February 29, 2008 Sun After the Storm

5.5 x 7.5, pastel and watercolor on board, $100. plus ship and tax
Temperature of color is on my mind as I continue to work the newest biggie of the Potomac Gorge. ( I'll maybe post my progress tomorrow.) It's coming along. All I do is think about it or work on it... a little obsessive if guess.
Took a break and whipped off this little one from photos I took this summer when I was on Monhegan. A small one is much less complicated.
Now back to the biggie!

February 28, 2008 Sunset at the Station

8.5x8.5 pastel and watercolor on wallis, $100. plus tax and ship
Last night I was hanging at the station again. (Am I becoming a station junkie?...I'm not even going anywhere!) Well it was cold and windy, but sunset was stellar! Low sun, highlights on the sides of buildings, pink clouds (ooooooh and I love pink clouds!), what more can a girl want?

February 27, 2008 Light Mist, Early Morning Train

7.5x7.5, pastel and watercolor on board, $100. plus ship and tax
Yesterday, on my morning walk, I was down by the train station and I saw this. My response was immediate and I knew just how I was going to do it. I wanted to make the mist as it came through that wonderful light. I think I got that feeling. For some reason train stations have a kind of magic.

February 26, 2008 Trying to Get the Glow

6x7 pastel and watercolor on board
I wasn't satisfied with yesterday's work so the first thing I did was another study of the gorge. I examined many Sanford Giffords and was amazed just how golden he would push in the distance. At this point the glow is in the distance. My question now is; how much can I pull that into the foreground?
Check out the link to see 3 works by Gifford.

February 25, 2008 Glow to the River

32x40, underpainting for The Potomac is Gorgeous, as of 2/25
approx, 6x7 pastel and watercolor on board
I am trying to make the river glow. What combinations of colors will do it? I thought I knew (ha!), but I am not completely satisfied with the under painting. So I decide to use today's vitamin to research more. Now I think more warm light is needed on the rocks and it doesn't seem to distract from the aerial perspective. I keep thinking of the wonderful paintings of Sanford Gifford. What do you think?

February 24, 2008 February Swim

approx. 5x6, watercolor and pastel on board, $100. plus tax and ship
Down by the river, it was cold so I wore my fingerless, wool gloves. Winter has the most beautiful colors. It's worth the cold. A duck swam by as I was just finishing- a perfect touch. I love the way the red- purple plays off the sycamores in the back with their white trunk and orange bud-ettes.

February 23, 2008, Painting at Ghost Ranch

14x7 1/2, pastel and watercolor on board
Yesterday I found another old picture of me painting. It was inside a cookbook; go figure?! It is a black and white photo that I was given by a stranger when I was painting at Ghost Ranch. I always liked it so today I was ready to give it a try. I like painting from black and white photos. It's as if some one gives me a "fly free" card. (Sort of like get out of jail free, but different cuz painting is never a jail.) I feel totally free to find my own color. What do you think?

February 22, 2008 Potomac Blues

9x12, pastel and watercolor on board, $100. plus tax and ship
Ice day, so the entire day is mine, all mine!!!! I am ready to begin a new, big one. Remember Monday's small Potomac Gorge? Well that's been in my mind every minute since then. I've painted it at least 5 times. Today I prepared a big board, approximately 31x42 (which is big for pastel.) Yesterday I consulted with my framer; how big can I paint and still have it safely under glass? (Unlike the giant 4 foot one I did earlier this year which needed plex) So this is it. But in order to paint big I needed to clean my studio. (I am a squirrel.) I threw away a lot of paintings I just never want to see again (the "kennel") and found this one which was an unfinished plein air painting. Now I knew what to do. I like the amber and topaz colors near the amethyst and sapphire. I guess it's really jewel day. Enough.
Now back to the biggie of the gorge.

February 21, 2008 Moonset after the Lunar Eclipse

7x7 pastel and watercolor on wallis, $100. plus ship and tax
Last night's moon eclipse was amazing! I just knew this morning would bring a memorable moonset. Walked out in the bitter cold and there it was, a huge shining orb hanging in the sky. I think the sky was awesome as well because we are expecting a good storm.

February 20, 2008 Winter Sunset on the River

7 x 9, pastel and watercolor on board, $100. plus tax and ship
This weekends river walks will come in handy (in terms of photos and studies, as well as mental health.) Winter blues just glisten.

February 19, 2008 Near Great Falls

approx. 4x6, pastel and watercolor on board, $100. plus tax and ship
Here is the second one. I had fun painting the water; balancing calm, still and shadows. Plein air painting is my passion. It felt so good to be back outside, too bad it is cold again today. The upside is maybe we will get snow. Back to the studio now.

February 18, 2008 The Potomac is Gorgeous

approx. 4x6, pastel and watercolor on board, $100. plus tax and ship
This morning at 7:30 it was 63 degrees already! So, off to the river I go. This time I returned to a favorite spot the gorge at Great Falls. The light was wonderful. I think I may use this study to paint a big one. I also painted a second small one. I will post that one tomorrow. I love Spring!
Happy Birthday Leah!

February 17, 2008 Sweet Peas of the San Juan Islands

8x10, watercolor and pastel on rives treated with marble dust, $100. plus ship and tax
I think I was beginning to think I wanted to paint "pretty." But, I don't. I had begun another painting of Stonington harbor.. but I realized I wasn't living up to my motto; PEEE (Play, Exploration, experimentation, and above all enthusiasm.) So I took a long walk by the river yesterday and gave myself a talking-to. Fields and the river, those are my favorite subjects. Stick to those and then take risks and push myself into the unknown. So working from my multitude of sweet pea paintings and photos, sticking to a split complementary palette(red-violet, blue violet and yellow), I did this. Boy, it's hard to stick to a palette!

February 16, 2008 Greenhead Calm- finished

7 1/2 x 10, watercolor and pastel on board
I finished it today. First I lightened the greens and then I decided to take out the dock. It simply needed more water to be calm rather than distracting detail in the foreground. I also needed to strenghten the eyes path through the painting.
All the time I kept correcting myself about my hand's hold on either the brush or more often the pastel. After reading an article on brain research I am really working on the message I send to my brain. For instance, when you hold the brush or pastel like a pencil you signal to the brain., "writing... left side of the brain." Where I want it to say, "painting, creating... right side !"
Now you can see how a painting goes through its changes. Back to work!

February 15, 2008 Greenhead Calm

7 1/2 x 10, watercolor and pastel on board, unfinished
Since the opening I have had many questions about my painting methods. So in this entry I will explain. When in the studio, I do not begin to paint until I can visualize an image, so for instance for a painting-a-day, this is often done the night before and I sleep on it or I find it in an early walk the next day. Next, I choose or make a marble dust board. The strokes can vary the effect, such as yesterday's snow. Today there is a dynamic swish to balance the calmness in the water. Next the watercolor (or oil) paint is applied. Big shapes is the name of the game here. When wet I wipe out my lights. At this point I am very conscious of edges. It is later I want to choose where to put edges, preferably at the focal point. Now blow dry (since I am inpatient) and now ah! the pastel. I am leaving off on the third layer of pastel. I will finish this one later since I need thinking time. Till tomorrow!
PS After painting this site for the second time I know why they call it Greenhead. (that's also why I did the underpainting with its complementary color... so much green!!!

February 14, 2008 Snowy Morning Walk

6 x 13 pastel/watercolor on board
This one has an extensive watercolor painting underneath. Beneath that is my marble dust ground painted so that it would look like snow falling. It may still need more work and it may be heading too close to "representation." Any thoughts?
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Greenhead in the Blue Fog or The Brooding Teenager

5.5 x 6, pastel on board, $100. plus ship and tax
Yesterday the flu had me down, fever nausea. Today I am beginning to win and thus back in the studio this afternoon.
This is Greenhead, in the lovely small town of Stonington, Maine. It has many moods, which can change by the hour. This time it was brooding, like only a teenager who has limits can.

February 11, 2008, Sunrise for Alex

about 8x10, pastel on wallis, $100. plus tax and ship
My brother and his son, Alex, came down to visit from Connecticut. Alex, an energy ball, made certain I was up early yesterday so that we could go hiking. He called me to the window and said, "Look Aunt Loriann this is a good one to paint!" I took a photo and off we went to hike. So this one is for you Alex. "Sunrise in the Backyard"

February 9, 2008 Adagio, studio version

17x20, pastel on board, this will go to the gallery
Hi Everyone! A big thank you to everyone who came to my opening last night. I love you all! It was great to see everyone, hug, talk art and life, and smile non-stop. I was delighted to see so many of my youngest artist friends ( the 4-9 year old crew)! One declared to me, "This will be me! I will be an artist and have shows too!"
As for the painting, this one has gone through several metamorphoses since July. Little by little. I think it is done. Finally I knew what to do.
Thanks again for all your support! And last, a big thank you to Domi who has helped me through every blog and website glitch !!

February 8 Flowers near Blue Hill

14x14, pastel on wallis, unfinished
Working on wallis paper is so different than the surface I make. It is so much smoother with no crevices. I guess the activity needs to be on the surface, rather than relying on the contrast of my active marble dust crevices to the serene top. Here is one I have been working on for 3 days with a full watercolor under -painting. Mid tones I know are the secret, but also the struggle. This is once again from Maine, near Blue Hill, like the one on January 30th, same place, different time.

February 7, 2008 Doober King

This is the best job anyone can have! I woke up at 3:30, made hot chocolate and began work in the studio. Kinzo is here assisting, as always. The first job was to complete the pastel of Stripey, now named Dooper King. I tried to make his stripes without fussing. I must admit it is his orange puff of pajamas, rather than his face, that is the focal point.

January 6, 2008 stripey dude watercolor underpainting

8x10 ,watercolor on wallis...study for pastel
Stripey is gorgeous in his dude-like way. Rich grays, browns and gold. The grays and browns are red and blue tinted and he has awesome pajamas!!!! This was a pose he could hold forever.
We call him Doobers cuz he's so cute; that and 50 other names. They say that the sign of a much loved animal is the number of names he/she has. What do you think?

February 5, 2008, Runner on Beach Drive

About 8x10, pastel on wallis, $100. plus shipping and tax
I'm back!!! The show is up and the real work is done! Yeah!!!!! I couldn't wait to get back to the studio. So today I had time for a small painting. I have been thinking about the light on beach drive. I had a difficult time shooting the jpeg so that you can see the subtle pinks, greens and beautiful grays the distance. This one is for all you wonderful runners on the path!