A WALK IN THE WOODS

SHADOWS ON A SNOWY AFTERNOON

This painting was inspired by a winter hike some years ago.  I especially love walking in the woods after a snowfall.  The sound is muffled and on a sunny day, the shadows are beautiful.  This particular afternoon proved to be a perfect day for observing the beauty of it all.  This painting will also be shown during Studios on High Gallery's Winter's Embrace Show.

ENJOY!!

BIRD LOVING

ISN'T SHE LOVELY

This is another painting for the Winter show coming up at Studios on High Gallery.

Everyone seems to relate to the cardinal in the midwest.  It's the state bird for several states and almost everyone can identify it.  Most people love the bright red male cardinal, but I find the subtlety of the female very lovely in it's own right.  Here she is hanging out near the bird feeder in my backyard. 

ENJOY!!

Winter's Day

WINTER SUNSET- GRIGGS RESERVOIR

Wow!! What a busy time of year...so much I want to do and so much I want to paint.  I've not posted for awhile, but have been busy painting.  This is one of my newest pieces,  relatively large for me, and so much fun to paint.  It will be showing at Studios on High Gallery in Columbus, OH beginning in January for a show titled, Winter's Embrace. I am a sucker for sunsets and this one did not disappoint.  Merry Christmas to all my friends and family!!

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SUMMER BALES

POST OFFICE HAYFIELD

 This painting was inspired by a trip to our local post office.  Yes, we do live in the city, but there are still areas that have not succumbed to urban sprawl.  As I was getting out of my car, I noticed the hayfield adjacent to the post office had been cut and fresh round bales of hay were sitting there in the sunshine. I took a quick shot and the painting above is my take on the day.

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CALIFORNIA STYLE

California Bungalow

When we visit our son and his wife, I always enjoy walking in their neighborhood.  They live in Santa Monica and its a very short walk to the main street and beach.  I have passed this bungalow several times and love the color and the street with its big beautiful ficus trees and trailing rosemary.

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The Real Deal

Eclipse Morning Sun 8.21.17

My husband and I were fortunate to travel in August to Kentucky to view the eclipse of the sun in totality.  It was something that had been on our bucket list for many years and we made it happen during a very busy summer schedule.  We got up very early on the day of the event and drove through some beautiful countryside.  I was able to capture some photos as the sun was rising and this painting is inspired by one of those photos.

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Art and Aviation

Here are some process shots of my latest painting, painted for a fund raiser to benefit the 2017 US Nationals Aerobatic Competition that will be held at Wittman Regional Airport in Osh Kosh, WI later this month.  

Here is the preliminary sketch showing the iconic arch that  welcomes aviators to the airport.  I included several type of aerobatic aircraft, both bi-planes and mono- planes.

 This photo shows the preparation of the surface.  I used a sectional start for the state of Wisconsin and trimmed it to fit the board I was using.  The Osh Kosh airport is in the lower right and will be visible to the viewer.  The chart was adhered to the board with YES paste and covered in clear acrylic gel medium to seal the paper.  Then I applied several coats of thinned gesso to fade out the map slightly and provide a texture for the oil paint.

 Here is the drawing that was transferred to the board.  After spraying with several coats of fixative,  I was ready to begin the painting process.

Below is the finished painting ready to make its way to Osh Kosh.

2017 US Aerobatic Nationals- Osh Kosh, WI

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.

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Start to Finish

 Walkies View I -Study

Walkies View I

Here is an example of how I work to develop a painting.  Many times, I will only do a value sketch and composition drawing before diving right in to a finished piece.  Sometimes, I like to do a study to work out the composition and colors ahead of time. Here is the result of doing a color study.

I like how the shadows from the trees fan out to create interesting patterns in the fallen leaves.   Notice how the shadow edges become softer and more diffuse as they lengthen.  

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.

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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.

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MY ANCESTORS

German Village House

This painting is inspired by a trip to one of the historic areas of Columbus known as German Village.

It is in this area that many Germans settlers came to the new world and found work in Columbus and Franklin county.  This area harkens back to the days of narrow brick lined streets, small brick row houses, and tidy gardens. Though this house was not brick, it caught my eye because of the lovely garden in front. I can only imagine how lovely the garden in back must be.  And since most of my ancestors originated in Germany, I feel a certain closeness to these homes.

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Morning Glow

SILVERY SUNLIGHT

This painting is inspired by a walk in the woods along the Olentangy River on a very cold crisp winter morning.  I felt the sunlight was silvery colored as it reflected on the ice and snow and glinted off the water.  I experimented with using silver leaf in the sunlit areas and like the result.

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Welcome Home Spring

SPRING'S FALLOW FIELD

After what always seems like a long winter, spring is finally on our doorstep.  The inspiration for this painting is from a drive into the countryside.  Before the fields are made ready for planting, they are sometimes covered in low growing ground cover.  This particular field has a nice stand of a purple plant known as hen bit.  I think it's kind of sad that this beautiful plant will be plowed under soon.

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ORANGE

Orchard Fresh

These beautiful tangerines were calling to me at the grocery.  I love to be able to get food that still has  its evidence of freshness still attached.  It gives new meaning to the phrase, just picked.  Though I'm sure these beauties traveled many miles to get to the midwest, they are a welcome treat.

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BACK TO POSTING

DESPERATE DAISY

I have been on the go lately and remiss in posting.  I have been painting lots but not getting much posting done, so here goes.  The title for this painting came about when arranging the flowers for this small still life.  The one daisy just kept wanting to droop forward, so I left it.   Now I have the perfect title, because it seems like it is desperate to get it the painting. What do you think?

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BEAUTIFUL TANGLE

This painting is inspired by an area that I frequently walk by when I am walking my dog; a small grove of pine trees at the entrance to a park.  It was painted using gold leaf in the background, a process that I have been experimenting with recently.   It is also my entry into a show sponsored by the gallery where I show my work.  Every year, we have a show that features pieces inspired by poems.  Here is the poem that goes with this piece. 

TREES NEED NOT WALK THE EARTH

Trees need not walk the earth

For beauty of for bread.

Beauty will come to them

 Where they stand.

Here among the children of the sap

 Is no pride of ancestry:

A birch may wear no less the morning

 Than an oak.

 Here are no heirlooms 

Save those of loveliness,

In which each tree

 Is kingly in it's heritage of grace.

Here is but  beauty's wisdom

 In which all trees are wise.

Trees need not walk the earth

For beauty of for bread.

Beauty will come to them

 In the rainbow-

The sunlight-

And the lilac-haunted rain.

And bread will come to them

As beauty came;

In the rainbow-

In the sunlight-

In the rain.

David Rosenthal

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HAPPY NEW YEAR

FIRST SNOW, BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON

This is my first painting of 2017.  I am excited about a new year, with new painting opportunities and much more to learn about painting.  I received two special books for Christmas about two of my favorite artists, Richard Schmid and Joaquin Sorolla.  Both of these artist are fabulous painters within the plein air community and it is my hope that I can paint my of my work from life this year.

This painting is inspired by a trip to Utah last fall.  I took some family members there for the first time and we explored the area of Cottonwood Canyon where Brighton Ski resort is located.  How interesting it was to hike in an area where I had only skied before.  To see those wide swathes of ground that become a ski run in winter, was a new experience.  Of course the Aspen trees were at their most beautiful, so I ear marked the reference for future use.

ENJOY!!