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.

C & O Trail

"C&O Trail"

Oil on board, 24x18"

Last week I posted a couple sketches that I did at the C&O museum in Maryland, before a storm ran me out. This painting is produced from a reference photo while working that day. For a while the light was brilliant as I sat below the bridge that crosses the canal. There was just enough shade to work under.

Black Mountain and Lake Tomahawk

Black Mountain and Lake Tomahawk, oil, 14x11"

I used a much bigger brush for the majority of this painting, and it was liberating.  It was a size 16 filbert instead of a 4 or 6 that I normally use. I found the 16 among some leftover supplies that my college kids didn't take with them and decided to give it a good home. It worked.  This photo reference is from the NC mountains, and a small lake.

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. 

"Lofty Space", oil on board, 20x16"

I have been wanting to do an interior for a while, since wintertime is generally when we turn inward, literally and figuratively. This scene from a lofted building is a photo I took last winter about the same time. I thought it would be an easy one to start with, but it got the best of me. While most of the scene is outside the windows, I attempted to paint it so it would be secondary to the viewer, with the bright empty space being the more important. I hope I pulled it off. It is hard for me to gage since this is my first interior.

Empty Fields

Empty Fields, oil on board, 18x24"

Barreling down the highway for extended lengths of time never gets old.  The fun part is trying to take photos that aren't blurry, no matter how advanced of a camera (the camera operator is not advanced!).  Here is a flat, farm scene that I'm always on the lookout for.  I never tire of wondering how different their life is, compared to my urban dwellings. 

Plein Air Day

Plein Air Day, oil on board, 10x8"

The last few times I have attempted to paint on location, I have failed miserably, to the point of frustration. Part of the frustration comes from the fact that I would spend all my waking time outside if I could, so to paint outside is all I want to do. But to have the opportunity but no success is enough to make me crazed.  This painting worked. Finally!! I tweaked only the color of the road, but not the shadow when I got home but other then that it remains how it was painted on the side of the park road. 

Signs of Fall, Lake Nevin

Signs of Fall, Lake Nevin, oil on board, 10x8"

I really don't have a favorite when it comes to seasons because each one is a welcomes different extremes.  Fall is definitely a time of beautiful color, but in some ways difficult to express on a canvas because it's so overwhelming. With that said, I like the understated scenes, like this one from Bernheim. 

Signs of Fall, Tipsaw Lake

Signs of Fall, Tipsaw Lake, oil on board, 10x8"

A couple weeks I went on a day trip to several river towns in Indiana, and then stopped at a few state parks within Hoosier National Forest.  One of those was Tipsaw, which had a cute little swimming beach for its fishing lake.  At that time, Indiana was already showing small signs of Fall.

Early Morning Calm, oil on board, 10x8"

I took a beautiful photo reference while out on an early walk a few days ago.  It had a nice, tidy composition.  Despite the fact that we have had little or no rain for a while, everything was strikingly green.

Storm over Kansas

Storm over Kansas, oil on board, 18x24"

I'm heading out to the knobs of southern Indiana today to hopefully set up shop, dog and daughter in tow.  I finished this painting a few days ago, but didn't immediately post until I thought it was finished.  Even though a landscape is often simple, there is always so much more going then at first glance. Storms in Kansas, if you have driven one side to the other, come up fast and furious.  So much so, that the rest stops have emergency alert notifications that go off before you can see a storm on the flat plain. It is one of the scariest and exhilarating experiences I have encountered. Nature showing its strength.

Rainy day Sunday

Rainy Day Sunday, oil on board, 8x10"

I went out to paint yesterday and the sky was cloudy AND  sunny. Soon it turned into a downpour. I had brought my umbrella just in case, and in the process of opening it, I spilled my odorless mineral spirits and medium.  Brand new  bottles :-).  Nevertheless I continued painting until the downpour turned to a drizzle. And then the sun came out....again.

Fishing Lake

Fishing Lake, oil on board, 20x16"

I finally feel like I am headed in the right direction with this one. It's probably hard to tell by the photo , but there are layers of color interacting with each other in the painting, as well as the gestural mark making, which I've always been drawn to.  These isolated lake scenes are becoming my favorites and have allowed me to not feel so inhibited.

Reflection

Reflection, oil on board, 16x20"

These colors are really moody in a beautiful kind of way.  I have to believe that is my subconscious talking.  Despite the fact that I want to paint on some days, it's been difficult. And then when I feel up to it, I haven't had the motivation.  But the photo I took back in April that I used for this painting was inspiring - half sky, half water with a glowing parcel of land in the middle. I also love the word reflection because of the dual meaning. So which ever version you choose for your interpretation, it works! 

Landslide

Landslide, oil on board, 14x 18"

Rows and rows of uphill vines acting as earths sun catchers.

Long-legged

Long-legged, oil on board, 16x20"

I really need to get a phone with a better camera. I took several photos of this painting, and I feel like it still isn't represented to the best of its ability.  Regardless, I loved these long-legged vines.  I wish I knew what varietal they are.  When I was painting the background, I blurred the photo so I wouldn't get to caught up in the nitty gritty, i.e. the details. The abstraction was fun to do, and still shows the depth of space.

Road to Somewhere

Road to Somewhere, 9.5 x 13" (approximately), oil on board

I have painted this image before, a few months ago, but swiped it away because I wasn't satisfied with it. I don't do that very often, mostly because I don't like wasting paint. I kept coming back to this photo, rethinking it several times, and finally got a "keeper". This is done on gessoed board, and the size is approximate because my skills with a circular saw are not spot-on. I like how moody this turned out. Subconsciously, I think it was because Hugh is leaving for college and my favorite critique-er won't be home any longer to talk me through rough creative patches.  On a good note, I am finding myself becoming more gestural as time goes by which is how I painted many years ago. It was very freeing in a sense so hopefully this is a good progression so far. 

Bike Zone

Bike Zone, oil on hardboard, 24x24"

This is the first BIG painting I have actually completed in a long time! Woohoo!  I have started many but they are all in the "defeated" pile in the studio.  This may become a favorite subject really quickly.  The painting itself was fun, remained loose, and neutral enough to highlight the riders.

Parallel Universe

Parallel Universe, Oil on gessoed panel, 7 3/4 x 12 1/4"

SOLD

This is fresh off the easel, so I apologize for the bit of glare on the left side of the photo.  It is a little different, in the fact that I cut my own boards this time, to try something new.  I need a new saw blade. Because of this, the upper left edge is a little "jagged" but it kind of adds to its character. It's an odd size too. I may try to cut more panel in the future because I like the feel of it over canvas.  I really love the painting itself...this was painted from a photo I took while traveling to St. Louis recently. Along the way there were streaming fields of goldenrod, which I love to look at...from a distance... in a car....where I won't sneeze.