Together

                                                                                

                                                                                                    Acrylic, 5x7


 I think I improved the painting from the last post.  What do you think?

I have joined Daily Paintworks, an on-line gallery where artists sell their work.  I haven't posted any paintings yet.   I feel some trepidation about it.  It's another new step for me.  I felt the same way when I started this blog.  Now I am very comfortable with the blogging process and fairly comfortable knowing people are watching.  I know part of why I am comfortable is because I pretty much know at the present time who my Watchers are.  Even though the blog has been publicly viewable for all this time, not too many people know it exists.  Once I'm posting a painting on Daily Paintworks, there is the potential for many people I don't know yet to view my blog.  Which would be a good thing.  If I want to start selling my art and joining the on-line art community.  Which I do.  But I think it's fair to say I feel some trepidation.  Maybe I shouldn't admit to my fear publicly, since new people may be here soon to read this.  Maybe I should try to act confident even though I don't feel confident yet.  Maybe I will delete this post someday.  For for now, dear Watchers, I know that those of you who read this in the next day or so are my supporters and cheerleaders, and I know I can say these things to you.

I waited to start blogging until I felt "pregnant" with it, until I had a feeling that I couldn't start soon enough.  I joined Daily Paintworks because I also felt "pregnant" with it.  Should I wait for the same feeling to hit me before I post anything on Daily Paintworks, or should I just DO IT?!

There are so many little paintings all over my house and studio, I would like to start selling some of them.   I have one that is intended for a friend that I can't even find!  She picked it out from this blog when I was with her in NYS a couple of weeks ago, and I can't even find it.  I wonder if other artists ever "lose" paintings.  I know it's here somewhere.....

Post-workshop Landscape (and Happy Birthday Brooke!)

                                                                                                  Acrylic, 5x7"

The workshop I took with Elizabeth  was on  pastel landscape, so it is up to me to apply what I learned to my medium of choice, acrylics.  I expect I will paint in pastels more, too....but when???

I painted this one fairly quickly, fairly sketchy, late one evening, just hoping to remember the feel of being in the workshop now that I am home.  Trying to "seal the deal," so to speak.  I was happy enough with this one for what it was (done very quickly, late at night).   This was painted from a photo I took on the way home, near the interstate when I took a driving break.

The real reason for this post was to say Happy Birthday to my wonderful niece!

Creeping Closer

                                                                                                Acrylic, 6x6"

With this painting, I creep closer to what and how I want to be painting.  I hope to continue to improve, but it often seems I must go several steps backward after I paint one I'm happy with.   I still plan to write more about my workshop, and soon I will show you an acrylic landscape I painted with the knowledge I gained in my pastel landscape class.                             

Elizabeth Mowry Workshop - "What if...?" (changing the palette)

                                                                                            Pastel 9x12"

If you know of Elizabeth's work, you know that she can get extremely creative with her palette and create a beautiful painting.  She often will create a series by starting with a natural depiction of a landscape and then asking herself "What if....?"  Elizabeth encouraged us to take one of our own landscapes and ask "What if...?" by changing our own palettes.   Rather than creating one resolved painting with a different palette, I decided to do lots of different studies.   Color is an aspect of painting that is always challenging for me, so I wanted to just loosen up, try lots of things, and see what would happen.  Here is what happened:

                                                                                                 Pastel 9x12 total

I had tons of fun doing this exercise, and I think it is one I will continue, even for other subject matter.  The study in the upper right is unfinished in this photo.  I finished it on the last day of class (yesterday), but haven't photographed it yet.  I am still on the road, and since it is rainy out, I do not want to take a pastel painting out the car today to get another photograph.

I do plan to try to sum up the workshop in another post, probably when I'm back home.  I'll have plenty of time while I am traveling to think of how to convey this experience in writing. 

Hope you are well, Watchers!

Elizabeth Mowry Workshop, Day 2

                                                           Work in Progress, Pastel 9x12"

Where, you might ask, is the post for Elizabeth Mowry Workshop, Day 1?  Well....I didn't really have time to write a post yesterday and can hardly believe I am posting tonight. 

But here I am, taking a wonderful pastel workshop in Woodstock, NY from Elizabeth Mowry.   Most of you Watchers probably know I don't usually paint in pastels (I used to).   I cannot tell you how lucky I am to be in this workshop with Elizabeth, even though I am a little out of my element (medium) here.

When I was using pastels about 6 years ago, I would read Elizabeth's books (and gaze at the photos) constantly.  I thought I had missed out on ever taking a class from her, because I had read in the Pastel Journal that she was retired from teaching.  I was hugely disappointed, and quite grateful for her books.  I never dreamed Elizabeth would return to teach in Woodstock, a place convenient for me to attend and also special, because she used to teach here and live in the area.

After two days of painting with Elizabeth Mowry and learning from her, I know I will never be able to express in words how wonderful an artist, teacher, and person she is.  I will not even try tonight....hopefully I will find a way to verbalize it after the workshop is over.

Three days left.....I am so lucky.   There are no words.....   Demos every day....  I am so grateful..... an opportunity of a lifetime....  to watch one of my heroes paint!

I believe the painting above is not finished yet.  Friday is designated as the "finish the paintings we started" day.   I'm not too worried about it, whatever I end up with, this has been an incredible experience already.  I challenged myself to do tree studies so far, since I find trees oh so difficult and Elizabeth Mowry is a master at painting trees.  So....why not go for the experience that may give me the most learning, even though I did bring other reference photos with landscape elements that would be easier for me to paint well.  I'm apparently not here to paint well.  I am here to learn well.

Today's painting thus far is way too unfinished to post here....hopefully by the end of the workshop it will be ready for viewing.

I am looking forward to using my paints to try out some of the things I am learning and see how well they transfer from pastel world!  Today, we liquified the pastel block-in with water, which made the initial stage of the painting briefly act like paint, which I loved.

Goodnight, Watchers.

Another from Wednesday's Plein Air Morning

                                                                                            Acrylic, 6x6"

Thought I would show you another one from Wednesday morning.....

Big Day for Painting

                                                                                             Acrylic, 9x12"

Today I took a notion.   It was my day off, I was up early, the sky and land are doing all those beautiful early-morning-Autumn things lately, yet it was warm out, so  I decided to go paint plein air (outside).  The painting above is the fourth one I did, after the sun was fairly well out.   I did three paintings prior to this one.  They were all sort of misty, sunrisey.  I was thinking of leaving, as I had a hair appointment this morning, but when I turned around and saw all the color BEHIND me now that the sun was up, I decided to stay ("I have paint left on my palette....why not?").

I didn't really see a great composition, but I decided I could make something of it.  I know we can probably point out numerous technical/perspective problems with the painting....however, I had a great time painting it, and that's what counts.  I haven't been out painting with my acrylics in a long time, and I could see how all the still life practice has paid off.  I had a certain confidence while painting this that if anything I didn't want to see was happening in the painting, I could just correct it, and I knew I could make the scene into something I would be happy with.  This, my dear friends and Watchers, is progress!

Notice it is larger than my usual.  The first three I painted were smaller.  I brought one large board, remembering that Hank Buffington told me a couple of years ago that painting plein air with acrylics is actually easier when you paint large, because the paint has enough time to dry in one area while you're painting a different part of the painting-- you can then come back and put more layers in the areas that have already dried.  Well, Hank was sooooooo right.  I'll have to write and tell him.  I had so much more fun painting this large one than the three smaller ones, and I don't think it took much longer.

So, then I went and got my hair cut.  The woman who cuts my hair happens to be in charge of the County Fair.   Usually I miss the fair because I am out of town, but I was happy to be able to tell her that this year I would finally be able to attend.  I mentioned (feeling oh so safe, because I knew I had already long missed this year's deadline) that I would be checking out the art entries to see if I would feel worthy of entering in next year's fair.  She said, "Oh, I can still get you into this year's fair!"  I told her I would think about it, and she called her co-chair of the Fair to ask about art entries and give her my info.  She said, "No pressure or anything, but the tag is already made for your painting!"

So.....I decided to do it.  Mainly because she told me that professionals cannot enter the fair, and I expect that within the near future, I will start offering my paintings for sale.  If I ever want to show in our County Fair, it has to be now.   Plus, the person who cuts my hair is a sweetheart and it seemed to really please her to have me put a painting in the Fair!  She's been doing my hair probably about 15 years or so now and does me a great service, so I am happy to please her.

See--BIG art day.  I'm kind of nervous about the Fair.  I've become used to showing you my paintings on-line.  I'm not entirely sure who reads this blog, but I have a fairly good idea that I know who reads it regularly.   I have never shown my art in my community before, other than at an open studio a long time ago.  And I didn't have much art to show back then.  Usually I just show my paintings to a select few people.  So this Fair thing will be a new step for me.

Long post, Watchers.  Thanks if you hung in there for all this....thanks, too, if you just popped in to look at the painting, which is always fine and welcome.

Watchers, I could use some help!

                                                                                           Acrylic, 6x6"

I painted this for a challenge at Daily Paintworks.  They have a weekly challenge and anyone who wants to can put a painting on the site showing their take on the subject.  I am getting closer to being ready to join Daily Paintworks, where the artists are able to post up to one new painting per day for sale.  I figured posting to the challenge page was a good way to try out the technicals.  The challenge I painted this one for was in June....it may be a bit goofy to paint for a challenge that was a few months ago, but my point was to NOT be seen!  If I messed it up, I didn't want anyone to notice!

My main reason for trying one of the challenges (and the part I could use your help with) was to see how the quality of my photograph of the painting looked in comparison to others on the page.  I'm not really asking you to judge the quality of my painting itself, although I am always open for comments.  But, if you are so inclined, I would really appreciate if you would go look at the challenge page and see if my PHOTOGRAPH is decent enough to join and post paintings there.  This was photographed with natural light, rather than the studio lighting set-up, so I will have to paint for another challenge so I can test out the formal lights.

How to find it....still haven't learned how to put a direct link on my posts....so...go to dailypaintworks.com  Then at the top, there are tabs---choose the one for Challenges, scroll down to June 23, the Reading Challenge and click on that.  My painting as of this morning was the second one, I guess cause I just posted.

Thanks!  Any comments/advice much appreciated.

Please be Gentle!

                                                                                          Acrylic 6x6"

Actually, please feel free to say whatever you want.  I think this photo is a little blurry, but it was the best I could do today.  I meant to put in some skin tones on the male's face, but when I got to this point, I was afraid I would ruin what I had, so I just called it done!

Kind of different for me, but thought it was time I showed you another painting.  I am trying to paint what I want as I want, and to embrace the things that acrylics allow me to do (especially painting in layers).  I don't know where this path will lead me, but I feel things are evolving for me with my painting....

 Oh...the blue to the left of the female dancer was accidental.  I have a terrible habit of continuing to paint when it is too dark to see well. 

I do need to do something about my indoor lighting.....           

My Grandmother's Bowl

                                                                                   Acrylic 6x6"

Here's another one I never showed you.  This was painted in March 2012.  Painted outside.  Was quite challenging.

In terms of current work, I'm still doing studies.  Hopefully getting closer to showing you something new.  The studies are kind of personal right now.  They have to do with finding my voice and way of working.  Nothing I feel comfortable showing yet, but hopefully will get there one of these days.

I've also been busy having a cold (over it now) and getting ready for a trip/workshop in October.  I have to get ready now so I don't feel rushed.

Thanks again, Watchers!