Hot weekend. But more to come...

It was quite hot weekend. But I went to Bellevue Arts Fair on Sunday. There were more than 300 booths in the garage of Bellevue Squire and along the access road. This was my first time there because it happens in the same weekend with Alki Art Fair every year. As I expected, not so many 2D painter's booths. Just like West Seattle Street Fair. People were there to enjoy "stuff", which is not necessarilly to be fine art. But I'm sure there were much more poeple than Alki Art Fair can bring in. Nice summer entertainment event, for sure.

Tonight, I worked on the Yakima River a little bit. I'm still defining the positions of bigger shapes and those shapes themselves. It's still in drawing stage. I'll gradually get to the colors.

It's been more than four months...

Unlike most of painters, I'm making progress very slowly. Or some might say I'm not making much progress. I can't deny that. However, that seems to be my style to get there eventually to express my emotion toward each piece. At least so far.

I worked on the background hill side a while. I toned down the contrast between lighter and darker parts. I still need to make lighter part more lighter. I think. But it's getting closer to what I want it to be. I tried more redish color for the darker shadow part once. It didn't work well. So I ended up with bluish purple for the part.

I'll come back to the trees again next.

Started Vibrating...

Finally, I started putting highlighted colors. I tried expressing subtle color variations by using Hansa yellow light and cadmium yellow medium. For these intense orangish yellows, I had to use the cadmium color, which I regularly avoid. Now the colors of poplars started vibrating on canvas.

I haven't committed with those colors just yet. But wanted to make highlighted part a little highlighted before finalizing the colors of the background hill. Next, I'll work on the water.

Experiment with "Orchards"

I went to Yakima again for July 4th weekend. I enjoyed local fireworks last night. Then I drove around orchards near Sunnyside, Granger, Zillah this morning. I couldn't determine where to paint. Then finally picked this spot along Konnowac Pass Rd.

I had had this idea quite a while, painting orchards. As I expected, I had a problem getting perspective right. Then how to paint rows of apple trees. Also subtle color changes from an orchard to another. Some might be grapes, or apricots. Or just a different kind of apples. This time I made them enough dark though.