Goodbye 2015!

Here are my favorite things about 2015 besides family and friends.
1) Painting cats.

2. Painting flowers

3) Learning to paint clouds.

4) Visiting New Claurvaux in Vina, CA for the blessing of the grapes.

5. Painting in Yosemite in November after it snowed.

6. Walking on the beach.

Our Lady Of Guadalupe Feast Day

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego had a vision of Our Lady in Tepeyac, Mexico. Mary asked him to tell the bishop to build a church at the site of the vision. After the vision was confirmed by a flowering rose bush and a miraculous image on Juan Diego’s cloak, a shrine was built. John Paul II calls the Basilica of Guadalupe the ‘Marian heart of the Americas.’ [2] Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the patron saint of the Americas in 1945. - See more at: http://divineoffice.org/1212-about-guadalupe/#sthash.MUec6IYj.dpuf

oday is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego had a vision of Our Lady in Tepeyac, Mexico. Mary asked him to tell the bishop to build a church at the site of the vision. After the vision was confirmed by a flowering rose bush and a miraculous image on Juan Diego’s cloak, a shrine was built. John Paul II calls the Basilica of Guadalupe the ‘Marian heart of the Americas.’ [2] Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the patron saint of the Americas in 1945 - See more at: http://divineoffice.org/1212-about-guadalupe/#sthash.MUec6IYj.dpuf

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego had a vision of Our Lady in Tepeyac, Mexico. Mary asked him to tell the bishop to build a church at the site of the vision. After the vision was confirmed by a flowering rose bush and a miraculous image on Juan Diego’s cloak, a shrine was built. John Paul II calls the Basilica of Guadalupe the ‘Marian heart of the Americas.’ [2] Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the patron saint of the Americas in 1945. - See more at: http://divineoffice.org/1212-about-guadalupe/#sthash.MUec6IYj.dpuf

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego had a vision of Our Lady in Tepeyac, Mexico. Mary asked him to tell the bishop to build a church at the site of the vision. After the vision was confirmed by a flowering rose bush and a miraculous image on Juan Diego’s cloak, a shrine was built. John Paul II calls the Basilica of Guadalupe the ‘Marian heart of the Americas.’ [2] Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the patron saint of the Americas in 1945. - See more at: http://divineoffice.org/1212-about-guadalupe/#sthash.MUec6IYj.dpuf

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego had a vision of Our Lady in Tepeyac, Mexico. Mary asked him to tell the bishop to build a church at the site of the vision. After the vision was confirmed by a flowering rose bush and a miraculous image on Juan Diego’s cloak, a shrine was built. John Paul II calls the Basilica of Guadalupe the ‘Marian heart of the Americas.’ [2] Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the patron saint of the Americas in 1945. - See more at: http://divineoffice.org/1212-about-guadalupe/#sthash.MUec6IYj.dpuf

It's our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day!

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego had a vision of Our Lady in Tepeyac, Mexico. Mary asked him to tell the bishop to build a church at the site of the vision. After the vision was confirmed by a flowering rose bush and a miraculous image on Juan Diego’s cloak, a shrine was built. John Paul II calls the Basilica of Guadalupe the ‘Marian heart of the Americas.’ [2] Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the patron saint of the Americas in 1945. - See more at: http://divineoffice.org/1212-about-guadalupe/#sthash.MUec6IYj.dpuf

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego had a vision of Our Lady in Tepeyac, Mexico. Mary asked him to tell the bishop to build a church at the site of the vision. After the vision was confirmed by a flowering rose bush and a miraculous image on Juan Diego’s cloak, a shrine was built. John Paul II calls the Basilica of Guadalupe the ‘Marian heart of the Americas.’ [2] Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the patron saint of the Americas in 1945 - See more at: http://divineoffice.org/1212-about-guadalupe/#sthash.MUec6IYj.dpuf

oday is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego had a vision of Our Lady in Tepeyac, Mexico. Mary asked him to tell the bishop to build a church at the site of the vision. After the vision was confirmed by a flowering rose bush and a miraculous image on Juan Diego’s cloak, a shrine was built. John Paul II calls the Basilica of Guadalupe the ‘Marian heart of the Americas.’ [2] Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the patron saint of the Americas in 1945 - See more at: http://divineoffice.org/1212-about-guadalupe/#sthash.MUec6IYj.dpuf

Happy St. Nicholas Day

I hope St. Nicholas filled your boots with gold coins today.
God bless.

Read more here about our famous saint:  http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/around-the-world/

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving especially to our military and their families. May God bless you all!

Lucy

This is Lucy and she is a beautiful, funny cat. 
I painted this with paynes grey, viridian, titanium white, transparent red oxide, cad red light, yellow ocher, lemon yellow and ultramarine blue.

"Lucy"  By Eva Marie Tanner-Klaas  8 x 10" Oil on canvas board

Armin Hansen at the Crocker Art Museum

Okay- I want to encourage you to see the Armin Hansen show at the Crocker Art Museum.
http://crockerartmuseum.org/exhibitions/armin-hansen
You might just fall in love with his work. I did!

So How Did We Get Here?

This is the beginning and end of a painting. Notice, in the beginning, I painted large shapes. Then I completed the painting with smaller and smaller brush strokes.

"Whisper In My Ear" 9"x12" Oil on Canvas Board

Big Shapes And Color

This is a daffodil study with big shapes and very little detail.

"Daffodils For Sale"  9x12 Oil On Canvas Board

Transparency and Water

In this study, I started with transparencies and layered the color. Interesting effect.

"Fly Fishing On the American River" - Oil On Canvas Board 8"x10" Oil

Learning to Paint Water

I took another outstanding class on how to paint rivers and ponds. This study was completed outdoors at Sailor Bar, Fair Oaks, CA. I used a palette knife on canvas board.  I love how abstract and colorful it is.

"Golden Pond" Oil on 8"x10" Canvas Board

Let's Study

I love to paint studies to improve my artistic skills. In this study, I forced myself to be mindful about the shadows. (It is my tendency to paint them too dark because they are surrounded by light).
What are your tendencies?

"Sleeping Beauty"  8"x10"  Oil on Canvas Board

Shades of Green

I struggle with different shades of green in landscapes so I setup this still life study.
My favorite part are the orchids in the back. I like how they are abstract yet have enough detail to describe them as flowers. Good lesson. I completed this in 3 hours.

This is a 9x12 canvas with oil and brush.

Turning On The Bright Light

This study definitely shows bright and light. My  yellow bottle is a little "wonky" but I am happy with the results.

Study - Oil on linen sheet

Sacramento River Ranch

I painted this outdoors at the Sacramento River Ranch.  I was happy with the results until I got it into my studio.  I will repaint it from my study to improve it.  

Sacramento River Ranch - 8X10 Oil on Board

Clouds Are Stupid

I find clouds frustrating to paint. They won't hold still so you have to paint them from a photo and I don't like painting  from photos. I can't get the color and value right  and whine, whine, whine, whine, whine... therefore, clouds are stupid.

Cloud study on linen canvas

Similar Values

This was an interesting study with similar values. The green bottle, background and black bowl were similar in value but slightly different. This meant decisions had to be made to distinguish them while remembering my tendencies are to paint values darker. 
I see where the values could  be pushed more apart. Good lesson.

Studying The Light

This was a wonderful study and lesson about seeing light and the color relationship.  The blue bottle has subtle colors from it surrounding. The flowers are bright yet they are cool in the shadow.

Thrift Store Find

This skeleton followed me home from the local thrift store. Perfect for practicing drawing.

"It Wasn't Me"

I enjoyed painting this 8"x10" cat portrait today with my dear friend, Audi Stanton.  I used a palette with black, white, magenta, cerulean blue, yellow ocher, cadmium yellow pale, viridian and cadmium red light.  I painted this with a number 2 flat and a number 6 flat.

"It Wasn't Me" By Eva Marie Tanner-Klaas 8"x10" Brush on Board

Brush Versus Palette Knife

I painted a still life study using a brush and then painted it, again, using  a palette knife in this week's workshop. I love way you can capture the light with the palette knife. The color is cleaner.

Brush

Palette knife

Keeping Things In Perspective

It was COLD this morning so I bundled up with several layers to practice perspective. I spent about two hours on this 8x10 before calling it quits.
Oh and I used my new mini Strada. It quickly became my favorite setup. What a wonderful, lightweight piece of equipment. I bought the two additional trays and use my Easy L tripod.  With a couple of essential, small tubes of paint and two, flat brushes to keep the carrying weight down, it is now a perfect setup.
Also, instead of gamsol, I use Utretcht safflower oil.  I took a tip from an artist to use a plastic, zip-lock bag inside my brush canister. The reason for the bag is to make it easier to clean by just pulling out the bag and replacing it with a new one. . 

Now all I have to do is purchase a RayMar art box with a lightweight backpack and I will be all set.

Plein Air Study - 8"x10" Oil with brush on canvas board

All Aboard!

Here is my palette knife painting of pears.

"All Aboard!" Oil on Canvas Board 8"x10"

Looking Back On My 2014 Art