Silver Creamer With Cuties

 Silver Creamer and Cuties

6x6, oil

Day 12 Strada Easel Challenge

Practice makes perfect right? Well in this case, perhaps it looks like silver a bit more than in previous versions...or maybe not...but it was a fun exercise anyway! 

Hook Shot

Hook Shot

6x6, soft pastel

A bit of basketball nomenclature for this little piece. I found this colorful fishing fly in my husband’s gear box. My favorite painting subject and my favorite color all wrapped into one tiny fly...what a joy to paint!

Oh Hummingbird!

Oh Hummingbird!

7.5 x 12, soft pastel

Rarely do I paint plein air (outdoors) but I couldn't resist trying to capture this guy (in a painting that is).  He visited me quite often with his friends during the summer months in Cascade.  I always plant these particular flowers to encourage hummingbirds to hang around my patio...and they really do the trick!  I do confess, I had to take a few photos to see what he really looked like since he didn't want to sit still for me.   Anyway, thankfully I didn't scare him away....especially since I was singing "Oh Hummingbird" the whole time.  (the neighbors must have thought I was a bit looney)

Oh Hummingbird! - Seals and Crofts, 1972

Camel's Back Park

Camel's Back Park

12x12, soft pastel

I've been working on framing some pieces for the April show at the Initial Point Gallery in Meridian's City Hall (fyi, reception to be held April 4th 4:30-7:00pm).  But still trying to make time to paint!

This is a view that many people in the Boise area have enjoyed as they hike, bike, run or walk along the foothill trails.  On this particular evening the sky was awash with glorious sunset colors complimenting the golden grasses and sage brush below.  Thank you Michelle Santos for the gorgeous photo!! 

Lavender Sky - Pastel

Lavender Sky - Pastel

12x12, soft pastel

Day 30 of 30....Lavender Sky is befitting of a final farewell to the 2017 Jan. 30in30!  Whew, I made it!  I'm ready for a short break. I hope you enjoyed them all, the good, the bad and the ugly.  Breaking into oil painting this past month was a lot of fun.  I certainly learned a lot and look forward to doing more of both oils and pastels after I get caught up on everything else that took a backseat these past few weeks (like laundry).   See you soon!

Lavender Sky

Lavender Sky - Oil

6x6, oil on board

I really love the feel of this scene and will probably tackle it in pastel too.  I've been having fun playing with texture by applying a primer on the board before I begin...but it backfired a bit in one area of the sky where the refracting light is a bit distracting....at least to me.  Painting on 6x6 sizes for oils this month has been less intimidating...but I can see where it would actually be much easier painting larger sizes in oil.  Sometimes I have to resort to tiny brushes and it becomes too tedious.  I'll put that on my to-do list.

Fresh Bouquet

Fresh Bouquet

6x6, oil on board

Fresh Bouquet reminds me of springtime walks in the mountains.  There are an abundance and variety of wildflowers here...always a beautiful site.   I'm soooo looking forward to springtime!

Ok, I couldn't take it any longer...just one bite a day...that couldn't possible hurt could it?

Sunflower Bouquet

   

Sunflower Bouquet

6x6, soft pastel 

Sunflower Bouquet started out as a completely different bouquet of flowers...in fact, I scrubbed off two different attempts and had no expectations that anything would work.  This one worked well enough to call it finished and get on with what was left of my day.  Much of it came from imagination mixed with a bit of perseverance.

WIP: Untitled, 16x12
I remembered to take a picture of the sketch...so here it is.  This particular little boat has got to be a classic wooden boat.  I don't know the make or model or even year but I like the head-on view.

This paper (Wallis) is mounted on foam core.  I had a small tear in the sanded paper so I re-adhered the seam and covered it with Art Spectrum's Colourfix Primer.  I'll have to see if it's enough texture for the pastel to cover it. With the water reflections on that side of the boat, I think it's going to be fine (a little inside story on this one).

Once again, I'm drawn to the boat's strong colors and reflections in the water.

Sunset Sail

Sunset Sail

16x12, soft pastel

Painting 11 of 30....Finished painting "Sunset Sail" finally has the mood I was after...colorful yet soothing!  I painted this scene a couple years ago in a much smaller version and am glad I tackled a larger version.

Sunbathing Trio - Pastel

Sunbathing Trio - Pastel

6x6, soft pastel

Painting 10 of 30 - Sunbathing Trio in pastel...ok, done with onions for a good long time!  On to finishing Sunset Sail.

WIP:  Sunset Sail

Below are the first three steps on another larger piece titled "Sunset Sail" that I've been working on the past week.   I started with a very saturated bold underpainting...we'll see how it goes!

I'm getting there (or, I will get there come hell or high water).  This is what is often called "the ugly stage".  Where things are sort of coming together, but deep inside you wonder if you shouldn't trash it!  Layering, layering and more layering of pastel to eventually get to the mood I'm looking for....maybe that vibrant underpainting was a bit too much!  We'll see.

Sunbathing Trio - Oil

Sunbathing Trio

6x6, oil on board

I tried...really I did.  I logged onto YouTube and watched an oil painting video as I proceeded to paint my three little onions above.  I listened closely to every single instructional detail.  I bought the paints recommended and the ingredients to make my own mixing medium.  I decided on a subject matter that wasn't too complex and selected my board, brushes and palette colors I would use. 

I started the video and listened intently and followed the instructor's detailed steps on how to pre-mix all the colors I would use (at least most of them I would use)....but, somewhere along the way I broke formation.  In general, I have a hard time following someone else's steps...especially if they're time-consuming.   

Eventually, (once I get bored or I see a potential shortcut) my creative side defies authority in any form and I just start muddling through a painting on my own.  I'm a terrible student!  Even though I know perfectly well the instructor is a much better artist than I am and has valuable information to share.  If ONLY I would listen with patience and follow directions!

True to form, my poor little onions were left to suffer the consequences of my actions. I made mistakes. I got a little frustrated. And, I bumped and bumbled my way through it and then cried "uncle".   Oh well...there's always tomorrow!

Golden Sunset

Golden Sunset

11x14, soft pastel

I just finished this piece (which is a larger version of a 6x6 painting completed during the September 30in30 Challenge).  It's headed to Arizona but I wanted to share it first, especially since I've been lagging behind in my blog posts this fall.  I guess that's how things go sometimes...never a dull moment!  I've really enjoyed painting skyscapes during the past couple months, hope you like it!

Spilling Over

Spilling Over
8x6, soft pastel

This is a painting I started this summer while visiting my mom and sister (and her husband Al) but I didn't get to finish it. So, here's the finished piece.  The photo's a bit dark...but otherwise accurate.  This was a big pot of flowers outside the facility mom lived in.  I loved painting it especially because the flowers were spilling over the edge...love when that happens! 

Trouble Is Brewing

Trouble Is Brewing

7x5, soft pastel

I had my "zenful" music playing.  Peace and calm abounded in my studio this morning.  I had a great peaceful scene in mind with a lazy stream of clouds in the sky over fields of wheat...

and then... my husband started having printer problems.  

After three or four interruptions and an hour or so of collaboration, we resolved the problem.  However, the peaceful moment was lost along with what I had in mind.  Once I returned to the studio for the last time to continue my painting, "zen" was no where in sight!  I think it had something to do with employing the "other side of my brain"....or was it the level of frustration we had in simply connecting the printer to our wifi?   Hmmmm, I have to think about that.  Anyway,  having listened earlier in the morning to Stan Sperlak speaking about being honest and authentic in one's work (and I suppose in life too)...I let loose on my painting.  All my frustrations came spilling out (I even dropped and broke a couple of my Terry Ludwigs).  Oh well, the resulting painting and title were appropriate for the moment and completely honest.  

Migraine Morning

Migraine Morning

6x6, soft pastel

I wasn't really going to paint...for the third morning in a row I woke up with a migraine (the weather is about to change drastically).  Then I thought what the heck, I'll try to power through it while I waited for the meds to kick in. 

The toughest part of painting with a migraine is not having any kind of control over the pastel stroke on the page.  The sharp pains can interrupt the most focused of thought making it tough to even see the easel.  Oh well, tomorrow is another day!

Happy Little Clouds

Happy Little Clouds

6x6, soft pastel

Thought I'd end this 30in30 with a little scene of peace and tranquility.  And, a few of Bob Ross's "happy little clouds".  Autumn is here and it's time for Mother Nature to begin displaying her beautiful colors!  Peace to you...thanks for following me this past month!

Harvest Sunset

Harvest Sunset

6x6, soft pastel

During the fall and especially during harvest, sunsets are often spectacular.  The atmosphere is filled with pollen and dust particles while the angle of sunlight hitting the earth's surface changes, further enhancing the drama playing out in the skies.  It's just a glorious time of year!

This painting is particularly delightful to me.  The photograph doesn't adequately depict the gorgeous oranges and copper colors dancing across the sky in the original.  However, I had fun playing with the Photos editing tool.  When sliding the lightness tool from it's lightest setting to the darkest setting it looks as though the sun is actually setting in the painting. Awesome!

Screaming Eagles

Screaming Eagles

6x6, soft pastel

There's no real reason for the title...other than this skyscape reminds me of a couple of eagles swooping down to snatch up fish from the waters below.  Recently while kayaking on a small lake a hawk did just that...diving into the water several feet from me to catch his dinner.  Startled the begeebeez out of me! 

Arizona Sky

Arizona Sky

6x6, soft pastel

On our way to Phoenix we were delighted to view this gorgeous sunset near Kingman, Az.   I especially loved seeing the stars twinkling in the deep dark blue of the early evening.  

Lakeside Sunset

Lakeside Sunset

6x6, soft pastel

Lakeside Sunset is another in a series of sunrises and sunsets I'm working on...practice, practice, paractice!