unfinished barn

To my new friend who owns this barn. Sorry, I didn't get an email from you so I'm hoping you will check back to the blog.I spent a lot of time on the metal so when I was ready to work on the trees the light had changed alot and I forgot how things were. Will have to finish another day.
I need sunshine at noon. So possibly Fri or Sat but more likely next Tues.
My email is my first name, first letter of my last name then gmail. I don't think google will let me write it here for privacy reasons. I'll see you again. Phemie

Pisguah Farmlands 10" x 11"

My first attempt a a semi-abstract landscape. It's acrylic on paper. I found the process to be extremely intriguing. I sure used a lot of paint.

Eggs in Space 10" x 12"

I need to think of a more professional sounding name for this one. Any ideas? Again, acrylic on paper from a workshop this last weekend.
I am really excited to try moving my landscape painting toward abstraction. I'd like the viewer to be able to participate in interpreting the scene.

Above and Below 10" x 11"

We used acrylic paints on paper. I'm not accustomed to using acrylics but they seem really great for this layering process.

Heading Out 10" x 11"

I took an abstract painting workshop this weekend at Oregon Art Supply with Zoe Cohen. It was an enjoyable and thought provoking experience.

Trail by the River 8" x 8"

I had a little plein air piece that I used to paint this one inside. I'm liking Instagram these days and have started posting there. Unfortunately, the colors I get with my phone are not accurate. So I'll probably continue to photograph with my camera.

Quiet Day in the Hay Field 18" x 22"

I decided the value of the mountains needed to be lighter. I think it's finished now.

Quiet Day in the Hay Field 18" x 22"

I grayed the color of the grass and its shadow. I let it sit for a few days but the pink of the clouds still seemed wrong. So today I worked on the clouds. I'm still not sure.

Quiet day in the Hay Field 18" x 22"

I did this painting several years ago but was unhappy with the colors so decided recently to rework it. I had hoped to put the original and to 2 following versions in one post but can't seem to fit them on so I'll do a post for each one.

Reflection 6" x 6"

This one stretched my brain to the limit. I did the drawing yesterday and the painting today. That was an easy way to have a short painting session yesterday.

Green Study 6" x 6"

I haven't been mixing greens much lately so I worked on that today. I have been trying to limit the number of values in a painting: 3 to 5 only, so I've been mixing a dark and light for each object and then adjusting a little bit as I go. I'm going to mix up half tones next time.

50 Minute Apple 6" x 6"

I finished before the hour was up. I can see how one could learn a lot doing apples. I was just starting to get a sense of the light and dark areas. It had become too gooey to do any more.

Sardine and Anchovy Tins 6" x 8"

I knew this was too complicated to finish in 1 hour so I went as fast as I could and did a photo at the 1 hour point. It took me another hour and 45 minutes to finish. I fiddled around a lot with the photography trying to get the colors true. The background is still a tiny bit yellower than in the photo. I did discover that I get no glare if I lay the piece flat on the ground and photograph from above. This solves a problem I've had for a long time. I used the cloudy setting with a 1 1/3 light setting.
I used a panel that I had made with Windriver canvas. I love how that canvas looks with a finished painting but I have a lot of trouble getting the brush to move across it. Maybe more paint or a different medium would help.
I think I did pretty well today.

Bronzino Fish 8" x 8"

I noticed that the challenge on Daily Paintworks this week is "from the sea". I've always wanted to paint a fish so I got this little fellow at Newman's Fish Market. I decided to photograph outside so the colors are pretty true.
I used a painted over Raymar canvas which I really liked. Also my old medium: stand oil, refined linseed oil and thinner. Liked that too. The Rosemary Ivory brushes are pretty good for accuracy but they seem kind of wimpy compared to bristle brushes for moving paint around. So I used bristle for the background.

The Pear Again 6" x 6"

I would have liked to take a little more time to correct the drawing--but 1 hour is the rule! I tried a different canvas board and it didn't suit me. Also tried my favorite medium from long ago but I switched to plain linseed oil and liked that better.  Although it pains me to look at this  painting, I feel like I am remembering more about color mixing and paint application that when I paint less often.
Tomorrow I don't plan to have a time limit.

1 Hour Pear 6" x 6"

It seems like most days I should be able to fit 1 hour in for painting. My normal tendency is to paint for 5 hours or so. I get really absorbed--maybe too much. But I can't do that every day.
So I'll try this for a while. I got inspired to do this when I took Julie Davis' workshop and she said that when she started painting she would set her alarm forty-five minutes early and paint before getting the kids ready for school. Well, an old retired lady should be able to manage an hour a day. I guess it's really 2 with the clean up and posting.
I didn't like the gesso board I've used the last couple days. Will try something else tomorrow.

Life Drawing

I usually go to a life drawing session on Saturdays. Here are a couple of the 20 minute poses today.

Little House 8" x 6"

We've been having rainy, cold weather. I really wanted to paint outside on Tuesday so I went out to paint in my car. Sitting so close to what I was painting, I didn't realize how wonky the drawing is until I got home. But it kind of suits this funny, little house so I decided to leave it.

Second Persimmon 6" x 6"

So today's persimmon turned out a little better. I like that it's bigger. I decided I need to mix up a larger batch in the beginning which was a good idea. There was a phone call for my husband just as I was getting going and I had to take the phone out to him in the back 40 so I decided to give myself 5 minutes extra. I was greedy and took 20 min more. But that's OK I think I learned a little in those 20 minutes.

First Persimmon 6" x 6"

In an effort to paint more often I decided to give myself only an hour to paint after I've set up the scene and put paint on my palette. This was the first, yesterday. I am an incredibly slow painter. I made it just at an hour. Also have decided to stop fiddling so much to get a good photo and post. I just took this on the easel where my camera didn't have a setting for the lights I use (2 warm and 2 cool daylight tubes) but OK close enough. Unfortunately the blues don't show up.  I might continue cropping if it doesn't take a lot of fiddling.

Blue Rose Flour Mill

It took a little pushing myself, but yesterday I got out painting of one of our few dry days lately. It was in the high 40*'s which is usually too cold for me but yesterday it was OK. No wind and a few sun breaks. I'm trying working on my plan to do a quick color sketch outside then do a larger painting inside. It helps remove the pressure I normally feel to come up with a finished painting. Unfortunately, I'm still pretty slow coming up with the sketch.

Texas Hill Country 8" x 10"

I've been working on painting inside from color sketches done outside. I was in Texas taking a workshop from Julie Davis recently. I really love her work and came home with lots of things to think about and work on. This old outbuilding was one of many at the ranch where we were painting.

Portuguese Tree 8 x 10

I've been practicing clouds and trees lately. This one turned into a painting.  We spent some time walking in the Douro Valley of Portugal recently. An amazing experience.

Looking Through 10 x 8

A wonderful, summer day at Dorris Ranch today.  The yellow jackets were buzzing me. A little nerve-wracking. Maybe they like paint thinner One drowned himself in my thinner.

Priceboro Bend 6 X 8

I painted this in June, I believe. It is in a lovely farming area just east of I-5. I used to take my dad for drives out there. It was 2013 when I brought him to Eugene. He was failing physically and mentally. Although he was living in a facility, I spent a lot of time with him and handling his financial and legal affairs. I wanted to do that, but it took my focus away from painting. He passed almost 2 years ago. This is a long winded way of saying I am so glad to finally be focusing on painting again.

Firelight 8 X 10

We've had a lot of smoke in the valley lately because of all the forest fires that are raging in Oregon.
It makes for some atmospheric perspective that we don't usually get.

Mount Pisguah Trail 8 X 10

It was a lovely, warm summer morning at the back side of Mt. Pisguah. I love the tranquility of painting in this area.
It's been so long since I posted. I'm finally back to painting!

Grapefruit with Little Bottle 6"x 6"

I wanted to try painting the bottle exactly at eye level so I stacked some painting panels on a white wooden block. I love the blue color of the grapefruit rind when it is back lit.
Yesterday I signed up with DPW to sell my paintings on line.  I'll be posting some of the better ones from the last few months as well as new ones.
I put the red primroses on yesterday and it got chosen as a pick of the day which was a nice surprise.

SOLD

Lovely Day for a Hike 6"x 8"

I've been noticing lately how the clouds stack up in layers from the horizon forward and wanted to try painting that. This is out at the end of Royal Ave in the wetlands.

Path through the Meadow 6"x 8"

I painted this last week at one of Eugene's newest public parks The South Eugene Meadows. This is the trail that leads from the parking lot into the oak savanna. Very few people are using the park yet so it's a very tranquil place to paint. I wish I had cropped it just to the right of the foreground tree.
I've been in a kind of painting doldrums lately, catching up on other stuff in my life but am feeling ready to get started back painting soon.