Painting in Process--Carnival Crowd #2

A little further along here from yesterday! It's good to be able to compare yesterday's to today's, though--I see some things I prefer in the earlier one.

Painting in Process--"Carnival Crowd"

16"x20"

Oil on Board

not yet available

Just ONE more painting for my show! I swear I am obsessed! As long as there's time to work in another one, I'll do it! We'll be hanging the show later this week, so I will finally stop and get back to the little ones! But I'm glad I had time to start this. It's really a fun subject and a great challenge.

Painting in Process--It's a Dog's Life #2

36"x36"

Oil on Board

Not available

Well, I started out working on this today with high hopes and lots of enthusiasm. I really liked how a couple of areas were going. so I got going! After hours of work, I ended up scraping off all I had done the last two days. I just don't think this painting is going to get finished until later. I still haven't figured out what's not been working with it--though I can think of one thing. The brushstrokes were really inconsistent. In my post on Thursday (?), I showed the upper left of the painting which I really like. The next day, I worked hard on the dog and did him in a very painterly way, piling on the paint--had a great time, too! But the more I worked on it today, it just never felt cohesive or "natural" to paint for me. It was as if I was trying to paint someone else's painting in a way. At any rate, I decided I'll let it dry, then see what I think and go back to it when I'm more relaxed with it!

painting in process detail #2

I was watching the movie "A Wrinkle in Time" and I'm afraid I've posted this too late to get onto the Daily Painters Gallery! My 5th grade teacher, Millie Retterath, read the book to us so long ago. . .

This is another detail from the 3x3 foot painting I'm working on--a large version of the other day's "It's a Dog's Life". I'm still not quite ready to show the whole painting, but I am definitely having a great time with it!.

Painting in Process detail

This is a detail from a 3x3 foot painting I've got going of the same subject from a couple of days ago--"It's a Dog's Life"--but it is at that point where there is no way I'm going to put the whole thing out in public!! Maybe tomorrow! :)

"Morning at the Stables" (sold)

8"x6"

Oil on Board

$100 plus $10 domestic s/h

click here to ask about purchasing this painting through Paypal

Another painting from the equestrian event this summer. It was a beautiful moment!

"It's a Dog's Life" (sold)

6"x6"

Oil on Board

$100 US plus $10 domestic s/h

click here to ask about purchasing this painting through Paypal

Sure feels good to paint a little painting! I have really missed these. I love the small, intimate format. This was a scene I saw at the High Desert Classic equestrian event this summer. It was a hot morning, but this dog looks like he's enjoying soaking up the sun! I think I'm going to try to do a 3x3' painting of this subject--one last painting to put in next month's show!

"Roller Coaster Ride"

8"x10"

Oil on Board

NFS

Well, this is today's painting! Somehow a bright, sunny day turned very gray!! It didn't start out that way, but the more I painted, trying to find the colors I wanted to use and trying to make the brights brighter, it just kept getting more and more dull. So. I do believe that this will be wiped off and tried again!

"On a Red Sofa"

24"x24"

Oil on Cradled Board

NFS at this time

Painting with reds has been quite an experience! It was one thing doing it on a little 6x6" painting and quite another on this one! Basically, I feel like I made some progress with this painting, that I have learned some things. Also, though, it almost feels like it's an "in-between" painting--in between where I have been and where I hope to be going! I guess every painting is one of those! It strikes me that I can only paint what I can paint right now. What I mean by that is that I will see work and think, Yes! That's what I'd like to try! And then I find that I have not yet completed whatever steps it takes for me to get to the place that the other artist has arrived at, that I need to do the work to get there and just have to accept that! And it is all OK!!

Painting in Process

24"x24"

Oil on Board

I started this painting about a month ago and was totally discouraged with it, but as time has gone on, I've been looking at it and seeing things I'd like to try so I brought it out this morning and started working on it again. This time around, it feels more like I can just enjoy painting until I get something I like rather than "having to make a painting!!!". But I DO hope it ends up being one I'll put in my show! I've painted two other versions of this painting--a 6x6 and an 8x8. This image was one of the first I used for a little "daily painting" about a year and a half ago. I was in such awe (and still am) of Karin Jurik's paintings and when I finished my first version of this subject, I was so excited because I thought that MAYBE I can do this, too! She has been such an inspiration!

Study for "At the Carnival"

11.75"X7"

Watercolor and Black Colored Pencil on Yupo

$100 includes domestic s/h

click here to ask about purchasing this through paypal

This is a study of a part of a painting I'd like to start tomorrow. It was good to do the study--just to make myself really see the subject before I jump into it! I enjoy how the watercolor sits on top of the Yupo and stays bright. It's tricky stuff to use and forces me to let things be loose. I've been using a spray acrylic fixative on the finished paintings and it seems to work well.

"On a Wild One"

36"x24"

Oil on Canvas

NFS at this time

I wasn't able tot get this done in time to get a good photo of it, so will have to replace this one. I'm thinking this is finished--we'll see!

"On a September Walk" (sold)

8"x8" image size

Watercolor/Black Colored Pencil on Yupo

$90 US plus $7 domestic s/h

This is one of the reasons I like this time of year--sunflowers against a true blue sky. Makes me think of ee cummings' poem "I thank you God for most this amazing day".

Painting in Process!

36"x24"

Oil on Canvas

Another larger painting for my show. I can't believe how fun it is to paint the horses this large! It's funny, too, because I see when I take the photo that I seem to have a tendency to make their hooves too big! I have to go away for the weekend so won't be able to finish this till next week. I'm looking forward to seeing how I manage to do the background!

"Fun Zone Study"

9"x8" image size

Watercolor, pencil & ink on Yupo

$75 US plus $7 domestic shipping

I got excited about this photo and want to do an oil of it, but decided to go for doing this study first. I don't often do studies before I do an oil, but I can see what a helpful practice it is! I feel like I spent time solving problems (even if it doesn't look like it here!!) and at least thinking about how I'm going to approach the painting.

"Burrito Stand"

9"x12"

Oil on Board

for purchase information contact River Bend Fine Art Gallery

When I started this painting a couple of weeks ago, I was overwhelmed by the color, scraped it off and changed my palette to three colors plus white and sat there looking at it for the past two weeks thinking how boring it was! So yesterday afternoon, I went back to it and brought out the colors I started with and finished it. I have to admit, I really like the bright colors! I think maybe it has been good to have a break. This painting will be in a show next month, so it is not for sale right now.

Burrito Stand Study

7"x5.5"

Watercolor and Graphite on Yupo

$40 US plus $7 domestic s/h

click here to ask about purchasing this through Paypal

The illustrations are finished and off to the publisher! I actually got to work on a painting today that I hope to finish tomorrow. Meanwhile, this little study is something I warmed up with as I am feeling a little rusty! I realy like the way the watercolor stays on the surface of that Yupo--really stays bright and intense.

"Rough Ride #2"

9.5"x6.5"

Watercolor, Graphite & Colored Pencil on Yupo

$90 US plus $10 domestic s/h

Click here to ask about purchasing this painting through Paypal

The rodeo paintings seem like a natural to use this painting technique with because it lends itself so easily to showing movement. It's really fun--alot more spontaneous than what I've been doing the last couple of weeks!

So, I thought I'd put in a couple of examples of the illustrations I've been working on the past two weeks. There are 22 of them in total and they are for a book for Catholic middle-schoolers. Part of the purpose of the book is to teach the kids about some of the saints and holy people in their Catholic tradition. They are 8x8 inches and are gouche, watercolor and black prismacolor. The top one is Josephine Bakhita and the lower one is Saint Nicholas. It's been a really intense, but interesting and fun project. Lots of research! I have 1 and a half more to do and then I'll send them off! Think I'll have a party!

"Rough Ride"

Watercolor, Graphite & Colored Pencil on "Yupo"

Image: 9"x6.5" on 14"x11" Yupo

$75 Plus $10 domestic s/h

click here to ask about purchasing this painting through Paypal

It feels like forever since I've posted! I have had to really close myself off from everything except the illustration work which I will finish this weekend and ship Monday. Yay! Meanwhile, I am itching to get back to painting!

I saw some work by a Bend artist, Judy Hoiness, on this "Yupo". I loved how she incorporated the paint and the drawing and have been wanting to try it myself, so here it is. If you aren't familiar with the Yupo, it is a sheet of polypropolene, very slick. The watercolor just sits there till it dries, you can wipe it off while it's wet. When it's dry, it takes graphite really well. I have fixed it with a few layers of sprayed acrylic coating. This is an interesting surface. I'm curious to learn more about it.

I hope to start catching up with responses to those of you who've emailed me the last couple of weeks. I have had to not even open them! My apologies!