Green Cove

Green Cove, oil on gessobord, 10x10"

Since I finished the Strada Easel 31/31 challenge 12 days ago, I have only worked on some studies, and I have been researching and looking at many artists that are new to me. My goal, stated many times over the past year has been to lean towards abstraction. And, even though it hasn't left my thoughts, I don't feel like I have accomplished this to my satisfaction.  Today's painting DOES do that and for that, I am very happy!  I bought a broad wash brush recently and used it for the first time today. It immediately felt right, and I started painting what has been locked in my head for months.  This little scene is from a cove at Lake Cumberland, painted from a photo that I took at the end of summer.  I guess I should thank Strada easel for the huge push that got me to this stage!

Kansas Farm Lake

Kansas Farm Lake, oil on gessobord, 10x10"

I returned to the subject matter that I love the most for this painting, vast and sweeping farms. The photo reference  was taken last summer while driving to Colorado.  I am an urban girl, through and through, but I am always drawn to expansive amounts of space, a big portion of it untouched in many ways. I guess it's the yin and yang, the push and the pull, the balance. And the never-ending search for a scene to translate into a painting, is in itself, very humbling.

Dynamic Duo

Dynamic Duo, oil on hardboard, 10x10"

I went a little bigger with this one. The shadows were definitely more wonky then whimsical. I tried to convey that.  

*One corner of the painting is 1/8" wider because I cut this board myself and went past my cutting line. * 

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. 

Primrose Alley

Primrose Alley, oil on canvas, 10 x 10"

I just found out the name of the lovely pink flowers that bloom throughout the first half of the summer in Louisville.  When I spotted some in the alley across from my backyard, I snapped a picture. The garage is old and stoic, and it was bathed in morning light.
To buy click here

Snowy Road

Snowy Road, oil on gessobord, 10 x 10"

I started working finally on one of the "bigger" Ampersand gessobords that I bought myself for christmas. It is a bit of an adjustment, but at the same time it felt like it was the right time to paint a bit bigger.  People have asked me in many different, creative ways why I don't paint in a larger format.  The main reason is money.  When I decided to paint on a daily basis, I really attempted to complete at least one work per day, and the only way I could afford that was to paint small.  Oil paint itself is a huge expense and the gessobords that I use and love, rapidly escalates in price as the size increases. So I have to wait until I can splurge on a bigger size board. It's pretty simple. 

Snowy Road took about four days to complete all in all. I will let the pictures speak for themselves; they document the painting as it evolved.  I loved painting the snow as it was waaaay more colorful then the naked eye can see!

Snowy Road day 3

Snowy Road day 1

 Snowy Road, sketch

Waterlilies at night

Waterlilies at Night, oil on canvas, 10x10 inches

The entire time I was painting Waterlilies at Night, I kept muttering sarcastically to myself, "well this is interesting".  I went back to canvas for this one, and for many reasons it slowed me down.  I started out by sketching circles all over the canvas according to the photograph, and it actually made me dizzy! And, as I got more in-depth with the painting, I couldn't figure out if the lilies looked more like green fortune cookies or pac-men :-)

The photo from which I worked had been taken after sunset in a backyard pond. My son won a College Scholarship from the local St. James Art Festival, and the artists were given a nice reception in the backyard of an historic building that houses the foundation offices.  The waterlilies caught my attention as we were walking out, and I snapped a few quick photos.  

Using various tints and shades of the same color does not come easy for me so this subject matter gave me good practice and I have to say, overall it WAS an interesting process.