Winter Trees at Riverbend

10 x10 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100. plus shipping and tax

Vibrant color in the underpainting makes me take more risks. The finished painting is actually with stronger color; the jpegs are dulled. (gotta work on that)
This painting is from yesterday at noon. The winds started to whip up and this morning they are wild. For a pastel painter that can mean another risk-a toppled easel with hundreds of dollars of perfectly-selected pastels broken and on the ground:-( Therefore the indoor studio calls.

Luminosity Squared

about 11 x 11 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100. plus tax and ship
The Potomac River right below the Chain Bridge has a wonderful open space view. I chose to use a square format, as I have done frequently as of late. Squares fascinate me. Being neither vertical or horizontal they begin with a tension not present in the other formats. Verticals are dynamic and make a thrust while horizontals are calming.......that leaves the wonderful square. It allows YOU to determine. Cool, eh?

Tempting Colors

10 x10 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100. plus tax and shipping
Back to another place I love....the reservoir. I have been asked many times recently; "why do you underpaint in watercolor?"
After this morning's work I made a list:
1. Watercolor can be massed quickly. I really like to play off a mass of color rather than white paper.
2. Watercolor has a beautiful translucent vibrancy. It is Richard McKinley (pastel god) who has challenged me to leave more of the watercolor visible in the final painting.
3. I like to underpaint with more intense colors than the finished product (again, something to play off of). With watercolor underneath I have more room to build color if necessary.

Green Vitamin / New Years Resolutions

7 x7 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100.
It's wonderful to be back in familiar ground, my beloved Potomac River. Today she was very GREEN on this overcast day. Trick to vibrating colors-complements. Therefore, rather than choose grays I make my own neutralized, yet exciting color-note the turquoise green and pinkish red bouncing next to each other. I had made a mistake as well and later fixed it. That is shapes. Repeating shapes can be a good thing, but I don't think they should be the same size.
I am beginning my new years resolution early. That is, I vow to share my art thoughts and tips(what little I know). It will keep me thinking. Keep me to it.....please remind me if I forget! Any other artists who would like to add their thoughts/tips please send them via comments or you can guest blog. Thanks!

----If you have an art 2009 resolution please send it in. It would be great to hear them all.

Torrey Pines on Boxing Day

11x14, I think.... pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $150.
I went back to Torrey Pines this morning at sunrise. Color harmony can require restraint ( on the palette that is).
It was COLD and very windy. After 2 near complete disasters (a blown over easel-caught and a flying palette...and boy, they can fly!) I finally sat down with the painting and my box in my lap. I heard it is 60 degrees back in Maryland.
Tomorrow is a long day of travel. I will be back on Sunday.

Merry Christmas!

about 6x11 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100.
Merry Christmas everyone! It's pouring rain in sunny California and the only place wide enough to place the car and see is right here at Interstate 15. Love these lace-like trees!

The Grandaddy of Distance

11x14, pastel and watercolor on Uart paper, $300.
Wow, what a view! I almost drove off the road. I found this year last year and it took me the last 4 days to find it again. This vision sat in my mind all year.
Distance and big space with the rose colored light overlapped with the wowza feeling of seeing this view was my concept.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Early Morning; Torrey Pines

10 x 10 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $175. plus tax and ship
I dreamed about coming back to this park all year long and could paint here for days. I love the way California comes complete with complementary colors. The rosy light touches the green/red trees makes for beauty.
My aim in my California paintings is distance, great distance the kind that is hard to come by in Maryland. The tools are neutralized color, overlapping, mass size, and color intensity.

Winter Solstice Morning

10 x 10 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100. plus shipping and tax
Determined to find a place where the lead in to the mountains was a little longer and flatter, I drove farther this morning. I passed a sunrise rainbow and then found my spot. The clouds were coming towards me at a rapid pace so I needed to paint fast. I love the subtle blue/violet grays in this one.

Sunrise in the Land of Canyons and Vistas

10 x 10pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100.
After a long day of travel I am here in California. Not knowing my where-a-bouts I drove out of the condo parking lot in darkness and up a mountainside at 6:15 am. I found a spot before the sun came over the horizon, only to learn I was staring straight into it. The sunrise was magnificent and momentary. A different type of frosty fog was nestled in to valleys making for a whole new palette of neutrals. It took me at least 6 different pastels with the underlying watercolor to attempt to create the glowing frosty look.

Pregnant Clouds

6.5 x6.5 plein air, pastel and watercolor on UArt $100.
Above-9x9 studio, pastel and watercolor on Uart $100.
Today's sunrise and blanket of clouds quickly turned into RAIN. So I took it to the studio determined to create the feeling of moisture filled air, pregnant with anticipation....thus the studio piece immediately afterwards.
Tomorrow I leave for San Diego, so probably I will not post. See you on the warm west coast for vistas of dry rolling land! Can't wait!

Winter Softness

about 12 x12 pastel and watercolor, $300.
I saw this one in my head as I drove to my location. Overcast days can be a wonderful unifier. The question was, "how much information do you really need?" Less is more. I tried to stick with masses of color, no trees.
This one has a rich feeling:I don't know if you can see that in the jpeg.

metamorphosis of a painting/unfinished

15 x 20 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper unfinished
Commissions are always challenging;so I thought why not let others see the struggle? In this particular commission the collector liked a painting I did (see December 12 20o7 archive) because of its haunting blue light. So start with that, easy, huh? No. Here is the process so far, from sketch to watercolor to first layer of pastel. I think I will go downtown to the National Gallery to be inspired by some of my friends at this stuck point.

Silver Geese in Pink Light

about 9x9 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100. plus shipping and tax
Creating color harmony is one of the most important aspects to having a successful painting. In this painting I chose pink- alizarin-violet - blue-all cooled hues. For a little spice a grayed down (to cool it) burnt sienna in the foreground land. If the burnt sienna was left un-grayed it would break the harmony. That's my logic:-)
On another note I have become addicted to Uart paper. Its texture, versatility and underlying warmth is a perfect support for my pastel paintings. In addition it holds the pastel without use of fixative and loves watercolor. Try it sometime.

Winter Gold

about 9x11 pastel and watercolor on Wallis paper $100. plus shipping and tax
The light of later afternoon begins early-about 3:00. I love the way the golds of the sky meet the beautiful violets of the bare trees.

Dogs by the Creek, Winter

9x9 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100.
The rain stopped for now and the creek is filled to the brim; no rocks are showing. Today I stayed close to home and painted at Rock Creek. While I stood there painting I watched a buck and doe swim across the creek. I must have been very still because they didn't seem to notice me and swam right towards me. What an amazing treat! Later two dogs came and stood on the opposite beach. The golden retriever presented and step of color (orangey tan) that joins both pieces of land. Oh the joy of being outside with nature!

Sacred Moment

about 6x9 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100.
Working from photos is not a preference of mine. Plein air and working from my plein air paintings is my choice. That being said....today was pouring rain and I need to begin a commissioned piece on this theme. Yesterday's photos were my start. Many people have asked me about photo use so that is why I have posted the photo and the small painting so that you can see what happens. The photo only starts it and then the painting tells you want to do. Today I was warm with my favorite arias (Ave Maria/Andrea Bocelli) playing in the background, a hot tea by my side. Total decadence.

Painting in process, the gorge

about 3 ft x 4ft pastel and oil paint on marble dust board
I have been working on this painting for a long time now. I didn't get the color right in the jpegs, but the detail (above) is really beginning to work. This weekend at open studio someone said it was very Hudson River School-like. (cool)
On another note...... when I was returning from the doctor this afternoon the air was warm and the earth was cold. The result was an awesome foggy atmosphere. I had limited time so I drove the Rock Creek and ran out into the park with my camera. Silly me was wearing my "pointies'' (boots with pointed toes and high heels, pointies is my niece Agne's word). By the time I got out of the park and it was dark. My pointies were a mud mess...... but I had the best photos! I have been waiting for that light to begin a commisioned large painting. More about that process later, now to the studio with me!

Blanket of Clouds

6.5 x6.5 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper
The clouds were hanging low on the horizon, therefore changing the composition. Their reflection make the water look icy.

Self Portrait at Rosario Head

about 10 x9 pastel on watercolor $100. plus shipping
I had this idea after going through all my summer paintings. I used a painting I did in Washington ( see it -July 14, Speak to Me) and a photo of me painting. I wanted it soft.

Thanks you to everyone who came to my open studio this weekend. I am truly grateful for all my very supportive friends and collectors. One moment in particular tickled me. After seeing my studio with their parents, two young artists, Graham (age 3 1/2 about) and Chloe (age 5), wanted to paint right there and then. So there they were lying on the floor working. Now how cool is that?

Pink Beauty

6.5 x6.5 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100.
Wow! Changes happen so quickly at sunrise. The painting below was begun at 6:45am. This one at 7:25am.....the differences amaze me!!!!!!! A luminous pink/violet cloud settled in by the horizon, the snow stopped and a new act of the play began.
I am incredulous of the beauty of nature and the Earth we live on and take for granted each day.
WOW!!!!!!!
It's funny how I almost forgot how my tears froze as as I squinted at the landscape and my fingers were so cold they burned. Just register me for the Mother Nature fan club.

The Call of the Kingfisher in Winter

6.5x6.5 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper
Waiting for sunrise, 6:45 am, light snow, silence only broken by the call of the kingfisher and Canadian geese: it was amazing!
I am posting two today since I was so busy yesterday with my open studio. The response was overwhelming. I was grateful to my husband who took care of the business end while I was freed to talk with people, tell stories of the paintings and show my process. Thanks to everyone who came! If you couldn't make it yesterday it's still not too late. My studio is open once again today and some of my favorite paintings are still for sale.

Open Studio

Open Studio is tomorrow and Sunday. All are invited. Please email me for directions if you did not receive a postcard.
I have been working my buns off to get ready. Here a couple paintings I found in my archives that will be for sale tomorrow.
Now it is time to go to sleep.

Sunrise in December

9 x9 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper
It's my birthday...I can paint what I want to, paint what I want to...(you know that song, right?)
So this morning I raced out the door at 6:00 am to be there at the reservoir waiting for the sunrise. The trick is to be ready and set up before the sun ever comes over the horizon. And what an event it was! The angle of the sun in December is pure magic!
I think I will use this for a big painting...so price will be posted later.

Racing Clouds

9x9 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper
A cloud study is fun to do, but VERY challenging. Talk about models who move!

Cold Water, Warm Geese

about 9x9 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper $100.
It's amazing to me how the geese can swim on that frozen water and look very happy.

The Tranquil Veil (finished?)

17.5 x 21.5 pastel on marble dust board, contact me about price
This painting has been obsessing me. What was wrong? I had posted it unfinished on November 12th and then left it to sit. The right bottom corner had been bugging me and the color harmony was wrong. So here are the changes. Change the shape and lighten of the bottom piece of land. Create more harmony by toning down the discord color of gold, heighten the dominant color. Done? We'll see.
On another note, last autumn the Turner exhibit was here in Washington. It was a mind blowing experience that I couldn't stay away from. I still keep thinking about his work. More later.