BLOCKS, SHELL & LEMON IN OVERCAST LIGHT

This was the second study of these objects, painted in overcast light outdoors. The cast shadows are lighter and softer and the shadow side of the objects are warmer than in the full sun variation. I also noticed that objects colors appear more true to their natural hue (local color) than in the bright sun. These were done in three sittings using only a palette knife.

Oil on canvas board
9" X 12"

info: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

BLOCK, SHELL & LEMON IN SUN

Painting colored blocks and some simple objects on a colored cloth outdoors in varied kinds of light was the way Henry Hensche taught his students to discover for themselves how to interpret the light key. You have to struggle to really see the color of light by comparing everything with everything else. I painted this still life in full sun and then again in overcast. El Cerrito is a good place to do this in the summer. It invariably is overcast in the morning and burns off to full sun the afternoon!
I learned so much by doing this comparative study.

Oil on canvas board

9" X 12"

for more info: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

PLASTER CAST COLOR STUDY

This was a class still life study in the Hensche tradition. Every area of color is compared with every other area to re-create the effect of the illumination. After working outdoors with the fast changing light- this indoor exercise with spotlights seems much simpler.

Oil on canvas board

9" X 12"

contact:lisagreenstein@gmail.com

SPIRIT ROCK

This was painted on a summer morning outside the Spirit Rock Meditation Center. The place was named for this rock, which has some sort of bush growing over it. The early light was very pink and the distant hills looked that pink to me. I'm not sure what the rock story is - maybe part of a native American legend.

Oil on canvas board

9" X 12"

info: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

STILL LIFE COLOR STUDY

This is a study of light and color and was done in one sitting at  l'Atelier aux Couleurs- where I have been taking color classes for over a year. The challenge is to paint the color of the light more than the local color of the object and to paint one color note next to another by comparing value, warmth and hue. We use a palette knife, which gets more paint and color on the surface and less detail. Its difficult to do this, but really strengthens the seeing of color.
9 X 12"
Oil on canvas panel