Monday, September 30, 2013

One Hour Painting Workshop

Another incredible two day workshop this passed weekend.
Ten very talented and enthusiastic woman.
I get so energized and motivated by teaching!
Thank you girls. 

twenty minute upside down demo
8 x 10 

For our last exercise "Painting from Photos"
we painted upside down
from images of very simple subjects.  

( I googled images of Sheep)

This is so fun 
because you have to really let go and 
"just see the shapes".
I call it forced looseness.  
Then when you turn it right side up, 
it's such a surprise! 


"Back Lit Babes" 
8 x 10 






Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Seeing Green

 I've been feeling the need to paint something GREEN,
after being at the beach so long,
(and before the Fall colors hit!)

"World's End"
11 x 14 
oil on paper

I did this from an image I took on a walk at
on an overcast day recently. 
My goal was to break the scene down to just big shapes 
and exaggerate the color. 
I kind of over worked it in the end,
 but it sure was fun using all that viridian, sap, and lemon yellow!  
Again, loosely inspired by this cover on one of 



Ironically, when I got home from the studio, 
I found an email from my blogger friend Nancy Hartley
suggesting I look up  Curtis Fields, 
 a California artist known for his "stylized realism" paintings.   

Cattle Under Oak Tree
1980 36 x 36 
by Curtis Fields 
(1921- 1980)

For this, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the World Wide Web. 
Thank you fellow artists, for sharing. 



Monday, September 23, 2013

More Mitchell

 Life kind of got in my way these passed two weeks,
so I've been MIA on blogger.
However, I've been looking at more work by Mitchell Johnson
and couldn't wait to get back to it. 
   
"Pink House" 
10 x 10 
(Inspired by this painting by Mitchell Johnson.)

Truro Porch (Blue Door) 2110, 18 x 32 inches,
oil on linen by Mitchell Johnson. 

His architectural pieces from Cape Cod are my favorite. 
Simple flat shapes.
He says so much with so little.
Just incredible. 


Thursday, September 12, 2013

Channelling Mitchell Johnson

I have been a big fan of Mitchell Johnson for some time now.
His flat shapes of color and designs just pop. 
I recently bought some of the books he posted on his face book page, 
and got inspired to play with color and shapes more. 

Pink Shed
8 x 10 


This is how far I got before I realized I was 
OUT OF WHITE PAINT! 
Frustrating! 
I couldn't wait to fill in the "lights".
That's the best part!  I call it the "dessert". 


Thursday, September 5, 2013

End of the Season


It's incredible how quiet the beach gets after Labor Day. 
And just when the light starts to do it's magic!  


"End of the Season"
10 x 10 

I'm doing the map for these new architectural pieces free hand 
(no grid)
and I like how freeing that is. 
Also, experimenting with new color schemes,
and keeping my brushstrokes "purposeful".