Intention

I like the idea of setting an intention for things.

Whether it's a yoga practice, making breakfast, or starting a painting. 

To define your intention ahead of time

keeps you focussed. 

Black, Red, Yellow 6 x 6 

Currently, my intention in painting is to 

focus more on shapes and design, 

and to play around with color harmonies.  

This is a real challenge for me because 

"little miss fussy pants" shows up 

and wants to put in every detail!   

I have to stay focussed on my intention,

just to keep her at bay.   

The GJWP challenge for the month of December is 

Intention. 

They will all be here posted on January 1 ! 

Holiday Break

I love the week between Christmas and New Years.
Nothing is normal or routine

and there is a bit of magic in the air.
 Plenty of time for reflection and renewal,
relaxing and re-grouping....
Yesterday I even managed a few hours on the couch
re-reading
"The Art Spirit" by Robert Henri. 

Talk about inspiration!

His wisdom and technical advice about painting is 

as appropriate and valuable today as it was 1916.

If not more! 

Looking forward to wherever my painting 

takes me in 2014! 

Happy New Year everyone! 

Happy Holidays to All!

Sending you all peaceful winter greetings.

I thank you for sharing my painting journey throughout the year,  

and celebrate with gratitude my good fortune to have crossed paths with you! 

  

Cello Waiting for Santa

Looking forward to see what new ideas, discoveries and paintings 

the New Year will bring

and hope you will continue to join me! 

Internet Inspiration

I'm finding a lot of inspiration on the internet lately. 

Mostly following artists' blogs whose work 

leans toward the more 

expressionist / contemporary / colorful.

Ann Winthrop Cordin's work inspired me today.  

"Fake Tulips"

12 x 12 

This was inspired by Anne's painting below. 

It's been hanging in my studio for weeks

with a note (from me) that says,

"set up a simple still life using glass". 

The simplicity of the angles and the strong value pattern 

 is very appealing to me. 

This was a fun exercise.

Although, I only had those fake red tulips 

and they were well,

lifeless.  

Blurb Book

I've been working on my annual Blurb Book.

Every year since 2009, I have made one of 

my 20 best paintings from that year. 

Meanwhile, I've been having fun fooling around with some paintings 

that didn't "make the cut" for one reason or another.

Old Salt House 

8 x 6 oil (new) 

I radically changed the color of the sky in this one,

which then prompted other color changes. 

So liberating! 

Old Salt House 

8 x 6 (previous) 

Meanwhile, sweet Cello
looks like she's waiting for
what?
Our first winter storm?
Santa? 

Cello in Salty Dog Studio! 

"Painting with Purpose" Exercise

I bought some 9 x 12  Arches Oil Paper recently 

to use for exercises and experiments. 

Twirling #1
(oil on paper)

For this one, I took the (slightly fussed over )

"Twirling" painting from my last post 

and looked at just the big shapes.

I used one stroke, one value per shape. 

Twirling #2

A totally different result! 

I did a careful drawing on the paper,

(marking the shadow shapes) 

turned it upside down,

and put the image away.  

This exercise teaches us to paint with more purpose, 

making each brushstroke more meaningful! 

I may call this the 

"Paint with Purpose" exercise! 

Beat those Mid- Winter Blues!

Want to beat those winter blues? 

Spend a fun winter weekend honing your painting skills 

or learning new ones!

I'll be teaching a  

two day "One Hour Painting" workshop

at The South Shore Art Center 

January 25 / 26.

"Twirling"

8 x 10 

oil on paper

"We will explore the practice of creating a painting from start to finish in one hour, teaching you how to simplify the process, and be able to “say a lot with a little”. Through demos, exercises, and “timed” one hour group painting sessions, you will learn how to use generous, quick, well placed strokes that will give you fresher, simpler, more effective paintings. We will work from simple still lives and photos. Demos are in oil, although the lessons may be applied to acrylics as well. The method I use produces results for both beginners and experienced painters, so there is no fear! "

Trust me. 

This is a lot of fun!   

Snowbird

The end of the month again! 

The Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge this month was 

BIRDS.

Snowbird 

6 x 6

oil 

I couldn't resist. 

See the rest of the gang's post here!

Cello's Birthday Portrait

In honor of Cello's second birthday tomorrow 

I thought it was time I do a portrait of her. 

Cello

8 x 10 

She is the sweetest and most mellow lab pup 

and our family is so blessed to have her. 

 She takes her job of guarding us very seriously!  

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! 

And Happy Thanksgiving and Hanukkah everyone! 

Lesson Learned. Again.

This was a quick and fun painting I did last week

 from an image I've had for awhile. 

Spring on Newbury Street

9 x 12 oil 

I rarely go in and make big changes after the fact. 

Usually just a few tweaks and fixes, that's it. 

Whenever I do, I end up loosing the freshness and spontaneity.

For some reason I thought the railing needed to be straightened and,

well you can see.....

 the painting became over worked and fussy. 

Lesson learned.  

Again! 

Last class of the year!

We finished up the fall session 

of the One Hour Painting class yesterday

by doing figures from photos.
(Our model cancelled last minute) 

by Gretchen

The OHP approach is based on the practice of
building good paintings by building strong foundations. 

The tools we learn help simplify the process
 and take the fear out of painting anything.
Even figures!

The camaraderie and creative interchange
that happens in these classes is invaluable.
Thank you everyone.
See you in the New Year!

Meanwhile, I can't wait until Austin Kleon's
new book comes out!
Wonderful pearls of wisdom.

Who Am I?

 This summer I sorted through hundreds of my old paintings

to clean up the studio.  

I kept a few random pieces and for some reason 

I kept this one.

It was done three years ago,

using the push pull thing!
I didn't even know it at the time. 

Marina 

11 x 14 

This painting always felt sort of weak to me.

(not enough paint)  

so I fooled with it today. 

Not sure it's better,

but it sure was fun playing with those colors! 

"Marina 2"

11 x 14 

Push and Pull

 I watched a YouTube video about 

Hans Hoffman the other day. 

He talks about the "push and pull" of 

color.

That inspired me to paint this using a pattern of 

made- up colors, but keeping them in the correct value.  

I tried to "push and pull" the  

 warm and cool, dark and light. 

Late Light

10 x 10 

oil 

This was a real stretch for me! 

I'm working on being less literal in my paintings

and this is a great way to push myself. 

A great exercise for a class.   

NOTE:

Here it is on "levels" setting 

(three values) 

on the Value Viewer app. 

If it works in three values,

chances are it will be a good painting. 

"Value does all the work,

color gets all the credit."

Hell yeah! 

(The image) 

Inspiration Gathering

Before the internet got so plentiful,    

I would cut out images 

of paintings that inspired me, 

(from art magazines) 

and put them in a three ring binder. 

I refer to it often when I'm uninspired or stuck.

(like now) 

Urban Figure No.1

9 x 9 by Mark Nelson

I found this in there the other day and

 what do you know? 

It's from a 2007 issue of American Art Collector. 

 Mark Daniel Nelson! 

And here,

 I thought I'd just discovered his work! 

Fun with Technology

The digital photography class I just finished with 

Tim Waite

inspired me to think more about using 

the photo apps and programs available 

as painting tools.  

City Chicks

8 x 10 

I'd submitted the photo for this as homework about composition. 

Talking about it and seeing it on the big screen

 inspired me to paint it.  

 I then took the image of the painting

 and did a quick I Pad painting over it using the Brushes App.

(Download it then watch the ten minute tutorial on YouTube.) 

Showed me instantly how to simplify it 

even more! 

Painting Upside Down

Painting upside down really forces you to  

focus on the shapes, not the object.

And it's always a thrill when you turn them 

right side up!
Here is are a few from class last week. 

This exercise helps create wonderfully loose and expressive 

almost abstract paintings  

Like these awesome landscapes from the same class. 

Very Milton Avery don't you think?  

Heads Up!

I just booked more One Hour Painting classes and 

and some two day workshops.

They have not been posted on the websites yet 

so I thought I'd give you (my followers) 

the heads up! 

Quick demo  

8 x 8 

North River Arts Society 

Jan 16 - Feb 27

Thursdays 9:30 - 12:30

South Shore Art Center 

weekend workshop 

Jan 25 / 26

9:30 - 3:30  

Cape Cod Art Association

Weekend Workshop 

July 19 / 20 

9:30 - 3:30 

 They tend to fill quickly so if you are interested,

contact the association asap! 

Make Up Challenge

This month the Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge is 

Make Up.

I have never been very good at wearing make up,

and always looked like a clown whenever I tried.

Clown Face 

6 x 6 

oil on paper 

I found an image on the internet,

printed it on heavy paper, and glued it to a foam board. 

Then I covered it with clear gesso. 

My idea was to paint directly on the photo,

as if I was putting the make up on her! 

I used soft acrylic brushes and did a lot of blending. 

Two things rather foreign to me. 

  Now you can see why I don't wear make up! 

Waiting for Inspiration

I have been "blocked"lately,

just waiting for inspiration.  

Old Salt House

6 x 8 oil 

Cohasset Harbor, MA 

Today, I finally buckled down and tackled this idea.
AfterI found this link to the new work of
Michael Daniel Nelson.

Parking Lot BBQ

8 x 10 oil

 by Michael Daniel Nelson

You gotta love those guys who have a 

graphic design background.

He makes it look so simple.

Exercising!

I like to call the lessons we do in class "exercises"
because after all, we are "stretching" ourselves right?
This week, we did my two favorites:
Limited  Stroke (or Golf) Exercise
 

You have to state how many you need, then try to make that number. 

(I said 16 and had to use my mulligan!)  

The "Simplified Shadow" Exercise

By painting everything in shadow ONE dark value, 

then everything that is in light in actual color, 

you really get to see how important the value pattern is!  

You can get some pretty powerful statements this way.  

I always love a good workout!

Meanwhile.

GO SOX!  

Another Surprise

When I found out that 

my friend, fellow teacher, 

and incredibly talented impressionist painter

Margaret McWethy

was taking my 

Painting in an Hour class,

I was a bit daunted.

And, of course,  thrilled.  

5 minute studies 

by Margaret McWethy

Turns out;
she is the perfect student, 

follows the exercises precisely,

and adds great insight during the discussion. 

Thank you Margaret! 

Just another surprise in 

the life of an artist. 

All Set for HAW this Sunday

I am all set for the Hingham Arts Walk this Sunday.

Really looking forward to seeing old friends 

(and meeting new ones!)

If you are in the area, do stop by North Street Studio.

12 - 4 

"Sleepy" 

6x 6  oil 

$125

"Romper Room"

6 x 6 oil  

$125 

I'll have some new, smaller works 

available in my distressed wood frames. 

There will be music, wine, light bites,

and lots of fun! 

GO SOX! 

Playing Around (with Mitchell again)

I have had this image of a Mitchell Johnson painting 

hanging in my studio for over a year now. 

Truro (Blue and Yellow) 

2012 22 x 28 oil on linen

by Mitchell Johnson

Then yesterday, I found this photo

I took in Truro in 2001.  

 (before digital) 

and thought I'd play around a little.  

I realized my fascination with MJ's paintings is the texture. 

( he uses a dry brush and a linen surface? )

I painted this on my usual canvas board, using lots of paint. 

Then took a palette knife 

to blur the lines and simplified the shapes.

Interesting. 

At best.  

Truro (pink) 

10 x 12 

oil 

Hingham Arts Walk!

I'm putting together some small works for the 

Hingham Arts Walk 

Next Sunday!  
October 20 from 12 - 4 

"Baby Blues"

9 x 9  framed  

$125

I'll be at the 

NORTH STREET STUDIO

with:

Page Railsback, Barbara Gifford, Ruth Jensen, 

Kelley MacDonald and Sally Dean

COME ON BY! 
A fun day to poke around beautiful Hingham, MA 
and meet some very cool artists! 

Love in the Air

It warms my heart to see an older couple holding hands. 

Lucky them!

No matter how long they may have been together, 

it's testimony that love exists in many forms, 

and at all stages.

"Happy Couple"

8 x 8 

Our son recently got engaged! 

And I am thrilled that he has found someone so lovely and so special.

May they hold each other's hand for a very long time!

Congratulations you two!     

You Never Know

"Ice Cream Man" 

11 x 14 

I did this rather unusual painting two years ago

and it's never left the studio. 

(I think it's because it's on a stretched canvas) 

However, there has always been something I really liked about it,

so I submitted it to the International Juried Show 

"COOL" 

at the South Shore Art Center

opening November 8. 

And it got in! 

I guess you just never know.   

Photography Class

I'm taking a digital photography class

at the SSAC this term.  

We're talking a lot about composition

and that is making me see things differently.

Especially when thinking about potential painting subjects.

" Lawn "

9 x 12 

I liked how the image below 

blocked everything into big shapes of color. 

The painting became more about that 

than the light and shadow pattern. 

Here are a few more images I've taken 

as part of my homework! 

This photo class

and the incredible light we are having this fall,

is getting me incredibly inspired!