Serenity

"Serenity"

10 x 16 inches, oil on panel

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Flowering Quince

"Flowering Quince"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas on panel

$400

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February is one of my favorite months to be in Oregon - which I still marvel at, since it was the WORST month of winter where I grew up in the midwest. Things are beginning to bloom everywhere - including this Quince, or Chaenomeles, if you want to get technical about it. ;)

First Camellias

"First Camellias"

10 x 10 inches

oil on canvas on panel

$400

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It's pseudo-spring in Oregon, and things are starting to bloom. I spotted this bush breaking out in blooms on my running route, and went back later in the day with scissors!

Seeking Sunlight

"Seeking Sunlight"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

$400

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This is the season for Black-Eyed-Susans - they are everywhere! So, it's no surprise that a dive into my painting archive turns up several paintings of this lovely flower, from this week in history.

Here is my first one, from August 2008:

 "Black-Eyed-Susan" 5x7" oil on canvas panel, 2008

I am still fond of this painting! I lost the vase in a wax-spilling accident a couple of years ago. It's quite remarkable, the relationships I develop with my still life objects, living with them and painting them over and over for years. I could show you half a dozen paintings of that vase, and now there won't be any more.

This green beauty is a recent gift from a friend. I wonder how many times I'll paint it in years to come?

Clarity in Black and White

"Clarity (Black and White)"

11 x 14 inches, oil on canvas
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Many of my black-and-white paintings are done on Arches oil paper, but this one is on stretched canvas - one that was toned with a sepia base layer, giving the resulting painting a warm glow.

Four Tulips

"Four Tulips"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

Available through Tvedten Fine Art

I love the white bottoms of tulips. These were a particularly satisfying color to mix. I used a combination of Alizarin Crimson and Pyrrol Red. Luscious!

Opening to the Light

"Opening to the Light"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

$350

On Hold

When I walked into the studio yesterday morning, I was immediately captivated by these daffodils - the way the blooms move from almost closed to completely open. I knew that was not going to last long once I turned the spotlight on them! So I painted the flowers first, and by the time I'd finished the rest of the painting, quite a bit later in the day, they were all wide open.

Emerald Orb - and Workshop Announcements!

"Emerald Orb"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

$350

Available via Brackenwood Gallery, click to inquire

My strange little offering from Still Life Open Studio last week. It's always such an adventure - I never know what I will come home with, even though I bring all the objects and set up the still life! 

This painting may be strange, but I love it. It just lingers in my eye.

I want to give you all a last-minute heads up about two still life workshops I'll be teaching soon - one in Park City, Utah later this month, and the other in Oklahoma City in October.  Spaces are still available in both, and I'd love to have you join me!

Rogue Valley Honey

 "Rogue Valley Honey"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas
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I went South last weekend to spend a couple of days hanging out by a large, beautiful river. It rained the entire time, which kept me from even attempting to paint plein air. To be honest, that was more than OK with me, since there was a Camellia bush in full bloom right outside our front door - and this gorgeous, glowing jar of honey, calling out to be painted from the moment I spied it on the kitchen shelf. So this still life is the product of true serendipity; my artistic journey is like a never-ending scavenger hunt with so many precious treasures hidden along the path, absolutely guaranteed to be found by me if I just keep looking. It's still exciting every time I find one.

 

When I did eventually brave the rainy outdoors, I was rewarded with visual treasures of another sort:

Oregon is amazing! After ten years of living here, I'm still in awe.

Demonstrating A Still Life

 "Poppies in a Blue Vase"

9 x 12" oil on canvas

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I spent last weekend in Edmond, Oklahoma, teaching at The Conservatory for Classical Art. Although I was there for a portrait painting workshop, I started the weekend with a still life demo for a group of young students.

It was also an opportunity for the kids to pick my brain about art school - since several of them are thinking of going. I suppose I'm a good person to ask! I loved art school (I went to MICA), and will use the the things I learned there for the rest of my life.

With the urge to paint still lives - which always overtakes me the minute I set foot inside the CCA (this is my third time teaching there) - temporarily sated, I was ready to move on to the weekend's workshop!

 

A Painting of Flowering Quince

"Quince"

14 x 18 inches, oil on canvas

I passed this strange, woody, leafless, flowering bush several times on my jogging route without taking too much notice. Then, I saw a small vase of these blooms on a random desk, and stopped in my tracks. So many of my paintings start with my just noticing some small thing and thinking, "That."

Back to the jogging route I drove, with my trusty glove compartment scissors!

 I've got a still life painting workshop coming up, March 19-20th, in Eugene. It's going to be two intense and informative days - oils and acrylics welcome. More info and online registration here!

On A Pedestal

 "On A Pedestal"

16 x 20 inches, oil on canvas

$700

Available here

Instead of taking a photograph, I painted these blossoms in first - and quickly. They opened fast! Once I got those down, I had plenty of time to work on the rest of the painting. The white blocks weren't going anywhere. Though the sphere did manage to roll off the table overnight....I blame a mischievous kitty.

 

Here's an on-the-wall shot:

It's my Blogiversary!

 "Big Reds"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

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More red Camellias! I have a larger painting in the works with this setup, but in that one the blossoms are still mostly closed. I thought they looked lovely the next morning as they opened, so I started a second painting. 

Eight years ago, on February 21st, 2008, I wrote my first blog post - and it wasn't much! Looking back at my work over the years is fun, and I see some subjects I'd like to revisit...

Fleeting Blooms

 "Fleeting Blooms (Camellias)"

12 x 24 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

I will not rub it in that it's the second week of February, and I picked these outside, growing in a very springlike manner. It never ceases to amaze me, though - even nine years after leaving the Midwest - how early things bloom here in Oregon!

Here's a time-lapse video of this piece. I wasn't painting quite THAT fast, but I did have to hustle on this one. The flowers were opening and dropping off faster than I could paint them - literally! I'm glad I had a grisaille sketch to work from - it helped a lot. 

"Fleeting Blooms (sketch)"

6 x 12 inches, oil on Arches oil paper

"Blue Light"

 "Blue Light"

12 x 24 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

A new painting, large-scale for me. Painted from life, before the flowers got too wilty! Hint: always paint the flowers first.

Also, when you're painting anything painted on anything else - the design on this vase, the lettering on this bowl, and yes, even tattoos on human skin - paint the form first. Below, you can see I painted the vase, rounded in space (minus the highlights from the spotlight), before adding the blue design. I didn't wait for the paint to dry before adding the blue, though that's sometimes helpful.

You can see a 30 second time-lapse video of the underpainting for this piece on Facebook.

Tulips through time

"Tulips in Silver"

12 x 9 inches, oil on canvas

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Tulips, as every flower painter knows, need to be painted fast. Under strong light, they move and open! It's like a slow dance. I've been painting these red and white beauties for years - they grow in my mom's yard (along with almost everything else I paint during the warmer months). Here are the same tulips from two years ago, from four years ago, and even from six years ago. 

 Do any of those look familiar? How long have you been with me, dear reader?

Spring Pinks: a floral still life oil painting

 

 "Spring Pinks"

9 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

Click to buy

The colors of spring on my street, including a sprig of exuberant purple Azalea. I stayed very loose and suggestive on those purple blossoms - I'll tell you it was my way of keeping the focus inside the composition, but really it was to keep from making myself crazy!

Here's a work-in-progress:

Pretty Larceny

 "Early Camellias"

approx. 12 x 9 inches, oil on Arches oil paper

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The scissors in my glove compartment strike again! This beautiful Camellia bush lives on the front lawn of a real estate office downtown - conveniently located along my morning drop-off-the-people route. I'm sure the friendly realtors would be happy to know they'd donated some excess bloomage to the cause of Art. Not that I'm telling them or anything. 

Mellow Yellow

 "Yellow Tea Party"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

$200

Available here

We are busily working on my new studio - also known as our useless third garage bay - and all the studio (wall) painting has been getting in the way of my studio (canvas) painting. It's for a good cause, though, and I should be moving in very soon!

Meanwhile, here's a dose of yellow to get you ready for fall colors, also coming soon...

Party Pictures

"Grand Opening Flowers"

12 x 9 inches, oil on canvas

NFS

Last Saturday was the Grand Opening party for The Gallery at the Watershed. As part of the invitation, Amy asked everyone to bring a flower from their garden, and this (after some editing of wilted foliage) was the result:

Obviously, I was not going to tackle this beautiful bunch of blooms with a limited palette. I think it got a little out of control, though....

 Party pictures, please! I can hear you all the way from here.

 (Left to right, top to bottom: my painting peeking out from behind a very cool sculpture by Randy Ortiz, Amy and Robert welcoming their guests, yours truly posing with Amy the gallery owner, and my wall. Really, they call it "Sarah's Wall." Love!)

By the way, if you couldn't make it out last weekend, we're on the artwalk this Friday night - that's tomorrow, for those of us wondering where this week went - and I'll be there! So come say hi. 5:30-8 pm.