Oil Painting With Bill

Hubby always wanted to learn to oil paint and I bought all the supplies get him started a few years ago but we never got into it.  We loved watching Bob Ross (His videos are still on now and then though he has passed on) and though he painted in Acrylics, we loved his easy style.  Also William Alexander who was so dramatic with passion for his Oil Paintings that he finished in a half hour per program!!  So yesterday was our day for finally getting to it!  In the 70's I taught drawing and painting to adults and children at the local YMCA in our home town.  I have painted almost all of my life.  But I have let it go by the way side as there never seems to be enough hours in the day...
  But here are the pictures of our basic "putting the colors on" from yesterday:

We are painting a lighthouse using a photograph that Bill found in a Country Magazine.  He tackled it with zest and although he has never oil painted before seemed to know instinctively how to mix colors.   Being a carpenter and woodworker, he eyed the canvas up and divided it for horizon line.

 I really loved the way he put the sky in, blending Cobalt Blue with Cadmium white and using a dabbing motion with a half inch brush to blend.  Lookin' good!

In no time he had the lighthouse roughly painted in and the rocks at its base with a pool of water at the bottom.  Much to my surprise, he needed hardly any instruction on my part at all!  He found it very interesting that we could both be looking at the same picture and see it differently.  But that is what makes YOUR painting yours and mine-mine.  When I taught, I never touched the other person's canvas, I always painted side by side and showed how to do it on my own canvas and the student painted from watching on their canvas.

I realized that what I thought was a rock in the pool of water at the bottom of the photo was really a reflection of just the top of the lighthouse - ha! ( I am sitting farther away from the typing page size model we are using)  I have not decided yet if I will change my "rock" or not-ha!

But after a couple of hours, this is what we accomplished for our first day and we were both pleased with the results so far.

And while we were painting, my Mallard Couple who always visit, did not come together, she was alone under the den windows and I panicked not knowing what happened to her lifelong partner! She was making a sad little noise and fluttering her wings in this wonderfully beautiful pattern as I have never seen before.  For more photos and video, see my Kerrie's Korner, SC blog site.

I plan to definitely draw or paint her from this beautiful picture!!  So Mr. Mallard never did show up and though it was pouring rain all day, Mrs. Mallard stayed close to the house under the den room overhang as if waiting and watching for her spouse.  By supper time she had left and I will be anxious to see if she returns this morning.

Thank you so much for visiting today and please come back soon.  We love having you over to see what we are up to and also for how-to's now and again. Have a most blessed day,

♥KERRIE♥

My Krafty heart to yours...