I had promised to show you two big oil paintings I did of Taranaki Mountain. So now I must keep my promise.

Time to paint in:

We were in New Zealand for just less than two and half months. And in that time I had promised to paint two oil paintings of Taranaki Mountain, for our family that lives there. So I fitted in painting time in between our travels in that wonderful exciting country. 

Getting things together:

1. First, they bought two canvases, some paint tubes and turps in Palmerston North. I had brought with me from South Africa some brushes, palette board and dipper wells. 
2. Our son and his wife took us all around Taranaki Mountain, so that we could get just the right composition and angles of the mountain they hoped would suit their impression of what they wanted most.  
3. That took quite a few days travelling here and there, before settling down on what scenes were the best to use. 
4. The room that was given to me to paint in didn’t have the best setup for light. But since I’m used of painting in unusual places for doing demos, I made the best of it. 
5. Our son saw I needed an easel and went downstairs to his garage and within about an hour returned with a lovely easel he had made there and then. I was so amazed that he had made it in so short a time! 

Working in stages:

If you are an artist, you may appreciate how I painted the oil paintings of Taranaki.  

I normally build up my oil paintings in sequent layers: 

1. First a light wash of raw sienna and turps as an overall undercoat of yellow. This unites the upper-coats and gives the impression of sunshine permeating up through the topcoats. 
2. Next I used a small brush to outline the main composition shapes and contours. This helps to originate and position the elements. Afterwards I can shift or re-shape the items within the composition as I please. 
3. The next stage is the blocking in of the basic colours and tones of the different items and surrounding background.  
4. Usually working from the top and left side of the canvas, so I don’t smudge the paint. No detail is put in with each stage. 
5. Later I can always lighten and darken where necessary. Those creating form. 
6. In the last stage or layer, you make the final little adjustments and add the finer details. Like highlights and adjustments of contrasting tones and colours. 

Working a day here and a day there:

With each of those stages, work on the painting is only done when the previous layer of paint is dry.  

And remember I was working on two canvases. So working on one, one day and then the other the next day alternately, depending of cause on the length of the drying periods.  

And while it was drying time, we were taken out visiting folks or seeing the splendid beauty of New Zealand.  

When the oil paintings were basically done (before the final detail stage) we travelled down to and through the south island of New Zealand. As you saw and read my blog series, we had a grand time there. 

Finishing off:

When we got back to the north island again, it was time to set up the paintings and put in the last finishing touches. 

I decided to create greater impact and dramatize the scenes. But that was when I realized the brushes I had brought with me from South Africa, weren’t the best to finish off with. Oh, dear! 

So here again, I did my best under the circumstances. What I needed to do was to contrast the tones and colours. And where to add highlight sparkles against darker tones. 

Here are the finished paintings:

And by the way, that lady standing next to the paintings is actually me!!!