Monday, December 31, 2012

Final paintings of 2012

Yellow Canna  20 x 24
Watercolor on 200 lb Waterford paper
 

Reflections  19 x 27
Watercolor on 200 lb Waterford paper

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Small Oils for Christmas

The oil painting group I work with on Wednesdays had our holiday lunch today and exchanged small 8" x 8" paintings for christmas.  It was a great way to get us working on something small and fun with oils. 

I started out painting an Amaryllis but when it wasn't going too well I painted a still life of Cassia flowers from a shrub at the gallery courtyard just as a back up.  The Amaryllis eventually came around and was taken in the exchange today.  Both oils are pictured below.  

The Amaryllis painting has a metallic gold background that I was trying out after looking at a lot of advertisments of a major Klimt show.   I really didn't realize where that impetus came from until I looked back at some blogs I follow and saw all that gold in his work.  



Saturday, December 8, 2012

OBSESSION

I stretched a 36" square canvas and then realized that I don't usually work in a square format.  So.. I bought some 12" square linen panels to explore the square.  It then turned into an obsession of painting these small flower portraits and I couldn't stop until all the linen panels in my possession were finished.... 

I still haven't started the large canvas but at least these are done  (until I order more panels anyway)



 
These are all 12" x 12" Acrylic on Linen Panel
 


These two are 12" x 16" Acrylic on Linen panels

 

Friday, November 30, 2012

Bright Angel Trail




 
Bright Angel Trail
12 x 16 Oil on Canvas
 
 
Well at long last here is the first painting from the reference photos I shot at the north rim.  It was very hazy while we were there because the smoke from fires in Idaho and other northern states had come down and was settling over Utah and northern Arizona.  The haze gave a kind of difuse blue to the shadows at certain times of day.  

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Shadow Play

I am just back from traveling and hiking in Utah and Arizona so have lots of material for more paintings but for now here is one I have just finished this week. 


 
Shadow Play
24 x 36 Oil on Canvas
 

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Amazing Prints

Just back from traveling to see family and we saw the most amazing show of prints by Canadian artist, David Blackwood at The Rooms in St. John's. 

 
Fire Down in Labrador
Etching 32 x 20 1983
David Blackwood
 
 
His work was haunting in it's subject and beautiful in the rendering.  He is a Canadian artist working in Ontario and Newfoundland so his work isn't real well known here in the states but well worth checking out.


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Oil Painting, again

I have been working on some oil paintings lately, trying to get back the feel for that particular medium.  So far each has been entirely different than the next, but I am just stubborn enough to keep at it.   I was asked to join a group of painters who are trying to promote working in oils here on the island.  We meet once a week to paint together so it has kind of forced me to work in oil as well as in a group setting.  The feedback is great as I have struggled to adapt to the limitations as well as the opportunities that oils bring into play. 

Now if I could just remember how long this paint stays wet I wouldn't be smearing paint all over myself and my studio moving them around.




Near Jemez
16 x 20 Oil on Canvas



August on the Greenway
18 x 24 Oil on Canvas




Storm Over the Jetty
16 x 20 oil on canvas

Saturday, July 21, 2012

For the orchid lovers


Since my own orchid plants are all on hospice care right now I thought I would just paint some orchids with actual blooms on them.... Here in Fernandina we have an amazing orchid grower/vendor that comes to the farmers market each Saturday.  I take photos of his tables a couple of times a month when if I have a camera with me at the market.  I have "stitched" together some of my favorite images from those photos to create this painting.   This is another of the supersize watercolors, 30" x 41 1/2 " on Artistico Fabriano 300lb watercolor paper.