The Jungle

"The Jungle"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

$400

Click to buy

I gave my online students a challenge this month to paint interiors....and then, I had to try it myself! Proving that my green thumb is not just stray Pthalo, (though it is that too), here are just a few representatives of my plant collection.

Painting by Window Light

 "Playa Tea"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas
Click to buy

As I mentioned yesterday, in the first post about my Playa residency, one of my goals was to paint with natural light on my still lives. For the past two years, I've been in a studio with very little window light - which has its advantages, but is limiting as well. Although I really enjoy composing with the dramatic shadows cast by clip-lamps, and exploring all the warm glowing colors created by halogen light bulbs, there's just something so serene about sunlight. So window light vs. artificial light is not an either-or proposition for me - I enjoy both - but having the choice? Love it! 

 Here's my setup, on a nice little ledge built above the studio heater, next to a north-facing window. I painted this one in morning light, switching to the feather painting I posted yesterday in the afternoons - an A.M. and a P.M. painting! How very impressionist of me.

Here's how this painting got started. See those gridlines on the canvas? It's a product from Masterpiece I've been trying out, and I like it! 

Of course, I was also moving onward with my daily self-portrait sketches, in the evenings when I was too tired to do much else. This one was done in a combo of water-soluble graphite and white gouache. 

 In between my morning and afternoon painting sessions, I hiked! The weather at Playa changed constantly - and rainbows were an almost-daily occurrence - though not all of them as glorious as this one. Nothing makes me feel like I'm right where I'm supposed to be than seeing something like this:

West Light Daisies

"West Light Daisies"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

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Here is a simple still life, much more about the effect of light on the objects than the objects themselves. I loved exploring the translucencies of the turquoise cup and the flower petals, and the gorgeous shadow and light patterns on the tabletop. In other words, I wanted to paint that window light. The things I set up in the light were almost incidental.

For those in the Seattle area: I'm going to be at Brackenwood Gallery on Whidbey Island, Saturday, August 15th, for an "Artist's Salon," aka, a painting demonstration and reception. Join me if you can, or follow my adventures on Facebook and Instagram!

The Artist at Home

"Gentle Reader"

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

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 The past two days have been exciting, painting a model in my own living room! Carol joined me today, just to make the morning even more fun. If you've been reading for a while, you know I'm a huge fan of shaking it up / getting out of your comfort zone, and strangely, this week I've managed to shake things up by remaining smack in the middle of my comfort zone - or at least, my living room. 

I really wanted to paint the model backlit by that huge window, but she was so sillouhetted that I ended up shining an extra halogen spot on her. The effect was still pretty dramatic. I'm now feeling inspired to paint in other rooms of my house, but my next foray into figure will be in a garden setting (weather permitting). 

Here are some shots from this morning: Our lovely model with our work-in-progress, a face-detail from my painting, and Carol at work:

click on the image for a better view!

Small Changes

"Blue Evening Light"

 8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

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I don't usually include much background in my figure paintings. We place the model stand against a wall, hang a cloth behind her, and go at it - so there isn't much back there to paint anyway. This week, we got a little crazy and put the model in the center of the room. Suddenly, there was a whole new side of her to paint! And a window, and a sliver of golden Oregon evening. And the violet light on her arm and cheek....

In Which I Do Performance Art

"In The Gallery"

8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

$200

available from The Gallery at the Watershed

With our crazy changeable Spring weather, it can be sunny one minute and pouring the next. So, when the plein-air itch hit this week, I opted for an indoor version - at my new gallery! I love painting interiors. I really don't do them often enough - mostly because I figure, meh, it's just my house. Well, my art now has a gorgeous house - which I hope to paint again very soon.

Shots of the Gallery and my work-in-progress. Click for a better view.

 Here's me. I never know what to do with my left hand when someone photographs me while painting! Normally, it would be holding a filthy, paint-soaked rag, but I like to hide the evidence when the camera approaches. Then what? Put my fist on my hip like the supermodel I am? I do always feel sexy in an apron. (True story!)

Daily Painting time machine, flashback edition

I'm happily plugging away at a new commission right now, but I thought it would be interesting to check out some of my paintings from this week in history: I believe the sunflower piece was actually painted two years ago to this day! When I look at it now, the intervening time just slips away - it takes me back to that moment so fully, it's like having total recall!

"Peach and Pink Lily on the Windowsill"

July 2011

8 x 8"

oil on canvas

$100 

 

"Sunflowers with Green Paper"

July 2010

 8 x 10"

oil on canvas

$100 

"A Quiet Summer Afternoon" interior scene still life original oil painting daily painting

 

11 x 14"

oil on canvas

click to bid  

I've started noticing "Grab my Button" graphics on several other blogs I read, and I thought it might be cool to try making my own. So, last night, for several hours - and with the patient assistance of my web developer husband - I made a few. If you'd like to add one to your blog, copy and paste the code under any of the three design options. You'll find them on the right------------>

(And if anyone is interested in making their own blog button, I'll be glad to share the code with you. Just email me!)