Light in the Sky, 11 x 14, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 

Thicket, painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Thicket, 2014, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 11x14

 

All of my canvases are usually primed with a dark, warm tone. I build a painting starting with a dark toned canvas background and work into the light. The light forms are scumbled in, and then back to the darks. I do this over and over until I've got the forms built and the negative shapes working in a that balances and works compositionally. It's later that I start on the details. Thicket was done in just this way.

I've been working that way for almost 35 years, but lately have been working straight onto white gessoboard for some of my daily paintings. I'm a great one for mixing things up now and then--otherwise I become either complacent, or worse, bored.  The change makes me think about the canvas in a different way and the light bounces back differently.  I have to really work to get in the darks. 

 

The studio/gallery will be open next week for the regular hours - Wed-Fri 10-5, Sat 10-2, but I'll be taking a few days off.  See you soon! 

Limeade, painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Limeade, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 11x14

 



 



Exploring an idea, and Late Day Light by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Late Day Light, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 11x14

 

 

I'm continuing to explore the late day light against the trunks of a row of palms seen recently in the Everglades at the end of a day.  I was so lucky to have see it.  Moments like this fade quickly, and if you happen to be looking the other way you might miss it completely.  Morning light is often like that, fading or changing quickly while I'm in the shower! 

 

Although I have painted almost every day for years, being inside the studio for so many hours a week will definitely have an effect on my work.  I'm not sure how--like most artists I may never know.  You just have to paint from the heart and hope the finished product will please you and make someone happy. 

 

In this series I am finding that the balances are very delicate.  I'm talking about how many verticals, and their position, as well as the color harmony.  Painting is a process, and as this painting developed the palm trunks changed position a few times.  I'd like to get them leaning a little more, but when I tried leaning them, the whole looked rather forced and trivial.  They ended up straight again. 

 

In nature each plant finds its own space, and it may take another visit to the spot to see exactly how they grow in order to change what my mind has seen. More to think about, and maybe work on in another painting. I may do a still larger painting of this subject, but am not sure how it will translate.  I'll think about it and maybe some sketches to see if it will scale well.