Channeling Vincent

Channeling Vincent

6x12, soft pastel

I've been studying the masters recently. Primarily focusing on the styles of John F. Carlson, Edgar Payne and Vincent VanGogh.  This one is Vincent Van Gogh's "Landscape At Twilight" aka "Landscape With The Chateau of Auvers at Sunset", 1890.  This piece has lighter more vibrant colors than his original...but it is his style that I was most interested in trying out.  He painted this near the time of his death in July, 1890.

Tomorrow commences the Straeda 31 Day Challenge which I plan on attempting. I hope to focus mostly on plein air landscapes...maybe with an interior or still life thrown in.  Wish me luck.

Payne's Canyon

Payne's Canyon

9x9, soft pastel

This is a study of Edgar Payne's Canyon De Chelly Sunset.  I turned it into a square format not realizing the original was rectangular.  So, I made a few changes while studying his "brushwork" with my soft pastels.  It was quite fun for me to add more vibrant colors than his...something I still have a hard time taming.  Ha!  Maybe I'll just stop trying to tame it.

Sophie The Goldendoodle

Sophie The Goldendoodle

9x9, soft pastel

Sophie crossed over the Rainbow Bridge recently...so this is a piece for her "mom" to help ease the huge loss she's surely feeling. All I really know about Sophie is that she was constantly getting into the trees and shrubs in the yard (something our little Benny is very talented at doing too).  This is a favorite image of her mom's because she had that look that all little "kids" have when they know they may be in trouble...but they just couldn't help themselves.  A beautiful sweet Goldendoodle! Of course this means I will need to paint Bennington...maybe some day soon.

Variegated Poinsettia

Variegated Poinsettia

6x6, soft pastel

May your holidays be as bright as this wildly colored poinsettia!

Windy Sail

Windy Sail

6x8, soft pastel

I doubt that I'll ever be on a sail boat. While it always looks quite thrilling, I imagine all the tilting and swaying wouldn't be up my alley...but who know's, maybe someday. For now, I'm content studying them from the shoreline with my feet firmly rooted to the ground. Or, better yet, laying in a hammock on the beach sipping something cold.

I'm always tempted to paint realistically but for this one I really tried to paint in a "Edgar Payne Impressionistic" style to help depict the feeling of a very windy day on the water.

Kay's Bird

Kay's Bird

10x8, soft pastel

A little tribute to my mother-in-law who left us far too soon.  I have fond memories of her picking out this little ceramic bird. She displayed three of them in her kitchen window for many years...a great reminder to me of the time we spent together.  The sunflowers certainly take center stage in this painting with the drama of the late evening sun highlighting their petals...but the tiny bird is there as my muse.  A sweet reminder of a wonderful lady.

Riding The Wave

Riding The Wave

16x20, soft pastel

Another boat/kayak piece that "missed the blogging boat" last spring.  This scene is a familiar one (in Cascade, Idaho) where there's always several kayakers to watch as they teach or compete at the Kelly Whitewater Park. If you're ever driving up Hwy. 55 be sure and stop by to watch...it's mesmerizing! 

Below The Foothills

Below The Foothills

6x6, oil on board

A second oil painting that somehow missed the Blog last spring....too many art shows and not enough time, ha!   

This piece is one of a handful of oil paintings I've done this year.  I'm really enjoying oil painting...but the cleanup, drying time and varnishing adds much more precious time to the process.  I will plan on doing more pieces though because I love the challenge of a new (to me) medium...oh, to be young again!  I wish I had a whole life ahead of me to explore...but then none of us know just how long we have here on earth, so I'm content to fit it into my life now while I have the passion to do so.  

Carlson's Trees

Carlson's Trees

6x6, soft pastel

John F. Carlson was one of the leading landscape and snowscape painters in America in the early 20th century.  He also authored a book "Carlson's guide to Landscape Painting" which is extremely popular with landscape artists...a must read that's currently still on my "must read" list.  I'm sure I'll get to it someday.

For this piece, I took a bit of liberty with the colors I chose compared to those in his exceptional piece.  However, my purpose with this painting was to practice a snowy landscape and not actually copy his piece.  I'm happy to put my own little spin on it.   It's actually a scene very similar to one I see often while walking the dog in Cascade. 

Payne's Boats

Payne's Boats

6x6, soft pastel

Edgar Payne was born in Washburn, Missouri in 1882 and lived and worked as an artist until his death in 1947.  He is considered one of America's leading Impressionistic landscape artists painting in the plein air fashion (painting outdoors).  

Because I have such a challenge in controlling color, I was drawn to his colorful marine scenes packed full of vibrant colors and a very loose style...so, here is a small marine scene, not a copy but inspired by one of his pieces. I just love painting boats and water...is it because I grew up along the Mississippi River?  I don't know.  I would have to say though, my current passion is centered around boats, water and fishing flies.  Can't get enough!

Daybreak Dining

Daybreak Dining

10x8, soft pastel

This little vignette is from my mini-retreat to Cascade.  While there I found an interesting You Tube art video on Pierre Bonnard. Mr. Bonnard was a French painter and a founding member of the Post-Impressionsits group of avant-garde painters Les Nabis. His scenes were often colorful intimate scenes of interiors where empty spaces played a big part in his composition and the items appear to be randomly paced, yet work together.  

Pears On The Block

Pears On The Block

6x6, soft pastel

After so much time off this summer to train a new puppy (someday I'll paint him),  I went to Cascade for a couple days to just paint.  Being a fine art artist is like being a performing artist, if you don't use it...you lose it.  With that thought in mind and knowing I only painted a handful of pieces this past summer, I had low expectations.  It was simply to practice..but I must say, I had a blast. On this particular morning I simply painted what I would soon devour.  These two pears were super ripe...and super sweet.  The memory of their sweetness remains.  Yum!

English Roses

English Roses

8x6, oil on linen board

During October I took an online course from the ever talented Dennis Perin. Dennis is so very talented at capturing the light in oil and is an excellent instructor (check it out at www.theperrinmethod.com).  

One thing I really enjoy is to paint a piece in oil and then soft pastel or vice versa.  Above is my oil piece and below you'll find my soft pastel piece. Do you have a favorite?  I'm just not sure which one I like over the other. That's the funny thing about being the artist...it's tough to be objective. Also, we're typically super critical of our work. After three and a half years of painting, I'm getting better at quieting down that critical voice in my head and just letting things be. That said, I'm still very much in pursuit of my masterpiece.  Will it ever materialize?

English Roses

8x6, soft pastel

Fresh Bloom

Fresh Bloom

8x6, soft pastel

A lighter view of a poinsettia bloom than the previous "Holiday Reds". This one reminds me of springtime for some reason...I think it's the variety of greens.  The paper I'm using for both poinsettia paintings is Pastel Premier.  It's not the paper I typically use and I'm not sure how I feel about it...it doesn't alway want to grab onto the pastel which then requires stronger mark making...so, I went with it and just shot for a little more punch to my strokes.  I'm tempted to try this one again on a different paper.

Holiday Reds

Holiday Reds

8x6, soft pastel

Our local plein air group usually paints throughout the winter months at Edward's Greenhouse in  Boise. The temperature is just right for painting and we typically have a plethora of subjects to paint...especially during the holidays when the poinsettias are in bloom.

Road Trip To McCall

Road Trip To McCall

6x6, oil on board

This is a piece I did last spring that sold before I got a chance to blog about it.  It's a very familiar scene to those living in the Boise area who often trek into the foothills and beyond to Cascade or McCall for a little camping, fishing and/or boating.  Often, the ride is during the early morning hours when sunlight is just peaking over the tops of the mountain peaks.  Always a beautiful site.