Leap of Faith - Figuratively Speaking

6"x6" oil 

Remember me?  I haven't posted in a while, in part because there are so many other things to do, and in part because I have changed my routines and this one fell to the wayside and has been patiently awaiting for me to rescue it. 
It is summertime and the livin' is easy.  I love not having to wear layers of clothing and being able to walk outside barefooted.  There are marble, granite and slate quarries near where I live.  This one is pretty spectacular with high jumps into clear water that reflects the colors of the green woodlands surrounding it.  It has been unusually hot this summer so swimming and boating are at a premium. 
I am lucky enough to have my immediate family within a day's drive so have been doing the grandma thing frequently.  I have also been painting, teaching and showing my work, so I have not been idle, but I have neglected posting.  But, between all the physical activities I have been doing and enjoying company who have been awesome enough to make the trip, I don't regret losing a few routines, especailly when I can breathe new life into them when they return.  This weekend is a big art fair in our area, Art In the Park, and I am manning a tent with my paintings for sale.  If you are in the Rutland, VT, area, please come by.  Right now the forecast is looking good...but I am not going to hold my breath on that promise....Go Figure!

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.

Sand Play

6"x6" oil Price $100

It is hard enough for adults to gracefully navigate deep sand, but for a little one whose balance is questionable to begin with, it is quite the exercise.  The cool thing about sand and going to the beach is that it truly is ageless entertainment.  Tiny people to really old people love to just be there and it requires very little to keep them entertained.

Calm Morning

6"x6" oil $100

I love the idea of paddle boards.  I love the idea of doing yoga on one.  I love watching people navigate waves and dance around a body of water.  But, they are HEAVY and really big and not cheap!  It is on my bucket list, but I am going to choose a lake where I can unload where there is a boat access.

And the Road Goes Here

6"x6" oil

Kid's with their dad on the beach are a compelling subject matter.  What really got me about this trio where the dynamics of their personalities, which I hope I captured here.  The older brother on the left is clearly the engineer,  dad is patiently taking instructions while little brother has no patience for all the talking and planning and he just wants to get to work.  They actually weren't all dressed identically, but I thought that brought unity to this piece.

Skimboarding

 

 

6"x6" oil Price $100

This is one of those cool sports that is really fun to watch and kids can do it with some practice.  I love watching people play at the beach.  Besides swimming, body surfing, splashing in the waves, building sand castles, flying kites, throwing things for dogs to fetch, surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, gymnastics, there is always the fascinating sunbathers and those crazy people in the sky, like those parasailing.  All in all, the beach is quite entertaining.

Beach Fairy

6"x6" oil  Price $100

I saw an add in a magazine when I was looking for something to draw and decided to use it as inspiration for this painting.  I made numerous changes and am happy with the result.  Sometimes when I am in a situation where I want to draw and can't get inspired by my surroundings I will practice drawing figures from magazines.

I Can Do It

6"x6" oil

Day 9 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  She was so serious about trying to catch the ball.  She clearly didn't understand that holding rigid and not moving does not aid catching the ball!  We just hoped she would loosen up and stick with it without giving up out of frustration.  My granddaughter is trying to learn to do a handstand and all I can do is encourage her to keep trying.  I would show her how, but I just don't trust my joints to that extent! 

Good Form

6"x6" oil

Day 7 of the 30 in 30 day challenge.  Again I covered the whole piece with paint only leaving little bits of the drawing showing.  I made up the background which was fun and allowed me to think more abstractly using patterns.  We have been having beautiful weather this summer and I know my golfing friends have made the most of it.  It has been really dry though, and I can't help but think that they must have watered the golf courses a lot.

The Swimmer

Add caption6"x6" oil

Day 6 in the 30 in 30 challenge by Leslie Saeta.  I painted this from a life drawing I did.  Actually all the paintings I am doing this month, so far, have been from drawings and then I paint them without photo references.  There are things to be learned from this.  It makes me think carefully about the colors I want to use and it frees me from trying to interpret a photo.  I am having fun with the process.

Swinging - 30 In 30 Challenge #1"

This is the first painting of Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  I am already behind as I usually post the painting I did the previous day.  Yesterday was a migraine day and today is a migraine hangover day, but I am determined to stay on task.  It is a beautiful day to be out in the studio and with the double garage doors open, it is like being outside, so I am going to listen to beautiful music and paint, paint, paint.  For this challenge I am doing a combination of drawing, painting and showing the background of birch by not painting areas.  We will see how it all goes, but I am happy with #1.

Easy Breezy

6"x6" oil

Today was a good day.  I didn't get everything done I would have wanted, but I came close enough and had a good time.  However, in the process of having a full day, my painting time was relegated to the dark hours.  As a result, I chose something I considered to be easy to paint.  I think, in part, feeling like it was going to be easy helped it to be so.  Anyway, I like a lot of things about this painting like the colors (complements) the texture and the breezy happiness it exudes.

View From the Bridge

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 I am going to do this one again...I am not happy with the results.  Some professionals say you should only show your best work, but I think it is good to see the process, including the failures so that others can understand what is happening better.  The reason I don't like may be just because the photo isn't as telling as the painting.  I know the whole left side is darker on the painting and the subtleties of colors is much better  I think a proportion or two needs a bit of tweaking as well.  I love the subject matter, so I will try again.  Also below is another drawing on birch that I did for an upcoming painting. I haven't done any small paintings in a while so I am rusty and I knew that going into this painting.  I assumed it would be a wipe-off, but I liked it enough to photograph it.

At the Beach

Beach on Cape Cod 8"x10" oil

I painted this earlier this summer on a beautiful day while visiting Cape Cod with some friends.  Since then I have been crazy busy with 3 large projects I did for donations and fund raisers.  I hope to get photos so I can post them, but I forgot to get them before I moved them from the studio.  Below is a sneak-preview of a project I am working on for Sept.  I am drawing out fairly detailed sketches on birch and sealing them with clear gesso.  I am going to do some limited painting (I think) using more neutrals than I normally use.  I am just trying out something I hope to develop.

 

Cape Cod Lighthouse

8"x10" oil

One of the challenges of plein aire painting is getting down the big color/value shapes early on and then not losing them in the details.  The red streak across the grass is some meadow weed that was so pretty and created a layer of rusty red, contrasting its compliment, green.  The shadows on the lighthouse were fabulous to paint.

Uptown

3"x7" oil

 My husband describes Vermont as a state park with lots of villages.  This was painted plein air in Jericho.  I am dedicating the next couple of weeks to mostly posting plein air pieces with a few other ones thrown in.  The great thing about painting on the scene is that the painting, good or not so, is a reminder of the feeling of the day...the smells and sounds and how the air felt to the artist.  It is even more of a meditation than painting in the studio, which also is meditative....except of course for those frustrating moments.

12"x12" oil SOLD

This is a painting of Carol and her cousin Heidi.  Today Carol and Heidi are undergoing surgery to remove one of Carol's kidneys to give to Heidi.  What a brave and generous act of love! This painting was commissioned in part to honor that event.   My main concern was to capture the posture and attitude of the ladies in an environment that suggests their family summer home.  Carol is a dynamic and very talented woman who is capable of enviable yoga poses!  I do not know Heidi, but I am sure she is as beautiful as she looks.  This painting is a compilation of many photo references.  It was probably my most challenging commission so far.
If you would like to commission a painting please email me at chrisholzsch@hotmail.com.

Cheval Blanc

6"x6" oil for sale by auction

Cheval Blanc....White Horse.  Wandering back roads in Quebec, I came upon this white horse on a hill framed in green.  I stopped to photograph it and he/she temporarily set aside eating to look up and pose.  It was a good day.  Not my usual subject matter, but it sure was fun to paint.

Midday Break

6"x6" oil  Click to Bid

I started this painting totally different than my usual procedure.  I sketched it in in colored pencil and painted on top of that.  I like the results, but it was a lot of effort for a painting that is not significantly better than what I have been doing.  I feel like the drawing did not keep me from keeping it loose which can happen.  What really caught my attention with this image is the crossing lines and lovely design.  I didn't wanted to reproduce the flowers in detail but give an impression of what they look like in a glance. It took me a while to figure out how I wanted the background sky to look...but I like how it looks now.