Woke up this morning to crazy wild animal sounds....coyotes yipping...dogs barking...something really unhappy...kind of disconcerting.  I like it better when it's the owls hooting....warm day again today...fall leaves everywhere...including this one...so giving it another try...leaf #2...if I keep at it I imagine I will get closer to what I want.  Sometimes the learning curve is frustrating.  Always good to keep at it...bust through faster. Patience isn't always one of my virtues....heheheh......

October 23, 2012

Hot off the easel....decided to have some fun today and get more playful.  Crows will show up in my work in many forms, I'm sure...since i find corvids so fascinating in general...and they make great studies.  I hope to get another painting in today too....but it's a pretty day and garden clean up is next.... so maybe another painting session will be my reward.
Update here....woke up this morning to learn that this painting is sold....my first from the Daily Paintworks sight.....nice way to start the day!  In gratitude and with a big smile.  Better get busy on a new one. 

October 17, 2012

Into the Valley

Oil on Board

9 x 12

My morning walking partner and good friend keeps her horse at a ranch in Woodacre....I love to visit there.....love the smells...the colors..the horses, buildings.....all of it..especially having been a horse owner, and eternal horse lover as well....and it is a favorite of plein air classes and groups.....although I haven't had the pleasure yet myself to actually paint on site...things to look forward to....But this picture is just as you drop over the hill and down into the valley....right before you make the turn to the ranch.....it was a lovely morning with the fog just lifting.....
And the good news is this painting is now sold......

October 14, 2012

I often walk a bird sanctuary that is right off of 101......it's easy to forget that you are in the midst of an urban area with a shopping center on the other side of the freeway.....the sanctuary is full of a large variety of birds (who also seem to be oblivious to the freeway) and I always have my camera with me....this scene is always inspiring and depending on the weather can be moody and mysterious, which I like, but this day the sun was shining and the colors vibrant.
On the Daily Paintworks page this was a DPW pick of the day.
This painting is now unavailable....and in the hands of a dear friend.

October 12, 2012

Well...so much for looseness....this is today's effort.....not so happy with the tightness of it...but I learned some things...as always, when I pick up the brush and start laying on paint.  I'll work on loosening up again on the next one.  May be time for the ten minute exercise again.  So helpful for getting more gestural...less literal.....I need to figure out how to dull down the blue in my photographs, too....it always shows up more bright and blue than it is.  More learning...always. 

October 11, 2012

It was such a pleasure to fall asleep last night to the sounds and smells of rain, first time this season!  This morning's walk was all about the changing season and how beautiful fall is.....and coming down the hill there was a tree full of corvids agains the blue gray sky and inspired me to do this painting....and to try a different approach...a little looser.  Here is the result:

Corvid Morning

Oil on Board

8 x 6

I was happy that I was able to stay loose.....looser for me anyway.  Trying to capture the attitude instead of every little detail.  

October 9, 2012

Not too long ago I experimented with oil pastels...drawing the images, moving the oil pastel around with mineral spirits and a brush...and when that dries as much as it is going to, given the nature of oil pastels..applying a layer or two of linseed oil...which then makes it an oil painting and does not require glass to protect it.  I like the grainy and sort of dreamlike quality...and like the drawing factor.  I was happy with the results.  Here is the first one:

Afternoon Walk, Lake Bon Tempe

Oil Pastel, Linseed Oil on Board

9 x 12

A gift to my son who loves nature and walking.  

Golden Hills

Oil Pastel , Linseed Oil on Board

9 x 12

In a private collection in Sonoma County

Yesterday was a big flop and my painting ended up wiped out...in more ways than one.  Hoping for better today.  

October 8, 2012

Back stepping a little bit this painting was done while taking a class from the excellent Marsha McAllister in Friday Harbor, WA....My first landscape and in a private collection. 

October 7, 2012

I was working on this painting and not really liking the way it was turning out so I decided to just play with it....and this is the result.  I like it when I am not so attached to outcome and can move into exploring, playing......Not always easy for me.....I get sooo serious......and really.....best to have fun!!

Lemon Afternoon was sold at auction benefitting the victims of Hurricane Sandy through Daily Paintworks 12/21/2012

September 3, 2012

Time to start posting my paintings a day.....and the challenge of keeping up with that!  I love a challenge......making painting a priority, as much as I want to do it, is a challenge in itself.....being a queen of procrastination......but paint, paint, paint......the only way to move forward, learn......keep learning.  I started by doing Carol Marine's ten minute challenge.  Break your canvas up into 4 squares....or however many I suppose, pick one object and give yourself ten minutes to paint it....no cheating.  Its a great exercise for me because one of the things I would like to do is loosen up.  This is the third and most successful of this exercise.  

I have to admit that I did cheat a bit.....15 minutes each.  But I'll give this exercise a try again soon...and be more strict with myself.  The exercise evolved into a series of 6 x 8 paintings, one a day....most  of them now posted at www.dailypaintworks.com.  This was a big move for me, to go so public, as was this blog.  But if not now when, and so I got over myself and I'm happy with the results.  It's a great site, supportive and active, with new challenges posted weekly which are really helpful when you are struggling with finding something to paint on your own, and some amazing artists.  

This started the 6x 8 series

The Old Pitcher

Oil on Board

8 x 6

Followed by

Nasturtium

Oil on Board

6 x 8

I love flowers and am an avid gardener so they will no doubt be showing up in my paintings quite a bit.  Gardening, for me, is another way of painting.....an art form that I constantly learn from.

Dreams of Flight

Oil on Board

6 x 8

I have always been fascinated with Corvids, as well as bones, feathers, birds in general, well, nature and the cycle of life.  Another theme I imagine running through my paintings, bringing the interior out.

This was a very fast sketch and I think I will work on it some more....

Just Resting

Oil on Board

8 x 6

 My entry into the Birdbrain challenge.  So much fun to do!! First gull...I think I will do more.  They have so much character.  Now I'm off to take the pup for a walk.  Part of my routine is at least one good walk a day.  Cheers.