Being Green

 

 "Tahni in Green"

18 x 14 inches, oil on canvas

click to buy

My latest figure painting. Here's the progression - between the first and second shots, I changed the lower body, and before the final photo, I changed the background. That bat-shaped, dark drapery was totally Halloween-appropriate, but probably too distracting for the other 364 days of the year.

Mark Your Calendars!

 

 "Quiet Plums"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

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This is the first time I've used natural light on a still life in my new studio. The late afternoon light is a tranquil blue coming through my windows - especially on drizzly, overcast days like a few we've had recently. And yes, this gray swirly cloth is a repurposed curtain.

 ☺

I'm all smiles (and stomach butterflies) about an exciting event coming up soon - my first solo show in nearly three years! The Gallery at the Watershed isn't a humongous space, but my paintings are small. My point is, there's going to be a TON of work on display. Which is good, because I paint a lot.

Mark your calendars! And if you can, please do come to the opening. The show will be a mix of still life, figure, and portrait, and you might even spot one or two of my models in the crowd. The Gallery is hosting several fun events around this show, so stay tuned!

Seven Days of Steals!

 

"Makeup"

6 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

(The week's last) $1 Auction!

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A huge thanks to everyone who's placed a bid this week! Here are the final two offerings. All seven paintings are still up for grabs...

 

"Cherry Hearts"

6 x 6 inches, oil on canvas

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One Dollar Auction Week: Now, with Persimmons!

 "Early Persimmon"

6 x 8.5 inches, oil on paper
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 The persimmon tree in my mother's yard is a step ahead of the seasons this year - loaded with almost-ripe fruit, and it's not even Halloween yet. I'll be clambering onto her garage roof to pick more as they ripen (because I love to live dangerously), but I've already got a huge bowl in my studio just waiting for their chance to be my subjects!

Here's a peek at how I began this little painting. That's a wash of Burnt Sienna, and a shot of my start. You can sort of see my underdrawing in Alizarin Crimson, and plenty of evidence that I don't paint from background to foreground. My instant-gratification junkie just has to paint the fun part first!

An oil painting on paper should be matted and framed under glass. Even though the Arches Oil paper I use is archival, and should stand up well over time, it's not a surface you'd want to be dusting or touching for any reason. Here's how it would look framed:

Making it Big

 

"Leaning Lanterns"

16 x 20 inches, oil on canvas

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 Do you remember the sketch for this one? I can't believe it's taken me almost a month to finish the larger version! That's what Artist's Anxiety will do to you, I guess. If I'm going to paint larger still lives, I really need to make sure I've got a big chunk of time (and an extra dose of mental fortitude) to just bang it out in one sitting. Working back into a half-finished canvas sends my AA through the roof!

One Dollar Auction Week!

 "Fall Fruit Bowl"

6 x 6 inches, oil on canvas

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Fall greetings, friends and readers! Around our house the pumpkins are carved, certain silly decorations have emerged from storage, the leaves are gorgeous, and my four-year-old has her fairy princess costume all set to go. And in my studio, a week of $1 auctions begins today! Bring a truly unique gift to surprise your host at Thanksgiving dinner, spruce up your dining room for the feast, or get a jump on your Christmas shopping. Now is the time!

 "Fall Lineup"

6 x 6 inches, oil on canvas

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You can check in on my DPW page for each day's $1 offering. And tell your friends! Thanks for bidding.

The Pleasure Was Mine

 

"Portrait of R. Canaga"

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Sold commissioned portrait

Robert Canaga is a former gallery owner and the curator of Eugene's Gallery at the Watershed. He knows everyone in the Oregon art world, and has an amazing collection of original art in his home. He's also a printmaker and painter. I was extra excited when he asked me to paint his portrait, because I knew I'd be able to include one of his works in the background! Working in his spacious, skylit studio and listening to his fascinating stories were icing on the cake.

Here's a progression: you might notice that I redrew the arms and hands between the second and third picture, lowering them on the canvas. I spent an entire sitting just painting the hands. 

(Click on the picture to see it bigger.)

Have you ever thought about commissioning a portrait? I'm 100% at your service. Let's talk.

Life In The Gray

 "In the Gray"

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

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Things in life aren't black and white (though you do need to check your values sometimes). Is your painting good or bad? Are you talented or not? Are you successful or a failure? These aren't absolutes - we all fall across a spectrum - and change is always possible. That's life in the gray.

Tips and Tricks: It's Curtains!

 My contribution to this month's blog carnival, devoted to Tips and Tricks, is all about window treatments. It might sound a bit strange - this is an art blog and an art tips carnival, after all. Some of you, having witnessed firsthand my attempts at interior decoration, might be wondering what I could possibly contribute on the subject of tasteful decor curtains, but fear not! At the heart of this matter are two subjects I do know something about: problem solving the simple way, and shopping at the thrift store.

I've come to realize that people like to redecorate. They must, because there are tons of curtains at the thrift store. Weird curtains. Oh well, I don't judge. The more colorful, the better, for my purposes...

Those purposes include model backdrop, still life component, and (in moments of desperation), drop cloth. Hey, they're pretty cheap, these used curtains. 

One of my favorite ways to use any piece of fabric is to block out windows when I want to control a lighting situation. Our weather changes very quickly sometimes, and when I have a model in my studio, using window light, which can switch from cloudy grey to bright and sunny with no warning, is not a good option. Sun breaks make the general public happy, but for me, they are no good!

By putting two little nails in the wall, I can easily hang a window-blocker of any type with bulldog clips. Those round holes are so convenient.

 

 

If you score some of these funky grommet-curtains,  you can skip the clips altogether. I'm not sure how I feel about this type of curtain as an actual decorative element (although, it's already been established that I am no Martha Stewart), I love them for this:

 

I've got one more tidbit before I send you off on your carnival rounds. I get tons of questions about how I hang paintings in my studio, and the answer is simple:

 

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you enjoy some more tips and tricks from these fabulous artists:

Linda Nickles


Marla Laubisch


Jo MacKenzie


Joanne Grant


Taryn Day

Beware, My Pretties

 "Dakota"

16 x 20 inches, oil on canvas

click to buy

Have you ever met someone and been captivated by their face right away? From the moment I saw Dakota's mysterious eyes and gorgeous slender fingers, I knew she'd be a fantastic portrait subject - not to mention her nose, which is truly distinctive and elegant. These are the things artists are thinking when they meet you, folks: you may believe they're enjoying your pleasant conversation, but really they're sizing you up! 

So beware, my pretties, if we ever meet: you just might end up motionless on my couch for several hours!

(Here's a work-in-progress:)

Primarily Apples

 "Two Apples, Yellow"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

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Red, Yellow, and Blue: the parents of all colors. Some white and gray thrown in, because they're beautiful!

I had a great portrait session this morning, and I'll be heading to figure painting tonight. You can follow along on Facebook or Twitter. See you later!

Tempting Snow White

 

 "Tempting Snow White"

6 x 6 inches, oil on Arches oil paper

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What kind of apples are these? I can't remember, and I took off their nametags. They aren't Red Delicious - they are even redder than that. Blood red! Not very good eating, but so beautiful.

We picked some delicious (but not so pretty) apples in the October sunshine today - one of my favorite fall activities. I can't resist eating them right off the tree, pesticides and all. I totally grossed out my family, but I'm ok with that.

Here's the cuteness - my own little snow white and her sticky temptation!

How About Them Apples...?

 

 "Two Apples, Blue"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

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Talk about a still life coming together by accident! I put this plate on the floor while moving easels around the other day, and voila! It's great when I don't have to spend an hour fussing with a setup - running back and forth, minutely adjusting everything over and over until the elements are working together in just the right way. It's not quite as good for exercise, however.

So now I have two these two apples on red and on blue, and I'm contemplating adding a yellow composition to this duo to complete the primary set. Could be an excellent way to spend a Sunday!

 

If you're looking for an excellent way to spend an afternoon next weekend, The Gallery at the Watershed is hosting their inaugural "Good Old-Fashioned Art Auction" on Saturday the 12th from 3-5 pm. This is going to be a fun event, a great chance to score some fabulous art, and of course, an opportunity to rub elbows with the likes of me. Hope to see you!

Whining, Crying, and Painting the Nude

"Male Figure Study"

14 x 11 inches, oil on canvas

 Available

After a ridiculously long session break, Tuesday figure painting night at Maude Kerns is back! I painted this as an anatomical study, mixing my colors by value rather than the skin tones I actually observed, and not focusing on the head much at all. I even partially decapitated him just to show how much I don't care - a particularly good exercise for me, since I usually cry when I can't capture a facial likeness.

☺

A Burning Question

 "Leaning Lanterns (sketch)"

approx. 8 x 10 inches, oil on board

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I'm loving these Chinese Lanterns. They are, by far, the cream of my yard sale shopping crop this summer. I scored a TON of them, too.

See?

I'll be blowing this little sketch up into a larger painting, but what size canvas to use if I want to keep the same proportions? Once again, the internet has the answer to my burning question, and here it is:

Hope you're having a great day!

Milestones, Prizes, Birthdays, Weddings, and a Painting of Chinese Lanterns

 "Chinese Lanterns"

10 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

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It may be my birthday, but the gifts are all for you! First, a One Dollar Auction, and second, a HUGE thank you to everyone who has helped me get to 900 Likes on Facebook!

When we reach 1000, one lucky Liker will win a $100 gift certificate to my Etsy shop. To enter, all you need to do is share my Facebook event, or any of my posts about the giveaway. Thanks!

 I'm especially happy on this birthday because I put the finishing touches on not one, but two

 commissions this morning. I've also got a huge event to look forward to this weekend: my little sister is getting married! Matron of Honor, here I come!

The Plein Air Workshop That Wasn't

"Flowers in the Gallery"

18 x 14 inches, oil on canvas

Available

I taught my "Painting the Figure en Plein Air" workshop this past Saturday, at the Gallery at the Watershed. It was pouring, so instead of plein air, we did a lovely interior scene instead! If you're going to paint in Oregon, you have to prepare for rainy contingencies.

It was a great group, in a great space, with a great model. We also enjoyed the fabulous paintings by Angelita Surmon and Renee Manford. 

Here I am, demo-ing:

 

The Tale of Kanji

 

 "The Kanji Vase (Reworked)"

10 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

I painted this crazy drapeyness seventeen months ago. At the time, I was satisfied - I really liked that slippery turquoise cloth - but something was off. Fast forward a year or so, and "The Kanji Vase" escaped the Great Art Destruction Party of 2013 by the skin of its teeth. I suspected I could save it, but I'm not generally in the habit of working back into old paintings. Better to start fresh! Going randomly out-of-character, I attacked it one day, and voila: redemption.

Step inside...

...My new studio!

Early in the Morning

 "Composition with Peaches"

12 x 9 inches, oil on Arches oil paper

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I have been waking up before dawn - call it an autumn resolution - and spending my extra two hours either running or painting. This is not a new idea, but hey, it's new to me! I worked on these peaches over the course of two or three mornings this week, intending it to be a warmup before heading out to work on a commission I've been doing (more on that soon), but it turned out as more of a finished piece. I love how the oil paper can be create either a smooth or rougher effect depending on how much paint you slather on. I painted this one thinner in the background, and much thicker in the foreground. Thick paint always draws the eye.

Seeing Red

 

 "On the Red Table"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

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I think I love my new studio. What a relief! Especially because it would be awfully hard to take back my old one, already on its way to becoming a man-cave family room. Jesse wasted no time taking over that space! I didn't waste much time myself - there's no better way to settle in than to sling some paint, or, um, spray diet soda all over the room.

I didn't do it, for the record!

Today I started on a fabulous new commission, which I'll be sharing much more about soon!

An Homage to the Swedish Flag...

 "Blue and Yellow Stack"

10 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

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...Or maybe just an homage to the Ikea logo. I've had Ikea on the brain a lot lately, working on setting up my new studio. In fact, this is the last painting made in my old studio. I'm ready to take a deep breath and dive into my new space. I feel like I should ceremonially break a bottle on the (as yet non-existant) doorframe. Maybe I'll just shake up a can of soda and spray it around a little.

Maybe. 

Anyway, if you happen to be near the aforementioned Swedish mega-mart, could you pick me up a carload of shelving and some lingonberries? Thanks.