Less-representational

I've been working toward a
more expressive, less-representational
approach to painting for a while now.

Happy Harbor 

16 x 20 oil 

I knew this was a break through of sorts 

when I showed it to my husband and he said, 

"What is it? 

All I see are shapes and colors"

BINGO! 

Collage Bar

I've been playing around with cut paper painting lately 

and Marcia Ballou is the master of design and color 

in the collage department.   

This morning, I took one of the 

"Collage Bar" sessions 

she is hosting in her fabulous studio this summer.  

 

10 x 8 fabric, paper collage
I was having so much fun,
think I overdid it.

It's a very spontaneous and intuitive way to focus

 on shapes and color without any detail.  

 

This is one Marcia did in an earlier class. 

So simple yet so strong! 

I felt like a kid in a candy store! 

She has every color and type of fabric, paper, pens, paint, 

surfaces, mediums......yum!

A sample pile of small pieces of cut paintings, 

wallpaper, magazines etc... 

Go here to sign up. 

I highly recommend it!  

Color Interaction

I'm teaching some new "Expressive Color" workshops 

in August, so I'm experimenting with 

the effect certain colors have

 when placed next to others. 

"Color Patterns" 

 12 x 12 oil on canvas

I'm re-reading Josef Albers' 

Interaction of Color

and it's reminding me that 

"color is the most relative medium in art".  

Workshop #1:

SSAC Wed Thurs. 8/10, 8/11

9:30 - 3:30 

Workshop #2:

NRAS Sat and Sun 8/20, 8/21 

9:30 -3:30 

Surfaces

I find my paintings dramatically affected 

by the surface I'm painting on. 

Last winter I painted over some old oil paintings 

with thick yellow ochre oil paint.

They took forever to dry,

 but it was worth the wait. 

"Gone Swimming"

16 x 20 oil 

The rough surface creates great texture 

 for the type of "pattern painting"

I'm exploring lately. 

Say a lot with a little

I watched a great video of  Lois Dodd talking about painting. 

Her joyful, espressive paintings 

reminded me how much you can say with 

just a few well placed   

shapes and in the right colors. 

I had fun with this one. 

Docked

12 x 16 

It's amazing how much you can say 

with so little.

Rocky Neck

I've been working on paintings from images

 I took in Rocky Neck last summer. 

(The historic Art Colony in Gloucester, Ma 

where I'm doing the Residency in September)  

The light on these roofs kept catching my eye. 

Rocky Neck Roofs 

12 x 12 oil 

I had done a larger version months ago 

and wasn't happy with it so 

I'd put it away to paint over it. 

Then two artist friends came to the studio and 

convinced me to re-visit it.

Rocky Neck Roofs

24 x 24 

That's the beauty of having friends who are artists! 

Summer Reading

I managed to carve out a few hours 

before the long holiday weekend

to get this started, 

then finished it today. 

"Summer Reading"

16 x 20 oil 

The idea for this had been brewing for a while,

so it was one of those paintings that 

painted itself.

I love it when that happens.