The painting above is, as of yesterday, fresh off the easel and delivered to the gallery in Edmonds, WA. If only poinsettias were on the shelves earlier - I may have more poinsettia paintings available. But as it is, I may get one or two more done before the season is over and we will all be moving on to other things.
But as to the title of this post, I thought I would mention some of my favorite art related books that might be considered for gift giving.
This is a pretty good start for now. I have others but these really stood out for me. Granted, it's been a while since I've read some of them and I had some on my kindle which passed away about a year ago soooo... That said, I've read a few of these more than once such as Hawthorne on Painting the Art Spirit and Creative Authenticity. But they're all good.
Happy Shopping and dont forget to click through from Ebates if you do that kind of thing.
It's Christmas time-ish and that means we look forward to finding that something special for that someone special, right?
Is your someone special an artist? Or a wanna be artist?
OR -- did you draw the name of an artist this year? Was it mine? :)
Here are some brainstorming ideas from $ to $$$:
(If you are an Ebates user, dont forget to click through from that site!)
$ Value Finder Not to be confused with View finder- put this next to your palette. Dont underestimate the value of values. :)
$Color wheels are inexpensive and there are a blue billion of them out there. Options are endless.
$ I just saw this mug warmer on a blog. I could have used this when I first set up my studio.
$View Catcher I use this ALL the time. Wish I had had it years ago.
$$ This is called a View Finder and it seems over priced but I guess that's the way it is with specialized items. I dont have one but I've often wished I did. It basically breaks the view down into a value structure by weeding out the indiscriminate values. Trust me on this.
$$ I LOVE my subscription to Southwest Art Magazine. And it's not limited to just barns, deserts and cactus as you might imagine. There are plenty of still life, portrait and figure paintings as well. It covers events, artist bios and competitions. Pretty inspiring. I dont know what I would do if I let my subscription run out.
$$ More ideas? Is your artist on the road a lot or EVER? How about a wet panel carrier? Or the more elaborate Wet Canvas Carrier. I'm a canvas painter but when I'm on a plein air excursion I use panels exclusively for reasons I wont go into at this time.
$$$ If you have a really deep pocket maybe apochade box(this is mine) or the many, many accessories that make painting outdoors fun. Keep in mind the box is only as sturdy as it's tripod so that is an added expense...
$$-$$$ I have a detached studio with a corner for myKeurig and mini fridge - so many options here but I wish my fridge didnt have the freezer. I have never had a use for that in my studio. However, I do put my florals in the fridge in between paintings. They last so much longer that way.
Study of Pansies in Low Key, 8x8, Oil on Canvas, Click to Bid
I went out in search of a grow light because I knew I had only so many days left with these pansies before they went into hibernation.
There is a variety of grow lights out there and I really didnt want to do a LOT of homework on it nor did I want to spend a lot of $$ on one. Lets face it. The plant only cost about $1.89 -- but when it's gone, it's gone until spring.
I settled on a rather inexpensive one off Amazon and set it up in my studio with a timer so it stays on for about 18 hours. So far I have a few new buds opening up. However, the plants that I had purchased earlier may be toast because it gets pretty cold in my studio at night (I used to turn the heat down). So even the light may not be much help for them. They have a few odd kinks in their stems. That said, they are still green and not losing their leaves so I'm not giving up hope.
If this is effective, I may be able to start my own seeds in the dead of winter for an early, maybe even ongoing, onslaught of pansy mania!
Study of Pansies in High Key, 6x8, Oil on Canvas, Click to Bid
This is a rare attempt at a high key painting. I really loved doing this. More importantly, I loved looking at it next to the TV while it dried. Yes, I was watching paint dry - and enjoying it! :)
Light and airy, this painting has a different feel then the previous mid key in yellows and red-oranges. Not so spicy but more quiet bliss. Kind of like a crisp clear morning if you will. At least for me. :)
Study of Pansies in Mid Key, 6x8, Oil on Canvas, Click to Bid
Fall pansies.
This mid key study was an attempt at depth without sacrificing color. I generally add my version of atmosphere which interferes with color and, in my opinion, enhances the subject.
This time I applied knowledge from a recent workshop and spiced up the color still pushing the background in to the background.
I dont think I like one over the other. They both have their qualities but are having different conversations. One is more smokey and moody and the other is a little spicer and louder.
Glass Study with Cherries, 6x6, Oil on Canvas, Click to Bid
I've been really tied up getting ready for the Fred Oldfield Show last weekend. I painted this before all the chaos started with packing up and framing paintings, preparing gicleés and purchasing new equipment for my booth. All that behind me now, I'm finally back in my studio where I can relax and get back to doing what I do.
This little painting is about depth and light atmosphere. I'm starting to realize what authenticity means - to me anyway. I like to experiment and study new areas in painting but sometimes when I do, it just feels wrong. Like it's phony. Fake. When I just start putting in colors or strokes for the sake of - what if I did this, or that (usually because someone else did it and it looked interesting) ... But you dont know if you dont try, right?
What I am finding, for now anyway, is that depth and atmosphere are home for me. Yes, my paintings are a little dark in that they lack bright cheerfulness. I like to think of it as old worldly and a little moody maybe. But it's what I see when I paint - for the most part. So it's what I paint and that makes it authentic - for me.
This little painting is authentic. It's my little jar and actual, real cherries before they died in my studio. There was a reddish background that I integrated the foreground with. Was it hazy in my studio? No. But I prefer a simplified background to a drapey one. And I want depth. I also want it to be quiet. I think this painting accomplished that even with the dominant use of red which is commonly know to arouse anger and appetite I'm told.
Anyway, this is what I saw and frankly, how I paint. Thanks for taking the time to read my blurb! :)
It's likely I'll be doing more of these. Finding a good image with strong directional shadows is not an easy task. Taking my own photos is not an option because I dont have the patience for it. However, there is a website called Paint my Photo (https://pmp-art.com/) that is AWESOME if you are an artist looking for reference images - which was necessary for me if I was going to paint hummingbirds.
Thanks to Robin Brady and Linda Anderson for the terrific shots of these little buggers and the permission to use their images for paintings. I'll be watching for more!
I have that bittersweet thing happening. The gallery emails me and says, "We sold two of your paintings!" "Really?" I'm thinking. And " Are you sure they're MY paintings??".
I really liked those paintings but then if I didn't like them I wouldn't have taken them to the gallery. I would have thrown them in the growing pile of used canvases with undetermined futures - reground or burn up? But I DID like those paintings and decided that if they didn't sell I would hang them in my guest room which is done in an heirloomy kind of decor in, believe it or not, red and green. That is, red grommet top curtains and one wall painted chartreuse.
On the flip side, they did sell. This one and Tulips and Cherries. So I will do what I've been doing and redesign an new painting for that room. It seems to be my ace in the hole as far as artwork goes. When I do a painting for me, in my house, a specific room, a certain wall, I am freed up to loosen up. Experiment a little - but I want to love looking at it. And it cant be too cliche but it also cant be too off the wall, figuratively speaking. :) But when I do a painting for ME, and not just "to do a painting, ANY painting" it has a better flow. It takes on a little bit of my persona. A little Lori Twiggs flattened onto the canvas. Who knew that someone else would want some Flattened Lori Twiggs on their walls?
So it is what it is. Someone has spent their hard earned cash to hang some FLT on their walls and we are both better off for it. Me, because it frees up that space for me to design a new piece and them because, well, hopefully they know that the artist behind the painting speaks the same language as they do. We communicate in color, brush strokes and atmosphere. We aren't looking for bold splashes of chroma or safe lighting in compositions. We respect dark corners and lost edges. We don't need all the information spelled out for us. In fact we appreciate a little mystery and the opportunity to decode missing pieces. We might be the minority but we are a community. Like it or not, we like what we like.
My paintings were once coined "Melancholy". Hey, I'm okay with that. I went through a spell of melancholy (rather in and out of melancholy) for about a decade so if that translated onto my canvas then more power to me. I don't think I'm in that same space now but I do consider my pieces quiet and restful -ish..mostly. No noise here.
So bittersweet but mostly sweet. I have a new idea for that wall now but I don't have the right props yet. Sometimes the planning is half the fun. :)
Study of Pink Tulips, 8x8 Oil on Canvas, Click to Bid
My study of tulips is rapidly coming to a close as tulips are being replaced by daffodils (most likely my next study). However, I've been able to gleen what I can from the last few experiences (and I will admit that you dont get to see them all - yikes!). Those experiences have helped me with a slightly larger piece which I will be unveiling soon.
And I HAVE learned something. I'm learning to paint a little more boldly and a little more confidently. I'm learning that it's okay to trash a canvas that doesnt work out like I'd hoped but I've also learned that you dont know if you dont try, right? Right?
I've also learned that red tulips last longer if I put them in the mini fridge overnight and pink tulips open up in a matter of minutes - so take a picture because they will also lean to the light before the project is finished. Heaven forbid I have to come back the next day to work on any of them because they are completely different flowers by then! :)
Tulips are pretty even if they are short lived as cut flowers. But as the first breath of spring, they are worth the effort in the studio.
Tablecloth Series Apples, 6x8, Oil on Canvas, Click to Bid
Again with the table cloth. It was about the vignette and pushing the
light and shadow as well as working with the small color changes as the
stripes move from shadow to light and back to shadow. There was a lot
of inventing with this painting. I had some fun here! :)
Study of Tulips and Grapes, 8x6, Oil on canvas, Click to Bid
Here I am again getting all loosey goosey with my strokes. But again, I have to admit, it doesnt come out of the box this way. I paint. I paint over, I paint again. You get the idea. But this is pretty much what I had in mind when I set out to paint this one so I'm grateful for that.
I feel like I'm making progress! :)
And here is what this painting might look like on display:
Study of Daisies, 6x6, Oil on canvas, Click to Bid
I have been working hard at my florals lately. My default is to get really tight because there are so many layers and so many colors and temperatures. I did a lot of scraping and wiping and starting over until I FINALLY started to see a looser, more impressionistic version of what was in front of me.
One might think that impressionism is easier than realism because of the loose and sparse brushwork but it requires heavy duty editing - that is knowing what to keep in and what to leave out.
Of course this matters in all paintings, realism, impressionism, abstract and the like, but it is the foundation of impressionism. Because, after all, I am just trying to give the impression of daisies, not a photo version of them!
Ironically, it takes me longer to get that fresh loose brush stroke than it does to render each petal individually. However, with more practice, I hope to be able to wrap my head around the complexity of these little buggers and master them!
Limes. Once again I am taking a lit up subject and attempting to create depth and atmosphere with a little drama.
It's a pretty quiet little painting if not for the subtle pop of the slices in the foreground. I kept the transparent oxide red pretty saturated to compliment the greens. It's just another way to go... :)
Tablecloth Series Yellow Roses, 6x8, Oil on Canvas, Click to Bid
I ventured out int o some unexplored territory here. I found some fabric that was unusual for me and a little whimsical.
Although it adds to a playful spirit, this painting is not about the polka dotted fabric so it was rather implied.
Cheery and Playful are the concepts here and in a little higher key than my usual. Mid key perhaps but still higher than low, correct? Still finding my way through Roses. Still re-inventing the wheel. But when I look at this painting I feel the light on the table top and I do feel cheery! :)
This painting was a little challenging because I peeled the lemon first and painted it on the stump. Then I wrapped it back up in the peel and painted it at the base of the stump. I used the re-wrapped lemon and the previous lemon painting as a guide but it was a little trickier that it should have been.
Lemon and Brushes Study, 6x6 Oil on Canvas, Click to Bid
I dont do a lot of deep perspective work. This piece made me really look at not only the perspective but atmosphere. I wondered what I was getting into but when it's all said and done, it's just shapes and colors. Paint what you see but consider the interpretation. :)
So I say, "I see brushes coming towards me"
But I interpret, "Yeah, but I want it to be a dark, hazy room with a strong spotlight."
It's way more fun when I dont lock myself into realism and just play and take chances. :)
Ahhhhh... Speed painting. I debated for some time about doing videos. I knew there would be a learning curve and most likely new equipment. So much involved. So much to learn. So much time in front of the computer.
Finally, this weekend I dove in. It turns out I HAVE the equipment. Or equipment that will work for now. And I HAVE the software already! 2 different versions of video editing software. So the only reason not to was the learning curve and all that time AWAY from the studio.
Some people may have waited until they produced a professional quality video but I say, "No time like the present!" I learned so much about making a video this weekend that I'm pretty happy with myself - and a little fried. It is what it is. Like my artwork, it will grow and morph as I grow and morph. :)
Making the video:
After I got the camera set up and I was ready to go I instantly froze with stage shock. I've painted in front of people before. It's not like I'm singing a solo at a concert or anything, right? RIGHT??? Then I told myself, "Hey. Nobody has to see this. If it's a wiper, then so be it. I start over." It took a little while for me to convince myself of that but once I got going I forgot about the camera. Then I took a little turn and found myself picking at the painting. Picking, re-doing, re-painting... Sheesh.
I finally stepped away from the piece for the last time and looked at the painting. Then I looked at the set up. Painting. Set up. Painting. Set up. I had moved my easel while I was adjusting the camera and so my angle to the set up had changed. Good grief. I was so excited to get started, the composition (THE COMPOSITION!) got lost in the process.
Okay, what's next? Editing.
It took me hours upon hours to learn the 2 different software programs I have. I googled. I went onto forums. I asked my FB friends. One program would do one thing I wanted but not the other and vice versa.
At the end of the day (literally), I discovered how to utilize much of Sony Vegas and was able to put together what you now have before you. Yep. Hours and Hours and hours... That's how I roll.
And so, you see, it cant be for nothing. I have to show it. I have quite a bit of time invested. Not to mention emotional investment. All the "AArrgg"s and "Are you kidding me??"s as well as the "Holy Smokes! It worked!" and "Yippee"s . I guess this dogs not to old to learn new tricks! :)
Aaaaannnd I took notes. Lots and lots of notes. :)
I'm hoping my next attempt will go much smoother. It was actually pretty fun - now that it's behind me.
And just for fun, I'm offering the painting for $1 to my newsletter subscribers. I plan to do more of these little videos with similar offers. If that sounds interesting to you, head over to my website and put your email in the newsletter sign up page
Stump Studies Red Peppers, 8x6, Oil on Canvas, Click to Bid
What is it about this stump? Every time I start to set up a still life with a man made piece, I take it down and go back to the stump. I've ventured outside to find other "organic" props but nothing makes the cut.
Certainly, the reason I gravitated towards the red peppers was the color. In fact, I was shopping for regular green jalapenos for a cabbage salad recipe and spotted these. Loved painting with red with the added advantage that they look/taste great in the salad too.
All in all, while the red is bold and saturated, it's still a quiet little painting.
I realize this is not an entirely new concept for a painting. Many artists have done the partially peeled fruit and successfully so, I might add. But it's new to me and I wondered if I could pull it off (peel it off? ).
I wanted to keep the props organic (a new trend for me) and for some reason I've bonded with this stump. It's been in my studio before. I'm familiar with it and I've used it as a prop in recent years so now it's relate-able, I guess.
Anyway, how to get the composition from the bottom of the canvas where the little orange segments are to the top where the rest of the orange is - was the goal. The trailing peel was a workable solution. And a really nice one if I may say so myself!
I'm really happy with the way it turned out and I am excited to do more of this partially peeled fruit thing.
Stump Series Fall Leaves, 8x6, Oil on Canvas, Sold
I've been saving these leaves on my window sill since fall. I knew the day would come when I would want to paint a fall leaf and they would all be gone if I didnt save a few.
