great news!

"Summer Song in Blue" received the Terry Ludwig Pastels Gift Award. I am honored to have my abstracted landscape work recognized by the highly respected juror, Richard McKinley.

river side

This little Carmel River side-scene was painted a couple weeks ago before I started reworking old oil paintings. So, no "before" to show you on this one. 8 x 10 inches, oil on panel, click image to enlarge.

Leavenworth again

Another reworked oil. 8 x 10 inches on canvas panel.

one more time

Painting the same scene twice has never appealed to me but I wanted to try this little inlet in oil again on masonite instead of canvas. The smoother surface, less detail, and simplified color is an improvement over the original painting at lower left. The new "Inlet" is 6 x 6 inches.

6 x 6 inch rework

It was a joy to rework the 2008 oil painting shown at bottom left. Current work builds on previous work and imagery, strokes, and color choices become more sophisticated with experience. Two years later, "Treeline" is the improved version. 6 x 6 inches, oil on masonite.

gesso-ing

Today I'm applying gesso to 24 x 24 cradled panels. I'd call that gessoing but apparently that isn't a word. I have two 16 x 20 oils in progress (see the tiny images by the lamp?) but they are still in the early stages of development. Back to the gesso now for the second coat ...nothing like having four blank white surfaces staring at you.

correction

Today I spent a couple hours with my friend, artist Kristi Galindo Dyson. She pointed out that these works should be labeled non objective instead of abstract. Non objective is a style of art in which natural objects are not represented. My abstracted landscapes have areas that suggest objects - trees, water, etc. These little non objective pieces are my attempt to bring order out of chaos through relationships of color, texture, shape and line.

abstract three

I need a change of palette. I keep gravitating to that "robin's egg blue" hue. Must be a color that represents spatial qualities to me (sky?). Painting abstracts is like being in therapy...not that I ever have been but I may need some therapy if I continue to paint this way. On my way to the library to pick up the book "Trust the process: an artist's guide to letting go" by Shaun McNiff.

abstract two

This is the second of four little abstracts in oil. I am challenged, rewarded and frustrated in quick succession as I work on composition and balance, and on relationships between shapes and textures and colors. The painting comes together in one or more areas, then while I'm trying to bring the rest of the painting into a pleasing relationship with the areas I love, the whole thing falls apart. When that happens (over and over) I have to decide which parts to keep and WHY and what to do with the areas that don't work. I'm pleased with this one now.

abstract one

I'm playing with oil paint this week. Abstracts seem like a good way to become reacquainted with oil but for me they are much more brain-draining to create than landscapes! The balancing act is intuitive in landscapes but with an abstract there is a constant narrative as I'm working (which is exhausting). But, the medium is a fun change. Click on the image to enlarge.

landscape four

Fourth (and final for now) 5 x 7 landscape impression. A future challenge will be to translate one of these little sketches into a larger finished painting.

landscape three

 Rainy day 5 x 7 abstracted landscape study.

landscape two

The second of four 5 x 7 landscapes. Quick pastel studies that inspire me to try the same look but in another medium.