Pulling It Together

I am trying to take everything I have learned to pull a painting together. So today I worked on brush work and color.   I put down complementary colors around the objects and layered paint over it.    This is painted on a 12x16 canvas sheet.

Black Cat Without Black Paint

I painted this Brookings, Oregon black cat today without black paint and a limited palette. Curious? I mixed ultramarine blue with red oxide to create "black".  I think I should push the purples and blues next time but other than that I am happy with this piece. 

"Black Is Back" By Eva Marie Tanner-Klaas - 5"x7" Oil on Canvas Board

Where To Go From Here?

I have studied impressionism, tonalism and now I am studying expressionism. I am struggling with the latter.  This does not mean I am giving up but it certainly supports the saying "Life is short. Art is long".

Harbor Study On Linen Sheet

A Wonderful Workshop With The Best Views

I enjoyed a week in a workshop painting on the coast. But sometimes, it is more than just about the painting. 

Lone Ranch Study

Lone Ranch Study 2

Whaleshead Expressionist Study

Boats at the port.

Arch Rock tree with ivy heart,

Low tide.

Starfish washed up on the beach in this pattern. Amazing.

Red moon over the ocean.

Abstract Boating

I painted at the Brookings Harbor Port today enjoying the sunshine and the boats My goal was to start abstract and render the focal point. I still think my values are a little too close together. Tomorrow is another day.

posted from Bloggeroid

Large Shapes... But How Much Detail? - SOLD

I painted this Colorado mountain study today. I started with big shapes and then tried to determine how much detail I needed.
Here are the two examples.  Any suggestions?

Mountains with details.

Mountains without details. 

SImplified

I had to paint this scene one more time - simplified.

6"x 8" Oil On Canvas Board

Painting Studies Of The Same Subject

I am still analyzing and painting.an ocean scene that I like. This time, I painted it larger. I like the rocks much better and I pushed color into the foreground. I will compile what I learned from all the studies and see what happens with the next piece.

8X10" Ocean Study On Board

Whaleshead Watercolor

 I need to practice my watercolor so I pulled out my supplies and went to work. Here is a mid-value painting of Whaleshead. I used  a limited palette with a large brush.  The whites were scratched into the paper with a sharp blade.

"Whaleshead Waits"  9x12 Watercolor on 90 lb paper

Big Forms, Fewer Strokes, Better Values

My goal today was to practice painting large shape with their correct values. I also wanted to limit my brushstrokes and ensure the forms were successfully described using directional brush work.  The pieces were both painted with limited palettes and I used different palettes for each study.
They are both painted from the same photo except I edited them differently.
I am not sure which one I prefer. I like the rocks in the first painting but the second painting has strong brush strokes. Good exercise.

Painted with phalo blue, lemon yellow, cad. yellow, perm. rose, burnt umber and white.

Painted with ultramarine blue, cad yellow, trans. red oxide, magenta, burnt umber and white. 

Color Stages And A Palette Knife

Stage 1 With Pure Color

Stage 2 and progressing to 3

Stage 4 needs refinement.  The bottle has a drawing issue so I will fix it in the morning. 

Fair Oaks' Bicycle Bridge Over The American River

"Bridge Over American River" 8"x10" Oil On Board With Brush

I enjoyed painting this piece on site at the American River in Fair Oaks, CA. First, I blocked in the large shapes and values. Next, I painted the background trees and then painted the bridge on top of the trees. 

Moving In A Different Direction

After studying various methods, I am trying to decide where I should go with my art. I am not sure about this style but I am having fun.

First painting early morning 8:30. I stopped when the light changed too much at 10:00. 

Unfinished second attempt  with two interruptions. One was a cat who wanted to sit on my lap and another was a wonderful conversation about children.  I stopped painting at 11:45. 

Too Hot To Paint Outdoors

It was too hot to finish this painting - 102 in the shade is my limit.

Unfinished

Paint, Paint, and More Paint

I have painted the last two weeks while trying to process new techniques. Very frustrating but fun.

Tanned and Tired

I painted outdoors every day last week - Monday through Sunday. I am tanned and tired. Here is one paintings I will complete today in the studio from a weekend workshop.  I will adjust the color and finish describing the moss on the surface.

A Week Of Expression

I am in day 2 of my learning expressionist painting plein air style. I didn't know how uptight I could be with brush and color until now.  Here is the Tower Bridge in Old Sacramento.

Remembering Our Beloved Veterans

We thank, love and honor our beloved veterans on this day, Memorial Day. You will never be forgotten.

Why Is This A Boring Painting?

I painted this piece today. It has value, color relationship, shows distance and is pretty. But.. it is definitely boring.   What makes this piece so boring? I do not have a focal point, a main character or a bride. It is a pretty face without any personality.

"American River'  8"x10" on Linen Canvas.

Abstraction

I was very frustrated with this painting. You could say it "abstracted me" during class. LOL.

So where did I go wrong?  First, I did not take time to draw a good composition. Next, I did not block in my darks and making comparisons. Then I whined for about an hour rather than stopping and going back to the drawing board... so to speak.

A Brush With Figures

I was treated to figure drawing today at a local college. The model was wonderful and I loosened up with watercolor and brushes.  Here is one of my pieces.

Gesture  - Watercolor On Paper

Let's See If I Do This

I was painting at the river and was wondering how much I could simplify a scene. I think this needs more information.

Paint Faster! They Are Driving Away!

I painted with the Urban Painters today in Oak Park, CA. It seemed every time I started to paint a car, the owner hopped in my subject and drove away. Then there was the big water truck that parked right in front of me blocking my view . Oh and  the garbage truck that shook the ground so hard that my easel collapsed.
It was still the best day ever!
These were painted on 6"x8" canvas board. I kept them loose.  I tried to describe the focal point and just block in the surrounding shapes.  I am happy with the results.

Blocked by water truck. 

Car drove away. 

Challenging Yourself With A Limited Palette

I needed a challenge in class today and was told to limit my palette with quinacridone red, sap green, cadmium yellow deep, ivory black, ultramarine blue and white.  I used the new Gamblin solvent free gel on linen. Interesting effect.

Key To Happiness

I spent the day painting at the river. I was so happy.  It didn't matter that the paintings were stinkers.  It was a perfect sunny day, the river was beautiful and I was painting outdoors.  Afterwards, I met up with a fellow artist to discuss our art over lunch.

Can You Relate To This Plein Air Experience?

I was happily painting this street scene in my neighborhood and not quite done when...

This van parked right in front of me. Can you relate to this plein air experience?

"Mysterious White Van" - 6"x 8" Oil on Canvas Board

Thank You For Supporting My Art

I want to thank the two cat lovers who purr-chased my Cat Tail Clocks at Wright's Gallery' FOG and Fine Art in Brookings, Oregon.

Cat Tail Clock 

My Art Is For Sale At The Manley Art Center Classroom Panels - May Through June

I have an art panel at the Manley Art Center in Brookings, Oregon from May until June. Please stop by and pick up high fired plant markers, Cat Tail magnets and pins, Cat Tail cards,  Uppity Beach Buttons or an original oil painting.

Re-Usable High Fired Plant Markers

High Fired Uppity Beach Buttons

Plein Air Oil Paintings

High Fired Cat Tail Magnets and Pins

A Large Variety Of My Cat And Dog Cards 

China Beach, Brookings, OR

I hiked down to China Beach the other day with a good friend. This beach is accessible only during low tide. To access it, you walk through a meadow,  a very, dense, dark forest (bring a flashlight just in case the weather changes because it is really dark) and then carefully down the steep, narrow path and over rocks. Then you can get to the beach. It is worth it but please watch the tides. They remind you about ever 10 to 20 minutes that they want their beach back.
There is one other thing you should know, the old path was destroyed in a landslide so watch where you are walking; else, you could find yourself going down the wrong path and over the side of the mountain.