Witches Brew

Witches Brew
Watercolor batik on rice paper, 7.5x5.5
purchase here

Happy Halloween!  How's this for getting into the halloween spirit?  I have never done anything like this - well, not since I was a child, so why not branch out and have a little fun?  The watercolor batik technique is perfect for creating a vintage mood as these witches make their brew!  Unlike all the other batiks I've done, I painted the background first - getting the glow of the fiery sunset in.  I painted the sky with hot wax and then proceeded to drop color into the figures, cauldron, and land.  It was fun to let those paints just mingle together.  Did I mention that the only color I premix on the palette is orange?  This is painting number 671 in as many days :)

Portage River in Fall

Portage River in Fall
Watercolor batik on masa paper, 8x5
purchase here

The Portage River runs past my parent's house in Elmore, Ohio, and is a constant source of inspiration when I visit.  This morning, while the grass was still very wet with dew, I walked down the hill and to the water's edge just to get this vantage!  So worth it!  So many of the trees are showing off their yellow foliage - the reflections are stunning!  I first sketched this out with my Pitt india ink pen in sepia, and next filled in with watercolor.  Using the hot wax for some movement in the water, I have left this one rather loose and liquid.  I think I will try to paint several of the river while I'm here!  Painting number 670 in 670 days.

Golden Glow

Golden Glow
Watercolor, ink, hot wax on masa, 8x5
purchase here

I am in Ohio for my mom's knee replacement surgery.  As we drove to the hospital this morning, the early morning light was bathing the autumn landscape in gold!  Taking a few reference photos, I then sketched a few paintings out on rice paper while my mom rested between therapy sessions.  This painting is from their side yard - with the sun lighting the golden leaves and grass alike!  Later, while she and my dad were napping, I painted them with the small watercolor palette that I take with me when plein air painting.  I forgot my water container and used one of the pill cups for my water!  I was able to paint the first two layers on, and wax, paint, iron, and paint again when I got back to their house.  This was a good use of time - because I HAD to watch the World Series game with my hometown boys playing (the Royals!!) - and this kept my hands busy!  This is painting number 669 in as many days - and boy do I hope we win!!

First Impressions of Fairfield

First Impressions of Fairfield
Oil on panel, 9x12
Fairfield Fall Foliage Paint Out
purchase here

Quick Paint

On Location

This painting is from the Quick Paint at the Fairfield Fall Foliage Paint Out.  This charming town is full of historic buildings - and this was the very first one that caught my eye.  The morning was cold and windy - and I was so thankful to have brought my ski jacket!  Toasty in my layers, it was a fun 2 hour paint! This town was a delight to enjoy for four days this October - and I am looking forward to next year, too!  I don't think I am quite finished with this one - I see areas I would still like to work.  When I get the finishing touches on, I will post an updated photo.  This painting is number 668 in 668 days.  Today finds me in the hospital with my mom, who is here for a full knee replacement surgery.  I have some supplies with me, and will probably have time to start working on some small watercolor sketches tomorrow during her rest times.  I always feel better with a little something to keep my hands busy :)

Autumn at Park University

Autumn at Park University
Oil on panel, 12x9
Now showing - Parkville Depot
sold

first marks

I painted this beautiful college as the sun was bathing the grounds with a golden glow.  Time was running short before sunset, so I needed to get that paint down quickly!  I climbed an adjacent hill near the top of the waterfall, to set up my easel and get started.  Since the sun was going down, and there is so much architecture here, my first marks were those of the university, and I worked out from there.  By the time I was finished, there was little light, and I packed up my gear to head home.  This had already been my third painting of the day for the Parkville in Art plein air event.  This painting is now showing at the historic Parkville Depot until November 13.  This is painting number 667 in as many days.

Batik Autumn

Batik Autumn
Watercolor, ink, hot wax on masa, 8x5
purchase here

Trying to capture the autumn landscape with watercolor - which is new for me.  I have only been using the medium for three months now, and rarely in a landscape - I normally go to my oils.  After loosely sketching with my india ink pen, I fill in the local color with paints, then brush hot wax onto this.  For this one, I floated ink over the cooled and cracked wax instead of watercolor - and the ink spreads in a different way.  More blotchy, more unpredictable.  Not sure how I feel about this......I'll need to try a few more before I decide.  Painting number 665 in as many days.

Morning at Montebello Falls

on location

Morning at Montebello Falls
Oil on panel, 16x12
Now showing at Parkville Depot, MO
purchase here

For this vantage of the falls at Montebello, I had to set up in the tall grass up the hill and across the street from my subject.  This was the only little bit of shade when I started, so I got right to laying down paint.  The morning light reflected off the water and foliage, shimmering in the landscape.  Looking into the sun is always difficult, even though my hat shaded my eyes.  As you can see from the photo, the sun tends to wash out the detail of the subject while I'm looking at it, making my color choices a bit harder.  That is the Kansas City skyline in the distance on the left - so cool to be able to get that kind of depth in a landscape!  This painting is now showing at the historic Depot in Parkville through November 13, and is painting number 664 in as many days.

Afternoon at the National Golf Course

Afternoon at the National Golf Course
Oil on panel, 16x12
Now showing at Parkville Depot
purchase here

What an amazing opportunity to get to set up my easel and paint this glorious landscape!  With it's undulating hills and autumn foliage - it was truly a treat!  Setting up near the edge of the course by the cart path, I had a bird's eye view of the land below.  On such a warm day - the course was busy, and there was a constant flow of golfers humming by.  I almost didn't seek out this painting location from our paperwork - and I am so glad that I did!  This painting is now showing at the historic Depot in Parkville, Missouri through November 13, and is painting number 663 in as many days.

Sunset at the Depot

Sunset at the Depot
Oil on panel, 14x11
purchase here

My second painting of this day in Parkville, the historic depot was my subject.  The weather has been so warm and balmy - especially for October, that it was a joy to set up my easel and paint.  I chose a spot in the shade of an old tree to start my painting.  Having to shift only once to stay in the shade, I saved the sky for last.  I wanted to capture the last color before it dropped below the horizon - and that light is so very fleeting!  And, yes - that fountain is true blue - is support of our Kansas City Royals going to the World Series!!  I think every fountain in town in blue, now!  So exciting!  After this painting, I went on to paint a nocturne on Main Street!  This is painting number 662 in as many days :)

Morning at the Milk Barn

Morning at the Milk Barn
Oil on panel, 6x6

Today, I am studying the morning light as it hits the fields and milk barn before me.  I have a real tendency to make those building lines hard, so here - I soften them.  The milk barn melts into the landscape without those hard edges - especially on the side of the barn.  The hackberries are turning golden, as is the field, and it is tricky to capture that color with the bright morning light behind them.  I used one brush to paint the whole thing, paying close attention to colors and values.  I feel the need to really work on color, and the balance between what I see and what I feel.  This milk barn is so full of memories, both of my childhood and those of my children, it is always a joy to paint.  So many of my trees are showing their beautiful fall plumage right now - I only hope I can get to them all!  Painting number 661 in 661 days - now time to catch up on my work!

Roses by the Fence

Roses by the Fence
Oil on panel, 6x6
purchase here

Up and out early this morning, my son needed to be at weights by 6:00am.  I don't have pilates until 8:30, so this made the perfect painting window.  The roses are still loaded - and one thing the puppy leaves alone, so they are beautiful!  Painted in the early morning, before the sun was up - this one is moody.  Striving for a little more realism than yesterday, my values are also much closer together.  The paint is rather thick, with the brushwork closely following the shapes they represent.  I need to cut some small panels - as I have run almost out of them.  I prefer the smaller sizes for studies.  This painting makes 660 in 660 days - and I think I will paint a fall landscape I saw earlier for tomorrow's painting :)

Light through the Trees

Light through the Trees
Oil on panel, 12x9
purchase here

Getting my "Monet" on tonight!  Feeling impressionistic, I play with light and shadow on the path through the woods.  My intention was to go dark and moody, pushing the realism - but that is not what happened here!  My brush has a mind of it's own, and doesn't really let me interfere with it's strokes.  I'm not at all sure how I feel about this!  Too crazy?  Too many brush strokes?  The color did not even go the way I planned.  I am tired, and I have had an exhausting couple of weeks - so, maybe this is how I paint when my mind is not engaged.........painting number 659 in as many days.  Wonder what my brush will do tomorrow?

Waterfall at the Nature Sanctuary

Waterfall at the Nature Sanctuary
Oil on panel, 12x16
Parkville in Art plein air event

First marks...

On location

I have painted in the Parkville in Art plein air event for three years now, and I only just discovered this amazing waterfall!  It is located off of Kate's trail in the Nature Sanctuary in Parkville, Missouri.  Following the trail, turning left at the fork, I walked through the woods with my gear.  A ribbon of water followed along down an embankment to my right.  Twice, I almost stopped to paint that ribbon as it twisted through the trees.  I could hear the roar of the waters before I could see them, and as I made the last turn - they appeared before me!  Magical - and I set up on the spot quite close to the drop off.  So close, in fact, I could not back up to check my progress.  With such a complicated subject, I first marked off all the darks of the rocks and the lights of the water with pastel sticks.  Following with paint, I brushed the oils into these same locations and started to move toward the middle values.  I began this at 11:30, wanted the midday light to illuminate these waters which are otherwise in shadow.  So, I needed to work quickly while I had this light.  Finishing in two hours, the light had already changed so much that it was no use to work any further.  Such a peaceful and amazing place - and even though it is quite a walk back there - I will be back every year to paint these same falls - and probably the water as it winds through the woods!  Now showing at the Historic Depot in Parkville through November 13 in the Parkville in Art show.  Painting number 658 in as many days.

Evening at Stone Canyon Pizza

Evening at Stone Canyon Pizza
Oil on panel, 12x9
Parkville in Art Plein Air,  Missouri

Meeting a few artist friends for a nocturne paint on Main Street in Parkville, this was my third painting of the day.  It was a beautiful day - warm and hardly a breeze for October.  Not knowing how the night lighting would be, I had to wait until full darkness before choosing a location.  The lights illuminated the awnings and building so well on the corner - I had to paint it.  Setting up across the street under another lamp post, I had plenty of light to work with.  I do not like using clip on lights - their blue color change the colors from what I see to what goes on my painting.  It is always a surprise when I take a night painting into the light - just like Christmas!  Painting number 657 in 657 days.

Autumn in Batik

Autumn in Batik
Watercolor, ink, wax on masa rice paper, 8x5
purchase here

The leaves are really showing there color north of the river!  Another full day of painting in Parkville - and three more paintings finished.  I have just arrived home - and am too tired to worry about getting photos of my work without natural light.  So, I will have to get all six done in the morning be fore I head back out to paint.  On this painting, I am experimenting with the batik method on the landscape. This was a quick study, and the masa is more resistant to the watercolor applied after the wax than the thin rice paper.  I like the effect, but I will need to do a few of these to get comfortable with them.  This is painting number 656 in 656 days.

Poppies Batik

Poppies Batik
Watercolor, ink, hot wax on masa, 5x8
purchase here

What a day!  After my pilates class this morning, I headed straight for Parkville - and have been painting there ever since!  I couldn't get my panels stamped until 10:00, so I couldn't start as early as I would have otherwise.  I knocked out three paintings today - one in midday sun, another done at sunset - and the final was a nocturne which I couldn't start until it was completely dark since I had no idea of where the good lighting would be.  It was a gorgeous day to be out painting - in the 70's, and warm even at night.  I can work like a machine when I need to - and this event is over in two days - which means I need to!   It was my intention to post one of those tonight, but alas - I didn't get images and have actually left them in the trunk for the night.  I am too tired to fight the giant puppy to get them in safely!  He is very nosy and would likely lick paint right off the surface of them - which he has done before!  So, I am posting this poppy painting that I did a couple of days ago.  It is kind of crazy with it's dreamlike brushwork and the way the batik process worked (which is always a surprise because it is so unpredictable).  At first, I didn't like it at all - but it is now growing on me.  Well, this crazy painting is 655 in as many days and now I am ready to fall into bed :)

Teapot and Cups Batik

Teapot and Cups Batik
Watercolor, ink, hot wax on masa, 8x5
purchase here

I was asked to bring in some artwork for the walls of my favorite tea and herb shop today.  So, I set up a couple of teacups and my "Cinderella" teapot for an impromptu still life in the afternoon light.  The Royals game started at 3:07, so I watched my hometown team clinch the series with the Orioles while I painted!  We are World Series bound - and this painting will soon be headed to Life Thyme Botanicals.  This painting makes 654 in as many days and I'll be painting all day tomorrow in historic Parkville :)

Pumpkin Batik

Pumpkin Batik
Ink, watercolor, hot wax on masa paper
purchase here

When I first started painting these watercolor batiks, I did not sketch my composition out first.  Then, I picked up my india ink pen, and started by loosely sketching before applying the watercolor.  Only slightly visible, it adds another dimension to the painting.  With the application of wet layers of color, this india ink lightens in spots - since I don't wait for it to fully dry before moving on to the next step.  The masa paper wrinkles up less than the thinner rice papers did, and the paper is a little thicker - creating a slightly different finish on the painting.  I like the "night"scenes on the masa - I think I'll do some more in this vein!  Painting number 653 in days :)

Night in Fairfield

Night in Fairfield
Watercolor, ink, hot wax on rice paper
purchase here

I had finished my nocturne painting - the first painting of the Fairfield Fall Foliage Paint Out, and had put my gear away early.  Visiting with the other artists who were still out painting, I walked up the street to "Hucks" - a small town gas and convenience store.  I passed this beautiful building, illuminated by the glow of lamplight.  Snapping a photo with my phone, I am painting from that reference today.  This is my first attempt at painting a nocturne - and a street scene - in this new watercolor batik style.  Not at all sure of the results, I forged ahead! I've never even tried to do a night scene in watercolor, and it is SO much different in application to oils on my panel!  The tricky part is determining where I want that "glow" to be - and making sure I save those areas in the light!  Using indigo for my darkness, I dropped it in wet, after waxing off the buildings already blocked in with their color.  Wadding this up and unwrapping it three different times, I then floated the brownish tones into the cracks if the wax.  After ironing as much of this wax out as I could between brown paper, I used the side of my round brush to barely paint along the tops of the creases for added dimension.  I have noticed that my india ink fades a little through this whole process, and I can not go back over my painting when done - there is just too much wax embedded in the rice paper at this point.  So, I will need to be sure and darken those lines a bit, if I want them to remain.  Painting number 652 in 652 days :)

Vintage Tanks

Vintage Tanks
Oil on panel, 12x9
Fairfield Paint-Out
Wildcatter Award - sold

Scouting out sites for the "Wildcatter" theme - Wayne County Oil Industry - Marcia and I found these tanks down an old gravel road.  These rusty, old tanks were so interesting with their many colors and sizes - I just had to paint them!  Setting up in the gravel lot, the rain started lightly....then a little more.  I decided to put up my easel and sketch it from within the car.  The rain increased a little more.  I got my palette, oil, brushes, and panel from the trunk - and headed back into the car.  I thought, "I can do this inside my car" - and I did!  I'm a neat painter, and I was able to get the whole thing done in my warm, dry car - instead of suffering in the cold rain!  Some days, I just don't feel like getting soaked.  This is my 651st painting in a row - and this won the "Wildcatter" Award at the Fairfield Fall Foliage Paint Out :)

Sunny Day Pumpkins

Sunny Day Pumpkins
Watercolor batik on masa paper, 8x5
purchase here

Wow - this masa paper is thick!  Well, compared to the rice papers I have been using, that is.  I have so carefully wadded up the other paintings before flattening for the cracking of the wax, but not so on this one!  I had to work it down into a ball, and do it again before enough cracks appeared to float the paint in to!  And, just look at the larger scale of those creases - all due to a thicker piece of rice paper. I think it will be easier to paint on, once I get a few more under my belt.  I have grown so used to the tissue paper thin varieties, that I hardly know what to do with a paper that holds it's shape!  I'm going to have so much fun with this paper!  Painting number 650 in as many days :)

Footbridge at Fairfield

Footbridge at Fairfield
Oil on panel, 12x9
Original is sold, but prints are available here

Today is the third day of the Fairfield Fall Foliage Paint Out.  The theme for the day is landscape, and this tranquil spot had been calling me since yesterday.  This wonderful bridge was simply a charming center of interest.  The rain was a constant companion on this day, becoming more of a drizzle at times.  I painted this one in my car!  I have never done that with oils before - but it was dry and warm!  I put the window down periodically, to make sure the colors were right (it is hard to see through all of those raindrops)!  This is painting number 649 in 649 days :)

Long Forgotten

Long Forgotten
Oil on panel, 11x14

on location

Arriving in Fairfield, Illinois in the late afternoon, Marcia and I scouted out the town.  As we drove through the side streets, we passed down a narrow alley right next to this property. This wonderful old house must have been fabulous in it's glory days!  Vacant for many years, it now stands in ruins, one room completely open on the other side.  It still sits proud on it's prominent, large lot, as the trees and vines gently take over.  A complicated building, I started with a thorough sketch of the whole composition.  I knew how I wanted the house to sit on the page, so I first marked all edges - right side, top, and bottom line as it sloped away.  I then drew in the high gable, working my way through the lines until it was a true representation.  Next, I began the block in, by marking all darks first - windows, under porch, and dark side of short gable.  Next came the colors of the house, roofs, and finally the foliage and lawn with it's unkempt grass and fallen leaves.  I have never before painted a rundown house, so this was a real treat for me!  I have always loved them, each telling the stories of life within their walls.  This was "architecture" day of the Fairfield Paint Out, and painting number 648 in 648 days :)

210 Kansas Avenue

210 Kansas Avenue
Oil on panel, 16x12
OPA Paint-Out - purchase here

on location

Set up on Kansas Avenue in historic Marceline, Missouri, I blocked in my colors.  The chilly morning had me bundled in two jackets - and wishing I'd had a third.  A young cat kept hanging around my legs - even trying to jump up on my palette a time or two.  As the owner of cats, I know to drop the lid down on my palette when they are near!  As I finished my painting and was taking it to the car, I could see that the fence needed a bit of work.  When I took it out for a little adjusting, I did so with my palette knife.  With knife in hand, I proceeded in bouncing all over the painting with color.  My previous brushstrokes had dried enough to grab the paint from the knife in an interesting way - it had been the first painting of the day, and had been in the warm car drying since then.  So, my question is - cool or crazy?  I like the marks, but have I gone overboard?  It is a little wild - is this an alternate me - the one with the knife?  I just can't decide!  This is painting number 647 in 647 days.

Pumpkins on the Shelf

Pumpkins on the Shelf
Watercolor batik on masa paper, 7x5
purchase here

I had ordered in some masa paper, and I just opened it today.  It is so much thicker than the rice paper I have been using!  I did not realize how thin the rice papers have been compared to this kind.  I don't think the scraps I had were really masa at all.  This paper absorbs so much more pigment and water, it is not transparent when wet, and the creases caused by the hot wax procedure are firmer and more linear - and more defined after ironing.  There is also a grainy texture left to the wet painted areas, when dry.  It is also a bit more resistant to the paint floated over the cracks of the hot wax.  I have a whole roll to experiment with, So I'm bound to learn some cool new techniques!  Painting number 646 in 646 days :)

Pink Rose Melange

Pink Rose Melange
Watercolor, ink and hot wax on masa paper, 7.5x5.5
purchase here

As I sketched out this composition, I didn't really have any idea of where I wanted this painting to go. In a case like this, I let the colors emerge on their own - placing cool by warm, and just dropping in paint intuitively.  After the hot wax and cracking, I decided to drop the red into the cracks, instead of staying with a brown.  I like this effect!  It creates a cool energy in the painting - adding movement.  The masa paper is the thickest of the rice papers I have used.  When this paper is soaked with paint, I just lay it in the sun to dry before going further.  It almost feels like the paper is disintegrating when it is so wet!  It is a little difficult getting it to accept so much pigment.  Every batik painting is an experiment - and this one is the 645th in as many days.

Pumpkin in the Vines

Pumpkin in the Vines
Ink, watercolor batik on rice paper, 7.5x5.5
purchase here

Autumn brings the most wonderful, orange pumpkins to the local patches!  Today finds me painting this orange beauty on masa (rice) paper, after inking in the sketch.  On top of the cool wax, this time I left droplets of brown watercolor to dry (after the process of brushing the brown into the cracks for the batik effect).  When I ironed the painting between layers of brown paper, these droplets fused into the painting in irregular ways.  I think it is cool - adding another layer of unpredictable paint/wax mixing.  The batik effect adds something rather mysterious to this painting, my 644th in 644 days.

Sailing in Pink

Sailing in Pink
Watercolor batik on rice paper, 6x7.5
purchase here

I was set up on the bank of Lake Perry, painting a landscape in oils when these girls walked out to their boat.  As they worked, I heard the story of their sailboat by another artist who kept his boat here.  These girls bought this sailboat in disrepair for a song.  Putting many long hours into it, they brought it back to life as a team.  They were laughing and having a good time as they raised the sails and headed away from shore and I knew then that I would one day paint them.  A pink sailboat brought back to glory by the work of their hands, and now they can enjoy the fruits of their labor - does it get any better than that?  I first sketched this out in pen and ink - rather loosely, then painted in the colors of boat and land.  Covering these areas with hot wax, I then painted the water highlights with the hot wax as a resist.  Next, adding the water tones - and then it was back to waxing the whole painting, wadding it up into a ball, pressing it flat, and floating the burnt sienna into the cracks. Putting it between layers of brown paper, a hot iron removes most of the wax, leaving the luminous painting on the rice paper.  This painting makes 643 in as many days.

Orange Lily Batik

Orange Lily Batik
Watercolor batik on rice paper, 9x12

I have the most beautiful lilies in my yard.  Year after year, they keep growing and spreading - and I have given many starts to friends over the years.  The first ones came from my Grandma Frank's neighbor, Betty Ruhl.  Shortly thereafter, I got more starts from Grandma Bessie.  Each year when they bloom, I think of these special women and their loving and giving natures.  Choosing the single daylilies for today, these blooms are very challenging to paint.  Their elongated petals twist and roll away in the wind.  I set paper toweling under the rice paper to soak up extra moisture.  On the next couple of paintings, I went to wax paper underneath, thus allowing the paint to move and mingle.  How much I crumple up the rice paper directly affects how much cracking occurs in the wax, and how much watercolor can get through the cracks and onto the surface of the rice paper.  On this painting, I crumpled only once.  This technique is so unpredictable - and the results are different every time.  Every painting is a lesson!  Painting number 642 in 642 days.

Iris Magic

Iris Magic
Ink, watercolor, wax on masa paper, 7.5x5.5
purchase here

Another day spent in experimentation - just trying to see what I can do with this masa paper!  I think painting and iris is challenging - so I am studying one today!  Using the same techniques I have in the previous days, this time I am using colors from the painting for the "crease work".  Wanting a little more color harmony on this one and a little less "old world" feel, I step away from the browns and use indigo and green for this work.  Rather than work all the creases the same, I concentrate on the background ones and just touch lightly on the petals.  I like the effect and the color pop!  I am having so much fun on these - and I just got a whole roll of this masa paper in!  Painting number 641 in 641 days :)

Rainbow Sailing Batik

Rainbow Sailing Batik
India ink, watercolor, wax on masa
purchase here

Today's experiment?  Masa paper!  It is a little thicker than the rice papers I have been using, which is a good thing when it comes to wadding the waxed paper up into a ball.  When the wax does not crack enough in the first stage, I wad it up again, and sometimes a third time until the paint will be able to reach the paper's surface in the cracks.  There is a smooth and rough side to all of these rice papers - be sure to paint on the rough side for better workability.  I used the hot wax for the resists in the water using a small, round bristle brush.  Once you did any brush in wax - it will always be dedicated to that purpose. There is just no coming back from the damage of wax on brushes.  The wax permeates this paper so much that if I flip it over, the back side looks exactly like the front side - only the image is reversed!  Crazy!  I painted today from reference that I took out at the Perry Yacht Club on a race day.  I have so many wonderful photos to work from - and this technique must be done in the studio.  There are no electrical outlets in the great outdoors for hot irons and little crockpots!  Painting number 640 in as many days and Day 30 of the 30 Day Painting Challenge!  That sure went by fast!