#30 - Late Day - Study

Late Day, 8" x 6",Oil on Card Stock, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

If you've been following my blog you know that todays painting is the last one for the 30 day challenge.  I am hoping to write a summary of my experiences during the Challenge in the next day or so.  Until then you can expect my regular Art of a Sketchbook - Friday blog post tomorrow.

Thank you to all of you who were so encouraging during these 30 days.  It means a lot to have such support.

#29 - Tender - Study

#29 - Tender - Study, Oil on canvas, © 2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

Technically #30 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge, but, since I was unable to paint one day I am going to call this one #29 and do one last one tomorrow.

#27, #28 & #29 - Sky Studies

Yesterday I was away from my studio all day and didn't get a chance to paint.  So this morning when I was wondering what I would paint and could I possibly paint two in one day I thought today might be a good day to attempt a tryptic.

I've always wanted to do a tryptic, but, never gave it enough thought to even decide on a subject.

Definition: A triptych is a series of three paintings intended to be displayed together. Triptychs were often used as an altar-piece in a church. Traditionally two of the panels were attached to the central one by hinges and folded over it, to show two different paintings on the back.

I have wanted to experiment with painting skies and today was a perfect time to 

paint a couple of them. Three in fact.

#27 - Sky Study, 8" x 6" oil on panel, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

The water doesn't look level in my photos but I think it was because I took the original photo where they were all side by side and just turned the camera instead of photogrphing each individually. 

#28 - Sky Study, 8" x 6" oil on panel, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

All three panels were toned with yellow and allowed to dry I then painted the sky area all white. I wanted my sky to have some blue amongst the the clouds and started softly brushing some ultramarine blue in the middle of my white sky.

#29 - Sky Study, 8" x 6" oil on panel, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

Some areas I painted more blue in and some areas less.  Some areas I went back over with a little  more white to create more definition to my clouds.

#27, #28, #29 - Tryptic Sky Studies, each panel 8" x 6" oil, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

I was pretty happy with my experiment with not only cloudy skies, but with a tryptic. I think I might attempt this again with a more thought out land / seascape.

Since I wasn't able to paint yesterday I labeled these #27, #28, and #29, but, I will finish up the month with a painting a day ... its a challenge ya know.

#26 - Fir - Study

Fir - Study, 8" x 6" oil on panel, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

I have painted this fir before only in watercolor.  I like seeing the reflection of the tree in the water. 

#25 - The Cove - Study

The Cove - Study, Oil on Panel, © 2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

I  see this cove every day on my walk.  There is always a boat anchored there sometimes two.

#24 - Grazing - Study

Grazing - Study, 6" x 8" oil on panel, @ 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

Another cow painting.  I have a few cow photographs from about 8 years ago.  Now I wish I would have taken some close-up photos.

Art of a Sketchbook - Friday

Did you notice ... I've changed the regular Art of the Sketchbook blog posts to now read the "Art of the Sketchbook - Friday"?  I was just thinking it may make it easier for those of you who regularly read my blog or those who only want to read about my sketching.

Sketchbook '96, waiting room, © 2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

 Today I am posting a few pages of a sketch book I started back in 1996 ... I was in a waiting room at a doctors office and happened to have this particular sketchbook with me.  I always liked this sketchbook because it was hardbound and had a dust jacket.  No one around you knew it was a sketchbook.

Sketchbook '96, waiting room #2, © 2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

 It was the holiday time of year 12-14-01 and I can remember it well, the woman with short hair in the left of the sketch had brought  in her mother who was in a wheelchair for X-rays.  She looked exhausted and the string of christmas lights on the wall behind the cubical just didn't match her feelings.

The first photo is the woman's shoes as she was standing beside the wheel chair.

Here are two of my sketchbooks ... the one on top, with the blue dust jacket, is the old one I took the sketches out of this Friday.

Keep a sketchbook with you at all times, you never know when you'll get a spare moment to record something from your day.

Happy sketching ....

#23 - The Devine Miss M - Study

The Devine Miss M - Study, 6" x 6" oil on card stock, © 2012, Nancy Van Blaricom

We have a number of different names we call our cat.  I sometimes refer to her as the Devine Miss M.  Her real name is Odessa and how she got the Devine Miss M is a long story I won't bore you with.

Anyway, she doesn't look like this.  I won't even show this to her because she wouldn't know it was her ... She's so much cuter than I've portrayed her.

Once again I've used oil on card stock and I thought I'd mention that when you use oils on card stock like this it works a lot like gouache does.  You'd think the oil would bleed all over the paper, but it doesn't.

Anyway, here is Odessa staring off into space which seems pretty normal for her *giggle.

#22 - Mussels

Close up of Mussels, 6" x 6" Oil on stretched canvas, ©2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

Mussels, 6" x 6" Oil on stretched canvas, ©2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

I've resorted back to painting mussel shells I've found on the beach.  

These were all dried but connected by their beards.  A fun find.  A fun painting.

#21 - Fog in the Strait - Study

Fog in the Strait,  6" x 8" oil on panel, © 2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

Attempting to get more miles of canvas behind me focusing on landscapes and waterscapes.

This one was a lot of fun today, trying to get the fog to look like fog.

#20 - Dappled Sun - Study

Dappled Sun - Study, Oil on Canvas 6" x 6", © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

Brrrr, here in the Northwest its been pretty cold. When I was looking through my reference photos this morning I found one with dappled sun light from last fall.  Today I needed that extra warmth... if only in a sketch.

#19 - Bear on the Beach - Study

Bear on the Beach - Study,  6" x 6" oil on canvas, © Nancy Van Blaricom

Going through my photos I came upon a number of bear photos I'd taken while we were in Canada a few years ago.   When we spotted this bear he was curious who was watching him, but in a matter of seconds he turned his attention back to his business of turning over rocks looking for food.

#18 - Atmosphere - Study

Study - Atmosphere, 6" x 6" oil on panel, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

Looking toward some nearby islands you can often get to see some pretty atmosphere.  

For a study this took way too much time.  I even had to wipe the whole thing off once.  

I need to study harder .... 

#17 - Reflecting - Study

#17 - Reflecting - Study, 8" x 6" Oil on Panel, © 2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

The sun was shining through a very hazy morning and reflecting on a still body of water. 

The Art of a Sketchbook

Some times I will pick something to sketch and think 'oh, I can do better' so I will try it again.  

Sin in a Cardboard Container #1, watercolor sketch in sketchbook, © 2012 Nancy Van Blaricom

 I thought a good name for Godiva Ice Cream would be 'Sin in a Cardboard Container'.

 Sin in a Cardboard Container #2, watercolor sketch in sketchbook, © 2012 Nancy Van Blaricom

After a second attempt I still wasn't happy with some of the sketch so I give it another try.

Sin in a Cardboard Container #3, watercolor sketch in sketchbook, © 2012 Nancy Van Blaricom

I think sketchbooks are a great place to give ideas a try.  Not to mention it gives you someplace to remember the indulgence of some yummy stuff.

#16 - Domestic Fowl

 Sketch - Domestic Fowl, 6" x 6" oil, © 2012 Nancy Van Blaricom

I have really enjoyed today.

This is the first day since I took on the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge that I finally have been honest with myself and said daily painting is not for me.  I find I just cannot capture what I'm trying to when I try to do a painting in one day.  One or two days later I look at the painting and realize it still needs work, a lot of work ... its not a finished painting.  So for the rest of the challenge I will still be painting but I will not be telling myself that it is a finished piece of work.  It will be an oil sketch.

Whew, I feel so much better already.

#15 - At Dock

At Dock, 8" x 6" Oil on Panel,  © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

I'm celebrating the 1/2 way mark of my 30 paintings in 30 days with flags.

#14 - Abandoned Shed

Abandoned Shed, 6" x 8" oil on panel, @ 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

When I saw this shed years ago I liked how it had a prime location overlooking the sound yet no one had been to the shed in years ... you could tell because the grass had grown up in front of the door.

#13 - Sailing

Sailing, 5" x 10" oil on canvas, ©  2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

  

This is a pretty common scene here in South Puget Sound when the weather allows ... meaning not freezing like it has been this last week or so.  Brrrrr.

I'm not particularly happy with the way this one photographed but I'm sure it was photographer error.

#12 - Crab

Cement Crab, Oil on Canvas, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

I had some paint left over from yesterdays painting so I decided to use it to paint a cement crab that was in with some treasures my good friends and neighbors gave us when they moved.