Saturday, September 20, 2008

Yosemite Nocturne

This October and November, I will be conducting my 5th annual Holiday watercolor and acrylic workshops here in the Sacramento area. This is the scene we will be painting. This first one is acrylic on stretched canvass (12"X16"). Workshop participants can make their own greeting cards from their completed painting. In a few days, I'll post a few greeting cards from past workshop participants and a watercolor version of this scene. The top painting is a paint- over of the first acrylic nocturne I did (bottom painting) for my acrylic holiday workshop in Nov. I needed some more drama, and I got it from the full moon. The second painting is a watercolor version for my holiday watercolor workshops in Oct. The bottom acrylic is my first try but no cigar.

21 comments:

Nava said...

Ahhh, makes me think of Van Gogh's starry-night, only not as tortured.

Nice color scheme, nice shapes, nice mood, and the touch of orangey-pink in the horizon and the creek is so, so clever!

David Lobenberg said...

Torturous painting is not in my nature, but "Starry Night" is adelightful title. Thanks, Nava.

Anonymous said...

You accomplish so much with so few colors.
I really like how you kept this so highly contrasted.
I can feel the cold holiday air.
And there goes 2008!

Pffft......

tonypetersart said...

Very nice, you maintained so much with so little color.

David Lobenberg said...

Bonnie: Pffft back to ya. Is that a greeting in St. Croix?

David Lobenberg said...

Thanks, Tony!

Theresa Rankin said...

Great simplicity in your palette David but the effect is powerful. I love the paint application and composition.

Anonymous said...

Very nice! They all look like magical scenes. Your workshop participants are going to have a fun and productive time.

Paz

David Lobenberg said...

Thanks Theresa.

David Lobenberg said...

Yuz talkin ta me? Trying out my NYC accent. Thanks Paz!

Anonymous said...

Wow, David! That top one is killer. You put my nocturne to shame.

Sylvia Jenstad said...

I agree... these are amazing... Wow!!

David Lobenberg said...

Silvina: I worked on that damn acrylic with the moon highlights until my painting hand ran with blood!...well...yes, I exaggerate, but it was a tough one. Guess no pain, no gain.

David Lobenberg said...

Thanks for dropping by Sylviia and thank you!

Anonymous said...

I don't know about the originals, but on your blog, the watercolor just stands out for me. The colors are so lively!
Jan James

David Lobenberg said...

Hi Jan. I think you'd say the same thing if you came to my studio and saw the paintings. The dramatic moonlite acrylic looks cold and indeed dramatic. The watercolor color palette is livelier and lighter. I personally like them both for those reasons. Hey, we all know that art is subjective. Come to my Holiday sale this year and buy the water color!

hj said...

Yosemite, one day maybe!
Thank you for that awake-dream-minute

David Lobenberg said...

My pleasure, Helene.

David Burge said...

David, I envy your versatility. Landscapes and portraits with assured confidence and style.

Being primarily a watercolour painter I appreciate the watercolour version of the trio here.

A friend and I once experimented with nocturnal plein air under moonlight. Using oils and not being able to read the labels or identify the colour, just by matching what we could make out of the tube contents with the scene before us made for some surprising and not altogether unpleasant results.
I'm sure you've tried this, it's a blast seeing the results in daylight.
It's a good exercise in reading tones and simplifying shapes.

David Lobenberg said...

Greetings Perth artist! You do some very fine h2o work! Thanks for dropping by. Your descript. of nocturnal painting sounds very cool indeed. I have a hiker's headlamp that I purchased for nocturnal work, but alas have not used it yet. I hate to keep expanding my blog roll (don't like it to get unwieldy as I use it to surf the blog-o-sphere), but your work is so good, varied, and interesting, that I must! I', also a David K. "K" is for Keith. My Mom is origionally from England (WW2 bride!) so I love lamb (Calif. and Aussie)

David Burge said...

We share at least 4 things in common.
Mo from England, lamb, "K" is for Kingsley, art.
My advice on nocturnal plein air is to avoid the use of artificial light....."hikers headlamp" indeed!
It spoils the surprise that lurks on the canvas.