More Sketches from the Windowsill

Although the volume of my tiny sketches I call Windowsill Works has been down the past couple of years, they've begun to pile up once again, particularly now that I've more time. Over the past several months Windowsill Works has become a more eclectic body of work owing to my interest in casein paint. So I've done a number of casein works in the small, quick format, and it's somewhat easier since casein dries so quickly. Additionally, watercolor postcards or sketches can fit the format quite well.

"Late Tomatoes," casein, 2017

Casein is suited to quick studies because of it's opacity and quick drying. You can correct mistakes or cover an underlying image very easily, as in the 4x6 casein painting to the right

But I'd neglected oil painting for a while, so these were done in oil, generally 4x6 on panels. They're done over older, discarded works as well. Unlike casein, though, oil paint dries more slowly and can be more difficult to manipulate.

"Philodendron & Wine Bottle," oil on linen hardboard, 2017

Furthermore, depending on the pigment and compounding, oil paint can be quite transparent or very opaque, adding to the difficulty of it's use for quick sketches like these. I use paint that has aged on the palette--skinned over and somewhat thicker than tube paint--and thin it sparingly to paint thicker but smooth strokes. The last few days I've made a few Windowsill Works that way.

"Pellegrino Bottle," oil on linen hardboard, 2017

The painting above shows my studio work table, looking almost the same as a week ago, complete with wine bottle and philodendron, plus a jade plant, a squeeze bottle (I use alcohol to clean my glass palette), and that fluted bud vase I've painted a number of times. The surface was an old, dark failure done years ago, and you can see some of the old painting peeping through, particularly on the wine label and jade pot. It's linen on hardboard. "Jade, Philodendron, and Bottle."

To the right is another Windowsill Work in oil, this time a Pellegrino water bottle against the studio window and woods beyond. It's also 4x6 over an old failure, and the bud vase makes a cameo appearance.  In effect here my intent was to study transmitted light and the colors of the bottle and label. As in any sketch or painting I took many liberties with shape, color, and so on. As a sage of American painting used to say, "It's your little world and you can do what you want."

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Previous posts on sketching with watercolor, casein, and oil
Media Madness
Windowsill Works Once More
Windowsill Works Too