"Autumn's Kiss", 12x16, oil on copper , paintings on copper, Birchrunville, Chester Springs scenes, autumn landscapes, Flowing Springs Rd. Chester County landscapes, Pennsylvania impressionism, Maryanne Jacobsen art, experimental art

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"Autumn's Kiss", 12x16, oil on copper (Note: you can click on the image to see the detail better)

This was my first attempt to paint on a copper panel. As the Mayor of River City in the musical Music Man would say, "It's slipperier than a Mississippi sturgeon!" Where linen our canvas will  grab the paint and you'll have some resistance, the paint pretty much goes on like butter. Nice, but a little difficult to control.Although it is a very slippery support to work on, I did have fun experimenting with it, and expect to do more in the future. The trick is to expect the unexpected because it is so different from working on linen or canvas.

I chose a fall landscape because I wanted to see if the copper affected color. I did miss the luminous quality of working on a pure white support, but allowing little bit of the copper to show through was pretty much akin to starting with a warm wash. We stayed at this wonderful little cottage in Chester Springs, Pa. a couple years back and the fall color in the trees was breathtaking. I recall  the crispness in the air as I painted outdoors in the October sunshine.

The light was fading fast in the late afternoon, the day that I painted on the property. I used my plein air sketch and this photo for a reference for the copper support painting.

I do think that I'll continue to experiment with copper panels. Old Masters painted on copper centuries ago! Only problem is that the copper is heavy. But if you have a good sturdy easel it's not an issue.

Here's wishing a Happy New Year to my friends and blog readers!