WIP stage 2, Nan's Prune Cake

Ichetucknee Square Format
24x24 inches

Here is stage two.

I wanted to use a fairly limited palette for this painting.

Sap Green (Daniel Greene)
Naples Yellow Light (Utrecht)
Flake White ( Daniel Greene)
Transparent Red Iron Oxide ( Utrecht)
Yellow Ochre ( Daniel Green)
FUB (Daniel Greene)
Ivory Black (Utrecht)
Cad Yellow Medium (Daniel Greene)
Cad Red Light (Utrecht)

The great thing about painting lots of trees is that they just begin to sort themselves out as you go. Basically I like to block in the very dark areas and then sort of work around them,forming patterns and so forth, mixing lots of gray greens and working toward the distance with bluer grays. Plugging in the warm tones closer to the front plane only here and there. Popping warm light colors to pull the viewer through the scene, playing the back lights, plugging them in around tree trunks. Playing with the ying yang of values is really fun with this kind of painting. I am also very fond of the square format for landscapes. The square presents an interesting challenge compositionally for painters.


There is such a rhythm to groves of trees. An elegance and dignity to the forests here in Florida. Hearing trees sigh in the wind makes me think about their long life. There is nothing in nature more beautiful or graceful than a tree. I love painting them over and over again. My favorites are Oaks, Sycamores, all Palms, and Cypress. I've studied trees for a long time and put together a painting workshop on painting them last year. The painting possibilities are endless. There is nothing more fun for a landscape painter than painting trees, at least to me :>)



Today's Grat:

I wanted to thank my friend and Copy Writer Valerie D'Ortona for a lovely print of one of her Isabel's World paintings. You can see her work HERE Valerie writes my press releases and PR stuff, saving me lots of time. She does it for other artists too, so if you need her, write to her at: vdortona@bellsouth.net



A bit of follow up on the residency topic. My dear friend Sarah Carey directed me to a person in the park service. I had a nice mail conversation with him yesterday about the possibilities. I gave him my thoughts on it and sent him my proposal. He promised to do what he could to incourage the powers that be. We will see. I have learned to ask for what I want in life and many times I get it. Thanks Sarah!




Todays Recipe:

From my friend Nan Sherwood. Thanks Nan!

Prune Cake

2 sticks butter-cream well
2 C sugar add to butter and cream
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla add to butter sugar

Mix together

2 2/3 C all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

add to butter mix with 1 1/3 c buttermilk alternating
stir in 2 2/3 c chopped pitted prunes
1 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350
grease and flour 9x13 inch pan

pour mix in pan and bake 40 minutes or until done. Test with toothpic.

Buttermilk syrup

3/4 c buttermilk
1 1/2 cup sugar
5 T butter
1 tsp vanilla

Combine above in sauce pan and bring to boil. heat until sugar and butter are melted. Set aside

Prick cake all over with a toothpick while still hot.
Pour syrup over cake. Let cool.
Save out 1/2 c syrup and add 3/4 cup ten x sugar, until smooth. Drizzle over the cake.