stuck in the middle

 I've been glazing this 20x20 inch oil almost everyday for more than a week. Changes are so incremental that I am having a hard time envisioning the end result.

Out of frustration, I painted a little 6x6 study of how it might eventually look. This study for the larger painting is sold.

cheeries

There is something about cherries that is cheery. A symbol of summer and sunshine? 6x8 inches, oil on panel. "Cheeries" is sold

lonely pastels

Look at my lonely pastels in the background...so sad. In March I began working in oil and I just can't stop to return to my 'primary' medium, pastel. This is the block-in for an 18x24 inch oil. I get to use a big brush and my big glass palette. Maybe I should cover the pastels with something so they don't have to watch? I felt the same way when I left colored pencil for pastel a decade ago...like I was betraying a beloved medium.

the rose

This is the Rose, an illustration for Colored Pencil Solution Book (page 106) - aaah it does my heart good to see it again. I still appreciate the precision, detail and patience it took. If any of my colored pencil students still visit this blog, you will remember my mantra, 'sharp point, light touch'!

One would imagine that a progression drawing for a book would be done as step 1, take a photo, add more color, call it step 2, take a photo, etc. I think I imagined something would happen to the photos so all my illustrations for the book are done with each step as a separate hard-copy drawing. I'm going to post this for purchase on my Daily Paintworks Gallery.

oil study #11

I love fir trees and wanted to paint this one, standing watch beside a rivulet, but it seems the smaller the format, the bigger the challenge. I've been working on this 6 x 6 inch oil study for a larger work (Northwest Afternoon) off and on for weeks. I'm happy with it now and am posting it to my Daily Paintworks Gallery where you can see it with the wonderful magnifier tool. Oil Study 11 is sold

brushwork

Today's post is a couple detail shots from a 20x20 inch oil interpretation of a very small, detailed pastel painting, "Twilight," 6x6 inches (shown below). The goal of my larger oil of the same scene was to give a minimum amount of detail information to the viewer with the focus on loose brushwork and a play of colors and textures in a higher key palette for a different time of day. You can see the finished painting, "Yellow Dawn," by clicking here.

letting go of the past

Every artist and their work evolve. My art career began as a fashion illustrator working in pen and ink (black and white). When I moved to fine art, my introduction to color was through colored pencil and it was my exclusive medium for more than a decade. During that time I had the opportunity to serve as President of the Colored Pencil Society of America and to co-author Colored Pencil Solution Book for North Light in 2000. I have a big box of original art completed for that book and it occurred to me that artists currently working in colored pencil might enjoy owning these drawings.The Ball Jar (page 81) now has a new home. You can purchase my Copper Pitcher is sold

study for summer pond

Oil Study #10 is our backyard pond and flower garden painted from a reference photo taken last summer about this time. It looks slightly different this year because now that we have Annie, both the flower garden and the vegetable garden are fenced. Oil Study #10 is sold.

 

I forgot to give Oil Study #9 its "frame time." This scene is from a California road trip last year. Actually, I'm glad to post them here together to see the cool Washington colors and warm California colors together. Oil Study #9 is sold.

maui

This is the painting on linen canvas that was in my July 9th post, painted from a photo taken on our January trip to Hawaii. Weather on Maui was on the cool side as portrayed in this scene of a rocky hillside and lush foliage. "Maui" will be at Jeffrey Moose Gallery, Seattle, for a show in September.

today is orange day

Today's post is my Pepper. This was painted quite some time ago and resurfaced during my latest studio cleanup. I remember cutting this pepper open and thinking, 'OK, get ready....no one has ever seen inside here...oooh and aah!' And, I'm pleased with the way the painting turned out; looks like I had a day of confident brush work.

I forgot to post Orange Slices when they were complete. They were posted in-progress June 23.

Pepper is sold
Orange Slices is sold

what's on the counter?

Sometimes I have to just stop, clean off the counter in my studio, and line up the paintings I'm working on to keep myself sane. The counter is also a good place to review paintings while I'm talking on the phone because problems become apparent most often when I'm distracted.

All upright panels are works in progress -  left to right, two 18x18 inch oils that have been in the works for months, three little still lifes waiting auction on Daily Paintworks, orange slices currently on the DPW auction, three 10x8 inch oils with reference photos and three 6x6 landscapes.

I found another use for my versatile Soltek easel. I used it yesterday to hold my iPad with reference photo.  

attention colored pencil fans

As some of you may know, I co-authored Colored Pencil Solution Book, published by North Light Books in 2000. I still have my illustrations for the book, both the finished art and most of the step by steps. At the suggestion of one of my long-ago students and because I can't think of a good reason to keep them, I will be offering them on auction at Daily Paintworks. First up is the Ball Jar. Finished art is approximately 6 x 6 inches, colored pencil on paper. If you have a copy of the book, the original art would be a nice addition to your colored pencil library/art collection. Ball Jar has sold.

remember the wood panels?

Remember the wood panels I was preparing? That was June 18th (click here to see the post). Well, I wasn't happy with the texture of the gessoed wood so I glued (YES, archival glue) fine canvas onto each panel, rolled it with my rolling pin, and when they were dry, I cut off the excess canvas.  

I have very little experience painting on canvas but I do remember not liking the 'spring' of canvas stretched on a frame. Today I began an underpainting with Holbein Indigo (my new favorite color) on my new little canvas-on-wood panel and so far, so good.

 

I'll keep you posted on the progression of the painting on canvas while I also work on a larger piece.

happy accident completed

The painting that had the happy accident (see 7/2/12 post) is done! Titled "Waterway," 8x10 inches, oil on panel.

study for 'Windfall'

I found a good wall spot in my studio where I can hang finished oil studies framed, one at a time,  for a short 'so long, it's been good to know you' before they go on to their new homes. I'm painting daily, working on several paintings at once - something I rarely did in pastel.  My Open Box M is starting to look like it belongs to a real oil painter and I am working on a couple larger oils (more on them in a future post). If you would like to see the beginning of this painting three weeks ago, CLICK HERE.

Oil Study # 8 is sold

a messy happy accident

I posted recently about loving those little ribbons of color on my palette. Some of you are curious what they are so I'll name them starting on the left: Viridian, Ultra Marine, Cobalt, Terra Rosa, Transparent Oxide Red, Alizarin Crimson, Cad Red, Cad Orange, Yellow Ochre, Cad Yellow Med, Cad Yellow light, Cad Yellow Lemon and White. In the lower left corner is a blob of Liquin and in the lower right corner is my new favorite, Holbein Indigo.

Now for my messy happy accident story: See the painting in the foamcore holder? Notice that it is not held in by anything except the slight backward angle of the panel holder. I was working on black board and had just laid in the white only. Then, for some reason I can't remember, I decided to move the easel so I grabbed the tripod and lifted. SPLAT! This little painting fell face down onto my palette. I wish I had a picture of my horror stricken face. All I could think of was that my beautiful little ribbons were smashed! Once I pried the panel up off the sticky paint, I used a palette knife to scrap off the blobs of color that were all along the lower edge of the painting and plopped them back onto the palette. Then, I took a Viva paper towel and wiped as much color as I could off the painting.

Voila! the colors just happened to be exactly where I needed them! See the painting a little further along below.

It probably wouldn't have occurred to me to rub paint onto my painting with a paper towel for the soft reflection in the water but this happy accident worked well. I have now quit using the foam core and have the painting attached as the Open Box M was designed to be used!