Monday, August 31, 2009

Farm view

Finally a painting done in the good ol' out of doors!
The weather around here is getting to be quite perfect
for some time spent painting outside...the bugs and the heat will
both be less! This piece was from the workshop earlier
this month, standing next to a barn with chickens scratching
the earth around my feet and looking toward the distant
Green Mountains!

Friday, August 28, 2009

Blue Ribbon Pose

"Blue Ribbon Pose"
I always paint the comb first and then the wattle,
leaving the eye to almost two thirds of the way through
the painting. Once the eye gets painted their personality
starts to comes through! That's when they really give you
their stare-down, or curious quirky look as if to say:
"Why you lookin' at me?"

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Daffs

A decidedly spring-time image as the seasons seem
to be changing here in the Northeast..we are going
from nice warm summer weather to the cooler temps
of fall. Makes for nice times out in the field painting...
I just got a butcher tray...an enamel tray for painting and
find that I like the color squeezed fresh out of the tube. It's
a different feel to have new paint instead of reconstituted
palette pigments...a little spritz of water refreshes those anyway,
but it's nice to try a new approach, plus it allows me to try some
different pigments and expand my color horizons!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

color choices

"Floribunda" 22"x30"
This painting looks like I used every single color on my
palette to create it! I have a palette that can hold 32
pigments, but I've seen some lovely work done with just
a limited number of colors. Sometimes less is more and
other times more is more!

Monday, August 24, 2009

What's for dinner?

An image out of my sketchbook...I should almost do this
every night at dinner time...it doesn't take very long and
is really fun. Even if you don't have alot of time you can just
get the sketch done and then color it later. I like the way the
lines of the salmon came out...it's just a slightly darker wash
of peachy pink then painting around or saving the lighter lines.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Ready for my close-up

"Ready for my close-up" 7.5"x7.5" image size $375.00
Another piece from my show at the Southern Vermont
Arts Center...Tomorrow is the reception..it's supposed
to rain so maybe that means more people will come by,
because they won't be out in their gardens or on their boats
or in their pools enjoying the weather! Not that I deny anyone
those pleasures of summer...since it's oh so short around these
here parts! Then it's on to the next show...Thanks for all your
nice comments on my earlier posts!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Opening Reception

"Vermillion Vision" 22"x30"
Another full sheet watercolor...well that's debatable, since
there are rolls of wc paper and 40x60 sheets...so let's just
say full sheet in my world. Have yet to attempt something
on that size paper! This piece is going down to Southern
Vermont to the Arts Center for my solo show...Opening
reception is this Saturday from 4-6 p.m. Tell your friends
and come on down!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Sheer poppy

A very, very close-up of a Poppy...the bee's view.
White flowers are always a challenge, but the main
thing to remember is that there is actual "color" within
the white. Also a background is vital in anchoring a
lighter bloom.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Inspiration

"Sneak a peek"
Starting the week with some farm friends.
Spent some time on a farm last week and took
tons of pictures of their magnificent rooster.
He was being terrorized by another rooster and
was hiding out with the pigs in their pens. I have
some new material now for future paintings!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Painting event

This was an exercise from a b&w photograph in Charles'
class...She's a bit stern, but she's got that fish and that reminds
me of this weekend's event. I will be painting at the Burlington
Waterfront on Saturday the 15th from 10-4 for the Vermont
Watercolor Society's Fundraiser in conjunction with the Lake's
Quadricentennial celebration. If you are in the area come on by
and check us out...we will auction the work off on our new blog:
If you want to come down and paint with us...the more the merrier!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Different Strokes week

"Karl Malden's street" Different Strokes challenge
I'm back...thanks to all who gave feedback
about superimposing your name across your
images on the web...figured as much in regards
being able to edit it out etc...if someone is going
to rip off your work it'll happen anyway. Let's hope
it doesn't happen, much...Raring to jump back in the
studio after 5 days painting the Vermont landscape.
But I have to finish framing my work for my upcoming
Solo show at the Southern Vermont Arts Center..opening
reception Saturday August 22nd from 4-6 p.m. Stop by
if you can.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Lilac abundance

I've been noticing that other bloggers have their name
or copyright symbols across their images...I've tried it here
and it worked, but in some of my other work it looks so
obvious. A few questions that maybe you all can shed some
light on for me...Have some of your images been copied and
is that the reason for the lettering? Or is it in case someone
prints it up you get credit where credit is due? I'm very
interested to see what it's all about, since I haven't been
blogging for a very long time and slowly finding out all these
quirky things.
I won't be posting again until the middle of next week...taking
a little time to get outside to paint! See you soon...

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Seize the Day

A peak at the future of vistas in Vermont...Fall is coming
down the pike soon enough with all the Back to School
ads in the papers and flyers! It zooms by and I find myself
not having been outside to paint at all except for a couple
quick sketches at the water's edge this last weekend. No
time like the present...Carpe Diem.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Mixed Garden bouquet

Another oldie from the archives, but this had me thinking
after a week of teaching classes that my work has certainly changed
a bit over the years. Pigment gets applied differently, there's
more confidence in the subject matter and a looseness has
evolved that might not have been there before. At least I hope
that's the way it works, because it's what keeps us moving forward
as artists. Constantly striving for a new level of personal satisfaction
with your own work.
Thank you for all your recent comments, plus a blogging award from
Marsha Robinett came my way this weekend! I'll add the link
to my sidebar along with the others and cheat a little by saying
I'd like to pass the award on to the artists in my blog roll list :)
Thanks, Marsha...beautiful work!