Sunday, April 28, 2013

After much struggling with this painting, I am calling it finished.  I could work on it more, but I'm tired of it.  I want to move on to other projects.  Hope you all like it.  If no, oh well...I'm happy with it.

A closer look...

Still struggling...

This is the one I started with...it's "OKAY"...
but with many mistakes...


So I evened up the wave line, and lightened the rock, added another small rock on the bottom left...still, it's not right.

So silly me, I decide to richen up the colors and add a pretty pink in the clouds, and thought would have it you need to deepen the water color as well...WRONG...


So I look at it, and I'm pleased as punch with the sky, and I can live with the rock, and the shoreline, but, the green of the water needs to go or softened or something...


Here's a closeup of the sky, I really, really, really like the clouds, I even put GREEN in the sky!  


But the green water just does not work...back to the studio.  Just wanted my former students know I struggle more than anyone knows to get it just right.  Oh, I do like the extra wave I put in the water...and that was a fluke.  (Happy accident.)  Changes to come!


Friday, April 26, 2013

Been working, but not posting...


I've been working on a few paintings all at one time.  While one is drying, I'm working on another.  One is in the car drying.  It's the hottest place I can think of that will dry an oil painting quick.  So I started this one, and I've struggled and struggled and struggled with it.  I'm not happy with it.  So I decided to post it and then look at it and decide what needed to be changed.  

First though, I want to tell you that I have changed this painting over and over and over again.  Believe it or not, I had a large kite up in the air, colorful, large, and UGLY.  Took that out.  If my former students saw me take that cloud out, they would have been panicky gasping with "NO...don't do it."  The line for the kite went across the sky, through the wave, down toward the sand, and off to the side of the painting.  

I just couldn't see what it needed, what was missing, but now that I've posted it, I see what I need to do composition wise.  The ocean part isn't matching...how stupid of me to not see it!  (Are all my former students getting that???  I MAKE A TON OF MISTAKES...and this is one of them!)  I thought the little girl was a nice edition, she's cuter than cute with her pigtails and small orange bucket, but the rock looks huge in the middle, however, once I'm done, now that I see where the ocean is so off, I will make it believable.  I may even put in another rock on the left to balance it.  I was going for a more overall pastel look, but those deep rich colors I love keep coming through.  I either have to make that sky with richer colors or make that rock more gray.  I think I'll make the rock more gray. (It's smaller and less work.)

I am pleased as punch though with my clouds.  Always look for the silver lining, and in this case it's in the clouds.  

Oh, by the way, where that little girl is, was a huge rock...looked like a square rock...I'm telling you, I truly struggled with this one.  But I'm not done yet. I will post when I'm done.  

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Me in Rome, loving every minute of it.


I have no idea how the masters did such marvels of work in and around the Sistine Chapel.  I was there about two summers ago and was awed by their work.  Nothing in the world like it and worth seeing even if you are NOT an artist!  You are allowed to take as many photos as you are able to get away with taking.  (They're generous actually...only telling you at certain points to not take pictures.)  

The walls "spoke" to me knowing I am following in their footsteps in a very, very small way.  No one of today, could even get close to the work they did under the conditions they did.  Perhaps that is why I respect them so much and can't stand abstracts, and artists who have to explain the garbage they call art.    Mind you, I understand abstracts, and their place in the art world, just like minimalism, dada-ism, impressionism, etc., but the work of the masters here pictures in Rome, are a marvel I pray everyone can sometime see.  If you question you might not like it, take my word for it, you will be overwhelmed by their talent.  

See that window above my head?  It was HOT in there, and to think they were painting on their backs...simply amazing.  so why are the people wearing long pants?  Well, actually, it's a church on some parts of the grounds and that girl in the center of the picture later was handed a scarf to cover up her bare arms out of respect to the Catholic religion.  

When I'm not working on my art, like I am right now (I restart art class on Wednesday), I am reminded by seeing photos like this of my "forefathers" who carved a path for me to follow.  

Friday, April 12, 2013

Resting...

Taking a few days off from painting.  Been tired lately.  Sleep has been erratic, once again.  Will get back into the flow of things soon.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Japanese Maples

These are Japanese Maple leaves.  I painted the background in acrylic colors with yellow ochre hues.  The actual red Maple leaves, I painted in oil paints.  I used the colors, Cadmium Barium Red, Cadmium light, alizarin crimson, alizarin crimson gold, Naples Yellow, and Black.  There some other colors I have on my palette but didn't bother to list since I didn't enough of them to make a difference.

This is the finished painting, a gallery wrap canvas, so the leaves go around the painting.  It's 4" X 12".

Look close, because this is while I was painting it, I decided to paint from left to right so I had a place to rest my hand while painting.  I put out nine colors and used them all, but some, not so much.   


This was a fun, easy painting to do.  Initially I was going to put it in the Spring art show, but I got to thinking, they're Maple leaves, perhaps I shouldn't, but I learned that Japanese maples are a glowing red in the Spring, and in the summer they are a richer red color and in the fall, foliage is scarlet and orange. The tree grows slow, it's a weeping tree native to Japan and Korea.  The leaves grow 2-4 inches long.  It is called the "Crimson Queen".  Glad I used alizarin crimson while painting it.  

I know I can place it in the show with no concern.  However, I may do a painting of my friend Bonnie's flower.  It's beautiful.  A whole lot more work but simply stunning.  

By the way, I haven't started on the female figure painting yet that I even took pictures for.  I have something in my mind, but I'm not sure how to do it.  Time for research.  

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Friday, April 5, 2013

Two new paintings started!

This looks like "weed" right?  Well, it's actually going to be what are called "Japanese Maple" leaves.  This canvas was prepared with yellowed acrylic colors, then drawn in with a colored pencil, and I have decided I will paint the actual leaves in oils.  



This one is also covered in black and white acrylic paint...mostly ivory black but some mars black as well.  This is a woman wearing a gown, with her head looking down.  She is sad because she doesn't have the latest Spring fashion to wear.  

Both of these have a theme believe it or not!  They are both going to be entered into the Spring art show at the Visual Arts Center.  

I also plan to do this one in oils, but I may at last minute decide to work in acrylics.  I'll figure it out when I get to that stage, at this point it could be either.  I'm thinking of putting her in some clouds.  And why clouds you may ask?

Well, I had lunch with some friends the other day and there were the best clouds in the sky so I grabbed my phone and took some photos.  Here they are.  



The painting is at the developmental stage so I'm not sure what I want to do.  

Will post results.  For now, I need to get some rest, I was up most of the night, I just couldn't sleep.  At least now the time is being well spent painting and being creative.  








Tuesday, April 2, 2013

FINISHED!


I am so happy to say I finished this painting.  I LOVE it.  
Sure I'll still sell it!

I titled it, "Point Grant basalt, Australia"

So what is a basalt?  It's another word for a plateau.  Actually, basalt is a volcanic rock, which is usually grey to black in color, but rapidly weathers to brown or rust-red due to oxidation of it's minerals.  It is in the Nobbies area of Point Grant where there are penguins, seals and also a koala conservation area. 

I worked quite hard on this painting, so it will be priced accordingly but I haven't come up with a price as of yet.  

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Monday, April 1, 2013

Continuing to work on painting of Aussie wave



I am continuing to work on the wave painting from the image I captured while on a boat in Australia.  Right now I'm currently concentrating on where the waves splash, and I'm finding it hard to not make them look like a tree.  I know that sounds silly, but they splash a certain way and I want to duplicate it!  The bottom HALF of the painting is just roughed in for now, with absolutely no concentration, however, I did have to turn everything upside down to check my work.  I know I can fluff on the waves quite a bit, but one must still make it believable.  

It's hard to tell in this photo upload but I added some lighter color also to the rocks right behind the waves.  I think the one thing that stands out for me with this painting is the contrast of colors and it's a scene not  many viewers see.  Also, as you can tell, my palette of colors got a LOT smaller!  

Now onto "critique and eat" where my artist friends and I critique our work and then have a bite to eat.