Monarch#15

 9"x11" watercolor

Monarch #12   11"x14" watercolor

I really like the concept with the first image, but am not completely happy with all my choices.  I may have to try another one and see how I can change it.  The second one I forgot to post, so here it is!

Monarch #14

9"x11" watercolor NFS

Still figuring out the best technique for me in using watercolors.  I eventually want to allow myself to paint in a looser style, but for this project, I need to stay a little tighter.  I really enjoy layering the colors which is interesting because I have to let them dry between layers to get the affect I want, and I am not a very patient painter which is why I like little alla prima (done all at once) oil painting.  I don't think watercolors are harder than oils; watercolor just takes a different approach.

Monarch #13

9"x10" watercolor

What a special moment my friend and photographer, Lowell Klock, captured when this Monarch and Swallowtail decided to nectar up on the same flower.  There are a lot of decisions to make when interpreting a photo into paint.  I chose to add ink lines in the end to tie the darks together.  I like how it gives it a very illustrative effect.  The brownish/purplish background was achieved with many layers of colors which dried in between applications.  I really like this approach to watercolor and hope I can master how to use it effectively.

An Important Woman

11"x14" watercolor
$50 Buy with PayPal


 I wasn't able to bring my oil painting set up for the demo so I stepped out on a limb and decided to do it in watercolor. It turned out OK, but I don't suggest using an unfamiliar medium to demo a painting.

Mouse and Crabapples

10"x9" watercolor NFS

I am not getting around very well but I was able to get outside with my watercolors and sit and paint this.  I grabbed the little mouse figurine as I was walking out and cut the crabapple from the tree drooping down to the porch.  It has more crabapples this year than ever before.  It felt so good to be outside and it almost always feels good to be painting.  I like the transparency of this one and I really like painting simple subjects.
Below shows the other painting project I did.  I painted my crutches lavender.  It's like doing the glass half full thing.  I am going to add some beads and ribbons next.  It looks like I am going to using them for another long stretch of time, so they might as well act as an accessory. 

Not Just a Pretty Painting

9"x10" Watermedia NFS

Today I have much to say.  Something changed for me.  I am sure it started a long time ago, but the realization just struck me today.  I have been going through a really tough year, physically, with a lot of pain, disappointments and incapacitation.  Although it may have been the biggest physical challenge of my life, and I am still in an unresolved condition, I have been able to stay afloat mentally and even been jolly a lot of the time.  I have attributed this to a number of things including:  having a generally bouyant personality, having inherited my mom's optimism in dealing with life, having a spiritual foundation, having a good family, lots of friends and many reasons to be happy.  None of these things really can be attributed to anything I "do."  It is dumb luck for the most part.  But today, I saw a pattern that has been growing in my life and it has everything to do with daily painting.  For the last 5 years I have attempted to have a daily painting habit.  There have been stretches of time when I didn't do that for very legitimate reasons, but mostly I have developed this habit.  All kinds of things can be said about that, but what I realized today, is that the most important part is that every day I look for things that excite my eye or create a feeling of joy and love in my heart/mind.  I have, through the daily painting process, developed the desire to find beauty no matter what else is going on.  So for me, it isn't really about my art career, or the product I produce, but it is about how I live my life, what I see and feel moment to moment despite the circumstances.  This is what has saved me this year.  This is what is inside me and what I have to say through my art.  It isn't going to be "dark" or probably "deep," but it will reflect what joy I am finding in my daily life.

This painting was a huge struggle for me and I think it was a metaphor for what I have been experiencing. It was a conflict alternating between beating it to death and trying to breathe life into it.  I worked it, reworked it, tried again, and then did some more.  So, at least for me, it's "Not Just a Pretty Painting," but a map of a battle and in it are a lot of lessons for me.  It probably won't ever get framed and hang on someone's wall to bring them a reminder of beauty and joy, but I will keep it to remind myself of this amazing and cathartic day in the life of this daily painter.
This is as profound as I get.

Monarch #11

11"x14" watermedia NFS

Monarch #10

4"x8" watercolor NFS

This is my favorite of this series, so far. I am 1/3 of the way through my goal of 30 watercolor paintings of monarchs in Sept. I have learned from experience that this is a very arbitrary goal, and it can actually be counter productive. The idea is to be a little better each day and to do that requires working hard to do your best. Therefore, setting a number of paintings as a goal only serves to get an artist to the studio to work. That is worthwhile, of course, but it isn't worth sacrificing quality for quantity. But I really like this one!

This is Monarch #9 out of 30 I plan to do. If you have a great Monarch photo you would like to see in paint, please send it to me. I do not have 30 of my own! These paintings are for a project I am working on and are NFS, but I hope you are enjoying my little foray into watercolor.

This second image is Monarch #7 revised.  After studying it for a couple of days I decided to add some fun and darker value to the background.  Although this doesn't really "read" as sky, like it previously did, I think it is much more interesting and artistic, which is after all what I am attempting to do.  I heard a good quote today from some TV production about being an artist is about facing a new mystery every day and having the opportunity to learn a new lesson.  It is a long job description, but that is how I feel about what I do.

Monarch #8

8"x11" watercolor NFS

Monarch#8 This one was really fun to paint. I loved going dramatic with the purple and it worked so well with the pink buds/flowers and the green leaves. I liked the composition as well.

Monarch#7

8"x11" watercolor NFS

This monarch is freshly emerging from its chrysalis.  I am not sure what I would do differently if I repainted this one, so I might ask my art group what they think.  It clearly tells the story, but it is a tad bit boring I think.  I may go back in and darken the sky behind it and see if that makes a difference.  Watercolor is so different than oil and I am hungry to learn its secrets!

Monarch#6

I may have to have something in fabric printed up with this design.  I am still figuring out how watercolor works, what I can do with it, and when it is appropriate to use techniques like sponges or sprayers to get affects.  Peter Huntoon is a watercolor artist that uses all kinds of splishes and splashes in his work to great affect without it looking trite at all.  I am not there yet.

Monarch#5

8"x11" watercolor NFS

I like looking at paintings with lots of patterns, but unlike my friend Heather Shay, I do not like painting them.  I think the repetition gets to me and I am a little impatient.  That being said, I got myself in deep with this one.  I wanted it to have an abstract feel, but have some realistic elements as well, and I think I am pretty happy with the results.

Monarch#4 Cocoon

I really played around with this one and thought since the cocoon was such a simple subject, I would abstract the background.  I dripped and sprayed and layered and flicked and taped and rubbed and just had a good old time.  Not sure it is a great painting, but it sure was fun to do!

Monarch#3

8"x11" watercolor

I like putting on layers with watercolor but don't always know what to expect.  I am trying out different approaches so that I can learn some things.  The colors of the painting are so much more vibrant in real life.  I am not sure how to rectify this.

Monarch#2

8"x11 watercolor NFS

This one came a little easier.  It is painted from an image by photographer Steven Niewoehner.  The problem with painting from such an amazing photograph is that it is already a piece of artwork so you have to approach it with different intentions.  I had a hard time photographing this because the colors just don't pop the way they do in person, especially the thistle.  I have figured out a few things about watercolor like: 1) the brushes make all the difference  2) the paper makes all the difference too (this is on 400lb. cold pressed Arches) 3) figuring out the quantity of a mixed color and the ratio of water to paint are both important 4) if you don't have a process you are up the creek without a paddle

Monarch#1

8"x11" watercolor

I have a project this month and I chose to do watercolor.  WHAT WAS I THINKING????  I am not a watercolorist, I am an oil painter.  I can't tell you the amount of terror I experienced doing this.  So, what did I learn?  1) Maybe by the end of this project I will know how to paint monarchs 2) Do not get Phalo Blue paint (even watercolor) under your fingernails  3) They say watercolor is a challenging medium for good reason! 4)  If you don't challenge yourself you won't grow (at least I think that is true)

Morning Jog

8"x8" oil

A fit young woman starts her day running across the Brooklyn Bridge.  This is a revised version of a painting I did a while ago.

Sumac Tryptic

7"x12" oil   starting bid $20

I am on grandma duty this week so I am posting paintings that I am putting on auction.

Little Mothers

6"x6" oil   starting bid is $17

If this looks familiar, it is because I have already posted it, but I decided to put it up for auction on DPW.  I won't get much chance to paint this week because my grandkids are visiting.

A New World

6"x6" oil

I reworked an old painting.  I liked the figure of the woman and baby but didn't like the environment she was in so I decided on a soft ethereal world.  Of course everything is new for a baby, but I think that a new mother also experiences the world in a new and different way, as the surrounding take less precedent over the world of love and responsibility you feel for this vulnerable and fresh creature.

Thank You

8"x8" oil  NFS

This painting is different than my other work in a couple of ways.  To start off with, it is a concept painting.  I thought of an idea I wanted to illustrate and planned it out.  Then I did a very detailed drawing on the gessoed panel, as much work as if it was a finished product.  Then I painted it, using soft scumbled areas on the left, over the names of women who have helped me over the last 8 months as I have recuperated from surgery.  I like the idea of a child praying, as it represents such innocent belief and hope.  I am not selling it, but am doing another project with it.  I have always liked using text in painting as it adds an interesting pattern and another layer of meaning, but I seldom do this.  I am really happy with how this turned out.

Hole In One

8"x10" oil SOLD

I love it when people commemorate an important event by purchasing a piece of art.  Certainly getting a hole in one on the golf course counts as a significant point in time.  This is a gift from the purchaser, so if you recognize this guy, don't tell him!

Friends Forever

8"x10" oil  SOLD

This was a commission.  It is a gift from one friend to another.  I think it will be a great present to honor their long lasting and loyal friendship.

Fistful of Kohlrabi

4"x6"  oil

I am a bit all over the place these last few days...back in the garden with this one.  Kohlrabi is such an interesting looking player in the food group.  I love the deep purple color of this one.  The challenge for me on this painting was finding the balance between enough detail and keeping it loose.  I also didn't find it easy to come up with the right colors for the hand and the background, even though I paint a lot of flesh.  When I am conscience of the "rules" I always struggle.  It really works better for me to not let my brain get in the way!  Do you feel like that?

Rainy Day

4"x6" oil

This is what I saw driving home from the gym on this rainy day today.  I tried hard to hold it in my head so I could paint it.  I like how it turned out, especially since it is not my usual palette of super-saturated colors!

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.

Taking a Break

5"x7" oil 

This painting was completed a while ago but I varnished it too soon and it smeared a thin layer of green over her body so I had to do some restoration.  I removed the varnish and did some touch-ups and revisions and it turned out better than I had hoped and I learned a new skill, so all is good!

Up On the Roof

8"x8" oil 

I was having a discussion with another artist yesterday about those paintings that just keep nagging you to do something.  I know a lot of artists ditch them when they don't behave, but I am of the inclination to just leave them hanging around until I figure it out.  This is one of those pieces and I am glad I didn't give up on it, because I like where it took me.

Sumacs

5"x10" oil

I painted this plein air last fall of a hill of sumac bushes but it took me until now to finally paint in the black lines.  The coolest thing about painting plein air is that when you go back to look at the paintings you can remember how you felt, how the light hit and how it smelled.  I love the look of sumac bushes in every season.

Striking the Pose

4"x6" oil 

This pose she is holding must say something about her personality.  She froze for a moment, enticed by those picnickers across the park who were playing a lawn game, knowing she had reached her permissible boundary and she caught my attention and I am sure that I caught someone's attention wondering why I was photographing her...and it goes on and on.

Little Mothers

6"x6" oil

I was watching these little girls at the park.  The one face us had a popular type of doll and she was totally in to it.  Her friend, who had the same doll with different colored hair, treated hers like an inconvenient accoutrement.   So even though I called this painting "Little Mothers" it might be more appropriate to cal it 'little mother and her single friend!'

Working Together

4"x6" oil

We call it play, they call it work.  They are diligent gardeners, pulling up plants and planting weeds.

Taking a Stroll

4"x6" oil

Backyard Fun

30"x48"  acrylic SOLD

This is quite large and I really wanted to approach it more stylized and graphic.  I made a number of changes before I delivered it, and forgot to take a photo, but you get the idea.

Boys and Girls

6"x6" oil

This does bring back memories of sunbathing with my girlfriends (we used baby oil and iodine back then) and the boys in the distance.  The pattern of their legs with fun shadows really caught my attention and I snapped a quick shot of this that was really terrible.  There were a lot more people in it and only part of their legs, but it was enough to create a painting I am happy with.

Almost

6"x6" oil

This little one was working so hard to catch balls that were just barely out of her reach.  That did not deter her though, as she stayed with the task.

Dragonfly

6"x6" oil

This little dragonfly is dancing in the shallows.  I love this summer subject because it gives me the chance to play with color.  Landscapes in VT in the summer are pretty green, so I am focusing on our beautiful parks and lakes and the lovely people that enjoy them.

Morning Coffee

6"x6" oil

Lovely place to enjoy morning coffee with their pouch.  It is actually from Brookfield, VT, and they are watching those fishing from the floating bridge, which should be a subject for another day.  If I owned that dock however, I would put some Adirondack chairs on it.

Shade

6"x6" oil

Sitting on a bench in the shade, watching the river go by, this couple has found their piece of paradise today.

6"x6" oil

It is so sad when roses fade.  They just look pathetic and droopy.  I showed my granddaughter my wedding pictures and she said, "oh Grandma I wish you still looked like this!"  I guess I look a bit faded and droopy too!  I am glad I got these roses at their prime!

White Roses II

6"x6" oil

I took a bit of a different approach to this and my granddaughters were also painting with me, which was fun but a bit of a distraction!

White Roses

6"x6" oil

I got a beautiful bouquet of white roses for my birthday and was able to get a few paintings from it.  Roses and Peonies are a challenge for me and I know it will take a lot of painting of them before I am confident.  In the meantime, I am just going to have fun.

Right Touch

6"x6" oil

I think there was a lot of golfing this  holiday weekend, however I was entertaining my granddaughters and did not have time for photographing anything but them. 

Putting Practice

6"x6" oil

I hope to do a series of golfing paintings, but that means I need to get out on the golf course and ride around finding landscapes and figurative positions that are interesting.

Sand Play

6"x6" oil

I do love the simplicity of this. I didn't fuss at all and kept the value areas clean.  I call it a success.