classwork

.                             10x12

These are in reverse order. Below is my first sketch. The top one is my last try; it got very wet, but it is my favorite because it's the only one that shows a patch of light in the distance between the two shores.

.                            5x7

found still life

My friend Gina invited me to dinner and I loved the look of all the things on her counter.

The colors were great too. So I hope to paint this.

glass ornaments

                             7x11

Jo MacKenzie, who you can find on YouTube, does the most amazing paintings of glass Christmas tree balls.

It's been a few years since I even attempted them ... But I tried on last night.

It wouldn't be too bad-- though it's a far cry from Jo's!--if I hadn't kind of lost track of the drawing.

I saw a bird at my birdbath yesterday that I never saw before. He was heartstoppingly beautiful! I didn't know what he was, but I knew he was a warbler, probably. I consulted a couple of field guides and I'm almost certain he was a black throated blue warbler. 

I hope he comes back so I can get another look!

                              8x8

Another from my Molly Hashimoto class.

classwork

         8x12 moleskine, 2 page spread

.     7x11 stillman & birn, 2 page spread

.                             5x7

I signed up for a 3- hour sketchbook class with Molly Hashimoto at Winslow Art Center, where I take a lot of great classes.

Molly's sketches are really beautiful: fresh and colorful.

The reference photos she provided for us were of Yosemite and other places out west. I have to add Yosemite to my list of places I want to go to paint!

classwork

                               8x6

An exercise in the interiors class I took with Susan Greenstein. Tonight was our last class. There were only three sessions but I feel like I learned a lot; I enjoyed Susan's exercises and her demos.

One of the best things for me was realizing there are "interior" subjects everywhere! I used to think an interior had to be, idk, picturesque? Cozy chair, pretty lamp, Victorian wallpaper ... Not so. If I look around I can find something to paint.

classwork

                            8x10

A couple of flower paintings from my expressive watercolor class that I wish were more expressive.

It's weird how you can get caught up in trying to replicate what you're looking at even when that's not what you want.

In my case I wonder if it isn't because no matter how unhappy I may be the results, that's the process I'm comfortable with. 

If I were actually to get expressive I'd have to go somewhere I'd be uncertain.

plein air

in the order I painted them, small studies of the bay, late afternoon, low tide.

classwork

.                              9x16

Homework for one of my classes. I'm not sure I understood the assignment! And these probably aren't "done," but they were due ... Curious to find out what my teacher says!

still life

                                  7.5x11

I love these two little jugs I picked up at secondhand stores. 

Had to go back in several times to get the darks, but I think it's done now.

interiors

                                12x8

This week in my interiors class we worked on using complements.

This painting of two of my cats, Gilly and Sansa, was painted using blue and orange. And a touch of yellow and pink.

And below a yellow and purple painting from a photo I took in a restaurant.

Hoping to get a red and green painting done, but that is the pair I have the most trouble with.

                           8x14

interiors

                              7x11

Homework for my interiors class with Susan Greenstein.

Tried to keep it simple and painted fast.

And, below, a quick painting done in class, using cobalt blue and transparent orange. The drawing could be better.

And I cropped out the bookcases-- you didn't know they were bookcases, right?-- because they're not readable.

From where I was standing, I couldn't see the base of the shelves, but if I do this again, I'll be more careful to draw the"box" the books are in.

oyster shells

.                             10x14

I scattered some oyster shells, a mix from NJ and ME, and drew them where they landed. A good strategy for me as I often feel that when I arrange things, they are too arranged.

And, below, a quick drawing in my sketchbook of a street in Nairn, Scotland.
.  

sketches

An assortment of little, 5x7, sketches.

classwork

                                                                         10x14

Trying to get soft feathery edges painting wet in wet. Like the edge at the top of the mountain: amazingly difficult. Must have the right wetness on the paper and on the brush; the right amount of paint; the right timing. Maybe the weather matters.

Even if I practiced, and I will, and got better at it, could be possible, I have a feeling it's the kind of thing I'll never be able to replicate on demand; will always be a "happy accident."

Below are my first two attempts.

classwork

.                               5x7

Classwork from Expressive Watercolor with Susan ONeill.

This week was about making notans, then altering them to get better compositions.

I wasn't able to manipulate the reference (maybe because I was trying to do it on my phone), but I did what I could.

.                              7x11

The painting above was based on a notan of a photo Susan took in upstate NY.

.                                7x11

And my palette.

sketchbook

.                                 4x6

A couple of monochrome landscape studies.

I like doing these ... I can't get too detailed and I feel like doing them helps me with a problem I often have with landscapes: how to paint things you can't really discern. I'm increasing my comfort level with filling in space.

open studio

I participated in an open studio Sat and Sun. My friend Gina let me share her space.

While waiting for people to show up I drew some things I saw in Gina's garden.

new class: interiors

Started a new class today: interiors with Susan Greenstein. Just worked in my sketchbook today.

I have always enjoyed interiors and wanted to do them myself but I've had a difficult time finding compositions in my own space.

carolyn's group

.                              14x20

A few years ago I met some people at an art studio and they invited me to join their still life group, which met weekly in an artist named Carolyn's basement. The basement was lined with shelves stuffed with things to put in still lifes. 

It was a great group in a lot of ways--the painters were all pretty ambitious, accomplished, and serious, and were wonderful critiquers; whenever I got stuck, one of them knew the answer. I painted these in that group and I don't think I would have ever done such crowded still lifes without their encouragement.

Before I'd been in the group a year, though, Carolyn passed away and, despite our intentions, the group broke apart.

Carolyn's children very kindly asked us all over one day and invited us to take a few things from her shelves, as a remembrance.

I took the blue vase on the left and the white vase on the right in the top painting, and the remnants below, which I still love.

classwork

                              10x14

A landscape painted in class with SaltyWaterArt last night.

And below are the four sketches we did first; mine are 7x10 and presented in order, 1-4.

The idea was to get more abstract in each version. But as you see. I couldn't do it. 

I think the relentless horizontality of the subject stymied me. That's my excuse anyway.

Nonetheless, I think this is great way to proceed.