around to finishing this painting yesterday afternoon. Apart from the foreground, I also did further refinement on the sky, the mountains and some of the middleground area. I've included a couple of close ups as well to show texture and brushwork.

I made a good bit of progress on the painting this morning. Firstly, I did a little more work on the sky, making the right hand side somewhat warmer. I then lightened the overcast forested area in the middleground, as I felt it had gotten a little too dark. I also made this area and the adjacent sunlit areas slightly bluer and lower chroma to push them back further. I didn't feel this necessary yesterday, but having had a fresh look this morning, felt it was necessary, so that the foreground could be painted in realistic colour without going overly chromatic. I then moved to the foreground, working first on the field on the left, then the right hand bushes and grass in shadow and finally the track. It is beginning to come together now, probably requiring another couple of hours work. All going well, I should finish it tomorrow. Here it is as of now:-



And a detail, showing the work on the right foreground, which is mainly knifework. I want to get a lot of value contrast into this area, but at the same time keep it loose so that the eye doesn't get drawn there - the knife is great for this.

I haven't painted for a few days (Christmas shopping and garden maintenance took priority!), but got back to this one this morning. The first thing that struck me was that the distant hills needed a lot more blue, so I scumbled in some cerulean blue (the painting is now dry, facilitating this technique). I then scumbled in some slighter warmer, but almost neutral greys to suggest sunlight on the distant hills. Then I worked on the middleground forested area, just suggesting trees and differentiating between the sunlit and overcast portion. I also gave the nearer hill on the right a bit more chroma and contrast to bring it forward from the forested hill in the middleground. Finally, I roughed in, with a knife, some of the colour I plan for the foreground, just to make sure that I have enough chromatic punch left for that area (if I hadn't, I would have had to kill some of the middleground chroma). I am satisfied that the painting is going to turn out well now and will probably finish it this week. Here is where it is now:-




And a detail of the distaint mountains and middleground forest, which was the main area I worked on this morning:-

I've been busy with other things over the last few days but got some time to paint this morning. Here is where I got to after about 2.5 hours:-



I need to work on the foreground now before doing any more refinement in the middleground and background.

I started working this morning on a painting from some photos I took in September on the Ring of Kerry in South West Ireland. The particular view is one that would be fairly familiar to locals with Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntouhil (on the left) and its sister peak, Beenkeragh (on the right) in the background. I was drawn to the scene by the interlocking patterns of the hills and mountains and the alternating light and shadow patterns created by the clouds. I had to play around with the perspective a bit to improve the composition, but without changing the shapes of well known landmarks too much. Here is my main reference photo and my initial block-in. I'll probably leave the painting until Monday now to let it dry a little. I always start with a lean mix (60/40 solvent/oil) which tacks up very quickly.

I wasn't entirely happy with the foreground tracks inthe field when I looked at it this morning. So I replaced some of the reds in the shadow patches in the foreground with a more neutral and darker grey-green - strong complimentary contrasts nearly always look wrong when they are in the foreground of a painting. Also I felt that the tree and hedge needed a little more red, so I added some permanent rose to that area. I think it looks better as a result. Regardless, it's finished now - time to move on.

I've been away for a few days and also had computer problems, so I could neither paint nor post. Anyway back in gear this morning, so I finished the painting. Nothing overly spectacular, just completing the unfinished areas and pumping up the contrast a little here and there. Finally, I softened a few edges in the background.