paint what you love

Washington State

I have been traveling (without my computer) for most of the summer. I have missed posting and will try to wrap up my thoughts in this one post.  When I thought about where I go when I travel I noticed a thread. I paint what I love.

Chincoteague

1. I return to the same place, sometimes even the exact same field for 10 plus years, like I do on Whidbey Island
2. lI ook for the same concept over and over- fields or water with large masses


This year my obsession with fields extended to working with the horizontals and verticals that break the monotony of simply horizontal planes. Chincoteague and Washington State seem to rule. The bottom line is I paint what I love and know intimately. I am not searching for the next big thing. I am not painting postcards to "remember my trip."
The concept is already here, in my head.

Prince Edward Island

Think about it, why do you paint what you paint?

chincoteague Inspriation

My recent painting trip to Chincoteague was inspiring: fog, colored air, quiet and unbelievably- no bugs!
Both of these paintings began with a fluid acrylic underpainting. Then I took notes to describe what the landscape felt like.
Later, back in the studio, I added clear gesso and marble dust, then pastel. The buildings are simply found in the paint, not drawn. It just appears like magic.... a conversation with the painting.

be brave like vincent van Gogh, Picasso and David Bowie

pastel 30x40 on wood unfinished

"If one wants to be active, one mustn’t be afraid to do something wrong sometimes, not afraid to lapse into some mistakes. To be good — many people think that they’ll achieve it by doing no harm — and that’s a lie… That leads to stagnation, to mediocrity. Just slap something on it when you see a blank canvas staring at you with a sort of imbecility." Vincent Van Gogh
I have been away from my blog for 21 days. Thinking, experimenting, and wondering about possibilities. If you know how to do it, it's already done. Art and creating beauty is about wonder and never being satisfied. What if I do this....?
This large pastel has so much experimentation on it already. After many other smaller trial pieces I was ready to try large. It's 30x40 on wood.
On another note..... I was sad when David Bowie died, he was amazing, like Picasso. He always remaking himself. Both men were unafraid to keep rethinking and adapting. Courage. No method or technique as so wonderful that it needed to be repeated without rethinking.

detail of pastel above

chincoteague and James McNeill Whistler

21 x21 pastel

"To say to the painter that Nature should be taken as she is, is to say to the player that he may sit on the piano. " James McNeill Whistler

Don't you love that quote?
I was happy that this painting sold at the show. I think I will take this concept to the studio next.

Four small morning studies and a Thomas Cole quote

7:00am

7:45am

8:20am

9:10am

Here are four of yesterday's small morning studies. It's interesting how the more studies I do the freer I become. The painting develops into its own. It's truer to the feel and less need for description.
I will take these back home and percolate.
I end with a quote from a letter written by Thomas Cole to Asher B Durand.
He explained that her rarely succeeded in painting scenes "immediately on returning from them" because he had to "wait for time to draw a veil over the common details."

chincotegue plein air-underpainting

This is the underpainting of the marshes I see off my deck here in Chinocteague. I am here painting at my favorite place in the world for the Chincoteague Plein Air Festival. I love this event as it is so relaxed, with no competition. I booked myself into my favorite hotel with my favorite view. I intend to just paint from my balcony the whole time and yes that is allowed!!!! How fun!
I decided to post this watercolor underpainting. It's large for my plein air size-21"x21". I like the underpainting and it makes me reticent to dive in and add more. I did it late yesterday so I am letting it rest and allowing me to think before moving forward. "Incrementally" will be the key.
Tomorrow I will post a series of my 6"x6" sky studies.

later afternoon glow, distilled

Trying to find ways to create the late afternoon glow from the marshlands at Chincoteague. I want a distilled landscape, without fluff and details.

Aphrodite and me

11.5x12.25 pastel

Finally I am back to pastel. I missed it! So much finishing of paintings for the show..not enough fun.
This one came to me when I was swimming laps this lunch time.  Even the name...Aphrodite's Dream. Crazy, huh? Often I labor for months this took 45 minutes tops. It was already made in my head.
It was inspired by my favorite place Chincoteague Island. On the wall in my studio is this large study created in Chincoteague with black pastel only. It didn't sell at the plein air event...maybe that's better, so far it has inspired three paintings.