Wow! How time flies...I had not realized I had been gone so long. It has been a struggle for me to write as I feel that with so much information pouring in from everywhere, who needs one small artist's thoughts on any given topic, even on art. However, I made a decision to attempt a come back for my sake and hopefully yours as well. 

Here is a painting I finished up this spring. It was started a year ago but I could not seem to work on it much until finally it called me back to the easel to getter done.

Just an Illusion, 30x24, oil on panel SOLD

Here is the block in almost finished. I wanted to see if I could get the warm yellow transitioning to cool shadows in the white house. I think that is what initially stumped me for this was about where this painting sat for so long. I would venture into the tree on the side and the foreground and even into the reflections in the windows, but not that daunting white clapboard. Once I got started on it though, I ran with it and gotter done. This painting was submitted to the Framed Image show, on blues and greens, and it sold in the first week the show was up. That is very gratifying.

I had done a poor sketch of the doorway to capture the warmth of the light even in shadow at the time I took the photo reference for this painting. I had also done another study on the back of the property to get a grasp of the feeling I wanted to remember of the whole. My on-site sketches are just that - to instill a memory of what caught my attention. I don't usually show these sketches but here we go...I did this first as this is what I came upon as I was walking around during the Georgetown Plein Air event. (of which I did not participate) I try to do these very quickly and think about the shapes. Essentially, a block in. But as you can see, the shadow side had a warmth to it that I did not want to forget.

Then the quick grab some basic info before meeting friends for lunch:

I bought this linen oil pad for just his purpose and I find it is working out well for me since I really don't plan on doing a completed painting most of the time. It does get awkward so I added a binder clip after this trying day to hold the pad pages from flapping in the breeze as I try to paint.

This years Georgetown Plein Air is the end of this month, so I am going to plan on going up to paint again with a few friends. Seeing what catches other artists eyes if always fun to observe and inspire.

Plumeria

Plumeria, 12x24, oil on linen,  available

While staying at an AirBnB on one of the keys off of Sarasota, Florida, this lovely Plumeria greeted us at  the bottom of the stairs from our apartment. I am intrigued by how organic life is and the patterns created. The greenery felt like it was in motion to a tune I couldn't quite hear. I so enjoyed painting this for that reason. It made my heart sing as I worked. The flowers were like a second, softer melody. More support than out front. As I write this, someone playing the piano came to mind and how one hand can play one part while the other hand doesn't something different yet supports the other. I always look for patterns while composing a painting, but never before had one produce music!

New Little Studies - winter fruit

It has been too long since I have paid much attention to writing a blog post. I am not one for making excuses so I won't start now. I do have a possible explanation, however I don't think anyone is really interested in that!

Suffice it to say, I am here, it is a new year, and I hope to be back at my easel more than I have been this past year plus. Everything seems to be taking longer as I have worked on a number of paintings all year and can't seem to make much progress as in getting them done. I was able to get some small studies done over the holidays and it really was a struggle at the start to compose from life. It started with fruit my sister had thoughtfully brought with her from her yard in southern California. Who knew that is all it took to get me motivated? I am going to try and remember the order I painted these, but don't hold me to it.

Lime Persimmons, 6x9, oil on canvas, available

My sister had brought with her limes, lemons, and persimmons. I picked this lime as it still had a leaf attached. I believe I painted this first as the limes were going to someone else. As I painted the leaves visibly dried before my eyes. I tried to do them in a limited time frame although I did not set a timer as I would normally do when going for a quick sketch. There is an under painting showing through as I paint over old paintings. I don't paint this small normally anymore, but the size is perfect for doing these exercises.

Persimmon Pair, 6x6, oil on panel, available

Still trying to get that leaf in before it broke off, I did another little painting of a couple of persimmons. Two is what worked for the square format. I still used the same blue mat board and red rice paper to offset the orange. 

Stacked, 9x6, oil on panel, available

I wanted to see if I could stack the persimmons as there enough to pick from to find what might work. Who would have thought a smaller one would be on the bottom with the largest in the middle, but that is what worked. No toothpicks or other assistance needed. Just wanting to have fun as I got to know persimmons as a subject. 

These were all painted over old paintings. I don't usually do well with allowing the layers to come through but this time I did as I worked quickly trying not to think about anything much. 

Next my sister had brought home some pears to put in the pear walnut salad we do for Christmas Eve dinner so I had a new subject to paint, and I have always enjoyed painting pears.

Pearishable, 6x9, oil on linen

The Bartlett's refused to stand on their own, so reclining it was to be. I propped the one on top of the other for visual interest and to get a circular composition going. I changed to a purple paper and the wood from the table for this one. This was my sister's favorite of those I did while she was here, so it went home with her. It was a gray day out and so the light is more subdued in this one.

Pear Trio, 6x8, oil, available

One more before the pears became salad for our consumption. The Bartlett's still refused to stand up. A stubborn pair. Different lighting on this one which brightens up the study and adds reflected light onto the paper. This is the only one of this group that was done a clean canvas. Very different feel.

There are two more but I forgot that I hadn't taken their photo yet. So, another post to come to follow up to this sojourn at my easel to have a bit of fun.

Save the Date - Holiday Show - Dec 4, 2021

 

Cherry Creek Art Gallery Fall Invitational

 Hope y'all can come! 

Please join us for this Special One Night Art Show of Colorado 

representational and abstract artists at the B-Spot in RiNo Art District,

2750 Blake Street, Denver Colorado, 80205

Friday, October 8^th

5:00 – 9:00

PARKING

Free parking at the B-Spot and on the street.  

$5 parking lot available 1/2 block north of B-Spot on Blake.

MAKE A NIGHT OF IT!

Visit “Events” on our website to find 

a list of nearby restaurants:  www.cherrycreekartgallery.com /events

PLEASE RSVP  

http://evite.me/X6EvVdNYtE

or

art@cherrycreekartgallery.com

Basset in the Sun

 

The Basset in the Sun, 18x24, oil, available

 

The photo reference for this painting was taken a number of years ago. I loved the sienna tone to the whole image. As often happens with my reference photos, is I see something in them when I take them, but then once I get home, it just doesn't speak to me right away. Then when revisiting my photos at a later date, the reawakening of what drew me to take it in the first place comes back. This is an old rescued dame, who once her owner died, no one in the family wanted it. The cousin, who loves all animals, drove a few states away to go pick her up and give her a few good years with the rest of their menagerie. She seemed to have settled in just fine and found this perfect place to sit in the sun. Her name is Clio.

I enjoy doing pet portraits and though this is not a commissioned portrait, I felt compelled to honor this solid basset hound. She seems so regal in her bearing. I started with an old painting as I often do. My intent on this was to record the progress from start to finish and make it into a video. I did all the work to do this but the resulting video is not as good as I would have liked. The program seems to have made all the images darker than they were already. It hasn't been easy to photograph due to the fact I painted over a varnished painting. The glare from the varnish comes through, and painting on varnish also absorbs so much of the paint to make the new layer darker than what is applied. You would think I would learn and remove the varnish before starting a new painting, but I am lazy. So instead, I constantly fight this fact and then it is really hard to photograph on top of it. When will I ever learn??

For the longest time, I wanted to leave some of the sunflowers coming through the dog but ultimately I decided they were just a distraction.

Sunset over the Mesa

 

Sunset Over the Mesa, 18x24, oil available

 

On the last evening of my visit to Arizona in April, my friend Debbie and I took our gear to the high school parking lot in Cottonwood to paint the sunset. Instead of painting, as it took its own sweet time to show up, we sat and talked and watched the sky. Never did set up to paint. But the sunset did not disappoint once it came on. I was content with taking photos. If we had tried to get our paint mixed to be ready, I would not have come up with this color scheme based on what came before it. Nature works on its own time and in its own way. Stunning in its variety!

I took a road trip to Arizona staying mostly in Cottonwood. We did go out and paint most days, and it was good to get out in a totally new environment. I did do one painting of the red rocks that surround this area (just south of Sedona) as much as I didn't want to paint red rocks. It is the best of the paintings I did, in my opinion. Of course it fell face down as I was trying to balance everything not having a carrying case with me. None of the paintings are anything to write home about which is why I haven't posted them. Nevertheless, I enjoyed being outside painting, something I don't do enough of anymore.