Tobacco Storage

Tobacco Storage 

Oil on gessobord, 8x10"

Here is the third of three paintings done last week at Camp Nelson, in Kentucky. The wheat field I was overlooking was full of incredible color that changed with the light. The barn at the top of the hill is what drew my attention. It was a weathered grey, but in the light of the day, and against the brilliant wheat field color it was almost periwinkle. The sky was a similar color so the two blended together effortlessly.

Concealed

“Concealed”

Oil on panel

14x11”

This was a do-over of a painting I started last week while the weather was warm, and I was painting outside. I took it down to my studio this morning and redid just about everything other than the composition. A recent trip to Maker’s Mark distillery provided me with the photo reference, Wolf Kahn provided the color palette inspiration, Gamblin supplied me with paint and the rest is history.

Maker's Barn

Makers Barn, oil on panel, 11x14”

Some days are diamonds. Some days are shinier diamonds. Sometimes I have to start over after a wiper in order to create a painting to my liking. This is one of them.

Season's Overgrowth

Season's Overgrowth, oil on panel, 10x8"

Not anything to blog about with this painting, other than it is a great way to start my morning off with.

Sunswept

"Sunswept", oil on gessoed board, 11x14"

If you have ever scrolled through my paintings on the CeliaKellystudio page you will see over the last two years I have painted a lot of vineyard scenes. I have always love the symmetry and organization it took to plant and maintain rows and rows of fruit. And it helps to have a sister who sends unlimited photos of various Sonoma, Napa, Healdsburg, St. Helena and everywhere in between!!

Harpers View

"Harpers View" 

oil on canvas, 12x9"

I spent part of last weekend in the Northern Va area, painting in the cemetery at Harpers Ferry, WV. It is such a beautiful location. I edited the scene a great deal, for artistic and sacred reasons. Still the painting turned out much to my liking.

Hilltop Barn

Hilltop Barn, oil on canvas, 36x24"

This is one of the largest paintings I have done in years, and I love working this size again.  I feel like I may need to do away with the tiny paintings for a while, and regain my footing a bit larger.  I've been working slowly towards one of the cliches that are thrown around a lot, "emotional color palette" within my work, without being overly emotional!?!  But with that for me comes expansive space.   The combination is actually where the emotion lies. 

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.

Long Run

Long Run, oil on gessoed hardboard, 8x10"

I have been looking at several contemporary painters that I consider successful abstract landscape painters. This can be a blurry area, and many attempt it. However, it is obvious when it is not done well.  This is my first honest and conscious attempt at abstraction with landscape.  I'm not sure it worked, but I am still happy with it and feel like I worked through it more then the eye can see. I believe I will continue to work on these - as small scale, learning works. Note to self: prepare a limited palette prior to painting based on reference photo or subject matter. 

Quiet Lake

Quiet Lake, oil on gessobord, 12x12"

I did some quick sketches at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum a couple days ago. I had planned on staying for a few hours, but the heat and the bugs got the best of me.  I enjoyed the small amount of productivity I was able to accomplish in a short amount of time.  I used one of the sketches to produce this painting,  remembering the light  that was affected by the heat and humidity that day from memory. 

Park Road

Park Road, oil on gessobord, 8x10"

The "heat dome" has spread over the majority of the U.S. and I went out to plein air paint earlier this week. I learned a lot during my 3 hours in the park near my home such as:   
1. when the light is overly bright, tone down your colors  2.  when dealing with mostly greens, decide the spectrum and mix up four greens to simplify this spectrum.  3. Bring food if you haven't eaten yet. I started to get shaky even though I was in the shade.
Also,  I want to say that several strangers spotted me and stopped to chat and I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations.  Thanks for taking the time  out of your exercising  to do so.  

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.

Parklands #4

Parklands #4, oil on Arches oil paper, 16x12"

I feel like I am gaining momentum with each new painting in this series.  This painting was done from a photo reference with very little light variations. I painted it that way but added a lot more color. 

On a personal note, today is the last day of my Spring Break, and I am already feeling a bit melancholy. I have gotten into a nice routine of waking up, finishing a painting that I started late the night before, posting it, then deciding where I will hike or bike for the day, to explore and take photos.  In other words, doing exactly what I want to do, which I rarely get an opportunity to experience.  I was very productive this past week, so I will heed a warning now, my painting is about to slow back down, much to my chagrin. Thanks for the support I have received through the evolution of the Parklands series. Any artist will admit that comments and "likes" help to keep us going.  So I'm not sure if this will be the last of the series or not. I still have a few interesting photos I want to explore through paint. We will see what this next week brings :-)

Parklands #1

Parklands #1, oil on Arches oil paper, 16x12"

Yesterday, I went hiking in two different rural parks in the Louisville area. It was a beautiful, uplifting experience that yielded many photos consciously shot to use as references for drawing/painting.  I decided after reviewing them on my computer, that it was time for another series. And since I am attempting to use more abstraction, what better time then now.  Here is the first, which I worked and reworked, wiping and scraping paint on and off.  There were a few moments that I wanted to give up on it, but the photo kept drawing me back in to the actual moment I was there. Plein air painting from memory!!!!  Hopefully, I will be able to begin painting 2 with a bit more spring in my step!

Patches

Patches, oil on canvas, 9x12"

It hasn't snowed here in a while but when it did I went out to photograph some fields and a small lake nearby. Even though I thoroughly enjoy painting outside in the snow, it was much too blustery during this last batch.  Here is an active field, shut down and enjoying the peaceful silence.

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. 

Transitioning Topography

Transitioning Topography, oil on Arches oil paper, 12x16"

The reference photo for this painting was taken somewhere after the Rockies, heading west, when the topography becomes more sculptural and red. Nature rocks!

It has been a nice week off from painting, but I am ready to get back to it. I have been cleaning and reorganizing my studio. I bought a large metal tool chest to hold my palette and turp on top and to hold all my paints and chemicals in the drawers and underneath. It came unassembled.  All I can say is, it took me over a week to do it. Never again. But then again, never say never!

Long Way 'Round

Long Way 'Round, oil on Arches oil paper, 8x12"

Day 30, 30 paintings/30 Days

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Celia Kelly Studio

This is the final painting of the 30 challenge. I am extremely proud that I accomplished 29/30 paintings, missing one only because I was too sick to stand at the easel. As I have said, the most important thing that I take away from the challenge is the fact that my painting are developing to where I finally feel comfortable again as an artist.  On a painting spectrum, my vision of what I want a finished piece to look like and the actual finished piece are each moving closer to the center.  I may take a few days off and catch up on things that have fallen by the wayside.

Also, I am happy to say that one of my 30/30 paintings has been donated as a fundraiser for St. Francis of Assisi school.  I mounted the watercolor paper on an archival board, with ph neutral glue, something I haven't tried before. The frame was also made by hand using a different method then previous frames.
Here is "Single"

Oncoming Storm

Oncoming Storm, oil on Arches oil paper, 8x12"

Day 29, 30 paintings/30 days

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Celia Kelly Studio

I can't believe there is only one painting left to do. This challenge proved to be such a joy, and allowed me to grow as an artist. I wasn't sure I would be able to complete it, but I did, only missing one day because of illness.  And this painting, Oncoming Storm, is by far my favorite for many reasons. 

Summer Field

Summer Field, oil on Arches oil paper, 8x6"

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I painted this late last night as an experiment and because it is so cold in my basement studio that I needed some warmth.  The painting is actually much brighter then the photo suggests.