SPLENDOROUS SPRING

Orange and Red wildflowers blanket the meadow as we move closer to the foreground. The blossoms are made with mixes of Cadmium Red Light + Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Orange and Cadmium Red Light + White. The warm green foliage is Ultramarine Blue + Cadmium Yellow Medium.

Please keep in mind, if you’d like to see any of these images enlarged, just click on the picture.

The dark centers of the vibrant blooms are added with a mixture of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin Original.

All the different green mixtures used in the painting up to this point have been saved. Now I use them to make the oval pads of the Cactus in the foreground.

Bluebonnets nestle at the base of the cactus, protected by its sharp thorns glistening in the warm spring sunlight. Our Texas State Flowers are first blocked in with combinations of Ultramarine Blue + White and Cobalt Blue + White.

Next the White “Bonnets”, capping each blue blossom are added.

A cornucopia of colorful wildflowers, the rolling landscape of the Texas Hill Country and our Lone Star Flag on top of the barn all add up to make this a “SPLENDOROUS SPRING” day! Hope you’ve enjoyed following along as much as I’ve had painting it. I sure appreciate you and hope you’ll keep on coming back! With Big Hugs,

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© Senkarik 2024

www.senkarik.com

NOW, that’s a Texas Barn!

The sky is painted first, it’s the source of light for the painting and so influences the rest of the piece. To begin, the upper part of the blue field is covered with a mix of Cobalt Blue + White, the portion nearest the horizon is Pthalo Blue + White. Soft clouds, floating lazily along, are made with light and dark shades of White + Cadmium Orange + a touch of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson).

To view an enlargement of any of the pictures, just click on the image.

“Painting Forward” the most distant hills are bluer to make them recede. The closest one has been made warmer with combinations of Ptahlo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White. Some of the cloud highlights are added into the mixes for the sunlit part of the hillside. Trees are made with darker mixes using the same hues + Lemon Yellow.

I love all the old barns that are found in the Hill Country of central Texas. Many have horseshoes over the main door of the structure to bring Good Luck! BUT, if you decide to do this, remember to place the open part UP! You don’t want all your Luck to run out if the horseshoe is upside down.

The blue part of our Texas “Lone Star” flag is made with Ultramarine Blue + White. The White field on the upper back portion of the roof is White + Ultramarine Blue + MUD to make it appear more aged.

A tapestry of Ultramarine Blue + Dioxazine Purple + White, Dioxazine Purple + White, Magenta + White and Cadmium Red Light + Magenta + White wildfowers blanket the field in front of the barn. I’ve mixed all the colors on my palette and then smoosh the vibrant hues together on the canvas.

Oval pads of the Prickly Pear Cacti are made with the corner of my square tipped “Bright” brush.

Spring is springing all around the Texas Barn. Should finish up in our next session, hope you’ll come follow along and see how it turns out. Have a delightful day in this beautiful one Our Lord has gifted us!

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© Senkarik 2024

www.senkarik.com

Signs of Spring!

The very first harbinger of Spring in my garden is “Rosie”, the Redbud Tree. She’s covered in tiny, reddish pink buds. If you’d like to see this, or any of the other pictures larger, just click on the image.

Some of which are popping out with tiny pink petals!

My Mountain Laurels are also getting ready to burst forth with their wonderfully fragrant purple blossoms.

AND, saw my first Bluebonnets this morning!

With my heart singing with joy at the arrival of this wonderful season, I’m starting on a painting of the Texas Hill Country Spring for my gallery in Wimberley. I begin sketching the basic plan on the canvas with a brush dipped in a thin oil wash of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin Original. My wrist is braced against the mahl stick that is hooked over the top of my easel. This steadies my hand so I can delineate the star on the Texas Flag barn roof.

What’s a Mahl Stick? CLICK HERE to learn more!

Bluebonnets will cluster around a Prickly Pear Cactus in the foreground.

I realized I had the star in the wrong place on the barn roof, so that’s been redrawn. I’m ready to begin painting with opaque oils in our next session. Hope you’ll come follow along!

To make it even easier to follow along, 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.

I appreciate you subscribing to my blog! With Colorful Smiles,

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© Senkarik 2024

www.senkarik.com

ESSENCE OF ALOHA

Painting today begins with the Clivia springing out of the lava rocks next to the Calla Lilies. The fluffy blossoms are mixes of Cadmium Orange + Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Red Light + Cadmium Orange with accents of pure Cadmium Orange.

You may click on any image to see it larger.

Lava Rocks can be seen just beneath the surface of the shallow pond water. The shapes are indistinct, the water blurs the crisp details you can see in the rocks lining the pond.

Reflections of the Bougainvillea are pulled straight down, into the wet paint of the water below them.

Before I began painting, the canvas was attached to a cardboard backing that extends above and below the piece, making it easier to handle while it’s still wet. So, to paint the lower edge of the gallery wrap canvas, the entire unit is taken off the easel, turned upside down and leaned against the taboret beside my easel.

With my palette conveniently to my left, I continue painting the rocks, reflections and water over the bottom edge. You can see how image also extends onto the side of gallery wrap canvas.

My collectors love the Jacaranda Trees that shade the meadows in the upcountry of the Big Island. In May they bring a wonderful splash of Purple to the landscape, with a lush carpet of the same beautiful color covering the ground underneath. To provide a memory of the amazing trees I’m planting some Purple Astors made of several combinations of Dioxazine Purple + White and Dioxazine Purple + Ultramarine Blue + White.

Dots of Cadmium Yellow + Cadmium Orange and Cadmium Yellow + Lemon Yellow are used for the bright centers.

A Bird of Paradise hugs the base of the Plumeria Tree. The broad leaves are mixes of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White.

The Bird-like flowers are done in two steps. #1. Beak and Head are delineated first with a lighter mix of the foliage color. #2. The brilliant petals are Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Yellow Medium and Lemon Yellow. Cadmium Red Light is used to line the beak and streak down the stalk.

THE ESSENCE OF ALOHA

Akahi – Kindness to be expressed with Tenderness

Lokahi – Unity to be expressed with Harmony

Oloulu – Agreeability to be expressed with Pleasantness

Haahaa – Humility to be expressed with Modesty

Ahonui – Patience to be expressed with Perseverance

Come wander through the fragrant garden, dip your toes in the warm water and enjoy the magical sound of the Hawaiian surf in the background. I pray this will fill everyone’s heart with THE ESSENCE OF ALOHA! Thank you for following my blog. With Hugs full of ALOHA,

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© Senkarik 2024

www.senkarik.com

Plumeria, Calla Lilies, Caladium and Bogies!

The leaves of the Plumeria Tree are painted with mixes of Ultramarine Blue + Lemon Yellow + Cadmium Yellow Medium. Touches of Pthalo Blue + White are added here and there to bring coolness to the foliage. I continue the tree over the side of the gallery wrap canvas.

Please keep in mind, if you’d like to see any of the pictures larger just click on the image.

Alizarin Crimson + White blossoms also cascade unto the side of the canvas.

The dark centers of the fragrant blooms are added with a mix of Alizarin Crimson + Liquin Original.

The Plumeria Tree is complete!

The lava rocks separating the two fish ponds are painted with warmer mixtures of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Cadmium Orange + more Ultramarine Blue + White. The warmth of these rocks brings them forward of the ones in the distance.

Leaves of the Calla Lilies are made with brighter combinations of Pthalo Blue + Lemon Yellow. The dark shadows in the depths of the foliage are Pthalo Blue + Liquin Original.

The lava rocks and water provide a dark backdrop that accentuates the distinctive white flowers.

Tall stamens spring from the depths of the creamy blossoms. They are painted with Cadmium Yellow Medium + MUD, while highlights are added with Cadmium Yellow Medium + White.

A Caladium peers out from its cozy spot tucked between the Ginger and Bougainvillea.

The Pink Bogie is composed of several shades of Permanent Rose + White.

Our Hawaiian garden surrounding the fish ponds continues to grow. Stay Tuned….there’s more to come! With Colorful Smiles,

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© Senkarik 2024

www.senkarik.com

Heliconia and Ginger

The Bougainvillea is blocked in with several shades of Magenta + White. Please keep in mind as you read through my blog, you may click on any image to see it larger.

Reflections of the crashing waves and rocks are pulled straight downward into the wet paint of the water directly below them.

The rich magenta of the Bougainvillea also reflects into the calm water underneath its colorful bracts.

Sunlight spills into the painting from the left, streaking out from behind what will soon be the dark grove of Lobster Claw Heliconia and Red Ginger.

Mixtures of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Yellow Medium have been used for the tall Heliconia on the left. Several combinations of Ultramarine Blue + Lemon Yellow make up the leaves of the Ginger plant nestled at its base.

Individual petals of the Red Ginger blossoms are delineated using the corner of a #8 Bright (square tipped) Brush dipped in mixes of Alizarin Crimson + Cadmium Red Deep + White.

The long strands of the Lobster Claw Heliconia flowers are first painted with Cadmium Red Deep + Magenta, Cadmium Red Deep and Cadmium Red Light.

Next, the yellow tips on the distinctive blooms are added with Cadmium Yellow Medium + MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson), Cadmium Yellow Medium and Cadmium Yellow Medium + White.

Finishing the wind rippled water in the upper fish pond completes our session for today. I’ll be doing more planting next time. Hope you’ll grab some gardening gloves and come back to give me a hand!

With Happy Hugs,

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© Senkarik 2024

www.senkarik.com

Waving Palms and Crashing Waves

On all of my paintings that incorporate landscape, I begin applying the color with the sky. This is because the heavens above are the source of light and influence the atmosphere in the painting. Since it’s a bright, sunshiny day here in our Hawaiian piece, three mixtures are prepared: #1. White + Cobalt Blue. #2. White + Pthalo Blue. #3. Mix #2 + more White.

Please remember, you may click on any image to see it larger.

The #1 mix is used for the upper portion of the blue field. Moving down I begin adding #2 in the midportion of the sky, while the lightest, #3 mix is used closest to the horizon. The canvas is left blank where the fluffy clouds will be.

The darkest shadows of the clouds are White + MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + a tiny bit of Cadmium Orange. The sun warmed highlights will be added with White + a touch of Ultramarine Blue + a little Cadmium Orange.

The long slope of Kohala Volcano fills the background in this view from the fish ponds at the Resort. I found this picture on Google.

Cloud shadows and outcroppings of lava dapple the side of this volcano which last erupted over 60,000 years ago!

The distant edge of the ocean at the base of the volcano is painted with a mix of MUD + Ultramarine Blue + White. Then a fine liner brush, dipped in a mix of White + Ultramarine Blue, is used to delineate the waves crashing against the shoreline.

Palms wave and sway in the delightful sea breeze. Come watch how they are painted in the following Video!

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Painting the Waving Palms!

Work continues on the ocean. Lighter and brighter mixes of Pthalo Blue + White are used as the water gets shallower near the foreground.

Waves crash against the outer lava rock wall of the fish ponds. The shadow portion of the waves are White + Ultramarine Blue. The sparkling surf, painted with pure White, is formed by quickly and lightly pulling the brush upward in the direction of the splashing water.

I had originally planned to plant Banana Trees behind the Bougainvillea at the base of the palms. However, seeing how beautifully the azure water and the distant surf contrasts with the brilliant Magenta of the Bougainvillea, I’ve decided to leave them out. The light in the background, juxtaposed against the rich darkness of the bush adds to the depth of the painting.

More painting to go in our next session. Thank you for following along today, do come back and join us! With Warm Hugs,

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© Senkarik 2024

www.senkarik.com