Poinsettia - Perfectly Peachy

Poinsettia - Perfectly Peachy

10x8, soft pastel

This is my final poinsettia for this season and one of my favorite color varieties. She’s so dramatic! I painted this one 99% on location in Edwards Greenhouse (our favorite plein air location during the winter months). When I finished all the other artists were long gone. I guess I was truly “in the zone”. This particular pot of poinsettias was massive and the unique color just drew me in.  I hope you like it too…it will be sold unframed, but it sure looks great in a gold frame. 

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Partly Cloudy With A Chance Of Rain

Partly Cloudy With A Chance Of Rain

6x6, oil on board

Oh my..."Partly Cloudy" is....what?   To me, a total mess.  Today's painting is my least favorite so far...oh well.  I just don't necessarily have the stomach to be as loose as I need to be to pull off a good landscape especially with oils.  I should stick with a genre that I don't get bored with...maybe that's my problem.   I also find it tedious to mix colors...it impedes the process (for me anyway).   I guess I need to practice mixing so it's easier to come up with the color I'm looking for a lot faster.

WIP: Untitled, 12x16

On the heels of the above painting...I thought I'd better return to my beloved soft pastels.  In fact, the last two paintings in oil were so disappointing that I've started two larger boat scenes.  One, a familiar kayak scene and the other a small wooden boat.  I don't have titles for them yet.  But here's the progress on the kayak scene.  I love to kayak while my husband is fishing.  This scene reminds me of so many places but especially Horsethief Reservoir near Cascade, ID.   Given the winter we've had, I'm sure looking forward to warm summer months!

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!

Peonies - Pastel

Peonies - Pastels

6x6, soft pastel

Day 7 of 30, this little vase of peonies was a practice piece completed while taking an online class with Desmond O'Hagan...a very talented artist indeed!   His style is distinctive utilizing bold and passionate strokes in a very painterly way.  I learned a lot...but still need practice to minimize the details!  It's hard to be painterly!

Peaceful Morning

Peaceful Morning

12x16, soft pastel

Day 5 of 30...this is the finished larger piece.  No oil painting today...just enjoying this one for a bit then on to the next larger piece!

Warm Sail - Pastel

Warm Sail

6x6, soft pastel

Day 2 of the 30 in 30...the same boat as yesterday only this time in pastel.  I like the warmth of the sails lit by the sunlight beyond the trees.

WIP below: I continue to work on the larger piece "Peaceful Morning".  I've painted it twice before...no, three times before in different sizes.  I love this particular boat scene because its just so peaceful to look at and I want it on my walls (eventually if I don't sell it first).  Below is a shot of a closeup...notice the smudge on the back wall of the boat?  That's an example of what NOT to do while  painting with pastels.  Sometimes I will blend with my fingers in certain areas and for this piece I like the waters blended a bit...but using fingers is hazardous.  If there's pastel dust on them, going over a light section like the railing here can result in a fingerprint....(I like to leave my mark on a painting...but not my fingerprint).  Fortunately, a harder pastel such as a Nupastel applied lightly over the smudge can "erase it away".  Interesting that the colors in the painting above are very similar to the one I'm working on below.

Warm Sail - Oil

Warm Sail

6x6, oil on board

This marks the first day of the January "30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge".  My primary goal for the "30in30" is to experiment with oil painting (I've only painted with oils once before...many, many, many years ago).  After I finish a piece in oil, I may sometimes paint it again using soft pastels.  My second goal for the month is to paint four larger pieces (most likely boats in soft pastel).  They'll be created in anticipation of an upcoming show in April at the Initial Point gallery located in Meridian's City Hall building.  I'll share my WIP (work in progress) below.   So....here we go!  

Peaceful Morning

12x16, soft pastel

First a quick sketch:

Then I start laying in values...I have a tendency to put too much detail in this stage even though much of it gets covered up with multiple layers of pastel.  I hate losing the placement of the boat's boards and background ships...so I do it anyway.  This is how far I got...more to follow tomorrow.

Adrift

Adrift
9x12, soft pastel

This piece is a larger version of Morning Calm which was donated recently for a giveaway on Dailypaintworks.com.  I love this particular scene because it's just so darn peaceful!  I may paint it larger yet again. This piece will be on display at the Meadowlake Art Show on Nov. 10th in Meridian, ID.  The show will actually run for a full 30 days.  If you're in the area stop by and let me know what you think.