Sunday, May 29, 2011

Egg'N'Cream

My sister found this little blue creamer in a thrift store for a quarter. It's so vintage and cute! And the egg just fits so perfectly in this tiny glass bowl. The two items seem to belong together - and remind me somehow of living on a farm (even though I never did).

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Where's the White?

This painting was definitely a challenge. We all know that white is never really white, and that if we're looking at something white, we can always find something more white. Same goes for black. The backdrop for this mug is actually a piece of scrapbook paper. I love all the colors and the things going on in it. The white mug kind of looks like a chameleon - just blending in, soaking it all in. Click on the link above to go to Daily Paintworks to see this and other entries.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Jerome Building

This is the last painting from the Sedona trip. Our group spent a day in the little town of Jerome, about 25 miles southwest of Sedona. It's like we saved the best for last! The town is about 100 years old - a mining town with many dilapidated buildings. The town is still very much alive, with a bustling population, many quaint restaurants, many shops, and lots of painting opportunities. This building was condemned, and I just loved the shapes and colors in it.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Karen Werner

While in Sedona, my good friend, Karen Werner, and I shared room. We took turns painting each other, which was challenging and fun. It's more difficult to paint someone you know, instead of just seeing the shapes, colors, and values that, if painted correctly, will resemble the person. With the exception of the shirt, I used the Zorne palette only, which is white, black, yellow ochre, and cad red. I learned this from my instructor, Joseph Todorovitch. To see Karen's portrait of me, just click on her name.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Karen Painting and Slide Rock Sedona

This painting is the result of painting in the cold, (44 degrees) the rain, the hail, and the sleet. And all of this mixed in with intermittent sun. Very difficult. There are a few major things I learned while in Sedona: that I can paint in plein air in any kind of weather; that my new guerilla box and tripod work perfectly for me; to always block in the largest shapes first, and to stick to my original value sketch, and never chase the light. Whew!
I'm back from Sedona, having had a wonderful week with my good friend, Karen Werner. This is a photo of her painting, under the cover of a women's restroom at Slide Rock. My easel is to the left. It was so cold this day, that at times I would look at the scene (see it above), load up my brush, go into the heated restroom, and paint. I would also heat up my hands and hat under the hand dryer!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Plein Air in Sedona, Day 4

The day started out to be great - a lot of sun, few clouds. Our group went to Slide Rock, where I did this painting looking down from above and slightly upstream. I am fairly happy with it, although it seems a little too abstract for me.

Well, it was so cold and rainy off and on that my friend Karen Werner and I decided we'd had enough of the weather, and we packed up and went back to the Sedona Art Center to paint from a photo - and this is the photo we chose. No, it's not a Sedona scene, but it's near Karen's home.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Cathedral Rock and Slide Rock

This one was a simple value study, using only 4 values and massing in large shapes. This is from day 1 of the workshop with Jennifer McChristian.Today was FREEZING - about 40 degrees and pouring rain and hail, when our group went to Slide Rock. A beautiful place! The only problem was the light that changed every 1 minute!
It was really tough to capture anything at all with the values just fleeting constantly. So this view was one of my attempts.

This is a view of Cathedral Rock in Sedona. Again- this is all about values first, and color second.
No details - just large shapes. This was one of yesterday's paintings.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

PleinAir in Sedona Day 2

Today, our wonderful group, lead by Jennifer McChristian and her wonderful husband, Ben, went to Cathedral Rock to paint the absolutely stunning landscape. The weather was beautiful. The goal was to do value studies by massing in large shapes only, then doing the same vantage point again in color - referring to the value study as needed. This pair is the result. I have another pair to post tomorrow that includes the famous Cathedral Rock.
A day of plein air painting in Sedona - what can get better than that??

Monday, May 16, 2011

Plein Air in Sedona

This week, I am in Sedona Arizona studying plein air painting with Jennifer McChristian. Today was day 1, and I had such a great time. It was all about values, and simplifying shapes. These are two of my studies - and I am generally pleased. And being in Sedona is just amazing, and I feel so fortunate.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Glowing Bottles

Gosh, I love transparent glass! I like to look for old bottles in antique stores, etc. This green one really appealed to me. The other ones are just meant to be next to it! So much fun. . .

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Succulents in Red

Well - I know it's been a long time. I've missed posting and being involved with other daily painters. It's that whole balancing act between being an artist and the other hats I wear. I realize that once I pick up the brush and start something, I know this is what I'm supposed to do, and eventually, I will be a true daily painter.
I found this little red vase at a garage sale for a quarter, and I love the color. It's just so intense!
The succulents are from my sister's garden. The orange was meant to be with the red.