Name That Tree ! (Photos California Trees)

This fantastic tree is one I hope to paint soon!  I photographed it at a small park in Los Angeles, California, a few years ago .   Does anyone out there know what kind of tree it might be?  I like to know what I am painting...  :-)   I will forget my copyright statement and allow this tree to be used by anyone for their own painting if you would email me  its name.    I will even send you some free postcards with one of my paintings on them as a thank you gift.   It might be an oak ??   Trees inspire me and I think they have a lot of character, but I am not real knowledgeable about a good many of them.

Below is another tree I was going to ask you about,  but I googled "red flowering trees in California" and found out it is a red coral tree, or Erythrina fusca.

Red Coral Tree

They also come with orange/coral shades of flowers.    This is not that great a photo; google "Erythrina fusca" under images for some great pictures of these beautiful flowers.   There is a reason my photography on this post is not the greatest;  after my Nikon camera got stolen (before I went to California)  I used the cheap disposable cameras you can find everywhere during my travels all over the USA.   You would be surprised to see how wonderful some photos turned out from those disposable cameras!    Now I have a good Sony digital camera that is excellent for my work. 

The photo below is of the Silk Floss tree, also taken in Los Angeles.   Somewhere along the way many of the photos of mine of that tree are missing.  

Silk Floss Tree

I painted a couple of watercolors of these blossoms while in Los Angeles, using much better reference photos.   This tree is unique because it has large "thorns" on its trunk and branches which serve to store water for dry times.   Please google images for "silk floss tree" for much better shots of these lovely flowers.  There is also interesting information on the Web about this tree's pods which contain black seeds surrounded by fluffy stuff that reminds one of silk, hence its name.  

Below are a couple of my photos taken at Echo Park in Los Angeles ; I used a disposable camera for them and they turned out better than the shots above.

I hope to finish one or both of my floral still life paintings tomorrow.   Check back with me !

My Website 

reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

Daffodils And Red Tulips On The Easel (Works In Progress)

I thought you might like to see my easel setup and the two oil still life paintings I am working on right now.  I went back to the yellow daffodil painting and it is flowing much smoother now than previously.   Those red flowers with the daffodils will become more purple when finished.   The red tulips are practically painting themselves !  Both of these florals are painted in oils.   

As you know, most floor easels like mine shown above have "gaps" with no wood behind where you put your canvas to work on.   When you are painting small works and miniatures, this can be a problem.   I solved it by placing a piece of cardboard between the back of the easel and the artwork; it is also great to put my reference photos on with "Tac" putty, which is the white patches you can see on the cardboard.

My Website

reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

Still Kickin' !! Floral Still Life Reference Photographs

The above photograph of pink roses and white anthurium was taken by me about 2 years ago, and so were the following reference photos below.     I love flowers and thought I might begin a new painting tomorrow.  My last post of a work in progress was of yellow daffodils and somehow I just couldn't get up enough enthusiasm to finish it.   I have spent some time away from the easel and pursuing other interests, but just wanted to let you know I'm still kickin'!  Enjoy my reference photographs below.

This arrangement rather excites me!  That Mexican style egg cup is one of my favorites.   

The reflections in the vase and silver teapot came out nice in this shot above.

By the way, all of these reference photographs I shot on the counter top in my kitchen.   The light is excellent there!  Besides what fun it is to photograph these still lifes, there is enjoyment in arranging the cut flowers as well.   

A little birdie told me to get busy blogging again, so please stay tuned for new paintings !

My Website

reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

African Violet Day And Still Life Videos By Jeff Legg and Daniel Keys

Salmon Ella African Violet

My photograph above of the "Salmon Ella" African Violet  is very true to the actual and unusual color of this particular plant.   It is one of my favorites in my collection of African Violets.   I intend to paint this flower on canvas one of these days.   Why am I posting photos of my African Violets?   Because they kept me from painting today!   It was long past due to re-pot them, so that occupied a good part of my day today (Monday).   For months I kept telling myself, "I'll paint first today and re-pot the violets later".   You artists know how it is.   Below are a couple of other photos showing some of what I was occupied with today.   Below that are 2 videos of 2 excellent demos of still life painting; one by artist Jeff Legg and the other by Daniel Keys.

Maverick Faded Jeans 

(an oldie and goody)

A couple of my Sinningia plants that also got re-potted today, shown on my plant stand.

(Love that true orange color)

Enjoy the 2 short clips of painting videos below.  Back to the easel for me tomorrow!

My Website

   

reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

Daffodils And Miniature Roses (Work In Progress)

The above reference photo of mine was taken some time ago, when daffodils were plentiful at the florists here in Hawaii.   It was way over a year ago when I bought them; as you know spring bulbs will not grow in this tropical climate.  Below is a close up I took as more reference for my oil painting of spring flowers.

I have no idea why I used that gold material other than it was new and I liked it, but in the oil work in progress below I opted for using a white foreground.

Work In Progress 

12" x 9" oil on panel

It is almost embarrassing to post this painting above, because it is so very rough and a little messy.   It has a long way to go yet and I want to use more exciting color and contrast in the background.  To tell the truth, I came close to what I wanted while painting today, but then wiped it off and started again.....mistake!  Sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone.   Funny how sometimes the painting paints itself with ease and other times we struggle a bit to get it right.  

My Website

reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

Slim Pickin's (Brazilian Cardinal On The Beach)

"Slim Pickin's"

11" x 14" oil on panel 

$1525

This oil painting of the Brazilian or Red-crested Cardinal is pretty true to my reference photo I took at Bellows Beach on Oahu.   There was sand inside the broken coconut shell, but evidently this fellow found something to nibble on in it as well.   On the tip of  the bird's beak are some sand particles.  The wind was blowing, which made its crest more flat against its head instead of standing up straight as in my reference photo of another cardinal shown below.  

My Website

reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

What About Color? And Natural Pigments? (In Still Life Or Other Paintings)

"Painting is a mosaic of colors weaved into a seamless whole."  - Igor Babailov

"Joyous Celebration"  

African Tulip Tree

24" x 20" Acrylic on gallery wrap canvas

My painting above was painted with a lot of joy, mostly because I was excited about the colors involved.  The vivid orange blossoms with the complimentary blue background visually moves you.   However, it is primarily a "warm" painting.   Marion Boddy-Evans has been quoted as saying, "It doesn't matter whether the overall feeling of the color in a painting is warm or cool, it just shouldn't try to be both."   Good advice.   

I began painting in oils when I was 15 years old, without any instruction to speak of except what I had learned in books about supplies needed and a few basics.   I can honestly say that from the very beginning, I painted mostly from instinct, and that particularly applied to the use of color and color mixing.  It came very natural to me, although it took a few years of painting experience to learn more about color and get a sense of what direction I wanted my art to go. I am still learning and experimenting with color today.  A quote I love is by Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin, "Who told you that one paints with colors?  One makes use of colors, but one paints with emotions."

"Iris Garden Dance"

18" x 24" oil on gallery wrap canvas

I chose to feature 2 of my flower paintings here because they are so colorful.   I find much excitement in using a variety of colors in my works.   It keeps my paintings from all looking alike and also helps me to learn more about color mixing and color harmony as I go.    Marc Chagall said, "Color is all.  When color is right, form is right.  Color is everything, color is vibration like music; everything is vibration."  I agree with that to a degree; form and contrast and value are also very important.   

I would like to tell you about a new 2 DVD set by Stephen Quiller, a well-known and respected artist, which is all about color theory and would be a great source for beginning painters.   Check out this link for more information and a short video. 

Also, there has been much interest of late about traditional artists' materials and natural pigments.  Please visit this link for a source of natural pigments, including lead white, mica lead white, ceruse, ercolano red, and many more.   They carry not only oil paints, but casein, tempera, and watercolor.   There are interesting articles on this site as well, such as the color palettes of some of the old masters.

"I try to apply colors like words that shape poems, like notes that shape music."  - Joan Miro

My Website

reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com