Riffles

Riffles

10x8, oil on board

I actually painted this on Jan. 21st during a workshop conducted by Mark Davis of Boise.  Thanks for the reference photo Mark! The workshop was at Edward's Greenhouse which was a great environment for a mid-winter workshop.  We focused on painting water.  And, because I am new to oils, I thought I'd better get "my feet wet" with oils so to speak.

My husband (who is a fly fisherman) says these types of waters are called 'riffles"...thus, the title.  It was great to get out and about after so much snow!   Hope you enjoy it!


WIP:  This little guy below is quickly becoming one of my favorites.  I know, I say that all the time for the paintings I like...but really, this one has been absolutely painting itself!

Dog Days Of Summer

Dog Days Of Summer

5x7, oil on panel

Day 26 of 30 is a cute little scene.  It reminds me of the Oregon Coast trips we took with our dogs when they were still with us.  Running and playing on the beach was there very favorite thing to do!  I sure miss them!!!  

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.

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.