Memories

An old chicken coop, no longer used but still standing.

Three months ago we moved from the hustle and bustle to a more rural location. Not so many people, much quieter and more scenic. The landscape is dotted with old buildings where people lived, laughed, worked. This is the  same area where I visited my Grandma, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins when I was a child. I've painted three little scenes: the images are 6x4 inches on 7x5 pastel paper. I may paint more, or not. These three will go to Daily Paintworks for purchase. Use the Magnifier there for a closer look.

I call this the Ivy House because one side is covered in Ivy. No one lives there but it is on my route to the Library and Post Office. It seems to be forgotten but deserves to be painted.

We came upon this original homestead on a Sunday Drive. I'm sure a lot of memories were made in this simple little house. Sadly, it now stands open to the weather.

In appreciation

Study for Leaving Home, pastel, 5x4 inches

I recently shipped Study for Leaving Home to it's new owner and received a nice email from her.  Thank you Jory! Take a look at her beautiful paintings through the link below.

Dear Barbara,
I received your perfect little gem “Study for leaving home” yesterday. It is a perfectly detailed brilliant little painting and doesn’t look like a study at all. I just love it! It is already at my framers and it will be in a place of honor.
Thank you! (feel free to post this testimonial if you want)

Jory Mason
jorymasonfineart.com

Two new ones

Study for Spring at Gold Creek, pastel, 5 x 4  inches

Study for Spring at Gold Creek Pond, pastel, 4 x 5 inches

See both of these little studies with the Magnifier on my Daily Paintworks Gallery page.

Take a look...

After my post yesterday showing a small pastel study, I had a conversation with my husband about why I posted the green reference photo along with the colorful little pastel. I told him about a follow-up post I would do as soon as I had time - one in which I would put into words what I showed as a visual: take any reference photo and push the color. If you have trouble imagining how to do this, put the reference photo in Photoshop and slide the "Hue" bar. It is an interesting experiment. Meanwhile, today Marla Baggetta has posted on the same topic and she has saved me a lot of typing as well as explaining it better than I might have. Here is a link to Marla's post. Thank you Marla from all of us!

The other thing I wanted to tell you is that the little studies on Daily Paintworks, mine and those of others, are inexpensive little gems of education, especially if you can't study in person with the artist. If you want a real, live example to study composition, value, color or stroke, invest in one of these. Place it on your easel next to your painting and put it to work by example to improve your own art. Here is one I have available now -  Study for "Leaving Home". See it on Daily Paintworks.

Study for Leaving Home Sold

The second time around

My new Studio is full of natural light during the day but last night was the first time I painted after dark. I found a reference photo in one of my old sketchbooks and used it for a little color study.

This morning the skies are overcast making it MUCH easier to get a good photograph. This is a Study for "All Things Good and True" (the second time around). Sold

Inspiration

A few days ago I was informed by the folks at Patience Brewster that August is Artist Appreciation Month. Patience designs hand-painted ornaments for Christmas and all year decor. They inspired me to write a post on this blog about a few artists that have inspired me.

The first artist that comes to mind is my former instructor at Burnley School of Professional Art, William Cumming. Below is a photo of my office wall and his painting - girl leaning toward a window -  that he gifted me when I was his student. Bill Cumming encouraged me to carry a sketchbook and to make a habit of capturing everyday events in quick, spontaneous line drawings. He showed me the joy of line and the emotion and moods a simple line can convey.

Next to my Cumming painting are two works by my first husband, William Iles. As I look back, I am inspired by his perseverance and dedication to express himself through art regardless of his circumstances.

These days as I work in pastel and oil, my art heart beats faster when I see the lovely works of  Tibor Nagy and Alex Kanevsky. I can't express in words how their work makes me feel. The play of color and texture in their paintings inspire me to get into the Studio. That's where I'm headed now!

painting from my sketchbook

I used to be diligent about adding entries to my Sketchbook. These days, it is fun to look back to review my art struggles - most of them now a distant memory. The work itself also shows my challenges of the time. When I came across the painting Days Ease I remembered how much I liked it. I even remember the person who came to my Studio to pick up another painting and saw this one and purchased it also.

Today I wondered how differently I would paint the scene now so I propped the sketchbook up on my easel and began to paint. It was fun, and the best part was walking away when I had said what I intended instead of belaboring the painting.

Days Ease, pastel, 4.5 x 6 inches   Sold

painting light

Painted on Wallis paper toned with Venetian Red gesso.

Leavenworth Light, pastel, 7 x 7 inches Sold

Paint it twice...

I painted "Leavenworth Pine" twice this morning. I had to rip up the first painting because when I removed the black artist tape that held it to my easel, the tape took the right bottom corner of the Colourfix pastel paper with it. Here is the second try shown in steps...much improved anyway because I was familiar with the subject (same as doing a study for a larger painting).

Leavenworth Pine Step 1

Leavenworth Pine Step2

Leavenworth Pine Step3

Leavenworth Pine, pastel, 6x6 inches   Sold

Light Show

Light Show, pastel, 7x5 inches Sold

Painted from a reference photo that I have had for years, shot on a winter morning. I have taken liberties with the color palette but the focus is still on the way the early morning light comes through the trees.