I've made a decision ...

In my last blog post I asked for help in naming my painting of a barn.  I had painted the barn during a workshop in California last summer. Sylviane gave me what I thought was a great suggestion when she said "Sure,it's hard to name something after, but if you know where it was, you can give the place's name, for instance, or invente one?".  How simple is that?  Well, it sounded simple when I first thought about it.  I was at a workshop and we were painting from an old school yard in Douglas Flat.  That didn't sound too good to me.  "Douglas Flat Barn".  Kinda boring sounding to me, but then I decided that since my workshop was really in  Murphys I decided to title it "Murphys Barn".  That sounds pretty good doesn't it?  Thank you Sylviane that was a perfect solution and one I hope I will remember to use when needed.

~Click to enlarge ~

Other news I want to share with you is that this coming March 17th, (yes, thats St. Patrick's Day), I will be teaching a Watercolor Workshop here at Harstine Island.  The woman's club is offering 7 different classes to the public and I was fortunate to be asked to teach that day.  If you can join us make sure and call the phone number listed to reserve your spot.

Summer Heat and Dry Grasses

Summer Dry Grasses © 8" x 6" ~ oil

Gessoed primed canvas panel

Last summer, on our way to Murphys California for a workshop with Kathleen Dunphy, we encountered a lot of country that the grasses were parched by the sun and you'd feel like you were in an oven.  Once in awhile you'd find a gentle wind but more often than not there wasn't even a flutter of a breeze.

I used one, of many, of my photos as reference for this painting and it brought back a lot of memories of just how hot and dry it was.

Exercises in oil paints

I'm still attempting to go back to the basics.  For now I'm trying my hand at oil paints. So far I am omitting color from each sketch, focusing on form and value. In the photo above you see where I massed in all the objects into one using only burnt sienna. In the photos below I also used white and where I'm not only trying to make recognizable shapes but also trying to show where my light source is coming from.

  I have started keeping some notes and questions I have as I use them and assume I will learn as I go.

I was using a canvas pad for my support for these exercises then decided the work wasn't worthy of the canvas and switched to card stock.  For now that's fine. I didn't paint on yellow canvas or blue canvas or card stock.  I'll attempt to correct the lighting and camera settings next time I photograph the work.

Tag ... you're it!

Celeste, who does beautiful oils has tagged me. When you've been tagged you are supposed to mention who tagged you, (that would be you Celeste) then tell 7 things about yourself. Then you're supposed to tag 7 others . I was tagged some time ago, but that was to tell some "weird things about myself" ... who me, weird???

1. I use to read a lot of novels. Now the only time I seem to be able to finish a novel is when we are out on our boat ... where I've been known to finish about a 5 books in 7 days. Now I seem to read only how-to books, art books, art marketing, art promotion, self help books.

2. I'd rather be in the Pacific Northwest than anywhere.

3. Although I usually paint in watercolor I love oil paintings.

4. I love learning about building anything. I don't build anything, but I love learning how others do. I think I may have been a carpenter in my last life the way I am intrigued with power tools. Well, I guess I like learning anything that I know nothing about. I think I drive people nuts by asking "why?", "now when do you do that?", "do you have to do it that way?"..... I want to know everything from the ground up.

5. Of all household chores, I dislike emptying the dishwasher the most. It always seems to need to be emptied in the most inopportune time.

6. I became a Master Gardener - in Oregon, about 12 years ago. Also I was a professional cake decorator. I must have really grown tired of them both because I'm not interested in either now.

7. I am a procrastinator. I am trying to overcome this but it's amazing how it keeps creeping into my life.

Now you know a little bit more about me.

Some of the people I want to tag I've frequented their blogs for awhile, some of the others I've recently found. Lets find out some more about: Manjiree, Nancy, Helen, Andy, Laura, Toni and Steve

Lovely spring tulips to view

Easter Flowers - Fresh Tulips, Oil Painting and Watercolor sketch

The first of these three photo's is the original fresh tulips our daughter and family brought when they came on Easter to spend the day with us . I always feel so artistic / creative when I'm around fresh flowers. The next day with my oil paints (and timer) I painted this (the second photo) oil painting, hoping to capture the beautiful colors of the flowers in one hour. The canvas was some that I had left over from a previous painting project so it is an odd size at 8 5/8" x 3 5/8". Then yesterday I saw the petals were drooping a little more and realized that soon they would be just a memory, so I grabbed my sketchbook and watercolors for one last try at capturing the beauty of them , photo #3.

Recently I've been reading and seeing all the vibrant watercolors Schmincke has to offer. I think next time I'm at the art supply store I'll pick up a couple of tubes to try out. The watercolors I use (Winsor & Newton, Da Vinci, and American Journey)are so dull compared to the Schmincke watercolors I've seen ... although if used alone, with out doing any mixing, my watercolors do have some sparkle to them. Do any of you have a favorite brand of watercolors that you prefer to use or recommend?

Belle

Belle, 6" x 6" oil

After working on Belle a little more, I've finally decided this painting is as finished as she will ever be. The painting isn't perfect, yet I see the resemblance in her face. I think I've learned a lot by attempting to paint an animal in oil, but I'm ready to move on.

The Belle of the ball ....

I ran upon a photo of my daughters dog Belle the other day while looking through some photo's for something to paint. Belle looked like a perfect subject, laying so calmly in front of the carpeted stairs. I decided to use a square format so I taped off a 6" x 6" on my canvas. The reference photo is on the left and you can see I must have decided to take some artistic license here with the eyes looking a little strange and the head at more of a tilt than I had intended ... *wink. I didn't use a timer with this painting. At this point I've worked on Belle about 3 hours and I still need to do a little more work, but, I'm not discouraged. I'll do a few more touch ups then I'll go back to my 1 hour paintings.

Toni who has the the most wonderful blog, "A Spattering" ,where she shares so much, has tagged me to tell 5 things that others may not know about me. 

One thing that you may not know is that I love the Northwest. The cold rainy climate like that of the west coast of British Columbia is my kind of place.

#2. For about 8 years I never wanted to learn another medium other than watercolor. Recently I've developed an interest in oil painting.

#3. The majority of the blogs in my favorites has always been oil painting blogs.

#4. I love reading about the impressionists. Their struggles fascinate me.

#5. I have a very hard time throwing out anything, because I always think I'll find some creative way to use it. I usually find some way, but seldom get to the part where I actually do the project.

I think, since I've been tagged before, I won't tag anyone this time. But, if you are reading this, and have not been tagged before, please take the initiative and tell us a few things about yourself.

#11 & 12 1-hour paintings

I started the shell painting, #11 of my 1-hour painting's, using a

shadow box made out of an ordinary cardboad box and used a little desk lamp to shine onto my sea shell. My thought was that this will help show 1/2 of it in light and half in shadow. It may have done just that but as I started painting I once again forgot the steps I promised myself I would take with this painting. #1 draw the shell onto my canvas. #2 Fill in the lightest lights, #3 fill in the darkest darks, #4 establish the major shadows ... Oops, forgot this step! I just kept on painting and couldn't figure out why it wasn't turning out as I expected. I forgot to block in my major shadow shapes.

On #12, although it may not look like much to anyone else, it is a success to me. All I really have been wanting to do with these 1-hour painting is to make sure and BLOCK in the major shapes. Today I think I finally did that. It was a struggle the whole way. I had to remind myself with each brush stroke that all I had to do was block it in ... no added values or colors, just block it in. Success finally came. I blocked everything in. I can't say it was easy, it wasn't. I took me 50 minutes to achieve this. But I did it!

#8, #9 and #10 One-hour paintings

I am learning that I have a lot to learn about oil painting.


Each of these paintings are 5" x 7".
I thought my red Lamy Safari fountain pen would be a simple subject to paint, only to realize that I was concentrating on detail way too early, then when I photographed the pen I realized how important the brush strokes are in oil painting, all I see is glare because of the direction the stroke went. Anyway, I'm assuming that is the reason, because I see it when I look at the painting also.

#9 is a small wooden bird that I usually have sitting in my kitchen window. In this painting I forgot about the shaded side of the bird and didn't allow for the light that hit the birds head and part of his back. Only one of the issues with this one ... whats with the pink back ground. It was sitting on a white counter.

I was starting to be happier with #10, a fresh pear. Yet I didn't block in the shaded side like I wish I would have. And again with the brush strokes .... I eventually hope to paint in a painterly style, which has so much to do with brush storkes, yet when I'm painting I find I'm still thinking detail and color. Color mixing is not coming easy for me.

The last day of the month and I've completed 10 1-hour paintings. I think so far I'm content with working at the goals I've set out to accomplish.

I am working on my mailing list even though I've had major computer problems and had to completely start over with my address list because most were lost when the computer crashed. (I may have learned the hard way to back up everything) I should have it pretty well set up in an Outlook program before long.

#7 One hour painting

Oils are proving to be a bigger challenge for me than I thought they would. With each new painting, I have more question's, yet I know that the more painting I do the question's will probably answer themselves.

I thought this would be a relatively simple scene to paint, especially since I had painted it in watercolor some time ago.

Because I limit myself to painting each painting one hour only, (for at least 50 paintings) I may feel rushed and am not taking the time to make good decision's. I found that I didn't follow my own cheat sheets. Also, I didn't mix enough color for certain areas, then when I attempt to mix more, I end up making the wrong color choices. Tell me this will become easier with experience please...

The first photo is the oil painting. The second was my reference photo of a local scene and the last is a watercolor painted some time ago.

The oil is approximately 5" x 7". As you can tell I painted green trees 'cause I know trees are green. The trees were in silhouette and were just a dark image ... not green. I also find I'm concerned with my brush work. Should I be blocking in only, then covering with the more painterly thick oil paint? Now my oil paint hardly covers the canvas, when in reality I want a more thick paint in a finished painting (I realize that my time restraints are more than likely the problem there) .

Time to find another scene to paint.

Local Color

I love watching movies about artists!

Recently I saw the trailer of Local Color. Having only seen the trailer I think it looks like a good movie. Although I do not paint many oils I think it has a possibility of inspiring a lot of us artists.

PLOT: A successful artist looks back with loving memories on the summer of his defining year, 1974. A talented, but troubled eighteen year old art student befriends an elderly alcoholic genius painter who has turned his back on not only art, but life. I think it's due out later this month.

New ... fall note cards

Autumn Scarecrow

There is only four more Saturdays that our local Farmers Market will be open and since we are planning on being away most of them, tomorrow seems like a good day to introduce the newest addition to my note card line, Autumn Scarecrow just in time for fall. Last September the original sold at auction on e-bay, fortunately I saved a copy for cards and prints so others will be able to enjoy this warm and friendly scarecrow also.

Finally finished my second landscape oil

I can't believe it has been so long since I first started this oil painting.

The last post about it was on June 26th of this year, and, this is what it looked like (photo at right) at the end of that painting session.

Now that I've completed it, I'm not sure that its better, but I do know that I'm done and won't add another drop of oil to this painting.

Some of the things I learned from this painting.

1. Think about shape... forget about all the detail
2. get your drawing right the first time around
3. I need to paint more and do alla prima ... (A style of painting where, instead of building colours up with layers, the painting is done in one session while the paint is still wet. From the Italian word which literally means at once.)
4. Decide right away if you want a high key or low key painting

I thoroughly enjoyed the two landscape oil paintings I have done. I don't think either one is an award winners, but they have been so enjoyable to paint ... and isn't that really why I did them?

Now, where was I ...

I'm sorry to say that I wasn't able to attend the Lavender Festival this year. I had not been feeling very well and had to cancel. Pat, the owner of the Lavender fields was very understanding and I'm hoping she will let me attend next year as a vendor.

Recently, friend and fellow artist Maeona, posted on her blog a short paragraph about palette knives, which made me realize that although I have been doing a little oil painting, I have very little in the way of oil painting supplies. So to help remedy that I purchased one small palette knife and three 5" x 7" canvas boards the last time I was in town (its a small start). I have no idea what kind of knife I purchased, but it was so different from the other palette knife that I own (inherited from my mothers art supplies) that I had to purchase it. After reading her blog I realize that each knife is used for a different purpose. Maybe someone will share with me what purpose each are are used for. My new one is the small cute one in the photo ... short and pointy.

Recently I found instructions on on Wet Canvas! for making a small pochade out of a cigar box. I've been wanting one to use when out with my plein air group, and thought it may be fun to work on, plus be a lot less expensive than purchasing one. This photo is the cigar box that I bought on e-bay. Next time we are in town I'll purchase the other materials to complete this project.

Once again I really enjoyed being at the Saturday Farmers Market this last Saturday. I was able to visit with with numerous customers. Some just visiting, others asking for certain prints, some sharing why they like this one or that. This is what is so great about being at the market .... getting to know and enjoy your customers. I think I'm hooked.

another plein air experience....

I'd be interested in knowing if any of you can guess what this photo is of .... well, any of the photo's I'm posting for that matter.

As you know, I'm new to oil painting. I know very little about oil painting and as of yet purchased very few supplies for painting in oil . The palette I have is one that came in a small acrylic package I had from years ago. Its a small white plastic palette, approximately 9"x 6". The brushes I have are some odd brushes I thought may work ... some are from the same acrylic package as the palette. So, to continue with my story .... Last Tuesday was another Plein Air day with the new group I've been fortunate enough to join. I found a spot along a creek, that was running into Hood Canal. It has a small foot bridge and I thought I may be able to capture it in oil, but if not I had also brought my watercolors, some brushes and even a gallon jug of water. And just incase I couldn't finish my painting while out for the day, I brought my camera.

Well, although I wasn't able to finish my painting in oil, I did find I was pretty satisfied with getting the basic idea down on my

pre-primed, pre-gessoed cardboard canvas. When it was time to pack up and head home I placed these large clips (see first photo) in each corner of the painted canvas board. Then I set the painting down over the top of my palette, paint side up, in a cardboard shoe box lid. (I thought I was so smart to even think this far in advance when I packed it) This worked great because the clips kept the painting up off of the palette full of paint ... both set in the shoe box lid... for a safe journey home. Yeah right ! Remember me telling you I'd brought all my watercolor supplies... even a jug of water? Well, during my travels going home, the water jug fell over landed on top of the oil painting (still in the shoe box lid remember). The weight of the gallon of water bent the cardboard canvas down on top of my palette and rode there for the duration of the trip. When I arrived home some of the water had leaked out of the jug -even with a lid screwed on- there was oil paint all over the jug and the beginnings of my painting has paint smeared from the jug, the back of the cardboard - the first photo - had oil paint and water soaked into it, and most of my paint on my palette was now on the back of the canvas.

So, next time, I'll take some plastic wrap to cover my palette, and something else to place my painting in for a safe trip while traveling. As time goes by I hope to pick up a few more supplies for oil painting and won't have to worry about how to travel with my oils.

One of the women in the plein air group is always saying, "I wonder if I can salvage this painting". I asked myself this very question after this experience and I think I'm going to try.

More photo's to come as I work on this painting... maybe then you'll be able to tell just what it was that I was trying to capture on canvas.

Photo #1. Back of canvas ...now covered with water and oil paint. #2 My palette NOW covered with plastic wrap ... after the damage. #3 My oil painting with smeared oil paint, and nothing that is recognizable.

Ode to a Lemon

Today I decided to do a series on the Lemon, I thought I'd call it "Ode to a Lemon". Odd, but I guess I didn't know what the word ode really meant? Dictionary.com says an ODE is: A lyric poem of some length, usually of a serious or meditative nature and having an elevated style and formal stanzaic structure. Then I googled "Ode to a Lemon" and up pops entry after entry on a poem by Pablo Neruda titled "Ode to the Lemon".... I'll share a small part of that poem at the end of this blog entry, if you care to read it.


#1 Pencil in Sketchbook

I decided today that I'd do a study with my one lone lemon. The first photo is done in pencil

#2 Dip pen and Noodles Ink on Card stock.

I have long admired those of you who do pen and ink and all that wonderful cross hatching. I'm not patient enough. Or, to be more accurate, I wasn't patient enough today. I may give it another try some time.

#3 Watercolor on Stonehinge Print Paper.

I had some left over 5" x 7" pieces from some lino print projects and thought I'd try it. Turned out I was satisfied with the way it handled the water. It was a good experiment.

#4 Pastel on Mi-Teintes Pastel paper.

I don't think I'll ever get use to having my fingers all dry and chalky. I clean my fingers constantly because I can't help but use my fingers to blend.

#5 Is Charcoal on brown craft paper.

I wasn't happy with this either... How do you get a bright lemon to look that way with charcoal? I couldn't get it to look the way I wanted.

#6 is Oil on some Canvas paper

Or anyway I'm assuming it's canvas paper..... I seem to accumulate single papers, a sheet at a time. I should have written what it was on the back so I'd know. Another lesson learned.

Odd, I just noticed that the two mediums that I enjoyed working with the most, the watercolor and the oil, both had more detail or depth to the paintings. I must have felt more comfortable working with them.

Ode to the Lemon

by Pablo Neruda

Out of lemon flowers

loosed

on the moonlight,

love's

lashed and insatiable

essences,

sodden with fragrance,

the lemon tree's yellow

emerges,

the lemons

move down

from the tree's planetarium

Delicate merchandise!

My first (ever) oil painting

For some time now I've thought I'd like to try oil painting. I had some 8" x 10" canvas boards, (I'm not sure that is the proper name for them), and a few brushes I thought may work. I purchased some oils, some linseed oil and found some helpful step by step instructions on Joe's blog. In the first photo you see where I've toned the panel with a mixture of cad yellow and aliz. crimson, plus some white acrylic. That was as close to the yellow ocher Joe used in his instruction's. Also you see a photo I was using as a reference.

This photos shows where I have done a rough sketch of my picture (and I use the term very loosely) with my homemade vine charcoal.

At this point, in the photo above, I was suppose to be blocking in the major shapes. I think this is where I start to get overwhelmed and begin to think that I've not done my blocking in correctly. I was already beginning to get nit-picky.

This is where I've stopped for the day. I can't seem to get a close-up of it today because of a glare when I photograph it ... maybe tomorrow it will be a little dryer and I'll edit this post with a finished photo.

I'm pretty satisfied with my first attempt, but feel I may do some touch-ups tomorrow.

I still need to:

1. Learn what brushes to use where. I seemed to want to use only one brush and had to force my self to try one that would work better.
2. Remember that I can use either the thinner or linseed oil to mix with my paints to aid in painting. I think I used way too much paint, when I could have used a thinner application.
3. Learn not to mess up my whole pile of paint to mix a color.
4. Figure out what to do now with the paint left on my palette that isn't used.