What A Week!

I have had a wonderful week making plant markers, gardening, walking on the beach, visiting family and friends, baking and cooking for my dear husband and petting sheep.  Here are some pictures.

Gerry at low tide on Harris Beach, OR.

Plant markers made out of porcelain.

More plant markers out of stoneware.

Starfish ballet.

The girls waiting to be put into the barn for the night.

I can hike this.

What is a week without a cute kitty moment? This is Poco.

Preparing With Pottery For Spring

I am getting ready for my garden this year in my pottery shop by making custom plant markers. The last two years I kept the markers simple, unglazed and used a sharpie pen to mark my plants. (I have sold several hundreds of them too as they work great).  This year I will stamp them with what I am growing and brightly glaze them. I am also making a few extra for friends and family. 
The clay markers are drying in my dryer and the first batch should be going into the kiln tomorrow.

Comparing Different Painting Methods, Colors, Feeling, and Stories - SOLD

I have painted and posted several different painting styles of the same scenes. Today I thought it would interesting to compare these two pieces of the American River at the Watt Avenue Bridge.
The brush work in the first example was completed last year onsite at the American River. You can see there is a lot of green in this painting. To me it has a sense of calmness.
It has a nice memory to it. Another artist friend, Trude,  and I spent the morning at this site painting together.  She was drawing and using watercolors and I had my oils. It was a gorgeous day and  fly fishermen were wading in the river.  There was a golden retriever playing in the water.

On Site Plein Air Brush Painting On Linen - SOLD

The palette knife was completed in my studio yesterday where I changed the color to an autumn theme. There is a lot of oranges and yellows. It has movement and excitement.  I was toasty warm inside my condo while it was cloudy and cool outside. I was sipping hot chocolate and happy to be painting. Again, nice memory associated to this work.

Studio Palette Knife Painting on Board  - SOLD

So the question is which do you like better? What influences your preference? Is it the brush or the palette knife?  Are you more influenced by the colors, the feelings, or perhaps the stories when you look at the paintings? For example,  my husband Gerry has a preference towards palette knife paintings.  He was immediately drawn to the vibrating autumn colors in the second painting.  I am drawn to the brush work painting.  I like the stillness.

"American River Gang"

It was too overcast and cold for me to go out today. So I took out one of my previous studies, a board, and palette knife to create this painting. 
This particular scene is on the American River off of the Watt Avenue bridge. This is close to our condo so it is a convenient place to paint.

"American River Gang" By Eva Marie Tanner-Klaas - 8"x10" Oil on Board with Palette Knife

In Memory Of Earl - SOLD

This is a portrait of Earl the cat.

"Earl"  - 8"x8" Oil on Gallery Wrap - SOLD

"Lady In Red"

I took an oil brush study and painted another one with a palette knife. What a difference the layered color makes.

"Lady In Red" Oil With Palette Knife On Board

It Is Raining - Hurray

I am so happy it is raining today because we really need it. It did interfere with my plans to sketch San Fransisco today by way of the mega bus. Instead, I decided to pull out a few of my studies and palette knife.
I have painted this scene, Sailor Bar, several times in different styles with brush. This is the first time with a palette knife. The difference? The color is purer and I don't have to clean up the brushes.

"Sailor Bar" By Eva Marie Tanner-Klaas - 8"x10" Oil with Palette Knife On Board

Urban Painting

I painted this today with a couple of plein air painters near Sacramento High School in Sacramento, CA.  I think I could push the values a bit more but I am happy with the progress.

"Off To Work" by Eva Marie Tanner-Klaas - 8"x10" Oil on Canvas Board

Express Yourself

 

This is today's study and the instructor put his marks on the background and the blue bottle. He then put a a few color suggestions in the bean pot shadow and highlight.  He pushed the flower color more than I initially did. Great study and lesson.