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 Painting

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

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

I also like the guy's yellow trunks.

UPDATE (9/19/2108):
I donated this painting to our local "Juneau Love Project". 
My donation contributed to the Hawaii Lava Threat Fundraiser 
because someone bid on it.
I don't know who has this painting, but I am so happy it has a home.

Thank you for checking in 

and for all you painters and creatives out there,

keep making (& purchasing) art!

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!