Beside the Lake

Beside the Lake, oil on gessobord, 8x6"

I had the best of intentions yesterday, to start a long weekend working and painting outside in various locations. My intentions will not go as planned now as it is going to be a rainy weekend.  It was raining when I set up near a park lake under a tree but I didn't let that stop me. I painted for about 90 minutes before wiping the painting off.  Turning more towards the lake in a brief moment of light, I saw these little fuzzies lining the bank. Before the next downpour could do me in, I captured this little grouping.

Sunlit Vineyard 2

Sunlit Vineyard 2, oil on canvas, 8x8"

NFS

This is my 300th painting since I started my blog in April 2014! I have not necessarily been painting and posting everyday but a lot more then I thought would be posting when I started.  

This is a second go at this vineyard scene. This painting, as well as its counterpart, will be a donation to the Louisville Art Association's ArtSquared fundraiser in April. I will write more about that later. 

When I realized I had to paint a second version, I left the original packed up, interested in seeing how I would interpret the scene again. I was just comparing the two, and even though there are some similarities, I am really pleased at their differences.  It shows that one any given day, my brain is wired to see color, shapes and points of interest differently.

Sunlit Vineyard

Sunlit Vineyard, oil on canvas, 8x8"

I finished this painting early this morning. It is for another donation, this time for LVA, Louisville Visual Art Association.  So far, as I wind my way back into the world of painting, I have turned down many commission but not donations.  I feel as if there are too many expectations that I would not fulfill within myself with commissions. Donations on the other hand are fun and less pressure.  

This vineyard, in the reference photo, was bathed in light.  I hope I pulled this off. The subject matter is near and dear to my heart so it was natural that I gravitate to them constantly. 

By the way, the LVA's annual Art[squarted] event will be held April 9 at their new location in the Historic Portland neighborhood of west Louisville. I missed the deadline last year so am thrilled to participate and offer this painting for sale. All artist contribute an 8x8" canvas, are anonymously hung in the gallery space and are priced at $100. Please save the date, buy a painting; your donation will contribute to funding the Children's Free art classes sponsored by LVA!

Winter Lake

Winter Lake, watercolor and pastel on watercolor paper, 

8x8 inches

I have painted this image several times. It always jumps out from my photos as I search. It seemed like the right thing to do to try it again with pastels and watercolor.  I like the differences that the medium brought -- it's equal parts calm and animated.  Not bad for the middle of a tremendously cold winter. 

Happy Birthday to my daughter Reid, who turns 17 today!  Reid is a junior in a Visual Arts Magnet program at her High School. She recently won a Scholastic Gold key for a painting she did (sadly I don't have a photo), and a Silver key for a multi-media (mostly textiles) portrait piece.

Parklands 3

Parklands 3, watercolor and pastel on watercolor paper, 

8x8 inches

"Parklands 3" turned out to be a painting/drawing that is gaining with the momentum I am trying to achieve.  I love when a serene and quiet scene has an element that seems to be going at a totally different speed, if you look hard enough.  Not to spell it out but with this scene, it is obviously the foreground. I continue to have fun, looking with an open eye, for ambiguity in a world full of color and shape.

Parklands 2

Parklands 2, watercolor and pastel on watercolor paper, 

8 x8 inches

This photo reference was from a solo hike I did back in December when the weather had been gray for too many days. I got my rump out to explore a relatively new park in the Louisville area.  The only problem -- it was a long drive from where I live.  By the time I arrived I was claustrophobic from being in a car by myself, so I walked for quite a while to shed that feeling. And I took some very serene and still photos.  There wasn't another human to be found, which left the landscape begging for attention. Not a difficult thing for me to do.

The pastel on this drawing became a bit whimsical and active. I'm starting to miss larger scale drawing all of a sudden, despite the fact that I am quite content still with painting small.