Sparks Street - En Plein Air Painting - Patrick John Mills - Winter Painting, Snow Storms, -33 degree Celsius,

Sparks Street - View of Parliament

En Plein Air Painting - Patrick John Mills - Winter Painting.

I worked on this painting for over a month. I painted 8 days... The weather was very different each day.  There were two snow storms. It was very damn cold two of the 8 days... -33 degree Celsius.  

There was so much detail and so much information to consider while working on this painting. This painting was certainly one of my most difficult subjects to render.  

Live Love Art

Patrick

www.PatrickJohnMills.com

 Sparks Street (view of Parliament). 

oil on canvas. 36 x 48 inches. Dec 2014 - Jan 2015. Price: $1800

working on location - photo taken by Robert Faubert

painting / working on location - photo taken by Robert Faubert 

starting the painting

mapping out the painting... putting in measurements and basic form

very early stage in the painting - Day One

 working on this painting ... I worked on this painting for a month.  I kept building up the painting and developing the layers and subject matter. 

a special thank you to Robert Faubert for taking these photographs 

detail of finished painting

I wanted the sky, the snow to break into the walls of the building.

To integrate the elements of nature.  For the snow to be free

Freedom

it was -33 degree Celsius two days while working on this painting.

The paint behaves differently. The textures are very unique.

  

close up of the finished painting... the Snow Storm.

I really had fun painting these elements of the painting

a good great friend Annie came out to say hello and be supportive

"En Plein Air" Painting Outside in the Winter?

photos of Patrick John Mills (photo taken by Julie Campbell 2014)

En Plein Air - Painting Outside in the Winter?  

Q: Does your paint freeze?

Ans: The paint does not freeze, but it does behave differently in the cold temperatures. Titanium White (PW6) and Zinc White (PW4) metal pigments behave more like molasses or honey. They get more stringy like spaghetti. Other paints from specific brands get stiff like refrigerated butter and lack flexibility and flow.

Q: Why do you paint outside in the winter cold?

Ans: Life is moments. When I am outside on location I feel free like a bird flying in a big blue sky. The cold acts as a catalysis to achieving higher levels of creative concentration. I have to get intensely focused and block out the cold and time becomes a day dream.

I also paint outside because I want to share... to open my studio to the public.

Q: Why do you not wear gloves?

Ans: You do not make love with cloths on... so why paint with gloves on.

This also creates problems. When nature calls and you need to go to the bathroom. Your hands are all covered in paint. You destroy your underwear and specific body parts look like a blue smurf. 

Color Theory - Oil Painting techniques - Abstract Artist Patrick John Mills

Color Theory - Oil Painting techniques - Abstract Artist Patrick John Mills

Color Theory  -  Oil Painting techniques 

International Award Winning Painter / Poet / Artist  - Patrick John Mills

Talks about oil painting color theory in a fresh unique manner.

Artist Patrick John Mills talks about his recent abstract oil painting in his artist studio.  He talks about color, understands color, and the relationship he has with color... He talks about oil painting techniques, and the process involved in making the abstract oil painting. 

thank you 

Patrick

www.PatrickJohnMills.com

Sparks Street - En Plein Air. Winter Painting - Outside

En Plein Air - Sparks Street (Ottawa, Canada)

I worked on this painting for seven days over a week and a half period.

The painting or the size of the canvas is 4 x 5 feet.

This is my trailer... I built a box, shelving unit.  This way I can transport several paintings. 

Painting En Plein Air on Sparks Street.  

It was -21 degree this day

it was very windy... so I put some wooden palettes 

on the base of the easel to stabilize the painting

here is a photo of the location

Day One --- showing up is half the battle

detail of finished painting

detail of finished painting

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/storm-to-deliver-significant-snow-in-next-few-days

Arts - Ottawa Citizen... painting in a Snow Storm on Sparks Street

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/storm-to-deliver-significant-snow-in-next-few-days

I decided to start painting landscapes again... after painting in my studio and working on abstract paintings... Well I felt it was time to get out and paint.

I wish to share the creative process with people.  I wished to share how hard I work... and how being an artist is about working and making art.  So I approached the Sparks Street Team. They were very open to my idea. So it was time to paint and do paintings of Sparks Street.

Thank you Julie Oliver (photographer of The Ottawa Citizen) for your warm, kind, support.

Live Love Art

Patrick John Mills