Beach Games

I used two different reference photos for this. 

Beach Games 

9 x12
oil on canvas mounted on 1/2" foam board
(new from SourceTek)

I got this far and realized I had 

light sources coming from two different directions! 

I decided to go with it anyway.

Do you think anyone would notice it 

if I didn't point it out? 

Growing Pains

For the past few months I've been doing a lot of experimenting. 

And that has challenged me to make some daring (and painful) changes

in my approach to painting.

I call it growing pains. 

Without them, we would never grow. 

And it's never easy. 

This has been a long winter! 

Packin' Up 

12 x 12 oil 

Today I let go of all that and simply painted 

the way I want to paint.

It was so fun and incredibly liberating. 

Feels like the ice is slowly breaking around me. 

Perhaps the long awaited breakthrough is approaching!   

A favorite quote:

"You have to have a break down, 

in order to have break through!" 

Bay Area Figurative paintings

I spent some more time looking at 

Bay Area Figurative 

paintings yesterday  

and had fun playing with just shapes of color in this.  

"Tall Drink of Water at the Water"

8 x 16 oil 

Again, kind of quirky but I like! 

NOTE: 

My husband came up with that title. 

Spring IS Coming. Really.

Oil Painting has been sidelined for a while, 

as I nurse a pulled muscle in my left shoulder.

Yes, I am a lefty.  

Spring is Coming. Really.

It is. 

6 x 8 gouache

I'm content to just it at my table easel 

and do small gouache studies. 

For now. 

Only 35 days to First Day of Spring.

Warm and Fuzzy

If you want something warm and fuzzy to do this Friday 

to celebrate Valentines Day 

the Nation Juried Show entitled 

LOVE 

opens at the SSAC in Cohasset from 6 - 8 pm.  

Also, I am showing over fifteen new works as the 

Faculty Feature this month. 

Busy Beach Day Tryptic 

12 x 12 (x3) 

Sultry Sunday 

12 x 12 

I chose mostly summer scenes. 

Anything to help us all 

get through this relentless winter. 

Pattern Painting Exercise

When ever I am looking to shake things up

I like to do some Pattern Painting.
(PKR has a super DVD on this! ) 

I did this in my studio last week 

before I presented it to my class.  

This exercise is a great way to help you think more abstractly.

The focus is on creating exciting design and composition

using just line and color.  

No modeling. No light and shadow.

A simple set up on a low table 

 Outline the big shapes 

Use flat, clean color to fill in the shapes,

making design decisions as you go. 

In class we set up our own still life,

and did quick three value thumbnails 

until we got a design we liked. 

good old marker and paper  

or Value Viewer on I Pad

Whatever it takes to get the job done! 

(This gal did both!) 

NOTE: 

If you do all the work to build a strong design 

ahead of time, 

you can then just enjoy applying the paint! 

Snow Day Play

Snow day today so

 I had time to play in the studio.

"Waiting Room"

8 x 16 

oil 

I've been looking at the work of Sandy Ostrau lately

(thanks to Nancy Hartley's blog) 

and this one inspired me to try some simplified figures.  

Poolside 12 x 12 by Sandy Ostrau

To challenge myself, I took an image, 

outlined the big shapes in magic marker

and hung it upside down. 

Then painted it upside down.

That is one of the best ways I know 

to force yourself to "just see the big shapes"! 

NOTE:

I'm trying out new linen Raymar boards

 toned with the "gook" from the bottom of my turp can.  

It makes a great middle value and has all the same 

"DNA" as my palette!  

Mouse Paintings

After my workshop last week, 

I laid my wet demos on a table 

in the lower unheated level of my studio.

The next morning they looked like this! 

I guess even mice think a little "painting" 

can help get them through this never ending winter. 

NOTE:

Spent the morning getting mail settings fixed. 

Visits and calls with AT&T, Comcast, and Apple.

Afternoon: IPAD lesson at Apple Store.

I'd rather be a mouse.