Peace in the Valley

Peace in the Valley, oil on gessoed board, 20x16"

During a recent trip to Harpers Ferry, I hiked two days in a row in sudden onset thunderstorms.  It was an exciting experience that forces you to find your mettle within the forces of nature.  The second day, cover was sought under the Jefferson's Rock near the Harpers cemetery. Watching rain blow sideways, and the fog spurs rise across the Shenendoah, Maryland Heights and the town of Harpers Ferry below, was something I won't forget. 

Black Mountain, oil on board, 14x11"

I returned yesterday from NC full of inspiration. As a landscape painter, I am always invigorated by change of scenery, large expansive spaces containing small intimate shapes.  I tried to capture the light that took over the area for a few moments. The fields were illuminated and shaded by the swift clouds which made for some nice patchwork.

Rose Island Tributary

"Rose Island Tributary", oil on board, 14x11"

I am very pleased with this painting. I had been working on another painting for two days, and it was slowly getting the best of me.  Still, I was trying to make it work. This morning I wiped it off, very discouraged. I came across this reference after looking through some photos from a couple months ago.  I took it at Charlestown State Park in Indiana, where you can access the old Rose Island summer getaway spot from the turn of last century. They are conducting a lot of archeological research currently, to establish where all the buildings stood. There are oral history speakers now, which are helping to bring the memories back to life. The painting is of one of a tributary that feeds the Ohio River east of Louisville. 

Golden Days

 

Golden Days, oil on gessobord, 12x12"

This field of winter grasses and left-over leaves bore the last resemblance to fall on this particularly sunny day in January. I took this photo reference while hiking in Indiana before my son returned to college after the holidays.

It is so wonderful to have a working knee again.

Highlights and highway"

Oil on gessobord

8"x10"

I got up this morning to work on a quick, loosely stroked landscape to cheer myself up. I have had a rough week and needed some focus time. The reference for this painting was from the highway while driving to Kansas City last weekend to see my art school daughter!!

Dawn's Early Light

Dawn's Early Light, oil on gessoed board, 16x20"

One of the interesting things about waking up beside a large lake is the amount of space available for natural light and color to present themselves on a minute-by-minute basis.  Yesterday's painting showed a near colorless scene right as the morning has broken. The scene for today's painting is after the sun has gathered some energy and illuminated  everything on the horizon. 

Morning Mist, Looming Clouds

Morning Mist, Looming Clouds, oil on gessoed  board, 16x20"

I spent four days last week on a houseboat on Lake Cumberland. It was an interesting experience as far as painting goes - I was able to do some paint sketches. The first morning I was up so early and everything had lost its color. It slowly, slowly was regained as the clouds parted and the sun appeared.  This scene is right in the middle of all that.

Crossings

Crossings, oil on gessoed board, 24x18"

I've been working on another moody palette landscape for a few days.  My goal in the next few months is to get a phone or camera that will take better pics for the blog.  There are layers here that just can't be seen. I often have people say that the paintings are so much more colorful in person, so hopefully better images coming in the near future.

Open Road

Open Road, oil on gessoed board, 24x18"

I've been working on this one for the last three days.  It is not one I felt rushed to finish, and allowed myself the time to think about attempting new things and changing others that I felt weren't working. The photo I worked from was taken on my trip last summer where we drove from Louisville to Colorado, Utah and New Mexico and saw non-stop beauty along the way. This was a simple highway scene, to contrast the grand-scale beauty within those states, but it was it's simplicity that brought me to it.  Sometimes the simplest things go unnoticed within the grand scheme of things. As Ghandi said, "Simplicity is the essence of Universality"

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.

After the Harvest, Kansas

"After the Harvest, Kansas", oil on gessobord, 18x24"

I finally finished this landscape over the weekend. Was fun to paint larger with this one. My next landscape attempt will (hopefully) drift to more abstraction...I have tinkered with this lately on oil paper, but may use these as the references for a larger work. Stay tuned!

Uphill

Uphill, oil on canvas, 12x16"

This is the fourth of my vineyard paintings.  I have them all lined up near my easel so I can keep checking on my own progress. A little "checks and balances" I guess.  This one is a bit smaller, only because I ran out of the other size.  The light on the vineyard was making the vines in the foreground sparkle!

Rows of Snow

Rows of Snow, oil on Arches oil paper, 12 x 16"

I have painted this scene before, a smaller version during the 30/30 challenge.  This time I interpreted it during winter with snow.  The red barn stands in the field alone. Everything else can't withstand the cold. 

Distant Trees

Distant Trees, oil on Arches oil paper, 6x8"

Day 28, 30 paintings/30 days

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I have a handful of photos of Kansas and the eastern part of Colorado where the land is equally as flat and mostly farmland.  I had sat them aside last fall to paint from but never did.  When I decided to jump into the 30 day challenge, I quickly threw a file together of 30 photos to paint from, and I've realized I have thrown most of those by the wayside, returning to these photo references instead. It's been a better tradeoff and the paintings are showing the growth I was hoping for during the challenge.

Blanketed

Blanketed, oil on gessoed watercolor paper, 9x12"

day 16, 30 paintings/30 days

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I felt the need to resurrect myself after being unhappy with the results of yesterday's painting post. I worked bigger and looser on Blanketed. I feel like I am half-way to the point in painting of where I would like to be, as far as loose application and brushstrokes  I guess the answer to that is to keep painting!

Unoccupied

Unoccupied, oil on gessoed watercolor paper, 6x9"

Day 10, 30 paintings/30 days

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I am 1/3 of the way done with the challenge and I must say, compared to the challenge I did at this time last year, I am truly enjoying it!!  Last year, I had the best intentions but shortly after the it started, I realized I was not enjoying myself.  I do think what I produced was quality work, but I was too concerned about getting a painting done for posting purposes rather then enjoying the challenge of improving my painting or stretching myself artistically.

This year, I have so much more going on in my busy schedule, but I am finding the time for thought and effort  with each painting I am doing.

Bundled 2

Bundled 2, oil on canvas, 14x18"

"Bundled 2" came right off the heels of "Bundled". I felt I had to keep the momentum going.  This one was a bit harder to paint because the hay bales were smaller and more numerous.  The color promotes the serenity of the scene but still allows the drama of it to come out.

Bundled

Bundled, oil on canvas, 14x18"

I have been wanting to do a haystack painting for a while. I was going through the photos I took at the end of the summer, and I came across the reference for this painting - a photo I took in Kansas while traveling west.  I am starting a few larger ones to see how it "feels" and to include them in an up-and-coming solo show I will have at the Polvino Art Center in historic Nicholasville, KY during the month of January. I hope to see you there!