My First Live Painting Session

Last month, I was honored to be asked to facilitate a live painting session for Professional Engineering Consultants in Lawrence, KS.  The company was celebrating a new facility by hosting a nice open-house party for many of their clients. They were hoping a little paint and color might add a nice to touch to the event.

For this painting, I chose to draw inspiration from a photo I had been eyeing for some time.  Dave Leiker,  a talented photographer out of Emporia, Kansas, has taken many wonderful shots of the Flint Hills.  This particular photo of his was a classic sunset image.

I was eager to paint the warm soft clouds and the familiar layers of hilly countryside in this photo.  It’s the kind of scene where you wish you could just be there and bask in the glow of the land.  I chose to stream this event LIVE on Facebook.  (By the way, my Facebook page is here if you are interested.)

 

Live painting at PEC

Since I enjoy painting on large canvases, I chose to use a 48X72″ canvas.  This size canvas would not only be easy to see from a distance during the open-house, I also felt fairly confident that if I had an image that I was excited about, I would be able to get a solid “first-stage” on the canvas within a couple of hours.  By the end of the night, I was happy I had accomplished my goal.     

Many people actually thought the painting was finished after the first session that night.  While I never usually finish a painting in one session, I will admit that the first stage of any painting does have something special about it–the looseness of the brushwork holds a certain energy and life that is unique in the process.

After a few more stages, this is the final result.    

Just finished!
“Flints Hills VII” – 48X72″ Oil on canvas – 2017

I was happy to have this live painting opportunity.  If fact, it was such an enjoyable experience, I’m now considering doing live painting sessions more often.  If you ever hear of a place that needs such a thing, please let me know.  I’m happy to answer any questions you have.

This painting is still available for purchase. You can see it in Timmer Gallery at 825 Massachusetts St. Lawrence, KS.   Soon, I hope to offer prints of it on my website at www.BrianTimmerArt.com