This morning's walk revealed another amazing light. The yellow sun fighting through a frozen fog was my treat. Unfortunately (or maybe it's fortunately) I had forgotten my camera so I had to play the memory game. It's hard to see but I even used my silver pastels. The scene made me think of one of my favorite poems.
Fog by Carl Sandburg
THE fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
December 30, 2007 Skyline Drive, Halfway to Heaven
I finished the biggie.. finally. This one will be in my show in February. I wonder if anyone will buy a painting this big. I wish I had walls that could handle a painting that will be close to 5 feet wide when framed! I love the feeling of space and atmosphere in this one. The Shenandoah Park is an amazing national treasure.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
December 29, 2007 Sunrise on the Hill
Friday, December 28, 2007
December 28, 2007 Moonlight Beach
What is art without out PEE (play, enthusiasm and experimentation) ? Nothing, right? So today that was my goal. I began with a watercolor under painting of a photo taken on Moonlight Beach (love that name), California. I painted with my fingers and towels using only 3 colors. Next, I took out my pastels and some Golden liquid matte medium. The medium allowed me to mushy blend, blow dry and then scratch on top. Fun.
Labels:
a painting a day,
California,
Moonlight Beach
Thursday, December 27, 2007
December 27, 2007 California Hills
Today I worked from my small painting, dated the 23rd, and a photo. I worked hard in the watercolor under painting to keep a dominant color, the alizarin crimson/rose. Then the question was, how can I make the light glow but still maintain the dominant color? It is always good to take away all the "sketches" and finally begin to work only from my head. It is only then the painting begins to get strong.
It is so good to be back in the studio!
It is so good to be back in the studio!
Labels:
a painting a day,
California,
mountains,
underpainting
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
December 26, 2007 Kensington Field in Snow
I am not sure if this is really legal. Knowing that I would be overloaded one day, I painted a "spare" to use at another time. Today was the day. We traveled back from California, a long trip due to delays and lines. So rather than paint I am off to bed. So here is the "spare," a quicky of the field at the top of the hill. It looked so peaceful. This is another "en plein car" painting (as were most of the ones in frosty California.)
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
December 25, 2007 Midas Tree on Christmas
Monday, December 24, 2007
December 24, 2007 Frosty Field with Glowing Orange Trees
The light this morning was something else! A huge full moon was setting, the fields were covered with a light frost and the mountains glowed their rose/ purple. I have admired this field with its orange/ gold trees since we arrived. The photo doesn't show the painting as beautiful as it is. This is my favorite painting I have completed in California, so far. The trees absolutely glow. Leave it to complementary colors.
Labels:
a painting a day,
California,
field,
frost
Sunday, December 23, 2007
December 23, 2007
So what is the dominant color out here? I have decided that a rose color is in everything ... whether the violet in the distance or the deeper version dusty rose in the foreground. These are the organic farms near Valley Center. I LOVE the landscape here. It is such a challenge to paint such a huge space on such a small panel ((4x6.)
Saturday, December 22, 2007
December 22, 2007 Frosty Morning (without the snowman)
Friday, December 21, 2007
December 21, 2007 Midas Trees
The sun is out and it is very cold. (I even had to paint with my fingerless wool gloves on!) Here there are places called Vista and Belle Vista and it is easy to see why. This is early morning and the air is crisp and clear. I love the way the intense gold of the trees played against the deep purple shadow of the mountain.
December 20, 2007
I am in sunny California...except it's not sunny. Today has been cool and overcast, but the light is amazing. In fact everything is. The landscape is something else. This is early morning on a mountainside near my Dad's place in Oceanside. Hazy mountains that drop down to valleys filled with orange topped houses. I think the trees are medrona. I am posting a day late since I could not access internet.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
December 19, 2007 Before Darkness
I had to get up very early this morning in order to have time to complete a painting. I still have to teach a full day of school (since it is Wednesday) plus immediately after I am off to sunny California. But, of course, the blog must go on. This is the river; but this time it is early evening. You know that wonderful time of day day when the light is a greenish blue and darkness is enveloping everything. It is just a moment, no more. It was like this as I drove home last night. That light was the inspiration for this painting. As I painted I kept my recent mantra in my head, "less is more."
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Decmber 18, 2007 December Morning on the Potomac
I tend to go "hog wild" with color. This painting went through several metamorphoses; blue cools to burnt sienna warms, alternately leading the way. This color is from my memory as it is way too cold to plaint outdoors this morning (below 20.) How does one paint color air, yet warm light.....this is my interpretation. Can you feel it?
Monday, December 17, 2007
December 17, 2007 The Lowell Stream
Today was one of those days! I worked on a painting of the river and wiped it out. Yuck! Then I noticed out of the corner of my eye that this painting (a big) one kept staring at me. I began it in April, but was never able to really resolve it to my satisfaction. Finally, I had an idea. I think it is done. As Richard says, "Value is the workhorse but color gets all the glory. "
Sunday, December 16, 2007
December 16, 2007 After the Storm, D.C.Skyline
It was still pouring when I drove downtown. I was hopeful that I could at least paint from inside the car with the windshield wipers on. As I pulled into a parking place, the rain stopped and the clouds puffed . The sky was beautiful. Here is the view looking toward the Washington monument. The Potomac River and the sky are the stars of this show as the tell tale monument watches like a sentinel.
P.S. I keep thinking of Whistler's river paintings.
P.P.S. Unfortunately the picture quality does not truly show how rich the color is in this painting.
P.S. I keep thinking of Whistler's river paintings.
P.P.S. Unfortunately the picture quality does not truly show how rich the color is in this painting.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
December 15, 2007 Beach Plum Path
Friday, December 14, 2007
December 14, 2007 Shenandoah Stream unfinished- 3 days later still
Thursday, December 13, 2007
December 13, 2007 Key Bridge Twilight
Lately I have been reading about Whistler. He was an outspoken critic of everyone and everything. Funny enough, he didn't like JMW Turner. He ridiculed Turner's outrageous 'sun paintings.' "Who would paint the sun?!?!" Whistler, instead, paints the moon. His small landscapes are quite amazing, most have three bands of color, with very subtle transitions. There are many in the Freer Gallery, downtown. After a critic referred to his Girl in White as a symphony he began naming his work by musical terms: overture, symphony, composition. I like that idea.
So this one is for Whistler. He makes it look so easy...it's not!
So this one is for Whistler. He makes it look so easy...it's not!
Labels:
a painting a day,
J.M. W. Turner,
Whistler
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
December 12, 2007 Twilight by the Stream
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
December 11, 2007 Unfinished Shenandoah Stream
I began this one with a one color under -painting last night. I decided that since the color essence was made up of the complementary colors, golden yellow/orange and purple, that maybe the golden green of the leaves and pinkish purple of the rocks would be set off by a magentaish/purple. We will see. This morning I restricted my work to just a small selection of nupastels so that I wouldn't go in a color frenzy, which, of course is my favorite thing to do. Big shapes and dramatic light.
When talking with a writer friend of mine, Louellen, I realized that my blog has helped me in so many ways. Most importantly the idea that painting is like breathing and if you want to breath (paint) from deep inside, you practice, tenacious, steadfast. Then the deep-insides emerge and fascinate you. It's like everyday is full of presents that I can imagine the day before! Cool, eh?
Monday, December 10, 2007
December 10, 2007 Fog in Early Winter
I went to the National Gallery yesterday. I needed to see the Turner exhibit again. This visit I spent time looking at other paintings as well. I noticed how many painters used the dark/light "trick." Pretty much everyone from Caravaggio to Courbet used it. They were all studio painters, with some studies outside. I never quite looked at it that way. So this morning I worked with an older black and white sketch of a branch of the foggy Potomac. No written color references, so I was free to interpret. Just the joy of making a place.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
December 9, 2007 Snowy Path
I did two "vitamins" today to make up for yesterday.
The question, in painting, how much is too much and what is not enough? With this painting I tried to play with exactly how much I need to put in to give the message. Think Turner or Inness. I really like this one.
Labels:
a painting a day,
George Inness,
J.M. W. Turner,
snow
December 8/9, 2007 Potomac Morning
Friday, December 7, 2007
December 7,2007
No painting today...dental surgery instead. I was hoping I would wake up, but I am still somewhat incoherent and light in my head. Tomorrow.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
December 6, 2007 Daybreak after the First Snow
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
December 5, 2007 Cherries
Cherries on the table. It snowed today and I needed to work a full day at school... so you get cherries. Go figure....
The day was white and gray. I can't wait for tomorrow morning. I must get up and walking at sunrise. I can picture it now...colors on glistening white snow. I hope it all freezes tonight. I LOVE the way that looks on the trees!
The day was white and gray. I can't wait for tomorrow morning. I must get up and walking at sunrise. I can picture it now...colors on glistening white snow. I hope it all freezes tonight. I LOVE the way that looks on the trees!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
December 4, 2007 Metamorphosis of a painting
December 4, 2007 The Bed Guardian
So today is my birthday and I decided could paint whatever I wanted to paint. Flishy- Flash , my eighteen year old cat is absolutely beautiful. In the sunlight her fur dances with light. I didn't want to turn into a "cat painter" so I refused to use her as a model, after all, I AM a landscape painter. (right?) But today when I woke up at 3:30 and went straight to the studio I knew I could paint whatever I wanted. So here she is. I tried not to sentimentalize her, instead work with basic complementary colors and shapes.
Monday, December 3, 2007
December 3, 2007 Metamorposis of a painting
Now is when the juicy stuff starts. I took out the foreground rocks so that there is only one star....the mountain. The building of form is complete and now I get to search for the "ahhh effect." Maybe I will go visit the NGA to see some Hudson River painters. They KNOW distance and space like no one else.
December 3, 2007 Potomac Late Afternoon
Sunday, December 2, 2007
December 2, 2007 Metamorphosis of a painting
The front mountain is taking shape and prominence and the back mountains are beginning to glow with their own distinct shapes (rather than be a line in the back... something you get away with on a smaller scale.) I have begun to flatten the
valley as well. Frederic Church's beautiful landscapes are on my mine now. I think I need to go to Olana.
valley as well. Frederic Church's beautiful landscapes are on my mine now. I think I need to go to Olana.
Labels:
a painting a day,
Frederic Church,
Shenandoah
December 2, 2007
How do you make things GLOW? For answers I decided to look to my pals , the Hudson River painters, Turner, George Inness and of course, Richard McKinley. Simultaneous contrast is of course the key, right Richard? This one was taken from a black and white sketch. Keep working. I feel like the 7 dwarfs..hi ho hi ho and off to work I go.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
December 1, 2007
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