A GREAT DAY TO PAINT

BAY CITY WETLAND

Two weekends ago, I drove up to Bay City, MI to be with my husband as he competed in an aerobatic competition.  I brought my painting gear along, and was able to get out in the morning before the competition got under way.  The airport is situated on the Saginaw River south of Bay City.  The river has many wetlands near there as it meanders its way to the bay. I chose this sight and set up to paint.

It was a perfect morning, and I took advantage of the good weather to get this painting completed.

NEW METHOD

A BIRDING DAY

This painting was done from a photo that I took on a recent birding trip to Buck Creek State Park, near Springfield OH earlier this spring. I'm a sucker for pathways that lead into the woods, and this one was full of dappled light.  I decided to try a different way of painting this one.  I have been following several artist's blogs on one of my favorite web-sites called dailypaintworks.com.  Two artists whose work I really admire, Karin Jurick and Cathleen Rehfield, both use a dark underpainting

to begin their work.  In this painting, I painted the gesso board with black acrylic, which dries quickly, then laid in the oil on top.  I like the way the underpainting shows through in some areas.  I'm not sure I would use this method in every instance, but I liked how this one looks.

Enjoy!!

NEW WORK, OLD FAVORITES

JUST DOWN THE ROAD

This painting was completed earlier in the year and I am just getting around to framing it.   I am going to submit it to a student art show at the McConnell Art Center in Worthington, OH that will be showing from August through October. My instructor, the very talented Steven Walker, helped with curating the show and I am delighted to be included. I am trying a different frame this time, from King Of Frames, in CA.  They are beautiful, simple black frames with a red undertone and gold liner.
The painting is from a photo trip my husband and I took up to an amish community not far from Columbus. It was one of those very rare clear summer days and I got some great photos of the rural farms in that county.

ESCAPEE

ESCAPEE!

These strawberries were calling to me, "Paint me, we are so beautiful!", so I obliged.  Can't you just imagine the one strawberry escaping the plate for fear of getting eaten? 

This painting was done from life and strawberries don't do well under bright lights.  Two days is about all one can get in strawberry life.  After that, they start to break down.

By the way, I will be rejoining Studios on High Gallery in the Short North Arts district in downtown Columbus, OH in July.  This gallery has been named the best in Columbus for the 2nd year in a row!! There will be a food themed show in July and a few of my paintings will be in the show, so come on down and take a look.  If you purchase any of my work, 10% of the proceeds will go the the Mid-Ohio Food Bank.

A WALK AT THE LAKE

FOG AT ANTRIM

I walk everyday with my Labrador Retriever Logan. Lately, we've been in the habit of walking at Antrim Park, which is just 5 minutes from where we live.  The park has a big lake and we walk around it with another friend and her dog.

On this particular morning pictured in the painting it was cool and clear, the beginning of a beautiful spring day.  It had gotten cool enough the night before that fog had developed on the lake from the warmer water.  There is a willow tree near the lake shore where lots of dogs congregate to swim and play.  On this morning there were no dogs, only the empty bench and the backlit willow tree.

This is my impression of the fog that morning and the light coming through the willow tree.

I painted this on a canvas that I had painted over with a dark brown color.  I always enjoy working on a colored ground.  It takes me back to my old days of working on toned paper with my colored pencils.  There is something about working on a colored background that makes me use brighter paint and more of it to cover the canvas. And it is always nice to let a little of the color show through in appropriate areas.

PAINTING IT AGAIN

A VERY BERRY DAY

  I have been working on this painting on and off for about two weeks, and today I think I finally have it finished.  Strawberries are another of my favorite fruits, not necessarily because of the flavor of them, but I just love their color and texture.  I especially love how the stems and tops are this velvety texture while the fruit is shiny and bumpy with the seeds. 

 This particular painting also has quite a story.  The strawberries were a gift from a friend.  I had completed a calligraphy project for her as a favor and she presented me with these beautiful strawberries as a thank you. I put them in this green Depression glass bowl that a had belonged to my grandmother and shot lots of photos of them both inside and outside of our house.  The sketch that I used as a basis for the painting is a conglomeration of several photos. I originally did this painting in watercolor many years ago when we lived in Indiana.  I submitted it to the Hoosier Salon and it was accepted for their show. Somebody really like it because it sold afterwards. Fast forward several years and I decided to see what it would look like in oil. I think I was able to get more of the texture of the tablecloth and fruit in this painting. Hope you all enjoy!

CHERRIES TO CHEER YOU

TWO'S COMPANY. . .

The cherries are in season at our grocery stores and markets.  They are one of my favorite summertime fruits. I decided to give them the honor they are due by painting them in a still life.

Picking the ones that would stand up to my idea was a challenge.  Not every cherry was kind enough to oblige and I had to eat the ones that wouldn't cooperate. As you can see, I didn't end up with many cherries in my painting. This one is titled "Two's Company. . ."