First Day Painting the Mansion at Oatlands

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The weather was perfect today for painting! I got to Oatlands a little after 11 and went to my pre-chosen spot in the garden. It took a little while to set up my easel (I'm using a half-box French easel because of the large canvas - it's 31" high), tweak the length of the legs so it was level on the slightly uneven ground, get my palette, paints and brushes arranged, and position the umbrella so it cast shade in the most important area - my mixing palette. The canvas was too large and the umbrella too small to keep the whole canvas in the shade, but it was OK. 

Progress shot - getting the layout roughed in

After my physical set up was ready, I spent quite a while peering through my view finder and measuring, to make sure I got things positioned as I wanted. I like to be accurate with architecture, and this is quite a complex structure. I used Gamsol to draw with thinned down paint. If I needed to correct my drawing, I wiped it out with a paper towel and Gamsol. 

By the time I was satisfied with the drawing and ready to start putting colors down, it was already 12:30, and I was only supposed to paint until 1, when the reception began. As 1:00 came and went, I sent my husband Hal back to the Visitor Center to give my apologies to the club and tell them that I had to keep painting. The light was perfect and I needed to take advantage of it!

The weather was gorgeous, visitors walked around the garden, there was even a small wedding happening nearby!

This was as far as I got today. A combination of the time, the movement of the sun, and running out of steam!

I started this painting with the foreground. I wanted to get the sun hitting the leaves of the canna plants, and the colorful light and shadow on the dirt and grass. Then I roughed in the balustrade and lawn beyond. I didn't think I'd have time to tackle the house today, but I did start to lay in some colors in the shady areas on the house. They're not right yet, but I will adjust them later as I get other colors placed around them.

I'm happy with what I accomplished today, and looking forward to tomorrow! It's supposed to be a little cloudier and warmer, but hopefully I will have some periods of full sun. Tomorrow I will start with the sky and work on the house. I'll also put those gorgeous red Canna flowers in, before they fall off.

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