Plowing Away...

I realized yesterday as I was working on the tractor and plow that I really didn't have a firm grasp of the plow-thingy.  I couldn't locate the photo I'd originally referenced and all I had to look at was a crude sketch in ye olde sketchbook.  My drawing experience is limited when it comes to mechanical things (and not high on my list of popular subject matter).  The more I worked on it, the more uncomfortable I became - I was just "wingin' it."

So, I scoured the internet for a good plow photo only to discover that good plow photos are hard to find.  Who knew?  I finally found something to work from - a photo of a toy model John Deere tractor and plow.  Of course, it was the wrong orientation and viewpoint, but I could work with that.

This evening, my one painting mission was to solve the plow problem and, at least, get it off to a good start (or restart).  After 2 1/2 hours (time really flies when I'm painting), I'm happy with the change.  I feel like it is a major hurdle that I've overcome.  At least I have a plow that is grounded in reality.

More details to be defined...

And now, I can move on to more "fun" stuff to paint!

Venturing Into Panel #3...

While I continue to play around with the layers in the first two panels, I've also been laying in base colors on the third panel.  Things have slowed down a teensy bit because of time off to celebrate Easter, but also because color needs are a bit more demanding. 

The first couple panels depict a scene we're all familiar with here on the Central Coast - a John Deere in the midst of rich brown soil and green hillsides.  There will be a little more color added in this part, but the limited color is intended for a sense of calm, familiarity, and contrast with the energy that's in the rest of the mural.



Each container is labeled with the different colors
used to mix that particular color

However, as I enter the "celebration" part of the mural, you can see that my collection of color mixtures is growing quickly.  For every color you see on the panels, there are usually 3 or 4 versions of it ranging from dark to light.  I'm also trying to mix a quantity of each color so that I won't run out right away.



Going for more bluish leaves on the cauliflour wave to stand out agains the warmer
green hillside and the green crops that will eventually be in the fields.

Today, I spent a bit of time playing with greens.  I have many different greens in this part of the painting - cauliflour leaves, broccoli, grape leaves, a strawberry plant...some are bright, others deeper, and still others, bluish.  Catch a wave...