Most Viewed 2017

 These are some of my most viewed images from 2017.

 Thanks to everyone for a great year.  

  

Wedding Shoes

My son is getting married and this is a painting of the black patent leather shoes I purchased for the wedding. My dress is a lace sheath dress in charcoal with an illusion neck. It's very pretty and such an exciting time!

Bag on Paper

I've been asked why paint a paper bag, it's not colorful like your other paintings? My answer was that I could see the finished painting even before I began. I'm thrilled when that happens because that's half the work already done for me. This happens when I'm painting a lot. This painting was both interesting and a fun challenge because of the minimal palette.

Painting Lessons make the Perfect Gift

 

Adults can learn the basics of oil painting. 

 In six lessons you'll learn about:

• Studio set up and painting equipment such as surfaces and brushes
• Color temperature or how colors lean – warm/cool and how to use this information to name and mix your colors
• Color intensity – saturated/dull and how to use complementary colors
• Color value – all colors have an intrinsic lightness or darkness right out of the tube
• How to compose a painting 
• Brushwork 
• Drawing techniques
• Framing 
• Reading references

To learn more, click on Thumbtack or the orange button at the right this post.

Fruit and Dishes

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This painting was all about me following the form of the objects with my brush strokes. The light on the objects creates facets plus their shape determines the direction of my strokes.  My interest in art started with sculpture and photography. This has affected my painting style.

Gift Giving this Holiday Season

Thinking of the perfect gift for the holidays, check out the beautiful artwork at the 

Saratoga Arts Members' Show.

Large White Rose of Sharon

This painting was created in March of 2015. I was getting ready for a show and in the process I neglected to post it on my blog. I've started a new category on my DPW Gallery called Larger Work.  I'm excited to display this and other large paintings. I hope viewers will find my bigger pieces interesting and like my point of view.

Under the Glass Table

This painting was inspired by one seen in the National Portrait Gallery in London during our trip there last month.  We visited five museums during our week's stay. The painting was a portrait of a man with his feet under a glass table which seemed to be both figurative and a still life. This idea was new and challenging to me. I wanted to create an interesting point of view and something different from my usual still lifes.

Lemon and Blue Bowl

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Yellow has always been a challenging color for me and lemons are at the apex of that color confrontation. The problem is how to paint what I actually see (a lemon in shadow) and not my idea of a yellow lemon that never gets as dark as it actually appears.  I wanted a warm, vibrant, not greenish or a dull color. I decided upon a color not on my palette, raw sienna and I liked it.  How do I know I made my lemon in shadow dark enough? I used my new little MVP :)  Framed.

Rethinking Directional Lines

I recently purchased Haidee-Jo Summers' new book Vibrant Oils and found it helpful in rethinking this older painting. On page 47 she writes "Avoid these common compositional mistakes: Directional lines that lead the viewer's eye towards the edge of the painting and then out the picture space."  In the top painting I have a line running from the top to the bottom in the painting and the bowl and my eye seems to slip downward. In the bottom painting, I removed the line and consolidated the colors, now my eye stays in the bowl and lingers there.

The JRM Artists' Space at the National Bottle Museum

Looks to be a great show. 

Many Oakroom Artists exhibiting multiple pieces. 

I have three new pieces I'm excited to show.

Artists' Reception October 15 2-4 PM

Black-eyed Susans in Clear Glass Vase

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It seems I paint these Black-eyed Susans every year like the Rose of Sharon flowers in my garden. I painted quick and thick, trying for an impression of them. This year they seemed a little past their prime but no matter, I see them as beautiful.

Pumpkin the Cat

Commission

Rose of Sharon 2017

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This year's Rose of Sharon painting has two flower heads and an orange daylily. I always enjoy the challenge of creating a new version and comparing it to the Rose of Sharon paintings I've done in the past. Click here for previous Rose of Sharon (and other flower) images.

Pale Yellow Glass and Plum

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This past weekend was the Washington County Antiques Festival in Greenwich, NY. It was huge and had lots of booths with glassware and dishes. Perfect for a still life painter. This glass teacup and saucer radiated yellow and gold as I walked by it, as if it was calling to me. The dealer called it Cambridge glass. So I bought it and two interesting frames for works of art I recently purchased. I'm definitely going back to this festival next year.

White Still Life with Blue Glass Goblet

This painting was inspired by Giorgio Morandi, in the compositional sense, and in keeping to a simple palette. I'm usually a quick painter, but this painting took me a lot longer than usual. There were a lot of decisions. I've learned simple is not always easy.

A Drawing by Kelly Smith

This large drawing (charcoal, 32 x 40 ) was created by my friend Kelly Smith. She's a dedicated artist and a wonderful drawer.  She lives and works in Saratoga Springs, NY.  When I saw this drawing at her studio, I fell in love with it. Next, I saw it in a small gallery show in a cafe. Originally she didn't want to sell it, saying it was a study of a detail of a girl from a James Gurney illustration.  I'm happy she changed her mind and I'm excited to have her.  Once framed, she will look lovely in my house.

Inspired by Giorgio Morandi

Painting is a crazy business, at least for me lately. My current painting is inspired by  Giorgio Morandi and what better way to understand someone's work than to make it your own.

His still life paintings are deceptively simple and minimal. There are subtle variations in his values and colors and his compositions are balanced, although tightly packed. When I looked at his work in my library books, I thought okay that's doable. I'm so naive. I based my composition on his work and not on his colors or paint application. The more I worked on my painting the more he impressed me. I like his thick paint, but chose not to apply mine too thickly. To get those subtle grays for my painting I changed my light bulb, tried many color combinations for black (there are a lot!) and decided to tone my canvas. My challenge is to paint all the objects (except the blue glass goblet that reflects everywhere) shades of gray so that they still look like white bottles yet can support my highlights and have depth. I'm 1/3 of the way through the painting and every day is a crazy, mind boggling experience. 

Boxes and Books

I had an idea for this painting after a similar one I completed last summer, The Bookshelf. I painted a small cardboard box on the bottom shelf. I liked the simplicity, colors and values of it; I decided to make the boxes the main subject here.  Inspiration comes from many things, this one came from Donald Judd's sculpture of a stack of colored plexiglass blocks attached to the wall which I saw in a museum in NYC. 

Bowl, Fruit and Striped Cloth "Reimagined"

I had to revisit this painting several times until I was satisfied. The hardest thing about painting is getting those last few strokes right. It seems the design, drawing in, and even painting the majority of the objects goes smoothly. Towards the end, when I'm happy with what I've done, I seem to choke up. I see this on TV when a new golfer plays in a major tournament. They must feel there's a lot at stake and in those last few holes they fall apart.  In my painting, there was too much texture and fussiness in the original hobnail bowl so I smoothed it out and I substituted a couple of (what seemed) over large lemons for an orange. 

Green Bottles and Slide Trumpet 2009

Here's an older painting from before I starting blogging. I always liked it and thought it would be fun to resurrect from the basement and share it. In fact, it caught my husband's attention and now he wants to hang it in his office. 

Summer Exhibits 2017

The FENCE SALON SHOW at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy, NY will soon

 be over on July 2.

It's an interesting show, and I have two pieces on display.

In Saratoga Springs, NY,  the Saratoga Arts is holding their 10 x 10 = $100 show. This large show is being hung and opens July 1st.  I have three pieces there. 

See below for details.

The Oakroom Artists Summer Show at the Unitarian Universalists Society of Schenectady  is open to the public from July 1 through August 30.  I have one larger painting on display.

The summer and fall seasons are full of opportunities for people to view the work of local artists. 

I hope you come out to enjoy all these shows and have a good time.

Oakroom Artists Opening Reception

JUNE17

      Sat 5 PM · Shirt Factory Gallery · Glens Falls, NY

Shirt Factory Gallery

Join us for the Oakroom Artists Group Show Reception this Saturday from 5 - 7 PM 

 Shirt Factory Gallery in Glens Falls, NY. 

The show runs June 7th - July 1st.

Tomato, Scallions and Eggplant

I have to admit, I'm no longer a daily painter. I think that's a good thing. My goal has been to paint larger with more interesting compositions.  I've been playing around with the idea of painting interiors with an approach of expanding on the still life theme.  It has to be colorful but not fussy or detailed. Like taking a step back and including more of the space. Anyway, this painting took me several days and I'm happy with the outcome.

Blue Pitcher, Tulips and Orange

True to alla prima painting, I painted one section at a time and as a result, it took me a while to complete.  I'm happy with the result; it's full of light and color and all areas of the canvas are activated.

My Students' Work

I want to thank my students for allowing me to post their work. I'm very proud of them. 

They've worked really hard to create these beautiful paintings. It is a pleasure helping them fulfill their dream of oil painting.

                              

Preparing for an Art Show

Preparing for an art exhibition includes many steps and lots of planning. It's been two years since my last OA show. During that time I sold paintings, but also saved paintings for this exhibit. I'm thrilled to be showing with two other experienced and talented artists. We met and worked together on our postcard and divided up other responsibilities. We promoted the show within the last two weeks by sending out postcards and ecards.

Here's a short list of what went into my getting ready:

• Images of paintings were saved on my computer and online.
• The paintings were framed and referenced with an inventory list.
• Food and beverage lists were made up and soon I'll be shopping and cooking.
• Hostesses were assigned and some volunteered.
• Paintings were readied for transport.
• Our paintings will be hung tomorrow and numbered and price lists printed.

I plan to arrive early on Sunday to set up, and then enjoy my friends and family.
If I forgot anything, no matter, at this point my goal is to have fun.

View my previous post with show information

Blue/Green Bowl on White Plate

This bowl came all the way from a Florida thrift, which I visited with my mother a couple of weeks ago. A trip to the thrifts always ends with something new to paint. The bowl's colors were pretty, but subtle, and I tried to capture its airiness. I added an orange and plate and got circles within circles.  

Color + Light - My Oakroom Artists 2017 Show

Where and When

Blue Hobnail Bowl and Fruit on Striped Cloth

The month is almost over and I've had only two posts. The reason is that I've changed my focus from painting small and often to working on a larger piece and teaching.  I'm giving myself time to explore this new opportunity of teaching, which I really enjoy. 

Below is my still life set-up including a hobnail bowl a friend Michelle Winnie gave me. 

I generally simplify my objects when painting and this bowl is far from simple. 

My drawing

The textures and colors of this bowl were complicated. I tried to suggest its' texture by putting only a few of the hobnails located on the outside of the bowl. To add more would have been too fussy. Instead, I concentrated on getting the look of glass.

Playing around with Animoto

Blue Hobnail Bowl and Fruit on Striped Cloth

Green Glasses and Plums

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The low light in winter makes it difficult to photograph paintings. Some artists have figured out how to set up lighting indoors. Here's an article Lighting Tips for Indoor Photography that's simple enough for even me to understand. I haven't tried it yet so today I shoveled my deck and used the Carol Marine method of photography. See Carol Marine's FAQ and scroll down to How do you photograph your paintings?.

Clear Glass Goblet, Orange and Cherry Tomatoes

I've been painting a lot of fruit and dishes as usual. Glass is the most fun and challenging of still life objects I have in my studio, except for metal. I've been more selective about activities other than painting and that's made a big difference in my being focused. I teach two days a week and love it.

Value Study

It's amazing to me that by combining red, blue and green as well as other mixtures, you can get awesome blacks and grays. Inspired by a value study seen online it has become part of my first session when teaching.

Red Pear on Blue Square

I haven't painted pears in what seems like ages.

 I forgot how challenging they can be, especially these red pears.

Lemon in Bowl

Lemon yellow and violet are fun complementary colors to paint together. Each wants to compete for superiority. I tried to give them equal billing in this painting. 

Glass Goblet and Oranges

Looser and looser down the rabbit hole.

 Every time I feel myself tightening up I wipe off my painting (in this case yesterday's painting), take out a bigger brush and start again. I have no choice in the matter. I get a feeling in my gut that something is wrong and I know from experience it's the painting, not me or something in my life. In almost all cases, I feel better once I redo it.

Stacked and Plum

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This painting was fast and loose, which worked out well since I've been busy organizing the Oakroom Artists' Winter Exhibition. The show was hung yesterday. There were lots of people helping out and I want to take this opportunity to thank them all. It's a great show with beautiful art and worth a visit.

Oakroom Artists Winter Exhibition

Artwork by 25 Oakroom Artists on view at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady

 From Jan. 13th - Feb. 28. 

Opening reception Jan. 22nd, 1:30-3:00