Febraury passion challenge days 14-22

Baltimore sunrise, 30x40, oil

We had serious wind storms which closed down the city. At one point when I went to a doctor's appointment I heard two transformers blow and the fire came next! Therefore I spent more time in studio than out. The top one is the large oil I've been working on and the others are some of the plein airs before and after the storm.

field near needwood

memory twilight needwood

field at entrance

Day 5&6 passion challenge

pastel 8x8, day 6

After today I will be posting once a week. In that post I will include the 7 paintings from the week. It's been so freeing to simply go to the same place and just play with the possibilities. I have the small paintings up on the wall and love the differences. It brings me back to the two years of one pot of mums!

pastel 6x8, day 5

valentine's passion and one month

Hi Everyone!

pastel about 5"x6"

I'm back!!!! The explanation for my absence is below. I just wanted to announce that in honor of Valentine's Day I will be posting a daily passion post for one month (February 14-March 14.) Most posts will be that day's plein air painting. If it is my long teaching day you will see a small studio piece. What better way to celebrate passion! Happy Valentine's Day!


PS I am happy to say I am back blogging. Not to make excuses... but Apple has caused me many problems. When I updated to High Sierra it caused me more problems. It stopped access to my photo editing software (which was CS3...now is Cs5)and made it so I couldn't open Aperture. They call them "legacy programs". They are trying to phase these programs out because you only have to buy them once. Their replacements are programs you continually have to pay...by subscription. Arghhhhhh! With help from Artur, friend and tech specialist, I am up and running again, but for who knows how long. If you know answers to these issues please comment or email me. Iphoto is not as good as Aperture that's why I left. It looks like Lightroom is the only answer. Help...if you know!

study the possibilities

There really is nothing that can replace being there, just studying the possibilities.
Exploring and experimenting. It makes me understand so that when I am in the studio I don't need a reference photo to tell me what to do.
I have been traveling to new and old paint spots this summer. No matter how far I go I always look for the same thing. Fields. Not a cultivated field, but one left to sit with long grass. When on my way to Asheville I saw many. In Shepherdstown  I found a new favorite- old apple trees and long grass.  Last week, in Prince Edward Island I was blown away by the flower fields and I can't wait to go back. That could be a full summer destination. On Friday I am off to my old favorite, Washington State. There is a field there I have loved for over ten years.  I see my fields in my dreams. I mix and match attributes of each to make a painting work.
Nothing can replace being there.

abstraction and the landscape

36x376 oil

My recent work is about abstraction. I was fortunate to take a workshop with Rebecca Crowell. Her work is all about beautiful ethereal abstraction. While I don't see myself taking the full dive to abstraction I do know that I work abstractly as I alternately decompose and compose a scene. In the end I finish  with "compose" and the essence of the scene is hopefully the strongest part.
A painting is simply the arrangement of lights and darks. My focus is on the quality of the edges.

3x5 oil

One of my small abstracts.

buttercups and long grasses

I have a small infatuation at this time of year. Buttercup time.

Big Sale on small paintings!

8x8 pastel on Uart

Today is the big day! It's my small painting sale. Please take a moment to pop over to my Facebook artist page to see the 12 yummy small paintings for sale. Each painting will be posted separately with interesting info about its process, location, and or framing possibilities. If you don't have a Facebook account you can still browse and then email me if you want to purchase. Enjoy! Link here. for Loriann Signori's facebook.

PS Art makes a great present!