"Visitors" 8" x 8" Oil on Panel

The Florence Griswold Museum

Well, anyone who knows my work knows that I love to work with eggs. Especially those raw in clear a glass container. The variations of yellow I love with the distortions caused by the glass. I'm working now on putting a little show together for early March. Actually the show is booked, I just need to get everything framed and have cards printed. The last couple of weeks have been rather sad for me, for my best friend and art buddy, Carol Dulaney died. We first met in Studio 2 in Westport, Connecticut in a painting class, then roomed together for my first painting workshop on Block Island. In the late 80's we would drive into NYC every week for 2 years to explore art. Primarily we were hunting out paintings, but found many surprises along the way. Of course lunch, or tea at the Stanhope was mandatory to replenish our thirst and feast our eyes once again. We did a lot of sketching there, too. As the years passed, we still did workshops and gallery hunting, but then there were times when we just sat around talking art and books.   

On one of our last trips together, we checked into a hotel to watch the Presidential Returns with full room service. Carol was so lovely and generous. She was there for my divorce and knee replacement surgery and I would be there for her surgeries. I miss her so much. I will always look at art with a bit of her spin on the academics and theories. She would have loved the opening of the new American Wing at The Met and the latest Biennial Show at the Whitney. One of our favorite museums was at one time a boarding house for an art Colony in Old Lyme, Connecticut, called The Florence Griswold Museum. This was the location of the beginning of American Impressionist Movement and is such a wonderful gallery to see some of these early paintings. I must make a trip back there again soon. Anyway, I dearly miss Carol, as do so many others.

after N.C.Wyeth oil on linen

Copying paintings is supposed to be good practice....as long as you give the original artist credit. NC Wyeth was one of my favorite illustrators, though his illustrations did not fulfill his creative mind. He left illustration to paint his own scenes, but his inability to meet his financial needs forced him back to illustration again. The scenes he painted are so filled with emotion and drama. We know him by his dramatic scenes of knights secreting a cave by torchlight or of pirates landing on shore with huge billowing clouds taking two-thirds of the canvas. Wow! I've always been amazed by his wonderful painting and striking scenes from childhood stories. So.... over Christmas, to get the spirit going, I decided to copy one of Wyeth's best loved magazine covers with Santa Clause. I became restless and frustrated early since I did not chart the whole painting out from the beginning, thus not getting critical parts of the painting on the canvas. Perhaps I would like to try this one again. It will be fun, anyway, having this one hanging around the house at Christmas time.

"Three Flowers" 8" x 8" oil on gessoboard

I needed a little help to set up this arrangement, so Piper did all the work. I stepped up to the easel with no previous judgements or expectations of what was to happen. And, you know, I really did enjoy working this out. I think that when I begin in my studio in the morning and begin the task of setting up, I just get a bit too worked up and frustrated. So, I've decided to set up the afternoon or evening before. I'm working now in a 12" x 12" format and sticking with the gessoboard, which is a surface I love for applying paint. My flowers all seem to look alike so I want to work with an orchid or rose to really throw a challenge in front of me. Stay tuned. To purchase this painting you can go here.

"On the Bright Side" 12" x 12" Oil on Panel

First let me say how thrilled I am to have so many of you tuning in to my blog. I love sharing my work and also enjoy reading and BIG TIME smiling at all your comments. Thank you!

We are not officially into winter yet, especially it seems with the springtime weather we've been having in SW Connecticut, but I'm really for the lock-in. I no longer have my nanny job with Piper, but still see her on a regular basis. She's really awesome for 13! So, that is supposed to leave me with a lot more time to paint. Right? Well, I'm creating delays in charging out of the starter's gate. But I think I'm settled with getting those long overdue chores out of the way, like the leaf clean-up. I have been painting all along through these months but very sporatically. Painting more out of guilt than desire. I'm writing more now about my working process again as I paint and sitting back to just study what is in front of me. I have a little show coming up in March and want to have consistently good pieces to offer. I've never considered myself a painter of flowers, but I'm finding that the floral still life are the ones that sell in my ETSY shop. I'm constantly searching for my voice in my work and I know that evolves through process and time....lots of it, too. I want to work larger, as I mentioned before and the 12" x 12" today is a comfortable size for me to tackle in a day or two. Nothing ever seems finished, but I know that at some point I have to release myself from the point of control to letting the piece go as it is. I know I need to practice every day and I really want to paint everyday. I just want to make sure that I'm excited about what is before me and not just settling for random objects on a table that offer up no inspiration. It's a really awesome experience to actually see the brush strokes before me without even picking up a brush. I want to surprise myself all the time with little random quirks from my brush, however my focusing ability is too random for consistent and sustainable awe...... So here's to a Wonderful and productive ( in your own way) Holiday for you all to enjoy with all the people and pets you love and way too many calories for extra credit. I hope to be entertaining all of you with some pretty awesome attempts with painting the still life over the next few weeks.

"Compliments" 12" x 12" oil on panel

I have been working in a larger size, 12" x 12", but I still love a bit larger. The tangerine in the jar had a really bright reflected light going across it. I find it a challenge to paint a group of fruit when they each have a varying lighting condition.......reflected light, direct light, light in shadow, reflected fruit. Value is the key as well as the color intensity. I was taught that color was a product of light, however, I find the most brilliant colors in the half tones. Guess I didn't follow the rule here or the front orange would be glowing with orange. Did I break the rule or is this a mistake? If I had made the front orange more intense, then your eyes might not be able to take the jump into the picture to view the rest.

Working with Apples These days

Well, I have worked a little bit with the painting, but too much has been happening in my non-studio life.

I thought this apple would turn brown before I could finish a sketch, much less a painting, but in looking back, I'm not singing praises for my work. It was important that, at least, I put in the time and try. I love this bottle that I found at IKEA. They sold in a 3-pack in different shades of aqua. What a find! I need to work on more interesting set ups..... that seems to be my big struggle-du-jour. In this second painting, non of the items appear to be anchored down. Well, all of them have that problem. Perhaps I'm worrying about the wrong things here. I have a few other things to post, but not all at once. 

"Bottoms Up"

I have many things to post for I have been painting a bit lately. The difficult task of setting up a still life is still haunting me most every day. I don't want to copy what someone else has done, but still be fresh in my approach to my subjects. I've tried to think of my palette first, then pull from my surroundings items that help me to realize my colors. I want to tackle folds in fabric more....a lot more, but some days I'm reluctant. Lazy? You betcha! Folds are very difficult for me, but that only means practice, practice.

Seeing the light better with "Yellow" 8" x 8" oil on panel

What a dreary day outside. Cold, rain, wind. So I was drawn to the color yellow this morning. This little pitcher was, in the 60's, a promotional giveaway at Phillips 66 gas stations with a fill-up. I love painting pool balls, especially my Number 1. Since I've been away from painting for some time, I've, over the weeks, tried to figure out how I might see the color better in my set ups. What was I missing? Well, I bought some clip on lights to illuminate my palette that was looking more and more like mud as my painting progressed. Today I noticed, despite the dark weather, that I could see my colors as I mixed with a bit more clarity. But the truth of this solution will reveal itself throughout my next few paintings.

"Snuggled" 8" x 8" oil on Ampersand panel

Long time no paint!

With all the apples available this time of the year, I couldn't resist my urges to work with my "to the applesauce" stash. I would like to focus more on painting folds in fabric, which is really like foreign territory to me. Another artist once told me there were 7 kinds of folds... possible angles and light variations to look for when painting. One would guess if one understands the anatomy of the folds, the language of interpreted light would be easier to understand. I guess this is when I need to "paint what I see and not what I know, but know what I see when I begin to paint". Huh? Makes sense to me. But exhausting when actually practiced. But practice is what painting is all about for me. I just need to get back to the everyday ritual. When working, a lot of times I get lost in thought. But maybe that's because it's unfamiliar territory.

"Reflecting Orange"

I know it has been awhile since I've posted...and painted. I went to Germany to visit my daughter, son-in-law and babu, Max. Also, we all went to Octoberfest in Munich. What a scene! I like a beer occasionally during the hot weather, but wouldn't consider myself a fan of the brew. But the beer was great. A little sweet and light to taste. My little grandson was the main attraction, though, and I just couldn't get enough of him. I took a sketchbook thinking I might do a few gestural drawings, but that didn't happen. I was too busy playing. 

So, I'm back to the daily routine of this and that and finally got a few hours to paint today. I've painted this little orange pitcher only once before and find it a little challenging. The setup is resting on a sheet of foil for some interesting reflections, but then I excluded most of the foreground. Duh! I'm going to work with this again with just switching the pitcher for a pink plastic cup. We'll see how it goes.

By the way, I have a ton of new things to paint if I can just get past the difficult task of doing a setup. Definitely the most difficult task of painting is doing a creative setup, for me. Anyone else feel that way?

"Scarlet"

Nectarines and honeysuckle! And it is summer! We've had some hot, hot weather, but not as bad as others. If I position the fans just right, I can maintain a cool breeze running through the house, except when the sunlight hits the skylight in my studio. Then the heat rises. I have been painting, but I haven't been as pleased with the results. So I don't have much to post.  I'm at a standstill with the quilt for my sewing machine is not behaving right and it is just too hot to hand quilt. Happy news, though, for I sold a painting today!

The "HEART" of My Garden by Susan Jenkins

This is the Heart in my garden and made by Susan Jenkins. She is an artist of many talents, but has recently been making these ceramic hearts with china bits and pieces which she specifically cuts for placement. My heart even has a special ladybug she made and fired from a section of scalloped plate. I have this nailed to the post by my back door for all to see and I treasure it so much. Thank you Susan! If you would like to see her other work go here to here etsy shop. To see her blog and paintings go here.

Current Quilt Frenzy!

I really needed to take a break from painting for several reasons. First, I really needed to clean my house. I really needed to weed the garden. I needed to work on my etsy vintage. I really need now to finish this quilt. I'm going to Germany to see my daughter, son-in-law and baby Max in two months. This quilt was to be a present to all for Max's first birthday, which has now come and gone. So I would really like to get it finished before and take it with me. Yesterday I rigged up a high table with plywood and saw horses to lay out the quilt to baste all the layers together. I had a small umbrella to keep a little cool, but the day was still hot.  The basting is all done, so now I begin the quilting. I still need to cut the grass. I still need some food in the house, but, being the chore I loath the most...food shopping...I will put it off until I'm really low on cat food and coffee. But I'm wanting to paint real bad now with a few days away from my easel.

"Christmas in July" 8" x 8" oil on panel

Guess I'm continuing with the Christmas balls. They so went with the flower with a nice contrast of the green cup in the middle. At first after painting and squinting to see it, the colors and shapes, to me, looked a bit like barkcloth. I did use a new surface, which is the Ampersand with the gessoed surface. But now I'm excited about trying the Ampersand with the clay finish....even smoother than the previous. I love when the paint just slips and slides around on the surface in the beginning stages of a painting.

This one is called, "Bud, I think Junior Fell Out" oil on a canvas panel. This is the first time I have painted this blue pot. It's really large, so it held (sorta) the big sunflower blossoms. So I had to use big brushes with the large scale of things and didn't want to get hung up in the little details. 

"The Great Escape" 10"x10" oil on canvas panel

What a surprise to throw in some shiny Christmas balls during one of our hottest days. I like the way that each ball acts as a mirror to everything around it. Fun to try and I plan to do this again, but with varying sizes. 

"Sunflower with Dots" 10"x10" oil on canvas panel

I bought a bunch of sunflowers at the market the other day. I love the shape of the flower. I was searching through my flat file for a piece of colored paper to use as the background of the painting and came across a pastel drawing I did of dots, mainly to test this new paper. I had fun doing the dots and getting reacquainted with my pastels. Why not use this as the background? So, that's where the dots are coming from. I think the sunflower looks a bit weird with just the one leaf, but I wasn't thinking about it too much at the time and just painted what I saw. Looks a bit weird to me.  I do have another sunflower to post and painted the flowers again today.

 I've got myself backed into a corner with re-examining what my priorities are when I approach a painting.  I think that I'm not putting enough thought into the planning stage, because I'm just so excited to begin that I just stumble right in. I believe that design should be my first issue that I tackle, then my color palette... But then sometimes I look at my shelves with my still life things arranged and just want to dive in and paint "THIS"!...then try to make it work somehow. I remember in painting classes being disciplined to paint something I don't really want to, learning to go beyond my desire and tackle the academics of painting head on....not to get wrapped up in the sentimentality of the things. But at home, I'm the boss, and I want to do what I want to do and, not necessarily, what would be best for my skills training. Sometimes I find it beneficial to set up problems for myself to tackle in the beginning. But then I find on most days everything is a problem in the beginning. I'm daily struggling to "find myself" and my "voice" through my painting. Isn't that enough? I know the best thing for me to do is practice and to practice everyday. On good days I SEE everything in brushstrokes. What a way to travel through life. Huh?

"Oatmeal Cookies" oil on masonite

I've been working since the winter on this painting. There's always a first when painting.....raisins out of the box. I had fun with the arrangement of the objects, but had a little trouble getting the whole setup to "glow". The blue in the background helped present a stage against which the objects were on exhibit. Jars of honey are always a plus in a painting for me. Honey cannot help but glow.

"Surrounded" 10" x 10" oil on panel

Yesterday I was really in the mood to work with red. Actually, I just opened my refrigerator and pulled out the red apples. Then later in the afternoon I returned to the kitchen and found cherries ready for the grab. I've never painted cherries before. 

"Hail to the Chief" 10" x 10" oil on panel

Today I moved over a notch on the color wheel and found myself painting orange. That one I don't feel is in a presentable state. Some days things just don't work out as planned.

"Number 12" 10" x 10" oil on linen

I seem to be on to these pool balls for a while now. I especially love the yellow one, which is number 1. I'm currently looking to purchase a number 3, which is a solid redish-orange color. I love drawing spheres, although the yellow ball, now that I'm really looking at it, looks a little off anatomically. Light bulbs, also, are an excellent object to practice your drawing. I wanting this little painting to be viewed mostly in shadow with accents from the light source. 

"Love"

This is the other embroidery I purchased along with "The Peaceable Kingdom". Don't want to sell this one either, so I pulled it out of the etsy shop. Now to get down to some serious painting!