Sunday, November 30, 2014

Sketch Series #3

Sketch Series #3 (wren)/ 6 x 8
This a little wren that loves to fly into the garage when the door is open. I don't have good images of him because I am not a great photographer and he moves, bobs, and moves too quickly for me to get focused. I painted this twice (again). It is a lot more difficult than it appears.
if you are interested, you can purchase it here.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Series Sketch Green Parrot

I had to paint this little sketch twice. The first had a poorly realized lower body. I learned this year that part of the "design" of a painting is the space that is is contained in. So, when I repainted this, I set him in a more square format. In a square, I only had to render the part of the body that I was confident about. I think it could be cropped a little on the right. At shown this is 8.5 x 9 inches.  It is part of my series experimenting with water and flooding in colors and can be purchased here.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Sylvan Resident

Sylvan Resident/ 10 x 7/ 
This is a new watercolor exercise exploring water and texture. I will offer these small pieces without mats until I have mastered what I am working on for $45 plus shipping. The lighting on this is innaccurate. The paper is as white on the top as it is on the bottom.
The exercise will continue with the "series price" until I feel that I can move on. Some of these will be painted on the backs of failed paintings, so if you buy one of these, you may find a surprise. I will also post the little hummer as part of this series.

This can be purchased here

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Hummer: A Step Forward

I don't post most of my larger, more realized paintings. Most of these are watercolors. I like the unpredictability of the water and the beauty of the transparency that watercolor can achieve. I find that I get two layers of paint (unless I am following and using the extraordinary patience and thin veils of color that Susan Harrison-Tustain uses (see her beautiful work and follow her fabulous tips here) before I start making my paper "scratchy" looking. I love to paint birds and have been working to "loosen up" . Here is today's little watercolor: lots of water and only an i phone image so not the best lighting . Never-the-less, it feels like a step forward.....
Happy Thanksgiving from my backyard to yours!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Chicken Study

Chicken Study/ oil on board/ 4 x 4 /Buy Here
My sister-in-law asked me today to help her with her computer. Turns out that she wasn't receiving posts from this blog in her e mail. I reassured her that it was a "me" not a "you" problem (as my son says).
I had a small chicken series painted, that were just not good. Today, I got them all out and worked on them. I restated their little chicken eyes, brightened their chicken feathers and housed them in new chicken backgrounds and I love them all.
I hope to have "Twelve Days of Christmas" to include small paintings and best of artist "finds" of 2014 starting Dec 1. I have a week to get these together. I know I have two more chickens to share before then.
Sorry about my absence. I have been painting, just nothing worth sharing....I know the painters understand.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Twenty Minute Exercises

I am working my way through Carol Marine's new book "Daily Painting" (link). In one chapter, Carol suggests setting up small study subjects and painting for 20 minutes: reposing the object (or simply restarting) and repainting the same thing.
Here is such an exercise. These are the last of my nasturtiums as cold weather finally arrived and finished the 2014 tender plants. I divided an 8 x 10 board using 1/4" artist tape. I painted each square for about 30 min (I went over the alarm). When all were finished, I decided to paint in the white borders and extend the bright leaves over the edges to attempt a composition of the exercise. This was fun. I did improve (can you find the first and last small painting?)
So far, this book is excellent. Perhaps you want it on your Christmas list.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Santa #4 (2014)

Another Santa to post.This one is a square format and more loosely painted than the last one posted. the "tightness" (or "looseness") of my painting  seems to depend on the day, not the subject.
I am also collecting well-executed large paintings for the end of year large juried show deadlines.  I will post those soon.

This little painting is for sale at Low Country, HH

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Losing Edges

This is a small painting where I was working on "losing edges". To do this, I tried putting paint on, then scraping it off and replacing it, and scraping it off again etc. This is a very liberating and somewhat meditative process.
One of the artists whom I consider a master at edges is Carolyn Anderson She has written couple of rich, detailed posts about edges in her new blog. The link to her blog is here. If you are a painter, you will want to sign up to receive her upcoming posts as they will undoubtably be thought-provoking and excellent. As you will discover when you click on this link, Carolyn is an amazing artist. She is also an unbelievable teacher.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Santa #3 (2014)

I especially like the beautiful eyes on this Santa. When painting a face, you choose which eye will be the more finished eye. I like that one to have something special: a glassier look, small color changes in the iris to make it look more alive, a brighter highlight etc. This Santa's eyes seemed to follow me as I stepped back and forth to evaluate the painting's progress. Do the eyes follow you as you look at the post?

At Low Country, HH

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Santa #1

Santa #1/ oil on gesso board/ 7 x 5/ SOLD
I have started my Santas for 2014. This is the first.
I love Santas who wear the gold-rimmed glasses.
I also love to see "who" appears from the initial block in of these. I find the dull grey or grey-grew backgrounds make the red of the Santas appear bright, cold and crisp. Painting bearded men is definitely easier than painting faces without facial hair.