Garry Oak Update

I wrote in August about my delight in finally finding tiny baby acorns nestled in the low branches of a native oak tree that grows near my house. Since then I have often stopped to examine the little nuts with their neat caps as they slowly grew more plump on the branch. Finally in late August, the day came when they seemed almost mature, so I carefully snipped off a small twig and brought it into my studio to examine, sketch and photograph for future reference.

I developed a rough drawing in order to work on the composition, then did some shading to see if it would be balanced. Next came color matching while the leaves were still fresh. I decided on the pigments I would use, a splotch of Pthalo Blue Red Shade mixed separately with a few different yellows, with just a dab of Burnt Sienna added to each for earthiness. This gave me a range of rich greens that were different yet related for the top and undersides of the leaves and for the acorn. I lightly traced my original drawing to convert it to a line drawing, then made some minor adjustments so it would be ready to transfer to the painting surface. I didn’t want to risk having to make changes after I had transferred the drawing to the delicate surface.

Then I carefully measured my drawing to determine the finished size. Now it was time to cut my first piece from the beautiful…and expensive…Kelmscott Vellum hide that I had purchased earlier in the summer. I had heard how difficult the surface was to paint on but was determined to give it a try. Holding my breath, I cautiously raised the scissors to the hide and slowly squeezed the plastic handles together, and…
(To be continued in my next post)