The Creek in Casein

Although my primary medium is oil paint, watercolor runs a close second, and so does digital work. There isn't quite enough time in the day to work with other kinds of paint like gouache and casein. Still, once in a while I like to give them a whirl. During the winter that's now fading most of the painting I did was watercolor, but a couple of casein works sneaked in.

"Winter Sunshine," casein on panel 2019

In December the weather got cold and outdoor work was less attractive even though there was hardly any snow. Brown-gold leaves clung to trees along the creek outside my studio, and when the sun got into the western sky they caught brilliance. "Winter Sunshine" (left) was intended to show that light against the mostly bare grey-brown branches. I toned the 6x8 panel with red and then painted this scene loosely, allowing under painting to show through, especially around the branches and some of the trunks.

"After the Snow," casein on panel 2019

A few days later that month after we began to have real snowfall, I did another casein from my studio. This particular scene shows clearing skies after a snow storm dropped a few inches onto Iowa. This panel wasn't prepped with an under tone and the scene was painted directly, alla prima. The creek had not frozen and reflected snow banks and sky at the foot of the painting. You can see little spots of stubborn gold-brown leaves still clinging.

The weather is starting to warm in earnest, with high temperatures above 50 degrees coming soon. My plan is to take my casein paint outdoors too.