Winter Trees

 

I love a quick, loose paint on a misty, moody day.  The colors are more saturated in such light, and the subtle shifts in hue area almost ethereal.  The days have been so gorgeous, I feel we've had so little winter.  So, I'm soaking it in while I can.  Spring will be bursting forth sooner than I think!  Painting number 4808 in 4808 days. 

Gray Day Trees

I am spicing up this overcast morning scene with my palette knives!  Every time I use them, I find a new way to pull the knife on a flat area, or a way to slide it to make the perfect branch.  I don't do this very often in the landscape - but it is super fun.  I did lay down a thin under painting with a stiff brush, giving me a roadmap for the knife work.  I actually cut into the sky for the tree shapes, I like the pushing of the paint.  It creates rough branches, as they are in nature.  I need to work on longer, smoother strokes for the sky - perhaps that knife that looks like one made for icing cakes would be the right shape?  I'll try that on the next painting!  Love that thick paint application - it really is like icing a cake!  Painting number 1879 in 1879 days.

Turning Creek

When I realized the 67 degree morning was not going to last, I hightailed it to a favorite local painting spot.  Little did I know I would get caught in a deluge of rain - far from the car and without my rain gear!  I tried holding my palette cover over my palette to keep the rain out, but failed!  Thank goodness I was almost finished and the whole panel had paint on it!  Otherwise, I could not have continued!  Already wet, I pulled up my lightweight hood to keep the rain out of my eyes so I could quickly finish.  It had suddenly turned so dark, it was hard to see!  That cloud bank had come up behind me, and I was so tuned in, I never saw it coming!  It has been a long time since I've been caught in the rain - and I loved every minute of it!  This view was SO worth it!  Painting number 1858 in 1858 days.

January Barn

I rushed from the gym to the monthly Tri County meeting, then a quick stop at the post office to ship a painting to Maine. With paints in tow, I stopped by the Memorial Park for a brief scouting. I found this lovely scene with barn, clouds and yellow grasses.  I stopped and painted on the spot!  I love this little 5x7 thumb box pochade box by Guerrilla Painter!  It is small enough to go anywhere - and still holds all the supplies I need and two wet paintings, too!  SO convenient for everyday use!  Painting number 1468 in 1468 days.

Oil on panel, 7x5
purchase here

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.

Still Waters at Vineyard Hill

Still Waters at Vineyard Hill
Oil on panel, 11x14
Vineyard Hill Paint-Out

Our Thursday's paint out was at the beautiful Vineyard Hill, private property of the Virants.  Always gracious, our wonderful hosts served us breakfast goodies and a wonderful chili lunch - which was so warming on the cold day!  This special place has a hilltop view of the surrounding landscape, lake, winding creek, barns, woods, and wonderful vineyards.  Some of the grapevines were thicker around than my arm! I painted this winding water from a footbridge into the woods on a walking path.  I knew as soon as I saw it, I must paint it.  The bridge was lined up with artists, so we had selected another spot to paint first, arriving at this location late in the day.  With only 45 minutes to lay in paint - I brushed it on with my large brush, working as quickly as I could with the 11x14 panel.  The feel of this place was so peaceful, I was glad we had waited for the crowd to clear.  Rain had loomed close all day, but did not actually start to fall until I was nearly finished with this piece.  This was perhaps the coldest day of the ten, and was I ever thankful for my rainslicker!  It blocked that wind completely, and I was not longer cold.  Painting number 489 in 489 days :)

Misty Afternoon

Misty Afternoon
Oil on canvas, 7x5

I simply adore a rainy day!  It is my favorite kind of day for being artistic!  With sounds of thunder rumbling and dark clouds moving in, I feel in my bones it is time to paint - or draw!  Drawing is normally my "dark day" outlet, where the good lighting is not so important to color, but not today.  Today, I want to capture this marvelous spring atmosphere with my oils.  Using a small panel, as once again I have limited time, this creek embodies the mood of this rainy April day.  Painting number 475 in 475 days....now off to run my errands!

Old Redbud by the Barn

Old Redbud by the Barn
Oil on canvas, 7x5

This was such a misty overcast morning, with a dark front moving in.  The moody feel of the morning crept into this painting, as I capture a redbud that is not in real life blooming!  Ah, to be an artist - I can simply paint things as I want them to be!  Who needs to tie themselves down to reality?  I am really feeling this misty, moody landscape.  I may just paint this much larger and hang it in my living room!  I have 20 panels primed and drying, and must next move on to getting my frames wired.  This makes painting number 464 in as many days :)

Highway 51 Farm

Highway 51 Farm
Oil on panel, 8x6

Each day, my mom and I passed by this farm on Hwy 51 from Elmore to St. Charles Hospital.  It has a timeless beauty, looking much as it did a century ago.  Each morning and each evening, it offered a little pastoral peace for moments of our drive.  We drove mainly through the countryside, until we were quite close to the hospital.  Everything is so spread out in rural Ohio.  I haven't been up there this time of year before, and it was nice to get to see the changing of the seasons.  I am so thankful that dad does a little bit better every day, and  I hope I don't have to drive by this barn again any time soon!  Painting number 284 in as many days.

King of the Prairie

King of the Prairie
20x16, Oil over acrylic on panel

There is a wonderful buffalo farm not far from my home.  I try to go get reference photos whenever the lighting is especially cool.  Sometimes the buffalo are close enough to really see, and other times they are way back from the road.  I started this by completely underpainting in acrylic, and then going over that base with my oils.  I used quite a bit of palette knife work in the grasses for texture as well as interest.  I am going to let this one rest tonight, to look again with fresh eyes in the morning.  This painting makes 85 paintings in 85 days.  I never thought a 30 day painting challenge would lead me here :)

Defiance Barn in Autumn

Defiance Barn in Autumn
Oil on panel, 16x12
sold

I spent the entire day combing through photo albums and scanning pictures for my son's upcoming wedding.  By 10:00, I was finished, so I started to paint pretty late.  After painting 79 paintings in a row, I am SO resistant to let a day slip by without meeting that goal! I know it makes perfect sense, but I just can't make myself do it!  So, I chose a scene I have painted before, but changed to a darkening sky and autumn landscape (instead of the sunny, spring one that I had sold).  I have painted very few skies like this, and I like the change!  There is just something moody about a storm approaching. This one makes 80 in 80 days - just under the wire!