classwork

                           14x20

Sketches done  along with a short (30 minutes) free video posted by Birgit O'Connor on YouTube. Kind of a taste of her upcoming workshops.

One of which, Waterfalls, I'm signed up for.

classwork

                          8x10

"I begin a painting with a series of mistakes; the painting comes out of the correction of mistakes by feeling."

--Robert Motherwell

These are not Motherwells, obviously, but rather two sketches I made in a London Drawing class on Motherwell.

In the spirit of the quote I may tinker with them some more...just to see where it goes.

Giving them titles might be fun.

These were done rather quickly. Perfunctorily. But I think trying it more deliberately could be a good practice, could be freeing, could add some dynamism to my brushwork.

Next time I want to use bigger paper--I feel like it's obligatory!--and work outside. Still cleaning the Chinese ink off multiple surfaces!

Keurners' farm

                             8x10

Yesterday my friend Gina, who I went to Keurners' farm with, came over so we could paint from the photos we took there.

These are my efforts.

Now that the top one is finally dry, maybe I can refine it. Or I may just think of it as a step in the process and move on.

The second one has things I like better.

But I'm not there yet.

And, actually, I prefer the foreground in the first attempt!

new sketchbook

Took a bike ride yesterday and tried out my new sketchbook. It's not meant for watercolor but you can put some light washes down.

Also enjoyed watching these two pretty dogs play.

classwork

                           10x12

Painted in class with SaltyWaterArt.

It's got a funny feeling to it of which I was unaware while painting it, like an old-time postcard or a tole painting.

Add some snow and I think I've got a holiday card.

classwork

Charcoal, 15x22

charcoal and watercolor on toned paper, 10x14

watercolor, 11x15

These are exercises from the first half--i had to take a break!--of Chloe Briggs's online workshop, Birds, Part Two.

I always end up doing things I can't do on Chloe's classes.

classwork

                   Cropped, 9x15

.                             12x15

Catching up on a class I missed with SaltyWaterArt. 

This got wet and messy--maybe because it's been raining all day, my usual paper, Arches 140lb CP, got very soggy.

classwork

.                              7x11

Two studies of a NM landscape painted in class with SaltyWaterArt.

Keurners' farm

                             10x14

I thought I had to at least try painting the house.

This is unfinished, about 30-40 minutes of painting.

The greens feel chaotic to me. Standing in front of it I was trying to mix various greens... But now, stepping back, I think a more coherent approach would have been better.

Will definitely paint this again.

I want to devote winter 25-26 to painting the photos I've amassed from Scotland and Maine, and wherever else.

cardinal

My male cardinal. Not so overworked as my female ... But close!

Keurners' farm

 Charcoal sketch of the back of the barn

Derwent block sketch of the view behind the barn. I scraped and rubbed and used my fingers

Keurners' farm was as awe-inspiring as I expected it to be. Especially when I happened on this scene!

There were dozens of swallows in the barn.

I did the two sketches above on Bristol paper, then it started to rain and we went to the front porch, where I painted the three scenes below in my sketchbook.

The rain got heavier and heavier, eventually splashing us and our paintings--all my sketchbook pages got stuck together--forcing us to break for lunch: egg salad sandwiches and vinho verde.

When the rain let up we went out for one more go at it. We both painted a view looking up the driveway at the house.

But I'll have to post that tomorrow because I left it in Gina's car.

goldfinch

An oldish painting I put aside because I didn't like the flower. Added a stem and leaves, a few strokes on the flower ...

My last 2 Wyeth copies. Tomorrow is the day. I'm going to try to keep my eyes and mind open and not be anxious!

Untitled 1957, study for Brown Swiss, and my copy, below

Untitled, 1956, and my copy, below.

I really can't match the subtlety of Wyeth's values.

beach

                             7x11

A little beach scene painted along with a Chris Petri video on YouTube.

Found a little stack of 90lb Arches paper. I used to use it for the short poses when I took life drawing because it really can't take too much water ...

Good for quick sketches that you don't fiddle with though!

Wyeth copy

.                             8x8

Copy of a Wyeth painting made painting along with a Chris Petri video on YouTube.

I enjoy doing copies. I have been looking for Wyeth and JMW Turner videos to paint along with.

This is the Francisco de Asis church in Rancho de Taos made famous by Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of it. In fact, her paintings are so famous, that you can't paint a picture of the church without it looking like a copy of an O'Keeffe!

I would love to get back to Chimayo and Taos to paint. It's been more than ten years, maybe as many as fifteen?, since I was last there!

lady Cardinal

                            10x12

Really overworked this. Humid and damp here ... The paper stayed wet and I kept dabbing at it.

But I do like the color.

I like my palette better than the painting.

sunset on the bay

                                8x10

Went out for the first paddle of the season and got a couple of nice photos.

Also managed two small Wyeth copies.

Those dots in the bottom sketch were made by sprinkling on a little Brusho, which is powdered paint. I'm not really familiar with it ... I got a couple of colors to experiment with. The powder bleeds a little and separates into different colors. Pretty cool.

marsh

                           11x15

Painted along with a Lois and Morgaine Davidson Art video on YouTube. I really enjoy Lois's videos, which often use wet in wet techniques, simplification, and a limited palette.

What more could you want?

This painting uses 3 colors: payne's gray, sepia, and burnt sienna.

I think some of my burnt sienna passages could have been toned down a bit. But I'll just leave it as it is. Though I may add more dark tones in the upper right.

maine

Started these 2 paintings, sketched from photos I took at Portland Head in ME.

Then I could find the photos!

Plunged ahead. The bottom one needs a little work yet.

And here's my daily Wyeth copy.

Have to be more aware of controlling the wetness.

twilight

Rode my bike to the bay at twilight. Brought my little sketching kit and forced myself to sit down and do a little sketching.

Didn't get far on the second one because the gnats were eating me alive.

Got a Bristol paper sketchbook today.

Started not with a copy of Wyeth but with  a sketch of the Keurners' farmhouse.

turner play

Messy limited-palette Turner-inspired play.

I did these quickly, wetly, and on mixed media paper, which accounts for all the blooms.

I like blooms, though perhaps not so many. And also, they're the incriminating evidence that I kept going back to the paper when I shouldn't have!

Used ivory black, Paynes gray, and burnt umber. Then added a little cerulean to each because I thought they needed it.

Really must work on getting a good dark dark on the first go.