Along the Trail of Tears

 

Painted on Long Springs road, this is part of the Trail of Tears that runs through Steelville.  We were asked to capture the story in paint as we stood in the very place they walked.  It was emotional. I had read some of the history the night before, and could not imagine their plight, especially the mothers who were losing their babies. This painting will join others that will be auctioned off in support of a sculpture to commemorate this trail.  Those souls should not be forgotten. I am honored to have this painting awarded an Honorable Mention for the Trail of Tears Paint Out. Painting number 4542 in 4542 days. 

Witches at the Cauldron

Happy Halloween to one and all!  Keeping with the theme of the day, witches at their cauldron are on my Halloween easel!  I've chosen rice paper for this watercolor batik, and have sketched my composition with India ink.  This ink has the staying power to remain visible after multiple layers of watercolor and hot wax. Though it will fade considerably before the finish, it is all I need. The watercolor mingles freely on this paper, and I must allow plenty of drying time between layers.  It's so fun to play in this medium - and always unpredictable.  Painting number 5175 in 5175 days. 

Myo Yin at Yoga Bliss

 

What fun it was to paint a full Myo Yin session at the Yoga Bliss Festival today!  The classes and instruction here are like none I've experienced, and many come from far off places just to be a part of this.  The sharing and caring is real here, and this event is about so much more than yoga. Blessings abound in this space for all who enter here. Painting number 5122 in 5122 days.  

Drum Circle

 

I have never painted a Drum Circle before - what an amazing experience during the Yoga Bliss Festival in Augusta, Missouri!  The sounds and energy seemed to vibrate right thru me as I painted from a corner.  There are so many interesting sessions in this festival!  Who knows what tomorrow will bring?  Painting number 5121 in 5121 days. 

Play Ball

What a great opportunity to sketch at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum at historic 18th and Vine!  This was our destination for our monthly Urban Sketchers KC event - and we had a great turnout!  I love meeting artist friends for these two hour sketch-outs, and today I did more talking than sketching, lol.  The Jazz Museum here was also super cool and I must bring the family back to visit it, too.  Painting number 4063 in 4063 days. 

Tender Care

purchase here

Love capturing the tender care of a beloved horse in front of our old milk barn.  I have long had a passion for horses, but have only started to take pen and ink to this subject.  The pen and ink feels so organic in the field - and my watercolor half pans are perfect for adding color on the fly.  I just ordered 5 more sets in different palettes today.  Yes, I may be a paint addict...! Painting number 2566 in 2566 days. 

Fun Run!

So crazy to see a gym full of children running laps at top speed around a course!  So enthusiastic, they knocked over cones and rushed around me like they might just run me down!  I was there to watch Alan and Alastair run their 36 laps - and it did not take them long!  There was a DJ and music and motivational announcements all along the way.  I sure wish we could have done this when I was young!  Sure beats track and field days.  This was like a running party - which also raised funds for the school.  Painting number 1876 in 1876 days.

Starbucks Sketched

A coffee house is a really great place to sketch people.  There are often some waiting in line, waiting for coffee, standing with their beverage, or sitting around the tables.  All of these situations are relatively still, offering a few minutes to get down those poses.  I like to get all my drawing finished before adding watercolor, but this is not always the case.  This week is the #oneweek100people2018 challenge, which means each artists renders 100 people however they wish.  Yesterday, I used pen and ink, today I'm using India ink and watercolor.  I did this challenge last year, too - and I can see the improvement in my figures.  Not only is my speed better, but their shapes are more life like.  I should probably do this challenge monthly to nail those quick pose skills!  Painting number 1875 in 1875 days.

Sketch Montage!

The #oneweek100people2018 challenge begins today, so this is today's work.  I am working with my varsity pilot fountain pen (because I left my bag in the car which has my fancy pens) on various watercolor papers and my sketchbook. I just started this book, and I think I'll save it for figures only.  I use a water brushpen to get my middle values, and I'm writing working loose.  The whole idea is to improve my quick draw skills on people, and what better way than drawing 100 of them in 5 days?  I've got a meeting tonight, perhaps I'll sneak in some paper and capture them in ink!  Painting number 1872 (I'm lumping them all together for the count) in 1872 days.  Join me in the fun and get out your pens!

Atalanta and Meleager study

Today was Art Mob day at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art.  I LOVE that place!  It is so unbelievably inspiring to walk the halls, surrounded by masterpieces.  This very moving sculpture of Atalanta and Meleager grabbed me right at the start.  They have these little folding stools in every wing, which you can set up wherever you want.  This allowed me to get the best vantage, and I started sketching.  This is a wonderful way to study figures!  Only pencils are allowed in the museum, so this is my medium today.  I think I need to do this over in paint!  Drawing number 1330 in 1330 days, and then a delicious lunch was enjoyed by all in Rozelle Court :)

Meeting in the Garden

Meeting in the Garden
Acrylic on masonite, 7x5

I chose this subject matter today because it contains three figures, interacting with each other, in a sun drenched garden setting.  So, not only am I studying the figures, but also the light pouring in - and I’m using the limited acrylic palette to do it.  This painting is small, only 7x5 inches, so the question remains - how loosely do I render features?  I feel they should be loose, especially as the landscape work is impressionistic.  Yet, I want the figures easily read, by gesture as well as values.  In principal, I should be able to merely suggest features and the eye will do the rest.  I will just need to paint more of these, and find my own preferences as to defining the face no more than a half inch square!  Painting number 1164 in 1164 days.

initial block in

Greeting the Rider

Greeting the Rider
Acrylic on masonite, 5x7

The photos I took during our civil war reenactment have proven a treasure trove for paintings!  Now that I am concentrating on figures, I am choosing photos with multiple subjects - giving me more to work on in each painting!  I am painting small at only 5x7 inches, so these figures are small.  I want to become so comfortable with painting them, that the strokes can be loose, yet define them clearly.  I spend about 30 minutes on the color block in, and find that I am capturing most of the painting at this point.  Finish work is just making the strokes more poetic, and marrying the colors a bit for good color harmony.  Most importantly, I want those figures to be accurate in form and gesture.  I am including quite a bit of background landscape, and it has been some time since I have painted landscapes in acrylic.  I am using the same methods as the figure and portrait work, only applying them to the landscape - which is certainly different from my former technique.  This painting makes 1162 in 1162 days.

color block in

Fishing

Fishing
Acrylic on masonite, 5x7

I first studied for this small painting by doing a pen and ink sketch.  Next, I did a quick color block in.  Finally, I come in and mark all the tiny bits of warm and cool, turning the planes and giving them life.  What I find when I pull the two together to post, is that I really like the freshness of the color block in better!  I sometimes do this!  When I paint without thought, just quickly blocking in the masses, I often return to this and think - wow, I wish I would have been true to that color!  So, I am leaving this for now, but when I get a bit of time, I am going to pop back in some of that wonderful blue on the shorts, and the fresh green in the grass.  Then, I will call it done.  Painting number 1160 in 1160 days.

color block in

Standing Together

Standing Together
Acrylic on masonite, 5x7

I am working on figures in acrylic this month, and this girl with her horse are first up.  I had sketched them in pen and ink a few days ago, so I am familiar with my subject before laying paint.  Without sketching anything onto my panel, I do the color block in, careful to keep the angles and values accurate.  Next, I start looking for those tiny spots of color that round out the forms.  Since I am working small - only 5x7 inches, my marks need to be spot on.  I keep the brushwork going with the shape of each form, upwards for foreground grass or following the muscles of the horse.  Trying to keep strokes fresh and loose, I stop painting when the shapes ring of truth.  So, I am letting this one rest for today, and I’ll take a look again tomorrow and see if it calls for adjustments.  This painting makes 1159 in 1159 days.  Now, onto the next figure!

color block in

Gathering the Horses

Gathering the Horses
Oil on panel, 7x5
bid here

Another reference photo from the pasture is my reference work for today.  Working on a small scale again - only 7x5, makes these figures very small!  Using the brush for gestural strokes, I did not use my palette knife at all on this one. With a smaller brush than usual, I pulled the foliage loosely back and forth, lifting the brush up to indicate the movement of leaves.  It is important to follow form with the brushwork - especially at this scale!  I think I will go ahead and sketch out some new paintings, so when my painting windows open up - I will already have a leg up on the painting!  Painting number 774 in 774 days.

Two Riders in the Snow

Two Riders in the Snow
Oil on wood panel, 8x10
purchase here

Since "figures" are my theme for February, I decided to bump up the number and include four figures in this painting!  Well, that definitely takes more time!  I have started and stopped this painting several times today - once for family bowling time, along with the countless chores in a day's work.  New on the palette today, Grumbacher green earth and greenish umber.  Their umber is the darkest one I've used, I almost always have to mix in another color to lighten it.  The green earth I used on a whim, not expecting to like it, but it has it's merits in the landscape.  It feels transparent in the way it handles, and these old paints also include some of the toxins the new ones don't.  Which is bad, and means I should only use them outside.  I have used several blues here, Rembrandt's ultramarine blue deep - which I LOVE, ultramarine violet and prussian blue.  I like the way they play together in the snow and pushing the warms and cools in this landscape adds to the energy.  This is painting number 769 in 769 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?

Playing with Kitten

Playing with Kitten
Oil on panel, 12x9

Our little kitten Charlie is the most affectionate cat we've ever had!  He loves everyone - and he is very vocal, "talking" to us all the time.  The boys spend lots of time on the porch, playing with little Charlie.  That kitten never tires of their attention - and the trio is my subject for today.  This is done in oils, starting with the skin tones, and working out from there.  I debated on whether or not to put in the surrounding landscape.  Initially, I thought I would leave it out.  But, as I worked, I wanted the piece to be as truthful as possible, like the sweet memory.  This one makes 40 paintings in a row!

Lunch at Rozelle Court

Lunch at Rozelle Court
Oil on panel, 16x12

I must be crazy.  I chose this complicated interior for my daily painting.  I have never painted an interior so complex, or added gestural figures to a scene, and I also threw in difficult iron chairs and tables to the mix.  Oh, and I worked in a larger than normal size for a daily painting!  Well, the figures got easier with each one, the interior was actually fun - but the chairs were not!  I already see things I want to edit a bit - but the day is almost gone - and I have to get this posted for the 30 day challenge.  What a challenge this certainly was!

Watching Bugs

Watching Bugs
Oil on panel, 14x11

I have never tried any figure work in oil, so I decided to paint these two little darlings down by the river behind my parent's house.  I used a photo I took last summer for reference - and started laying in my colors.  The push and pull between the figures and the landscape had me cooling off the background to bring the children to the foreground.  This painting took so much longer than usual - on a day I really needed a quick subject!  Out of town all day, I just returned to finish this one up.  The drawing is easy for me, but selecting the right colors takes so much time.  I think this is only the first of many figure explorations on my horizon.  This is day 25 of the 30 day challenge, and I think I'll paint the Flint Hills tomorrow :)