"Downtown Maupin" again!

10"x8"

Oil on Board

I decided to try this again and it is still not the painting I want to be making. I'm not really sure WHAT I'm going for with this subject. I think I'll know it if it happens!

Actually, I did get a bit more of the feel of the light/dark design and that is hopeful. I think I need to try this yet again and see just what it is I am trying to do here!

"Downtown Maupin"

6"x8"

Oil on Board

This is of a little town in eastern Oregon which is a well-known place for river rats to put into the Deschutes River. It was so quiet and I felt so conspicuous as I was going around taking pictures! I liked the tension between the light and dark shapes. While I was painting it, every once in awhile I'd be seeing this great abstract composition happening and I hoped to keep that flavor, too. I'd like to do this again and explore those aspects more, exaggerate them. I find it quite a challenge to not put in too much information! My intention is to spend alot of time this summer (in spite of the gas prices!) going around rural Oregon and painting what, to me, feels "rural". Visiting Maupin is a start!

"Let 'er Buck!"

12"x12"

Oil on Board

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There's nothing like a photo to make something pop out that needs to be dealt with--I thought this was finished, but maybe not! However, it is time to make a post for the day and this is it. It's good to work on something larger, but also a challenge. It seems like it should just be a matter of using proportionately larger brushes--but I think there's got to be more to it than that! I look at this and am torn between "cleaning up" some edges and trying to keep it loose. . .we'll see what happens!

This framed painting is available through Tumalo Art Company.

"Hood River Orchards"

6"x6"

Oil on Board

contact River Bend Fine Art Gallery for purchase information

It was a stormy day but interesting to see the patterns the rows of trees made in all the orchards--and the blossoms were really lovely!

"Cattlewomen" (sold)

6"x8"

Oil on Board

Oh! It feels so good to do a little painting again! This painting is of some women I saw last week on my way from Bend to Hood River, herding cattle with their dogs to a different pasture. It brings back so many memories of my childhood!

"Blue Heron"

24"x18"

oil on canvas

NFS

This is the other commission I've been working on and I think it's finished. We'll see how it looks tomorrow! It seems like after working on something for quite awhile I get to a point where I can't "see" it anymore! It was good to try using a painting knife a little. I would love to get more textrue, but find that it's a slow process to get me there!

Little Pansy Sketch

3.5"x4.5"

Pen, Watercolor on Paper

for purchase info, email me here

Again, today was a day to work on some commissioned paintings so I only had time to do this little sketch of the pansies that are STILL sitting in my studio! We woke up to snow this morning and I'm kind of nervous about subjecting them to that! I am missing doing my little oils. . .

"Gary Reading"

Watercolor and Pen on Paper

8.5"x10

This week I need to be spending most of my painting time on a couple of commissions I am doing so my posts will most likely be something I can do rather quickly--like this! It feels good, actually--almost like it makes me look at things differently.

This is one of the commissions I am working on--not too great a photo--I'll have to take a better one next time! It's oil on board, 36"x36". After spending so much time on the little paintings, this is quite an experience!

"Acre Coffee Shop, Hood River"

5.25"x3.5"

Pen & Watercolor on Paper

Today I had to get out of the house and away! I drove up to Hood River in hopes of getting some good landscape inspiration. It's a beautiful area, full of orchards which are now in bloom. The weather was, by turns, cold, sunny, rainy, very windy and snowy! I didn't do any plein aire work, but did get some photos. . .and sat in the Acre Coffee Shop and enjoyed doing this sketch!

"Evening Wader" (sold)

8"x6"

Oil on Board

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Asked by a friend to do a painting of a blue heron, I decided to warm up with this today. Such beautiful birds! It reminded me of one I was watching one summer evening in the wild--it was on one leg for what seemed like a very long time, waiting silently and patiently to catch whatever it was after. I wish I could be so focused!

This framed painting is available through Tumalo Art Company.

"Ready to Plant, Too"

6"x6"

Oil on Board

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I sure appreciate the comments I received for yesterday's painting--thank you! I think one thing that amazes me is that the longer I study the pansies in painting them, the more personality they seem to have and there's just so much to see, I've just begun to scratch the surface. It's too cold to plant them, so I guess I'll get to paint them some more!

"Ready to Plant"

6"x6"

Oil on Board

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Inspired by those pansies by Roxanne Steed, I decided to try some of my own--I found them to be a challenge! Fun, though. . .

"Gerberas" (sold)

6"x6"

Oil on Board

I was inspired by a wonderful painting of a flat of pansies by Roxanne Steed to paint this little plant I purchased for a friend (check out her work via the link under my "other daily painters" list). It was a challenge! The paper wrapping the pot is of different warm colors blending from one into the other. As I was painting it, I thought I had a pretty good feel for the dimensionality of it all, but now I'm not so sure!! I did really enjoy just working with those colors, though, and how the brushstrokes help to lead your eye around the painting.

I am also adding the blog of Mary Sheehan Winn to my Daily Painter list. I hope you enjoy her's and Roxanne's work!

"Waiting"

6"x6"

Oil on Board

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She was waiting for her 3 year old and his father and waiting for the new baby to arrive. I wish I knew what she was thinking!

"River Reflections"

12"x9"

Oil on Board

This painting is for a benefit show of artwork portraying the Deschutes River which flows through my hometown. I enjoyed getting "painterly" here! Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time getting the color to be true in the photo--the marshy grasses are much brighter in the actual painting.

"Joy" (sold)

8"x8"

Oil on Board

It was so fun to do this--I just kept getting caught up in how good it just feels to move the body! I loved the freedom in their play.

"The Last Petals"

10"x8"

Oil on Board

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A friend brought us these beautiful tulips--ruffly and interesting colors. I was getting ready to take them to the compost when I fell in love with the shapes and undulations of the withering petals and decided to paint them. I used a board primed with black gesso which was quite different. I really like how the black background makes me think about the edges I'm working with, but sometimes find it a challenge to get the intensity of color I want. I did have fun with the positive and negative shapes!

"Fruit Salad"

6"x8"

Oil on Board

$100 plus $10 domestic s/h

Well, it's hard to think of titles for all these little paintings!! Anyway, I loved working with these colors and the challenge of lightening them up--how to not overuse white in the mix and deaden them, but yet get the value I want without making them a more intense hue???

"Along Tumalo Creek"

11.5"x10"

Pastel on Paper

$150 plus $10 domestic s/h

Well one more day I wasn't able to get to the paints, so I brought out another pastel I did on site. Sure am looking forward to getting back to work now that the teaching residency is completed!

"Sparks Lake Reflections"

17"x11"

Pastel on Paper

$200 plus $10 domestic s/h

Seeing these pastels reminds me that just about my favorite thing in the world to do is to be outside painting or drawing the landscape. The sun and warming temperatures mean it won't be long before it's time to do that again!

"Cathedral Rock"

10.5"x16"

Pastel on Paper

I'm teaching 4th grade drawing all week and not having much time to paint so decided to post something I haven't looked at for awhile! Usually I just use pastel for going out and sketching for painting ideas, but every once in awhile one will stand on its own!

"At the Zenon Cafe"

6"x6"

Oil on Board

contact River Bend Fine Art Gallery for purchase information

Early morning, foggy, in Eugene, Oregon. . .people starting their day.