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.

Sweets For My Sweet

Sweets For My Sweet

6x6, soft pastel

 

This is day 22 of 30 and I'm conflicted with this little still life.   Not with the painting itself but what to do with the prop after I've finished.  This tiny morsel is made of a mini-brownie so it's not too bad for me right?  Or, do I stick to my New Year's resolution to cut back on sweets and give it to one of the neighbor kids?  It's hardly big enough for one or two bites...so there's another dilemma...there are three kids next door.  What to do....what to do! 

A Time To Reflect

A Time To Reflect

12x16, soft pastel

Some evenings the softened sunlight gives everything a rosy glow.  As it's doing in this painting.  I love Idaho.  We have some pretty wild waters (perfect for kayaking especially for the pros) but my preference is quietly paddling along the shoreline.  There you can view all kinds of wildlife and just leisurely reflect on life and our many blessings. 

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!

Winter Sunrise

Winter Sunrise

8x10, oil on board

I took an early morning walk the week our temperatures were below zero...so, it was fairly short lived.  But, I did get a few pictures of the colorful early morning sunrise which was just beginning to wake the neighborhood (only a few hours before another snowstorm moved in).  The warm sunlight was a welcomed sight against the frigid cold snow. This one started out much better than it ended up...I must still try to remember not to overwork things! 

A Piece of Cake

A Piece of Cake

6x6, oil on board

Despite the title...this little piece wasn't necessarily "a piece of cake"...but on some level it was fun to paint.  I did it a couple years ago from an early morning still life on my kitchen table in soft pastels.  I liked it so I tried painting it in oils.  I still prefer the pastel version below.  Eventually I'll know how to mix (and apply) colors better...assuming I stick to experimenting with oils.

White Bouquet

White Bouquet

6x6, oil on board

Painting 17 of 30...one thing I love to paint is glass...especially a vase or jar.  The variation of colors and highlights and reflections are a blast to paint. Of course, a little tougher with oils...but I'm getting there. I think.