Monday, June 30, 2008

Main Street U.S.A

"Main Street U.S.A."
This painting was a result of a workshop with Mel Stabin.
He has written several books and is a great person to take
a workshop from. I would like to jump on board again sometime
soon and paint with him, but I don't know when that will
happen. I've linked his website to this blog...take a look.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Take Five

"Take Five" 10" x 22" at GMFA in Stowe
This painting was created using sketches from my journal.
I've been trying to sketch on a daily basis and as a result
have revisited some older sketchbooks and travel journals.
Like I mentioned in a previous blog, it's so much fun to peek
inside other artists' sketchbooks. There are so many blogs
online where people post their pages. One such site is Moleskinerie.
The moleskine book has been around for a while, but I'll let you
check out the link, where I believe there is history and lots and
lots of journal pages to look at. Happy weekend!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Striped sheet figure study

This is one of the latest figure studies I did several weeks
ago. Every Monday night there is an open figure drop-in
class at our local Art Center. The attendance slows in summer
so they never continued through these months, but now they
are actually having 4 sessions in both June and August. My
attendance this summer will be decided on what the weather is
doing...because we only get about 2 days of summer here in
Vermont...No, I'm kidding it's actually about 6! (Can you tell
the rainy weather is making me sarcastic?)



Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Conflicting opinions

"Teacup with tulips" 7.5" x 7.5" at the "In Full Flower" show at
the West River Gallery in Weston, Vermont. June 27 - August 3
I had come across some quotes I had written down in
my sketchbook several years ago and thought I would
share the conflicting opinions of two famous artists.
One quote is a favorite of mine and I'll let you guess which
one it is!
"I hate flowers. I only paint them because they're cheaper
than models and they don't move." -Georgia O'Keefe
"...I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers"
-Claude Monet


Tuesday, June 24, 2008

color palette

A while ago a comment was left by Laura asking to share
my palette of colors...Mind you these are the colors currently
on my palette and tend to change or get swapped out when
(and if!) I clean out dried up, cracked and moldy(yes moldy) colors.
So here is the line-up right now and sometimes even some extra
dollops get squeezed in the corners...as if 32 just wasn't enough!
Here is the link to Laura's blog so check it out.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Orchid musings

"Orchid Gathering"
Several years ago I bought an orchid at
Costco...thinking that I would treat it just
like a bouquet of flowers...wilted and gone in
a week! Well was I ever wrong..this beautiful
plant has surprised me over and over again and
consistently blooms several times a year. Right
now there is a whole new flower stalk coming in.
The painting here was done from a friend's orchid and
the plant was later given to me to see if my orchid
green thumb could bring this one back to life...so far
no luck, but a painting to honor it was created.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Repetition

7" x 5" practice pears
Lather, rinse, repeat...well not the first part, but repeat,
repeat, repeat. It's great to work in a series or paint the
same subject over and over again. What you learned from
one painting can be valuable in the next. Maybe the next time
I'll apply the paint just so, or I will make the background darker
or lighter, change colors, exaggerate the shapes. All valuable
lessons that can be applied to a series of practice paintings
to warm up your brush!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Summertime

"Yellow Barn"
This was the second painting I did several weeks ago when
I did some plein aire, on the spot painting. I really enjoyed
being outside and look forward to some more summer days
spent outside in the field. Happy summer!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Seasons

"Shining through"
Almost summer here in the Northeast...we've had
a good spring, but with alot of rain these last few weeks.
The plants are in the garden and now it's time for some
nice warm weather for everything to grow, grow, grow!
The peonies are almost done, the poppies got blown away
by some high winds, but we have sunflowers to look forward
to...so head to the farmers markets and see what's fresh
and colorful and ready to be painted!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Petite or Big?

"Petite" private collection
This painting is really tiny...2 inches square...it's nice
to experiment with different sized paper. Always a challenge
to try to develop a good composition on a really long horizontal
piece or to try squares, which are such a satisfying shape. It's
good to break out of your regular pattern. So having said that
I'll go to the studio and try just that!

Monday, June 16, 2008

keeping a sketchbook

Hello...back from vacation, but since that's on my mind,
I thought I would share a page from my sketchbook from a
previous trip. Always fun to record your memories by drawing
or painting in addition to taking pictures. I can't get enough of
looking at journals and sketchbooks by other artists. Some of
the art magazines will often reproduce pages of artist's sketchbooks.
YUMMY!

Friday, June 6, 2008

short break

"Tulip tableau" 11" x 15"
This is one of the new paintings I just dropped off at the
Green Mountain Fine Art Gallery in Stowe. If you have
never been to either the gallery or Stowe, you must visit
sometime. A beautiful, quaint, typical Vermont village with
lots to see and do. I sound like an advertisement. Anyway,
I will be taking a short break from blogging next week...so no
new entries for a while. By the way, my workshop in Woodstock
is full...if you want to be on a waiting list let me know...

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Royalty among birds

"Fenced Fowl" 7.5" x 7.5"
Another one of those feathered critters...This guy looks
like he just visited the salon and had a style and a blow-dry!
He is showing off and proud of it! Well, why not? They are
such regal acting birds...I guess that's because of the crown!
or maybe the flock of admiring hens...

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Hip to be pear

"3 for the show"
I've been experimenting with this black and white fabric
for a little while now...it's been cropping up in some of my
still life set-ups...it is a napkin from a kitchen store.
Pears are always a favorite subject, with their round bottoms,
hips and tapered tops with that stem that seems to have a
personality all it's own.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Workshops, workshops...

"Statuesque" 15" x 22"
This Saturday is my first Peony painting workshop in
Burlington. I have been checking on the buds and they should
be blooming nicely right in time for class. I'll announce with
this post that I am teaching a two day workshop in Woodstock,
Vermont on Friday and Saturday August 8 & 9...please email
or call me to register. The class is already 1/2 full!

Monday, June 2, 2008

Red Red Popper

"Poppin'" 7.5" x 7.5"
On my way to the grocery store, I drive
by this beautiful garden full of poppies.
I am hoping to catch someone outside
sometime soon so I can take a bunch of
pictures for future reference. This person
has a green thumb with a red touch for poppies!