Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Illustration of St. Francis


app. 10"x7"
black color pencil on bristol board
sold

Yesterday's and today's "art-time" was spent on working on this illustration of St. Francis for a Christmas card for a group of Franciscan friars. Everytime I do something like this, it reminds me how much I love to draw. . .







Sunday, October 25, 2009

"Portrait of a Little Boy"


4"x3.5"
Oil on Board
NFS

This tiny painting is of a little guy named Zane. A beautiful child! I don't know that I could ever do him justice!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

"Daniel Sperry, Cello Man"


6"x6"
Oil on Gessoboard
contact River Bend Fine Art Gallery for purchase information

This is the third painting I've gotten to do of Daniel playing his cello Lithia Park in Ashland, OR. This time, fall is approaching and the colors are little more yellow-orangish. It's the greatest setting to hear his beautiful artistry. His website is http://www.cellomansings.com/.
I am going to take a couple of weeks off of trying to post everyday or so--it's time to catch up on some other things in life and take a little trip. I intend to paint on the trip and to post what I do. I just won't be showing up on Daily Painters Gallery for a couple of weeks. Stay tuned!

Friday, October 23, 2009

"Newell Grain Elevator Woodblock Print"


11"x21"
Oil-based ink on Rives Lightweight paper
Edition of 8
$200 includes domestic s/h
click here to ask about purchasing this block print through Paypal or go to www.dailypainters.com

This two-color block print is of a grain-storage elevator (not sure why they called them elevators!) near Newell, California, very close to where I grew up. It is next to what is commonly called "Petroglyph Rock", the Lava Beds and "The Peninsula". Each of those places speak of the history of the area. The Lava Beds is a national park full of just that, the remnants of very old volcanoes. It was also a refuge for the Modoc Indians as they resisted being overtaken by the US cavalry and placed on a reservation--the story's much longer! Petroglyph rock looks like a big rocky bump on the landscape, but one side of it is full of ancient petroglyphs by the indigenous peoples. The Peninsula used to be a peninsula when the area was still under water. It, too, has petroglyphs drawn on it. Another landmark that is just a few miles from these grain elevators is the site of a Japanese internment camp from WWII. AND, another 6-8 miles from there is the site of a German POW camp, also from WWII. Quite alot of history in what can feel like the middle of nowhere!


Wednesday, October 21, 2009

"High Desert Country"


App. 13"x10"
Color Pencil and Pastel on Bristol Board
$200 includes domestic s/h
email me if you're interested in purchasing this drawing

As mentioned in my previous post, the last few days have been full of teaching and illustration work. I just finished this drawing and two others to illustrate an article for the December issue of the magazine St. Anthony Messenger. The article by Kathy Coffey is on Advent and part of it incorporates a desert theme. It was nice to be able to use the desert that I know living here on the edge of the Great Basin as my inspiration for "desert". During Advent, we are called to go into our own "deserts" and prepare for the new life being offered to us---a season to shake off the dust and discouragement and to open up to renewal.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Smith Rock 3-Color Woodblock Print


11"x17.5"
original hand-pulled 3-color woodblock print; edition of 5 plus 1 artist's proof
oil-base ink on Rives Lightweight paper
$115 includes domestic s/h
click here to ask about purchasing this painting through Paypal or go to www.dailypainters.com to purchase

This week and last week are filled with illustration work and teaching, so I am having to go to the "archives" for my post. This is a print I did quite some time ago of one of my favorite places to be "Smith Rock State Park". It's a subject I've drawn, painted and printed many times! As stated, this is a woodblock print that I carved three different blocks for, then printed. I've always done my relief block printing by hand, so registration is always one of those things I've held my breath to see if it worked! Actually, it's not that hard to create a system to register just a few blocks. More than that, though, to me it gets tricky!

Friday, October 16, 2009

"Blue Sky and Bull-Riding"


4.5"x3.5"
Oil on board
$45 includes domestic s/h
click here to ask to purchase through Paypal
Or

I just had this little board, so thought I'd see if I could actually paint this subject this small! It worked out OK! Thank heaven for "readers"!!


Thursday, October 15, 2009

"Magpies and Cattails Woodblock Print"


7.5"x12"
Oil base ink on printmaking papers

Edition of 9

$75 includes domestic s/h

click here to ask to purchase through Paypal

OR

go to http://www.dailypainters.com/ to purchase

Magpies remind me of my childhood--they were everywhere in the high-desert landscape I grew up in. Till this day, I love the way their black and white feathers flash as they fly. This print is inspired by a trip to Burns, OR one autumn day.


Wednesday, October 14, 2009

"Union Station Afternoon" (sold)


10"x8"
oil on board
I finished this painting yesterday and forgot to post!! Anyway, the title is changed, the painting is a bit different, and I am happy. I really like the feel of the interior of the train station. For me it captures the feeling of how cool it was inside while being so hot outside. This was a joy to paint!

Monday, October 12, 2009

"The End of the Run" in process


10"x8"
Oil on Board
NFS--unfinished

This is another scene from the lobby at Union Station in Portland, OR. . .a couple traveling with their baby, the porter bringing in his bags. It was the end of his work week on the passenger train. I'm looking forward to finishing this tomorrow!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

"Evening Rite"


4"x5"
Original Hand-painted Linoleum Block Print
Oil-based inks and watercolor on archival paper
Edition of 10 (3 left)
$40 includes domestic s/h
click here to ask to purchase this print through Paypal
OR
go to
www.dailypainters.com to buy direct

Whew! THAT (above) was a mouthful for such a little piece! As titled, this image came from watching the swans one evening at our downtown Mirror Pond. The reflection of the sunset on the water made it such a romantic visual! The prints are hand-painted, so there is a little variation in each one. Basically, though, the story is the same: the sunset is reflecting on the water as the swan grooms itself. Each print is numbered and signed and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Friday, October 9, 2009

"Smith Rock Sketch"


app. 7"x9"
watercolor and pen on paper
$50 includes domestic s/h

click here to ask about purchasing this through Paypal

OR

go to http://www.dailypainters.com/ to purchase

I took the afternoon off and went up to Smith Rock State Park for some "nature" time with my pup! It was a gorgeous, golden afternoon. . .lots of climbers going up the rock faces. . .lots of walkers, hikers. . .lots of dogs. . .by the time I got around to painting, the sun went behind a rock face and it turned pretty chilly--so much for a watercolor drying! This little sketch was what worked and I had a lovely time doing it!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

And Scout Takes the Lead!"


NFS
6"x8"
Oil on Board
This little painting is of a friend's dog, Scout. He's winning the race! It was so much fun to paint--such energy and enthusiasm! There's nothing like a dog! Love 'em!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

"From the Trains"


10"x8"
Oil on Board
$295 unframed includes domestic s/h
click here to ask about purchasing this painting through Paypal
OR
go to
www.dailypainters.com to purchase

Finished! This painting was really fun to do. There's something about the reflective surfaces that I love working with. I think it's the abstract quality they get and that it gets to be more just about color than objects. Another thing I enjoyed about doing this painting was the working with negative shapes and how they define the positive. I find myself going back to the simple palette alot lately--permanent crimson, alizaron yellow and ultramarine blue (plus the whites). "Simple" is the key word here for me!

Monday, October 5, 2009

"From the Trains" in Process


10"x8"
Oil on Board
NFS until finished

This painting "in process" is one of a diptych I'm working on from Union Station in Portland, OR. I love working with the quality of light and space there and the abstract feel of the reflections. Stay tuned for the finished painting tomorrow!

Saturday, October 3, 2009

"Art Appreciation"


Image size: 7.75" high x 4.875" wide
Graphite on Bristol Board
$150 includes domestic s/h
click here to ask about purchasing this drawing through Paypal
OR
go to www.dailypainters.com to purchase

This drawing is of a fellow I saw at our monthly First Friday gallery walk. It always seems sort of miraculous to me when people love looking at artwork and truly pay attention and put effort into appreciating it. I am so grateful for them! They complete the process for those of us who put it out there.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Woman's Profile


4"x3.5"
Oil on Board
NFS

I have all these little pieces of masonite that I thought I would paint a series of portraits on. Maybe I'll get that "50 faces" painted yet! In my mind, though, I see groups of these portraits hanging together, all the same size. I did the first one a couple of weeks ago which got me excited about the idea. This one, well, I'm not too thrilled with even after scraping it off and doing it again! Oh well! There's always tomorrow!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

"Bareback on a Bucking Buckskin" (sold)


6"x6"
Oil on Gessoboard
$115 includes domestic s/h
click here to ask me about purchasing this painting through Paypal
OR
go to www.dailypainters.com to purchase

It felt good to have enough painting time today to actually get this little oil sketch done. In my ideal life, there would be long uninterrupted stretches for painting--I wouldn't stop until my body clock said "enough for now". However, until that happens, I'll just keep on, brushstroke by brushstroke!