Figuratively Speaking - Blue Symphony

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,
From seas and the streams;
I bear light shade for the leaves when laid
In their noon-day dreams.
From my wings are shaken the dews that waken
The sweet birds every one,
When rocked to rest on their mother's breast,
As she dances about the sun.
I wield the flail of the lashing hail,
And whiten the green plains under,
And then again I dissolve it in rain,
And laugh as I pass in thunder.
The Cloud by Percy Bysshe Shelley


Yesterday I made Valentine cards for my granddaughters before I packed a little red bag and headed up to the gym for Pilates.  It was seriously cold, like four degrees and there was a blasting wind, but still  cars were in the ski resort parking lot, hardy souls.  I dashed in to the gym, checked in and went to sign up for my class, noticing that the sign-up sheet was not in its usual place, and that several people I didn't know had signed up for the class.  I was later in arriving than usual  because of the Valentine creation, but I did make it in the nick of time.  I grabbed some mats, pulled off several layers of clothing and other accoutrements, took a  deep breath and was ready to give my core a beating workout.  After class I re-layered and grabbed my little red bag and went to have a cup of joe with my workout buddies.  Conversation inevitably turned to politics and I looked for my graceful get away, but not soon enough.  Someone grabbed a newspaper and put it in front of me to read an article about Melania Trump's comments in a lawsuit about loosing out on the opportunity of a lifetime in promoting a line of clothing while she is First Lady, because of reports that she had worked as an escort.  Deep breath again, I looked at the small print, but then I realized I didn't have my glasses (oh where could they be?)  but that gave me a way out of the conversation.  But really, where could they be?  I retraced my steps and thoughts.  I was able to write the Valentine notes and sign in at the gym, so they weren't at home or in the car.  I checked every pocket of every (and that was a lot) layer of clothing and shook out my little red bag. After totally searching the gym  I figured they would turn up as I am an optimist.  I am wrong frequently and this was one of those times.  Flash forward to today, Saturday.  Carl and I got up and headed up to the gym to search again, and go to the post office to mail the Valentines.  The ski resort was packed with no parking space left as the temps were a balmy 18 degrees and no wind. The glasses had not been turned in, and were no where to be found. I entered the "distressed" zone.  Like every human on the planet, I hate to lose things.  It just didn't make sense.  I said a little prayer, because that is what I do when I feel distressed.  At home, it popped into my head to go look in the little red bag again, even though logic told me an empty bag would not produce a pair of glasses.  Oh wait, there was a little pocket on the bag and sure enough my glasses were wedged in it.  Clearly I am not smart enough to find them on my own, so I am attributing this to providence....go figure!  What color are you thinking about?  I bet it is a little red bag.

Blue Umbrella

I like the geometric shapes in this and the striped pattern.  It was an odd angle to paint, but fun figuring out the foreshortening of the body.

11"x14" oil price $300

Another pose by the model under a red umbrella.  She wore different outfits each time we painted her.

Reading

11"x11" oil  Price $300

This is some of what I learned from the Nancy Boren workshop I attended:  find the mystery in the subject, once you establish the center of interest you can destroy the rest, and it is important to find the hard edge and soften the rest.  This was my most successful painting of the workshop. We had a lovely model who was willing to pose anyway we wanted.  She set up outside under a blue umbrella.  It was fabulous to paint with such talented artists.

Big Radishes

11"x11"  oil 

I don't know why, but I love painting radishes.  Maybe the attraction lies in the gorgeous complimentary colors of red and green....maybe it is how round they are but have the funny little roots on the ends that make lovely shadows.....maybe it is the wilted greens that form such fun abstract patterns...don't know, but I love 'em.

Escape

11"x11"  oil

I could paint reflections in water all day long!  I tried a different approach to the process of doing this painting by starting in the middle with the people in the boat and painting that first.  Then I just worked out from there.  I am always a bit intimidated by painting little itty bitty people as it is very easy to try and put too much detail in them which looks unreal and fussy.  The trick is to keep it loose but have enough detail to identify them and their postures.  I used a fairly limited palette in this piece which does seem to unify it.  Even though it is a rather silly scene (a giant swan pushing a boat) it also is very bucolic I think, which is the whole point.

Listening

11"x11" oil

My niece lives and works in Antarctica.  Although I am fairly sure she was just goofing when this photo was taken, I think it expresses a lot about her and about life in general.  There are those moments when we are in the frozen tundra of existence and we are seeking that voice to guide us.  Rebekah's life is certainly driven by that desire.  She is also a very brave woman who wants to see it all and experience it all!

Tasting the Soup

Thanks to a brilliant and spontaneous photo, I was able to tell the story.  I think that the many hours I spent as a child studying Norman Rockwell's illustrations probably show their influence on my love of story telling.

Picking Flowers

12x12 oil

The most fun in painting this was the folds of the tunic, but how can anyone resist the excitement she expresses in picking her first flower.  Someday someone will tell her that dandelions are weeds, but until then, what magic there is in crawling in a field of flowers!

Anticipation

12"x12"  oil

This is from my new series "Things I Love."  I am having a lot of anticipation for the next few months and progress on my recuperation.  This child is anticipating a beautiful day at the beach.  Someone asked me why I am painting in such happy colors when I should be painting from the dark (representing my recent challenges) to the light (hope for full recuperation).  We are all made differently and I am definitely a "glass half full" person.  I love to be happy or find happiness and joy and the dark takes care of itself...I just don't want to amplify it!

Bird Feeders

12"x16" oil

For the last four months I have been staring out at the bird feeders in my back yard.  Most of that time there was snow covering much of it, but finally the snow has melted the pond has thawed and may migrating and hibernating creatures have returned and there is a hint of green.  This is not exactly the details of my scene, but I was more interested in the patterns that were here than in capturing the details. 

12"x16" oil

It has been 4 months since I was able to paint or do much of anything.  I am still in recuperation from double knee replacement with some rare complications, but the need to get out to my studio has become pretty over-powering...which is a good thing!  This is the neighbors yard.  Spring in Vermont is mostly patches of snow and ice, lots of mud, and occasional snow shower but we also have sugaring season which makes it all worthwhile.  Sugaring (the process of sugar maple sap running) requires temperatures above freezing in the day and below freezing at night.  Every once in a while, we have absolutely gorgeous days like yesterday and today.  With temps in the 60's and loads of sunshine and blue skies.  The elation that all creatures feel on those days is tangible and everyone is out frolicking at least for a couple of days.

Lingering Impressions

12"x12" oil

As I was driving home from my daily routine at the gym I saw this scene.  It is one that I always love because it offers a broad view that changes daily with the light and humidity.  November in Vermont can be cloudy every day which makes the world look gray.  However if you look carefully, all those grays have unique characteristics...unique flavors...some leaning yellow or lavender or all the other color influences.  Today when I saw this in passing, I knew I wanted to remember it as well as I could and try to recreate what I saw.  I am happy that I gave this exercise its due.  I watched a demo by Peter Huntoon who said that "painting is like bungee jumping...requiring great attention and focus but itbrings great joy. "   I loved that quote but I think he left out the part about how they both start with a wave of fear!

East Meets West

11"x11" original oil painting

So...this may not be my most brilliant painting, but I learned a bunch doing it. I think I achieved the feeling of the place, even though I beat it to death with my paint brush back in my studio. I wish I had photographed it along the way because I made so many changes including removing a barn, numerous boulders and added a few bits too.  What I can say is that it was a really beautiful spot that is hard to capture...not impossible, but it offers plenty of challenges.  I would love to know what you think!

To find out more  or to purchase this painting go here.

Artist's Studio

original oil 11"x11"

I started this one plein air and finally finished it in the studio, after making some changes.  I find I really enjoy just letting a painting tell me what to do.  If something isn't working, change it or eliminate it.  This really gives me a feeling of creative freedom.  When I look at this I can remember how it felt to be there;what the temperature was and how the air felt. 

To find out more or to purchase go here.

Bridge

original oil 11"x11" 

To find out about purchasing this click here.

The morning was chilly and I stood in the shade painting and shivering.  As soon as I finished I stood in the bright sunshine all afternoon trying to warm up. I didn't pay much attention to my location, other than facing directly into the sun, but this is what I saw: a lovely bridge with flower baskets over a beautiful river lined with rocks and boulders.  It was a good afternoon!

Hay Bales

original plein air oil 11"x14"

My goal in painting this painting was to capture the light and the diagonals of the hills.  My painting friend Heather Shay, who has a really good eye for evaluating the things that work and don't work in a painting, didn't like the look or placement of the hay bales on the hill, but this was one instance where I didn't follow her advice (feel free to write a comment letting me know your take on this).  My eye was really drawn to those hay bales, and they do tell a bit of a story so I left their odd placement as my focal point.  Sometimes the rules need to be broken (at least this is my excuse).  The deep coolness of the copse of trees had a magical quality that I tried to capture.  When I started the painting there was a herd of cows in their shade, but they quickly got up and left and then returned as soon as I was ready to pack up.  I guess they were a bit self conscience.  I will try to capture cows on another trip.  Did I say, I love plein air painting?

To find out more about purchasing this painting click here.

Side Yard

original oil 11"x14"

 Recently I was wishing for some time to be bored.  Be careful for what you wish.  I realize that there are a few things that will guarantee having boredom time, one being getting the flu.  I don't recommend it and being bored is overrated anyway.  I just felt like I was over-scheduled and over-committed. The only way to slow time down seems to be having lots of time to do "nothing."  Apparently being confined to bed is my only option at this point.  This painting was from a workshop I did with Randall Sexton.  His advice helped push me to make bolder strokes.  It was a plein air (outdoor) workshop in Vermont just prior to peak foliage.  This day I was enchanted by the way the light fell on this hilly back slope of a beautiful colonial house right in town.  I set up my easel in the shade of the house and proceeded to freeze all morning painting this.  In the afternoon I moved into full sun and finally was warmed up.  Honestly painting, particularly plein air painting, stops time if only for a few minutes.  It is one of the reasons I love to go to that place...the zone.

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Poles

11"x14" original plein air oil

This is a plein air oil painting I did while attending Susan Abbott's workshop.  It is a church in Plainfield, VT, a lovely, quintessential Vermont setting.  Susan emphasized having a visual idea to work with and having a plan that includes the structure of the space. There are a lot of things I like about this painting, including the three strong verticals with the poles and steeple.  The large masses of red and green trees with the white of the building and the electric/phone lines that dissect the space.  I highly recommend Susan as a teacher.  She structures her workshops with studio exercises and outdoor painting and she focuses on specific concepts to work with.

To Purchase this painting go here.

Cowgirl On a Mission

9"x12" oil

My niece's daughter, encouraged by my renegade nephew, turned into a cowgirl with attitude the minute she put on a holster and hat.  I was lucky enough to capture a photo as she strutted out to rob a train.

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