Michaela

Michaela
oil on panel, 8x10

This was such a busy day!  Starting with switching out art this morning, right to Zumba and piyo classes, and then to a day of shopping for a prom dress at the mall!  By the time I finally returned home, I didn't know what to paint.  I missed a plein air paint in the Jazz District, and returned home too late to make figure drawing.   I looked through some reference material, and since I have been studying portrait and figure work - I thought I would try my hand on another painting of my daughter.  (I think she is getting a little tired of me using her for a model...)  My focus on this one is attention to the colors of the planes of the skin, softening and diffusing the farther from the face.  I'm trying to accurately portray the hues that I see, concentrating on REALLY looking at the skin tones.  There is so much to this portrait painting! There are so many nuances of skin, it is all painting the light and how it falls on each plane. I worked a little longer on this one than I normally do on a daily paint, but that study time is time well spent - each stroke a lesson learned. This painting makes 445 in as many days.

Morning Orange

Morning Orange
Oil on canvas, 7x5

Almost every morning of my adult life, I have an orange before starting my day.  I never peel it though, I prefer to slice it - not to eat the white membranes encasing each section.  Turns out that these little white bits are also a challenge to paint.  I had the best luck by loading up the palette knife and pulling the paint over the top of the orange, using the colors to show the translucency of the fruit.  Still life painting is not my forte, but it is fun to mix up the routine and challenge myself with something new!  Painting number 444 in 444 days - now on to play with the grandsons!

By the Window

By the Window
Oil on panel, 8x10
Tri County mini-workshop

My youngest daughter modeled for the Tri County Art League today for a mini-workshop. I was showing the group the basics on drawing the figure - measuring constantly by holding your paintbrush out at arm's length, matching equal measurements and translating that to the panel.  Once the sketch was drawn, it was time for darkest darks and lightest lights.  Michaela was positioned with north light from the large bank windows on her, with wall just behind her - giving her a dramatic lighting.  The members progressed quickly - and many had good likenesses before leaving the meeting!  Michaela was a great model, keeping her pose for long periods with just a small break in between.  Since this was part of a regular meeting day - we only had and hour and a half to get down the basics.  Painting from life is just so much better than painting from a photo, somehow - life is breathed into a painting just by having the subject sitting in front of me.  This one makes painting number 443 in 443 days.  What do you think of the loose brushwork?  I kind of like it....not sure if I should tighten it up or not.....

Orange Study

Orange Study
Oil on panel, 6x6
not for sale

Not quite finished, but its getting late, so this must be my daily post.  I am studying the work of Lisa Gloria today, and this is from one of her demos and the reference photo she supplied.  My focus here is on sensitive strokes.  I have never painted a peeled orange before, and this orange gave me fits!  The membrane on the orange is so challenging - and painting at night is also a disadvantage, as I don't have daylight to paint by.  Oh well, it is spring break this week, and everything is off schedule!  I think tomorrow I will soften some of it's hard edges, as it does not have the same feel as the bowl and loose surroundings.  I think I'll also add a little blue for energy.  This is painting number 442 in as many days.  Wishing I had plein air painted on this day instead!

The Banks of Kill Creek

The Banks of Kill Creek
Oil on panel, 12x6
MVIS Paint Out

This is my second painting of the MVIS paint out yesterday - the creek in the opposite direction from my first one.  The clouds were starting to move in, and the light had changed considerably from my first paint of the day.  I was again set up on the rocky creek bed, with minnows swimming the the shallow still water to my right - as the water rippled over the rocks to my left.  I could paint all day surrounded with such music and gentle distraction.  This time, I was looking away from the sun, instead of into the sun - which was a welcome relief to my eyes.  I wore my hat to block out the sun's direct light, but the whole landscape is illuminated in a different way when the sunlight is coming at you.  The colors were more readily visible for this paint, and although spring has not yet touched the plant life much, a little color is beginning in the water as well as a little glow to the atmosphere.  This was such a peaceful location, I could have stayed all day if only I'd had the time!  Painting number 440 in as many days :)

Around the Bend

Around the Bend
Oil on panel, 10x8

There just couldn't be a more beautiful day for plein air painting! Jo Cunningham graciously hosted the Missouri Valley Impressionist Society today at her home in Olathe.  The rolling acres of woods led down to this amazing view of Kill Creek - and I painted it in two different directions.  As I so often do, I picked the absolute farthest location from where the house was - down a rather steep hill through the woods, across a pasture, and onto the grounds of Kill Creek Park - to walk down the side of the metal bridge to the creek bed!  But - oh - the creek was so worth the long haul!   It felt SO good to be out in nature, soaking up every sight and sound channeling the experience into my painting.  The creek babbled over rocks to my right, as I was set up in the rocky creek bed.  The water level is low - so I was able to set up on the rocky beds in the middle of the creek, which is one of my favorite places to paint from!  I saw my first tiny frog of the season, and the water is just starting to show a little green - and that means spring is coming!!  This was truly a day well spent - painting number 439 in as many days :)

Licking her Chops

Licking her Chops
Oil on panel, 10x8

This is our new little addition.  The family picked her out last week and she is a red lab.  We brought her home last night.  The last day of finals for my daughter was today, and this little darling made so much noise all night - that I found my daughter sleeping downstairs -  having vacated her room!  Puppy is sweet as can be - yet unnamed, and at only 6 weeks old - she is gigantic!  Since I have been her babysitter most of the day - she is my painting subject tonight!  I'm back to my primed panels - and after laying in all the lights on her, I then went in with the darks (which were minimal).  I've got family coming by in minutes - so this makes painting number 438 in as many days :)

Magnolia in Bloom

Magnolia in Bloom
Oil on panel, 6x6

The sun is shining, the temperature is coming up, and it is a beautiful day to work in the garden.  I have had a full plate today, only able to find a small painting window before the afternoon picks up again - not to let up until bedtime!  After picking Michael up from track, we have closing ceremonies for basketball, followed by picking up our new puppy - with the grandkids coming over for some play time!  I'm SO glad it is warm out!  My tulip tree is not yet in bloom, but the buds are swollen with the promise of their giant flowers!  I tried several times before finally finding a tree that would survive the harsh winters here - and it is a glorious pink one!  Not sure if I'm done with this or not - I'll look with fresh eyes tomorrow! This is painting number 437 in as many days.  I wonder what our little cats will think of the new arrival....

Hanging in the Barn

Hanging in the Barn
Oil on canvas, 6x8

Exploring in the milk barn has been an adventure since my childhood days.  With my brother, or distant cousins, we would sneak over as soon as the cattle had cleared the field.  I never did want to be in the pasture with those very large animals!  So many cool old things could be found in the barn.  These items still hang on nails in the milk barn, left there by my grandmother many years ago.  I love the old nails poking out from the interior barn wall, with their small treasures just waiting to be pulled down and used.  I have painted this one on an unprimed canvas, only because it was the right size for the composition.  I really need to prime those new canvases - because I keep picking them up and using them as-is!  I did have to fight the weave a bit, I much prefer a light texture of my own application to paint on.  Getting into the rhythm once again of darkest darks and lightest lights, this one came together easily.  As white was the underlying color - I had to cover every speck with paint.  When I start with a tinted panel, there is no need to cover the whole thing, and I even like the unity of the tint popping through in random places.  Maybe I will finally prime those babies tomorrow!  Painting number 436 in as many days - hoping the warm weather returns tomorrow!

In the Shed

In the Shed
Oil on panel, 6x6

With temperatures nearing 80 degrees this afternoon - it was the perfect day for working in the garden!  I had to dig out my shorts and a tank top - which I haven't worn for months - just to get to work.  There are SO many flowers coming up - I can't wait until they are blooming!  These tools were among the necessary items for today, so I have captured them in oil.  I am again working small, since time is short, and I have other things yet to take care of.  I started with an orange primed panel, and placed all of my darks first.  The lights are not very strong, since these tools are inside of a north facing shed, deep in the shade. From there, I simply laid in all of the value - quick and loose.  Painting number 435 in as many days, and here comes the rain :)

Spring Crocus

Spring Crocus
Oil on panel, 6x6

Possibly, the first blooms of spring, these purple crocus are popping up thickly in my flower beds!  Among them are yellow and white crocus, but the purple are always the earliest to bloom.  What a gorgeous day - it is nearly 70, and the windows are open to let all of the fresh spring air into the house!  Using a pumpkin tinted panel, I sketched out my crocus composition with a pastel stick.  First painting the darks, followed by the lights, I then painted on the most purple of petals - pulling out my dioxazine purple for these babies!  There are a few shades that I only pull out when painting certain flowers - and this is one of them.  It is simply the perfect hue for this flower!  Well, now it is time for some yard work - you know, the whole "making hay while the sun shines" motto!  Painting number 434 in as many days.  What will I paint tomorrow?

Lilac Blooms

Lilac Blooms
Oil on panel, 6x6

What a beautiful day for a family dinner!  It has been so warm, the kids have been playing outside so much today!  I had less than an hour this morning to get a painting in between cooking and preparing for company, so I chose a small 6x6 panel - and chose my grandmother's lilacs as my subject! No, they are not yet blooming, but I am calling them into existence by the very act of painting them!  As with the rose I painted a couple of days ago, I started by painting the lightest lights and the darkest darks, and then placing the most intense color.  By mapping this out early, it keeps me on tract, and I don't get distracted with all the areas competing for my attention.  I like this approach!   Painting number 433 in 433 days!  It is supposed to be 70 degrees tomorrow!  Yay!

Redbud on the Lawn

Redbud on the Lawn
Oil on canvas, 5x7

Weekend days are especially busy, full of basketball games, family activities and always unexpected chores that just pop up!  While out, I had picked up some small canvas boards (5x7) - for those days when time is short.  I never paint on these without first priming with a gesso tinted with acrylic paint, with some kind of a ground added in for boosted texture.  Well, today I did, first time in all of these 400 plus daily paintings.  Once I had picked out my subject matter, I really wanted this format for my composition - not the 6x6's that were already primed.  Taking one of these naked 5x7's, I washed it with burnt sienna thinned down with safflower oil, wiping it off once applied with a paper towel.  I never, ever use turpentine or mediums, so the oil was my only option.  From here, I used my stick pastel to sketch out the painting - and to my surprise, it did not get all "oily" and unusable.  The pastel just merged over the top of the wash.  The paint went on smoother than normal, because of the light wash.  I normally apply the oil right onto the dry surface, so more paint sticks readily without sliding around.  With all of the crazy little things I did differently tonight, the painting still flowed right out of my brush.  I am so looking forward to spring, and this one puts me in the mind of the Augusta Plein Air Festival!  Painting number 432 in as many days :)

The Scarlet Rose

The Scarlet Rose
Oil on panel, 6x6

Some days are just chock full of sweet delights.  After a couple of grueling classes at the gym, the hours unfolded pleasantly.  With several errands to run, I met friends at each location - making the work seem effortless.  A beautiful warm day - it was a joy to bask in the sun with the cats for a bit.  The first tease of spring is SO sweet!  Visits from my little darlings - Alan and Alastair just added icing to the cake that was my day!  It was quite late before I could come to my easel, but the paints just rolled off my brush.  Choosing one of my red, red roses to paint, this scarlet beauty is the perfect icon for my sparkling day.  Wishing all days would flow with such a rhythm as today!  Painting number 431 in 431 days :)

Blue Heaven Hydrangeas

Blue Heaven Hydrangeas
oil on panel, 6x6

I'm SO glad to have small panels to paint on again!  On these days that are so busy and full of activities, I can easily squeeze in a small painting - where a larger one might be impossible!  I am also pushing the "easy button" today by painting a loose, impressionistic floral.  These were given to me two years ago by my son Tyler for Mother's Day, and they grow outside my kitchen window.  These are one of my favorite flowers - and I really enjoy painting them!  It just makes me happy to think of the warm summer days and their fragrance wafting into the windows!  This makes painting number 430 in 430 days.  I like mixing up my subject matter from day to day - that special something about variety being the spice of life :)

Sam Thompson and the Lone Indian

Sam Thompson and the Lone Indian
Oil on panel, 10x8

Today, I am illustrating a little part of the following Missouri history.  This little hollow is located near the Mark Twain Cave in Hannibal.

 "Bob Masterson was running hogs in that hollow, the first ones in this part of the country. Several hundred Sac Indians were wintering nearby and the hogs had been a great curiosity to them. Their dogs assumed they were a new form of game and began to worry them considerably. Sam Thompson heard the squealing and rushed to their rescue. Coming upon the scene, he saw a lone Indian but was unable to tell if this fellow was encouraging the dogs or trying to induce them to desist… so he shot him. "  

I may come back to this tomorrow, possibly push back the background a little, cast a little more light on the pigs and dog in the foreground, and probably refine the figures just a bit.  These figures are very small, as the whole painting is only a10x8.  But for now, I let it rest.  This is painting number 429 in 429 days.  It might be fun to illustrate some of this history in pen and ink - giving the work a vintage feel........

Despair

Despair
Oil on panel, 6x6

Oh my gosh - this was fun to paint! This is completely out of the realm in which I paint!  I am Suzie Sunshine to the core, and almost always paint happy, cheerful paintings full of peace and rest.  Well, today, I have jumped out of my comfort zone and tackled something dark and foreboding.  What is he thinking?  What has happened to this man?  The only panels I have left are primed in this pumpkin color, which is not what I prefer for portrait work.....but I think it adds to the drama in this case.  Following the rule "if in doubt - don't", I have loosely brushed in the masses and used my palette knife for additional shadow work.  I only washed over the background with some of shadow color, wiping off with a paper towel.  This took under an hour in it's small size.  Wild and crazy - this is my 428th painting in as many days :)

Profile Study

Profile in progress

Profile Study
Oil on panel, 8x10

Today, my time is limited, so I chose to paint a profile - and did it in an hour and a half.  The one in progress was maybe 40 minutes into the painting, and you can still see some of my pastel sketch lines marking the hair.  As I see these two together.....there is really something I like about the first one.  I know it sounds silly, since it isn't half done, but the loose strokes and the unrefined areas of light and shadow are kind of cool.  In addition, I paint in north light, and this photo is taken right off my easel - so the color is pretty cool in temperature.  This has me seriously considering a loose finish on the next one.  Perhaps just barely a few wide strokes for the background and that is it.  This may also sound crazy, but I think I like the paler eye finish on the left versus the darker one on the right.  Is it crazy?  This is painting number 427 in as many days - and now it is time to get ready to go out for dinner!

Cooling Down his Horse

Cooling Down his Horse
Oil on panel, 8x10

After hours of housework (the price to pay when gone all week), I finally returned to my easel.  Today, I wanted to focus on the figure in the landscape.  I am working small - 8x10 - so both the figure and the horse are on an even smaller scale.  When the figures are smaller, the contrast between shadow and light need to be sharper, there is simply less area to make these small marks.  This is one of the shots I took when the men and horses were here for the civil war reenactment of Quantrell's Raiders.  This young man was cooling off his horse after they had all worked out the horses.  The depth of the distant fields behind him and the contrast with the figures, drew me to this subject.  This took me longer to paint than normal, mainly because I was more careful with my strokes, looking for the warm and cool - pushing between them both.  I am hoping that all of this becomes as natural as ever - and the strokes will all fall right off my brush into perfect paintings on the panels.  I have always seen the world through rose-colored glasses!  Painting number 426 in as many days :)

Wide Eyes

Wide Eyes
Oil on panel, 8x10

In progress

With this painting, I am putting to use all of the things I have been studying in the portrait and figure workshop this week.  This little darling is my youngest grandson, and I am working from a photo today instead of the real boy.  In the first stage, I have sketched in the lines and placed my darkest darks.  Since I am doing a head and shoulder study, it is more natural for me to paint the eyes first (which is NOT what I learned in the workshop - but just my personal preference).  Once I had the eyes in - I thought it looked pretty creepy on the unpainted surface  - so I took a photo!  It is really why I decided to include my steps!  At the second stage, I have filled out the flesh - marking the warms and cools, which actually look very lifeless on the pale pink wash.  I needed to get some of the surrounding colors in before adding much to the color of the skin.  So much of the color comes from the reflected light from the shirt and other close objects.  I am constantly pushing the temperature of the colors - especially since I am working with a photo.  The colors are so much harder to identify without the live model.  I already see a few things I want to change, but as it is getting late I am going to wait until tomorrow and daylight to finish.  This one makes 425 paintings in 425 days.  We are expecting snow again - and the amounts are widely varied!  I wonder what I'll wake up to!

First strokes