Dancing With the Apple Trees

6"x6" oil

The beauty of childhood is that a little girl sees the shape of the apple tree and the abundance of sweet fruit and spontaneously dances with it!  True story.  It is my granddaughter and we had such a lovely day picking apples and eating lunch on a blanket in the shade.  I hope your day is filled with little dances of joy!

Summer Time

8"x8" oil Not For Sale

This is from a photo taken by Dreama Tolle Perry.  She gave those of us who were in her online class, Dream Love Paint, permission to paint from it.  Her painting passion is lovely vingettes with window boxes, flowers, shutters or her cat, Eddie.  She encourages others to paint their passion.  I can be pretty much all over the place in my interests, but mostly I like to paint little people.  I like figurative work in general, but especially children and most specifically my grandkids or children of friends.  I love the work of Karin Jurick who is able to capture people in the most relaxed postures imaginable.  Her work is inspiring, and I am hoping to continue developing my style and subject matter to a level that is different than where I am at today.  Doing daily paintings and studying, learning from others, and from past masters is a good way to grow.

Home School

12"x12" oil

Some paintings almost paint themselves. Even though I was very deliberate about painting this, I did it quite slowly, for me, as I was talking with a friend the entire time I did it.  I like how the limited brushstrokes are able to say a lot.  It has an edgy quality, but there are enough soft edges to balance it out.  I really like the limited primary colors as well.  I painted this over a panel that I had covered up a painting I didn't like.  I had painted it with a turquoise paint I never use because I don't like the consistency of it.  You can see the turquoise showing through here and there, which I think works well.

Catching Up

12"x12" Oil

This couple is in front of Georges Innes's "New Jersey Landscape" shown at the Clark Museum in Williamstown, MA. It is not the typical pastoral scene I associate with New Jersey, but then times have changed the scenery since 1891.  Innes believed that the spirit of God was present in the natural world.  This is what he was trying to convey in his landscapes, and as a result they are very ethereal looking with soft edges he rubbed with a cloth  I need to try that sometime!  My edges are usually pretty evident.

A follower of the Swedish philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg, Inness believed that the spirit of God was present throughout the natural world. Although this painting may represent a specific place, the artist was less interested in defining recognizable details than in conveying nature’s immaterial essence, here expressed in finely modulated colors that have been painted with a brush and then wiped with a cloth, so they blend together without contours. - See more at: http://www.clarkart.edu/Collection/15667#sthash.B1kat9qp.dpuf

A follower of the Swedish philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg, Inness believed that the spirit of God was present throughout the natural world. Although this painting may represent a specific place, the artist was less interested in defining recognizable details than in conveying nature’s immaterial essence, here expressed in finely modulated colors that have been painted with a brush and then wiped with a cloth, so they blend together without contours. - See more at: http://www.clarkart.edu/Collection/15667#sthash.B1kat9qp.dpuf

A follower of the Swedish philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg, Inness believed that the spirit of God was present throughout the natural world. Although this painting may represent a specific place, the artist was less interested in defining recognizable details than in conveying nature’s immaterial essence, here expressed in finely modulated colors that have been painted with a brush and then wiped with a cloth, so they blend together without contours. - See more at: http://www.clarkart.edu/Collection/15667#sthash.B1kat9qp.dpuf

Twilight in Boston

4"x8" oil

This lovely hippie girl is meditating on Childe Hassam's "Boston Commons Twilight." It is a lovely, warm painting.  The young woman caught my attention because of the bell bottom jeans and fringed purse which definitely gave me a Deja Vu moment.

Rooster

6"x6" oil

Thank you
Judy Pritchard O'Hara‎ for allowing me to paint from the photo of your beautiful rooster.  I actually did two paintings of him today, this one is oil, and another one in acrylic on slate.  I am not sure what the attraction is for chickens and roosters, but I have to say, I am drawn to them to paint.

Eban

6"x6" oil commission Sold

 I did this portrait using the technique I learned in the Dream Love Paint workshop, starting with a layer of transparents (see below) and then building up with opaques. 

Exercise 7 Not For Sale

12"x12" oil Not For Sale

This was the final piece in the Dreama Tolle Perry online class.  It was a lot of fun to paint and I am happy with the results.  The five things I am taking away from this course are the following:  1)  Wipe the brush off after almost every brush stroke to keep it clean and not contaminating the clean colors 2) make sure to put my mind and painting environment in the right state to focus on the painting 3)  work steady but don't rush and don't let distractions creep in 4)  Make sure the first layer of paint is darker than you know the final painting will be  5)  set up my palette the same every time and keep it clean.  These are things I had been exposed to and inconsistently practiced, but they really sunk in with this class.  The great thing is that I will have access to the videos for the rest of the year to refresh my mind and also maybe pick up 5 more things.

Exercise 6 Not For Sale

8"x10"  oil Not For Sale

This was fun to paint.  Dreama's colors are so bright and joyful and she chooses images to paint that highlight those beautiful hues.  I really struggle making straight lines though.  I think I need to either avoid them or take a drafting class.  It is a good thing that I do a limited number of architectural subjects!

Exercise 5 Not For Sale

12"x12" oil Not For Sale

This was exercise 5 from the online course Dream Love Paint with Dreams Tolle Perry.  Whenever I go to a workshop I always intend to learn 5 new things.  I limit myself because I know that is all I can really focus on and put into practice consciously.  I don't feel like I need to write everything down because I will probably not look back at my notes even though I have every good intention to do just that.  I have taken several workshops with Dreama but I keep returning because it not only positively influences my work, but because it positively influences my life. I have taken some really wonderful workshops but if I didn't identify those 5 things I would put into practice, I didn't grow as much as I should.  I will tell you the 5 things in the next few posts.

Going Shopping

6"x6" oil

Isn't she cute?

In the Spot Light

6"x6"

My granddaughters were sitting on the floor with the sun glowing on them and I just couldn't resist taking a photo for the purpose of painting it.  I like how clean and spontaneous it looks and want my work to progress in this direction.  So much to learn....

Tea Time

4"x6" oil

I have been taking an online painting class presented by Dreama Tolle Perry #dreamlovepaint.  It is a 6 week course covering 6 of her images and demos with tons of extra material, instructions, tips and inspirations.  It really is jam packed.  She suggested several exercises including one to paint your tea cup (or coffee) in 25 strokes.  This was my effort with a couple of extra highlights and touches with the scraping tool.  It is a great exercise to try now and again.  Carol Marine is also great at suggesting exercises that are good reminders of important basics.

Kate's Kids

6"x6" oil sold

This is another commission.  In the photo reference, which was really washed out and blurry, the kid's feet were cut off..well not cut off, but they were cropped out of the photo, so I decided to put them on a dock and dangle their feet in the water.  I like how they are looking off screen...I wonder what they are looking at.

Lindsey's Kids

6"x6" oil Sold

This was a commission made from a couple of different photos and I made up the background.  It was a fun challenge to take some not-so-good photos and create something memorable.

River Tubing

6"x6" oil

I fussed and fumed over the painting I posted yesterday but I followed it up with this one which practically floated off my brush.  I really got my environment and my mind set up before I put a brush to the panel.  I had a plan and, well I guess it is clear, I love the result....clean, well drafted, and loose.

Riding Lessons

6"x6" oil  $75

I learned so much in doing this painting.  I was highly distracted while working and was rushing to get it done.  I was not happy with the results, but I decided not to wipe it off, but to see if I could revive it.  The main reason I didn't like it was because it was fussy, overworked and dull looking.  I was able to breath life into some of the colors by glazing over it with transparent paint.  I decided to go with the soft edge look, because, well, what else could I do?  Since it is of my granddaughter, I can't help but feel fondly towards it.  What do you think?

First Ride

8"x10" oil

I thought I would post the first stage of the painting with transparent paints and the finished product.  I wanted to capture that happy moment of wobbly success.

Lilly

6"x6" oil SOLD

This was a commission and I am happy with the results.  I feel like I got a good likeness, movement and appropriate values.  It is a bit difficult to do small figures on a 6"x6" panel and keep them looking fresh and not fussy, so I considered this a success.  There are things I can do to set the mood for painting, which can be very helpful in creating an atmosphere conducive to happy painting.  When I do those things (music, lighting, scents, and careful planning) I feel more confident about my beginnings, but it isn't always the entire recipe for a confident and clean painting.  Sometimes I just can't get it right!  I usually work at it until I feel like it is resolved enough to call done, but they are never my favorites because I lose some clarity of color in the process, and color is what excites me the most.

Blue Chair

8"x10" oil NFS

These are the things I like about this painting:  the vibrant colors, the suggestion of the subject without losing the abstract qualities of the brushwork.  the gray/lavender in the background, and finally, how much fun it was to paint it.  It is the fourth week painting for DreamLovePaint. Oh, I also like where my signature is!

A Few of My Favorite Things

5"x8" oil

I set up this still life with lovely flowers in my favorite twisted purple glass vase, a lavender candle, a book, my journal, and a CD and my favorite tea cup.  I went into Mr. Twitters, a local shop that is a fabulous plant nursery, antique shop, and gift shop.  I saw this iridescent tea cup as part of a brass candle holder and fell in love with it.  The shop owner graciously took it apart and sold me the tea cup at a really low price.  It is lavender/blue on the outside and orangy-gold on the inside.  I painted it for myself, which I rarely do.

Sunflower in Blue Jar

8"x8" oil  NFS

This painting is from week 3 of the online painting class I am taking from Dreama Tolle Perry.  She paints vibrant transparent colors in values deeper than the final product, and then layers opaques over them.  If you can manage to keep your brush really clean, the final result is quite lovely with intense colors that "sing."  It is really a fun process and lends itself well to little still life paintings like this, or lovely French doorways, arches and lots of flowers.  I am attempting to apply it to figurative work and have had mixed success which I will share later this week.

Odd Colors

6"x6"oil  NFS

I am taking an online painting class called Dream Love Paint, hosted by Dreama Tolle Perry.  We painted a cupcake.  Then I listened to an interview with Quang Ho on AHA blog radio, which was a wonderful program, and he suggested painting an image already painted using different colors.  This painting is the result of that exercise.

Standing Man and Woman

5"x7" oil

This gentleman is closely examining Picasso's "Standing Woman."  I am guessing he is an artist or art student, or dedicated collector because of how closely he is looking at he brushwork.  Really it is helpful to stand back and see the whole composition, which is what most people do.

Quiet Corner

5"x7" oil

I am getting so excited about all the things I can do now that I can walk and drive!  It is exciting to be alive and well.  I really want to make a trip to one or more of my favorite galleries/art museums.  On another note, I have had 3 requests just today for donations of art to auctions to benefit worthy causes.  I am glad to do this because I paint so frequently, but I know a lot of other artists that get asked as often as I do, and they don't have nearly the inventory.  It would be interesting to see some actual numbers on the amount of art donated by artists around the world every day, and see all the different causes it helps.  So, if you go to a fundraiser that auctions art, think of those artists who are donating and do your best to purchase something you love.

The Stroll

6"x8" oil

This is about the complimentary colors of their shirts and about the similarity in texture of their hair.  When I first saw this couple I thought they made an odd pair, but on painting them, they fit together seamlessly.  I especially like the composition of this piece.  I am working hard to learn new things, get my studio together, and create a new body of work for a solo show in 2017.  I think I will include this piece.

Sarah's House

11"x14" oil

This was a commission I did a while back.  It was challenging because I was working from numerous photos that each only showed a part of the house and none directly from the front.  Also I created the autumn atmosphere because there were lovely deciduous trees around the property.  This house has been in their family for generations and they graciously sent me a very early rendition in a folkart style where all the trees had been cut down to build the house and barns.

Long Dresses (revised)

8"x8" oil

I just wasn't completely happy with my first stab at this painting.  I thought the gallery viewer was stiff and that was the problem, but after looking at it for a couple of days I realized the background magenta was just too colorful and drew too much attention so I neutralized it and now the person doesn't look odd to me.  The little painting on the left is by Tarbell and is called "Girl Reading a Book." It is my favorite part of this painting, not for the least reason, because it is so tiny and I think I got a reasonable representation of it.  Again, I have to say, Karin Jurick is my favorite painter of these types of scenes.

Engine 316

8"x8" acrylic  SOLD

This was a commission for a train enthusiast.  I did it before Christmas.

Long Dresses

I haven't done any of these gallery viewer paintings in a while.  Karin Jurik is my favorite artist who does these types of paintings.  There is a flow to her work, especially in the stance of the viewer that I feel I have not captured as well in this.  However I do really like the brushwork here and the colors are pretty yummy.  Getting a likeness of the painting on the left was a real challenge because it is so small.   So, all-in-all I like this, but I recognize there are things I need to work on.

Indoor Swimming

7"x7" oil

If it is cold outside with slushy snow, too wet to sled or ski, another great way to entertain yourself if you are 5 years old is to go swimming inside.  I am always doing the dance between accuracy, abstractness and keeping it loose.  When painting very small figures, it is even more of a challenge.

Hello Kitty

6"x6" oil 

Thank you Jennifer Sanchez for the photo reference for this painting.  Although I am very allergic to cats, I really do like them a lot.  They can be haute and irresistibly adorable all at once.

Yummy!

6"x6" oil  

I am taking an online painting course with Dreama Tolle Perry and this painting is the result of the first week's class.  I have taken workshops with Dreama several times and love her overall approach as well as her teaching technique.  At the same time, I am trying to use more grays in my work so I made sure I added plenty here.
Also, I finished Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge and below is a collage of my 30 paintings on slate.

Day 30 Slate- Alpine Skier

17"x14" acrylic on slate

Day 30!!  I made it!

Day 29 Slate - Chicken

11"x14" acrylic on slate

Who can resist a chicken with attitude?

Red and Green

11"x14" acrylic on slate

Everyone loves Cardinals....what's not to like about them?

Day 27 Slate - Bluebird

14"x11" acrylic on slate

He is a regal looking guy isn't he.  I am making good progress on the studio, doing a little bit each day.  If I get it to a place where it looks lovely, I may post a photo.

Day 26 slate - Let It Snow

14"x11" acrylic on slate

I have shifted my efforts to cleaning my studio which desperately needs it, cobwebs and all!  I constantly seem to be accumulating and it is hard to decide what I really should get rid of.  Eventually I get around to using everything, but is it just a distraction to make jewelry or carve stone or do ceramics when I am trying to be an oil painter?  Questions I do ask myself.

Day 25 Slate - Skiing III

14" x11" acrylic on slate 

This has a glare on the upper right, but it kind of emphasizes that it is a bright day and this guy is  skiing Ovation at Killington, whose slogan is Tame the Beast.  It is a 45 degree slope.

Day 24 Slate - Skiing II

14" x 11" acrylic on slate 

Another skier on slate.  The last week of the 30 day challenge is always the hardest for me because I am ready to move on to a different project.  However, I am having fun with these skiers.

Day 23 slate - Skier I

14"x11" acrylic on slate 

I wish I was skiing, but am not yet able to venture that direction as I can barely walk around the grocery store!  However, there is always next year!

Day 22 Slate- Mother and Child

14"x11" acrylic on slate SOLD

This piece is shown with the ribbon and bow hanger for the stylized Mother and Child.

Day 21 Slate-Mail

14"x11" acrylic

I love the simplicity of this.

Day 20 Slate - Cardinal

11"x14" acrylic on slate 

It is a beautiful sunny, but chilly day in the Northeast.  I am hoping to accomplish a lot today.  As I wind down in this 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge, I will be returning to oil painting on panels.  I have enjoyed doing this challenge and painting on slate.

Day 19 slate- two sisters

11"x17" acrylic on slate

Two sisters, one very proper and one very silly. That pretty much explains my elder sister and myself.  Guess which one I am?  I find that painting on slate gives me the incentive to go a little funky and more whimsical.

Day 18 slate - Dancers

11"x17" acrylic on slate 

I have been fascinated lately by little ballerinas.  I think I must be missing my granddaughters.  They are both willing dancers and my son loves to put on music and dance with them.  The youngest is a climber (danger baby) and her older sister is very lady like, with a touch of wildness.  They epitomize the expression of 'Dance is the hidden language of the soul," which I believe is a quote by Martha Graham.

Day 17 Slate - Downy Woodpecker

11"x17"  Acrylic on slate 

We get a lot of Downy Woodpeckers at our crabapple tree, in part because it is getting old and is full of insects, and also because we have a suet feeder.  They can be pretty piggish about their eating habits at the feeder, staying for long periods of time and sucking down that seed filled fat.  I think I need to do bluebirds and cardinals, but I need to change subject matter for the moment.  I think I have a short attention span.  So this will be the last bird for a  while.