Friday, December 30, 2011

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.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

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

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

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.

Monday, December 26, 2011

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.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

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

Saturday, December 24, 2011

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.

Friday, December 23, 2011

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

Monday, December 19, 2011

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.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

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.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

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.

Friday, December 16, 2011

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.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

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

Monday, December 12, 2011

Illinois Creek

This started out with both banks showing but I couldn't get it to work.
6x6 Oil on Raymar Panel

Sunday, December 11, 2011

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.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

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.

Friday, December 9, 2011

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.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

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.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

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.