Kansan City Skyline Trio

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It was such an honor to create three unique paintings of the Kansas City Skyline, as seen from the office windows of Helm.  Each is part of the whole, created on the largest handmade cotton paper available, in ink and watercolor.  These have been the most complicated paintings I have ever had the pleasure of completing!  

Wet Streets and Blooms

Determined to paint spring flowering trees today,  I went in search of those lovely red pink crabapples!   I found this scene from the Kohl's parking lot, looking southeast, towards Jose Pepper's.  The rain got pretty heavy at times,  but let up towards the end.  As long as I've got paint on the whole surface of the panel,  the rain doesn't  hurt anything.  If I don't,  and the panel gets wet,  those wet areas then resist the oil paint - and can't be painted until dry!  So,  I  can tilt my panel downwards a little until I get that paint on,  and then proceed normally.  The light every changing,  I paint it as I see it and then I leave it alone.  I think I paint faster in the rain.   Doesn't everyone?  Painting number 1548 in 1548 days :)

Ray

Ray
Oil on gallery wrapped canvas, 12x12

colors in progress...

So, I have probably lost my mind, but I am having great fun with color as I get wild with Ray Charles tonight! What possesses me to go after this portrait in such a way?  Painting daily takes away all fear when it comes to trying new things!  I’m undaunted when I slap down a strong, vivid stroke, the unexpected is just that much more exciting, and most of all - it is sheer, undiluted fun to push those boundaries way, way back!  I chose Ray Charles, because I love the infectious joy that his smile exudes......and it kind of goes with the music theme I had going with a few paintings last week.  I got my new catalysts yesterday, and I have used three new styles on this painting - the square, the arrowhead and the large chisel edge.  I love each of them!  I used the tip of the arrowhead for those little choppy hair curls, and the others throughout.  I probably used the square head most of all!  I think they are SO much better than palette knives, and I may never pick another knife up!  This wild and crazy painting is the 1154th in 1154 days :)

first sketch over old landscape!

Contemporary Cat

Contemporary Cat
Oil on gallery wrapped canvas, 12x12

Goodness me - I have taken a trip to crazy town!!  Painting with such vivid color is exhilarating!  When approaching a painting in such a way, my biggest question is what color to choose.  I am letting my intuition guide me, as heaven knows I have not done anything like this before!  I start first with colors that are really there, the whites, the warm yellows, cool shadows - and then exaggerate those colors.  I pushed the yellow to cad orange and cad red light, the shadows to purple.  The landscape in the background has it’s roots in the true colors, the foliage is green - although I’ve pushed that to yellow green with cad yellow highlights.  The sky blues are also present - turquoise to violet blue.  As I block in the masses, I try to be mindful of how I use the warms and cools.  I’ve used the catalyst again here - and I am loving the variety of strokes that I can achieve.  I have more on the way - I can’t wait to take them out for a spin!  Painting number 1153 in 1153 days.

Surprise!  Another secret landscape underneath this first sketch of contemporary cat!! 

Thoroughly Modern Charlie

Thoroughly Modern Charlie
Oil on gallery wrapped canvas, 12x12

Oh my!  My wild side is showing on this painting!  I don’t think I’ve painted like this since I was 12 years old....so I must be channeling my inner 12-year-old!  The desire to get into some bold paint has been nagging at me for a couple of weeks.  Ideas for paintings will pop into my head - and they are not my normal stuff!  Unable to resist the urge any longer, I have painted over an old landscape on this gallery wrapped canvas, and my country cat is now a city cat!! I have used brushes and catalysts here, and some little used colors, yellow green, perm. rose pink, turquoise, and cad orange AT FULL STRENGTH!!  Super fun.....and crazy!  My youngest son affectionately refers to this as my “acid trip art”!  This crazy painting is my 1152nd in 1152 days.

first marks - surprise landscape underneath!!

in progress

Night at Classic Pizza

Night at Classic Pizza
Oil on masonite, 9x12

After painting at the park in the morning, way out on a country dirt road in the afternoon, I still wanted to capture another painting after dinner - as it was getting dark.  With temps near 70 degrees, and a calm, still night - I couldn't resist the urge to return to Classic Pizza - for the painting I envisioned the first night I got here!  When I set up, there was a lull in the traffic and I was able to get a good sketch in.  Cars would come, I'd work on another part, and when they left - I'd go right back to the street level.  The car pictured is a delivery vehicle that darted out, back in for less than 60 seconds - and back out again!  It was such a challenge to paint him seconds at a time!  I really studied the colors radiating from the various lights, and dropped them in accordingly.  This little shop has the most amazing cheese stuffed breadsticks!  The townspeople are so sweet, one even brought me a "pumpkindoodle" for working so late into the night!  The last few days have been so wonderful, and such a joy to put my memories down in paint! Painting number 1011 in 1011 days....I know, it sounds crazy to me too :)

From Main Street to Delaware

From Main Street to Delaware
Oil on masonite, 9x12
purchase here

on location

Arriving this afternoon, we settled into our swanky digs and did a bit of scouting. After narrowing my choices down to about three, I kept returning to this alley.  I have never painted an alley before, not in daylight or night, so this was my chance!  It was fun to drop in color with loose and impressionistic strokes - and those overhead wires!  The way they caught the light was awesome!  What a fabuous first day this was in Fairfield - and we are up early tomorrow to get at it again.  We couldn't have more beautiful weather for this!  Painting number 1008 in 1008 days :)

Rainy Day in the City

Rainy Day in the City
Acrylic on paper, 14x20

Surprise!  An abstract acrylic cityscape for today's painting of the day!  Today at the Tri-County Art League, we had Jim Ryon in to instruct a brayer workshop with acrylic paint.  It was SUPER fun!  With a rubber brayer, I dropped on paint, mixing with the brayer right on the paper to achieve the desired color.  No pre-mixing, no palette even - we used a foam plate for the little bit of brush work at the end to delineate the buildings, cars and people.  When pulling the color down into the street reflections - I simply slid the 4inch brayer from side to side for squiggly areas.  To loosely place the figures, I used the edge of my rather large bristle brush to dot in "carrot" shapes - one of Jim's tips for figures!  Although we used large sheets of paper for the workshop, this can also be easily done on a masonite type of surface.  I can't wait to try this technique on some of my Kansas City reference photos!  I have always liked the wet street scenes, but have never even attempted them!  How fun and invigorating to try something new and completely out of my box!  This painting makes 561 in 561 days - what will I paint tomorrow?

Santa Over Kansas City

Santa Over Kansas City
Acrylic on panel, 5x5
Santa Whimsy Series - Number 2

Today finds me working on commissions, finishing odd jobs, and getting playful with the paints!  Santa and his tiny reindeer are flying over the Kansas City Skyline in this whimsical little painting.  These little Santa paintings are SO much fun!  I envision him flying over  Paris, Rome, the Country Club Plaza, and even my home in the country!  So many ideas.....so little time!  I am now several paintings ahead, which should free me up for those things I MUST do in the next few days.  After working on miniatures, the large panels looming ahead of me are quite daunting - oh well, the best way is to just jump in with both feet forward!  Painting number 337 in 337 days :)