Around the Bend

Around the Bend, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

Speckled light is everywhere in the southeast this summer with the mildness of the season.  Low humidity allows the sun to paint the world a brilliant color if you are paying attention.  I spotted this casual cyclist at a slow pace, ready and willing to observe the action around her.  Her shadow also had a life of its own. I hope I did it justice :-).

After the Storm

After the Storm, oil on gessobord, 5x7

The cliff rocks behind the lifeguard are saturated with water after  those pop-up storms the southeast seems to get a lot of this summer. When the sun comes out immediately after, its as if nothing ever happened.  I always wonder if the lifeguards are sitting there thinking "where'd everyone go?" Maybe they're just enjoying the break.

High Dive

High Dive, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

I belong to a swim club in Louisville that is in an actual  quarry. It was dug over 90 years ago, and the quarried rock was used to build the surrounding neighborhood.  In all actuality, there is no other place like it. The lake is still surrounded by tall rock formations, descending vines and tall trees growing out of the cliff - all in the middle of the city.  I caught this high-diver a little unsure of the three meter leap he was about to encounter.  In the end, he did just fine and provided me with my next subject matter.  

Daily Ritual

Daily Ritual, oil on gessobord, 5x7

There is a zen to swimming on a daily basis, as I discovered about 8 years ago.  No one to disturb you, get all your thinking done, while pushing against a wall of water.  A relaxing effect can also come with watching the rhythms of individual swimmers.  This was an elderly man in terrific physical condition, and this particular day he was swimming for over an hour. Cheers to health and longevity!

Dappled Driveway

Dappled Driveway, oil on gessobord, 6x6
SOLD

Ok, there are a few times in a month's worth of painting that you just know when it works and this is one of those times! When I first saw this scene as I was walking the neighborhood, it stopped me and begged to be photographed.  The light created its own palette, and I've tried to respect that.  The dappling was fun and kept my painting a lot more playful and loose than I expected it to be. Let me know what you think..... :-)

Neighbors 2

Neighbors 2, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

I must admit, I love the various bungalow architecture that fills my 1920s neighborhood. The residents were a short walk away to a (now defunct) street car line that took them to their jobs downtown or to a connection to the factories that once occupied the west end of the city.

This house sits on a corner that my children used as their bus stop in elementary school.  That must be why I am fond of it.  The landscape was recently redone, adding to its charm.  It was difficult to paint...I wanted to get the size, perspective and shadows just right.  I must have reworked it a dozen times, but I am happy with the results!!

Down the Alley

Down the Alley, 5x7, oil on gessobord

One early morning (I'm always an early, early riser), when the summer had cooled a bit in Louisville, I was taking a walk and returned home through my alley.  There is a man behind me who has been re-crafting his 1920's era garage amongst other things, and adding a studio.  It has been a pleasure to watch the progress. He has kept the integrity of the original structure and added on in ways that have only improved it. On this day, the sun was brilliant, the shadows long, and the greens greener. 

New Board

New Board, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

My daughter's quest into skateboarding recently resulted in me upgrading her skateboard.  She rode it to her favorite parking lot, a University right in our neighborhood, and broke in her new board on a newly paved lot. Double the fun! I'm always mesmerized at the shadow that moves, lengthens and shortens while she kicks, glides and turns.

Skate Break 2

Skate Break 2, oil on gessobord, 6x6
NFS

This is the third in a small series of figurative paintings that I worked on using images of my daughter skateboarding.  She had been moving through an outside corridor of columns at her school, which is a grand old building itself. She rested  against one of the columns and was surrounded by shadow. I think it made an interesting subject matter for a painting.

Skate Girl

Skate Girl, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches
NFS

What can I say. Another painting of one of my favorite subjects, doing what she loves to do.  I shot this picture with her almost leaving the frame, and the landscape behind her was perfect. When it works, it works!

Skate Break

Skate Break, oil on gessobord, 6x6
NFS

My youngest daughter has recently discovered skateboarding.  With that comes the constant search for a smooth, paved, empty parking lot.  She was taking a well deserved break on this very hot afternoon when I snapped her picture.  This is the first attempt since returning to painting, that I have tried to paint a figure.  I worked, reworked and re-reworked her until I was satisfied.

Neighbors

Neighbors, oil on gessobord, 6x6

Every morning, unless it's cloudy or raining, the light across several neighbors yards by mine has a spotlight of early sun.  One yard in particular is filled front-to-back with only flowers and plantings, very little grass.  It is always the star of the show. I see the white garages as silent participants watching the light and color and shadows change.

Morning Stroll

Morning Stroll. Oil on gessobord, 5x7

I captured this photo shortly after leaving a crowded, busy public event, where I was feeling a little claustrophobic. I saw this woman walking her dog, and it looked much more peaceful. She was in her own thoughts and was walking beside an incredibly beautiful landscape. The light and shadows were also astounding.

Daylilies

Daylilies, oil on gessobord, 6x6

This is one of my favorite times of summer in Louisville because daylilies are everywhere.  I particularly love the wild kind, that many refer to as "ditch lilies".  As I drive around I'm constantly tempted to pull the car over to take yet another picture of these beautiful large clumps of orange accent.  This painting is of one big bunch of lilies in my backyard. The photo was taken when the sun was high, the sky was clear, and the daylilies where throwing out massive fiery color.

The Path

The Path, oil on gessobord, 6x6

I was visiting the site Daily Paintworks and enjoy the fact that they have "challenges", or suggested subject matter for willing and participating artists. One was called "The Path challenge". This painting is in response to that and the subject matter is a photo from Bernheim Forrest. I was concentrating on two or three colors, and trying to be as loose as I could.

Still Water

Still Water, oil on gessobord, 6x6

I have been researching more of the daily painter's movement. It is interesting to find so many artist who have subscribed to this way of painting. And it makes sense!  It really is a form of working your artistic "muscle", especially in my case, since I have regrouped after being absent for nearly 25 years from painting altogether.   It has been fun, intense, and nerve racking. Overall, it has brought back to me the ability to see things differently than the average bear. But all artists have this ability, otherwise we wouldn't be doing what we do, even with long hiatus' behind us. 

"Still Water" is my first painting on Ampersand's gessobord and I have to say "where have you been all my life!"  I love the smoothness of surface. I chose this picture to work from to work on simple things, like perspective and color. 

Four in the bowl

Four in the bowl, oil on canvas, 9x12

Another still life painted from a series of photos that I took of various fruits and objects.   I have been trying to figure out as I have been working through these paintings, whether to paint thin or thick.  I always seem to want to paint thin and gesturally when I start a painting, but it always seems like the end product is thicker and more refined than originally intended.  Not really a problem, just trying to work through it.

Four in a row

Four in a row, oil on canvas, 9x12

I gathered up apples, avocados, lemons, limes and other still life items and took about 20 pictures outside today.  The sun was directly overhead, which did not make for interesting shadows.  I just tried to work with placement instead. This is the first painting from these setups. The apples were various shades of yellow rather than reds; no shadows, no color range made for a difficult painting day. Tried to work through these frustrations and I feel, in the end, that the painting works.

Carrot, Carrot

Carrot, Carrot, oil on canvas, 9x12

I painted Carrot, Carrot instead of going to the farmer's market on a recent Saturday morning, but it ended up being a good trade off.  Instead of painting in my normal location I moved the operation outside to my covered deck where the light was pretty intense and there was a strong glare. Thus, the shadows ended up being almost a "high noon " angle. The fruit and vegetables ended up looking like long, lost distance cousins in the middle of a deep conversation. The plight of the refrigerator vegetable drawer!  : )