Getting Out

SUMMER MEADOW

During a recent trip to an agricultural area north of Columbus,  I was able to get some great photos of the fields and meadows for future painting ideas.  This particular meadow had a great tree line where the sky was sparkling through the trees.  I love this effect, so knew that it would become a painting at some point.  In this small study, I experimented with toning the board in red and purple acrylic paint then painting in oil on top of it.  The acrylic dries very quickly, so it was ready to go in about 5 minutes. I like how the acrylic colors underneath show through the painting in some areas adding interest and texture.

ENJOY!!

Summer Landscape

ADENA CREEK BRIDGE

Summer is in fill swing and I have been getting out more to paint.  Not all of my paintings have been successful but I'm learning a lot about capturing an idea quickly and hope that by summer's end,  I will have speeded things up a bit.  I painted this view the day after a plein air class, and returned a second day to finish because I lost the light and my shadows moved. I was trying to use what I had learned in class, to paint with a purpose, not to worry if the first color choice is wrong, and to get the large shapes down first.  I like how this one turned out, even though it is decidedly very green.

ENJOY

Neighborhood Favorite

CLEVELAND' S LITTLE ITALY

I love exploring old neighborhoods and when I got the chance to tag along on a business trip with my husband in Cleveland, we spent some time in Little Italy.  This section of town was full of great little restaurants, antique stores and beautiful old buildings.  What a beautiful, vibrant area to call home!!
I am always practicing new ways of painting, and for this piece tried to loosen up my brush strokes a bit as well as not worrying about perfect architecture.  I especially like how the sunlight placed a diagonal highlight across the building in the middle and think it adds a great focal point to the painting.

ENJOY!!

RURAL LIFE

Rusty Barn, Co Rd. 500 N

 Sometimes its difficult to remember that I grew up in a rural part of Indiana, on a farm.  I have such good memories of the times there, of walking the fields, of help bring in the hay, of caring for farm animals in a smelly barn, of climbing in the hayloft on a rainy day with a book.  All these memories came flooding back when I saw this rusty barn on a recent trip back to my former Indiana home. There it was, a precious reminder of long ago. I thank my lucky stars that I got to grow up in rural countryside on a farm.  And I am grateful to my parents, now deceased, that they provided such a good home for us in which to grow up.  I am truly blessed.

ENJOY!!

BIRD POSE

LISTEN TO THE BIRD

I have been playing around with still life set ups and arranged this group of pieces to include a cute little ceramic bird.  One of my passions is to watch and study birds, and I thought it was high time that I include a bird in one of my paintings.  I also love to paint the reflections of glass, so included a small vase too.  In my mind, I can imagine the little bird singing to the vase and bowl of apples.  Wonder what is on his mind?

ENJOY!!

APPLES

THREE ACTORS

I painted this still life using some favorite objects.  The napkin is in my favorite green color,  and the shelf is a random piece of scrap wood I found.  These apples are the good old Red Delicious type.  I love painting them because I get to mix up a really deep red for the darks.  I like the dark, dark shadows and the orangey yellow of the background.  I can imagine these apples as three actors on stage, with the stage lights gleaming on them.

Enjoy!!

STILL LIFE ON MY MIND

READY FOR MY REVEAL

I have been thinking about doing some still life painting.  Now that the weather has turned, its comforting to be inside in my studio and painting from my own set up.  This apple and knife on a plate had me stumped for a title.  Then it came to me; the apple is going to be sliced open, revealing its juicy flesh.  This apple happens to be my new favorite, the Honeycrisp.  Eating one of these is like having dessert.  

ENJOY!!

HEADING INTO WINTER

GOLDEN GRASSES

Very soon,  these lovely golden grasses will be hit with a blast of winter snow and this beautiful landscape will transform once more to a frozen silvery land while the earth hibernates underneath.

This painting is another in a series of small landscapes inspired by my recent trip to Utah.  The colors will seem exaggerated once winter arrives but for now I love how the purple of the distant hillside is echoed in the shadows around the grasses. I also like how the light hits the bare aspen branches.

ENJOY

"Gold Leaf" SUNSET

GRIGGS SUNSET

I have always been fascinated by the use of gold leaf in painting.  I love the effect it gives to the work and have used it successfully in the past.  This painting has gold leaf in both the sunset and the water.

It's very hard to tell from the photo that there is gold leaf on this, but looking at it from various angles does the trick.  The inspiration for this piece is from a photo I took during a sunset near Griggs Reservoir.

Enjoy