Friday, January 29, 2016

Picking Up Again on the Apples Paintings

It wasn't too hard to work on the cast shadows that the apples are throwing onto the wood background; it doesn't require too much skill or concentration. I met a painter up in Massachusetts this past summer who was using a color I'd never heard of before: Asphaltum. It's a transparent brown, and it worked perfectly to create those shadowy areas today.

I still don't feel ready to tackle any of the other oil paintings.

The Arrow of Time, © 2016

You can check this one against earlier entries below.


...and the Watercolor

The watercolor, as of a few minutes ago. Not a lot left to do, mainly some fog on the right side.


I do think I'm going to have to go with the original plan, though, to paint it in oil.

A Little Further on the Pastel

I'm actually using a combination of pastels and pastel pencils on this one. The pencils allow for more precision, while the soft pastels impart a lusher, more sensuous look.

My old pencil sharpener, alas, is giving out on me. It's chewing the ends of the pencils and breaking the leads. I checked into buying a new one, but they're pretty expensive these days. Guess I'll have to go back to shaving the points down with a mat knife.


Thursday, January 28, 2016

Play Time

After completely burning out on my usual painting technique, I finally got back into some art work in the last day or two. Below are two pieces taken from the same reference photo ( a view from an Amtrak train in northern Florida), one in pastel, the other in watercolor. I'm finding the watercolor medium to be far more tricky. Both are works in progress and they need another day or so to complete.


Monday, January 18, 2016

Still On Vacation in My Head

I haven't been able to pick up a paintbrush since we hung the show. It seems like there are new directions I could go in besides straight-up realism. Something more mystical, magical, inventive, imaginative. And it'll take a little time to let the ideas sift around, percolate, whatever.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Last Night's Reception

Here's a photo from the high point of last night's reception. A fair amount of people viewed the show from 6-7pm.

Monday, January 11, 2016

Painted Out

Now that I've spent the better part of the last 6 months painting, painting, painting, I need a break. Plus it's time to get the Christmas decorations off the front porch and haul the tree to the street. But part of my New Year's resolutions include art work, and what to do next.

I have some ideas, and had been keeping a list all along of what new things to try once the show was taken care of, but just looking at it is exhausting. Smoky pastels...long format...constructions... I don't know where to even start with constructions! Where do you find the material? Do you start with sketches first, or just let them evolve?

Meanwhile, I have two unfinished paintings leaning against the wall in an effort to trick myself into picking up a brush again. I notice little areas that need to be fixed, and eventually they irk me enough that I start painting them. Here they are:

Left: Counterpoint; right, W. 44th Street; both © 2016

...but I do feel like trying something completely new.



Monday, January 4, 2016

The Show is Hung!

Yes! I finished working on The Illusion of Reality last night, and put it in my hubby's station wagon this morning. Had packed my car yesterday afternoon with 18 of the paintings while the light was still good; he took Illusion and Heartland over to the venue in his car.

Here are some of the photos:
Above: Dwayne, who arranged for me to have the show, and who did most of the heavy work of installation; below, some other shots of the space.





The show is at the Waddell Gallery, NVCC Loudoun Campus, Sterling VA, from Jan. 4-Feb. 4, 2016.