BARNETT’S MILL

Prints of this painting can be purchased here now: http://www.inprnt.com/gallery/jeremiahjolliff/

An Original Oil Painting executed en plein air by Fine Artist Jeremiah Jolliff

In the timelapse video, pay close attention to the sequence.  This painting had to be completed in two parts because of a huge thunderstorm that pushed through the area.  I was standing out in the middle of the field.  I did not have the desire at the time to be struck by Thor’s hammer so I ventured back to my truck and waited out the deluge.  I left my camera up there in order to catch the tumult but owing to the outflow boundary of the storm, the camera was blown over and ended up filming the grass more than anything else which was unfortunate.  Being a plein air painter certainly has its challenges and the fortitude of the individual will be constantly challenged not only by the nature of plein air painting, but also the incarnate hazards of nature herself.

In nature, the sky is usually the brightest and therefore the highest value.  However, man made structure that are white or structures that are of a reflective material are usually the highest value.  In painting the highest value would of course be Titanium White.  It is a good idea to go ahead and purchase the largest tube of white that can be found.  White is the most used paint in outdoor painting.  In this painting note that the sky had to be brought down in value so that the white paint could be used to essay the metal grain silos.  There was an interesting interplay going on during this plein air painting session.  The sky was vehement and tumultuous and was dark in the distance.  However, opposite the subject the sun was shining boldly and illuminating the grain silos.  As a result i had to make the sky darker than anticipated in order to accentuate the power of the reflected light on the metal’s surface.  Scientific study and reason aid the individual in artistic endeavors.  That is a tricky proposition in order to be both objective and subjective when venturing to capture the human experience in oil paint.