happy holidays

                         16x16

Declaring it finished for now--bit days may come back and add something on the lower left.

Until then, best wishes for a happy holiday!

A sunrise from my backyard.

my favorite ornament: he looks like my dad.

classwork

                   Unfinished 16x10

In SaltyWaterArt's snowy hills class this week we painted evergreens against a mountain backdrop, using reference photos as nothing more than a jumping off point.

I really like my page of color swatches!

But for some inexplicable reason, when I painted my little (4x6) studies, I didn't adhere to the color plan. Which is all right, but I overworked them, which is not.

This one is, imo, the best of the lot.

Painting these was a lot of fun and as I could certainly use more practice on my tree shapes, I may do more.

classwork

Couple of about 10x14 quick landscapes painted in Birgit O'Connor's snowy landscapes class. I missed the live class but, happily, you can buy a video replay of the class, which, with my erratic schedule, suits me.

I hope I'll be able to take this relaxed approach with me when I paint en plain air.

Cornell bird cam 2

                               9x10

Another osprey based on a screenshot for Allaboutbirds' bird cam.

Anyone can submit their artwork based on a bird cam until Jan. 5.

Cornell bird cam

                          9x6

Little painting of an osprey I did from a screenshot of one of Cornell's bird cams.

They're asking for art based on their bird cams; you have till 1/5 to submit something.

And a couple of little shorebirds.

holiday cards

Didnt really get around to making cards this year, but I made these this a m. following a lesson in Birgit O'Connor's snowscenes class.

Below 👇 is a picture I took while they were still wet: I really like the colors-- cobalt and ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and burnt umber, with some indigo.

Other starts ...

snowscene

                                                                    9x12

Today's morning painting: a snowscene in ultramarine and burnt sienna.

Got very wet and got away from me--wanted to make the tree and grass shapes a bit more representational ... I could go back when it's dry but probably won't. Trying to think of these quick paintings as play, not product.

morning painting

8x12

12x16

So far, keeping up with my plan to paint a loose landscape every morning?, most mornings?

I painted these using the reference photos in Birgit O'Connor's class Loose Landscapes.

I'm not sure if these are "finished" paintings, but they are a fun way to start the day ... And to actually use my stockpile of paper.

classwork

16x10

16x10

9x12

Three paintings I did in SaltyWaterArt's snowy landscape class.

What a fun class. We experimented: limited palette, lots of water, little drawing.

I like these but the paintings my classmates did were really bold, with simplified shapes and colors beautifully mixing on the paper. I wished I could buy them.

In addition to being fun this was also a good lesson: I hardly looked at the reference photo--it was very freeing.

classwork

                              14x16

Very enjoyable class painting mouse- ear poinsettias with Megan Swoyer.

Want to try my white poinsettias next.

Livestream paint along

                             12x14

I love a snowscene.

Painted this one along with Michele Clamp's livestream.

I need to work on my trees--seems they're always "too" something-- green; dark; blobby.

It was a great reference photo and a very paint-worthy scene!

classwork

                            10x14

Lesson one in Birgit O'Connor's class on loose landscapes.

I did a couple of Birgit's flower classes and learned a lot--I still love the paintings I did.

Going to try to do a lesson each morning. 🤞

.                          10x14

Lesson 2.

.                             9x12

Lesson 3.

Really enjoying this! 

holly

                             5x9

My first winter- themed painting of the season. I'm usually much further along iny sprig-in-a-jar paintings by now!

pears

Sliced up a pear and thought, what a great subject.

Problem is: what color is a pear?

It's hard to discern, or represent; it's so subtle, a bit translucent. And on the shadow side ... Who knows.

I got too cool in this my first go. I think I was doing what my brain told me instead of trusting my eyes.

wren

                            4x6 ish

So many wrens in my yard now. I love to watch them hopping around in the fallen leaves.

practice

Just practicing doing "loose" landscapes.

These were painted from photos, but I hope such practice will help with plain air painting.

workshop

                                16x16

I'd say I'm 80% done now.

I didn't draw in my drape because I started to think the pattern on the cloth might be too overpowering. But I am going to try to work it in.

In the pass below I got a bloom on the tall vase. I don't mind blooms, but this one was really too eyecatching.

I tried to lift it; no luck.

So I added more red around it to, I hope lessen its impact.

Susan Abbott says one thing is not going to ruin a painting, so keep going.

.                              6x6

A little painting based on a demo Susan Abbott did in class.

classwork

                              10x14

In our first session of SaltyWaterArt's snowy landscapes class, we painted birches. You cannot go wrong painting birches: put on the lenticils (the dark lines on the bark) and it's a birch tree

I love snow-- it's beautiful and everything gets so quiet--but we don't get much here at the Jersey shore (I guess some would say that's why I love it), so I'm going to really enjoy this class.

classwork

                            11x15

This is a painting from the class I took with Michele Clamp that I didn't finish because I wasn't happy with the poppies.

I was about to put it in the flat file them thought, just go ahead and indicate the vase.

I did, and touched up the dark centers of the poppies, and added a couple of daubs of dark green.

Et voila-- now I like it.

Michele is starting new session in January, which I have signed up for!

workshop

                              9x11

A water color sketch of my still life objects. I'm not entirely set on the arrangement, and really haven't figured out what to do in the background.

I felt the local colors of my props were all over the place, so I used a triad to try to bring some unity: Prussian blue, alizarin, and quinacridone gold. Used a bit of indigo and Naples yellow too.

classwork

  8x8

                                                         10x10

This December we'll be painting chickadees in SaltyWaterArt's class.

Such a sweet little bird; many visit my yard.

I overpainted these a bit, imo, but I feel like each time I draw or paint a bird I get closer to doing it better, freer, less self-consciously.

workshop

                               3x4

Susan Abbott talked about color in class today, and our homework is to analyze the color in our setups, with an eye to forming a color scheme.

My setup objects are mostly red and green, with a little blue green and blue.

So I did this tiny quick study to see how the colors, as they are, hung together.

But what I saw was that this setup is essentially two paintings.

Now I need to find a way to bridge that big empty white space in the middle!

Also think my red background cloth is too powerful ... Maybe I could neutralize the color a bit, but I think I'll take it out and go with a plain neutral midtone.

workshop

                             values

.                           cropping

Taking a four-day online workshop with Susan Abbott on constructing a still life.

This is my homework.

I love still lifes but I don't paint many because I am very bad at setting them up. They almost always look contrived-- sometimes I'd get lucky and hit on a good arrangement, but I'd like to know what I'm doing.

Susan is the perfect teacher for this: she's very rigorous. Which is good.

Before class we collected props relating to a theme--mine is potting, kinda--and for homework we did sketches to decide on the arrangement of the objects and the orientation of the page; and value sketches.

It's a bit of "work," or maybe more accurately a process, but very enjoyable and engaging, and I hope fruitful!

Tomorrow: color.