Beach Path

Beach Path
Oil on panel, 8x10
Anclam Park, Bailey's Harbor, Wisconsin
purchase here

Bailey’s Harbor is on the “quiet side” of the Door County Peninsula - all the locals will tell you so!  This path heads off down the beach at Anclam Park, where they have newly planted grasses on the dunes, and added boardwalks.  Last year, it was under renovation, and is hardly recognizable as the same place!  Only the long rocky pier remains the same, as well as a few established old pines.  I set my easel up under one of these trees, as it was already heating up for the day.  Since I was running low on panels to bring, this one happens to be an old winter landscape beneath this new beach scene!  You just never know what secrets are lurking beneath the surface!!  This painting makes 942 in 942 days :)

on location

Cave Point Glory

Cave Point Glory
Oil on wood panel, 14x11
Door County, Wisconsin
purchase here

Wow!!  What a magical place this Cave Point County Park is!!  Located in Door County, Wisconsin, I have never explored this park before.  Encouraged by another artist to check it out, it was the “find” of the whole week!  Returning twice to paint at this location, this is the first of the paintings.  Set up on top of the cliff for this vantage, the cool breezes blowing in from Lake Michigan kept us comfortable, and our music was the wind blowing through the trees and the loud “canon shots” made by the waves crashing against the caves beneath us!  I love this beautiful setting - it is magic just to be here, and a dream to actually be painting it!  This one makes 941 in 941 days.

on location

on location

Red Kayaks

Red Kayaks
Oil on wood, 9x12
Kangaroo Lake, Wisconsin

Resting on the shore of Kangaroo Lake, these bold red kayaks caught my artist’s eye immediately.  No other color is as beautiful against the green grass of the shore - and I knew I must paint it.  The sun was heading to the west, and it’s golden glow was shooting through the trees - so I had to lay down those hues first.  Light is especially fleeting towards sunset, and I had to work quickly.  This is a special place, and I have painted at this location each year I have come to Door County.  Our loft is tucked into the woods, right across from here - so it is only a quick walk with the gear.  A sorority gathering of friends and husbands sang nearby as guitar music drifted our way, and a campfire was just getting started.  What could be better than this?  This quick sunset painting is my 940th painting in 940 days.  I don't think I will ever tire of painting this peninsula :)

sun has set, boat has been moved, but painting is done!

Night Forest

Night Forest
Watercolor, hot wax on masa rice paper, 7.5x5.5

On this batik night landscape, when I got to the "wadding the waxed paper up in a ball step", I rolled that paper vertically instead of just any old way.  The result is batik creases that run up and down like the trees of the forest.  I first painted the light in the sky, adding some of that same color throughout before waxing.  I haven't done batiks for so long - it is fun to get back to them and explore them in different ways.  I will be SO busy in Door County - with little internet access - that I am trying to get ahead of the game.  Painting number  939 in 939 days.

Evening at Reibolt's Creek

Evening at Reibolt's Creek
Oil on wood, 9x12
purchase here

After the morning spent at Cavepoint Park, afternoon at Sister Bay, we searched out Moonlight Bay for a quick paint at sunset.  I have painted it each year I've gone to Door County, but on the other side of the Moonlight Bay is this amazing creek!  I have never noticed it before, possibly because the water is higher this year than I've ever seen it.  With only 50 minutes to paint, Teddy and I set up our easels in the narrow shoulder of the road, but withe the first car speeding right by us - we rethought that decision! So, we moved right down into the ditch, where gravel covered a large culver.  About 30 minutes into the fast slapping down of paint, I felt something on my leg, and looked down to find a giant, hairy black spider carrying an egg sack up my leg!  Yikes!  With a little scream, I shook her off and flicked her away with a stick!  I do NOT want an egg sack of baby spiders opening up in my capris!!  Just another plein air adventure - what will tomorrow bring?  Painting number 938 in 938 days.

A Tug at Sister Bay

A Tug at Sister Bay
Oil on wood, 12x9
sold

The night before the quick paint, I was dreamed of painting boats.  Two in particular, I had seen on Wednesday, a bright yellow speed boat in front of a tall, elegant blue and white sailboat.  As I approached, another vision leapt out at me - a fabulous tug boat in my favorite color - red!  I set my easel down on the spot, without even scouting the quick paint area!  I always try to have my panel in the shade when I paint, but it was simply not possible in this situation.  I set up on the dock near the edge, sun on my panel and back and wind blowing from the side.  The gracious owners of this beauty came out and visited throughout, even bringing me iced lemon water for refreshment!  What a fabulous day I had - and this painting is going home in this tug!  Painting number 937 in 937 days :)

Secluded Beach at Bailey's Harbor

Secluded Beach at Bailey's Harbor
Oil on wood panel, 14x11
purchase here

There is something so magical about a secluded beach!  I love the pristine condition of this one - as though untouched by man.  Located down a pedestrian only path, this little jewell simply begged to be painted.  I set up in the sun - which I try not to do, and worked longer than usual to get all of this information down with paint.  Once finished, I had to stop at the local library for internet usage - coverage is spotty all over the peninsula!  Painting number 936 in 936 days.

Shade and Solace

Shade and Solace
Oil on hardboard panel, 10x8
Sister Bay, Wisconsin - purchase here

Arriving early in Sister Bay, I scouted along the main street with the marina on the left.  Spotting this shady spot back quite a way from the road - it simply called out to me.  After getting permission to paint on the property, I set up in the shade of a tree and started to work.  I started the block in after a quick sketch, then began to lay down the real colors, careful with the light and shadow that was so appealing in the morning light. This was such a relaxing place to start the day - and a joy to paint! This painting makes 935 in 935 days.  I am REALLY enjoying Door County, Wisconsin :)

Fish Creek Hydrangea

Fish Creek Hydrangeas
Oil on wood panel, 12x9
Fish Creek, Wisconsin - purchase here

Each year when I return to Door County, Wisconsin - the hydrangeas are simply amazing! Unable to restrain myself, I MUST paint them!  These white beauties are my first painting in the area - and finished up right before the fish boil started!  An artist must eat eventually!!  Painting number 934 in 934 days.

Tied up at the Harbor

Tied up at the Harbor
Oil on wood panel, 12x9
Fish Creek, Wisconsin - purchase here

What fabulous weather we are having for the Door County plein air event!  Spending the week with 8 other artist friends in a loft in Bailey's Harbor, we started the day with a little scouting. Choosing Fish Creek to paint in (since we were attending the 6:30 fish boil), this was my second paint of the day.  Time was short as the sun was going down - and light is fleeting!  Choppy water added interest - and was so fun to try to capture quickly!  No time for thought - barely enough time to cover the panel!  This painting makes 933 in 933 days.

Lazy Susan Batik

Lazy Susan Batik
Watercolor, hot wax on masa rice paper, 7.5x5.5
purchase here

On this batik, the watercolor had a hard time seeping into the cracks of the masa rice paper (from the wadding it into a ball stage).  So, once I had ironed as much wax off as I could get to transfer to the newspaper, I then took a dryish watercolor brush with just a bit of the brown on it - and skimmed the surface of those creases,  Those creases soaked up the brown, gaining more of that batik effect. This painting makes 932 in 932 days.

Pink Calla Batik

Pink Calla Batik
Watercolor, ink, hot wax on masa rice paper, 7.5x5.5
purchase here

A couple of years ago, my youngest daughter, youngest son and husband bought me two bunches of calla lilies to plant in the beds.  They are tropical, and should be dug out each winter. Well, I never did get around to that task - and for two years running, they have come back on their own - and bloomed beautifully!  I love it when that happens!  I've added a bit of hot wax splattering to the waxing stage on this one.  I like the loose effect - I will try a bit more on the next one!  This painting makes 931 in 931 days :)

Green Forest Batik

Green Forest Batik
Watercolor, hot wax on masa rice paper, 7.5x5.5
purchase here

This is totally an experiment!  Still using the hot wax as a resist - it was very challenging to negatively paint those trees in wax - which is clear!  I couldn't see where I put it, so what I have is pushing towards the abstract!  Next time, I will at least paint a few dominant trees in the foreground before waxing.  I started the underpainting by catching the light in the sky, and then worked forward from there. I like the crazy dimension and otherworldly feel in this one!  This is painting number 930 in 930 days.

Purple Coneflower Batik

Purple Coneflower Batik
Watercolor, hot wax on masa paper, 7.5x5.5
purchase here

This day has been totally out of my control.  An early morning phone call had me pulling supplies together to watch a grandchild with the stomach flu.  Taking all over to my daughter's, I worked when I could, with plenty of time for allowing layers to dry.  These coneflowers were painted first, then painted with hot wax as a resist.  Background colors were floated in, with a final coat of wax. After wrinkling up into a ball, brown was floated into the cracks, thus the batik effect.   Ironing between layers of paper finished off this 929th painting in as many days.

Tropical Blooms

Tropical Blooms
Oil on wood panel, 8x10

Somedays, I am simply too busy to even eat. On this completely packed day, I have been hard pressed to finish this painting, which I started yesterday.  My brother lives in Florida, and had sent me the image of these flowers he had captured while biking through dense terrain.  The wood panel was a previous landscape block-in, which I had heavily textured first.  I negatively painted the blooms, then began to add the pinks.  The knife adds so much interest on this heavy texture since it skips along the rough texture in unexpected ways.  I have no idea what these blooms are - as my brother is no botanist, and we don't have these beauties in Missouri!  Painting number 928 in 928 days.

first block in

Along the Rose Path

Along the Rose Path
Oil on canvas, 6x9
purchase here

This is another study for a larger painting, probably 24x36.  I absolutely LOVE rose gardens, and the fabulous one in Shreveport, Louisiana is the inspiration for this painting.  Brushing on the masses with my favorite large brush, I then start early in the work with my palette knives.  Loose strokes reign supreme, and I am using the recent palette knife technique of pulling all petals towards the base for these small roses.  Grass and path get horizontal strokes, following the form of the land, and the trees are all willy nilly - as trees grow in that same fashion.  I have used some Gamblin radiants for this - lemon, magenta, blue and white.  I love the way they lay on top of all other colors - they are SO opaque.  This painting makes 927 in 927 days.

Path in Poppy Fields

Path in Poppy Fields
Oil on canvas, 6x9
purchase here

Some days, I actually have paintings playing out in my mind while I go about my daily duties.  Driving to the gym, license bureau, to weights and robotics, with scenes unfolding before my eyes.  It is SO hard to keep my mind on my tasks!  It is as if I have been on "auto pilot", and keep coming back to reality with a snap!  I could hardly decide where to begin once I did get to my easel - there are three landscapes uppermost in my mind this day!  Deciding on this one first, I sure hope I can get to at least one more later.  I am working up a small piece with plans to enlarge to 24x36.  I would have just painted large to begin with, but I don't yet have the wood cut....and time is limited today.  I brushed in the whole underpainting, and have added the thick, juicy paint with a couple of palette knives.  I may need to pull a few more cool tones down into the poppy fields, but for now I am letting it rest.  This painting makes 926 in 926 days.

Rose Rhapsody en Grande

Rose Rhapsody en Grande
Oil over acrylic on wood panel, 48x72
sold

This painting was a joy to create!  The largest painting I have done to date - 48x72 inches, I thought it's sheer size would be a challenge.  Instead, it was super fun - and very rewarding.  I find myself wanting to work in larger and larger sizes.....if only I had that kind of time every day!  This one took me days to finish, each morning looking with fresh eyes to see what else called to me.  I really like to live with a painting like this for a while, until I am sure it is ready to go out into the world!  I was finally able to use ALL of my large brushes, and the strokes are just the same as in a much smaller piece.  The hardest part was getting far enough back to really see how the painting was coming together as a whole!  It has been a pleasure and I'm SO happy this has been delivered to such a wonderful home!  Painting number 925 in 925 days - although this was many days to completion!

in progress

still in progress

Waterfall in the Woods

I thought I was done here....but a photo taken at night is not true

Waterfall in the Woods - final
Oil over acrylic on masonite, 16x20
purchase here

I dreamed of painting this waterfall three nights ago - and this is the very first chance I got to actually put paint to panel!  Working large, I started my block in acrylic.  Starting and stopping repeatedly for various household responsibilities, I lost my focus - and then I became frustrated with the progress (in progress photo).  Then, I moved down to the kitchen to paint, switching workspaces completely - and I stepped away for awhile. Starting this time in oils, I began pulling this painting in the direction I wanted it to go. What a struggle this painting has been - and tomorrow, I have a very full day.  I guess they can't all just fall off the brush - perhaps I should have just gotten up in the middle of the night and painted it when I dreamed it!  I will look upon it with fresh eyes in the morning, as I already see things I want to change.  Painting number 924 in 924 days.  With a new day - I see a few additions, adding shadow back into the right side, reds popped in to bring the foreground closer, and look what s difference a daytime photo makes to the color!  NOW, I am happy with this :)

in progress

Red Rose Impressions

Red Rose Impressions
Oil on wood panel, 4x6 - purchase here

Once again, I am playing with those palette knives!  I've used 5 different ones for this, but really do most of the work with two.  One is a small diamond shape - with a sharp point on the end.  I have never used it, as I felt that sharp point would too easily scrape off paint where I didn't want it to.  What I've discovered though, is that it is very efficient for getting into those tight places, and I have not missed the rounded tip that my other knives have.  It is so freeing to abandon the normal ways of doing things - to test the unknown and see where it takes me!  I have even departed from my normal color palette here - for some pure, bold color!  Crazy! What could be next?  Painting number 923 in 923 days.  Now - it is time to go celebrate our niece's wedding :)

Glorious Clouds

Glorious Clouds
Oil on unstretched canvas, 6x4
purchase here

Practice makes perfect - something I have heard all my life.  Well, tonight I am practicing my cloudscapes.  I am approaching this in a different way, experimenting with the layering of colors.  I first brush on the sky colors as they would gradate from horizon to top of canvas.  I then take my palette knife and start adding the whites of the clouds.  This layer automatically blends with the bottom layer in strokes.  When I want strong color, I simply pull the stroke once on top of the layers - which keeps it from blending.  I may just like this better than meeting at the edges in the block in.....time will tell....and practice, of course!  This painting makes 922 in 922 days.  In retrospect, that number just sounds crazy - I never thought I would still be painting daily SO many days after the original "30 Day Painting Challenge" :)

Salmon Roses

Salmon Roses
Oil on wood panel, 7x5
purchase here

I am working with my palette knives today - pushing and pulling them to get the most effective strokes.  I can see that I need a small, narrow one for getting in those small spots with paint.  I have two that are rounded on one side and flat on the other, and so far, I have not found a good use for them.  I gravitate towards the wedge shaped ones the most, and I am again sticking with the metal ones - giving them a chance, as my favorite knife has always been the plastic one!  I am loving how they define the petals of the rose - so thick and juicy!  Painting number 921 in as many days :)

Cloud Song

Cloud Song
Oil on unstretched canvas, 6x4
purchase here

On this subtle skyscape, I am mainly using my brushes, with just a bit of knife at the end for texture.  I again start by gradating the whole sky, horizon to top in the colors they would be - in this case Naples Yellow to Prussian to Ultramarine Blue - all with the addition of white.  This is a subtle sky scene, so no blaring color here.  I then start adding the cloud colors on top of this layer, softly and with the brush almost laying on it’s side.  I then use my finger to blend here and there, and add a little stronger color towards the top.  I can’t decide if this is too subtle - are the clouds too diffused?  They often appear in the sky like that - so I will let this rest for tonight, and look with fresh eyes in the morning.  Painting number 920 in 920 days.

Pink Rose and Bud

Pink Rose and Bud
Oil on wood panel, 6x6
purchase here

Today, I am working with my palette knives.  I have five different ones out - all metal, and different shapes.  After sketching my composition, I start scraping in paint - the shadow color of the roses first.  I apply the alizarin crimson paint lightly on this first layer,  then lay the light pink over it - starting at the edge of the petal and working towards the base of the flower.  This leaves a very cool petal shape!  Next, I fill in the background before laying in the leaves, darks first and then light. Finally, I pull in some petal color on the leaves, and some leaf color on the petals for a little color harmony.  I watched an artist use newspaper to wipe her knives off with - and I tried that today.  It worked better than paper towels! This painting makes 919 in 919 days.  Now - I'm off for a little dress shopping with my girls :)

Bamboo and Dragonfly

Bamboo and Dragonfly
Chinese sumi ink brush painting on rice paper, 15x19
purchase here

This is my first attempt at chinese brush painting with sumi ink on super thin rice paper.  One trick that is new is to layer newspaper under the rice paper as I work. This allows any bleed through to be absorbed into the newspaper, instead of spreading out on the rice paper.  The strokes get easier with practice - and I find that I want to try some new subjects.  Maybe the super cute goldfish, or even a dragon - which several of my children have wanted me to paint since the beginning of time!  It also has me wanting to pull out some of my pigmented inks - which I have never used, to render some of this in color.  This brush painting is similar to calligraphy in many ways - and I love calligraphy, those seldom use it.  It is amazing how exploring something new opens so many doors in the mind!  Painting number 918 in 918 days.

Grazing in the Rhine Valley

Grazing in the Rhine Valley
Oil on wood panel, 12x9 - purchase here

Quite a while ago, one of my European artist friends - Valerie Jael - posted the most amazing photo of these horses grazing along the Rhine.  I knew I had to paint it - and she graciously gave me permission.  I love the composition - and the timeless pastoral mood that exudes peace and tranquility.  Painted mostly with my brush, I have only used the palette knife for a little pop here and there.  Once I get my sky the way I want it, I then make sure those clouds are full of soft and hard edges.  The best tool for softening the edges?  My finger - gently pulled away from the center of the cloud, massaging that paint in the way I feel it should be.  And the giant tree in mid ground - it truly is that size in comparison with those horses. It must be ancient!  This painting makes 917 in 917 days....I think I will paint this one much larger in the future :) 

July Geraniums

July Geraniums
Oil on wood panel, 6x4
purchase here

Choosing bright red geraniums to paint on this Independence Day, I have found one little window in this busy family day to paint.  Using plenty of paint, I have added a different medium - walnut oil.  I am trying it  because of the shine it can add.  I am using food grade oil, as the artist varieties have solvents that I can not breathe.  So far, it has given a light shine to thinner areas, and it remains to be seen of this lasts as it dries.  I love to experiment!  This makes painting number 916 in 916 days :)

Storm Clouds in July

Storm Clouds
Oil on wood panel, 6x4
purchase here

What should an artist do when tornado sirens are blaring, and others head for shelter?  Paint that beauty, of course!  Looking off towards Pleasant Hill, this was the glorious scramble of clouds in the sky.  Plenty of rotation overhead, but no funnels or even rain to speak of - makes a perfect stage for painting!  This is a quick one, painted with one brush and a palette knife - and winds from all directions!  This stormy painting makes 915 in 915 days :)

Dragonflies and Bamboo

Dragonflies and Bamboo
Chinese brush painting on paper, 12x18

Today I am totally out of my box with Chinese brush painting and sumi ink!  Our guest instructor for the Tri-County Art League meeting was Valda Hsu, and she had a wonderful demo!  I have taken one other workshop in this technique - years ago, but she her method was more descriptive - and I was able to absorb so much more this time.  I came home with pages of strokes and flowers, bamboo, butterflies and dragonflies, fireworks and leaves.  Using single strokes to make each mark, the way one composes these marks - makes the painting.  This was very informative - and so fun to soak up another culture with this ancient painting style!  Painting number 914 in 914 days.

Almost Spring

Almost Spring
Oil on unstretched canvas, 6x4
7/100, The {100} Artists

On this painting, I am exploring how a dark, somewhat stormy sky reflects off the plowed ground at this farm. The dirt appears very plum in such lighting - and the highlights are very muted.  By squinting my eyes down, I can truly see the colors and more importantly, the values.  Spring is just showing in foliage and brush, though not fully awakened.  I've not painted many landscapes with this kind of dark sky, so this painting is a lesson. I need to do more of these to feel comfortable with the lighting.  I'm going to let this rest for now, but I have a feeling I will return to work on it again.  Painting number 913 in 913 days.