Planting People

When I painted Pappy's Patch in 2015, I knew I needed to figure this thing out ...

I avoided putting people (a.k.a. figures) into my art since I started painting. It just made me nervous and I didn't think I could do it right, so I avoided doing it at all. When I painted Pappy's to submit to the Taste of Oviedo poster contest, I realized that incorporating figures into my paintings was essential; their presence adds a depth and vibrancy that I wanted. After all, Pappy's Patch is all about connecting with your young ones, being together as a family and eating locally grown fruit. I knew it would be lacking if I stayed comfortable and painted the scenery alone.

I forced myself to try it out. I operated under the theory that some badly painted people were better than no people in this scene. When it comes to landscapes, the scenery often takes center stage, but the figures should be there as a supporting cast. They often add the narrative filled with relatability, emotions and connection! They invite viewers to imagine themselves in the scene, fostering a much deeper emotional response.

While in my first attempt, these people were way too small in relationship to the strawberry rows, I  was satisfied. You could make out that they were humans. Even if they did look like stiff little matchsticks! 

Over the years of painting Oviedo's special scenes and locations, I bumped into this problem again and again. I was fustrated in 2016 it was when I painted De Azucar, a little coffee and pastry shop in Oviedo. Here I struggled mainly with the lady in blue standing at the counter. Don't look too closely because her face is blurry. I reworked her way too many times and that is not the watercolor way! Watercolors favor those who plan ahead and paint using clean and lively strokes.  That said, I had more success with the seated sippers and felt empowered to keep on trying! ​

Adding Scale and Perspective

I began realizing that including people into my scenes provided a sense of scale, depth and helped viewers to understand the story I was trying to tell with each local piece. 

Figures infuse scenes with life

I knew that to infuse these Oviedo scenes with life, I needed to start observing how people looked in various settings and how they interacted with their surroundings. I began to examine this and would pay attention and even sometimes photograph people in scenes such as farmer's markets, gardening in their yards, walking, eating and fishing. Paying attention and studying painting techniques helped me learn how to portray figures in a more dynamic and engaging way.   

Without a doubt, this painting of Tutu's Oviedo dance studio would have been lacking if not for the addition of girls walking up with their moms ready to have fun and practice their dance skills!

Fast forwarding to 2019, I took a few artistic liberties to improve upon what my son, Tre, and his buddies were standing on in this fishing piece. It's one of my favorites as this time in his life was so special, and I wanted to capture this little sweet vestige of boyhood! 

I’m excited to announce that I will be offering a weekly class this May, where we will explore the concept of adding figures to landscape paintings step by step. Over the course of six weeks, we will start with simple techniques and I'll share whatever I have learned as we gradually build upon our people skills : ). 

This class is designed for all levels, whether you’re a beginner looking to enhance your paintings or an experienced artist wanting to refine your approach. Together, we will delve into the techniques that bring life and narrative to your landscapes. I hope you to join me on this artistic exploration for our next open studio class .

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Also, if anyone has suggestions as to special Oviedo scenes that still need to be painted, send them my way!  I'd love to have a new one to roll out this fall. 

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