Daily Adventures in Art - What will it be today??

December at Matthews Winters Park

2010-12-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago the PAAC group met at Matthews Winters Open Space Park for our weekly paint out. It was pretty dry and dusty - no snow for the end of the year.

Winter Fields

Pastel on Wallis Paper

18 x 12

Hercules

2010-05-10T10:26:00.000-06:00

This is a painting that has been in progress for about 2 years. Mostly just in my head though. I never really started it even though I had all the photos and had done my research. I just couldn't paint him at the time. Can't really say except I wasn't painting much of anything for a while. Just too bogged down by reality I guess. But I started cleaning up my studio and found the pics and somehow I just knew the time was right. The painting flowed so easily.

This is Hercules. He belonged to a friend who I have never met except through email. We have bunnies in common. Here's to you Leslie.

Hercules

11x14, Oil on Canvas

Tuesday's Paint Out in Downtown Morrison, CO

2010-05-05T13:42:00.001-06:00

Yesterday the PAAC group met in historic, downtown Morrison, CO. It was really a fabulous morning although the wind got to be a bit wild. Several people painted under the pink trees (don't know what kind they are) and painted the pink house! It was a lovely spot, but I went for a shadow and light painting of backlit cottonwoods and a local restaurant (Beso de Arte). The trees were just starting to get some buds here and there while others are still bare.

Under the Cottonwoods
Morrison, Colorado

11x14, Oil on Canvas Board

Plein Air Painting on the Colorado Trail

2010-04-28T11:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I went with Tricia Bass and Lynne Milliken up to Breckenridge to paint on the Colorado Trail. We met up with their friend Amy who is also a wonderful painter and the 4 of us hiked up the trail a short way and set up our easels. A couple of furries went along too - Tricia's dogs Noelle and Raisin. We all got a bit muddy since we seemed be in the middle of the spring runoff. My new Sketchers took a bit of beating!

Off the Trail

11 x 14, oil on canvas panel

Artists With Altitude Presents...."To Denver With Love"

2010-04-25T12:28:00.002-06:00

My artist group "Artists With Altitude" is pleased to announce our first Denver art show down in the Santa Fe Arts District in Denver, CO. We will be hosted by Alpine Fine Arts Center http://www.thestandingsun.com/ (previously called The Standing Sun Gallery) at 826 Santa Fe Drive.

The opening is on Friday night, May 21st from 6 to 9 pm. Come join us for a glass of wine and view the art of 12 dedicated working artists. The show will hang from May 21st through May 30, 2010.

Join the Farm

2010-04-25T11:25:00.000-06:00

I just joined the Grant Farms CSA. Community Supported Agriculture.

Did you know that you can buy organic produce, eggs, bread, meat and dairy directly from the farmers who grow and produce these things? And I'm not talking about going to the Farmers Market or joining a food coop. With a CSA you can purchase a share of the harvest and all year long you will receive whatever is in season. And even better for us, our pick-up location is about 3 minutes away! That's even closer than the local supermarket by about 5 miles!

I just purchased a share of produce and a half-share of eggs. So from June till December my husband and I will received all kinds of fresh produce and eggs from hens that aren't stuffed into a coop for their entire lives. We can even go visit the farm! So one of these days, we will take a trip to northern Colorado and visit the farm. Seems like a really wonderful way to support local agriculture, reduce shipping costs and greenhouse gases, eat organically and enjoy some new veggies too.

This should work out very well with our Meatless Monday commitment too! http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

Birthday Party in Breckenridge

2010-04-25T11:15:00.000-06:00

My wonderful friend Debbie J has a beautiful ski getaway in Breckenridge. She just hosted a birthday party there for me and my friend Debbie K. Instead of shopping or skiing, it was a painting and cake eating birthday weekend.

I decided to keep it simple and just paint some things on hand at Debbie beautiful home. She had some nice floral arrangements that made for wonderful still life subjects. Both used the same palette, so they look nice together!

Floral Study with Pears

11x 14, Oil on Panel

Floral Study with Oranges
11x14 Oil on Canvas Panel

Why Meatless? (Join the Meatless Monday Movement)

2010-04-25T11:06:00.001-06:00

Why Meatless?

I like anything with a face - especially if it's a furry face. Why should we eat our furry friends when there are so many other things to eat? Plus eating more plant based foods is so much better for your heart. So, be good to your heart and be good to the planet at the same time.

Want to learn more - visit the web site http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

Just back from Sayulita Mexico

2010-03-17T15:32:00.000-06:00

I just spent a week in Sayulita, Mexico with 4 other women who are all painters for the Evergreen area. Our friend Jean has a house on a hill just over downtown Sayulita. We could walk down to the square and to the beach from her place. We had a great time going out painting, exploring Sayu and eating out. I did great for most of the week but the last night I was visited by the ghost of Montezuma. ugh. Fortunately I wasn't sick on the plane trip home but didn't feel great. But I sure was glad to get home. Still feel a little yucky.

Anyway, we had a wonderful time painting and even had a little art show our last night there. We call it the First Annual Sayulita Art Festival. We all sold paintings and had a little less to carry home. Here is one right around back from where I stayed.

Jan's Laundry

8x10, Oil on panel

sold

100 for $100 Center for the Arts Evergreen

2010-03-03T18:10:00.001-07:00

Every year our local art center does a fundraising event called 100 for $100. One hundred artists donate a piece of art, one hundred people buy a ticket for $100. Then they call your number and you get to pick from the 100 pieces of art, that is, if your number is the first one called. You get the idea. It's not a whole lot of fun to be the 100th person called since there isn't much to choose from.

As an artist making a donation, I must admit it is a bit tricky. You don't want to donate something very large or something that is your very best work because you want to reserve those pieces for entering into shows and/or sales venues. On the other hand, you sure don't want to donate something terrible because your artwork speaks for you even when you aren't present! And of course, you don't want your piece to be the last one chosen. So, you try to find a piece worth at least $100 that you want people to want!!!!!

Anyway, it's never an easy choice. This year I'm donating a rather large painting because I don't have many small pieces that I'm ready to give up. Sometimes my small studies need to hang around in case I want to use them to paint a larger painting. So, I'm donating a 20x24 gallery wrapped canvas with deep edges. I think it's got a nice mood, but I have never show it or gotten any feedback, so I really don't know how it will be viewed. Will anyone want it??? I sure hope so. It's a view looking down into one of our open space parks here in Evergreen.

Noble Meadow
20x24, Oil on Canvas

Playing Catch-up

2010-03-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

Well here we go. I'm posting several paintings from the last few months. They were in a show and I never had time to photograph them. But the show is over so I'm quickly taking pics before sending them off to the next stop.

The first if from last tuesday's paint out at Bluff Lake. Then a couple from last summer at Evergreen Lake and Broce Ranch. All were done plein air.

Winter, Bluff Lake, 8x10

Backlit, Evergreen Lake, 16 x 20

Summer Reflections, Broce Ranch, 12 x 16

Morning Light, Evergreen Lake, 8 x 10

It's been a crazy week...

2010-02-25T10:37:00.001-07:00

Made a little jewely and worked on a little pianting. Have to photograph my painting from Tuesday so I can add it. But here is a little sparkle for now...

Carnelian faceted briolettes and fine silver paillettes on delicate silver chain

No time for art today... just time for bunnies

2010-02-22T20:23:00.001-07:00

Took little bunny to the vet today. She had a terrible abcess on her jaw last year and it's coming back just a little bit. The vet said to watch it so we could fix it early before she would need to have surgery. To fix a large abcess on a bunny, you have to open the abcess and keep it open because it will not drain - it must be flushed out daily to get all the gunk out cuz the gunk is thick like toothpaste. The only way to keep the wound open is to sew it open - they call it marsupializing the abcess. Weird, eh? Anyway, we did not have to to that this time cuz the abcess is very small, but I will still have to flush it daily. Little Daisy bunny is soooo tiny and I'm trying to put some weight on her. Here she is:

She is a foster bunny and she and her husbunn Thumper are available for adoption through the Evergreen Animal Protective League http://www.eapl.com/

A Day of Jewelry

2010-02-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my friend Mireya and I spent the afternoon at my studio making jewelry and goofing around. I had several projects that I had started but hadn't finished yet. So that's what I worked on. You can see them in my Etsy shop at the top of my blog. But, since the etsy shop changes daily, I'll post a few pics.

These are made using antique stampings and filigree. Some of the molds for the stampings are quite old - around the turn of the last century. I love antique jewelry and it's so exciting to be able to buy these stampings that originated so long ago. They are made of brass and then oxidized for a nice aged patina. Just beautiful.

Standing in an old barn...

2010-02-18T11:40:00.001-07:00

About 2 weeks ago my painting class with Doug Dawson from the Art Students League of Denver did a plein air class at the Arboritum at the Chatfiled Preserve Botanical Gardens. There is an old farm there with a farmhouse, barns, old buggies and some sheep and goat and chickens too. I stood in the barn and did my plein air study. It was dark - couldn't see my paints very well and once in a while a goat or sheep peeked in to say hello. It was a lot of fun!

Here is my study - I took it back to my studio and worked on it but I don't think I'm quite done with it yet.

12 x 16, oil on panel

Tuesday's Paint Out at Lair of the Bear

2010-02-17T18:38:00.001-07:00

Last week sometime I joined PAAC - Plein Air Artists of Colorado. It's a group of local artists who paint outside every tuesday at various locations in the area. Since I know quite a few of the artists, I thought it would be fun to join and share the experience while finding new painting spots. So, here this tuesday's location shot and my painting done plein air. I like it but need to live with it for a little while to see what it needs.

here is the image from that day with one of the other artists (Cliff) at his easel.

Does it work?

Sunken Treasures

2010-02-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

"Sunken Treasures"

Wire wrapped fantasy necklace of pink Peruvian opals, pearls, shell, crystal,

cherry quartz, labradorite, all wire wrapped with thin silver wire. More pearls and crystals spill

out of the silver nautilus bead! yummy.

A few paintings

2010-02-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

Antique Pipe Bags
12 x 16, Oil on Canvas Board

Copper Pot and Oranges
16 x 20, Oil on Linen

Pics, Pics and more pics...

2010-02-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

Wire Mesh Lace With Swarovski Galactic Red Magma Crystal

"Think Spring Bangle Bracelet"
Wire Wrapped Peruvian Pink Opals, Cherry Quartz and Silver Bali Beads

Wire Mesh Lace, Crystal, Pearl and Filigree Wrapped Green Turquoise Necklace

Hand crafted fine silver birds nest pendant necklace made with PMC precious metal clay,
jasper beads and pearls

So, this is a little of what I've been working on for the last few months....

Starting all over again

2010-02-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

I just set up a new web site for my jewelry, set up an Etsy store to sell my jewelry, and updated my artist (painting) site to bring it up to date and worked on my artist statement. Whew. Now, I've made a vow to start blogging again. It's been a while since I've done that. I think I got too blown away by our disgusting economy and shut down for a while. But, now I'm trying to get things back together again.

In the last year or more, I've kept up with my painting, although I can't claim to be a Daily Painter the way I set out to be. In the meantime, I started beading with some friends, and now I'm addicted to making jewelry and painting! Not easy considering I also had to start working more again. So, I go a little crazy trying to keep it all together.

I decided to sign up for an Artist Salon. The goal is to work on our marketing. It's based on a book and web site by Alyson Stanfield. Over about three months time, a group of us meet on a regular bases to set and meet goals related to expanding our artist careers. So I've set a lot of goals. And blogging is one of them. So, here I go again.

This time around though, I will talk about my paintings and my jewelry. Two fun subjects where the learning never stops. So, here are a few links to what I have been doing:

My art web site: http://www.chrisorlikowski.com
My Etsy store: http://www.boobooboo3.etsy.com
My jewelry web site: http://www.idigitdesigns.com

That was easy. Now if I could only figure out how to add some images!

Daybreak Upper Bear Creek

2008-06-16T11:22:00.002-06:00

Daybreak, Upper Bear Creek
Pastel, 24 x 18

Here is a new pastel inspired by the smaller one done several weeks ago. It started in a plein air class about two years ago when we were outside along Bear Creek during the summer. I never finished the smaller painting and had put it into storage while building my new art studio. When I took it out this spring, I decided that it needed a little something! So I changed it from full daylight into a sunset. It's fun to take out an old painting and feel free to experiment. After changing that painting into a low key, sunset painting, I thought it would be fun to try it again in a larger size. So the smaller painting inspired this larger painting! I changed my viewpoint so that I my horizon line moved up, and I changed my palette and key to sunrise instead of sunset. It was great fun to use the older painting as in inspiration and I think I will now take this painting as the inspiration for another version! I wonder how far I can take it?

Peonies on Red

2008-06-09T11:46:00.004-06:00

Peonies on Red
Oil on Canvas
20 x 24

I haven't posted or painted in over a week! I've had company and have been getting ready for the Art Students League of Denver Summer Art Market which takes place next weekend (June 14th & 15th). I have a booth with two friends. This is the first painting I've had time to do in over a week. I tried to use the same techniques that I learned from the dvd by Robert Johnson (see my previous post). It was harder to do without the aid of the dvd, but I did try to use the same order of blocking in, painting in the dark background, establishing the darks and lights and using the fresh thick paint for my flowers. I'm pretty happy with the painting although it could use some refinement. There's a lot going on with all the flowers and leaves and the rug and I got a little overwhelmed at the end trying to finish it, so I think I better live with it for a while and then maybe I'll know what it needs. But it's been exciting to discover this wonderful painter and his book and dvds!

Dahlias in Silver

2008-05-26T21:10:00.007-06:00

Dahlias in a silver pitcher on an oriental rug. I never finished painting the rug because I had to return the dvd... This is my second painting done with a dvd by Robert Johnson. This was pretty hard but I had a good time painting it and learned a lot from the dvd. He has a great process and I like the way he applies thick paint. I wanted to set up my own still life but my dahlias never opened up enough, so I painted along with the video which I don't recommend. It's much better to have your own still life to work with. I don't know if I can paint the same way without watching the video, but it will be good to try it on my own and see if I can duplicate his process and impasto!

Pansies in a Teacup

2008-05-23T19:33:00.003-06:00

Pansies in a Teacup

8x10 - Oil on Canvas Board

Here is a little painting of more pansies! I'm still in my "pansy period" I guess. Anyway, the teacup is supposed to have a floral design on it but I'm not sure I'm going to add it. Maybe that's too fussy? The teacup has violets painted on it. I may glaze them on...

Pansies on Red Rug

2008-05-07T16:50:00.006-06:00

Pansies on Red Rug
Oil on Canvas - 16 x 20

Here was my set up for the pansies on the red rug. I had rented a dvd called Painting Pansies by Robert Johnson and my friend Debbie and I decided to paint along with the dvd. I set up a similar still life to the one he does on the dvd. He makes it look so easy! But after a while I had too much paint - especially on my background - and it was turning into goo. So I thought I better scrape it off and let it set up a little. I came back to it yesterday and finished it and I like it but the technique I was trying for didn't quite come into fruition. BUT, with that said, the dvd was really good and I'm going to try it again. Watching him put in the pansies was great and I was doing pretty well with that, it was just laying in the background color that hosed me because it didn't stay light and airy as I had wanted.

I'm going out of town for a week so this will be my last post for a little while!

Pansy Study

2008-05-07T10:30:00.004-06:00

Pansy Study - Pastel
12 x 16
Click to Buy

This was my first attempt at pansies - did it before the painting below but forgot to post it! This is a lot looser and sketchier than the still life painting. I'm having so much fun painting pansies that I even did one more in oil that I will post later today. Will go over to the studio and take a picture of it.

Pansies

2008-05-02T21:25:00.003-06:00

Pansy Still Life

Pastel - 18 x 24

Click to Buy

Boy am I ready for spring. Today is May 2nd and it was cold and windy and yesterday we had snow. But in my studio it's spring! Yippee!

Cinnabar and Dragon

2008-04-30T21:08:00.003-06:00

Cinnabar and Dragon
Pastel - 12 x 18

Click to Buy

This is a fairly large vase from the Humphrey Museum, from about the 18th Century. It sits in the parlor on top of the piano at the museum. Next to it is a Japanese bowl decorated with a dragon. This was a study for a larger painting that is in progress. It may be in progress for a long time since I'm not all that crazy about it, but I'm very happy with this study.

What a struggle!

2008-04-26T08:50:00.002-06:00

Acoma Pot - In progress - Maybe will never be done!

This was a huge struggle. I couldn't work from life and my photo was dark, the image was distorted and I didn't know how to paint a pot with a lot of decoration, so I kep painting it out and trying to put it back in again. Then I realized the pot is too blue anyway. Since I took this pic it has changed again and may never be done because I just don't know how to do this. I think the next time I will paint a very plain pot. But, it was fun to try and I learned a lot - what NOT to do! The painting looks strained to me - I know how hard I worked on it and although it kind of nice, all I see is the struggle.

Bright Pink Peony

2008-04-20T19:30:00.004-06:00

Bright Pink Peony
Pastel - 12 x 12
Click to Buy

Just having some fun with soft pastel and flowers!

Upper Bear Creek Sunrise

2008-04-20T19:23:00.005-06:00

Upper Bear Creek Sunrise
Pastel - 11 x 14

Click to Buy

Here is a painting I never was able to finish. I worked on it and brushed it off and then did that again and then finally washed it! Wallis paper is unbelieveable - it takes all kinds of abuse. Anyway, I finally am happy with it!

2008-04-19T20:40:00.003-06:00

The Humphrey Carriage House
Oil - 12 x 16

Click to Buy

This is another image from the Humphrey Museum. It's the old carriage house. Really just a little place where you could tie up your horse. A little path leads to the front door of the ranch house.

Mountain Chick

2008-04-15T18:44:00.004-06:00

Mountain Chick
Oil on Canvas Board - 8 x 10
Not Available

Here's a tweet little guy! or girl? Don't really know. We mostly get Mountain Chickadees here where I live but every once in a while we get a Black Capped Chickadee at the suet feeder. I painted this one for my friend - from one mountain chick to another!

In The Museum

2008-04-13T21:11:00.007-06:00

In The Museum
Pastel - 18 x 24

Here is my new painting inside the Western Room of the Humphrey Memorial Park and Museum. It's a very crowded room with pretty much every square inch filled with collectibles that were acquired by 3 generations of Humphrey women. The items are fantasic and the musuem is a real gem of Colorado history. I tried to give a sense of what it is like to be in this very full room! To learn more about the museum, visit their web site at http://www.hmpm.org/.

Still Life with Copper Pot

2008-04-13T09:02:00.006-06:00

Still Life with Copper Pot
Oil on Canvas Board - 12x16
Sold

This is a still life of another one of my yard sale acquisitions. I find the most interesting things at yard sales. It is sitting on a little wooden box that was another yard sale find. Actually, my last couple of posts are all yard sale treasures! Anyway, I first painted this as a small study but liked it so much and thought I could improve the appearance of my copper (that was hard to do) so I repainted it a little bigger. I put it in a show a couple weeks ago but didn't post it because I didn't have a good photo. It sold at the show but I borrowed it back to have it scanned. This was a breakthrough painting for me. I did it as a low-key painting with an analagous color scheme and I think it came out nice. Sort of hated to sell it! But it went to a nice couple who are building their new home in an arts and crafts style, so it was a great fit!

Short and Stout

2008-04-10T17:59:00.008-06:00

Short and Stout

Pastel - 24 x 18

Click to Buy

Remember that nursery rhyme about the teapot? Well, this little brass teapot made me think of that. Anyway, this is a companion piece to my blue and white pitcher that I did a few blogs ago. They have the same background treatment and similar subject matter. I'm trying to improve my elipses, fruit and reflections! Hope you like this one.

Blue and White and Orange

2008-04-05T18:30:00.006-06:00

Blue and White and Orange
Oil on Canvas - 12 x 16
Click to Buy

I have finished my still life but I will have to replace this picture. It just didn't come out right. I need to adjust my exposure. I tried fixing it in my computer but it's just wierd. Anyway, I'm pretty happy with it but it is quite different than the pastel. The pastel has a scratchiness and texture that I really like - the oil is smoother and more refined. Both are good. I'll have to let this "ripen" a little - that way I'll start to see my mistakes!

At The Humphrey Museum

2008-04-05T08:38:00.005-06:00

At The Humphrey Museum

Sketch - Pastel

This is a quick sketch with pastel on Canson paper. A local artist gave me a couple of pieces of the paper to try out. I can't say that I like the paper very much but I do like the sketch. I'll probably try this again some time in the future on my usual surface which is Wallis sanded paper. The subject is from the Humphrey Museum here in Evergreen. It was originally a one-room prove-up cabin that was started in the 1870s. The first owner had to live on the homestead for three months of each year and eventually the state of Colorado would grant ownership of the 350 acres of land. The Humphrey family purchased the land in 1920. The family had one three year old daugher named Hazel Lou who lived there until her death in 1995; she was 78 years old. Hazel Lou envisioned that her ranch and home would someday be a museum. She left a trust fund and a will that created what is now the Humphrey Memorial Park and Museum. I occasionally do volunteer work at the museum and my friend and I painted there a couple of times. This image is from part of the display. The museum has a large collection of native american jewelry, crafts and pottery. It's very cool - take a look: www.hmpm.org.

Big Red Gerbera

2008-04-05T08:20:00.004-06:00

Big Red Gerbera
Acrylic on Canvas - 24 x 30

Click to Buy

Here is the update to the gerbera daisy from 2 days ago. The point of these acrylic paintings is to paint fast and loose to counteract how slow and detailed I can tend to get with my oil paintings. I much prefer the oil paints but find it somehow easier to experiment with the acrylics. Maybe I just attach some sort of importance to the oils that makes me feel like I have to be serious! I do learn a lot by experimenting in other mediums and I think it allows me to take chances and not be so timid. When I first started to paint I was so afraid that I'd ruin something that I wouldn't experiment. Now I know that the only way to get better is to make mistakes and learn what works and what doesn't. So, I make a LOT of mistakes - hopefully that means I'm learning a lot!

Big Red Gerbera (step 1)

2008-04-03T18:24:00.004-06:00

Well here is new one that I'm doing in acrylic on canvas. Haven't gotten past step one just because I ran out of time and out of steam! Acrylic dries so fast that it's easy to do all at once, but this is kind of nice to see the stages. I blocked it in with watercolor - just to get my shapes on the canvas. Then started adding deeper color. I came back to it later and started to refine the petals because at this stage I think it looks like a feather duster! Anyway, I hope to get back to it tonight or tomorrow and will post the final image!

In the meantime, I worked a little bit on my oil still life and hope to finish it by the weekend. It's close to being done now. I need to add the stems to my pears and grapes, and a few highlights. My friend Bev came over today and gave me a few pointers on where to soften edges and mute some colors. To see some beautiful stuff - go see her web site at www.beverlyendsley.com.

Blue and White Pitcher (Oil painting In progress)

2008-04-02T18:08:00.008-06:00

Blue & White Pitcher - Pastel Painting

Blue and White Pitcher - Oil painting (in progress)

I've been painting this same subject in both pastel and oil. The top one is the pastel and below is the oil which is not quite finished. It's been interesting to try the same scene in two different mediums. Not sure which I prefer, but I've enjoyed doing both. The pastel is more "painterly" at the moment because I spray between layers and it creates some rough, gritty passages that really add some dimension. The oil is nice because I can glaze it to get the depth of color that I want. Anyway, not sure what all this means but it's all good. I hope to finish the oil painting in the next day or so and will post the finished product.

My new studio

2008-03-31T21:37:00.005-06:00

I don't have a new painting to post today. I had to work all day and only got to spend about an hour working on a painting that I started a couple of days ago. As an experiment, I am painting the same still life in pastel and in oil. Just want to see the difference. So, when the oil is done I will post it next to the pastel. I'm liking both so far and there are nice things about both mediums. So many options! So little time!

Reach For The Sky

2008-03-29T22:16:00.003-06:00

Reach For The Sky
Acrylic on Canvas - 30 x 40

OK, so I decided to post one more painting before going to bed. I really am behind on my postings so I figure I better go with it while I'm in the mood!

Here I am looking up through the aspen trees! How many times have you done that? I've wanted to paint this for a long time, but just didn't know how. I finally just went for it - it was painted quickly with acrylics. I had a lot of fun with this one and will probably do a few more. Living in Colorado, you can't help but love those aspens with all their "elk scars".

Blushing Pears With Grapes

2008-03-29T22:06:00.003-06:00

Blushing Pears with Grapes
Oil on Panel, 16 x 12
Click to Buy
I thought I'd post one more painting before calling it a night. This is a still life that I finished a couple of days ago. I had to finish it using my photo. I took so long on it that my pears started to turn so I finally ate them! I'm glad I had most of the painting done before that because it's much better to have the real thing in front of you. I hadn't added the stems yet, so when I ate the pears, I saved one of the stems!

Sunlit Path

2008-03-29T21:57:00.003-06:00

Sunlit Path

Pastel - 20 x 26

This painting was another one that I submitted to the art show at my church. I was going to submit an oil painting but I just couldn't get it done in time. I wanted to add another layer of glaze and I was running out of time. So I decided to submit a second pastel painting. This was one that I had finished but was never quite happy with. It just didn't glow enough. So I took it out of the frame and reworked it. I made the colors glow more, simplified my shapes, and added some sunbeams filtering through the trees. I think it looks "inspirational" and thought it would be a good submission for our church.

Autumn Blaze

2008-03-29T21:52:00.003-06:00

Autumn Blaze

Pastel - 22 x 28

This is a pastel that I started a few years ago but never finished. It just wasn't working for me. At that time my art teacher was always pushing us to work on the "dark shape". Eventually the painting just became dark and sort of foreboding. Not the feeling I wanted to create. I really wanted to show the blaze of autumn colors in Rocky Mountain National Park in the fall. I know I may have pushed things a little bit in this reincarnation, but maybe I just had to go a little in the opposite direction! It's colorful and makes me feel the brilliance of sunlight hitting the aspens in the fall.

El Santuario de Chimayo

2008-03-29T21:40:00.004-06:00

El Santuario de Chimayo
Pastel - 16 x 12

This is a painting of El Santuario de Chimayo which is a beautiful sanctuary in New Mexico, between Taos and Santa Fe. I went there about 11 or 12 years ago with my friend Dot. Back then I didn't paint but I was an active photographer. I photographed this church using black and white infrared film and then printed it myself. For years the photo has been in a box. About 2 weeks ago I started going through some things that I had stored and I found the photo. At the same time, our local church announced an art show that would open the same day that our new sanctuary was going to open. Our church has grown so much that they had to build a larger sanctuary. So, when I found my photo it seemed like perfect synchonicity. I did the painting in pastel on Wallis sanded paper. I only had a couple of days to submit it for the art show, so I did my own framing (not something I usually do for pastel). I don't know if the painting will be accepted or not, but it doesn't matter because the creation of this painting from the photo taken so long ago was a real treat.

Back to the Blog

2008-03-29T21:30:00.005-06:00

Still Life with Blue and White Pitcher
Pastel - 24 x 18

Well it has been months since I've updated my blog. But that does not mean that I haven't been painting. In fact, I'm painting more than ever. Everyday I try to get through whatever tasks are before me so I can go out to my studio and paint.

Last year was an exciting and exasperating time. We spent months and months building a new garage with an art studio above. It was finally completed (mostly) in December and the landscaper was fighting to get some stone steps and retaining walls completed before the snow started to fall. It was a close call. In fact, the final work was done in a snowstorm. Now that spring has arrived, some of his tools are slowly showing up as the snow melts!

Anyway, I have been painting pretty much every day. I don't always complete a painting in one day since I'm starting to paint bigger, but I'm having a great time and find that I can work on multiple projects at once. What a huge luxury.

So, now I'll start posting what I've been doing. This is my latest work. It's a pastel. The blue pitcher came from a yard sale. I had not worked in pastel for about 2 years, but recently took out some paintings that I had never finished and thought that maybe now I could. That sort of got me on a roll.

Sunflower Study (version 2)

2007-09-24T18:49:00.002-06:00

Sunflowers
Oil on Canvas Panel

8 x 10
Sold

Here are my completed sunflowers. Now that I have a lot of art events behind me (September is a busy month for art around here) I intend to spend a lot more time painting small studies. This one was done pretty quickly - just wanted to experiment with the color palette. I like the colors and the looseness.

Yellow Umbrella

2007-09-23T18:00:00.001-06:00

Yellow Umbrella
8 x 10
Oil on Masonite

Sold

I goofed a little - this painting was done yesterday and the sunflowers were done today (Sunday, September 23rd). Anyway, it doesn't really matter. Yesterday we were at a "Paint Out' which is part of our local plein air event. I decided to experiment with both my yellow purple palette and a masonite panel that I had prepared a while ago. I wanted to start painting on masonite because I thought I'd like the hard surface and thought they would be great for plein air painting. I had a lot of trouble with them at first. I think the problem was due to some cheap paints that were purchased in a pinch when I ran out of some colors. They just slid all over the masonite surface! Anyway, I decided to try again with my good paints. So, yesterday I sat in the shade and just goofed around making this painting. I couldn't see very well since I didn't have may glasses, but thought it might add to the impressionistic effect! Anyway, I sort of like the painting but I'm not all that crazy about the flat texture of the masonite. The brushstrokes look sort of messy to me and just lay there! I will probably continue to experiment with the masonite surface but for now I still prefer canvas.

Here is a surprise - I entered this into the plein air event and won my first blue ribbon. First Place/Oil!

Sunflower Study - Yellow/Purple Palette

2007-09-23T17:56:00.002-06:00

Sunflower Study
8 x 10
Canvas Panel
Sold

Here is my yellow-purple palette again. I'm working on a study of some sunflowers. It's pretty cool to see how you can bring the greens into the background without making muddy colors! I may add a little more to this painting later on. Right now it's very wet!

Red Green Limited Palette

2007-09-23T17:51:00.000-06:00

During the second day of the studio tour, I worked on my red/green limited palette. Again, the colors that this palette created were pretty interesting. I need to mix some of the darks with some white so they will "reveal" themselves. It will be interesting to use this palette. I'm going to start experimenting with this palette soon. At the moment, I'm still using my yellow/purple palette.

The Lovers

2007-09-23T17:48:00.001-06:00

Here is a painting done with my yellow/purple palette. It is of a statue in front of Bear Creek at the Highland Haven Creekside Inn. It's one of the painting locations that is part of the plein air event being sponsored by our local art center. This was painted on a 6x8 panel. The colors are hard to differentiate in this photo, but there are a great number of subtle greens in this tiny painting.

Yellow Purple Palette

2007-09-23T17:41:00.001-06:00

Last weekend, September 16 and 17, I was involved in our local artist studio tour. Since I didn't want to try to paint with lots of interruptions, I decided to work on complimentary color charts. I've been reading a book called the Yin Yang of Painting and the author teaches you to use compliments to create yin and yang paintings by using opposites - light/dark, warm/cool - and opposites on the color wheel. This is my yellow/purple palette. After I did this I painted a few paintings with this palette and it makes beautiful color harmonies and really nice greens! How surprising to discover that this palette mixes such beautiful greens, earth tones and grays.

Color Chart (in progress)

2007-09-23T17:35:00.001-06:00

Here is the chart I'm doing for my class instructed by Jane Jones at the Denver Art Students League. It includes warm and cool versions of each primary and secondary color as well as some earth tones, white and black. It's not quite finished - I still need to add my earth tones. This chart has two inch squares that I've been mixing with a palette knife. Some of the colors are so dark that they only reveal themselves if you add white. I've discovered that some of my colors create mixes that I never would have imagined! It's tedious but fascinating. I will continue working on this chart until its done and then we will be working on value scales, intensity charts, etc. It's a slow process but I'm learning things that I would never know if I didn't just slow down and do this!

Playing Catch Up

2007-09-23T17:30:00.000-06:00

Well it seems like I haven't been painting since I don't have many new paintings - but I've actually been painting a lot. Since I'm having a hard time getting anything done that I like, I decided to paint all around the process of painting. In other words, I'm experimenting. I've been creating lots of color charts. It started in my class at the Art Students League and that motivated me to do the same thing with the complimentary palettes. I've learned a lot about color mixing and have also learned about some of my tube colors - turns out some of them are mostly oil and filler - not much pigment! I usually use Grumbacher Pre-Tested Oils along with some Winsor and Newton, but when I run out, I've been supplementating with some other brands that aren't so great. I found out the hard way... Anway, I'm going to post my color charts and a few paintings.

Open Door Studios

2007-09-16T20:25:00.000-06:00

This has been the weekend of the Open Door Studio Tour here in Evergreen. Since my studio is under construction, I was the guest artist at the office of our sponsor Fuller Towne & Country Real Estate. It was a busy weekend and I sold a lot of paintings. With so many people coming and going, I didn't paint a painting, but instead worked on complementary color palettes. It was a real learning experience mixing colors I would never have dreamed of mixing! And the visitors on the tour were very interested too - especially since so many people on the tour are artists themselves! So, it was a very productive weekend. Tomorrow I will post the two palettes I completed - the purple/yellow and the red/green. Also tomorrow I will get back to painting again. This weekend event was quite time consuming but worth it in the end. It always feels good to sell paintings!

Paint and Scrape

2007-09-10T22:11:00.000-06:00

Well I have no new paintings to post. I've been painting daily, but at the end of the session I scrape what I've done. It's very frustrating. I think I'm in a transition time. Too many things going on. I've over-extended myself yet again. This weekend I will be in our local studio tour where once a year a bunch of local artists open up their studios for people to take a tour. However, I won't be in my own studio since it is under construction. So I'm a guest artist at the offices of one of the sponsors of the tour. I have to drag all my stuff to their office, set up for Saturday and Sunday and then bring it all home. What was I thinking???? On top of that I'm supposed to be painting plein air for the "Paint, Sculpt, Shoot" event that is taking place at the some time. And I'm in the middle of our construction project. So, I paint... then I scrape. Too much stress. I'll try again tomorrow and the next day, and the next day...

Don's Sunflowers

2007-08-31T17:13:00.001-06:00

Don's Sunflowers
12 x 16

Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Sold
This is my second painting project for today. While I was waiting for "Night Visitor" to dry, I decided to start another painting. This was a canvas that I had scraped and then painted very dark. I never start with a very dark canvas - usually it's white or lightly toned. But I decided to experiment. It was hard to get my lights to glow, so I used a palette knife for a lot of the painting. I took this photo the other day when I was viewing a demo by Don Sahli, a well-known painter who was giving a workshop. He has a wonderful garden just full of things to paint.

Night Visitor

2007-08-31T17:09:00.001-06:00

Night Visitor (In Progress)

8 x 10
Oil on Masonite

Well here is the follow-up painting to "Midnight Snack". I was working both paintings at the same time trying to understand how to work on masonite but my night visitor had other plans. When I came downstairs the next day to work on this painting, I discovered that someone had nibbled on my plums! Anyway, I decided to make this painting the "after" version of the midnight snack. But, it is still incomplete. I find it very difficult to work on this masonite and have to let everything dry before I can come back and add the flowers and the highlights. Hopefully I will be able to complete this tomorrow.

Midnight Snack

2007-08-30T19:55:00.001-06:00

Midnight Snack
6 x 8
Oil on Canvas

Yesterday I was trying to figure out how to work with my new masonite panels. So, I decided to paint this scene twice with one painting on masonite and one on a canvas that I had prepared with the same gesso. I wanted to see how they would feel under my brush. So I got pretty far with both paintings but it was getting late so I put them side by side on my table and quit for the night figuring I'd finish them both in the morning. I left my still life set up in my workspace out in my garage. This morning when I came downstairs, things just didn't look right! My plums had been disturbed by a night visitor - and that little night visitor had been snacking on them too! Well that was pretty funny but what made it even better is when I turned to look at my paintings. That little mouse must have liked what he saw because there in the wet paint were tiny little mouse handprints! He looked at both paintings, decided those plums weren't what he had in mind and headed on over to the real thing! So, I decided that I would finish the smaller painting today and post it. But, my second painting will require a little modification! Check back tomorrow for the update...

Thanks for looking!

Garage Sale Treasures

2007-08-28T19:50:00.000-06:00

Garage Sale Treasures
9 x 12
Oil on 3/4 inch Gallery Wrapped Canvas

$95

Well it has been a few days since I have posted anything. But that doesn't mean that I haven't been painting! I painted lots and lots of masonite panels with gesso. I thought I was so brilliant to prepare all these small panels and then I discovered that I couldn't really paint on them as expected. So, I've spent the last few days painting and then scraping away what I painted. But I will keep on trying until I get used to this new surface. Thanks to Kim Roberti for her advice on how to use them.

Today I worked on a still life and used my usual gallery wrapped canvas. I just wanted to paint something and not scrape it away! I happen to be a garage sale junkie and every weekend my friend Debbie and I go to all the local garage sales and find all sorts of treasures. Some we put on ebay and some we keep and some make very interesting objects to paint! This silver pitcher came from a recent yard sale and I thought it would be fun to try painting it with some juicy fruit and flowers reflecting off the surface. I'm pretty happy with the outcome. The photo seems to be a little bit off and I will try to get a better shot when it is dry.

Thanks for looking. Thanks Alex for all your great advice! You are my painting hero.

Sister, Sister

2007-08-22T20:31:00.000-06:00

Sister, Sister
Oil, 12 x 12 Gallery Wrapped Canvas
SOLD

A couple of years ago I took a class at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. They had a really wonderful donkey there named Jackson. Every day on our way to class he would greet us and wait to be fed. We all loved him but felt bad because every day he was all alone. Then one day, a truck pulled up and delivered two new donkeys to keep him company! At first he was a little leery of them, be by the end of the week they were all becoming friends. These two donkeys, as I remember, were sisters and were very close.

Old Blue

2007-08-21T13:41:00.001-06:00

Old Blue

12 x 12
Oil on Gallery Wrapped 3/4 inch Canvas
$95

On our way back from Missouri where we had gone for my brother-in-law's 60th birthday, we passed this lot full of old cars and trucks. We stopped and took a lot of pictures and talked to the folks who lived there in an old house. The place was just surrounded by old vehicles! His wife was pretty good natured about the whole thing considering this was her daily view! It was a cool place and they were a nice couple. I had fun painting this one.

Moonrise Over The Boundary Waters

2007-08-20T14:46:00.001-06:00

This is soft, tonal painting which was inspired by my photos from the Boundary Waters. It's based on a smaller painting I did for my husband a few months ago. We had taken our canoe out early in the morning and the mists were rising over the water and lit by the rising sun. It was a fun painting to create so I thought I'd do something similar only make it a moonrise! I painted this one last week but since I'm behind on posting my paintings I thought I'd try to catch up and post them slightly out of order.

Moonrise Over The Boundary Waters
12 x 24 - Oil on Canvas
Gallery Wrapped, Painted Edges
$125

Color Study - Bear Creek

2007-08-19T19:33:00.001-06:00

Here is a little study of Bear Creek done in blues and oranges. I was experimenting with color. I pushed the trees into blues and purples. The water is pretty golden/orange anyway, but I pushed it a little more.

I also worked on a rocky mountain autumn painting. Our aspens haven't started turning yet, but I have lots of photos from last year so I used a combination of images.

Most of my paintings are about 11x14 or 12x16 and I don't always get them done in one day. Sometimes I have to walk away for a day or so and them come back and see it with fresh eyes! This helps sometimes and other times I wind up scraping it!

Bear Creek In Sunlight
Oil on Canvas
11 x 14
$75

Plein Air Painting on Bear Creek

2007-08-16T20:12:00.000-06:00

Today I went painting with my friend Susie. We met on Upper Bear Creek Road and took a short walk to the other side of the creek to paint. It was a nice shady spot, but I didn't really see anything I wanted to paint and I wanted to experiment a little, so I decided to do an abstract of the water. I just zoomed in on an area where the water was flowing over the rocks and creating a little backsplash. I pushed the colors in the sunlight and in the shade. The water was sort of orange/brown but the rocks underneath created areas of red. The water reflected some of the trees and bushes above too. I didn't finish it on the spot since the light was changing so I may go back and finish it tomorrow. This one as about the shapes and the colors.

Reflections on Upper Bear Creek
12 x 12
Oil on Canvas
$85

My first blog, Wednesday, August 15th

2007-08-15T21:05:00.000-06:00

Today I worked on a new painting - it's a slight departure from what I normally paint, but I'm experimenting. I normally paint the landscape - either plein air or from my own photos. I live in Colorado and almost can't help painting what's just outside my front door! After all, it's pretty spectacular.

I've been taking classes for the last three years and painting with a group of friends, but what I'm finding is we all paint the same thing and all have sort of a similar style! I guess that's bound to happen though. We can't help but learn from each other. About a year ago one of my friends (who does not paint the landscape) said to me "too bad you girls all paint the same thing." She didn't mean it in a mean way - just a statement of fact. But, I've been thinking about that for months now and I've decided it's time for me to hide away in my studio (ha ha, my garage) for a while and do some experiments. So, my last three or four paintings have been a little different than my usual fare. Not too sure if they are good or bad, they are just different. Well, maybe not that different - they're still landscapes! I guess the technique is a little different than usual. They are colorful, and softer...

Maybe I'll post a couple of them when I can take some pics and when I can figure out how to use this template.