Open Air

Open Air, oil on gessobord, 10"x10"

The photo reference for this painting came from Morguefile.com. I edited the size of the photo a bit, but overall I got the importance of the moment. I loved how vast the beach seemed, and the fact that you could be all bundled up, yet warm in the sun. 

Sun Cruise

Sun Cruise, oil on gessobord, 6"x6"  

Summer Barn Alone

Summer Barn Alone, oil on gessobord, 8x10"

This is the latest addition to the barn series. The longer I continue it, the more fun I have. My aim is to eventually have the geometry of the barn itself as the focal point, and let the landscape be a complement. Right now I think I have that backwards.

Summer Companions

Summer Companians, oil on hardboard, 8x10"

I've been working my way through a barn series, and this one was very satisfying to paint. I struggled at first because I had purchased a different brand of hardboards, and they were a lot "slipperier" then the Ampersand variety I'm acclimated to.  I decided to slow down, and actually work on it in shifts.  I normally start with a ground layer, but this didn't work either due to how slippery the surface was.  I decided to build up the paint instead, letting it set, rather than dry, and to use less medium. It seemed to work, and I was even able to get a bit animated with it. I love the specks of bright red that ended up standing out among the green.

Face Value

Face Value, oil on gessobord, 6"x6"

I took liberties with this barn, by changing the color of certain parts of the landscape, that I thought were mundane.  This barn stands near French Lick, Indiana (yes, that's the real name). It is historic and in beautiful condition, so it immediately caught my eye. The grain silos were constructed of tera cotta bricks and were incredibly beautiful, reminding me of the millions of Roman bricks all over Italy. For this reason here is a close up of the grain silos, in all their artful glory.

Purchase info: www.dailypaintworks.com

Field Day

Field Day, oil on gessobord, 6x6"

I still have a small grudge against a college painting professor who exclaimed to the class on the first day "No Barns"!!  I get it now, but at the time I remember thinking "but Wolf Kahn paints them beautifully!"  When they sit near the highway like the ones I photograph, they are seen by thousands a day but come with a story very few know. In other words, they are enshrouded in obvious mystery.  I think I would like to keep it that way....it keeps me drawn to them.

purchase info:http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/celia-kelly/field-day/397292

Bike Zone

Bike Zone, oil on hardboard, 24x24"

This is the first BIG painting I have actually completed in a long time! Woohoo!  I have started many but they are all in the "defeated" pile in the studio.  This may become a favorite subject really quickly.  The painting itself was fun, remained loose, and neutral enough to highlight the riders.

Pink Ladies

Pink Ladies, oil on gessobord, 6x6"

We are having nonstop rain and I had a hard time photographing this one.  I may repost with a better photo; for now I just to blog about it.  Echinacea are in bloom and so fun to paint.  The combination of colors, along with the dark background make them very photogenic :-).