Trish Beckham

Use your smartphone to help you compose!

For me, the toughest part of the painting process is the composition. There's almost always that part of the process where I ask myself "Why isn't it working?". - It's always the composition!!
In this painting, I was struggling with the bushes in front of the gas station- the edge was too hard and it pulled my eye away from the car. I also thought the flow or light pattern wasn't quite right.

This is a good time to pull out the cell phone and take a picture of the painting. I use the phone's internal app to turn the painting image to black and white.

Boiling down the value pattern allows me to easily see any troublesome areas. I can use the paint function to change the pattern.

Using broad strokes and scribbles on the image copy instead of the actual painting is very liberating! It allows for spontaneity without worry of mud making. (Easily achieved if you redo an area in search of the "right"thing.) It's also great for pure composition without regard to subject matter!

"Night on A1A" by Trish Beckham
18" x 36" oil on board

Trish Beckham

Easy and light weight plein air set up.

This is an adapted kit from Judson's plein air. (The Judson people are the greatest!) I bought the box as a second. It's a 9 x 12 Guerrilla Painter lap top box. I added in compartment dividers, a leather handle, and a hook and velcro system to carry a board on the outside. (Allows for nonstandard panel sizes.) I use Jim Serrett's idea for attaching a panel. (using a bungee cord through two slots.) It holds the panel nice and firm and allows knife painters to drag paint all the way to the bottom of a panel.

  I attached a piece of velcro through a hole at the top of the board, cut two slots on the right and left side (wide enough to fit the bungee cord wire), and made the outside dimensions 12 x 10 (sized to fit into a 8 by 10 adapter - available through www.guerrillapainter.com). The Velcro attached at the top holds the board to the box when transporting. (the opposing velcro is glued and screwed to the top of the box.) I tied a string through a plastic cup with the other end tied to the handle. The cup fits perfectly down into the leather handle.  I use the cup to put my knives in while I'm working.

  Everything I need for painting is in the box. I carry a plastic bag inside the cup for trash.
  My tripod is from Judson's plein air.

Happy painting!!

Trish Beckham

In the Fog

What a beautiful morning.  The beach was quiet. Almost no one there.

Sold

In the Fog by Trish Beckham
8x10" on board
Please contact me at tbeckhamoils@yahoo.com for purchase information. Thanks!

Trish Beckham

Lily Pond

Another plein air painting. This was so peaceful to paint. - as long as I didn't get stuck in all that mud!

Lily pond by Trish Beckham
Palette knife painting
8x8" oil on archival board
Please contact me at tbeckhamoils@yahoo.com. for purchase information. Thank you!

Trish Beckham blog

Painting the beach

Painted late afternoon while my husband fished. I used knives and painted fast - it keeps it painterly!

Afternoon at the Beach

10x10 oil on panel

www.tbeckhamoils