Metamorphosis

Years ago I had two separate painting styles. Sort of...

I had my whimsical pieces full of sea chickens and flying fish, and my first attempts at Plein air painting landscapes- what I called "serious" work. I chose to go the "serious" route because I needed to make a living. Luckily, I found myself falling more and more in love with landscapes and their ever changing beauty so I didn't feel the loss of that imaginative play that comes with the whimsical work.

My husband, Nick, (a king of country living and all things manly) said something the other day about my style being so different from most other landscape painters that I could paint the twin fawns we just saw and it wouldn't be like other wildlife pieces. I started looking closer at my work, trying to see what made it so different.

I was mulling over the two cattle ramp pieces I just finished, and my next painting adventure (this next one includes a bet and an odd sort of commission) when it hit me-
Quietly, over a relatively short period of time, the whimsy has found its way into my "serious" paintings. Or maybe it was always there and I just didn't see it. Or maybe it was trying to be there but can only come out when I let the painting paint itself.
However it got there, I'm glad it came. It's like seeing an old friend, and knowing the friend is here to stay.

Painting is such a lovely form of self exploration and discovery. The whimsy in my work is like that inner being that I am, always have been, and always will be. (The spirit. That part of us that is forever in contact with Infinite Intelligence.)
Sometimes I lose touch with my inner self and everything seems to fall apart. Then one day, something clicks and I see that everything I thought I had lost has been there the whole time.
How cool is that?



The piece in this post is one of my recent cattle ramp pieces. It'll be in Whistle Pik shortly. The other will make its debut at the November show.

(I apologize for the picture quality, I took it with my phone. I'll have a better image on my website later, and the gallery will have one when the piece goes in. If you would like purchasing information, feel free to contact Ms Mary or Ms Julie at Whistle Pik Galleries.)

20x30
Oil on canvas

Morning Fog

I can't stress enough how much I love where I live. This place has more variety than you could shake a stick at... But it all still fits.

We have been getting these gloriously foggy mornings lately and I got about a million reference photos to and from dropping Soren off at school last week. This is from my first batch of pics. I'd like to do some larger paintings like this, but am having a bit of a love/hate relationship with anything over a 5x7 right now. Which is not such a bad thing, since the gallery doesn't have many of my small pieces right now.

I like this one. It'll be in Whistle Pik as soon as it is dry!

Morning Fog
5x7
Oil on canvas panel

Enchanted Rock Shadows

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.

Partly Cloudy

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.

Squamish Yacht Club

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

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.

Some more oldies but goodies

8"x 10"
Oil on canvas board

I had a favorite painting spot outside of Grand Junction. It was surrounded by nothing, full of sky, and all mine. Most of my skyscapes were painted out there. This particular evening gave me a wealth of reference photos. A storm was blowing in, it was right around sunset- the golden hour. There is always such a wonderful surge of energy that comes with a big storm like that. Seems to wake up every cell in the body.

This was one of my favorites at the time, but I am not so impressed with the painting itself now. It must have been the emotional experience attached to the piece. It was bought by The Gallery Bed and Breakfast in Grand Junction, Colorado. .. I think... If you get a chance, check them out. That place is awesome, just vibrating with creativity. They have some of my favorite artists renting studio spaces there.

8"x 10"

Oil on canvas board

This was a little stone shack on the edge of some orchards in Palisade, Colorado. The cherry trees were in bloom and that big blue mass in the background is the Mesa. I took my glasses off for the first half of the painting process, and really tried to concentrate on the tonal values rather than familiar shapes. I was quite happy with this one at the time, and am pleased to find that I still am.

8"x 10"

Oil on canvas board

This one was not very popular, but I like it. It is very moody. I see things in it now that I didn't before. My absolute favorite part of this painting is the wet sand, where the waves are pulling back after swallowing the beach. This was painted on tide-pooling trip to Oregon a couple of years ago. It was my first experience painting in the Oregon drizzle. Believe it or not, painting in the rain was somewhat exhilarating. Like nothing could stop me from doing what I enjoy- not even the weather!

National Talk Like a Pirate Day... I forgot till just now

Kamiak Barn
5"x7" oil on canvas

Well. I ended up on the dark side of the barn. Next time I will chose a spot that shows the light and shadow of the thing. Funny how I was on the dark side, but everything is a little washed out. The darker streak to the left of the barn looks like a shadow, but it was a streak of grass and small shrubs.

It was an interesting little barn that looked pretty much like a rectangle planted on sloping wheat fields. I was reminded why it is so important to mix the colors that are there, because this does not look like the scene I saw... except for the barn and the trees from Kamiak Butte. The light was gorgeous but faded fast. Next time I'll catch it!

This would have been a wiper, but I had fun doing it. And it was the first plein air painting I've done in ages. I like it by default.

And in case you other land lubbers out there be forgettin the greatest day o' th' year- today was indeedy National Talk Like a Pirate Day! So get out there and swash some buckles, batten down the hatches, and don't let your peg legs get tangled up in yer eye patches! Aaargh!

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/