Botanical Gardens Golf Course

Botanical Gardens Golf Course
Acrylic on gessobord
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

Last winter I visited the Erie County Botanical gardens and when I was finished touring the greenhouses I explored the grounds outside which includes a golf course. There's also a few ponds that attract ducks and Canadian geese.

There wasn't any snow on the ground but it was still cold and very windy. It wasn't very pleasant for photography, but I still managed to get a few good reference photos to work from. I focused on the mix of trees in the foreground and the strip of bright green grass in the background. I simplified some of the branches to strengthen the design and to create a bold pattern.

Tree Composition

Tree Composition
Acrylic on gessobord
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

I took a walk around the neighborhood for the pleasure of it. I wasn't looking for exercise or looking for subject matter, but then I spotted the way this sunlit tree and I decided I wanted to make a painting from it. I've always had an affinity for trees. When I was younger I had a book that could be used to identify the various species that are found in the Northeast. The funny thing is that I can't identify this tree by looking at the painting, I'd have to go back to take a look at the leaves and bark.

Trees Along Lake Ontario

Trees Along Lake Ontario
Watercolor, ink, and pencil on paper
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

That small strip of blue along the horizon is Lake Ontario. According to Wikipedia "Ontario" means "Lake of Shining Waters" in the Wyandot language. I find that it's impossible to capture the massive scale of the lake in a small two dimensional painting. Lake Ontario is 53 miles wide, 192 miles long, and it's the 14th largest lake in the world. It's so large you can't see the Canadian side of it, although if it's a clear day with low humidity you can see the top of CN tower in Toronto. In this painting I focused more on the landscape of the park and used the lake as a backdrop.

Misty Afternoon

Misty Afternoon
Acrylic on Raymar canvas panel
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

I thought the afternoon was going to be a dud because it started raining when my brother and drove to the lake, but it cleared up a half hour after we arrived. The rain soaked all of the benches and picnic tables but the misty atmosphere improved the mood of this painting. It was one of those days where you could literally see the moisture in the air and feel it on your skin.

This park has a variety of trees, some of them are evergreen trees and I wanted to capture the feeling of being in a park after a rainstorm. I will consider this a successful painting if you can smell the earthy smell of the woods and the scent of pine trees when you look at it...
 

Trees at Krull Park

Trees at Krull Park
Watercolor and pencil on paper
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2017

A hot and sunny afternoon. Some local peaches. Stopping at a local popcorn stand. An afternoon of free time at a serene park by the water. What more could you ask for? It’s these simple pleasures that I enjoy most and it’s often the subject of my art. Sometimes I paint on location but I also take photos so that I can work in my studio. When I paint a scene I not only get to enjoy it while I’m working on it, but also when it’s hanging on the wall. When I hang it on the wall it gives me a boost whenever I glance at it.

The Pond at Glen Park

The Pond at Glen Park
Acrylic on paper
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

I enjoy painting outdoors during the summer when the weather allows. On this occasion my brother and I decided to paint at Glen Falls. On previous painting excursions I have painted the waterfall at Glen Falls but this time I decided to focus on area with the ponds. A small strip of the pond is visible in this painting and it continues under the arch of the bridge. My brother and I refer to the park as "Duck Paradise" because that's where they like to congregate, although on this occasson they were hanging out at the other end of the pond so I didn't get a chance to put them in the painting.

It's a serene place to visit and and that's what I aimed to capture with this painting. It's a small oasis in the middle of the bustling village. Many people who work in the area spend their lunch breaks there. As a painter, it's a great location to spend an evening painting outdoors while listening to the sounds of rushing water and quacking ducks.

The majority of this painting was completed outside with a few finishing touches applied back in my studio.

I have also painted part of the gravel path at Glen Park,  Autumn trees at glen Park, a watercolor painting of the waterfall, and another plein aire acrylic painting of Glen Falls.

Nature Walk

Nature Walk
Acrylic on gessobord
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2017

I've painted this lake many times over the past few years. Anybody who follows my work should know that I get a lot of my inspiration for my paintings from taking walks in nature or near bodies of water. I enjoy the solitude and the seclusion from the stress of modern life. I believe every body should take time away from cell phones, email, social media, and work each day to daydream and think about things.

Before the Falls

Before the Falls
Acrylic on gessobord
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2017

During the summer I often wake up early to take a walk over to Island Park to visit the library, or buy fresh tomatoes, sweet corn, and blueberries at the farmers market. I enjoy walking early in the morning, especially on a warm and sunny day. The birds are active and shops are beginning to open. The sunlight is at a dramatic angle, and it's warm but not uncomfortably hot. I often bring my camera with me to capture some of these scenes so that I can use them as reference material for paintings.

This vantage point is of Ellicott Creek as seen from the only bridge to the island. The creek flows around the island and then passes underneath Main street before going over Glen Falls.

A House in the Woods

 

A House in the Woods
Acrylic on Gessobord
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2017

I spotted this view of a white home on the shores of Ellicott Creek and it gave me the impression that it’s a lone house in the wilderness. In reality, it’s part of a suburban neighborhood but working on this painting made me think about what it would be like to live in the woods in the middle of nowhere with a creek in the backyard. I would survive, as long as there was enough room for a painting studio… and a garden.

Ellicott Creek at Dusk

Ellicott Creek at Dusk
Acrylic on Gessobord
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2017

What attracted me to painting this scene was the surreal mood that the woods can take on right after sunset. I wanted to capture the luminosity of the sky and water so I used acrylics in a transparent manner similar to watercolor. I know from my experience with watercolor that if I overwork the painting it can lose the brilliance that can be achieved with transparent washes, so I focused on the essence of the image and aimed to get the colors and the values correct without making too many corrections. The original painting is available.

Sunlight and Trees

Sunlight and trees
Acrylic on Gessobord
5”x7”
Chris Breier © 2017

This is another painting from the bike path. As I was walking I noticed how the sunlight was illuminating the trees so I walked into the weeds to take a few reference photos. The sunlight brought out the warm colors of the bark which works well against the blue reflections in the water. I took the time to take a number of photographs so that I could try out a number of compositions, but I used the one that positioned the creek so that it was curving off to the right as it receded into the distance. The original painting is available, bid on Sunlight and Trees in the auction.

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.

A Walk at Ellicott Creek

A Walk at Ellicott Creek
Acrylic on Gessobord
5”x7”
Chris Breier © 2017

I enjoy taking walks near water, it’s a good way to clear my mind especially after working at computer or working on something that requires a lot of mental focus. The reference photograph for this painting was from Spring so the trees were just starting to form buds. I captured some of the light green color of the buds in the bank of trees in the background. The light value of the trees also creates a sense of depth, especially when I painted the darker tree trunks over them. Bid in the auction for A Walk at Ellicott Creek.

Lakeview

Lakeview (SOLD)

Acrylic on Gessobord

5”x7”

Chris Breier © 2017

This is another painting of Lake Ontario. The shape of the hills makes this painting immediately recognizable as Krull Park. I painted the water a brilliant blue so it looks like the ocean. I also used ultramarine blue for the sky which makes the water stand out even more. This is a nice place to spend a summer afternoon taking it easy and eating fresh peaches from a local farm. 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.

Croton

Croton
Acrylic on Raymar canvas panel
8"x10"

I visited the Botanical Gardens a number of times this winter, it's a great place to escape the cold and the dull, monochromatic landscape. This Croton plant caught my attention. I thought it would be an easy subject to paint but the complex patterns took a long time to get right.

I worked from a photo reference that had a confusing and boring background. I painted over it a number of times until I finally decided to simplify it with bold abstract brushstrokes. The effect is similar to intentionally making areas of the photo out of focus as a way to draw the viewers attention to the focal point.

The original painting is for sale through email $160 plus $10 shipping.

Early Morning At Island Park

Early Morning At Island Park
Acrylic on Raymar canvas panel
8" x 10"
Chris Breier © 2017

On this particular morning, I decided to take a walk at Island Park. The sun was up and it was the beginning of a hot summer day. There are a number of areas of the park that would make a good painting but what attracted me to this spot was how the sun changed the appearance of the water. The area in direct sun reveals the muddy color of the water and the shadow areas reflect the blue-green color of the trees in the background.

I also enjoyed painting the tree, I used a little bit of impasto on the tree trunk (impasto is when the paint is applied in a thick manner to create texture). I used daubs of various shades of green to paint the foliage.

The original painting is for sale through email $160 plus $10 shipping.

Glen Falls, Before the Rain

Glen Falls, Before the Rain
Acrylic on Gessobord
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2016

I sketched this scene in my pocket sketchbook, and then returned a few weeks later to paint an acrylic version of it. Most of the painting was completed onsite but I finished it in my studio because it started to drizzle, water-based paints don't work so well in the rain.

Tree Study

Tree Study
Ink, pencil, and watercolor on paper
5" x 7"

The original painting is for sale. I worked on this study of a tree while I was having the brakes repaired on my car. I don't like sitting around in the waiting room mindlessly watching television, so whenever I have my car worked on I bring my watercolor supplies with me. I handed my keys to the mechanic and immediately bolted out the door to look for something to make a painting from.

This tree was on a walking path not too far from the shop. I began sketching it with a micron pen, and once I was happy with the drawing I used a brush pen to thicken up up some of the lines. When I added the water to the drawing the ink began to run a little bit but I think that made it look more interesting. I started with the color of the sky and when that was dry I added the color of the branches.

A few runners and walkers passed by me while I was working on this painting. They probably thought I was nuts, most people don't encounter artists drawing outside. I once had someone ask me if I was taking a survey. I think it's because I'm holding a board and it looks like I'm writing things down. This happened at Canandaigua Lake and I jokingly said "Yes, I'm counting how many boats are out on the lake today!"