White Roses no 2

White Roses

I bought some roses and satin fabric for this still life, which seemed like a great set up at the time but maybe for someone else. Roses are not my thing but I love paintings of roses so I keep trying. I am also working at making a light box. I don't think my homemade lightbox works as well as taking photos outside in the right light. I also may have to crop this so the final size is still undetermined.

Christmas 2011

This was part of the Daily Paintworks challenge. To paint the aftermath of the Christmas celebration. This is my second try at shiny surfaces and curly ribbons. I don't know if this is any better than my first one.

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel

Geode Creek no6

Around here we do not have tall mountains with cascading waterfalls. I enjoy the small waterfalls that that you find along the local creekbeds.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel.

Glass Apples no. 3

One more time and then I think I can give at least one of the apples away. The red apple is not as transparent as the others and I struggle with my reds. The size of this painting is 12 x 12, a little larger than usual.

12 x 12 Oil on Stretched canvas.

Young Girl

The model for this painting reminded me of the models in a lot of John Singer Sargent paintings. There is the great bones and deep set eyes. Another reason to paint this was the profile view which I struggle with and that is probably why I did not get this to look enough like the young lady for her to recognize it as herself.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel

Arabian no 10

This is another painting painted over a failed one. Just a quick painting if it turns out fine if not maybe the next painting will be a painting using a pallette knife.

6x6 oil on Clayboard.

Glass Apples no. 2

I now have four glass apples so this will be a recurring still life subject. I painted this over a failed painting. Some of the texture is actually brushstrokes from the previous painting. I use liquin which dries fast but if the painting is not working out it does not wipe off very well. The background in this is out of my head because I didn't set it up right in the first place. If I set it up right I can just work straight off the photo. Although this subject matter would work better from life and I should have done that.

8x8 Oil on Canvas

Hannah

Green Glass Apples and the Real Thing

We recieved a fruit basket for Christmas with green apples. There was also a pear that would make a great contrast in shapes but, my husband ate it. Next time I know to work fast if I want food in my still lifes.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel.

Mattie Again

This is again from a photo of Mattie but I don't think I got the features correct. This was just a practice for anatomy of the face. I am just glad I didn't give her a crooked face.

6x8 Oil on Raymar panel.

Green Glass Apples

I have another painting on this blog of a glass apple, it was painted before I gave the apple away as a present. When I went to buy another the glassblower was no longer making glass apples. He was like a lot of a artist,s in that making the same thing again and again is so boring. It took a lot of prodding to get these apples and they will not be presents, as a matter of fact he has others and I plan on buying those too.

Bridge On Ave D

I took the photo reference for this from the bridge on Ave E. The bridge in the background is now closed and will probably stay that way. They don't even allow foot traffic anymore. I tell myself one day I am going to set up on the bridge and paint on site but probably not this time of year. The local bicyclist have a bike ride in January for the real die hard riders. I sometimes think I should start up a plein air painting event in January for the real die hard painters, but that would make me committed to showing up.

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel.

Canadian Geese Reflection

This painting was done for the Daily Paintworks Challenge to paint a reflection. The geese gather at Starker Lake in Crapo Park. When the kids were young we would go there with bread and feed them.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel Buy

Illinois Creek

This started out with both banks showing but I couldn't get it to work.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel

Mattie

This little girl posed holding her hair out and I loved the look, also it gave me an opportunity to paint a hand. That was the hardest part of the painting forcing me to wipe it out and try again. This was still painted alla prima but it took a little longer to do it. If you looked at my post of this painting earlier you may have thought the girl's hair was a lot more disheavaled, I went back in and messed with the hair a bit more. This is no longer alla prima painting.

10x8 Oil on Raymar Panel.

Dappled Paso Fino

The photo below is the reference shot for this painting. I had to edit around the white fence. The back legs were not ideal, so they were changed. Ideally I would have liked to work straight from the photo. The angle of the horse's head is what inspired me to paint this. I had to edit the hind quarter of the painting to look more like a Paso Fino using the other reference shots to figure out the anatomy. Defining the difference between one breed of horse and another is a challenge almost as challenging as capturing the difference in human faces. Another challenge is painting dappled horses. I used to paint little pins for Christmas presents. One of the pins was of a dappled circus horse which I kept for myself. I left the pin on my blouse when it went through the wash it was ruined. 

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel.

Rainy Evening on the Road

SOLD

I do not like to take pictures from the passenger seat. My husband was driving and wanting to get home. This painting is based on the photo from the car window.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel.

Mari

I take my photos of these paintings outside and it is an overcast day. I am posting this now but will update the image when the lighting is right.

This little girl was my Thanksgiving visitor and she was a great subject.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel.

Fall Colors on River Road 5

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel

Amaryllis

Another color challenge with red. This Amaryllis bloomed last year when I took this picture. I could not get it to bloom again. The only time I have a green thumb is when I get paint in it.

6x6 Oil on Ampersand panel.

Fall Colors on River Road4

Another view along River Road.

8x10 Oil on Raymar Panel

American Saddlebred

SOLD

I was walking around the Rodeo grounds taking pictures when two young girls came riding up, riding bareback on this horse and politely posed for me. As you can see I left them out. Digital pictures let you drop them in Photoshop and retreive details lost in the dark shadows, but this was taken before digital. I just guessed at the dark side of this horse and don't trust myself on the gir'ls details. The profile was just great and I couldn't resist painting it. It probably would be better with a landscape behind it, but this is one of those days I don't want to think too much. For me this painting was just fun and easy. I think this is an American Saddlebred but could it be an Arabian? I took some liberties with the tail, in the actual photo it was down and since the girls were riding on the back I created the profile of her back. Most of the paintings I have done were of Arabians with a few quarter horses thrown in. I have photos of Paso Finos which I have not used yet. When I was growing up I received the book, "An Album of Horses" and drew every horse in that book at least once. 

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel. $50

Fall Colors on River Road 3

If this looks familiar, it is a larger version of a previous 6x6. This one is 12x12. When I want to go larger and don't want to take the chance of messing it up I will use a successful 6x6 as the basis. I don't know if I like the smaller one better or maybe it is just different.

12x12 Oil on Ampersand textured clayboard.

Waterfall on the Bluff

The original photo for this did not have a waterfall, but it was boring. I admit that it is not exactly correct but close enough to give you the feeling.

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Panel.

Fall Colors at Lake Geode

There was still some water left at Lake Geode.

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel.

Red Wine and Green Bottle

When I was arranging this still life I spilled the wine. When I came back with a towel to wipe it up the dogs were licking the wine off the floor. I guess they think if its something we like to drink it must be good, even through this was a dry merlot.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel

Fall Colors on River Road 2

The fall colors on River Road in the early morning light have more color or it just seems so because the light and dark is so much more dramatic. I sometimes paint my ground with whatever is left on the pallette and this one started with a green ground.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel

Fall Colors on River Road

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel

Rocky

While walking the creeks I found this scene. Usually many of these rocks would be under water and there would be waves. 6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel.

Fall Colors on the Bluff

I was walking the creek bed thinking I could get a nice shot of the fall colors reflected in the water, but this has been a dry year and the water levels are down. I did find this scene. I needed more work on painting rocks.

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel.

Fall Colors no3

The sky was a little cloudy with the sun trying to peek through. I took a photo and finished painting in the studio for this one.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel.

Fall Colors With Creek

Yesterday was a great day for plein air painting the fall colors. The early morning light gave the leaves more color. Painting fast and using a little creative license when it comes to color helped this painting.  

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel.

The Autumn Drive

SOLD

I altered the road from the original photo to give the painting depth.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel.

Fall Colors

The fall colors are not as vibrant as they have been in the past. This scene is with the early morning light and I think that added some color.

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel

Kitty Kitty Kitty

My sister has several cats and last time I stopped by I took a photo. I admit I don't have much experience painting cats so this did take some editing. The original photo had them under the porch which was also edited out of the painting. I also experimented with the pallette knife on this one. Sometimes I need to paint out of my comfort zone.

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel.

Building the Sand Castle

Sold

Today was the second day of the studio tour. I was a little braver and painted this scene on site and it went smoothly. I will need to fix the details when the paint dries.

6x8 Oil on Raymar panel. 

Don't Push Me

I got a little bolder yesterday with this scene. I did have to edit the background, since the original photo was taken in a feed lot.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel.

Red Wine and Green Grapes no 5

Yesterday I participated in the South East Iowa  Artists' Studio Tour. I selected this subject matter because I am familiar with it. When painting in front of crowds I usually select something I can pull off successfully.

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel

Red Wine and Concord Grapes

My sister dropped off some concord grapes that she picked up from a local vineyard. These are perfect for this still life. I may have to go back in after it drys some to put more quinocridone red in the grapes.

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel

geode creek no5

This is a version of the creek that I had been painting.

6x12 Oil on Raymar panel.

Red wine and Green Grapes 4

6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel

Geode Creek no.4

I decided to try this creek scene again. I love the creeks in the area they bring back memories. They are difficult to paint and usually I avoid subjects like that but not these. I probably have more creek scenes in my reject pile than other subject. I am still debating this one.

Red Wine and Green Grapes 3

This last week's Daily Paintworks Challenge a value study.

This started out as the Daily Paintworks Challenge using 4 monotone values. It started out as a set up outside but I could not reproduce the set so I just used my imagination. Working off a value study helps.

Staring Contest

This is the previous trail riders painting after I edited it. I am not sure of the composition, possibly the palomino should have been on the right with the chestnut in the middle something that would lead your eye around the painting.

Creek no 6

I am brushing up on my water painting skills. I have this commission that requires a water scene that I basically have to make up. This is a scene I created in my head as a warm up for the rough sketch below.

The commission requires three guys swimming across the Mississippi. I needed to convey the sense of distance. The bridge is blocked in on the left; which after looking at it seems out of perspective. The waves will also have to be adjusted to gradually transision from large to small. I may have to go plein air painting to get a better grasp of the details.