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 :)

Drippy Bluebird

Drippy Bluebird
Watercolor on paper, 10x7

My daughter had asked me for an abstract, watercolor bluebird painting a couple of weeks ago.  She told me she wanted it to be 6 foot tall for her dorm room! After responding that watercolor paper does not come that large, I didn't hear further on the subject.  She came home for the weekend, and the topic came up again, she was kidding about size - so I started working on a bluebird.  I haven't had my watercolors out for a while, and it as fun to be playing in the water again! This is actually the third one I painted today - and her favorite.  I used three kinds of paper, this an arches 140 lb cold pressed.  I looked high and low, but I think I must be out of my favorite 300 lb paper block.  I simply love the way the heavy weight paper allows the paint to mingle and spread - and I love the texture as well.  Another thing I LOVE about watercolors?  They are SUPER fast to work in - which is this busy girl's "go to" on a day full of lunch out with family, visiting Mike's parents, and getting home in time to frame before Michaela makes the long drive back to campus! This painting makes 1006 in 1006 days :)

First Flowering Crab

First Flowering Crab
Oil on panel, 8x10

I started painting this one in the middle of a good rain.  I had dropped off a painting for judging, and Teddy and I had an hour before we were to get back for the results.  So, we set up in a gazebo (for shelter from the rain), on a hill, to paint this glorious crabapple tree.  The rain steadily increased, building up to thunder, as we frantically painted to capture the beauty with our paints.  The wind was blowing the rain in, and my oil palette had water pooling on the surface.  I didn't want to stop.  The thunder didn't sound close.......in times like this, my logical self steps aside, letting my creative self take over.  An hour later, we had to pack up and get back for the social - which was fabulous!  It is never easy to leave a painting when I'm in the zone.  I returned to this today, to add the final touches.  This makes 113 paintings in 113 days.  Come see the show tomorrow at Mount Pleasant Winery - if you happen to be near Augusta, Missouri :)

Night Falls at Pisa

Night Falls at Pisa
Oil on panel, 14x11

The night falling and the pink sunlight illuminating these glorious buildings is what grabbed my attention.  With photo reference from a friend,  I mapped out the sketch of the main lines of the buildings.  Once the large areas of main color were down, I started to dot in with the many arches and windows.  I felt compelled to get the architecture right, although I started with "loose" in mind!  With most of the colors in place, I pulled down the reflections by lightly skimming the surface of the heavy dark paint below.  I would love to go paint this place on location!  This is 41 paintings in a row :)

A Little Night Magic

A Little Night Magic
Oil on panel - 11x14
Original Sold
Print Available

This new nocturne painting is of the Kansas City Club (the 13th and Baltimore location from 1922-2002) to commemorate their 130th Anniversary.  This cityscape was submitted to the Buttonwood Gallery yesterday.  I have really been getting into these nocturne paints lately - thanks  to Jason Sacran and John Lassater and an October night paint on the square in Carthage, MO!  This is only my fourth one, ever, and the possibilities are just unfolding before me.  Cityscapes are also a change of venue - and I am finding that I love painting them.  It is so fun working from dark to light - just the opposite of my normal daylight process.  Learning new techniques and stretching the boundaries can be so exciting - and challenging at the same time!