Sara Winters's Painting from Life

WIP- Gated Community

2012-01-25T14:20:00.001-08:00

I was roaming around Mason County early one morning and came across this gorgeous little scene. I loved the lighting and the cacti growing unchecked behind the fence. My husband came up with the title. He is really good with titles, which is great because I am not.

I started this piece by doing a pretty detailed sketch on the red primed canvas, then laying in my shadow areas with varying thicknesses of "dark." Kind of feeling the urge to lay in the sky next to balance out some of that dark and help put things into perspective. Balance is everything!... And nothing all at once... We'll see how the work progresses over the next few days.

18x24

Summerfield

2012-01-13T13:25:00.001-08:00

Another new addition to Whistle Pik Galleries, I painted this one in December from a reference photo of a homestead in the Tivydale area.

To me, this piece oozes summer breezes, buzzing insects, and the glorious smells of warm grasses and fresh earth.
I love summertime!

Summerfield
5x7
Oil on canvas panel

East Gate

2012-01-13T13:18:00.001-08:00

I painted this little plein air piece at the opening for Whistle Pik's Fall Show 2011, and it finally made it's way into the gallery this month.

A fun painting, I loved all the reflected light on the brickwork and the glowing backlit leaves above the gate.

East Gate
5x7
Oil on canvas panel

Ideas

2012-01-10T09:27:00.001-08:00

We drew names for Christmas this year, and I got my mother-in-law's, Sylvia, in a round about sort of way.... Nick and I traded, Hahaha!
I went out to the folk's place a couple of times trying to get some reference photos of one of Sylvia's horses, but kept coming up with duds.
Then Nick mentioned Bo, who has been gone for years. Apparently, some lucky people get a "once in a lifetime" horse, and Bo was Sylvia's. So, we hung out one evening until Sylvia went to sleep and John, my father-in-law, and Nick started digging up picture after picture of Bo.
I chose two of this location in Missouri with John and Sylvia riding Bo and Jolie, and combined the subjects and background.

I like how it turned out!

Walkin' On Water
9x12
Oil on canvas panel

2012-01-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

2093
24x12
oil on canvas

Such a simple painting, but of all the pieces I have done of that sweet little homestead, this is one of my all-time favorites. 2093 found a new home while at the Fall Show 2011 at Whistle Pik Galleries.

One of my favorites

2012-01-03T07:33:00.001-08:00

A while back, Nick and I were on a back road to Sandy, TX and we came across this bull pen. It was loaded with beefy, fat-headed Herefords (which looked kind of odd since the cattle everywhere else looked like stick figures because of the drought). I drove back about a week later and sat waiting for dawn. I took several hundred photos and used two. Haha!

I love the warm reflected light in the cool shadows of the bulls' faces.
I got to study contrast with this piece- lost and found lines, warm and cool colors, and light and dark values.

I would have been very happy to keep the Three Stooges, but they sold in the November show. They are where they are supposed to be, and I am grateful they have a wonderful home.

The Three Stooges
9x12
Oil on canvas panel

Almost!!!

2011-10-23T10:49:00.001-07:00

Whistle Pik has started hanging the November Show! I still have two pieces to turn in. One is drying and the other needs to be crated and transported in the truck... You can see it below.

The opening is November 4th from 5-8pm at Whistle Pik Galleries. I'll be doing a demo at 2pm. And as far as I know, Jerry Ricketsen and Brian Grimm will be doing demos around 11 am. I can hardly wait!! (I asked to paint later so I could watch Jerry and Brian paint.)

Come and visit with us if you get the chance!

Palomino Patrol
36x36
Oil on canvas

Yes! We have green!

2011-09-30T10:26:00.001-07:00

We had a cold front come through, and I paid for not taking a painting sweater with me this morning. I shivered for a while, and decided to paint from the back of the car with the picnic blanket draped over my shoulders for warmth. It was seventy six degrees. Hahaha! I love Texas.

We have been getting some good rain over the past week and sprigs of fresh green grass are perking up all over the place. This is one of the greenest views I have seen in a while!

Goat Creek Road
5x7
Oil on canvas panel
Available through Whistle Pik Galleries.

Back for a short while!

2011-09-19T11:08:00.001-07:00

This is more of a test run than anything. My regular blog is not accessible to me via iPhone, yet, so this is the way to go for a bit.

Let's talk November 2011.....
I've been preparing for almost a year now for the 2011 Fall Show at Whistle Pik Galleries where Wanda Choate, Jerry Ricketson, Brian Grimm and I will be showcased. I am very excited about all the new work that will go up. I have ten new pieces going into the show (plus whatever tiny Plein air bits I do, and really like, from now to then). I know Brian has some ginormous paintings I am dying to see, and I have had a few glimpses of the absolute beauty Wanda has coming. Jerry's new paintings are total mystery to me at this point, but I love his work, so it's worth the wait.
The reception is Friday November 4..... And I'd send you a link to Whistle Pik's event page, but I don't know how to do that on this app! Hahaha!

I attached an image of one of my Show pieces to this post and am not sure how it will turn out, but here are the specs on it:

Just Like the Good Old Days, But Older
30"x40"
Oil on canvas

Mooooooving!

2010-05-24T23:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the last post. I forgot I needed to attach the link to the link and blah blah blah.... If you would like to continue following my blog, hop on over HERE and sign up!

Moving, moving...

2010-03-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I have decided to utilize the blog that comes with my website. Might as well use it if I'm paying for it anyway, right?

The really nice thing about it is that I can blog about a piece as soon as I put it on my website without having to go through the upload process multiple times. Leaves me more time to paint!

Here's the link to my recent post: http://sarawintersart.com/blog/18275/the-sycamore-house

I will post a link to the main blog page (as soon as I figure out where it is) so future visitors can be redirected to the most current post.

The Domino Parlor

2010-02-09T20:53:00.000-08:00

The Domino Parlor
24" x 20"
Oil on Canvas

Ahhh! Finished! Now its on to the next one. Yeehaw!
(Please excuse the glare, it is still very wet.)

I was a little nervous about all those straight lines, but my anxiety disappeared as I let go more and more of having to retain control of the outcome of the painting. And THAT my dear friends is the secret, at least for me, of getting into "the zone." Let go. Relax. Take a deep breath. In the words of our darling Jason Mraz, "hold your own, know your name, and go your own way." Trust the inner self.
I am merely a channel for creativity, and when I let it have its own way, when I put my trust in the unseen muse- he/she does all the work for me. Man, life is good!

Kind of off the subject but not really, I picked up a print of a Juli Adams's watercolor piece, "Internal Compass," many years ago and loved it. I was way out of tune with my own intuition at the time, but the idea and the painting both appealed to me. I love that painting. Her work has changed a lot since then, but I still love it. It has progressed into a quirkier style that really resonates with my imagination. Juli could create whole Alice in Wonderland type universes with the dreamlike and slightly depraved innocence of her subjects. Oh, I love her work!

Back to the main... Fun painting. I really enjoyed it.

Next stop: landscape central! I would like to do some more architectural pieces as well... As soon as the weather warms up just a bit I am going back onto Main and to Sycamore to paint some more of our adorable town's history!

Varney's, AKA The Domino Parlor - WIP

2010-02-07T22:44:00.001-08:00

OK. I'm giving in. It's the Domino Parlor. Every one that sees it says "Oh! Its the Domino Parlor!" Even people on the street when I was working on location. Gotta tell ya, though, I am lovin this painting regardless. Really enjoying the process. Looking forward to seeing it completed!

Varney' Chemist Laden - WIP

2010-02-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

"I do wonderful work in a wonderful way, my wonderful work feels like wonderful play, I give a wonderful service for wonderful pay."

We have the greatest jobs in the world folks! I had so much fun tonight. I felt so free and excited running up and down Main Street looking for the perfect painting spot tonight. It is rainy and cold out there, but man oh man, I had fun. The shop that currently resides in this building is called something like Granny's attic, but it will always be Varney's to me. My mom saw the painting and said "Oh! It's the Domino Parlor!" I remember that name too, but when it was Varney's Chemist Laden it was crammed with the cutest, softest stuffed animals, barrels of funky smelling stuff in the middle of the room just as you walked in, and one very special wall that seemed lined floor to ceiling with jars of old fashioned candies. I would go there with my best friend one summer and we would get Swizzle Stix- colored, crystallized sugar in wooden sticks with a varnished wooden ball on the handle- i loved the look f them just as much as the glory of pure sugar on the tongue. They also had this pale gray and white cat that looked so perfect he would take people by surprise when he moved among all the stuffed critters in the shop. He would sit at the window in the evening, after the store had closed, and watched the people walk by. He was so so soft. Mmm... good memories! Every time I walk past that place, I feel like a teeny bopper again.

I am looking forward to going out again tomorrow! What a wonderful painting experience.

Olmos Park

2010-02-02T21:50:00.000-08:00

Olmos Park

20 x 24
oil on canvas
Click here to purchase.

Whew! Its been a while. I had a great week painting with Seth Camm of San Antonio, TX. This was my first time painting en plein air on a canvas larger than 9 x 12. It was so fun! I would never go back if my sweet little Thumbox wasn't so very sweet, and little... What can I say? It's cute. It makes my voice go up an octave or two when talking about it, its so cute.

San Antonio Riverwalk at night WIP

2010-01-11T19:08:00.001-08:00

I am liking the start of this one. Usually a good sign. Mark, set, go!!!!
The reference photo turned out very well, so I have good material to work from. Yay!

Bare bones, folks. When the bones are laid out in the right way, one can sing the flesh onto the body of the painting with ease. Honestly, I might need to make some changes to the arch of the bridge or reflection... Not quite sure just yet.

Productivity incognito!

2009-12-22T06:22:00.000-08:00

Monday was a good day. I got to paint in San Antonio after I picked up a painting from JR Mooney's (the framers). I came away with two incomplete zketches and a mind swimming with inspiration. I'll have to go back in time in the next post and show you the last two paintings I liked. Not right now, though.

After I picked up Live Oak Lineup (I'll show you later...) from the framers, I booked it to the San Antonio Botanic Gardens and ended up painting in the parking lit. The sun was setting, there was fantastic color, the trees in the background ranged from gray-greens to pink and purple- it was awesome! The light was changing so fast that each time I looked up I saw a different gorgeous scene than the one I was working on. I had to laugh! It felt good to be racing time again. I haven't done much plein air in a while. (Sometimes just a few days without feels like n eternity.) I have been working on letting my artistic license get some air. My colors have really benefited from it. The only problem I had while working on this sketch was that I was a bit uncomfortable with my environment. I jumped every time a breeze pushed a leaf, scratching across the pavement behind me. Mot knowing the area can be a little nerve wracking when when painting alone. So for the next painting I called my friend Jason who is not currently a painter, but seems to be a possible (and willing) convert. (A note to my fellow painters out there- Adding to the ranks, baby! We shall rule the wooorld- Muahahahahahahahaha!)

I have been wanting to do some night painting for a while now, but as you may have guessed, the idea of doing so without companions is a little scary. More often than not, I do not know that someone has been breathing down my neck while I am painting until they have been there for a while.

Hence, the tour guide/body guard/possible future painting buddy (evil chuckle). After grilling me for a idea of what I wanted to paint, J ran me around to several very nice possible venues, but we settled on a schnazzy spot on the river walk. Gaaaawgeous! Imagine warm spheres of light and flashing fireflies of color in strands, dangling form trees and bridges, all reflecting off of a sweet little strip of water. Mmm mmm mm. It was cool, baby. It was cool.

Next time, I am going to have a light source on my easel to light my palette. I had a light overhead, but it was dim and my colors were waaaay off. Had to practically stick your nose in the paint to see the sketch.

The reference photo blew my socks off. The sketch is not so bad, needs more definition in the reflection of the bridge in the water, the color of the bridge needs variation, and ... well... I'm not going to take the sketch any further because I am going to paint this scene again, but much much larger.

Thank you Jason, you have no idea how much I appreciate you taking the time to just be there while I paint!

Slogging through the Muck, and a new painting is born

2009-11-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

This is a field sketch (6"x8" oil on canvas board) of the larger piece I am working on now. I love the rusted tin, the cracks in the walls, and the patina on the limestone. Good stuff. I used the sketch as a model for the larger piece, as far as proportions go, which I am not sure is always such a good idea... There were some discrepancies, which I found when I took the larger piece to work on location (hurray for the french easel!). Had to change the roof line and some others a bit. I prefer to work wet on wet, but things dry faster here than in Washington... I wasn't sure of what to think of today's work, but by the time I got back to the studio, I was feeling better about my progress. I'll post more pics later.

My mind has been a terrible mess for the past few weeks(take a look in the back of my car, and you will see what my noggin innerts looked like). But here is what I have gathered from looking back on similar experiences:

Chaos ensues just before I have a breakthrough of some sort.

Whether the breakthrough is personal or related to my work- it always has the same effect. (...but then, "personal" and "my work" kind of go hand-in-hand, don't they?) This happens often, it is cyclical. I happily paint for a while and then all of a sudden it feels like my creativity has dried up. I stew on it for a bit, until the ideas and methods begin to boil and the next thing I know I am sailing through another fresh season of painting bliss!

An example of the method in my madness: My paintings generally looks shoddy right up until the last few touches are placed. Especially the cloud paintings- they are this huge jumble of oddly shaped color masses, not quite connecting, certainly not related, and as the final brushstroke go down -BOOM! we have clouds.

I feel like I have been in a funk for a little while and I realized today that part of my problem was just not letting each painting be what it was going to be. I have had the most success with a painting when I sit back and watch it develop. No expectations. No forcing it to unfold before it is ready. That can be frustrating. Its like getting to know people. I find it difficult sometimes to step back and let things happen at their own pace. Sometimes both people and paintings have to be allowed to unfold at their own pace. The outcome can be uncertain, but more often than not well worth the wait (some of my friendships have taken over a decade to ripen, but oh how sweet they are! Love-em.). Egad! Imagine working on the same painting for a decade plus! Ccchhhkk! The thought is bitter in my throat.

Summing up! It is all about letting go of the outcome. All I can do is know what I want and let it happen. (Now if I can just remember that when I get into the studio tomorrow morning... I need fifty sticky notes and a sharpie- STAT!!!)

Oh! My ad is out in Fine Art Connoisseur for November and December- check it out! I love it. Lee, you might recognize the painting...

Studio space and a new painting- WIP

2009-10-29T21:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am having some trouble with blogger right now and it is not letting me upload any more photos. This is Soren playing at the window in the fabulous studio space so graciously given by my loving Auntie Vick and Uncle Jeff! It is wonderful! Loads of light, a window that I can open to let in the fresh air, and its ok if I poke holes in the walls to hang stuff from because someone else has already done it.

The space came with a welcoming committee- a tiny stripey-tailed gecko. He was so cute- I took a picture of him and would live to share it with you, but I can't... as I mentioned earlier.

Oh! Another wonderful thing about this space is that my cousin's business and my Aunt and Uncle's business are all in the same building so I get to see people I like more often! How wonderful is that?

This is what I am working on right now. I have to admit, I have been struggling with it. Panic. I've been feeling panic. I've been working from that odd place of "will they like this." That doesn't work. I keep second guessing myself with every brushstroke, and I know- I KNOW that if I would just relax and do it the way I would like it, the piece would paint itself. No stress. No fussing. No questioning myself. I feel like I have moved a little too far away from my intuition and need to ground myself again.

I took a break this afternoon and did a headstand to try to see the piece from a different angle... and just to see if I could still do it. It felt great (just in case any of you get into a similar situation and are looking for an outlet, or a fresh view point). Oddly enough, I think it helped a little with the grounding situation... Maybe it was all the blood rushing to my head.

I have been thoroughly distracted lately. Pleasantly so, but it leaves my head spinning and sometimes I wonder if I will ever find a routine again. This past week has been a bitter sweet return to some familiar daily activities, but with any luck, Saturday will bring back the tummy twisting excitement of my oh-so-enjoyable distraction.

Back to business, I made a lot of progress on this painting today and aim to post another pic tomorrow. I hope to finish it very soon... we shall see.

Have Step Ladder, Will Travel

2009-10-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

Have Step Ladder, Will Travel
11" x 14"
oil on canvas

Well there it is. I am so happy I finished it today, now I can move on to the cloud paintings.
The lighting/color on this pic is way better than in the previous post.

Working (WIP), processing... processing

2009-10-02T06:02:00.000-07:00

I am working on another French piece (dreaming on canvas) at the moment. I'll be finished with this one shortly, and will be starting my large cloud paintings and the first pieces for Whistle Pik. Did I tell you? I have been offered some wall space in the gallery of my dreams! They want much larger pieces than I have been making, so every time a painting sells, I am to replace it with a larger one. Yee-haw!!! I have so been wanting to work large!

So moving on to what I have been mulling over this morning...

I've been thinking about the transitional relationship between highlights and shadows, human behavior, and addiction. Odd combo, yes?

There is something of a warm shock in the shift between light and shadows. Its like those tantalizing wisps of electricity that pass between two people with great chemistry. Its a deep, sometimes clear heat that is obvious to the parties involved, but not as noticeable to indifferent onlookers. It is fleeting and delicate, but powerful. I think THAT transition between the shades can make a spectacular painting out of an OK one.

But its not just about the transition.
A good painting has the lure of beautiful form, clear and sound values, and luscious textures for that fabulous little spark of chemistry to turn it into something amazing.

Transitions are exciting. The problem arises when that lovely bit of chemistry is taken too far. In the excitement of noticing those wonderful little explosions of heat between cool and warm colors, it is easy to over emphasized that transition and lose the impact.

All things in moderation, right?

Aloof, baby. Aloof!

Or is it passion, baby, passion?

Every once in a while we artists sail through a piece, totally in The Zone, fascinated, in love with the process, and the finished piece is bathed in heavenly light as a chorus of angels sing its glory. Those times are fleeting, but so incredibly sensual that they keep us coming back for more. There is a secret hope that the next painting process will be magic. That hope is what keeps us working through the monotonous, "I've lost my muse" times.
Its an addiction.

Hello, my name is Sara and I am an addict.

Pacific Fog

2009-09-28T19:13:00.001-07:00

Pacific Fog
6" x 8"
oil on canvas board

Years ago I recorded this scene in my Moleskine sketchbook. I had a very vague memory of the colors, so I used whatever I thought would look right.

Again, my main focus was brushwork. Practicing laying the paint down and leaving it.

Hill Country Morning

2009-09-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Hill Country Morning
6" x 8"
oil on canvas board

So, I have a confession to make... I did not paint this today. I painted it Monday. In fact the next post is from last week as well. Call me a slacker.

I had the chance to meet up with my girlfriends (whom I have not seen in 13 years!) from high school, this weekend. So I have been rationing out some of last weeks paintings in my posts.

The Monday paint out was wonderful- I honestly thought I was the only person that showed because I was all alone at the top of the hill (the locals call it a mountain) with the fabulous views and the lovely breeze that occasionally morphed into hurricane winds and threatened to blow me away. Experience. Now I know why I was the only one at the top. Still, it was beautiful up there- well worth the possible threat of being blown away.

I have been processing Calvin Liang's sky paintings in my mind, and am so looking forward to capturing that luminosity and subtle, but diverse range of cool and warm colors in the clouds. Subtlety. It can be tricky.

Funny thing, sometimes people can get their point across a lot better by not saying as much, but using body language and a few carefully chosen statements, rather than blatantly announcing their intentions. I think painting is the same. When a painting is created with as few brushstrokes as possible, with carefully chosen colors and deliberate execution, the finished piece can sing its own praises without an explosion of color or extreme contrast.

THAT, my dear friends, is the lesson that has been forming in my mind for some time now... I love how the non-art world can give me answers to questions I have been asking about my work. Human behavior is so amazing. Art is just an extension of our nature.

Middle Creek Mesquites

2009-09-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

Middle Creek Mesquites
6" x 8"
oil on canvas board

Sorry about the washed out photo. I did a rush job on this batch of images, but will have a better one when I put it on my website. I'll let you know when I do that...

This was right down the street from the previous post's painting spot. I went a little haywire with the color. Well, with the red swath of earth.

Again, working on distance and laying down the paint and leaving it. I enjoyed working around the branches and foliage clumps on the Mesquite trees. I love these trees. They are so variable and limber looking in the shapes they take.

Middle Creek View

2009-09-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

Middle Creek View
6" x 8"
oil on canvas board

I have been concentrating on my brushwork and portraying distance. I adjusted some of the colors on this one last night. The distant hills were so dark, they were barely distinguishable from those in front of them.

I have always been intimidated by the thought of putting down the paint and leaving it, but its actually a lot of fun! A challenge. Challenge is good. Plus it forces me to concentrate on the exact color I want to put down.

Better late than never....

2009-09-20T16:59:00.001-07:00

I have been trying to process all the information I gathered from Calvin Liang's workshop.

Day 2 at Becker Vineyards

Here is what I have been mulling over:

Block in the big shapes, but do not close off the shapes by butting your colors directly against each other- at first. This gives you some leeway on the shapes.

Work from the foreground to the background.

Demo: Lovely

Always have warm colors next to cool colors- within highlights AND shadows.

Be careful when laying paint. Each layer should allow any under layers to shine through.

Architecture is tight at the top and loose at the bottom.

Day 3 at Luckenbach

Shadows in trees are up high in the canopy, and the lower part (trunk) is lighter.

You can see his grays are full of color.

Use liquin mixed with color to soften edges.

The bottom edges of everything should be soft.

Always test a color before laying it down.

Day 4 back at FAS, it rained shortly after this. Completely obliterated the scene.

Oh to see all the colors in that wonderful sky! This is my favorite.

Now get this- I asked him if he had to drive around a lot to find his painting spots. (That is what I have been doing.) He paints wherever he is. That is the kind of plein air painter I want to be! Imagine... every spot is a good spot! I'll add that to my list of goals.

I am still learning from that workshop. Money well spent!

FAS Calvin Liang Workshop

2009-09-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

Sauer Beckmann Farm
9" x 12"
oil on canvas board

Let me start by saying day one was TOTALLY AWESOME!!! For really and truly, if you ever get a chance to take a class from Calvin Liang, do it! I kicked myself all morning for not bringing my camera. I wish I had a photo of today's demo to show you. It was beautiful, and so simple, a lot of implied shapes and lines. Just amazing! I aim to paint with that kind of control and confidence.

Above is my painting for today- I took the photo after getting home. I have never tackled dappled sunlight before. It was a little daunting. The shadows kept moving and disappearing and reappearing and rearranging themselves into new patterns.

At one point, I was painting away and feeling a little frustrated and disappointed with my progress, and Calvin came by and said "don't touch this part anymore, and make this cool color warm." Wouldn't it be nice to have someone standing over our shoulders every time we paint telling us how to improve our work? Instead of a Shoulder Angel, it would be a Shoulder Artist. My problem came from trying to paint what I knew and not what I saw. The shadow colors were warm oranges and pale purples, not the blue and greenish-gray I had been using.

So here are some of the things I learned today:

There are 4 elements of painting.
1. Shape
2. Value
3. Color
4. Edges

Always start your painting with a preliminary thumbnail to work out the design. -And don't just copy what you see- create a good design.

Color Structure: Think of the color wheel, and paint with the full circle of colors within highlights, shadows, and mid-ranges. Everything goes in a circle.

Now keep in mind, these are Calvin's tips after being digested by my mind. When you take a workshop from him, I would love to hear what you get from it because we all gather different information.

I am now off to rearrange my plein air set-up... I made the mistake of taking my French easel instead of my Thumbox, because I thought it would be easier to paint on the 9 x 12 canvases. I have a clip for the Thumbox to keep anything larger than an 8 x 10. I'm going back to my beloved itty set-up. Someday I will have a larger pochade box for larger canvases.

I Spy Something Red

2009-09-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

I Spy Something Red
6" x 8"
oil on canvas board

I was scrounging around my aunt's kitchen yesterday looking for something to paint. I had planned on painting in her garden again, but it was hot outside and I was much more inclined to work in the air conditioning. I really like the way this one turned out. I had my doubts in mid-process, but it all seemed to come together the same way clouds and reflections on water usually do. I am intrigued. Painting glass is fun!

Next week is going to be a little different. I get to go to a plein air workshop with Calvin Liang. I am so excited!

Linen

2009-09-02T17:04:00.001-07:00

Linen
6" x 8"
oil on canvas board

I was in a bit of a hurry to get this one posted, and I am afraid the colors aren't living up to reality. As it turns out, I really like this one, so I am putting it aside as another possibility for the Whistle Pik show in December.

I got my website set up and thanks to Fine Art Studios Online, it is beautiful!

Years ago I made the mistake of building my own website. It was a nightmare. I love the set-up on this one, and it is so easy to update!

Check out my fabulous new website: sarawintersart.com

Tourmaline

2009-08-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

Tourmaline
9" x 12"
oil on canvas board

My goal is to finish three paintings by Wednesday. This one took me a little longer than I thought it would.
I think my next two are going to have to be smaller to meet my deadline.

I picked the title because tourmaline is a semiprecious bluish green stone. I like it. I like this boat too. Its a little jewel.

I am going to have to make some changes in the type of yellow I use though, because the one I am using has some red in it. I've been having trouble getting the clean, pure color I want.

Three Sisters

2009-08-26T12:13:00.001-07:00

Three Sisters
9" x 12"
oil on linen canvas board
Click here to purchase.

I took the reference photo for this painting last spring at Fisherman's Wharf in Seattle.

Colorado Storm Clouds

2009-08-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

Colorado Storm Clouds
16" x 20"
oil on canvas
Click here to purchase.

I really enjoyed this painting! This was from another of my fabulous stash of reference photos from that glorious rainy sunset. I was trying to decide between a photo of boats in the water, but this one won out. I enjoyed the more subdued colors in this photo.

The funny thing about cloud paintings is how they look like a big fat stinking mess until right before they are finished. I learned a while back not to freak out about the pig sty on my cloudy canvases until it is all over and done with. I wiped several paintings before learning that lesson.

I am trying to concentrate on composition. I've been reading, and the almighty "they" seem to agree that the key to a good painting is a good design. Food for thought.

Another Skyscape - WIP

2009-08-19T17:05:00.001-07:00

16" x 20"

Its been a while, but here is the start of another cloud painting.

Texas Windmill- testing, tesing 1,2,3

2009-08-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

Texas Windmill
6" x 12"
oil on canvas

Oh joy! I have been trying to learn a new program (Aperture 2) and I have made a breakthrough. I can now adjust a photo, and then (hold onto your hats!) POST IT ON MY BLOG!!!! WOOOAAAAH!

Sounds simple, I know, but I totally underestimated the differences between a Mac and a plain ol' PC. I will never go back. NEVER, I TELL YOU! The only thing I really miss is the "end" button, and the right click... I think I saw something in the manual about that- I'll have to read it again.

So to the painting... This is a sweet little plein air piece I just love. (I'm setting it aside as another option for the Whistle Pik show. I like it that much.) The windmill and water tank are situated right next to a farmhouse surrounded by fields, hay bales, barbed wire fences, and a few clumps of cacti. As soon as the cactus fruit are plump and purple I am going to pick some and eat em! Beautiful views and tasty fruit. Life is good.

I may need to retake the photo. Its a bit washed out.
This is a test of the emergency blog post system.... this is only a test.

Firenze Jumble

2009-08-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

Firenze Jumble
9" x 12"
oil on linen canvas board
Click here to purchase.

I stumbled upon this cluster of houses on one of Bill Guffey's virtual paintouts. The lines on the houses looked like they were trying to get as far away from each other as possible, as soon as possible. The colors were alluring- I did embellish them a bit, but i like it.

I am learning that painting doesn't have to be hard. Lately, I have not been sketching the scene first. I've been going with my gut and going with visualization... you know, visualize what I want the composition to be and then just putting it down. Sometimes the final painting is a little odd, but I can always change it or start over. Lessons learned.

I like it! Jumping in feels good.

Blue Clouds

2009-08-04T10:11:00.001-07:00

Blue Clouds
9" x 12"
oil on linen canvas board
Click here to purchase.

I so love these panels. The linen has much more of a tooth than the cotton.

Working from a computer screen is very different from a photo or life. My clouds came out much more blue, but I like them like that. I was surprised to see the painting in natural light this morning. Lighting makes a difference.

I may use this scene again sometime and tweak the cloud colors to more grays and purples... just to see what happens.

HAY!

2009-08-01T17:41:00.001-07:00

Hay!
9" x 12"
oil on canvas board (linen)
Click here to purchase.

About a month ago I was driving down Friendship Lane and saw all these wonderful pot-bellied hay bales lounging in the fields on either side of the road. I took some pictures and used them for the first time last night. I had originally set up my easel off the back porch, but it was soooo hot and the sun was soooo bright that I wimped out and decided to work from a photo instead.

I hadn't painted since I went up to Washington to pack my stuff for the move, so I was feeling a bit rusty. I have to admit, I was not mentally in the best of places while working on this one, but I found forcing myself to focus on the process of painting to be good medicine. It was a good reminder to ditch the "tossers," as my friend Simon puts it, and move on. Unpleasant people and unhappy thoughts are not worth wasting my time and energy on, especially when I can put my energy toward something as amazing as creation.

Art and laughter are the best medicine.

And chocolate.
We cannot forget chocolate!

Texas Summer Sunset

2009-07-21T14:35:00.001-07:00

Texas Summer Sunset
9" x 12"
oil on linen board

This is the view from the middle of the field next to my mom's house. Just over the hill is the Kerrville Highway and some motels I forget the name of. The view hasn't changed much since I was a teenager. I'm glad.

I love this painting! Not just because I am in the painting-loving-mood, I am just really excited about this one. I love that pole with all the lines and boxes and streetlights sprouting out in every direction, and the colors that just explode out of nowhere at that most magical time of the day: The Golden Hour. Rightly named. King Midas had his way with the sky and the field, and every little weed became a thing of beauty.

The first day I worked on this one was kind of a mini disaster. I didn't get everything down that I wanted and my tripod was falling apart. Yes, my lovely, new, super-fantastic tripod that I adore so very much because it shrinks down to the size of a pixie cane and weighs just a bit more than a pencil... Anyway! The next day was better, and I was thankful for the previous day's work because I was able to concentrate on what I liked best about the scene- the contrast in colors. I am wishing now that I had taken a picture of the first day's work so you could see the changes. There were changes! Not huge, luckily the infrastructure was pretty sound. Just minor things like a shadow placement here and there, but even the small changes made a big difference.

I like it so much I am going to hang on to it for consideration into the Whistle Pik show in December.

I think this is another one of those transitional paintings for me. While working on it, I felt more in control of what I was doing than I ever have been. I even scraped away some of the paint in the sky on a whim and ended up with some much needed subtle variation. I didn't freak out when some of the blue-ish green from the trees blended into the sky... I just let it be what it would be, and I like the result.

I would like to say thank you to my friend Oscar Arroyo for sparking my interest with his utterly luscious paintings of electricity poles. I love it when artists take the mundane and make it beautiful.

Oh! and this painting is on linen, not my regular canvas. I totally see why people never go back. I'm hooked. I plan on working through the last of my canvases and changing over for good. The paint behaves differently on linen. Subtle maybe, but definitely different. It just feels good.

Little update: This might be the last post I make for the next three weeks. We'll see how things go. I'm in the process of moving back to Texas, and you know how that goes...

Pip pip, cheerio- I'll be back soon!

P.S. Thank you all for leaving your comments- every blogger and artist knows the incredible value of your support!

River Road

2009-07-21T14:29:00.001-07:00

River Road
6" x 12"
oil on canvas board

Funny, but I didn't care much for this painting until today. I tucked it away in my wet canvas carrier to dry for a few days and lo and behold- I love it! It makes me want to get out and paint more. Maybe I am just in the right sort of mood to enjoy it now.

Enchanted Rock Project- WIP

2009-07-17T11:35:00.001-07:00

This was my first attempt at painting Enchanted Rock. The colors are way off and the dome looks like a giant potato. I am going to rework it using Enchanted Rock Shadows and some reference photos I took as a guide.

Tomorrow Mom, Soren and I are heading to Austin to run some errands, have lunch at Whole Foods, and check out Plein Air Austin's "In the Plein Air Tradition: Art on Location" show. I love Austin! I have been able to see (in person) more incredible art in the past six weeks than I have in the past year.

A Lamplit Memory

2009-07-15T10:02:00.001-07:00

A Lamplit Memory
6" x 8"
oil on canvas board
Click here to purchase.

This was a study of reflected light and colors. Once I really started looking, I was amazed to see colors in places I wouldn't have imagined. I love this little painting.

It says warm, cozy, safe, and peaceful to me... and the picture in the painting is one of my son reclining on my arm shortly after he was born. I just may have to do this one larger.

Still playing Catch-Up

2009-07-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

Aunt Vicki's Garden
6" x 8"
oil on canvas board
Sold

I loved the colors of the light, shadows and reflected light on and around that pot, and I had fun with the limestone paving stones.

A Break from the Heat

2009-07-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

A Break from the Heat
6" x 8"
oil on canvas board
Click here to purchase.

Those clouds were a welcomed sight. It was so hot! I loved the cool swirling energy of the scene. It was a relief.
I truly saw something for the first time the other day- there is a warm band that usually stands between a cool color and a really intense/bright one. Does that make sense? Anyway I find myself looking for it everywhere now. I was so obsessed with it when I did this painting that I think I may have gone a little overboard with it, but I still like it. I love every painting that represents a transition in the way I see or think. It means progress.

Mark your Calenders!

2009-07-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

Rue de Faubourg Brasserie made it into the Oil Painters of America's Western Regional Show- yehaw! I am shipping it out this week.

I cut and paste the following info about the show so I wouldn't have to paraphrase something that is already short, sweet, and to the point.

"This year’s Western Regional Exhibition will be held at the beautiful Howard/Mandville Gallery in Kirkland, Washington, August 8 through August 30, 2009. Located near Seattle, Kirkland is a small, yet sophisticated town, offering many opportunities to explore the beautiful Pacific Northwest area. Situated on the shores of Lake Washington, Kirkland offers many prospects for enjoying aquatic activities and bird watching, as well as viewing the beautiful panorama of the Olympic Mountains.

Please mark you calendars now for the opening reception, which will be held on Saturday evening, August 8, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The awards reception will take place at approximately 7:00 p.m. A two day preview period will take place on August 6 and 7 for collectors, however, no paintings will be sold during this time.

This year’s Western Regional Juror of Awards will be Master Signature member Jeffrey R. Watts. Mr. Watts is widely regarded for his figurative work and will provide a 3 hour painting demonstration on Saturday morning, August 8. In addition, we have a full day of educational events planned including a “Meet the Expert” Q& A session with OPA president Neil Patterson and a presentation by Scott Gellatly of Gamblin Artists Colors on studio safety, environmental concerns and important tips for traveling with your paints."

2009-07-13T08:14:00.001-07:00

Mansfield Dam: Lake View I
6" x 8"
original oil on canvas board
Click here to purchase.

Mansfield Dam: Lake View II
6" x 8"
original oil on canvas board
Click here to purchase.

I got to go paint with the Plein Air Austin Crew and these are the result. It was a great painting session filled with beautiful views, wonderful people and unexpected weather changes. We could see the rain coming from across the lake. Awesome.

Texas Oaks

2009-07-13T07:29:00.001-07:00

Texas Oaks
6" x 8"
original oil on canvas board
Click here to purchase.

Another wonderful view from my mom's back yard. My son was taking a nap, so sat on the back door's step and stole a few minutes for this painting.

I love this painting. Greens have been giving me trouble for a while now, but I stopped trying to see them as shades of green and started looking for the reds, purples and blues instead.

I am so hooked.

My Mother's Crepe Myrtle

2009-07-13T07:01:00.001-07:00

My Mother's Crepe Myrtle
6" x 8"
original oil on canvas board
Sold

I was visiting with my mom while she watered the back yard and fell in love with this Crepe Myrtle. The evening sun was shining on it perfectly and the blooms were fantastic.

I am amazed at how many stunning views I find in my mother's back yard. I never saw so much beauty in the Texas Hill Country as I do now. Everywhere I turn I find another spot I would like to paint. I love plein air!

Enchanted Rock Shadows

2009-07-13T06:51:00.001-07:00

Enchanted Rock Shadows
6" x 8"
original oil on canvas board
Click here to purchase.

I had a request from a friend for a painting of Enchanted Rock, and this is one of the studies. I found a great spot with absolutely no shade that overlooks the dome. (sweatin' and paintin') One good thing about a drought is all the dust in the air that creates such beautiful atmosphere in the distance.

I look forward to going out and painting some more. This place is a great subject with endless painting possibilities.

Uppers and downers... but mostly uppers!

2009-06-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

So I'm running without a camera this week. Its in the shop. (Canon has excellent customer service, by the way)

But that really doesn't matter much because I have done very little painting. I have been assembling canvas panels, cleaning brushes, trying to figure out what I did with that other tube of yellow, and sketching a lot, in a very mild attempt to plan the next painting.

And... I get to spend six weeks in Texas visiting family -starting Monday!! So I've been a little preoccupied with planning for that as well. My brother-in-law (Brad's doublemint twin) and nephew are coming up for a visit this weekend so I will probably get to paint on Saturday or Sunday. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Some really good news: I got a formal invitation today from Whistle Pik Galleries to participate in their 2009 Christmas Miniature show. The show will run for the month of December in the "Main Street" gallery, and the Show Reception/Artist's Wine Reception will be from 6 to 8 pm on Friday December 4. I will be there if anyone wants to come say howdy. I'll be posting the info again the closer we get to December.

And just when you think the deal couldn't possibly get any sweeter, it does. I get to see my family again when I go down for the show! Awesome! Its not exactly "home for the holidays," but its close enough. I haven't been in Texas in December in years and years. Maybe I'll get lucky and be there when the Kristkindl Market/festival is going on. How fun!

I get to be a tourist in my hometown! I appreciate the touristy stuff in Fredericksburg so much more now that I don't live there... aint that the way, though?

Ahhhhhh.....

2009-06-04T19:07:00.001-07:00

Seattle Boats
6" x 9"
oil on canvas board
Sold

Small paintings move wonderfully fast. I can see why people become daily painters. Instant gratification- ahhhhh!

Sigh...

2009-06-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

Still no paintings to share...

Its been a rough painting week, so I have been seeking solace in art books. Three in particular are Alla Prima by Richard Schmid, Brushwork by Emile Gruppe, and Gruppe on Painting by Emile Gruppe.

A wealth of wisdom...

Plein Air painting is Hard.

2009-05-31T14:32:00.001-07:00

Union Flat II
6" x 8"
oil on canvas board

Whew! I decided today to go back to Union Flat Creek to try my hand at the rocks again. Getting there, but they still just look like globs of paint rather than rocks. What am I not doing that I should?

I may have to do some up close and personal rock studies...

I also decided to concentrate on the drawing bit of this painting, and found that helped a lot. I've been reading Richard Schmid's Alla Prima so today, I was trying to look at the subject as a specific problem that I needed to work out. As I was painting, I realized how little attention I have been paying to the exact placement of objects in the view.

Color. All the greens really get me. Subtle changes make all the difference, I suppose...

I need more drawing practice.

Multitasking: Completed Castle, another plein air painting, and Kreativ blogger.

2009-05-25T09:19:00.001-07:00

Castle on Anderson Road
11" x 14"
oil on canvas
Sold

Woohoo! Finished! I fought with the fence for a while- scraped it three times. Finally I daubed some paint down and holy-pamonie! it looked like a fence. How did that happen!?

Thank you little painting elves.

Sunset Cloud Study
6" x 8"
oil on canvas board
Click here to purchase.

I got to paint outside again last night! I ended up with this high key painting of the view from the parking lot in front of the apartment. I wasn't chasing shapes this time. I sketched out the basic design first and then went with it.

And, thank you Jared Kelly for passing the Kreativ Blogger award on to me. I will happily pass it on to seven other people whose blogs I really like. Check them out- it is worth your time.

Marian Fortunati
Laurel Daniel
Liz Holm
Perry Brown
Dana Cooper
Lee Brown
Rick Nilson
Terry Miura

So that was eight... I can't count.

Yet another lovely plein air painting day

2009-05-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

Break Time
8" x 6"
oil on canvas board

Painting number one: My first ever attempt at painting sheep! I like it. I practiced rearranging the scene to suit my needs. Which was kind of a necessity because the sheep kept moving around as they belched at their young. These sheep didn't bleat. They belched. It was the strangest thing I have ever heard.

Blah
8" x 6"
oil on canvas board

Painting number two: Same location, facing a different direction. I don't care for this one. There is not enough definition in the trees- they just sort of blend in with things they shouldn't. There isn't enough contrast to suit my taste either. I also don't care for the way the trees all sort of line up. Irritating.

The sheep were very obliging and moved to this side of the field when I started painting it.
I'm going to try this one again another day.

Union Flat
6" x 8"
oil on canvas board

Painting number 3: I have driven past this scene like fifty times and never stopped to try it. The rocks are what drew me, initially, but I ended up concentrating more on the water so my rocks are pretty indistinct. I enjoyed this painting, and will definitely be stopping there again. Next time I will focus on the rocks a bit more...

Progress? Aaarrgh!

2009-05-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

It always gets me when I drag my feet.

So here is what happens.... I let a painting sit on my easel for more than two days without hitting it hard. I feel like I am not making any progress... which I am not, because I am not taking the time to paint, and frustration sets in because dog-gonnit, this painting is just not painting itself! What is up with that!?!

I am incredibly intimidated by these greyish shrubs. So I stall. Part of me wishes little elves would come and fix the shrubs on my painting in the night so when I wake up, everything will be perfect and la-la.

Sigh.

Plein Air Magazine

2009-05-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

Oh Oh Oh!!! The publishers of Fine Art Connoisseur are thinking about bringing Plein Air Magazine back, but they need to know how much interest there is out there. If anyone is interested, please please please go to the website and fill out the survey. It just takes a second. They just ask you if you are interested, what you would like to see in the contents, and what materials you prefer...

It was a real shame when they discontinued Plein Air Mag. I canceled my subscription when they changed the magazine but will re-up the second they start printing it again.

Oddly enough, I was pining over the magazine just last night. I found the link on Facebook a few minutes ago and am hoping to get the word out so we can get this incredible resource back.

The picture from Anderson Road - WIP

2009-05-18T15:28:00.001-07:00

Doodling on a painting's packaging is really turning out to be a great thing. I did this one last night and started the painting today.

This is the first sketch. I didn't like it. Way too centered. So I wiped it and sketched again.

I like this one much better.

This is a real building. It is a bunch of rusted scrap metal pieced together to make an incredible little castle on the hill. - I see a washing machine door, car door, three iron head/foot boards, what looks like some sort of giant drill head, and all kinds of other things I couldn't name even if I wanted to. I saw the tip top of one of the little towers from the road and fell in love with the place.

Its really cool.

Rue DeFaubourg Brasserie

2009-05-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

Rue De Faubourg Brasserie
14" x 11"
Oil on canvas

That was fun! I liked this one so much I submitted it on my application for OPA's Western Regional Exhibition.

Big brushes. And Flat brushes... I usually use filberts, but a while back I got some super short handled flats for my plein air set-up. I love them! I love this painting... It feels good. It felt good the second its bones were laid on the canvas.

Bones... that reminds me of an old wives tale-

An old woman wanders eternally throughout a desert collecting the bones of wolves. When she has all the pieces to make an entire carcass, she lays them out in the sand, aligning them in their proper positions with the greatest care.

Then she sings over them.

She sings of the life, death, life cycle, and of joy and sorrow, and of creativity. And as she sings, the carcass at her feet grows ligaments, and organs and muscle and skin and hair and soon the heart begins to pump blood through the veins of the wolf, and it springs up and runs off into the desert night, howling... The wolf's form changes in the moonlight and the howl turns into the light-hearted laughter of a woman.

An empowering tale from Clarrissa Pinkola Estes, PhD's book Women Who Run with the Wolves. A good read!

Back off the bunny trail... I did something else different with the painting process this time. I had two reference photos made of the same scene, one was normal and the other was posterized in Photoshop. In one of his books, Kevin Macpherson said to check out the posterizing option on Photoshop to help you see things in blocks of color rather than as things. Wooo-boy! That really did help! I think I will be doing that for a while until I really get the hang of seeing things that way on my own.

This is exciting. Good learning experience!

I've been chatting with my mom and we are going to take a painting holiday together! Southern France, I think. She is a master of "going with the flow" and said we should just save up, visualize taking this wonderful relaxing holiday, and the perfect vacation will present itself. I agree. (She knows, man!)

I can hardly wait!

Virtual Paint Out, Paris- WIP

2009-05-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

Here's the start for my Paris painting. I started it yesterday and the sketch went fast. I had to make a few tiny adjustments, but I like the composition. I wanted to post it yesterday, but couldn't find a charged battery in the house. Isn't that just the way? I realized my dilemma after a frantic attempt to get a photo of an incredible cloud formation that was tearing across the sky just outside of my apartment.

Stepping it up- there are actually people in the picture! Ooooo! I haven't painted people in a very long time. These guys are so indistinguishable, I'm hoping they will still read as people even though I plan to do very little modeling on them. I am trying to keep this painting pretty loose- big brushes!

I am really excited about this painting. Makes me want to learn French and take a painting trip. Someday, I want to go on one of those painting "tours" with a mass of other painters.

Mmm... dream vacations....

Moving on! - The Metisse

2009-05-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Metisse

8" x 10"
Oil on canvas board
Sold

I took too long with this one- started fiddling with it. Darn tiny brushes!

I'm going on a virtual paint out to Paris now with Bill Guffey and crew. I got my prints from Kodak the other day and am sooo ready to start!

Plein Air and Chocolate - Its a Good thing.

2009-05-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

Lazy Daizies
8" x 10"
Oil on Canvas Board

I had a good painting session today!

I picked up a box of chocolates on the way out of town, which was something of a big deal for me because I hadn't had chocolate (or anything else with even the slightest bit of caffeine in it) in almost three years. Count 'em- three.

I enjoyed my chocolate. And I enjoyed painting. I am attributing some of my success today to the chocolate. It may become a part of a weekly plein air routine... But then I will have to start hiking to my painting destinations to burn off the extra calories.

Three out of four of the sketches in this picture are now paintings. The lower left one is today's sketch. You might recognize the top two...

I really liked the curl of yellow flowers on the hillside and wanted to make that the center of interest. I had to nix a tree and move the purplish shrub over to the left a bit. Good ol' artistic license!

I was painting out of the back of my 4Runner so I and my canvas were in shade, but everything else in front of me was washed in glaring sunlight. I had trouble seeing the colors on the canvas. I didn't like the painting until I got home and had a chance to see it in even lighting.

All I can say is "Yippee!"

The Metisse - WIP, almost there...

2009-05-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

The progress photo of the Metisse as promised. Not long now- just the water and reflections and maybe a little tweaking here and there...

I was a nervous about the composition at first because the boat is pretty close to dead center. I like it right now, we'll see if I still like it when the painting is complete.

Scribbles

2009-05-09T00:06:00.000-07:00

Another shipping box sketch. Scribbling on cardboard is fun. There is a sort of freedom in sketching on something that you know will be beaten up by USPS and then thrown away.

I am halfway there with the Metisse boat painting. I'll post a picture tomorrow. I have to wait for real light, otherwise the colors come out all jacked.

I decided to give membership with the Oil Painters of America (OPA) a shot. Membership is juried, but I'm not terribly sure how exclusive they are. I need more exposure for my work, I believe I can get some with OPA. I won't know for sure if my membership application will be accepted or not until around the 23rd of May, but I was told to go ahead and enter the 2009 Western Regional Juried Exhibition. I guess if my membership is denied, they can just chuck my entry into the show. Easy enough.

They get around 2400 applicants for that show and only accept 200. I saw last year's paintings, and they were very good. I'm a little nervous, but not really. This will be the first time I entered any juried show, so it is more of a learning experience than anything. Whatever happens, it will be fun!

The show will be in Kirkland, Washington August 6-30, so I hope to go see it whether my work is accepted or not.

OPA is also having a paint-out (painting outside, not like a shoot out or anything) in November that I hope to attend. It will be on Willow City Loop just outside of Fredericksburg, my hometown.
Oooo! How exciting! Just the thought of painting with a bunch of other oil painters gives me wonderful little chill bumps. Oh the excitement of it!

The Metisse - WIP

2009-05-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

I was getting a painting ready to ship and got a little carried away. I couldn't help myself- the box was so perfectly clean and blank... It was just begging for a sketch. The boat is called the Metisse. I fell in love with it at the dock. It was smooth, slender and red red red!

This was another reference photo I had been avoiding for a while, but I had so much fun sketching it that I started a small painting of it.

I am enjoying working small. This one is an 8"x10". Soon I will have a mass of 6"x8" canvas boards to work on as well.

Let me tell you how much I love Gamvar (Gamblin's super awesome archival varnish). It dries to the touch relatively fast and doesn't make your head spin from the fumes... in fact, I hardly noticed a smell. Hurray for Gamvar!

Partly Cloudy

2009-05-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

Partly Cloudy

8"x 10"
Oil on Canvas Board
Click here to purchase.

Hee-hee! I love working small. I started this painting this morning and finished about an hour ago. Talk about instant gratification! Um... well, its more instant than spending weeks on the same painting.

Two paintings ago my husband pointed at the reference photo for this painting and said "Why don't you do that one next." First thing I thought was Ick! A horizontal! I've been on a bit of a vertical kick. You may have noticed.

I sketched the clouds a couple of times and something about it just didn't feel right- until this morning.

Last night I hung the picture on my handy dandy little reference photo holder that is attached to my easel, and set a "blank" red primed canvas in place, ready to go. This morning I sketched it all out again in my little Moleskine to work on the composition, and this time I felt good about my little blue print- except it wasn't blue, it was gray and paper colored....

I also didn't scrape my pallette from the last painting like I usually do. A lot of the colors were, if not the same, very close so I could alter them easily. Having most of the colors already mixed helped. Its that whole P.A. (Plan Ahead) thing again. That has been one of the greatest lessons of my adult life so far- thank you Brad.

Remember how I was fussing a couple of posts ago about how hard painting was and I was ready for it to come easily again? Partly Cloudy basically painted itself. It was wonderful!

I made a mental shift in my personal life and was rewarded all around. Awesome. Once I realized what the problem really was, my shift came quickly and easily. Would you call it submission... release... ? Whatever the word is, it was good. It was like a great big Ahhhhh and the creativity flowed like peanut butter. Um... warm peanut butter (smooth, not chunky).

And now I have another horizontal painting under my belt- Dun-Dun-DUN!

It has been a good day.

Sunset Clouds III

2009-05-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

Sunset Clouds III
8" x 10"
Oil on Canvas Board

Look familiar? I loved the reference photo for this one, and I have been wanting to do some smaller paintings, so here it is... again. The last one, Sunset Clouds II, was on a 16" x 20" canvas. I think clouds are so huge and dynamic that they do well on a large canvas, but it feels good to whip out a painting every once in a while.

Sunset Storm Clouds

2009-04-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Sunset Storm Clouds
11" x 14"
oil on canvas

I just finished an email a friend and fellow cloud painter, Ronnie Watt, about the frustrations of painting and the wonderful advice I have been given about how to deal with it.

With this particular painting, I found Mary Anne Cary's advice most helpful. She said "...when I question it all, I have to just try to stop what's going on in my head and paint without high expectations..."

Think about it. Its brilliant! She is not saying to lower your standards, but to let the painting be what it will be- to focus on the process rather than the product. Time for a new mantra for me! (Well, time to add a new one to the pile.) But how do you sum something like that up in just a few words?

When I felt that old familiar feeling of wanting to pull all my hair out because my painting looked like a big fat stinking mess, I stopped to count back from ten, and then started again with the intent of just letting this painting find its own way... so to speak. Really what I was doing was letting go of the anxiety attached to the desire for a good finished product and focused on the act of painting. I really have to concentrate to match colors. Especially grays.

Ya know, Julie Beck said basically the same thing. She said "...finish it and if you're not happy with it, do another."

There it is - Let the painting be what it will be.

More Clouds- A Different Start

2009-04-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

OK.

So this time I made a few sketches (in my beloved Moleskine) to try to work out some of the design kinks before plopping the paint down. It all goes back to that P.A. (Plan Ahead) thing. I really shoot myself in the foot when I don't take the time to plan a painting.

In the first thumbnail I went all out with the drawing... well, as "all out" as you can get in such a small rectangle. In the second sketch, I broke the picture down into solid chunks of lights, mediums and darks so I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed by all the variation in the clouds. I felt a lot better about the design after doing that. I was looking for some enthusiasm to start this painting off, and this really helped.

I used this second sketch as a reference when drawing the design onto the canvas- I am trying not to rely so heavily on the photo. I am hoping this will help me loosen up a bit. I hatched in the darkest "blocks" to keep some of the confusion down. I got a bit frustrated with that last painting when I realized I had filled in a light spot with dark paint, in three different areas. Prevention is the best... um... preventing thing.

A little color theory fun-- the red font on both pages of the sketchbook is the same color. Ooo!

About that last painting... I wiped it with the intention of starting over. Can't find the photo, now - last time I saw it, it was in the clutches of an 18-month-old. It'll have to wait until my next batch of reference photos comes from Kodak.

Have I ever mentioned how much I like the internet?

Just upload some pictures into my Kodak account and tell them how I want the pictures and a few days later my prints magically appear in my mailbox! Its just brilliant I tell you!

I don't have to drop off film and wait for a week before the prints are ready. Remember the days when you couldn't just print the good pictures?

I love modern technology.

WIP - Clouds - and something of an Epiphany

2009-04-23T14:53:00.001-07:00

Ya know how some paintings just seem to come easy? Just fly onto the canvas with little or no effort at all? Well, this isn't one of them. This one is a battlefield. Explosions and wounded all over the place. Bullets wizzing by your ears. There is shrapnel lodged in the doors of my kitchen cabinets.

Today I scraped off several large mounds of paint and am in the process of redefining some shapes... Someday this painting will come together. And someday soon, I hope, painting will come easier again.

I find myself searching for some meaning in in all this struggle. Does it mean I am coming onto a breakthrough of some sort? Does it mean I need to readjust some way of thinking that isn't quite working? Why am I searching for meaning in something that happens all the time? I know it is a cycle, but... sigh.

Reminds me of my toddler. I can usually tell when he is about to conquer some immense developmental milestone because he goes downhill for a little while. Not physically, but emotionally- upset most of the time, doesn't seem to know what he wants, easily frustrated, has trouble sleeping, etc. Its like he is fighting his way up a slimed, muddy hill covered in briars, and no one can help him get to the top. But when he makes his breakthrough everything is just hunky-dorey. Life is good.

That is totally how I feel with my artwork right now... like the last three or four have been really difficult. And I see a very labored look in them. I am so ready for a breakthrough of my own.

Hmmmm.... Ya know...

I have been looking at my recent paintings while typing this and I noticed that my brushwork has been getting progressively tighter and more controlled. All the while I have been goggling over other artists whose work is loose and much more impressionistic. No wonder I feel cramped. It could be that I am not feeling satisfied with staring at a photograph for days on end and need to spend more time outdoors painting the real thing.

Writing is good.

I am going ot have myself a little think on this, and I just might wipe this painting and start over... or just scrape off the larger globs of paint and reapply fresh paint with a larger brush and no glasses!

WIP - Clouds...

2009-04-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

As promised.... the WIP photo. Having a bit of trouble with that pinky-orange in the upper left, but I think there was a smidge of blue (tucked around the side of my yellow) that was mucking up the purity of my mixed color.

I knew it was there... I didn't think it would have much of an effect. It did. Just enough to be irritating.

Good thing I can paint over paint! I might let a bit of this slightly muddy orange remain and act like some of the deeper parts of the cloud... We'll see how it goes.

I can hardly contain myself!!!

2009-04-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

I have been stumbling through the world of art on the internet and came across a jewel! There is a lot of good stuff out there, but I would really really like you all to check out The Pochade Gallery. The gallery consists of two British painters, Carl Melegari and Antony Bridge, whose works are just exploding with color and life. And get this - they are plein air painters! Wait 'till you see their work- I love it! Makes me want to go outside more and paint.

Their styles differ, but I really like them both. They manage something I would really like to do myself, they know how to simplify the scene and still make it work.

I stumbled across a Dutch plein air painter whose work I adore as well- Rene PleinAir (that is his blog). Well worth your time- check him out. He also has that something that allows him to say a lot with very little. Just brilliant.

I don't have a picture to post at the moment... I do have another cloud painting on the easel, but have been a little obsessed with my piano. Just got it yesterday. I've been looking for one since last November. I am so excited!!! I have wanted to learn for a long time. This piano is going to do double duty- I get to learn, and my 1.5 year old will be exposed to it for a good while before he starts his lessons. Mua-ha-ha! He'll be so steeped in art and music that he will think everybody is like that! Lets rewrite the norm, shall we?

I'll post a picture of the WIP tomorrow.

Jenkins Rd- Barn

2009-04-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

Jenkins Rd
11" x 14"
oil on canvas
Click here to purchase.

Well, that was pretty fun. The rust on the roof to the right of the barn was surprisingly difficult, but I think it turned out rather well.

I think I will have to make something of a study of grasses and rusted things...

WIP - Red barn (ha ha ha!)

2009-04-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

Just have to fill in the buildings... I find grasses difficult to render. I don't care for the hyper detail of every individual blade painted, but I like some texture and direction. I've seen some artists make their grasses in a semi-drybrushed blocked-in sort of way, and it works... They have rich, wonderful grasses full of texture and life, all in what looks like a few brush strokes. If I could only figure out how to do it myself...

I have a chance to go paint outside this evening, so I am going to take it. I was really hoping what the weather man said would be true, but surprise, surprise... he was wrong... again. Maybe I will get lucky and the sun will break through all the gloom in the next thirty minutes.

Otherwise, I will be painting in grays!

Oh!!! Here comes the sun! I'm outta here!

WIP- #1 in my "Barns of the Palouse" series

2009-04-16T13:14:00.001-07:00

So here I am starting a new series when I still have two others open. Lately I don't care much for working on more than one a painting at a time. It bothers me to have unfinished paintings lying around.

But a series is something different I think... As long as there are not more open than I can handle at one time. I had a request for a particular cloud painting, but I wanted to do something smaller as a bit of a pick-me-up. Sometimes I need to just whip a painting out in a day or two so I feel like I am getting loads of work done! The clouds, I think, really need to be on a larger canvas, 16" x 20" at least.

Last fall the hubby, child, and I drive around the Palouse in search of barns. I had a map of the area to mark where the barns were, took photos of the barns, then numbered and labeled the barns in a sketchbook with descriptions of lighting and places to set up for plein air painting. It was so much fun!

A Passion for Painting Award!

2009-04-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

Today Vicki Shuck, a fantastic artist and fellow Pacific Northwester, nominated me for the Passion for Painting Award. How fun is that! I am honored! (I have been following her blog for a while now and love her work- follow her link, its worth your time!)

The ways this works is that I name 7 things I love, which are:

1. my brilliant husband and incredible son,
2. painting inside,
3. painting outside,
4. planting things,
5. thunderstorms- especially if I get loads of reference photos so I can paint them!,
6. the Pacific Northwestern Coast with its dramatic cliff sides and windblown, distorted trees and that wonderful life-giving salty air (I need to fill my lungs with it every once in a while),
7. and spending time with my mom, sister, aunt, uncle and cousins (a.k.a the rest of my family)- I pity everyone else in the world for not having the family that I have.

Next, I have listed seven, plus one, of the many artist's blogs I follow -because I really admire their work. Check them out!

-Sandra Flood
-Karen Appleton
-Kerri Settle
-Carol Nelson
-Deborah Paris
-Jeffrey Boron
-Liz Holm
-Julie Beck

I could have easily listed another fifteen...

IF YOU ARE TAGGED, should you desire to keep this going, you are asked to name and link to 7 others whose work you admire and let them know about it, list 7 things you love and put a link to the person who tagged you.

Aha! Not quite as finished as I thought!!!

2009-04-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

Fisherman's Wharf

16" x 20"
Oil on Canvas
Click here to purchase.

Now its finished. I will not be making any more changes to this painting.

I was trying to leave the lettering off the Karsten because I didn't want it to draw attention away from the Phalarope behind it. But lo and behold! leaving off the lettering did the opposite of what I intended. That great white mass was just too much. I like this painting too much to have left it to sink into that crevasse of unwanted paintings.

(The purchase link on the post below will go the same place as the purchase link in this post... to the updated painting in my Etsy shop.)

Fisherman's Wharf

2009-04-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

Fisherman's Wharf
16" x 20"
Oil on Stretched Canvas
Click here to purchase.

Finished! This painting was a challenge. Mostly because I took so long to finish it. Have had to make some changes to my studio space

Moving on. I have about 16+ canvases to paint red now.

I have been trying to get my hands on Edgar Payne's Composition of Outdoor Painting for a while now, and could not find a copy for less than $125. Insane. Finally found one though- for less than $30 and still in the printer's shrink wrap!

It came in today. I thumbed through it and can hardly wait to immerse myself in its glorious tutelage! (oooooo! I get shivers just thinking about it.)

WIP - getting closer!

2009-04-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

A few little changes and a bit more paint. Any minute now a whirlwind of paint is going to hit this painting and it will be finished. I pretty much just have some whites and an orange-ish spot and a blue-ish spot.

Oh... And a bit more lettering on the boat in the foreground.

Almost finished!

WIP - a bit more

2009-04-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

Coming along... I just saw something I need to change. Man! Blogging is helpful! This is the first painting that I have pretty substantial reflections from the water appearing on the boats. This is a new challenge. I like it so far.

Lettering is hard. It has to be just right otherwise it looks sloppy and awkward. Talk about awkward- awkward is one of the most awkward words I have ever seen. Good fit.

My lettering on the Phalarope needs a bit more work... the beginning of the word hangs down further than the rest. .... hmmm...

Um...

2009-04-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

I apologize to anyone that got my "family" post just now.
I did not realize I had the wrong blog until after I published it....

oops...

(I blush)

WIP - bit by bit

2009-04-07T18:20:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! I got a little bit done today. Feels good.

I really had to fight the impulse to make all those grays in the upper left hand corner the same. But things like that make a difference. There are bluish grays, reddish grays, yellowish grays... It would be a shame to ignore all those wonderful little differences.

Its funny, but the more things get filled around the boats, the more excited I get about painting them. Icing.

WIP

2009-04-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

A start. I had a minute and decided to go ahead and post what I have so far. It helps me see that some progress is being made. Its like looking at a painting upside down. Gives a different perspective.

Sometimes I get so caught up in the mess before me I fail to see where it is all going. Just have to keep pushing forward, and even if the final piece is not what I wanted it to be, it will at least be finished. More often than not I end up liking it in the end.

I have some more stormy sunset cloud reference photos on the way. I'm looking forward to painting some more clouds.... and more boats.

I just have to work past this block.

WIP - some Seattle boats

2009-04-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Rrrrr!!! The frustration! I screwed up the proportions on the reflections of the boat in the back, and I have been fighting with it for days. I am so ready to just paint!

I get to start tomorrow. Yay!

Looking to the future....

This is what my toddler does when I give him a paintbrush.

Awesome.

Sunset Clouds II

2009-03-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

Sunset Clouds II
16" x 20"
Oil on Stretched Canvas
Click here to purchase.

Finished.
This is painting #3 in my Cloud series. I like it.

I realize it is not a very original title, but I figure the painting has enough personality to make up for a simple name. I really like the way this one turned out. I think the larger canvas suits a skyscape. Ooo! imagine a huge huge painting of clouds. Mmmmmm.... like a 5 foot x 6 foot canvas all painted red and waiting to be smothered in stormy sunset clouds. That sounds like fun!

Woohoo! My reference photos came in! I am spastically excited. AND!!! My shipment of canvases came in. Could there be any bigger inspiration to paint?

WIP - Clouds

2009-03-28T11:44:00.001-07:00

More clouds from my super fantastic photo session day in Western Colorado. This one is bigger than the other two. 16"x20".

I was a little intimidated at the thought, but now I don't know why. Painting clouds is basically just blocking in bits of color, and it doesn't seem to matter if the minute structures are off. As long as the basic nature of the cloud is adhered to, the finished product still looks like a cloud.

This is the closest I have come to really abstract painting so far.

More Clouds

2009-03-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

Sunset Clouds
8" x 10"
oil on canvas board
Click here to purchase.

Painting number 2 in my Cloud series. I started and finished this one last night after Soren the Destroyer went to bed. I was amazed at how fast it went.

This photo came from my favorite painting spot in Western Colorado, same spot the photo for Anticipation came from. I'm pretty sure it was the same evening.

Ooo! if you get a chance, check out Sandra Flood's artwork. Amazing artist! And she is self taught! She is my hero. Her work is full of life, mystery, and spontaneity. I love it. She has work in Austin, Texas at the Wally Workman Gallery. I so want to see some of her paintings in real life- I'll have to stop by when I'm in Texas next. Here is a link to an interview she did with an online art magazine- good read.

Oh- I just saw that Carol Marine, another of my favorites, has work in the same gallery! I definitely need to go there.

Port Townsend Boats II

2009-03-24T10:23:00.001-07:00

Port Townsend Boats II
16" x 20"
Oil on canvas
Click here to purchase.

Voila! Painting number 5 in my Boats of the Pacific Northwest series.

I like this one. I really like the composition- the busy stuff at the top with a majority of the space taken by reflections.

I think I am going to do a couple of cloud paintings while I wait for my reference photos from Seattle to come in.

WIP - More Port Townsend Boats, and a bit of a ramble

2009-03-22T21:19:00.001-07:00

I took this tonight because I didn't want to wait until morning when I have the proper lighting... The colors are a little off.

We went to Seattle this weekend and loaded me up with SOOOOOOOO many wonderful boat pictures! Oh! I am so excited! Wait until you see some of the beauties I got! Saturday evening we ran over to Fisherman's Terminal. Brad got himself a fish taco to go from Chinooks- which he said was awesome. I don't care for the taste of fish. I took his word for it. The day had been overcast, but seconds after Brad got back in the car with his dinner the sun broke through the clouds. I booked it for the boat docks. There were so many wonderful things to see. I took around 200 pictures there. Then we went down the road to a Marina just below the Fremont Troll and got a few golden hour pictures. I am so excited! I can hardly wait!

We had an interesting stay at the Mediterranean Inn. Someone pulled the fire alarm around 3 am. It was chilly, but a nice night. I think there was a dominant feeling of goodwill coming from the relief of knowing that we were all out and safe. The hotel was pretty small, so it didn't take long to clear the building. No fire. The suspect was a lonely drunk guy in a beret, apparently looking for some company in the wee hours of the morning. There was only one person there who seemed angry about the whole deal, but he seemed like a nice fellow. He was running about taking pictures of everyone standing around outside in their pajamas with their bed hair sticking out in all directions. I spent the rest of the night going over in my head how I could get out of a building faster if we were ever in another fire alarm situation.

I love Seattle. The city itself has so much personality. I remember someone telling me they hated the place because all the buildings were a dirty gray... I saw so much color there. Even with the overcast and rainy skies. The buildings are tastefully colored, muted, not obscene. Not the glaringly hideous colors you see on the houses in mountain towns.

There is art everywhere in Seattle. And artists too. On our way into town yesterday we saw a man riding a bicycle with a french easel strapped to his back. It was a very pretty easel too. Looked a warm red, like cherry wood. I wonder where he found such a pretty thing. Maybe he stained it himself.

I remember seeing an artist painting at a busy intersection a couple of years ago. His subject was a cute little bar/cafe, and he was painting on a rather large canvas, in my opinion, for painting outside. It was definitely larger than a 16x20. I was impressed. And then there was little ol' me running around like a maniac trying to get as many boat pictures as I could before the light vanished. But as far as anyone else knew, I was just an enormous dork caught up in a shutter frenzy.

I had so much fun running up and down the docks.

Seattle = Good Food.
Woah! let me tell you. We have never eaten at a bad restaurant in Seattle. This morning I was dying for a hometown-hangin'-with-the-cronies kind of breakfast. I was looking doubtfully at a Greek breakfast menu when Brad opened the door of the next cafe, took one look inside and said "We need to eat here." I was skeptical at first because it was called Mecca Cafe. I was thinking "middle eastern food for breakfast... not today." The place was a tiny bar/cafe done down in red, black, and silver. It was like Mephistopheles bought himself a little 50s diner. The waitresses had pasty skin and black hair and fingernails and dark dark lipstick- not quite Goth though. They took the look and gave it a real down home feel- if you can imagine that. It was all very well done! And the food was wonderful. I had a massive plate of scrambled eggs, rye toast with strawberry jam and the biggest pile of hash browns I have ever seen in a cafe- all for a whopping $4.99.

I was musing over the fact that we have yet to eat crummy food in Seattle, and Brad said it is because they have loads of competition and access to all kinds of fresh ingredients. A mediocre eating establishment can't survive in that kind of an atmosphere.

I love Seattle.

WIP- more Port Townsend boats

2009-03-18T09:14:00.001-07:00

I was looking at my wall of reference photos last night trying to figure out what to paint next, the pickings are getting slim, when I came across this photo. The composition was boring, so I cropped a section with tape and cut out what I wanted.

So now I'm working from a teeny tiny 3" x 4" photo. Which, as it turns out, is a good thing! I am having to break the smaller bits into chunks of color rather than trying to paint a particular something. I am in trouble when I find myself trying to paint what I think an object is supposed to look like, instead of how it is.

My mantra for the day:
Paint what you see, not what you know.

Oh! I found my learning journal while cleaning up the book shelf. One of my "learning observations" from the other day was that a concise drawing is key to a good painting. My husband calls it "P.A." - Plan Ahead. I think it makes the painting process more enjoyable, because everything is set and ready to go.

I didn't plan very well on my last painting and struggled with it the entire time.

Gotta have P.A.

Squamish Yacht Club

2009-03-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

Squamish Yacht Club
16"x20"
oil on canvas
Click here to purchase

Finished.

This picture was taken in the middle of summer. It was chilly. And stormy, as you can see. That was such a wonderful day. The dark, moody sky... and the sun beaming through in just the right places.

I am looking forward to getting some more reference photos soon. I was making room on the bookshelf the other day and found Fodor's Pacific North Coast guide book. Oooo! Excitement! I don't know why I didn't think about using a guide book. This one is over 10 years old, but I figure I can get some basic ideas of where to go and then look up the details on the internet.

I love the internet.

How did we ever do without it?

WIP - Squamish Yacht Club

2009-03-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Adjust, adjust. The boat in the foreground is in a constant state of adjustment.

I am, at least, feeling a little better about this painting. When there are so many changes needed, and so much going on in the painting, it is sometimes difficult to see the end product as worthwhile.

Getting there!

WIP- Squamish Yacht Club

2009-03-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

My paint has been drying fast on this painting... either that, or I am painting slow. E-gad! this painting and I have been having it out. I just keep telling myself to keep trudging along.

I find grays to be somewhat difficult to match. Apparently I need more practice...

I am too zoned in on the background right now. It has been irritating me, but I think what I needed to do- and I see it now - is to post the work. I think I am staring to see some of the things that were bugging me about the background.

Moving on... dab, dab, dab.

WIP - Squamish Yacht Club

2009-03-11T09:55:00.001-07:00

I am excited about his painting. I can hardly wait to start filling it in!

I love Squamish, BC. The water has this odd pale whitish-green color. The one little marina in the town is quaint, and somewhat sparse. Good for reference photos- not so incredibly busy.

The hubby said something last night about wanting to go climbing there again. I certainly hope so! I would like to try my hand at painting some boats on location.

Fast Clouds

2009-03-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

Anticipation

8" x 10"
oil on canvas board

I started this painting last night and my husband said that he was thinking I should do this one as well. It was meant to be.

I took this photo at my favorite painting spot in Western Colorado's high desert. The sun was setting and this.. just.. phenomenal storm was blowing in. I took like fifty shots of billowing pink, and orange, and purple clouds. They were churning and swallowing themselves, only grow larger --expanding in every direction at once. Oh!- the energy of it! WOW!

My favorite part of a thunderstorm is that vibrating crackle that is so thick, you can almost feel it pulsing through the air and exciting every atom. Ooo! My skin tingles just thinking about it.

That was a wonderful day. So productive. I managed to successfully capture a skyscape while painting on location. Those sunset drenched storm clouds were, to me, like a fireworks display celebrating my accomplishment. It felt good.

Zorbit II

2009-03-09T08:25:00.001-07:00

Zorbit II
8" x 10"
oil on canvas board

So here are the two paintings of the same boat. Separated by 3 years, of course. Hm. The older one looks more like a sketch than a finished painting. Man I love progress! I'll have to paint the boat again in another 3 years and see the difference.

The back end of the boat is my favorite bit. The variations in white were exciting to see. I am pretty sure I didn't even see those colors in that white last time. Funny how blind I was to something that seems so obvious now.

WIP - Zorbit II

2009-03-07T15:47:00.001-08:00

I had to stop and take a picture. This is the really fun part, where the water starts tying together and looking like water!

WIP - Zorbit II

2009-03-06T17:28:00.001-08:00

Ah, the Zorbit.

I took a photo of this boat in Squamish, British Columbia a couple of years and painted a picture of it when I got home to the studio. I really enjoyed that painting, and I am enjoying it this time as well!

The difference between the two will be in the detail and the colors, I think. I see more in the photo this time around. I love all the colors in the white. I am looking forward to seeing pictures of the two side by side for a comparison.

This one is an 8" x 10" so it should be finished very very soon. I started drawing it in last night and started filling it in this afternoon. Lovely thing about small paintings- they are completed quickly.

Meet Pinhead

2009-03-05T12:45:00.000-08:00

Do These Shoes Make My Butt Look Big?
8" x 10"
Oil on canvas board

Sketch books are wonderful things. They are a treasury of inspiration and ideas.

Several years ago I did a sketch of a funny looking chicken out of one of those chicken identifier books. The other day I ran across it and imagined it in a huge pair of high heels- looking ridiculous- but feeling beautiful. I woke up around 3 am last night and started this painting.

It felt good to just plop the paint wherever I wanted without having to refer to reality. A good break after the boats.

Reflections

2009-03-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

Funny how this morning I felt as if I was sooooo far from being finished with this painting and now it is done! Yippee-hurray!

I like it. Its Etsy fodder.

Now I am going to go paint some chickens... or something else....

WIP - reflections

2009-03-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

Moving along.... slowly.... I've been a bit more sleep deprived than normal over the past couple of days, so I have been hesitant to paint much while my judgment is impaired.

I like this painting.

The boat in the foreground has been giving me trouble, though. Hmmm...I see another issue I didn't notice before. The blue band on the side of the boat is wavy. Slightly, but it shouldn't be that way. Should be more or less straight. Glad I saw that. Now I can change it.

I really like how the background mess turned out. It is just a bunch of irregular shapes, but they take the chaos out of that part of the painting. If you look back to my other recent boats at a dock painting, Port Townsend Boats, you can see how I fudged the background. Looks sloppy. I thought it was fine at the time. Wow! That was just 6 months ago. I love seeing improvement. Hurray for progress!

I think I am going to have to do Port Townsend Boats again. Maybe larger this time, and with more meat on it!

Sometimes I wonder if painting is like riding a bicycle. You may feel shaky after not coming in contact with it for a while, but you never really forget how it is done. Before I went on my baby sabbatical I was coming to a point where I felt comfortable making the brushstrokes and placing the colors where I wanted them. Then I stopped painting for what felt like an eternity. Now I paint, and it feels like my hands and eyes are waking up. Remembering something forgotten.

Its nice. Its like waking up from a wonderful dream and remembering some of the luscious little details.