"Winter's Exhale" Oil Pastel

Oil Pastel 5.5 x 5.5"

Well, for the sake of the 30 in 30, I am showing you this one, but I just cannot bring myself to sell it until I can get the image accurate enough to the painting.  I tried three different photo editors!  So, I give myself credit for trying, anyway.

This is an extra one I painted the other day.  I was looking forward to showing you the one for today, but the scan was SO OFF, that the above one actually looks relatively accurate!  

Apparently, using the scanner for Oil Pastel Paintings is going to be a bit more iffy than using it for Acrylic Paintings.  I will be looking for a Plan B.

Happy Painting, everyone!

"Forest by Moonlight" Oil Pastel - 30 Paintings in January 2015

Oil Pastel, 3.5 x 2.5"

SOLD (Thank You!)

I am now utterly fascinated with this incredible medium of Oil Pastel.  I know I'm a beginner, but I have a tip to share.  If you're going to scrape with a razor blade like I do, put some tape on the holding end before you start.  Once you start using the blade, it gets dirtied by the colors and it's hard to know which side is the sharp side if you put it down and pick it up again.  I have a bunch of teeny little cuts on my blade holding finger.

I said little cuts, Mom!  No blood involved...

And now, with my mother hopefully sufficiently reassured, I bid you all a good night's sleep and Happy Painting!  And as always, thanks for Watching...

"The Child Glowed" Oil Pastel - 30 Paintings in January 2015

Oil Pastel, 8x6"

I hope my family will recognize this moment, because it is a moment I will never forget!

I created this piece on what many artists would consider one of the best surfaces for oil pastels and soft pastels--sanded art paper.  However, for my methods, sanded paper is one of my least preferred surfaces for oil pastel painting, at least at this time in my development with the medium.  I realize this image deserves another go on another surface.

Even though the results were less than what I was aiming for, I still feel accurate in saying that at least on my screen, the photo doesn't begin to do justice to the painting!  The contrast is off and there are color subtleties that aren't even showing.

Anyway, this is my offering for Day 14 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days, January 2015.  All is calm, all is bright...

Happy painting, everyone!

"Moonlit" Oil Pastel - 30 Paintings in January 2015

 Oil Pastel, 6x6"

$50 plus shipping

Purchase Here

Did you all see that big moon the other night?  This painting was actually inspired by a morning view from my office. 

It's getting so I can't paint without a razor blade (oil pastelists may know what I mean).  Pretty soon, I may need a heat gun!  Watch out!

Happy Painting, everyone!

Thanks for visiting...

Approaching Storm

Acrylic 6x6"

Available for $95 plus shipping

Contact the Woolworth Walk Gallery

Asheville, NC

(828) 254-9234

Another candidate from my new project of getting to intimately know some landforms.   As I explained in this post, I am working towards learning to paint from imagination, or from my mind's eye. 

One of the commenters on the last post thought I had actually painted the last landform from my imagination.  I want to correct that impression, because I think I wasn't clear.

I am not yet creating the landforms from my imagination!  I am creating them from my own photos and significantly cropping to find what is to me the most interesting part of the photos.  

My plan is to paint from a photo monochromatically, then paint the same landforms using imaginative color, and eventually create my own semi-abstracted landforms from my imagination.  Make sense?

I am trying out the auction format at Daily Paintworks to put some of these works up for sale.  The auction will run for one week, starting with a lowered "teaser price."  If the painting doesn't sell during the auction week, the price will go up to my regular retail price. 

I am playing with redesigning parts of my blog (fonts, font sizes, colors), so please bear with me till I settle on what I like.  Better yet, feel free to provide feedback on any of the changes.  

Edit:  Well, turns out I have put a lot of time into this redesign---let me know what you think!  I like it, and I hope it's easier on the eye.  I know it calls for a wider header now.  Another project....

Thanks for being here, Watchers!

30 in September 2014 - Fun with Acrylic Palette Knife Painting

Acrylic with Palette Knife, 8x10"

I am experimenting with new mediums to make acrylic palette knife painting feel more like oil palette knife painting.  I think I am onto something.  The medium I used today made the process much more natural than it felt with mediums I had been using.  Possible breakthrough here!

You may ask, why not just use oil paints with the palette knife, then.  The answer is I would be happy to use oil paints, except I am terribly afraid of  

SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION!

That's my truth.  To all you oil painters out there, I don't expect your stuff to combust.  I just would worry too much about my own stuff. 

Hope everyone continues to have a happy, productive weekend, and thanks for Watching...

30 in September 2015 - Returning

 

Acrylic 8x10"

I could have painted a whole 'nother painting in the amount of time I have spent fiddling with this image in Picasa and Photoshop Elements, trying to get it to look more like the image I painted.  I don't know why the yellow stands out so much.  

You will be happy to know I am taking a half-day workshop with a renowned local photographer this month on how to use Photoshop elements.  Hopefully, I will have a clearer idea of how to make my images look more like my paintings.   Meanwhile, why that yellow is so strong and contrasty, I'll never know.

This one is painted on canvas board, unusual for me, because I don't usually work on canvas.   30 in 30 is a time for experimentation.

 

But thanks for  being here to Watch, and for those of you who are in this painting challenge with me--Happy Painting!

Coming Right Up - 30 in September 2014!

Acrylic with Palette Knife, 8x10" unframed

PURCHASE HERE for $200 plus shipping

Here we go again!  30 Paintings in 30 Days, courtesy Leslie Saeta, convener of the challenge and host of Artists Helping Artists blog talk radio show (AHA).   If you are an artist reading this, you, too, can join the challenge.  Even if it's already started.  Even if you know you will never actually paint 30 paintings in 30 days.

Like me...I like to say I'm "along for the ride."  My schedule simply does not allow me to complete a painting every day.   I am at peace with my limitations, and Leslie is kind enough to say there are no rules, except to have fun.  If you are just discovering this challenge and we're already half-way through September, you can still join!

So, I promise to have fun, I promise to learn, I understand I will be seeing lots of great art throughout the month, and maybe I'll even make a few more friends.  

Leslie has recommended we all have a theme for our 30 Paintings.   After a lot of soul searching, I realize I will possibly pull my hair out if I limit what I paint.   Oh, I will envy those artists who have a theme and will come out of this thing with a cohesive body of work and an amazing collage at the end, to boot.  But I know myself.  I could declare a theme today and I wouldn't stick to it, anyway!

I heard the late, great Robert Genn say on his interview with AHA radio, "I think the only question artists should ask themselves each day is, 'What do I want to do today?'"  I think Mr. Genn would approve of my not having a theme.  But the most important thing is, I approve. 

So, my only plan is to start with the palette knife and see where I go.  What fun!.

Oh, and one change from the other challenges--this time I plan to put my work up for sale, at least some of it.

The above painting was completed during the January 2014 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge.  At least, I thought it was completed.  The other day, I had another go at it.   I made some small changes, and I think they are improvements.

Thanks for joining me on this adventure.

Burnsville Paint-Out

Watercolor with Colored Pencil, 8x10ish"

A few weeks ago, I participated in a paint-out held by the Toe River Arts Council (TRAC) in Burnsville, NC.  This is  NOT the painting I did for the paint-out!  Actually, I painted two similar starts, and the underpainting for this one was the first start.  The second start, I completed for the Paint Out, and it has been hanging in TRAC gallery for the month, until recently when the show ended.   Another artist was kind enough to pick it up for me when the show ended, since I live further away, so I still don't have the painting back.

It has been very odd for me to not have easy access to that painting for the past month, and I realize now that a big part of my painting process is looking, looking, looking at my painting after it is sort of finished.  In fact, I can be in the middle of doing something completely different (laundry for instance) and suddenly take a notion and be compelled to drop everything and go look at a recent painting.  More than once.

After a couple of weeks of not getting to look at my paint-out painting, I realized that I had the original start at home and could play around with it.  I took liberties with the grasses in front of the trees, obviously embellishing the colors, with the intention to play and see how the colored pencils worked with the paints.  Playing and learning, great fun! 

Thank you for looking and for being with me through these experiments...

Stormy Sky - 30 in January 2014

                                           Acrylic with Palette Knife, 6x6"




I started this one with 20 minutes of my lunch hour yesterday and finished it last night when I got home.  This one is from one of my photos.  I found it very difficult to get soft cloud edges with the palette knife and ended up using my finger, which is very strange for me, since I normally paint with gloves on to avoid touching the paint.  I wonder if I can prevail upon two friends who usually paint with palette knives to do a demo of clouds on their blogs--Carol, Jacklyn? 

How is everybody who is in the challenge doing at this point?  I find myself needing to be more into my own thing and having less time to look at everyone else's work.  Yesterday morning, I used my time before work to scan and blog the painting on yesterday's post, and that is what I will need to do this morning, too.  Then, my next time to check email and Feedly is normally my lunch hour, but I painted on my lunch hour.  And last night, I also painted.  I haven't had time to look at all the paintings on Leslie's blog in a few days.  I know it's a good thing for my painting life to be more focused on my own process, but I do miss all the inspiration!  So, how are you guys doing???

What Do I Really Want to Paint?

                                                                                                       acrylic 5x7"

I painted and am writing this on Mother's Day, but this will be posted on Monday.  I already had a post today.  I need one for tomorrow.   Not the greatest painting, but I am wanting to show you some of my learning process.

Daily PaintWorks, a website I love, posts a challenge each Saturday.  This week's challenge is "Yellow."  Hence, the yellow lamp painting.  I am no way going to post this on Daily PaintWorks, but I thought it would be good to get into the spirit ot the challenge.  This lamp has a certain eerie glow (especially in the base) when light shines on it that I tried to capture and don't think quite made it.  Oh well.  Being that it's my lamp, I can always try again.  In fact, this is the second time I've tried to paint it.

I started my Painting Shadows and Light class with Lorelle Bacon on Wednesday.  I was the only student there...which will work out nicely in terms of getting my learning needs met, but I forfeit getting to meet some new local artist friends. 

Lorelle wants me to do my paintings faster, like keep it to an hour and time myself.  She also wants me to  try mixing with my palette knife instead of my brush.  My brush tends to get gunked up with lots of paint.  So, today I worked on both challenges.  I ended up cheating and giving myself an extra 20 minutes, and I also ended up resuming my mixing with my brush when I saw the clock ticking.  Mixing with the knife I found very awkward.  I find the brush more efficient.  With the palette knife, I have to keep changing my implement--knife to brush to knife to brush.  I ended up using the knife for mixing in my right hand and  kept my painting brush in my left hand (I'm left-handed).  I finally reverted to my brush-clogging ways after awhile.

Next time I paint, I'm going to do what Lorelle said and stop after an hour, whether I am finished or not.  She assures me that I will get faster.  I think the lesson will only work if I follow it!  I'll practice with my palette knife, too.

If you haven't already checked out Lorelle's site, I urge you to click on her name in the right column of this blog.  She is great at so many mediums and just had a piece accepted into an international scratchboard competition!  Amazing woman.

When I set out to paint, I certainly didn't intend to paint lamps.  As one of my sisters said in a comment earlier in the blog, I didn't even think I liked looking at still life paintings.  When I discovered the Daily PaintWorks website, that all changed.  Not all the artists on that site do still life, but many do.   And many are fantastic (these artists create works of great beauty out of the simplest household objects).  I love looking at that site.  I aspire to be on that site.  And since membership is open, I can choose to be anytime I think I am ready.  So far, I am not.  I feel I should join at such time as I am consistently satisfied with my paintings. 

I do love painting the still lifes and all I am learning from them.  However, what I really yearn for is to paint people.  Not portraits or even necessarily capturing a likeness.  I want to paint "slices of life" with people engaged in daily living--paintings that would cause the viewer to feel that familiar "yes, this is how life is" feeling. 

When I put people in my paintings, I feel totally different.  I feel as if the painting has come alive.  I think I even breathe differently.  I know that landscapes are also full of life and I have painted many landscapes, but there is something that is just different for me about painting people.

Now, generally, people do not hold still for long when you want to paint them.  You have to either pay them to hold still, cajole them to hold still, or work from photographs.   Painting from photographs is very difficult if you don't really know what you are doing, because the photograph creates certain distortions and simply cannot show color to the artist the way the eyes can.  Lorelle said she is going to show me how to work from photos and adjust for the problems they create.  If I can learn to work with photos, I will be one step closer to being able to paint what I really want to paint!

(Hey, long post...thanks if you are still reading.  I guess having people in my post yesterday got me going.)

Painting the Light

                                                                                acrylic, approx 6x8"

This painting isn't quite a standard size (slightly less than 6x8"), because it is on a masonite board that was cut to size at home, and apparently when you take a large piece of masonite and cut it into a bunch of smaller boards, the end ones are going to end up slightly smaller.   I've been told.  Anyway, I am wanting this to be slightly even smaller at the bottom, because think it would be a better composition that way.  I'm going to have the same sawer saw some off as soon as other projects around the house are finished and the table saw becomes available for art cropping (unless someone out there knows for a fact that sawing a completed acrylic painting on masonite is a bad idea and lets me know).  Here's how I would rather this look:

It's slight, but I think it makes a difference.

You can see that the ellipse at the top of the vase (BTW, same vase as yesterday's painting) is kind of off, tilted.  You know what?  That doesn't bother me.  I have decided that I am not after perfection in the drawing, because I think having some things a little off gives the painting some life. 

I like the sense of light in this one, and my main interest in painting is to capture a light effect.  Whether painting still life, landscapes, or people, that is what I am interested in.  I have so much to learn about painting light.  Lighting a still life has been a big learning challenge, because of wanting to have a nice light effect without harsh shadows.  I've done research and experimented, but if anyone can direct me to any reference information on this topic, I would be so grateful.

So far, natural light on the still life when the light is at certain angles gives me more of the effect I want....but then I have the same issue painting still life as with painting plein air--the light CHANGES!  It's pretty interesting over a painting session to watch the light change--you see all your light and shadow effects disappear and reappear in other places.  But it makes it hard to complete the original vision of the painting.  At least in the amount of time I need to do one of these paintings.

For the light effect in this painting, I think I lucked out in finding these purple flowers and being able to pair them with my peachy-colored vase.  I think being sort of complementary colors, they helped make the light effect on the vase pop.  Then again, I am not a trained artist, so maybe I am making that up.  But I do think from my readings on color that these are near complements and that having them together did help give a sense of light.  I'm happy to hear from any artist out there who can tell me if I am making sense!

Photos.  First, I want to acknowledge my friend Dixie for letting me use her art photo shooting set-up.  Without access to Dixie's set-up, I would not have this blog on-line yet.  So, thank you SO much, Dixie.  Secondly, I want to say that the photos for this post and the prior two were done by me, alone with the photo-shooting set-up, without Dixie there.  For the first three posts' photos, Dixie was there.  One thing we know that made a difference is that she had one extra light on that I didn't use.  When I look at the photo from this post and the last two compared to the first few, the first few look more accurate to the paintings to me.  So, I'll need to try that extra light from now on.  Or maybe actually having Dixie there made all the difference...