Crooked Smile

With the inauguration still hanging in the air and all the immediate pen swipes taking place - including the National Endowment for the Arts, I really wanted to call this painting..."There was a crooked man and he had a crooked smile"  I want to feel like the country is moving forward but it is hard when a single human is standing in the way.

Stacked

"Stacked" oil on gessobord, 6x6"

Nine more paintings to do for this "paint from life challenge" for strada easel. It has been difficult in many ways, but I have been working with the difficulty and working through it. Today's painting was almost swiped many times, and it took me longer to do it than originally intended. I stuck with it...as a challenge to myself. It's not the best but, again, it was by far the hardest.

"Top Heavy"

"Top Heavy", oil on gessobord, 6x6"

It's all apples and oranges to me. Or so it seems.

Westward

Westward, oil on gessobord, 6x6"

While I was deciding where to trek to paint yesterday, I painted this from a photo reference from my summer trip. Still wish I was there. Sigh.

Shadows 2

Shadows 2, oil on gessobord, 6x6"

Here is the 2nd in the series of shadow paintings. I think I'm  hooked.  Advice: if you are in a rut of any size, shift your gears.  I've always looked at shadows as whimsical, but they are becoming a joy to paint.

Shadows

Shadows, oil on gessobord, 6x6"

Several weeks ago, when the weather in Louisville had turned cold but sunny, I took a walk on the city's pedestrian bridge that crosses the mighty Ohio river. There seemed to be an abundant amount of cyclist that day. I began to notice all the shadows taking different shape the closer they came to me. I snapped a few photos to paint from and noticed when I zoomed in the actual shadow took on a more beautiful form. I may do a few more paintings from the photos, but I think it is a good start! #251

Lake Cove

Lake Cove, oil on gessobord, 6x6"

This is the second painting that I did on my latest visit to Bernheim Forest and Arboretum. It is one of my favorite places to go when I have a day off or a weekend morning with nothing to do but hike.  There is a lake near the entrance that has many great, quiet places to set up to paint. I only turned my easel a little from "Lake View", to zoom in to get these illuminated reeds.  

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