Warmth of the Mediterranean Sun

Lavender, giving a fragrant greeting in the rock planter by the door, is blocked in with several combinations of Magenta + White, Magenta + Dioxazine Purple + White and Dioxazine Purple + White. Please remember, you may click on any image to see an enlargement.

White Hollyhocks, gently swaying in the soft sea breeze, reside on the other side of the doorway.

After adding the dark centers and yellow stamens to the Hollyhocks, Geraniums are planted in the Sevres Green Window Box. The blooms are blocked in with mixes of Cadmium Red Deep + Magenta, Cadmium Red Deep and Cadmium Red Deep + Cadmium Red Light. The foliage is made of Pthalo Blue + Lemon Yellow.

The addition of small buds give the Geraniums their distinctive appearance.

Silver Pony Foot Vine cascades out from under the Geranium leaves in the foreground container.

Cheerful Sunflowers fill the wicker basket on the table.

VIDEO PROGRESSION: “Warmth of the Mediterranean Sun” from Sketch to Finished Painting.

AHHHH, we’re done!!!! Come take a seat with me to enjoy the beautiful view of the sailboats gliding across the azure waters of the southern coast of Provence! If you listen closely I bet you can hear the Church Bell ringing in the distance! Thanks for following along. With Big Hugs,

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© Senkarik 2022

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Sevres Green and Cobalt Blue

A color combination that I’ve always liked is Sevres Green and Cobalt Blue. Both colors are available in Rembrandt Oils. The window and flower box are painted with Sevres Green + White. You may click on this, or any of the other images, to see enlargements.

Before we get to the Cobalt Blue though, I need to lay the terra cotta tile floor. The entire surface is first covered, establishing the light and shadow pattern. Mixes of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Cadmium Orange, MUD + Cadmium Orange + Cadmium Red Light + White and MUD + Cadmium Orange + White are used. A few brushstrokes with some of the Blues from the ocean are made at the very back of the floor, near the base of the wall. The cooler color makes the floor appear to recede.

Perspective lines are etched into the wet surface of the floor with a fine liner brush dipped in a thin mixture of MUD + Liquin Original.

The same MUD + Liquin Original mix is used to draw the table and chair legs into the wet paint of the floor and wall.

NOW for the Cobalt Blue! The Bistro Chairs are blocked in with several shades of Cobalt Blue + White. The lightest mix is used to delineate the edges of the thin boards that make up the seats and backs.

The Sevres Green flower box and Cobalt Blue chairs are especially striking, juxtaposed against the warmth of the red door, terra cotta tile floor and rugged roofs below the terrace. We’ll be planting in our next session. Come watch the flowers come alive! With Colorful Smiles,

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© Senkarik 2022

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HAPPY EASTER!

HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

The love God shows and the beauty He creates leaves us in total awe. Our hearts are filled with peace and tranquility, knowing He gave His only son to die for our sins. We rejoice, CHRIST HAS RISEN!

During these crazy times I feel it’s even more important to reach out and let you know that I’m so blessed you are part of my life. Your friendship, continued encouragement, support, thoughts and prayers have been incredibly wonderful over the years. I am very, very Grateful. Thank you for being here for me.

HAPPY EASTER!

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© Senkarik 2022

http://www.senkarik.com

Red and White Stripes

The sun-warmed, terra cotta tile roofs of the bell tower and buildings below the terrace glow against the cool, azure water behind them. Many of you have asked, am I working in acrylics or oils? I use Oil Paint exclusively. I like the mixability and the freedom to paint wet into wet that the longer drying time allows. Please remember, you may click on this, or any of the other images, to see enlargements.

The ancient stones of the wall and arch are painted with mixes of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Cadmium Orange + Cadmium Yellow Medium + White. A thin mix of MUD + Liquin Original is used to loosely indicate the crevices between the rocks.

Several shades of Permanent Rose + White are used to block in the brilliant, hot pink Bougainvillea.

The shadow portion of the door is Cadmium Red Deep + Magenta, the lighter area is pure Cadmium Red Light. After adding the door handle with the MUD + Liquin Original mix, the highlight is made with some of the lightest blue mixture from the sky.

Now for our Red and White awning. Since it’s in shadow, with no direct sunlight illuminating the awning, the white stripes are painted with mixes of White + MUD, White + Ultramarine Blue + MUD and White + Ultramarine Blue + Cadmium Orange. The red stripes, originally washed in with Alizarin Crimson + Liquin Original, are now dry. They are allowed to show through the Whites to be my guide when painting the red stripes with opaque oils.

Now the red stripes are painted with Cadmium Red Deep + Magenta and Cadmium Red Deep.

That’s all for this session. Please come back and visit my studio to see how this painting turns out! With Big Hugs,

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© Senkarik 2022

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Peninsula of Billionaires!

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Blue Skies!

Blocking in the Azure Water is next. The most distant water is made more muted with a mix of Ultramarine Blue + MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + White. As I paint forward the colors become brighter and more intense. The water in the middle area is Ultramarine Blue + White and Ultramarine Blue + Pthalo Blue + White. Moving closer a mix of Pthalo Blue + White is used. The water at the base of the mountain and directly behind the buildings is Pthalo Turquoise Blue + White.

Please remember, you may click on this or any of the other images to see enlargements.

The peninsula of Cap Ferrat is painted with combinations of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White and Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + MUD + White. The village of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, with its many luxurious hotels and opulent historic villas, is located on this finger of land known as France’s “Peninsula of Billionaires”!

The warmth of the rocks in the bluff, behind the sunflowers, makes it come forward of the “Peninsula of Billionaires” in the distance. Cadmium Orange + MUD and Cadmium Orange + MUD + White are used.

In my next post, we’ll be painting the bell tower and tile roofs below the terrace. Hope you’ll come back to my studio and follow along. In the meantime, have a delightful day! With Big Hugs,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2022

www.senkarik.com

My Heart is Full of Gratitude

Jack and I have always said our TEAM SENKARIK Family Members are the most AWESOME in the world! So many of you jumped in to bid on “WIND DANCERS”. When the bidding war was over and the dust settled, a lucky collector won the Sunflowers for $970. WOW! The eBay fee was $135, giving us $835 for Ukraine.

THEN, immediately after the auction, I received a phone call from a very generous TEAM SENKARIK Member who said he was sending a check for $500 to add to the donation! I’m overwhelmed. WE are going to be able to donate a TOTAL OF $1,335 to the UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN RELIEF FUND.

My heart is full of gratitude. Please accept my sincere THANK YOU for your help in supporting our friends in Ukraine who are suffering the horrible ravages of war.

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© Senkarik 2022

www.senkarik.com

Traveling in Paint!

One of the coolest things about being an artist is we can travel anywhere in the world we want in our paintings. So today, in the comfort of my studio, I’m going to the Southern Coast of France. This imaginary courtyard is located in the Medieval hilltop village of Eze, overlooking the French Riviera. Here’s my rough pencil sketch. Since this is not a commission and the sketch won’t be shown to a client, I don’t take the time to make a finished pen and ink drawing. As you read through my post please keep in mind, you may click on any of the images to see enlargements.

I begin drawing the basic plan on the primed canvas with a brush dipped in a thin oil wash of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin Original. Using the straight edge of the T-Square as my guide, the perspective lines for the seats of the chairs are drawn.

Work continues as I construct the building, roof and doorway.

The gnarly trunk of a Bougainvillea nestles in the corner between the doorway and arch.

Browsing through all of the reference pictures Jack and I have taken, I found a really cool church bell tower that fits perfectly below the terrace. The flowers are labeled so I won’t forget what I initially had decided to plant!

The peninsula of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat is drawn in the distance. Next the red stripes on the awning are delineated in a thin oil wash of Alizarin Crimson + Liquin Original.

We’re all sketched up and ready to begin painting with opaque oils in our next session. Hope you’ll come watch, I’m planning to have a VIDEO DEMONSTRATION!

I’d like to invite you to subscribe to my blog, you’ll receive an email every time I publish a new post. CLICK THIS LINK and scroll to the upper right side of the page. You will see a heading EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS. Just click the button “Sign me up!”  It’s easy. Please keep in mind, to move through the blog when you get the posts, just CLICK on the small titles at the top of the page. The one on the right for the next post or the title on the left side for the previous session.

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With Happy Hugs,

ALL SENKARIK IMAGES ARE PROTECTED UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW

© Senkarik 2022

www.senkarik.com