Behind the Scenes

This is a reference photo of Gregory Vineyards that I want to paint. First of all, I like the composition and second, I'm going to have a one man show there on April 22 from 2 p.m. till 8 p.m. I will have this painting and other framed originals there to purchase and multiple prints of originals also.

 First, I quickly sketch in reference guide lines for the building with a charcoal pencil. Notice the guide lines are where certain points, horizontal, diagonal and lateral, occur in in the reference photo. For composition purposes, I did not center the main subject.


Next I sketch in the building using my guidelines. I adjust as I need to. This is a reference sketch so the final adjustment can be made when I do the actual painting.



Next I lay in the color of the sky and foreground with a thin wash of paint mixed with linseed oil.. My (go to) paints are Windsor Newton Griffin Alkyd. I love the consistency and they are fast drying. I may thin with linseed oil or walnut oil, depending which one I have on hand. I also may add a minute amount of Windsor Newton Lyquin to speed drying even more. I like to completely cover the canvas so that I can easily see the hues for color composition.

Next I put in the darks and shadows. It helps sometime to look at the subject or reference photo and squint your eyes and you will easily see the dark shadows. If you notice in the photo that the sun is at the 11 o'clock position. I also am making the paint thicker at this point. I try to paint thick over thin as a general rule.

 Next, I paint in the mid tones in the foreground and the building. Notice I darkened the trees as well so the lighter hues of the building stands out in the finished painting. I also did not blend the foreground


 

 

Finally, I added detail and highlights. If you notice, the extreme foreground the leaves are biggest, then as the grapevines recede into the background they get smaller. I also added some grapes to break up the greenish foreground. I then did some negative painting with a darker hue to bring out some foreground leaves. I purposely did not go to  the extremes on the highlights because I wanted the entire painting to appear softer. For that reason also I did not add clouds in the sky. I just wanted the Gregory Vineyards Building to be the focal point. I then signed it and called it finished. The reason I say that ,is because, as an artist, the hardest thing to do is to know when to quit. I hope you enjoyed this. If you did please feel free to subscribe to this blog. I will have more "Behind the scenes" periodically.

Gregory Vineyards

original plein air study of old mule barn in Lee County N.C.
I am mainly a Plein air painter capturing everyday life and traditions in rural North Carolina. 'I can become extremely excited about an old tobacco barn.'
As a young boy in the first grade I started drawing. From North Carolina, I traveled the world thanks to the military. A veteran of 26 years, I served two tours in Viet Nam with the Air Force and after a break of 16 years, I joined the Army during Desert Storm. In 2004 I stayed the year in Iraq and finally retired in 2008.
I've always loved art but put most of my creative juices into Photography as a wedding photographer and the senior photographer for a newspaper..

I seek to paint according to my own sense of values. (God,country and family) .Feeling the profound importance of wild natural places and the small farms and ranches that are the cornerstones of America's independent spirit, I try to incorporate these themes throughout my body of work. Combining naturalistic color with dynamic composition, scenes of peace and tranquility charged with beauty, spirit and energy.I am blessed to have works in private collections all over the world and to have had Numerous awards presented to me for my demonstration of shadows with unique forms of light.

I like to spend my time painting, and traveling the country's coastal areas, National Parks ,wilderness, seeking out-of-the-way places to gather new material and inspiration.

Attended New York School of Photography
Member of:
Oil Painters of America
American Impressionist Society
Hanover Art Association
Plein Air Painters of America
Paint N.C.
Represented by:
Artistic Expressions Gallery
Studio 450
Awards:
Best in Show
People's Choice Award
Honorable Mention
(C) Copyright ALL RIGHTS reserved
All work in this gallery is the original work of Joe Byrd. It is for sale, copyrighted to Joe Byrd and, as such, is protected by US and International Copyright laws.

Behind the Scenes------ This video is very UNPOLISHED, but when I get in my new studio I'll be able to make, edit etc. videos. In the meantime you'll have to suffer through it...... HAHA. Just a little tidbit on the painting I'm working on today.

My Daily Paintworks

I wanted to try something different when I came across some leftover tile in the garage......
I decided to paint a lighthouse scene so I applied acrylic first to cover tile. Then I used Turner Acryl Gouche with watercolor. When it was finished it looked a little dull so I sprayed Krylon Triple Thick
Clear Glaze on it. The glaze worked fine except for the ultra fine print that is on the painting.  O.K.!
Next one will be glazed before I apply the printing. If anyone has any other tips or comments feel
free to share.

Trying to Juggle

Does anyone have the problem of juggling time between job, family and Art. I do. For one thing I went back to public work after being retired for four years. Now I don't have the freedom to paint as I did. I MISS IT. I have got to set a schedule but-------gosh----- I'm tired when I get off work. When I wake up in the morning, my intentions are sincere-------"When I get off work, I'm going to the studio and paint till 11 P.M."      ----- Then in the evening--- "Gosh! I'm tired"

There's a lot to be said for youth. I'm a youth 4 times over.

Here are three rule that I should really focus on. I am really going to try.

1- Stick to a Strict Schedule

One of the biggest advantages to being your own boss is setting your own schedule. But that doesn’t mean that work has to slide into family time and vice versa. Find a balance between the responsibilities of your business and your children no matter how tough it is, especially when your studio is at home and you’re truly never far from work. Ugh, (Unless you're tired)

2) Stay In Focus, No Matter Where You Are

Focus on the job at hand. Be present in the moment, and with the people you’re with at that time. Give all your attention to your art when you’re working on a piece, and to your family when it’s their time for your attention.

4) Love What You Do

I hear from artist friends all day, every day, on Facebook, etc. that they love their jobs. So all I can say is------ Keeping your heart in line with your hands is the best way to guarantee success, and that you’ll wake up every morning excited about the days ahead.
O.K. Let's say every morning "Thank you God for another day" instead of saying "Oh God, another day"