18th Anniversary of this Studio Journal blog!

 

Hidden Lake, Tetlin 
(Alaska)

Hi readers of this art journal!

Today is my 18th Blogiversary. (since 2008!) Hard to fathom. I have been doing a special artist interview for a few of these anniversaries, but I have not contacted anyone yet this year. There is still time.

I am glad to post here anyway today,

to remind myself that i have a blog ... an art journal of a sort, and to post more about my struggles with paint!

The painting above is one of my favorite en plein air paintings. My husband and I were on a road trip to Alaska's interior regions and we stopped at the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. We hiked back to a beautiful lake and there were a couple of swans being calm and elegant.

And I set up to paint.

I appreciate that you are reading this! Feel free to comment and share. I will soon feature a local Juneau artist for us to learn about. 

Just as a reminder, my first interview (2024) was with my artist husband, Matt Robus, (that link sends you to his Working Birds Facebook page). He spoke about his passion, wood carving! ... mostly shorebirds and waterfowl. We both are pretty birdy ...

my painting of a MHR carving (Phalarope)

my painting of a MHR carving (Whimbrel)

And, last January (2025), I interviewed Timi Johnson, fabulous Juneau artist. 

Her website is: Timi Johnson at Birdland.com.

 Take good care of yourselves, families and friends,

Teri

The Purple Wall

 Happy Holidays!

Hello dear readers ... I am just popping into my Studio Journal to add a painting 

that I have some progress pictures for.

I am in the process of inventorying my paintings ... 

gack! 😳

... something I should have done years ago.

So, this particular picture is #79. 

I painted it, I think, in 2023 ... although I thought it was earlier. 

Here you go:

I found this picture
in an old Martha Stewart magazine.

In my large sketchbook I drew an approx. composition.

With a yellowish undertone on the 14" x 11" Multimedia artboard,
 I drew my motif.

Added my purple wall, changing things to my liking.

After untaping.

This is the back. It is not adhered to the archival foam core.

The Purple Wall 
Oil on Multimedia artboard
14 x 11 inches

Here she is framed,
by my framer extraordinaire (Matthew Robus)

This painting is on my website, in the Flowers Collection. Please feel free to email me at <teri@terirobusstudio.com>

if you have any questions.

🎄

I hope everyone is enjoying friends and family during

these December holidays. Take very good care and I will 

write in this art studio journal again soon. 

Oh, and if you are a subscriber to my newsletter, 

I will be sending that out in the next week or so, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

If you would like to sign up for my free, no stress (unsubscribe any time)

 mostly monthly Studio News, go here:

Teri's Studio News (letter)

Thank you for reading and your support!

all the best,

Teri

Alstroemerias III

 The painting began with ...

this beautiful bouquet!

It was a time of great upheaval. 

My studio was demolished to get ready for a renovation. 

Moving upstairs had advantages: good light, close to the kitchen, but disadvantages in that 

I had to make sure no paint got on the floor, walls, etc!

Anyway, here are my few progress shots of creating Alstroemerias III.

Sketches to get a feel for the flowers.

My Coulter easel was perfect.

This is a sample of how a print would appear.

Alstroemerias III
18" x 12"
19" x 13" framed

Ok, thanks for reading and I hope your painting goes well!

🎨 Teri

Blue Bug (on a hill)

 

Long ago, & far away from Juneau ...

My husband and I lived for a short time in Torrington, Wyoming. During the days, sometimes I would walk around the town while Matt was at work (as an Environmental Inspector for a pipeline going in nearby). I walked up a hill and passed a cute blue Volkswagon bug parked along the street. 

Can't quite remember if I sketched this right there, or if I sketched it when

I got back to the apartment. At any rate, I began to paint it. 

The very few photos I took as I progressed are here.

Blue Bug (on a hill)
8 x 10 inches
oil on Ampersand panel

Thank you for reading!

🎨

Flowers! Workshop - final post

 Hello, here are a few more of my drawings and paintings done in the

Flowers! workshop with Jordan Wolfson. 

I had a single sunflower, so I stuck it in a tiny vase.

Here is the photo.

Other shots showing b&w, etc.

Using black and white paint to begin.

Partway through.

Just about done ...

Toward the Sun
oil on canvas panel
12 x 9 inches

I have an Orchid Cactus that bloomed during this workshop.

Bloom (Orchid Cactus)
Oil on canvas
12 x 16 inches

Pink Rose
Oil on Masonite
12 x 7.75 inches

Fav Bouquet Blooms
Oil on watercolor paper
10 x 7 inches

Charcoal drawing
24 x 18 inches

In the middle of painting a bouquet that included 

a large yellow Chrysanthemum (Mum),

I realized that I needed to find out how best to paint that Mum. 

So I began googling painters who painted flowers and found 

a Chrysanthemum painting by Piet Mondrian!

Most of you probably know him for his abstract, or "De Stijl" or "the style",

paintings that looked like this:

The painting that I found to copy and learn from is this:

Yellow Chrysanthemums in a Ginger Pot
by Piet Mondrian, c.1898

Yellow Chrysanthemums
after Piet Mondrian 
Oil on canvas

16 x 12 inches

So I tried again with this painting 

Title tbd
Oil on canvas
20 x 15 1/2 inches

My little Moth Orchid bloomed (and is still blooming),
so I am trying to do a painting of her.

wip

Not sure how it will end up, but it is all a learning experience.

So, until next post, thank you so much for reading,

and ... happy creating!

🎨

Oh, and please visit my website!

  Teri Robus Studio