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Loveta demonstrated how she creates impressionistic landscapes using a palette knife with oils. She began by drawing outlines of shapes using the colors she planned to use in those shapes, which allowed her to work out what the finished color distribution would be before committing a great deal of time and paint. She then began filling in areas, starting with the sky, for which she uses ultramarine blue mixed with white, and working her way down from there. Bringing the tree color over the blue sky takes a steady hand. The trees are given airiness by dotting some sky color on them.

Most mixing of color is done on the canvas while she works. Dark is laid down first and the lighter colors are laid on top. Paint is put straight onto the canvas without gesso. Loveta prefers to use blunt edged pallet knives, which are becoming more difficult to find. You may want to look for them on-line. Make sure to use the flat of the palette knife, not the point or edge. She also uses her finger to smear paint on the edges of the canvas. Most of the color that she uses comes straight from the tube. She later calms down the vibrant color by adding cool colors on top.

She uses lots of paint, which is expensive, but worth it. She uses modeling paste with acrylics. ZEC paste can be used with oils, but it is expensive and dries so fast that blending is difficult. She blends with a push-pull motion of the knife, drawing two areas of color into one another. To make a statement in some areas of your painting, add lighter color with a brush. If you have an area that you aren't happy with, scrape off color using your pallet knife and redo it.

Loveta completed most of the painting during the time available. Working rapidly gives a more impressionistic look. It takes a week or more for the surface to dry to the touch, longer to dry thoroughly. When it is fully dry, she applies liquin glaze for a uniform but moderate gloss. Loveta brought several completed paintings and photos of many others. She also suggested a trip to the Pearce Western Art Museum at Navarro College in Corsicana. She recommended carefully study of the brushwork there.

Our thanks to Loveta for an informative and interesting demonstration of her skillful style. Thanks are also due to Pat Blackwell, Bobbee Watts, Gloria Meadows, and Saundra Vasek for providing refreshments and to those who brought works for show and tell, samples of which are below.

 

Show and Tell

                              

 Judy Franklin                Violet Piper          Christine Niekamp          Larry Garza

 

                   

 Bobbee Watts            Nancy Cagle               John Vasek