Painting WIP

When last I updated you about my painting in progress, it looked like this:

and, to unconfuse you, I showed you what I'm attempting to paint:


Well, since then, mom and Bob gave me my birthday present early... an easel!!! Folded:

Unfolded with the drawer pulled out:

Paints in the drawer:

Painting being supported by the easel:

Isn't it awesome!?! They had been going to wait, but decided I could really make use of it for the acrylic classes I'm taking this month. I *love* it! It makes packing up and setting up so much easier. :) (I still have two other bags... I have too many paints, brushes, etc. to all fit in the easel, plus there isn't room in the easel for my palette, water container, or mediums.)

I have also been making progress on my painting. After the underpainting shown above, we were given homework instructions to paint the lightest lights, and the darkest darks:

I completed this homework shortly before I had to leave for the lesson when it was "due". Whoops. ;) Then, at the lesson, I continued working on the snow and sky:

I asked the instructor how to approach the painting, and she said to work in layers, from the back to the front. So, next I worked on the sky:

(I did that last night at home. I'm actually finding time to paint at home! Well, a tiny bit of time...)

Tonight at class I spent two hours adding the thin, flat clouds of winter, and the farthest off bit of grass:

Yeah... I don't know how it can take that long to paint that tiny bit either. ;) I think it's because I keep having to stop to let what I paint dry, before continuing to work my way forward.

Even if it isn't that much yet, I think I did a rather nice job on the sky and far-away grass/bulrushes. (The bulrushes may require some highlights before I get to the next closest bit, and the snow in front of those bulrushes definitely needs another layer of paint.)

So, once more, here's the painting side-by-side with the photo I'm working from:

Yep, that faraway bit definitely needs some highlights. (Those also required me to wait for the current layer to dry... and there wasn't enough time at class, so I just cleaned up and left it at it's current state.) I think this is a painting that is best done in many short painting sessions. (Perhaps I should get a stay-wet palette for that, so that I waste less paint.)

So... whaddaya think? ;)