Day 3: 9 o'clock 8x12

9 o'clock 8x12

Study after 9 o'clock by George Inness 8x12 $299

This study was quite a challenge but I feel I pulled it off pretty well. If not for this project I probably would not have gone after a study of this painting. Generally I prefer to paint more organic scenery and I avoid things like houses, cottages, towns, things like that.

Still, I must say that his approach to these sorts of subjects is very much in line with what I would like to do. I definitely developed an appreciation for his approach to the landscape nocturne. Colors at night are very different and our perceptions are quite altered compared to daylight. Nocturne's are actually a pretty fascinating aspect of landscape painting that I don't know much about. I do know that when I am outside at night I am always thinking about painting and how I would paint night scenes.

I think it's interesting how light in value he made the blue in the sky. It looks good more so since it was clearly a full moon that night.

I'm trying to find out information about each of the paintings that I'm doing a study after in this series. 9 o'clock was painted in 1891 by George and the size of the original is 30 x 45" which is typically for George, a golden mean proportion.

Study after 9 o'clock by George Inness 8x12 (detail)

Many of the paintings in this series will be done on textured boards however I preferred in this case to create my own texture by dabbing the brushstrokes onto a smooth board. I was thinking I hadn't really done this before while I was doing the painting but sitting in my studio at home here in a moment ago I was looking at a study that I did a while back of my favorite George Inness painting 'Autumn in Montclair' and I see there that I did quite a lot of dabbing on that one, so dabbing is just something that George liked to do sometimes and so must die if I wish to make a good study after his work.

Original Painting - 9 o'clock by George Inness

For more information about my painting process please watch the video this blog post is designed to complement the video and there is some overlap in information but there is also information that is unique to each format so please enjoy both.

Cheers,

M Francis McCarthy