First Page gets her palette ready and gathers sketches and photos. 

The canvas gets tacked up on the wall.  She preps her own material, applying gesso to prime the surface. 

A few rough lines are made in charcoal or paint.  They focus the composition, and have to be interesting and dynamic from the start.

Then the big shapes are roughed in, again in charcoal or paint.

More detail is added, keeping the original compostion in mind.

Then big washes of color are laid in,  Page chose complimentary colors for the sky and trees to get warmth. 

Dark colors are applied next, creating strong contrasts.  Page says it's essential to think like a kindergartener and not worry about the outcome to free up the painting.

Middle values go in next. She encourages students to step back to see what's going on in the work at every step.

At this point Page thought the trees looked a little too equidistant, compositionally it wasn't interesting enough, so she went back in to make all the shapes more interesting.

The pattern of dark and light creates a focus at the end of the path, light colors go on last to make the composition pop- and done!

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The Making of a Painting

Betty has taken art classes, tried to paint, but honestly? Not so successful. The work never came out as the stunning masterpieces I had stuck up there in my brain.

So, when I hear people standing in front of a piece saying "I could do that" I am hard pressed not to shoot off a snide quip kindly remark "think again Buster".  It takes years of practice, training your eye, and learning your craft before you can create intutive, expressive work like the joyful paintings made by Page Railsback, a local painter and teacher.

She moved to Hingham and created the North Street Studio six years ago.  The wonderful light dappled space is filled with her loosely interpreted impressions of landscapes, still lifes and interiors.  Page teaches classes in the studio and en plein air whenever possible, that is when she isn't in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico leading her annual painting and yoga workshop....

Betty was lucky to snag this slideshow from Page, to show us how it's done.  It's inspiring me to dive in again and take a class- this time I won't be concerned with the masterpiece in my brain...

Betty loved visiting Page in her studio Sunday at the Hingham Arts Walk, see photos on the About Town page.