So what is my painting process?
SANGEETHA GOPALAKRISHNAN
As a plein-air (meaning ‘outside’) painter, I do full paintings or studies on location. It is the best way to capture the mood, light, colors smell and even the taste of the air at the location you are painting. Plus, painting in a studio from photos is BORING!! You will immediately feel the difference in such paintings compared to those done all from photos inside a studio.
I dayhike or backpack on trails with my dog Ginger to paint the moments that capture me. I am most attracted to the play of light and shadow, the beautiful atmospheric effects and the scenes that others don’t see. I always have a backpack with my travel painting gear in my car ready to go. I carry a pochade box for holding the canvas and palette, very limited paint tubes (white and just the three primary colors - Cadmium-free red, Hansa yellow and Ultramarine blue) and a tripod. I keep it super light.
As an advocate for sustainable living, I create art without toxic chemicals used commonly in modern art-making—no Gamsol, harsh varnishes and mediums. I don’t use any carcinogenic heavy-metal-based paints like Cadmium, Cobalt, Lead, etc in my studio or outdoors.
I paint larger pieces in the studio from the smaller panels and sketchbook studies I do outdoors, as seen here.
Here is a painting done on location of my dog Ginger at my house. She had no idea!!! :D
