Saturday, November 22, 2014

Sunny Pastures at the Alpaca Farm 8"x 10"

This is the only one I did on the second day of Eric's workshop. Worn out , I guess. I wasn't very happy when I finished it, but now I like it. What a whiner!
It's been ages since I got this painting ready to post. I got a new computer with Windows 8 and have been struggling with figuring out how to use it.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Sunlit Tree 10"x 8"

This is my second from Eric's workshop. I'd like to have been able to put a little more time into it but it was time to gather up.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Dry Grasses Meet the Cedar 10"x 8"

This is the first one I did at the Eric Jacobsen workshop in late September. I love it--the simplicity of the composition and the contrast of values, the mix of colors on the background mountain. I wish I could always find compositions like this.

Monday, October 13, 2014

10th Alley Blues 8"x 8"

I'm way behind on my posting. This was this morning in my neighborhood. Probably the last sunny day for a while.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Outbuildings on Royal 8"x 10"

There is a wonderful little farm when you look south from Royal. To the left of these barns there is a large dark pink manor house encased in trees and the hill goes way, way up.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Sunny October Day on Royal Avenue 8"x 10"

It was such an amazing day today! This was the second painting. I finished the first and started packing up, turned around and saw this.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Three Little Trees 9"x 12"

I tried using a larger canvas today. Also more paint. I can't figure out why the colors are so bright in the photo. It's not really quite that garish, but if I paint red trees again I will start with a green and just lightly add a little red to it.  They're just too much. I also wish I'd gotten out earlier.  Ended up painting at mid day.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

An Alley in My Neighborhood 10"x 8"

I finally got out to paint today. I love this one and painting in my neighborhood was so nice.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

13th & Lawrence 8"x 10"

I had a really good time trying to get this little scene down.  More chatty people today.  I'm thinking the only way to stop letting that bother me is to paint in public more often.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Along 13th Avenue 10" x 8"

I'm going to try doing a few urban paintings. Very nervous about being out in public but here in my neighborhood, people pretty much ignored me. It will be fun to work on my drawing skills. I discovered that it's a bit of a challenge to find a place to stand. Here I was able to find a little corner of Berg's Ski Shop's parking lot and they are closed for the summer. That's not an open door. It's a stone wall. I should have put a little sun on the south side.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Looking North at the Slough 8" x 10"

So here is my more realistic version of the slough.  Still struggling with trying to get enough paint mixed up and on the canvas.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Colorful Slough 8"x 10"

I wanted to try two new things: using purer, less grayed colors and using thicker paint. This was actually really quick to paint, I guess because I wasn't trying to make the colors accurate. While I think it's interesting, I felt like an impostor painting like that so I did another one that was more accurate and took way longer to paint.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Little Green Island 8"x 8"

This is looking south from the bike path near Terry. I saw it when I was walking back from doing the Mower Path painting.  That little island is just so green. But then those golden straw bushes just wanted to jump in and grab the limelight. Brazen hussies!

Friday, August 22, 2014

Mower's Path Through the Wetlands, August 8"x 10"

It started off as a very cloudy day.  I think that's why the colors are so cool. A little blue finally showed. I was still at the end of Terry. When I had walked in a ways I came across a homeless person's camp which creeped me out a little.  Still, I was only about 20' from the bike path so I thought I'd chance it.  No one came by except some ladies collecting potentilla seeds for replanting in natural areas.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Access Road Near Amazon Slough 8"x 10"

I did this one a week ago. It is colorful but I think not quite so much as in the photo. I parked behind the tavern on Danebo. This access road runs between Danebo and Terry.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Amazon Slough, Looking East from Terry 8"x 10"

I am so glad I made it out today and think I might be able to squeeze in a painting tomorrow.  I painted over a used canvas and had some trouble getting it to accept the paint.  I think I'll avoid doing that from now on. As usual, it was a struggle but I just kept going and I am pretty happy with the result.  Wish I had put those two trees in the middle closer together to be more of a single mass.  That's how my sketch was.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Amazon Slough near Datalogic 10"x 8"

I was back at the end of Terry today painting from the bridge.  It got kind of windy and my umbrella kept blowing off so I had to do without at the end.  My first time to paint rocks which was fun.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Meadow at the End of Terry 10"x 8"

I was fairly happy with this when I finished but now I wish I had lightened the area of rushes that come forward and put some sky holes in the left hand tree. I do like the rhythm of the composition and I'm enjoying the colors that I added to my palette a few weeks ago: cad yellow deep, alizarin and cerulean blue. I'm real happy with this area for painting.  I'll go back again.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Where Terry Street Meets the Meadow 8"x 10"

Today I'm happy.  I had a hard time trying to make the colors for those distant trees.  Wiped them of a couple of times which probably contributed to me finally getting what I wanted.  This is a very nice, quiet place to paint.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Island Park Bridge 10"x 8"

I thought I had done pretty well but now I see things I should have noticed while painting.  Oh well.  I had a wonderful time.  I like the colors and composition.  Seems like a composition I could try again and in a very safe location which always appeals.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Little Pond near Ed Cone Blvd. 8"x 10"

I really struggled with this one.  The photo, unfortunately, favors the blue more than the real painting.  Maybe I should think about trying to push the blues a little bit.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Bend in the River 8"x 10"

This is a view my dad and I see when we sit on a bench at Maurie Jacobs Park.  Lots of geese and kids playing on the shore later in the day.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Garden Walkway 8"x 10"

This is our back garden walkway looking toward the neighbors' house and garage. I've not been able to come up with a composition at home in my garden before.  I'm pretty happy with it. That's a big perle d'azur clematis in the foreground and parsley gone to flower across the path.  So wonderful to paint at home.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Marina at Richardson Park 8"x 10"

My second painting Wednesday.  My first try at boats.  Very tricky for me but all in all it came out better than I had expected.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Creek at Richardson Park 8"x 10"

Seems like Wednesday is my painting day.  Nice to have some sort of schedule.  I had a lot of trouble doing those old cat tails. Actually the creek was pretty much filled with various sorts of vegetation so I had to make it up--not my strong point.  I did another in the afternoon--stay tuned.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Another Boxcar 8"x 10"

Well, Sunday on Garfield was nice and quiet.  Unfortunately the boxcars I started Thursday were gone and that area was too complicated to paint with all the trains they had there today.  This wasn't as good a composition but I think I would have been happy if I just could have done those electric poles better.  So
I 'm going to work on electric poles.  The boxcar was one of those open ones they use for lumber and I couldn't figure out how to do it.  I see what I did wrong and will do it better next time.
I scraped this one.  Mostly I'm just real happy to have gotten out to paint.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Sidetracked Boxcars 8"x 10"

I've been wanting to try painting some boxcars for the longest time.  Yesterday I was looking for S. Danebo and went the wrong way.  Discovered that Garfield is a goldmine of industrial paintings!  Unfortunately most of the trains are in areas that have no trespassing signs so I settled for this one which is at the end of Cross St.  Not really what I was thinking of but it was a really nice place to paint.
On the way home I discovered a scene that was almost exactly what I'd been thinking of.  Did a sketch, went home for a quick break and another panel (Dummy--always have extras on hand).  So I got started and it started raining.  Not too bad but enough that I had to get out the umbrella.  Got started again and the wind began to blow--really blow.  Blew my umbrella off.  It was blowing toward me fortunately, because twice it blew my easel into me.  I hate to be a sissy so I kept going but it was ridiculous.  The brim of my hat blowing down over my face, small rocks flying around.  Gritty paint.  Yuck!  I gave up, sadly, but hope to get back one day soon.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Bridge at Dexter Lake 8"x 10"

After I finished painting yesterday I saw this scene and did a sketch.  So I painted this at home today from the sketch but I also had a photo, which was very little help.  I did have the painting from yesterday and figured the colors were probably about the same.  I was pretty unhappy with it when I finished because it's not realistic and is darker than I wanted.  But now I'm liking it better and think it might be a good idea to go back there and try doing it from life.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Lakeside Poplars 8"x 10"

I wish I had been able to do a little better with this but now that I am painting more often I'm hopeful for progress.  I do like the composition real well--the amount of light and dark.
I was at the Lowell Bridge where I had heard people had been painting.  It was an awfully public place and I didn't want to stand down on the walk way and paint the bridge but I liked this scene looking north.  There is a view of the road just to the right of this scene that I would like to try another time.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Golden Gardens in May 8"x 10"

Yesterday afternoon the plein air group met at Golden Gardens.  It was a lovely warm day.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

10th Alley off Polk 6"x 8"

I saw this scene when I was walking my dog a couple days ago.  I tried to follow a technique Victoria told me about where left over paint on the palette is used as a base for the mid values.  It seems like a really nice way to tone down bright colors.  Also added Alizirin and pthalo blue to my very limited palette and am real happy to have some more lively colors going on.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Columbine Studies 6"x 6"

Since I had so much trouble with the columbines yesterday I decided to do some little studies.  I was thinking most about how to make the lighter color of purple.  Just adding white seemed to cool it too much so I thought I'd try more pink.  I think that worked.  I would like to have done each one in 10 minutes.  It took 50 minutes for the first, then 30 min, and 25 for the last 2.  I think the drawing improved as I went along.

Columbines with Euphorbia 8"x 8"

It's been so long since I've painted.  I was pretty unhappy with this so I scraped it off.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Primrose with Citrus 9"x 12"

I still used lots of paint, as was my goal, but it keeps getting tighter each time.  Shucks!  Well,  I hope to try again next week.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Citrus with Carnations 9"x 12"

My second attempt at painting a very busy still life with lots of paint.  I had to put in a second day.  So many things that I wish I could have done better but I am very happy that I made the effort.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Onions on a Copper Plate 9"x 12"

I haven't had much interest in doing still lifes but I saw some of Eric Jacobsen's using really thick paint I got excited to try that.  I really enjoyed it!
My life has really changed over the last year--looking after my dad and some medical stuff but, once again, I am hoping I can sustain an interest in painting.