Day 5

Day 5

Day 5 of the 30-day challenge......Ummmmm........I'm not sure if I'm still on the right track or if I've ruined it. Until I punch the dark areas into the window and door, I won't know. But the suspense is going to have to wait until tomorrow.

Day 4

Day 4

Day 4 in the 30-day challenge!

So I'm back to the 8"x8" painting today. Heeding Bill Vrscak's sage advice, I am still applying washes with large flats, and trying to vary the colors in the areas so they don't come off as boring and flat. And a little wet-in-wet around the base of the tree helps to connect the tree to the ground. Gotta work on that chunk of wood in front....

Day 3

Day 3

Well - Already it's a struggle to manage this 30-day challenge. I've got to do a better job of time management (and not spending 11 hours at work would be a big help, too).

I decided I was not in the right frame of mind to tackle anything on the WIP painting, so I instead did another one of the little bouquet sketches. Loose, with wet-in-wet sections, and fun!

Day 2

Day 2

So I'm now working on one of my Extraordinary/Everyday series pieces (see my website to view the series), and I'll post where I'm at each day on this 8"x8" painting as part of Leslie Saeta's 30-day challenge.

I have to say, I really don't like posting images at this point....paintings always look so rough and unplanned at this stage. I hope this one will improve speedily!

30-day painting challenge - Day 1

I've signed up for the 30-day painting challenge hosted by California-based artist Leslie Saeta. The stated goal is to complete 30 paintings in 30 days.

Well......

I won't be managing that. But, Leslie says there are no "rules" with the challenge, other than having fun, and the idea is to establish some habits that will carry on beyond the 30 days that will help us be more productive as artists.

So, my personal challenge is simply to get my brush on paper for at least 15 minutes per day during the month-long challenge. That means that most of the time, the images that I will post each day will simply record my progress on some larger paintings that I am starting this month. And, if I don't happen to work on the larger paintings, I will do little tiny sketches, like today's entry for the challenge.

Day 1

Top of the Morning

"Top of the Morning" 8"x8"

Another one down in my ongoing effort to capture Wardensville at its unexpected best.

This is the third time that I've painted this particular house, which to me is Polly Peer's house. Polly was the lady who lived there when I first came to town, and her family had been in this house for decades.

The other two paintings were made years ago...the first being of the hanging flower baskets Polly had on the porch, and the second being part of scene that focused on the old See's Motel sign.

Per my usual tendencies, it's the cast shadow that drew me to this particular composition.

This painting will be included in the exhibit that will be opening at the Guesthouse Lost River on August. 31, and will remain there through Nov. 30, 2014.

Another show!

Lights, hanging, opening!

Is it straight?
The artist (left) hangs a painting for "Extraordinary/Everyday" at Clementine Cafe in Harrisonburg, Va., assisted by her friend Eleanor. The show opens July 4, 2014.

So it's been a long time since I've posted (I think it was the end of April?), but there has been plenty of activity in my life, worry not.

There have been a host of work-related issues (computer upgrades, software upgrades, etc.) that have taken up a great deal of energy and time. AND, I've been working to complete everything, included some last-minute paintings, for the opening of my first solo art show.

I'm pleased to say that I'm almost there....the last pieces were framed last weekend, they were hung in the space on Sunday, and the opening reception is Friday!

Whew!

The first person to see the paintings in the space!

I'll pass along a report once the reception is over. Boy am I tired...

Ivy League

"Ivy League"  - 20"x14"

 The masking fluid mess turned out to be a successful painting, so the extra effort was worth it this time.

I'm beginning to find that I like the combination of hard edges, consistent with a classic poster art appearance, and the soft willy-nilly look of painting watercolors wet-into-wet.

In the case of this painting, I see that juxtaposition most in the areas of the vine where the reds, yellows and greens literally run through an area of leaves. The outlines created by the leaf shapes against a darker background make those leaves individual, but the variable flow of color within the joined silhouettes make them a unit.

If you'd like to see some images of the painting while in progress (and with all that icky masking fluid all over the leaves), here they are!

Tangled up in green

I may have gone off the deep end with this one. I'm trying to break down a tangle of vines without getting overwhelmed by the mass of potential details.

So I've resorted to masking fluid (didn't I recently write that I didn't like using it?) to assist me in my task.

I've painted lighter areas of leaves, masked out shapes within those areas, and returned (when dry) to add darker values. Mask again, wait, and repeat with a darker wash. And repeat again.

At this point, the painting reeks of latex and ammonia, and I'm wondering what things actually look like under all that gooey masking fluid.

Stay tuned!