Walking at Dusk

Walking at dusk
Acrylic on gessobord
5”x7”
Chris Breier © 2017

I took a walk just before sunset and by the time I made it the point where I normally turn around, the sun had just sunk below the horizon. On one hand that means there’s going to more mosquitos to deal with, but on the other hand the sky had turned into an impressive display of color. I took a few reference photos so I could create a painting of it in my studio. It took a number of tries to get the colors of the sky right. I used thick brushstrokes in some areas which created subtle texture and the painting has a glossy finish. Bid in the auction for Walking at Dusk.

Trees at Lake Audubon

Trees at Lake Audubon
Acrylic on Canvas
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

This is one of my favorite paintings, I should probably keep it for myself and frame it. It has all of my favorite features: water reflections, fall foliage, interesting tree shapes, and dramatic lighting. I also used the point of the brush handle to scrape out the tree trunks on the opposite side of the lake. That's normally hard to do with acrylic because it dries so quickly, but if you're quick or mist the paint with water to keep it wet, it can be done. The original painting is available.

Turning Leaves

Turning Leaves
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

As I mentioned in yesterdays post, I had visited Lake Audubon on a calm day and the water was so still that it looked like a mirror. The sun was at a low angle so it was raking across the grass and the weeds in the foreground. When I encounter a scene like this, I take advantage of it and take lots of reference photos for future paintings! 

Autumn Reflections

Autumn Reflections
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

I took the reference photo for this painting last fall on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately I had spent the majority of the day at a car dealership, but after late lunch I was able to take a walk at Lake Audubon. When we arrived, I was awestruck by fall foliage and the mirror like reflections of the water. I’ve never seen the surface of the lake so smooth and mirrorlike.

The original painting is available.

Audubon Sunrise

Audubon Sunrise
Acrylic on Raymar canvas panel
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

This painting was something of an experiment with color. I had a photograph that had a pleasing composition but the colors were boring because of the overcast–so I decided to invent my own color scheme. I used mostly yellow oxide, orange, and purple. I was a little concerned that it would come out too colorful but neutralized some of the brighter oranges with the purple. The original painting is for sale through email $160 plus $10 shipping USPS priority mail with the standard insurance ($50).

Main & Cayuga

Main & Cayuga

Gouache on paper

5”x7"

Chris Breier © 2016

The original painting is for sale. I was walking home from the local farmers market when I took the reference photo for this painting. It was hot and I was carrying a backpack filled with sweet corn, tomatoes, and blueberries. What I wouldn’t do now for fresh tomatoes and sweet corn, I have to wait another 5-6 months!

This painting was done entirely with gouache which is opaque watercolor. I normally use it small amounts to add highlights to a watercolor. It’s water based and opaque like acrylic but it’s easier to achieve gradients and subtle blending effects with it. Maybe I should do more of these. What do you think? 

Williamsville Path

Williamsville Path

Watercolor and Gouache on paper

5”x7"

Chris Breier © 2016

The original painting is available. I’ve taken walks here many times, at the end of it there’s a small flower garden that includes a small tree. In the background you can see some of the surrounding homes. I couldn’t figure out why the painting didn’t look finished and then I added in some highlight details with gouache and that pulled the painting together.

Around the Bend

Around the Bend
Watercolor and ink on paper
5”x7”
Chris Breier © 2016

The original painting is for sale. I began the painting with a quick sketch before I inked it. I used mostly watercolor but I used some white gouache to lighten some of the highlights in the water.

Lakeside

Lakeside
Watercolor and ink on paper
5”x7”
Chris Breier © 2016

The original painting is for sale. Can you spot the picnic table in this painting? At first I wasn’t going to include it but I realized that it could be used to create a sense of scale–it can be used to judge the height of the tree. I used mostly secondary colors in this painting (orange, green, and purple). The warmer colors were used on the trees in the distance which works well against the dark purple shadows in the foreground. 

Trail at Walton Woods

Trail at Walton Woods
Watercolor and ink on paper
5” x 7”
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale. Fall is a good time of year to for painting lakes, I enjoy creating the mirror like reflection of the colorful leaves on the water. I managed to work in a small touch of red on the left, it’s an effective contrast to the tuft of green foliage on the right.

Autumn Leaves

autumn leaves
Watercolor and ink on paper
5” x 7”
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale. I took a more abstract approach with this painting of Lake Audubon, I exaggerated the colors and used a looser approach with the drawing. I enjoy listening to podcasts and music while I paint and you may recognize the title of this painting as a jazz standard.

Evergreens

Evergreens
Watercolor on paper
5” x 7”
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale. While most of the trees have brightly colored leaves or lost their leaves at this time of year, the evergreens in this painting add a nice splash of green to the landscape. I especially like the contrast of the bare branches in the foreground with the bright greens of the grass and the evergreen trees across the lake. I also decided to make the surface of the water appear more calm than it actually was.

Ducks

The original painting is for sale. These ducks were eating dinner when I happened to spot them along the shore. I quietly stood on a bench to get better view of them and took a few pictures before they moved on. The ripple effect where the blue sky of the reflections meets the mixed colors of the trees was my favorite part to paint.

When I was working on this painting in my studio, a ladybug landed on the edge of the paper. I think he was interested in the excess water that was running off the edges. He watched me paint for a little but then he started getting in the way so I took the watercolor pad outside and set him free.

Amherst Bike Path

Amherst Bike Path
8”x10”
Watercolor
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale. The Amherst Bike path has miles of paved trails for walking and riding bikes. I wanted to capture the look of a hot and humid summer day. I accomplished this effect by making the trees in the distance lighter and more blue than the ones in the foreground which is commonly referred to as “atmospheric perspective.”

Yellow Leaves I

Yellow Leaves I
Acrylic on Gessobord
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale, click to bid in the auction.

I admired this tree from a bridge that crosses a creek at one of my favorite walking locations. It was a sunny afternoon but the trees along the creek create strong shadows and I was drawn to the way the branches stand out against the dark background.

Trees branches can be a challenge to paint. Should I paint the background first and then paint the branches over it, or should I make a drawing first and the paint within the lines? I’ve tried a number of strategies, none of them are easy!

Birch Tree

Birch Tree
Acrylic on Gessobord
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale, click to bid in the auction.

I enjoy taking walks around Audubon lake, it's located near a local library so I stop there when I have books to drop off. Some sections of the park are heavily wooded but I like how this birch tree adds interest to the lake by breaking up the space and the white bark is a nice contrast to the darker areas. I used light blue to paint in the shapes of the sky holes, which are the pieces of sky between the branches. When I completed the painting I thought the way that I handled the branches looked a little reminiscent of a Mondrian tree painting.

Summer at Lake Audubon (SOLD)

Summer at Lake Audubon
Acrylic on Archival Gessobord
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2015

I had an early morning appointment to have my car worked on, which is the time of day that I normally work on my paintings. At first I thought I would have to prop the drawing up on my lap to work on it but they recently updated their waiting room with a work area, complete with tables and office chairs. I set up a makeshift studio and got to work. (Click "Read More" below to see the drawing for this painting).

Walton Woods

Walton Woods
5” x 7”
Acrylic on archival Gessobord (1/8” flat)
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is available.
Walton Woods is located next to my local library, I often take a walk there when I drop off my books. I took the reference photograph for this painting on an unusually warm a day in late Fall.

I began by painting the sky with a wash of dark blue. Once I had the trees well defined, I blocked in the “sky holes” with a lighter blue mixed from Phthalocyanine Blue and Titanium White. In case you’re wondering, “sky holes” are the open spaces of sky between the branches of a tree.

I had fun building up the textures of the trees and applying layers of color. The challenge of painting nature scenes is creating an impression of the complex textures and shapes without falling into the trap of painting every single detail. However, the drawing is less demanding because nobody can tell if I didn’t get the position of every limb exactly right, whereas anybody can detect the slightest inaccuracy in a portrait.