Consider the Lilies oil 6"x6" #314

I know I need to do some serious flower studies to understand the shapes, colors and turning of the pedals. I am so glad I did these when I did, because later today I looked at these flowers in my garden and they are starting to wilt. I wanted to post this morning, but we had a thunder storm and our power went out, the phone and internet service went down and I couldn't get cell service. I felt like I was under siege. It doesn't take long to realize how dependent we are on our conveniences. I am happy with this painting, but I know that I need to really practice how to make confident and varied brushstrokes. I am limited in this respect. I also did this for the Daily Paintworks challenge about interpreting music. My music selection was based on my desire to paint lilies so I listened to every rendition I could find of "Consider the Lilies." My favorite was an old-time bluegrass gospel rendition. It is a song based on the "Sermon On the Mount."

A Soothing Stroll 6"x6" oil #313

I feel like I have been plagued with some duds lately...but I comfort myself in the fact that I am still painting and I am learning a lot. This is on the Highline in NYC. I really loved her brilliant white hair and shirt and the flecks of white in her partner's hair. I toned down the city scene, but I now wish I had done it darker. Maybe I will repaint it and see what happens.
SOLD

Growler and Peanuts 6'x6' #311 oil

I have been painting on canvas and am back to panels which I like so much more because of the slick surface. I tend to get get much softer edges with canvas and I am sure it is from my inexperience. I would have to do many layers of gesso on canvas to get it to where I'd like the surface, so panels are a good option. I like this painting and submitted it to the "Reflections" challenge on daily painters. I feel like this painting has the elements of things I learned in Qiang Huang's workshop and is still in a style I am comfortable with.
I am also re-posting the painting I put up yesterday because the photo was so underexposed. This version is much closer to how the painting looks.

Aspirations oil 5"x7" #309

I decided to use the palette knife for this. It has much thicker paint than I usually use. Roses are difficult for me. I need to set aside time to master flowers but I am not yet ready for that. I look at Qiang Huang's roses and am quite humbled. These are from my rose bush. The buds are adorable and then they fly open to rolled pedals...it looks like they are trying to turn themselves inside out.

A Tentative Approach oil 10"x8" #308

Something that Richard Schmid said on Saturday applies to this painting. He said if anything doesn't work in the painting take it out. I had a blue pitcher in this painting, close to dead center, which was a bit of a mistake anyway, but I never liked the way the pitcher looked. It wasn't symmetrical for one thing and the color was too bright. So, I took it out. Now I have a painting that is heavy on the left side, but I like the grouping and it looks like they are overseeing the approaching crab apples. I like the dark background and soft edges. This was on a bright red cloth and again, it was hard for me not to go crazy with the beautiful red.

The Aggressiveness of the Bronze Bird 5"x7" oil #307

It was a bit easier getting a photo today...maybe I actually figured some things out. This was my second workshop painting and I worked really hard to subdue the purple cloth backdrop...I so wanted to paint it brilliant colors, but Qiang is right that it brings more mystery into the painting and it pushes the background to where it ought to be. The title is bigger than the painting...oh well.

Siesta oil 8"x10" #306

I have learned a bunch of new things which I am trying to apply in an accurate way. One of those is about photographing my work. There are some improvements but the colors aren't quite right as I was trying to compensate for a washed out look the photo had. I need to try a couple of different set-ups until I come up with one that really works. I painted on stretched canvas for this workshop and I realized that I really prefer smooth panels. I have never tried linen panels....maybe I will like those. The texture is the problem for me. I worked on creating more mystery and toning down my colors in all but the focal point. This was a lot harder for me than I would have thought. I really am drawn to very saturated colors, but I understand how this can be overwhelming. I was in a Mexican restaurant decorated with really saturated oranges browns and earthy greens. A woman came in who had on royal blue pants, a bright red shirt and magenta/purple hair. I suddenly realized why such saturated colors in abundance can be an assault on your sensitivities! I shared a still-life set-up with Grace, a beautiful lady and painter from Arizona. We were matched well, but in sharing the still-life there were compensations to be made. I didn't get the placement right and our lighting wasn't great for this one but we both learned a lot in the process.

Workshop

I have been at a workshop with Qiang Huang at the Village Arts in Putney, VT, and a paint-off with Richard Schmid. It was fabulous. I am ready to hit the sack...but will photograph my work tomorrow and post it. I so recommend attending one of Qiang's workshops if possible. He is a wonderful teacher, fabulous artist, and all around really nice person. Village Arts is a treat and they offer professional workshops. Penelope Simpson and Captain John Adams are top of the line hosts and facilitators. I also got the pleasure of meeting Nancy Guzik and many accomplished artists from as far away as China, Hawaii and California.

Kyle acrylic 4"x4" #305

More family mugs....my niece's husband Kyle....
SOLD

Reflections On Summer Fun acrylic 6"x6" #304

This was a Daily Painters Challenge to paint this image upside-down. It was a lot of fun and is really, very much a right brain exercise and fits in with my Fun In the Sun series. Go to:
http://dailypaintworks.com/Challenge/EBC65232-CC25-4F34-A409-E5589E3C2036
to see other artists' interpretations.
SOLD

The Red Shade Tent acrylic 5"x7" #303

This is "Fun In the Sun" number 4. The red shade screen provided privacy and shade for this nursing baby. This is to be donated for a raffle to benefit the Le Leche League in Pepperell, MA.
not available

Refreshing Splash #3 acrylic 6"x6" #302

Lessons from this painting:
you can do a decent painting from a really bad photo (Karin Jurik said this and it is true)
even a dingy place can be magical when you add kids to the mix

This is Washington Square in NYC...not the cleanest of swimming spots.

Alistair #301 acrylic 4"x4"

The idea was to do these small portraits of my family from photos where they aren't smiling...problem is that Alistair is always smiling!
SOLD

This One's Mine and This One's Mine acrylic 6"x6" #300

This is post 300 and it seems like it has taken forever for me to reach it. This painting has a long title, but can't you just hear him saying it. They are two and are learning how to "play" together. I was on the go today so grabbed some acrylics and did this during my breaks. I like how it turned out.

Fun In the Sun oil 6"x6" #299

2011 has been a crazy year so far. I broke my leg in March and am finally off crutches, after falling in NYC a couple weeks ago while attending a Karin Jurik workshop. I have had a lot of company the last month, which has been so much fun, but I have neglected my painting through it all. I am ready to get back into the swing of things with a series of "Fun In the Sun" paintings.

Van Gogh-The Early Years oil 6"x6" #298

This is for my daughter and it is of my grandson. She liked the painting but wanted a more Van Gogh feeling to it. I don't know if I achieved that, but I am sure she will tell me when she sees it. Painting kids can be tricky and I am wanting to get better at it.
SOLD

50th Anniversary (commisssion) 8"x10" acrylic #297

This is from a fuzzy old gray photo.
SOLD

Interesting Perspective oil 8"x8" #296

This is a view from the High Line in NYC.

Ergo City Baby oil 6"x6" 295

Another NYC piece that I changed...got rid of a car and a fruit stand....not because they looked awkward, but because it made it just too busy.

The Red Shoe oil 8"x8" #294

This was a quartet but I painted out one of the people because a trio just looks better. They are sitting on the wooden platforms on the Highline in NYC.