“Contemplating Always” - finished painting

Last October I had the opportunity to attend a workshop of one of my favorite oil painters - Anne Blair Brown. I started following her work several years ago, took an online class of hers, and finally had the chance to take a workshop taught by her last October at her beautiful Bluebird Hill Farmhouse in Tennessee. The workshop fell during the time I was in the thick of painting Holy Spirit Doves to raise money for the Wesley Ministry and taking commissions for Christmas gifts, so I didn’t have a chance to practice all the amazing things I learned from her until a couple weeks ago.

What I love so much about her painting style is her expressive brushstrokes, use of color and value, and ability to tell a story without painting every little fussy detail. Her paintings draw me in.

I want to share with you the complete process of my painting: drawing simple shapes, drawing with values, notan, distinct colors with gouache, practice in small oil, then finished product.

Above is my finished painting “Contemplating Always” painted in oil on 8x8 linen panel.

Simple shapes of the two small objects on a small plate on a small table

More detailed drawing of values and notes of specifics highlights and colors

Notan - Japanese technique of drawing the balance between dark and light in the subject matter

Gouache sketch figuring out some colors/values

Oil sketch playing with color and values