Friday 2-19-2016

Citrus, pastel, 5x7 sold

I'm continuing with my fruit series, this time with a side-lit lemon. This series is about pushing color and texture. Fortunately, these paintings have received a warm reception on my Daily Paintworks Gallery (that means they've sold). If they don't sell, I plan to hang them in my kitchen.

I'm beginning to make notes as I paint, things I would tell a group of artists in a workshop setting. Numerous people have emailed me asking if I have plans to start teaching again and I think I have your name (somewhere). I have some teaching opportunities on the horizon (summer/fall 2016). If you are interested in painting with me, please send me an email so I can make sure you are on my workshop announcement list before the workshops are advertised.

Friday 2-12-2016

Cutie, pastel, 5 x 7 inches, sold

Last week I had the pleasure of being a speaker for Women Painters of Washington at Seattle Art Museum. I shared the stage with artist friend Barbara Noonan and together we spoke of our art practices, what motivates us to paint, etc. The collective groan from our audience was in response to the time we spend on the business of art compared to the time we spend painting. We agree that the business of art takes twice as long as our time at the easel.

After one of these small studies is complete I
1. Photograph it
2. Post it to Daily Paintworks for purchase
3. post it to my Pinterest Gallery
4. Post it to my Professional Page on Facebook
5. Blog about it here and post it to my Recent Paintings Blog
6. Enter the painting image and information in my Filemaker Pro Art Database

When it sells I
1. Package it up for shipment,
2. Buy postage online and print a packing slip and shipping label.
3. Record the sale in Quickbooks to create and print an invoice for my records
4. Ship it. NEW TIME SAVER - starting now, I plan to ship only on Wednesdays.

Things I don't have to do for these small paintings:
1. Frame them
2. Deliver them to a gallery or show
 

Friday 2-5-2016

Marble and Tomato - RED, pastel 5 x 7 inches

Two shiny red objects. A marble and a tomato for my Friday painting. I've painted lots of marbles in oil but this is my first in pastel. See detail photos and step x step progression below. Ground is wine PastelMat. Sold

Studio: Rose wall

I have been in my new Studio almost 9 months and I finally painted ONE wall a lovely Rose color (Sherwin Williams 6318, Resounding Rose), one of the colors in the Studio rug. My former Studio was seven colors over 25 years. When I was done with the wall and began hanging paintings, I realized this is a color I've been using in my pastel work for some time. And my Cathy Woo painting is happy (see below).

Friday 1-29-2016

1-29-2016  Frost Peach, pastel, 5 x 7 inches

sold on DailyPaintworks

Another afternoon with the local community center group. The past two Fridays I have brought an unfinished piece home and pushed it further. Looking closer, using more aggressive marks and color shifts. Transferring energy instead of the usual quietude of my work; it's difficult to get to sleep after that. I am loving this new pastel technique.

Took a pastel break

If you have followed my blog you know that I have a history of painting over old pastel paintings. I remember Albert Handell's puzzled look and comment to me, "Let me understand... you take a perfectly good painting and wash it off and start over?" Yes, I do. The reasoning might be complicated but it's what I have done since I started in pastel many years ago. It's what I have to do.

Today I hit a new low (or high?). I painted over a 6x6 inch and a 7x5 inch painting. At that size, it isn't about being frugal by saving the paper to use again. It's about a painting that missed the mark by a little. Both of these paintings were "perfectly good" but not exceptional. I pushed them farther today in color and in my mark making and I'm happy.

Study #3 for Dappled Path (revisited), pastel, 6x4 inches
sold

House on the Hill (revisited), pastel, 6x6 inches

Acrylic - another one on favorite ground

Another one on the black 4 ply rag mat - no markings and I've had it years, I think it is Alphamat. Making a little headway in feeling comfortable with acrylic. Putting the paint on the surface without frustration is my goal for now.

Barn #1, acrylic on black rag 4ply, 6x6 inches

Acrylic - finding the right ground

Of course there is no "right" ground, only the right ground for me. For acrylic I don't like the spring or texture of canvas, I don't like the slickness of Gessobord, I DO like a sanded surface but my brushes don't. Today I tried archival 4-ply black mat. I sort of love it, at least in the beginning until I make a big mess. Same subject, the old house with fire hydrant.

 

House with Fire Hydrant, acrylic, 6x6 inches

The rest of the story...

... or How Acrylic Changed My Life. In my effort to learn to use and like acrylic paint, I have been focusing on the feel of the paint from brush to surface and upon the application technique of color and value.

On Fridays I always work in pastel for my Daily Paintworks Gallery. Last Friday I brought home an unfinished painting, a close-up view of a flower arrangement. Today, as I went back to it, something from acrylic must have transferred to this little painting because I was oblivious of the whole (all 35 square inches of it) and instead, submersed in color and marks. Love the abstracted quality and I'm glad that what I have been teaching my hand over ruled my brain.

1-23-16 Among Friends, pastel, 7x5 inches

Available

Friday painting 1-22-16

Our little Friday Group at the community center is growing with several new people attending yesterday. The result is more art stimulation for everyone. I love to listen to them chat while I paint but then someone asked me a few questions and the end result is only one painting to show for my afternoon's work. I talked too much.

This is an usual subject for me, especially in the small 7 x 5 inch format. In my Studio it is easy to work a new subject past the point of no return, wipe it off and begin again. My self imposed challenge for these Friday sessions is to complete a painting so I am much more thoughtful in my color choices and stroke decisions. In doing that, the work retains a freshness.

1-22-16  Sunflowers, pastel, 7 x 5 inches

sold

Acrylic fun

My morning hours in the Studio today with acrylic were actually fun and my opinion about the medium is changing. As I continued work on the old house with fire hydrant, I am becoming familiar with the characteristics of this medium:

1. DRIES FAST. Because it dries so quickly (one of my previous complaints), I can rest my hand anywhere on the work to address small details without messing up the paint.

2. MUDLESS. I learned a fresh stroke of paint doesn't mix with preceding strokes and layers creating dreaded "mud." If a color is muddy, it is because I mixed it that way on the palette.

3. DRIES FLAT. I'm using GLOSS medium with the acrylic paint but it still dries looking flat so I am experimenting with applying small dabs of various values and hues next to each other to build up some depth. Also, I hope the final varnish will help.

House with Fire Hydrant, acrylic, 18 x 18 inches, progress continuing.

Acrylic - big ahaa!

In and out of the Studio in one hour this morning (quit while you're ahead) with a pretty big ahaa! In my continuing exploration with acrylic paint, today I am happy.

1. Start with an old, really bad acrylic painting from about 10 years ago (yes, I've WORKED with acrylic before). Use a Sharpie to sketch an idea onto the old painting.

2. Put a blob of white, sepia and black paint on your palette. Put a blob of acrylic medium on your palette. Get an old ratty brush and start covering the old painting.

3. Stand there. Wonder what you're doing.

4. Wonder if you can lift color OFF. Twenty three years ago I was invented my colored pencil technique of lifting color with reusable adhesive. Ten years later, I began to wash ALL pastel off leaving a ghost image to begin again. Another ten years and I began subtracting oil paint with a clean rag or brush in mineral spirits. But acrylic (the regular kind, not Open or Interactive) dries so fast...I spray water and scratch the surface but it is futile. Hmm...what about a razor blade? Voila! I love it.

Now, I know that if an acrylic artist were reading this, they would be laughing at what a Rookie I am. but I'm actually inspired to continue. If you are one of the many who have emailed me with your own experiences and concerns about acrylic, I encourage you to continue exploring. If we can learn to work WITH the medium there might be hope.

Fire Hydrant House, acrylic, 18x18 inches, waiting next step.

Acrylic painging - tiny ahaa!

For a short time today I forgot I was painting with acrylic paint. I mixed acrylic medium to the paint (50/50) and it felt so much more like oil paint. A tiny ahaa! First step was to sketch the house (yes, again) on the acrylic primed stretched canvas. I brushed acrylic medium over the whole thing (smears the pencil but that's OK). Mixed a few colors and added acrylic medium. The FEEL of applying the paint was much improved compared to using acrylics with water. Eliminated that scratchy, raw look of my 1-15-16 version.   

Fire Hydrant #3, 10 x 8 inches, acrylic

Thanks to all who have emailed me with comments about this painting, my process/challenge and their own interest in acrylics. In response to Sandi's question below, here is a photo of the medium I used in this painting. This jar of medium must be 10 years old!

Friday Paintings 1-15-2016

It's about discipline. It's about doing what I said I would do, no excuses. Each Friday I plan to paint two small pastels in a 50 x 50 foot room full of empty tables and chairs, under fluorescent lights. Sometimes there is background chatter of other artists or a group of people playing a game of cards. Today I was alone, committed to paint.

Being there instead of in my studio forces me to work through problems of a painting (and with limited supplies). When I am in my Studio I can abandon a painting if it isn't going well or I can wipe it off and begin again. I can throw it away and start working on something else. But, on Friday afternoons, I hold myself captive and accountable. I think it is good for me.

 1.15.16     Blue House     pastel, 5 x 7 inches
sold

 1.15.16     Gold Creek Lake     pastel, 5 x 7 inches
available for purchase