Ballet Studio Sketch

 

12x10 oil on paper (paper size 16x12)

PURCHASE

Discovered a new paper from Arches specifically made for oil painting.

It's different from some of the others I've tried. It definitely allows for heavier paint and isn't very absorbent. I painted this last night and it is still wet and the brush strokes are quite visible. 

I saw that v....vaughan shared her painting recently which was done on the same material. I'll let her figure out how to mount and frame! 

There is no oil bleed through - the paint remains on the surface beautifully. It is smooth and I love a smooth surface to work on.

(I took this and posted from the iphone. I will update it with a better image soon)

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Shades of Summer

8x8 oil on panel
$375 + s/h
Email me

Ah summer - I had to get to the beach at least in my mind! We will try to hit the Texas coast sometime this summer. But I will miss the Florida gulf beaches a lot. The water there is so beautiful.

Stripes

12x12 oil on cradled panel

Available at Gardner Colby Gallery.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people in my favorite city (NYC) and the whole Northeast dealing with Sandy. What a terrific storm. I hope all will be well soon and that the damage is soon cleared up. Be safe, my friends!

MapQuest

10x12 oil on panel
Available at Tidewater Gallery
$900 framed


Another scene inspired by my NYC trip in May. The light those first two mornings had a strange glare and brightness to it that seemed unusual for the city. Today I'm working on some beach scenes for a commission. I can share these studies in a week or so. This is the first year in ages we won't make a trip to the beaches in FL. We're vacationing in Yellowstone this year and are very much looking forward to that!

Peony Tea Room

14x11 oil on panel

Available at Castle Gallery for the Living Color show, opening May 11.

This little tea house has been the source of much inspiration for me. I need to get back to Fort Wayne for another visit! The restaurant is in a beautiful historic home not far from Castle Gallery and they serve a lovely traditional English tea.

Branching Out

Last week, I got to study with the fabulously talented Margaret Dyer at Wenmoh's Ranch not far from Austin. It was my first time using pastels and I learned so much. I haven't really tried other mediums before, I've been so focused on painting in oils for the last 10+ years. So this year I'm trying to allow myself some creative play and challenges. This was a great first step! I really enjoyed this workshop and working with pastels. Its gotten my creative juices flowing and helped me mentally get past the difficulties I'm having with the gallery.

We had models the first two days and the last day we worked from photos which Margaret shared. Here are my last two efforts. From her photos. I've shared more on Facebook if you want to look at "mobile uploads" on there.


Lucky for me, the workshop was only about an hour from Austin and I was able to drive back and forth each day. Margaret is a wonderful teacher and creates the most beautiful paintings. My thanks to Dena Wenmohs for a great workshop. I think everyone had a very nice time and learned a lot. I can't wait to continue to create with pastels here at home.

New Year, New Projects

Happiest New Year wishes to you all! I am very much looking forward to the new year and new projects. I love this time of year actually. Its also my birthday today, so I start the new year with all kinds of new hope and determination and good feelings! I'm making plans for the year, coming up with new ideas, and setting goals. Some of those I will share here, naturally!

To start, I want to introduce a project idea that I began just before the holidays hit. I'm working on a series called "First Impressions." I hope to show the paintings as a group sometime this year.

Founder's Room
10x12 oil on panel

Having learned that I waste a lot of time looking for the best images or subject to work with, and getting overwhelmed sometimes, I've determined to stop shopping around and respond to my first impression. Usually what catches my eye is light and shadow, but sometimes just the way something seems framed naturally, happening upon a scene as I pass a doorway, things like that. Sort of like with fire, I need to "stop, drop and paint" (or sketch).

Tea For Three
10x12 oil on panel

I paint more instinctively, I think, when I paint rapidly. So I am relying on my trusty timer, and allowing that first half hour to be the pure energy of inspiration. What follows might be some focus on the main area of interest and some cleaning up, but for the most part, I want to leave these paintings loose and undefined. So its an exercise in freedom and restraint! All of the paintings are to be 10x12 and I have a lovely batch of Ampersand gessobord ready and waiting!

I feel more focused than I have in awhile. Last year, to be honest, didn't feel like the best year for me creatively. I hope that trusting my instincts and following my muse will allow me to enjoy the process and create more beautiful work than ever. Cheers!!

A Good Look

10x8 oil on panel (each)

Ask Edward Montgomery Fine Art about these paintings.

A pair of paintings to share today. I just loved how both women were leaning in and curved - almost echoing the contemporary figures they are studying. I painted these right next to one another so that the background colors match as if they are one painting. But I meant for them to be framed and hung separately.


Here they are framed in the wonderful handmade and hand-finished Glaser frames. They are my preferred frames for my work.

Baristas

12x9 oil on panel

When I thought about the idea of complements yesterday I decided that I didn't want to paint from a photo and be guided by "reality." I needed to change things up a bit and try to loosen up. I find that when I've had a break from painting, I have a relearning curve and it takes a couple of wasted panels to get things worked out. I have vowed to paint daily now... whether its full blown or working on something large in sections, or just a small sketch. I've relocated my painting supplies to my kitchen eating area now and can work there more easily while my daughter plays... though my light isn't as good.
Anyway - I decided to play with complements again and wanted something very warm for this scene. So I first mixed a big dark puddle of ultramarine and cad red and then began to blend (gray) with yellow ochre. I mostly stuck to those, but did add in a little sap so maybe this is a tertiary? combination. Hmm... where is my color wheel?
Oh, I also painted from a b&w image on my laptop... forcing me to be very aware of the correct values, but leaving color choices totally up to me. As long as the values are correct, the painting should read well.
I think I will like this one better framed... maybe in a nice pale gold. It will probably be included in my Vermont show pieces.

Just as a note, you should check out Margaret Dyer's blog. She is an incredible pastelist. Makes me want to work in the medium. She is in France teaching now and her posts about her trip are fascinating.

Last of the Lettuce

6x8 oil on panel

Ask Castle Gallery about this painting.

I totally forgot about this painting! I did a couple of new things to send off for a summer show opening in Indiana earlier in the month. This was one. These are a couple of ladies working at Boggy Creek Farm cutting some of the last of the red leaf lettuce. I bought some that day. Along with fresh beets and a couple of other things. No one here likes beets except for me. They were yummy. The contrast of that brilliant purpley-red and bright spring green in this scene was too good to pass up.

Cupcake Break

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + $12 s/h

Its been ages since I've done one of these small paintings. I've done some sketches on paper or loose canvas which were actually bigger. I think the trouble I have with this size is simplifying enough. I have to find a subject that is not busy, because rather than getting looser and being suggestive with the small format, I get tighter! I find that I work on these almost as long as a larger painting. I am not certain my efforts today were brilliant, but its a start as I try to get back to my blog's purpose!

These two girls were taking a break in a stoop in the West Village, the one eating a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery.

A Kodak Moment

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + $12 s/h

Art After Dark

So my artist friend Tess Walls and I made our way downtown Saturday evening to be part of the art festival entertainment. We eventually found our way to our place... you can imagine how confused these large art events can be... and we met some other artists from the Austin Figurative Gallery. There were two model sets apparently and about 20 artists registered to paint before the interested crowds. To be honest, I don't know how crowded it was! Once I began painting, I focused on my work and the models.
The painting was not ideal conditions to say the least. Bad lighting, cool breeze, bugs, and such. The poor models were shivering! (It was a crisp 60 out.)
We took plenty of breaks though and got to enjoy the party. It was a very fun evening. And those deplorable conditions being talked of, I will now be brave and post my work from that night. Here it is in its unrefined, unfinished glory.

Coffee With a Friend

7x5 oil on clayboard - sold

Friends in a coffee shop. This was from my sketching day at Starbucks last week? I can't remember... that was before this morning! Anyway, I think I will continue this theme with the other sketches this week. Stay tuned!

Three for Tea

7x5, oil on clayboard
$100 via PayPal/$10 shipping/insurance - sold
This little scene is in an old house converted into a tea room in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The room is full of light from large windows on two walls, but the light was very cool and I have discovered that I can't paint cool light very well. I painted this scene four times until I was satisfied with what you see here. Naturally, my digital camera does not quite do it justice. Once again, its the yellow/blue factor.