Footbridge

Footbridge, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

This is another angle of the little footbridge that I posted on Friday.  The real focus of this scene was the ginormous birch tree. Big birch trees are very majestic when the sky is blue and the leaves are gone. The trees are just as lovely bare as they are full of fall color.  There was a lot of fall color this particular day, that now seems short lived. It feels like old man winter is making his presence known way too early this year.

End of the Line

End of the Line, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

I found this little footbridge on a public golf course in Louisville. It crosses a creek that spreads its forks and tendrils all around  Louisville. It's an abandoned bridge for the golf course, and it has two boulders at the end to signal its non-use.  Sledders still cross it in the winter to head to the nearby hills.

The creek and bank were dark this particular day, with the bowing red tree equally bright.  So many other trees were bare.  I noticed as I was painting this scene that the bareness in the landscape started affected my normal brushstrokes.  Chunky changed to thin interestingly enough. I let it be because it was a reflection of my subconscious interpretation. It's all good!

Pickin' Corn

Pickin' Corn, oil on gessobord, 6x8 inches

I have a few photos left over from my local Farmer's Market that I put aside for later. This is one of them.  The scene just screamed of color and I'm pleased with my results conveying this as well.  It was fun to photo and fun to paint.  I always find, I might add, that my paintings turn out better when I'm attached somehow to the event or people I photograph, and this was no exception. I love the relaxed atmosphere of the Market, the ability for local venders to showcase and sell their products and to know the quality of what you are buying is at it's best.  

The Cheese Stands Alone

The Cheese Stands Alone, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches 

I went out over the beautiful weekend that Louisville brought to the table and traversed the local parks shooting a nice batch of photos.  There was a lovely path that had this last gorgeous yellow maple blazing in the sun, showing off, so I took advantage.  It was so dynamic, thus I tried to convey this by changing up my brush strokes a bit more. The color was definitely fun to work with. 

Bernheim 1, again

Bernheim 1 again, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

I am so happy to present my 100th post!  I painted this about 3 weeks ago, and showed it to my ever-wise son. He immediately recognized it as the same image from my first-ever painting that I did after picking the brushes up and dusting off my hands after 25 years. It was Hugh's suggestion that I save it for monumental 100, and I'm glad I did! It's meaningful to me that I came back around to this image and that I can recognize such a breadth of improvement.  Take a look for yourself:

Bernheim series 1, oil on canvas, 10x14"

The poster that I put together for yesterday's post was a celebration of sorts, and now onto the next 100 paintings and more!

100 day collage

Celia Kelly Painter celebrating 100 paintings

I am so excited. I have made this collage because tomorrow is my 100th painting post. I have a surprise painting for this milestone...Hint: it will take you all the way back to the beginning of my blog, day numero uno.  
Thanks everyone for your continued  "likes", invites to friends, daily inspiration, daily pep talks, and for purchasing my work.  I can only use this foundation to grow. Please water daily :-)

thanks to Leslie Saeta for her wonderful radio show Artist helping Artists and her idea for the collage

Oddities

Oddities, 6x6 inches, oil on gessobord

The title of this painting comes from me seeing this scene and all of a sudden finding it so peculiar that everything, just like in my painting Orderly, http://celiakelly.blogspot.com/2014/10/orderly.html, in tamer parts of nature somehow became so symmetrical for aesthetically purposes. When really, almost everything in nature is aesthetically beautiful in its own way. Alas, who am I to preach, since as I have said many times these types of trees are one of my favorite subject matter. And there is a very lovable geometric element to them. They also seem to catch the light on only one half, and cast the greatest shadows. Ah, shadows!