Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all. I hope all your prayers are answered this coming year.
Here are some of my favorite artwork this year.

Plein air painting in Yosemite Valley.

The return of the cat tail clocks.

American River plein air painting with a good friend nearby.

Being creative with a wonderful guitar player and model.

Beautiful Brooks modeling for a class.

Plein air painting behind Manley Art Center in Brookings, Oregon.

Gaining weight painting desserts such as doughnuts.

Spending weeks painting at the Chetco River.

Learning different styles of painting at  Whaleshead north of Brookings, Oregon.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year from our family to your family.

Happy Birthday, Jesus.

Porto, Portas, Portat - That Is All The Latin You Will Ever Need

I painted at the Brookings/Harbor Port today. So what is  up with the Latin? I was having fun with the word "port".
I had an hour in between errands before Christmas and pulled up Bav, my big awesome van, and painted. After getting my painting  home, there are a few more strokes I need to add. I pushed the color, simplified the mountains and not to overwork it.

Colorful Character

Today's open studio model was a wonderful, colorful character and musician, J. P. Baily. After he finished modeling, he played and sang a song he wrote. It was great. We all  danced and laughed.
My goal was to keep it simple and to use color with confident brush strokes.  I didn't want to describe much.  I am happy with this piece.

"Colorful Character" By Eva Marie Tanner-Klaas, 20X20" Oil On Gallery Wrap

Alley Painting

I use to think only drug dealers, prostitutes and  strays cats  hang out in the alleys. Now I know it's not true. It appears only artists hang out in alleys and we are there regardless of the weather.

"Alley Way" By Eva Marie Tanner-Klaas 8x10" Oil on Board

Express Yourself With Pears

So I painted with the Urban Landscape Painters today. It was cold and overcast but great art conversation. Then after lunch to a studio for open painting.
I am working on expressionist style painting. Here are two pears. My goal was to push color, work on brushwork by keeping the paint clean and strokes confident.
It was interesting...

Pushed Out Of My Comfort Zone

I was pushed  out my comfort zone with color today. I had to walk away to wrap my brain around what had just happened. I painted a successful bottle and then the instructor pushed a few changes.  I had no idea what to think.  My masterly ellipse  at the top of the bottle was changed to simple color. My highlight was dabbed. The color was pushed to a magenta on one side and into the background. I had to walk away.
I looked at other student's painting and then I returned. I slowly began to understand what had just happened.  Then I added my own expressionist marks.
I am very happy with the progress. Homework suggestion was to setup a still life and paint it over and over again until the brush strokes are automatic.

Lost On The Reeds

I finally finished this study today in class and found myself lost on the reeds. I just couldn't make myself work on them. Have you every encountered this with a painting?  I feel like the horse dragged to water and  refusing to drink.
When I decided I was done, I said out loud "Thank God!", packed up gear and left with a Merry Christmas and see you next year.

White Cat Tail Clock - SOLD - Thank you for supporting my art.

Here is a white cat tail clock low fired on a ceramic tile. Enjoy!

SOLD

Painting Fat On Fat

I have learned how to paint lean to fat, impressionism and tonal-ism with some success. Now I am learning to paint fat on fat and expressionism.  Yikes, my brain is spinning.  Some days, it seems that I am going backwards instead of forwards. I am okay with that. You have to start somewhere it is usually at the beginning.

Here is a study from today's class. That color push makes me a little uncomfortable but that
is a good thing.

Fat On Fat Study - 11X14 Oil On Canvas Sheet

White and Yellow Cat Tail Clock - SOLD Thank you for supporting my art.

This is my white and yellow cat tail clock that I created with a ceramic pencil and my favorite glazes. 

SOLD

Olie Approved

For Black Friday, my husband Gerry bought a dog named Olie a new bed. Apparently Olie approved the gift. 

Manley Art Center Christmas Bazaar In Brookings, Oregon

I am participating this weekend in the Manley Art Center Christmas Bazaar In Brookings, Oregon. I have a variety of items for sale including a cat tail clocks, cat tail pins, ceramic cat magnets, plant markers, uppity beach buttons, bird houses, cat cards and several oil paintings. Everything is reasonably priced and I hope you come by.

Marmalade Cat Tail Clock

Cat Tail Magnet

Uppity Beach Buttons

Bird Houses

Plant Markets

 Plein Air Oil  Paintings

Another Cat Tail Clock - SOLD - Thank you for suppporting my art.

Here is another cat tail clock.

SOLD

What Time Is It? - SOLD

The cat tail clocks will be available soon. I am still waiting for the clock parts. There were shipping problems and more shipping problems but I was assured by customer service that they will be here eventually. In the meantime, I was able to put one together with my current supplies.  So what time is it? It is cat tail clock time! Oh come on... this is funny.

Orange Cat Clock  On Ceramic Tile - SOLD

Cat Tail Clocks In Progress

I have 30 cat tail clocks that I am glazing. It takes a while because of the detail but it is worth it. They are pretty funny when they are finished and hanging.  I hope to have a few for sale at the Manley Art Center Christmas Sale on November 7th in Brookings, Oregon. 

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  As always, we are thankful for our beloved troops, veterans and their families. You are always in our thoughts and prayers.  May God always bless you.

A Brush With Expression

I am enjoying my time on the beach and another workshop. This time I am learning more about expressionist style using color and about brush work.  It was recommended after I did my first still life to paint it again. This would reinforce what I learned. I got a lot out of this one day event.

I taped two 9x12 linen sheets on a board to paint the bottom painting first and  then recreated it in the top panel.

First study where the instructor pushed the color on the  red pot, green vase and tabletop.

Second attempt with more confident strokes and without the green vase.

Brush Practice

Here is my brush practice piece using a different approach. I put a transparent red oxide over the white canvas and then blocked in the dark  with other transparent cools. Then I put the paint down starting with the darkest dark.
I was shown how to push the color a bit with the focal point.

Scraping Paintings Isn't Bad News

I painted a few paintings since Friday and scraped every single one of them.  Good news. I have big pile of grey on my palette.  Bad news?  Please, there isn't bad news when I get to paint outdoors with this gorgeous weather. 

Go Figure

Here is my post from today's figure class. The sepia drawing next to my figure is the instructor's note. Great instruction,

.

Hanging Out In the Alley With Urban Painters

I was able to catch up to the Urban Landscape Painters Club today.  This is organized by Patris who owns a studio and gallery in Oak Park. It was a perfect day to paint and practice perspective.  And, of course, I was aching to paint a car.

Since I had an old canvas and yesterday's paint still mixed on my palette, I decided to practice my   cool and warm gray colors with big brush strokes.  I was happy with the results.
There is not a lot of detail in this painting but I think it describes the alley and the car. I painted "alley stuff" in the background with abstract shapes. Again, I am happy with it.

"Free Parking" Oil On Linen - 8x10"

Becoming A Better Painter

I took lessons today with Elio Camacho to learn how to become  a better painter. I know... I am always in class but I understand the saying " Life is short. Art is long".  Since I don't have much time left to stumble along with my art,  I take classes and I practice continuously.

Water, Water, Everywhere, Nor Any Drop To Drink

I am working on water in class. This is the "in progress" piece of Sailor Bar in Fair Oaks, CA.  Which means, I am still not done.

God Bless Our Beloved Veterans

My family and I  would like to thank all of our beloved veterans for their service to our country.  My son, brothers, cousin, father and uncles have all served our country honorably. God bless our beloved veterans.  

Sacramento Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Back home

I did not want to come home from the wonderful town of Mariposa. The whole trip was incredible. I spent the day before leaving sketching St. Joseph Church and enjoying the food. I can honestly say I may never never find another scone and sandwich like the one at Jantz Cafe and Bakery nor will I happily dine like I did at the Charles Street Dinner House.   Each bite was more heavenly than the last. 
Before heading out each day to Yosemite, I attended daily mass at St. Joseph  where I truly enjoyed Reverend Steven's homilies and the friendly parish. I highly recommend going by the church and taking a self-guided cemetery tour. Yes - a cemetery tour. The church was built around 1862 and has much history to share.

St. Joseph Church in Mariposa, Ca

My husband and I also visited the oldest working courthouse. Here is Gerry sitting in the judge's chair. 

Here comes the judge.

Yup - More Yosemite

I spent yesterday exploring the Yosemite Valley, rivers and taking photos.  Today, I was able to get to Yosemite early and painted a study.
I watched three large bucks crash through the trees in front of me when I walked over to the bridge below. Later I saw what I suspect was one of them in the  Yosemite Valley grocery store parking lot getting a little close to the curious tourist.
I bought some lunch and headed over a  campground to sit in the meadow, enjoy the surrounding beauty and eat my lunch. 

Bridge near Half Dome.

River and meadow on the 140 exit route.

My view.

Tree and meadow study with Half Dome.

Painting Again In Yosemite

I painted in Yosemite Valley about two years ago and it was wonderful. I am back painting the same scene and so happy. There is  hardly anyone here and it feels like I have the run of the park. Beautiful. I hiked the trails and took pictures. The leaves are dropping fast so I know winter is coming to Yosemite soon. I was told it was unseasonably warm. I am loving it.

This is the study from yesterday. It is a work in progress.

This is today's study. It was 30 degrees and I didn't notice it.

Yosemite - That Is All I Need To Write

Yosemite and there is hardly anyone here. No traffic at all. Shhhh.