The Bravura Bush
Dennis Perrin
I've taken on the task of painting all of my paintings while in front of the subject, whether it's in the quiet, controlled environment of the studio, or the hectic, vibrant, ephemeral setting of the garden in bright sunlight. It may seem a bit silly to ignore the opportunity of using a photograph or other still reference in order to accomplish a painting, but I decided long ago that I would rather go for the fleeting effect than the "finished" look. This approach requires me to literally "attack" a canvas with broad strokes and quick, suggestive notes. Hence, the bravura brush, a style of painting that eschews finished details for rapid, vibrant strokes, giving the canvas exciting textures and color harmonies, along with unexpected nuance. I spent the week tracking down the light effects on my beloved peonies, completing 2 more paintings in the garden while having to scrape off one that ended when the rains came and finished off the rest of my peonies. I packed up my gear and headed north to Thorndike, Maine, 3 hours north, where my daughter's garden had a bevy of beautiful peonies still clinging to the bush and glistening in the glorious sun. I was able to capture one more completed work before "Peony" season ends. Here's a shot of me painting in my daughter's garden at Three Lily Farm. They do some wonderful, food related, out of the box stuff and can be seen at www.threelilyfarm.com.
Last Saturday I taught an all day workshop at our home and garden. As part of the workshop I did a demonstration of the method of painting that I teach (and use). I chose to paint Peonies in our garden in full sunlight. It took about 2 hours from start to finish. Here's the final product, "Peonies in Brilliant Sun," oil on canvas, 20" x 16." It's available on the shop page here.
"Peonies in the Brilliant Sun"
On Thursday, after we had made the journey to Three Lily Farm, I was able to find the conditions that were perfect for completing another painting of peonies on the bush in the glorious sunlight. "Paeonia Explosion," oil on canvas, 20" x 16," was the result.
"Paeonia Explosion"
Not sure what next week will bring but I'm excited by the possibilities. Stay tuned!