Alder, a quadriptych!

Each year our little Juneau/Douglas City Museum

holds a fundraiser ... I have prob blogged about it before,

but anyway - the theme this year, 2018, was

SEASONS

and here are the photos for the process of developing my painting,

Alder (a quadriptych or polyptych):

I know ... this is a maple leaf. My first idea.

 But maple are not endemic to southeast AK and Alder (Alnus) is!

Husband cut and cradled 6x6 inch panels

I prepared the panels,
then he cradled & attached them
into a 12x12 square that we can take apart, until the end.  

Here is the sketch for what I eventually painted.

My beginning (I really liked it this way - scratched through the paint!)

I painted with the small squares pressed together 

and then took the squares apart to paint the edges.

Almost there

Alder - through the seasons       oil on wood panels       12 x 12 inches

As I am finishing typing my blogpost on this rainy Sunday morning,

a nice big black bear (Ursus americanus)

walked past my window through our back 40 and over

to the neighbors, who have chickens!!!

But, not interested in a chicken dinner, 

he/she strolled on up thru

their back 40 and on through the neighborhood.

I hope it stays safe.

Thanks so much for viewing my art!

Sand & Lava

We have been back from Hawaii for almost three weeks 

and are thinking about the Kilauea lava flows that destroyed

many structures and homes on the east side of the Big Island, that occurred after we left.

Sending strength and hope for everyone there who are affected.

I can't help but paint when I am there, and I take lots of photos 

to use as reference when we get back home, too.

 This little studio painting, just finished, brings me 

back to that beautiful, raw and rugged island.

One day we were walking on a beachside trail when we walked past this couple lounging on the sand amidst the lava and grass. I thought the scene might make a fun painting, loved the red umbrella ... so I had Matt pretend I was taking a picture of him and got the couple too :)

sketch for my composition

Sand & Lava    oil on wood panel   12 x 9 inches

Unframed painting on wood panel. 

$150.00US

My favorite part is the two heads under the umbrella with their hats. 

I also like the guy's yellow trunks.

I am selling this painting ($150) with all proceeds

going to Salvation Army Hawaii to help with 

the Puna Lava Flow relief effort. 

For questions and to purchase, please email me: 

Thank you for checking in 

and for all you painters and creatives out there,

keep making (& purchasing) art!

Widdershins/salon challenge #4

So do you know the word widdershins? 

It means, in a counterclockwise direction, left-handed, or wrong direction. 

I am very tempted to title my painting Widdershins, but it might be confusing? 

I should take votes ...

We chose 3 parameters for our Challenge #4:

1. Limited palette:

     - Dioxazine purple

     - Sap green

     - Hansa yellow light

     - Cadmium yellow medium

     - Permanent carmine

2. Use your non-dominant hand to paint (we are all right-handers)

3. Landscape

No size limit - my neutral-toned (with gesso) board is 11 x 14 inches.

Below, my progress with the challenge. 

Charcoal sketch in ... yep, sketched with my left

Alcohol wash to set

My palette (began mixing with my left hand)

First marks were with my fingers ... yes left hand fingers!

View from Vandehey Road   Gaston, Oregon    Oil on panel    11 x 14 inches

Yep, spring was well under way in the Pacific NW when we visited in May.

Using just my left hand WAS a big challenge for me. I found myself with my brush in my right hand more often than I wanted. 

Some of us had unique methods to keep that right hand out of it; 

like duct taping fingers together ... then, because the duct tape was a pain (literally) to remove, painter's tape around the fingers. 

I wish I would have thought to just put a mitten on my hand!

It was decided that we all liked the palette, too!

Next post will be the paintings of two of my co-salon compatriot's work. 

(One of our group cannot reveal her painting due to possible use in another show.)

Thanks for checking in! 

Re-do ...

... of my guitar player painting.

We had our salon reveal the other day and showed 

our left-hand, limited palette paintings.

I will get to those tomorrow,

but I also brought this painting (and another) for critique 

from my dear salon 

peeps.

They gave me some excellent feedback. 

Please look first at this previously posted painting:

before corrections

And then the corrected painting. (the light is a bit different)

Angel      oil on wood panel       18 x 12 inches

What were the issues? (yes, more than one ...)

The hand wasn't too bad but up close, it actually looked rather swollen

& without tendons.

So I looked again and realized there was a shadow under her wrist. 

I took the advice also, to narrow the wrist, which looks ok now. 

AND 

... this was so right on by

my salon group - I needed to give the skull room 

for her brain! It does looks better. ('specially in real life)

I could dink and dink away at this thing, 

but I am finished and will let dry 

then varnish and pop it into that frame that Matt cut down re-sized.

It is so good to have new eyes look at your paintings! 

Do you do this?

It takes some asking and being ready to accept

some truths, but totally worth it.

Ask one or two people you respect.

Thank you for viewing and reading my blog!

Happy painting

&

Happy spring!

Tulip time!

Spring Fav      oil on canvas panel      7 x 5 inches

This was "finished" a few weeks ago
but it was too dark (still is, probably)
so I added some highlights and it brightened up.

Process below:

my small panel holder

block-in

Mixed some Yellow-Jacket nest paper (yep) with oil paint and smashed it on

It is crocus time here in SE AK, 

but tulip time lots of other places. 

Our front yard is clear of snow - finally!

Leaving again for a trip so no posts again for a bit.

I am going to take my gouache paints 

to mess around with

and little sketch easel 

that my hubby made me.

When next I post it should be about our

Salon Challenge #4!

Thanks for checking in and ... as always,

Happy painting!

Guitar Player (part 2 - fini)

Hi! I am back after a few weeks off for family visiting;

here are the rest of the progress photos

for this painting.

Wasn't sure what color her hair should be.
Then it came to me.
She's a redhead! - (my source was blond-ish).

Angel       Oil on wood panel   18 x 12 inches

I'm pleased with her hand. Now to find a vintage frame 

that will go with this work.

Thank you for viewing, 

and I wonder how many of you play guitar?

(I do not ... I tried to learn by myself when I

was a teen, but it didn't work.)

Happy Painting!

Guitar Player (part 1)

Painting a series is an interesting venture 

... adventure!

I've begun a series that started 

with this one:

The blog post about Nan is HERE;

 I finished her just about 4 years ago this month!

(I didn't say this was a fast series ...)

The post about Ann is HERE from a few days into this year.

I didn't have a photo of my own that struck my fancy for my next painting,

but I did find a Tiny Desk Concert with a guitar player that had

a simplicity that looked good so I took a couple of screen shots,

cropped them and I started composing

a painting ... 

Here are the first progress photos. 

(The guitar player may be recognizable in the photo, 

but by the time I am finished, she probably won't be 

... I don't even want her to be.)

My board is 18 x 12, as the other two paintings have been. This shot shows the photo in b&w on iPad.

Grid lines and sketch.

Darks going on (made with Ultramarine Blue + Burnt Umber).

Decided on some greens for the background.

I know the guitar is going to be light but not sure what color yet.

There will be a pause of several days here, but thank you for checking in, and stay

tuned for the final! I am anxious to see what happens.

... and, as always Happy Painting!