Misty Forest

 Here's a new painting that was an experiment in layering to create a foggy or misty effect. It was fun to do and I've included a video of the process. Enjoy!

(oil on canvas, 30" x 40")

Michael's Mountain

Here is a painting I completed for a friend. He asked for a mountain and pretty much gave me free range to produce whatever I wanted, as long as there was a mountain.

(oil on canvas, 30" x 40")

Since there are some fun details you can't quite see unless you are up close and personal with it I thought it would be fun to take some close ups for you. 

If you want to see this painting being created here is a start to finish video of the process. Enjoy!

Boats

Here's a painting I completed in the summer of 2017. We were in the process of moving when I painted this for a friend and colleague. She now has it hanging in her office. This is one of those paintings that reminds me why I like to paint. It was fun and not too fussy. 

(oil on canvas, 36" x 48")

Birch Trees

Wow, it has been awhile since I last shared my art with you. A lot has happened in the last few years but I'm happy to be getting back into art and finally making time to do more than my typical permanent marker drawings. Here are two oil paintings I recently completed. Both are painted with water soluble oils on stretched canvas. 

(oil on canvas, 36" x 48")

Colorful Trees

In this study I wanted to play with layering using water colors. I used the different colors so I could see the effects of the layers easier. I never intended this to be something presentable, however I like how it turned out.

Medium: Watercolor

Rainbows from Real Life

I actually wrote this post a while back, thought I had posted it and discovered today I hadn't. I love the days I get to spend with my girls so much that I can't help but post this now.

***

 Today we painted "rainbows from real life," as my daughter called them. It was raining on and off throughout the day but the sun was up and shining bright so there were rainbows to be seen.
A fun day all around. I was happy to spend some much needed time with my two favorite girls.

Medium: Watercolor

Hearts

I thought it would be nice to paint something simple but fun. I have seen these posters all over and thought it would be a great way to experiment with color. I don't care for standard color wheels. I like more interesting ways to play with color and color blending. I also didn't want to create a bunch of scrap paper while experimenting, so I think this was a good compromise. I am supper excited because I also think they would be fun to frame and hang in my girls room. 

Medium: Watercolor

Spring

Where I live everything seems to liquify in the spring. Even the air has a cleansing wet glaze to it. I'm sure this happens in many places around the world, so it's nothing special. However, I find when I'm craving art this time of year I tend to lean towards watercolors. Watercolors happen to be one of my least favorite mediums, which means they surprise me each time I dabble in them.

This painting is of a flower, of sorts (not really sure what type of flower it was), my daughter picked for us to paint. I actually discarded it after I painted it, using the rest of the sheet to test a few techniques on. When I came back to it after it dried I was surprised by how much I liked it. 

In fact, I like it so much I might even frame this little gem to remind me to not be so quick to dismiss, to slow down a little, and have a bit more patience when I paint.

Medium: Watercolor on Paper

On the Palette

I think it is fun to see the messy side of art so I thought you might enjoy a little peek behind the scene as well. 

The Medium: I have several in-progress pieces, however this palette is for a humming bird I am working on. What you see on the palette are water soluble oil colors. Because I can't work with the cleaning solutions needed for standard oil colors I opt to use these which clean up with soap and water. You might have noticed by now there are two whites on my palette. One of the whites is what is called a mixing white. It is used primarily to mix with other colors. The other white is used by itself as, you guessed it, white. You can still mix this white with other colors. Each white gives a different result. I usually put the mixing white in the middle of the colors so I can remember which one is which. Once they are on the palette it is easy to confuse the two, until you use the wrong one and get an unexpected result.

The Tools: As you might be able to see most of my brushes are really old, some over ten years. I am quite familiar with them which is important when painting. However, I have decided, now that I am painting more often, they are in dire need of replacing. The glass bowl you see in the upper left corner is holding all the colors that are on my palette at present. The wooden box on the right holds the rest of my oil paints, not on my palette, as well as my gouache, charcoal, and other art mediums that are small enough to fit in the drawers. There are a set of shelves above this that hold all my acrylic paints as well as gesso and other items too large to fit in the box. My easel, which is made of wood, sits to the left of this table. I have one of those tall office chairs, which my sweet husband got for me. I use it instead of a stool since it can change heights easily, which means I don't have to worry about adjusting the easel height to suit the piece I am working on. Somewhere I also have a metal table top easel which I have used in the past to help with this. I haven't seen it for some time now but am still hopeful it will turn up. My palette itself is actually a large piece of glass that was the top of a coffee table until the table broke. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of such a nice piece of glass and now I am extremely glad I didn't. It works really well as a palette and table protector. I put a large piece of white paper under it to create a background to make it easier to see the colors. 

Ace

This is the first in a series of five paintings I am doing for my husband's business. You can't tell in this photo but the edges of the canvas are painted orange, a fun way to add color to a black and white painting.

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Missing Out

				Image Source: Vincent's House in Arles (The Yellow House) - http://www.vggallery.com

First impressions are often what drive our opinion of a person, event, or even work of art. For example, I've never particularly cared for the work of Vincent Van Gogh. However, driven by the desire for a little art enrichment, I had the pleasure of taking an art history course last year. It was through this course I was introduced to Van Gogh's letters. The perspective I gained from reading his letters encouraged me to take a second look at what I once had passed up. 

Unfortunately, I had formed my initial opinion based on a single statement made by a friend (who was an admirer of Van Gogh's work). I am not sure why the statement had turned me off, and to be honest I can't even remember what the statement was. What I do know is, I was missing out, and for years I held a negative opinion of Van Gogh's work without any real justification. I had subconsciously made it a point to ignore his work whenever possible. 

The art history class forced my hand, requiring me, not only to review his work but also establish a relationship with the artist through letters he and his family had written. After reading the letters I realized the way in which Van Gogh wrote about his art, and its inspiration, was very different from what I had imagined. He seemed upbeat and inspired by life. I particularly liked when he wrote about using color to add emotion to his paintings. Even in the letters where he seemed deflated by his progress or situation there was something I could connect with.

I was intrigued by how Van Gogh's letters transformed him from a famous artist to an ordinary person. I had always wondered what kind of life famous painters of centuries past had lived, yet for some reason I never made the connection to "ordinary" until I read these letters. He seems like a typical young adult searching for a place he could turn his calling into a career. After reading his thoughts on the acceptability of his artistic approach by others, I started to think about how much art has changed. It is amazing to see the transformation art has made over the centuries.

I have discovered an appreciation for Van Gogh's work which I never thought I would have. I can't say I like all of his paintings, in fact there are only a few I do like. However, I am more cautious about forming a negative opinion of an artist, and his or her work, without any real justification.

Whether you like Van Gogh's work or not, I hope you will take some time to read his letters. Often it takes some form of personal connection to an artist to help you connect with their work. I think when it comes to what we might call the Masters we feel obligated to like their work because society has told us how great they are. However, I think it is still important to find our own understanding and connection to their work, good or bad, it improves the experience. My story is a perfect example of what the majority of people miss when it comes to viewing and experiencing art... a relationship with the artist.


P.S. Here are two of my favorite pieces by Van Gogh.

 Image Source: Blossoming Almond Tree - Vincent Van Gogh - http://www.vggallery.com

 Image Source: Green Ears of Wheat - Vincent Van Gogh - http://www.vggallery.com

Work In Progress Update

Do you remember this one? I haven't had a lot of time to work on it but I thought you might enjoy seeing what it looks like now.

Quite different from the last time this colorful bird made an appearance.

The texture in the tail is really fun. When it is done I am tempted to hang a sign next to it that says "Touch Me" since I know I would want to if I came upon this in a gallery. I often wish 2-D art was more interactive because I believe there is more to a painting than what the eye can show you.


Medium: Oil on Canvas

Spring

 This is a picture I painted last year for a friend. 

I rarely work with acrylic and I have never painted birds or butterflies before so I ended up doing quite a bit of research on this little yellow finch.

I draw butterflies all the time because I love their whimsy but like I said I had never painted one before. It felt like painting a flower to be honest. I also took some time to emboss a few patterns into the background. I wanted to include a few surprise elements that you might not notice right away when looking at the piece.

I have to confess I think I am in love with birds and butterflies now.

This is my favorite part of the whole painting. In the very beginning stages I had this piece laying out across my living room floor. Some how this little footprint, and another partial print, magically appeared. I have my suspicions, but have yet to receive a confession.

Sometimes it is the unexpected mishaps which make a painting so special. This particular mishap makes me want to let little feet walk on my art more often. It is extremely precious. 


Medium: Gesso and Acrylic on Canvas

My Mother's Hippo

This was a product of two college art classes. I think I started this as a sophomore and finished it as a senior. The entire time I was painting it my mother kept calling it "that Hippo painting" (for all of you who are confused it really is a rhinoceros). I painted it from a photograph in a National Graphic Magazine. In all the moving we have done since then the page I tore from the Magazine got destroyed. I have been trying to find another copy but haven't had any luck yet. Do you know how hard it is to find a specific picture when you don't know which volume, or date, or even year, it was published in? This is one of those times I wish I had taken better notes, or at least paid better attention.

Medium: Water Mixable Oils on Canvas

Work in Progress

Here is a piece I've been working on for a while...meaning, I painted the background and set it aside for the entire summer. It's still far from being done. I am hoping for bright colors and a festive feel.

Medium: Water Mixable Oils on Stretched Canvas

Looking Up

There are certain things I love doing simply because they are relaxing. One of my top favorites is simply pausing long enough to enjoy the world around me. The painting I am sharing today is a reflection of these moments but it is also a reflection of who I am. I claim to have grown up a country girl. By all rights I am not sure this is entirely true, however in my heart it is most definitely who I am. While I can't say I ever lived on a farm, I did grow up in small towns and I worked a fair share of my younger years in the hay fields and raising cattle. Some of my fondest memories consist of sitting quietly listening to the wind in the trees and watching the clouds pass by. These moments are the inspiration for this watercolor painting. Watercolor is not a medium I work with very often but I do love experimenting. What I love about this painting is the perspective. I picture myself laying on my back under the tree looking up into the sky. The warm sun shining down as a cool breeze drifts by. A peaceful moment I can loose myself in.

Abstract ... What?...

Abstract Expressionism has always been a mystery to me. I remember seeing Abstract Expressionist paintings the first time I visited the Portland Art Museum. I didn't linger too long, mostly because I didn't understand the intent. I know I am not the only one who wasn't getting it because my sister had made a similar comment when we visited the museum another time. It was only recently, through my study of art history, I have found a basis for understanding this style of art.

One theory on the subject I found enlightening is that of Clement Greenberg. Greenberg believed art should reflect the literal nature of the medium. In other words art should not attempt to be what it is not. This theory is based on nonfigurative expression through emotional discovery. The intent is to use the medium to express the artist's state of mind in order to draw on the emotions of the viewers. Abstract Expressionism is based on free thinking. This style of art was designed to lead the viewer emotionally, to discover a piece of art for themselves, and relate to it free from implied or structured thinking. Examples of this can be seen in the work of Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko.

In the work of Jackson Pollock, it is the approach he took in expressing his thoughts on canvas which show the relationship to Greenberg's theory of art. There is no object, focal point, or distinct feature in Pollock's work. The splashes of paint, drops of color, and layered affect create such abstractness the only way to relate to his art is through emotions. Your mid isn't told what to think, through the inclusion of relateable objects or scenes, this makes the process of how the art was made distinctly more important in understanding the end result.

The color block, or color field, work of Newman and Rothko evoke a different sort of approach to the same concept. This time through color placement and, in Newman's work, color purity. Newman used bold color to express emotion where Rothko used color to tell a story allowing the viewer to direct their perception based on their relationship to the colors used. This theme is seen in the Post-Painterly Abstraction style art as well, where artists used a medium in its pure form, allowing its purity and inherent beauty to drive the formation of the art. 

One common thread in all Abstract Expressionist art is the emotional connection with the state of mind. The artists paint what they feel, how they feel, providing canvases which are both full and minimal. What I mean is Abstract Expressionists painted in such a way which allowed the viewer to interact with the art from their own emotional connection. While the canvas was far from empty the viewer's emotions and state of mind would contribute to the overall effect of the art. Put another way, this would be similar to being given the alphabet and told to create a sentence. The art was a platform from which the viewer could go wherever their emotions led.

I have to confess it is extremely fun and liberating to create an Abstract Expressionistic piece.  These are often my favorite way to decompress from a long week or a difficult day. Yet, for a long time I found it hard to consider them worth calling art. I have developed a new perspective on this form of art and in the future I will take the time to linger longer and see what I find.

Family Craft: Painted Garden

This spring I decided I wanted to work on a craft project with my girls. It took me a while to decide which one we were going to do first, but I finally decided we would paint a pot for planting veggies. Since our backyard isn't ready for us to plant a real garden I thought it would be fun to start a planter garden on our deck. The weather cooperated perfectly and we had a blast creating our masterpiece. Maizie said she wanted to do crafts all the time. In my book I would call that a success. 

 Lilly called her painting "Scenery".

 Maizie called her painting "Red and Blue Stripes". 

Our masterpiece is now brightening up a corner of our deck. It is home to three bell pepper plants. 

Project List: Acrylic Paint (assorted colors of you choosing), Terracotta Pot and Base, Paint Brushes, News Paper or Butcher Paper (to keep the mess off your table), Aprons or Smocks (to keep the mess off you), and lots of fun. You might want to use a clear coat sealer after the paint dries, this will help protect your masterpiece from the elements. 

Emotions: Part Two

Can you guess the emotion?
...and another piece from college...

Medium: Mixed Media (Ink, Pencil, Conte Crayon, Acrylic Paint) on White Bristol

Color Wheel

Here is my lady again. This piece is from college. I was required to produce a color wheel for my basic design class. I was never much for a traditional color wheel.

Medium: Acrylic Paint on White Bristol