Vanitas

Having been so busy getting ready for my next big project, I didn't have enough time to get anything substantial out. I wanted to keep my hand in the paint, so to speak though. So I put together this little red painting. I wanted to see how warm I could get and still have the cool vase not pop too much. Also a friend had a really cool skull and I wanted to paint it. It all seemed to go together so I had a little fun for a couple of days. I like the symbolism in a Vanitas - life and death - the eternal circle. The white flowers also represent beauty, the skull - the transience of life and the candle snuffer - well, that seems pretty obvious. The colors on my screen are a bit saturated and that doesn't surprise me as reds don't always translate well on the screen. The vase appears a bit blue here too and is, in fact, a little turquoise. I seem to have hit the limits of my Photoshop abilities in working with this one to get the color to read right. 

Some health issues have kept me from the studio on a regular basis. I hope to be in the "pink" soon and my next project is "Sleeping Beauty".  I plan on documenting the entire process of the painting here on this site as well as my teaching blog. Should be fun so stay tuned. 

Impressionist Painting of Dogwood Flowers, 8" x 10", Oil on Canvas

"Dazzle"




It's really been a long while since I have found the time to indulge in a small floral. I'm a little rusty but once things got moving, the flowers flowed off my brush. I chose these Dogwoods because I enjoy the crisp white blooms that stand out against a darker background. I put in the yellow tablecloth to brighten things up a bit. With the Seqim Arts Studio Tour coming up in July, I have to start getting things framed and some new work complted. I've targeted Saturday afternoon for that task and hope to put out some new landscapes as well before the awaited date. I'm keeping to small formats for these, but framing them with wide mats and thin gold frames. They look spiffy.

As we get closer to the date, I'll start posting work that will be exclusive to the show and also links to maps and guides for the tour. The studio tour is being held during the Sequim Lavendar Festival. It's a huge event and we have all kinds of wonderful things happening from wine tasting to Jazz in the Alley scheduled for the long weekend. Anyone interested should contact the Sequim Chamber of Commerce.

Pet Portrait of a Dachshund, 9" x 12", Oil on Canvas

"Sassy"






Meet Sassy. One of my students recently lost her beloved pet to old age and asked me to paint a portrait of her. My heart aches for this lovely lady and her husband who grieve for this sweet dog who's heart was warm and who was always gentle with strangers and family alike. If pets go to heaven - and I believe they do, then God saved a special place for this good dog where the fields always smell of sweet grass and breezes carry scents of warm sunshine and fragrant flowers and there is always a loving hand to give a belly rub.

Dogwood with Poppies, 12" x 16" Oil on Linen

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I'm back! I tried to think of something witty to say but the simple truth is, it's done! Well mostly. There are a few details like a sink and the outside painting and landscaping, but that doesn't affect me or my ability to paint. The office is finished, the studio is mostly done and I am back to work - officially - today. And I must say, it's good to be back. I enjoyed the absence of pressure in not having to post something nearly every day, but I missed being "in touch". Even when I don't hear from folks out there, I know I'm being seen and heard and that seems to be enough to push the isolation of the studio away for a while.
This painting was completed during a demo at the Sequim Arts meeting in March. I intended to do a small 9" x 12" painting much like the ones I usually post here but one of my students pointed out to me that folks in the back rows wouldn't be able to see a thing. So I chose a larger canvas and painted with bigger brushes. The photo doesn't do it justice as the painting is on linen and the darn stuff reflects every little bit of light in the room. It's hard to keep a sharp image and still correct for the glare. I'm working on getting a better photgraphy set up. Well, I'm running late for my class in Seattle, so I'll post the slide show of the demo on Wednesday. See you then.

Dogwood and Tangerine Painting, 15.5" x 18.25", Pastel on 2 Ply Cotton Rag

"Dogwood Daze"Currently NFS

Painting is becoming more and more of a challenge with the mess around me growing daily. We're into the third day of drywall and mudding. I'm told to expect at least three more before they plaster and paint. Sigh. I purchased the materials for my matting table today and hope to sneak into the empty studio space on Sunday when the workers are gone and put the thing together.
However, I did manage to get a bit of work done yesterday and today. My husband helped me move my huge case of pastels into the dining room (the drawers tipped forward, oh no!) and after I made some order out of the mess, I started this painting. It's a mixed media, actually. The underpainting is done in watercolor and then I've worked glazes of pastel into it. I've found that this technique works best on rag. While the paper is a bear to raise a nap on, once you do, the surface allows you to get multiple lazers of pastel in thin glazes. I'm entering this one in the Northwest Pastel Society members juried competition. They've advertised that it's an "anything goes" show for pastel so I'm hoping the mixed media flies. Wish me luck.

Flora Oil Painting of Magnolias and Asian Jar, 11" x 14" on Canvas Panel

"Asian Floral"Click here to bid.



Had some fun here and took a little extra time. I had to split my "daily painting into two short sessions due to schedule overload. I taught two classes back to back today and worked on this little pretty in the morning so I'm pretty whipped about now. This one has a little more detail than most of my pieces. That's probably because I came back the second day for another look. The flowers have lots of thick paint on them and the jar is pretty true to the actual jar without losing the painterly look I'm stiving for. Hope you like it. See the detail below. Now I gotta go cook dinner. Sigh.