August

Spent most of this month traveling to the Smoky Mountains and up-north Michigan.   Although this was a time of fun and family as an artist you are always gathering insight for your work.

The Smoky Mountains has captivated me for the last five years.   Recently I started a landscape which is a view from Clingmans Dome the highest point in the park at 6,643 feet and crosses the Appalachian trail.  Learning the history of the area keeps me going back for the beauty of the mountains and the valleys where the settlers lived.  There are a lot of historical places to visit in the park.

Deck and I with our granddaughter Kaylee stopping on the Blue Ridge Parkway after our rafting trip.

Us girls were in the front the best place for the ride.

Peach slices

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The peach was packed full of sweetness and amazing color.  It began with slicing the peaches for the painting now I always cut my fruit.  When the fruit is really juicy it's easier to eat.

Strawberries II

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A family tradition of picking fruits beginning with strawberries then blueberries and sometimes apples.  One of these days were going to try cherries they aren't grown in the immediate area.   My strawberries were made into compote for crepe's my new fun food.  The fruit is displayed in clear glass which allowed for the shadows to ad some additional shapes and color.

Peony and copper pot underpainting

The under painting is close to being done the bottom half is giving me a nice cozy feeling and I want the top half to do the same thing, so almost done with the value study.

Work in progress

Painting this still life 16x20 and there is another portrait off to the left in the background that is 20x24 in progress.  Another painting  24x48 is also on an easel.  There haven't been any daily paintings lately this rotation is keeping me pretty busy.

Anyway hope you all are having a great summer get outside. and do some fun stuff.

Reds of summer

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It has been warm and sunny the month of June and raining during the week which is great for the weekend.   Everything is green and lush from mother nature no watering required from the hose.  Sounding pretty good... yet these conditions weren't the best for ripening strawberry's a little moist on the ground and rotting some fruit.  Still managed to pick some good berries. This year froze compote so that we can enjoy it on crepes whenever out sweet tooth needs a fix.

White River Lighthouse

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Another painting started while I was plein air painting with friends.  This lighthouse is tucked snugly between the channel on the north, the nearby Lake Michigan shore on the West.  Inside you can stroll through a fine nautical museum, which includes the Fourth Order Fresnel lens originally used at this location.  You  can also climb a beautiful iron staircase into the light tower for a sprawling view of Lake Michigan.and bordering sand dunes.

I painted the lighthouse from across the river and didn't get the tour so next time I will have to visit the museum.

Lake Michigan Wandering

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Recently my travels took me to a friends house near Lake Michigan.  We spent a few days together painting the area.   This morning started out with thunder and lightening and turned into a beautiful hot afternoon.   The waves were rather choppy from the earlier storms and those that came again overnight.  Summer hasn't officially begun it was rather quiet give it another week the summer season will start.

Apple blues

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Is it abstract or real?  Watercolor or oil ?

It is an oil painting with some colorful shadows and shapes.  It is a painting that grows on you at least it has me.  Fruit is a daily snack my bowl always has something in it, as the seasons change so does my fruit.  It use to be available locally grown in season now it comes from all over the world.  We have so many more choices.

U of M Peony Garden

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This is a beautiful peony garden tucked away on campus. Met up with a local art group to paint the scene.   Many families came for a stroll and loved the kids who walked right up and wanted to see the painting on my easel.  The parents would apologized for the intrusion as the kids dragged them over to have a look.  How wonderful to be an artist and encouraging children.

Kaylee II work in progress

The beginning of the second portrait in my series.  In this pose Kaylee is wearing the hat and a dress from sometime between 1930-1940.  Her face, hat and dress create great gentle flowing shapes complimenting her serenity.

Marsh marigold

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These came from the wetlands in my yard they are drinking from a shot glass.   It is amazing to go hiking for wild flowers they are everywhere and often missed if your not looking.

Fruit bowl

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What a happy surprise to get home from the grocery store and pull this beautiful cluster of grapes out of the bag.  Quickly they were hidden in the frig for later. 

This composition works really well with the roundness of the bowl and the curving cluster of grapes to keep your eye in the painting, this is one colorful painting.

Rose challenge

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Could not pass up a pretty rose this is a DPW Challenge painting.  After losing my studio for 10 days for some wall work then running out of hard board my first attempt was on a linen panel that was purchased to try ...hmmm, didn't like it so after painting on it for two days it went in the garbage.   Located one 8 x 8 inch gessoed hardboard to start over on.  Originally the background was part of the painting it seemed to busy and distracting from the rose for my liking.

Kaylee

 

Finally some activity.  This is a 16 x 20 oil on hardboard that maybe coming of the easel.  Did some background work today and after it sits for a couple of days I'll know if it's done.  It is my first portrait in many years so excited to get this done and real pleased with it.

First Lily

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 This is a left over plant from Easter that was purchased after returning from a trip up-north.  It was cold up there what was I thinking?   The Great Lakes were still frozen. Three ice breakers were out trying to get the shipping channel opened ... there was a boat jam at the Locks. Next year the direction will be South and hopefully warmer.

The plant is still blooming and doing very well.

Still Life 5

This painting is 20 x 24 inches.  The background behind the white cloth is a very dark purple almost black with some soft fabric folds that aren't visible here.  I am still messing around with my camera trying to eliminate issues like this so the photograph is a duplicate of the painting, just a little off here.

Tomato group

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Tomatoes on a vine look almost perfect each group is similar in size and shape.  Amazing how consistent these groupies can be.  The vine is so interesting creeping along touching each tomato.  What a  joy to paint and eat.

Drawing becomes a sketch for painting.

From the drawing this sketch was made on vellum.  Then all the lines were traced with graphite paper underneath so that the sketch was transferred to the primed hardboard.   The vellum sketch is pictured here taped to the hardboard to be traced.  This is my road-map for the painting.

Most of the painting will be done from a photograph and the drawing.   To finish the painting Kaylee will be able to sit for me again..

Compliments

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Red and green, purple and yellow great compliments and smooth colors together.   Persimmons are great for a still life, wonder what they taste like?  Maybe next time I'll eat one.

Portrait of Kaylee

A.

B.

                   .

                                                                                 

    

C.

D.

                                                                                     .

E.

F.

 . 

Working on this drawing of Kaylee for a painting.  Above are some different sizes which change the composition.  The bottom is square.

Which do you like best?

A B C D E  or  F ?   

P.S. When I took this picture it wasn't exactly straight ..... it is tipped a bit.

Still life needed some more work

The background fabric was rather boring so spent some time making it more interesting.  Maybe this time it is done, will see.

The next still life is already in the planning stage.   The exciting part of starting a new painting is drawing again.   Need the practice, my granddaughter is going to make a great model so portraits are coming in the future.

Peppers

Painting smaller works has given me an opportunity to experiment with a variety of techniques and styles. This painting is based on a technique called Flemish Realism taught by my mentor David E.Weaver.  I will be using this technique and experimenting with some new mediums and surfaces. Now more than ever I appreciate what David taught me in the beginning of my oil painting journey.  R.I.P. David.

Wrapping up a still life

Lately this still life has demanded my attention.  This is a 20 x 24 oil on hardboard.  It is very wet and the photograph is showing some glare.    Now it needs to sit and dry for a week and then I will know if it is a finished painting.

Yellow pepper

Look what was in the vegetable drawer waiting to be painted.   Yellow and orange such warm colors.  We long for those warm days to return after this arctic winter.  Maybe next week?

Crocus

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The first day of spring and no sign of crocus.  These were photographed last spring and never made it to the easel.   We rolled right into summer and lost the window of opportunity to paint them.   The lilac/blue flowers look great as they pop up through the leaves.   We can rejoice when they start appearing.

What happened

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We were pretending that spring is on it's way and had a barbecue with yummy ribs.   My job was to make potato salad only the crime scene caught my eye and delayed the process.

This quote might have influenced me.

“A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.” Leonardo da Vinci.  

Purple power

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The finished painting after my return.  

This plant has been living with me for about a decade without ever blooming. If the purple ceramic pot wasn't so cute the plant would have been garbage material long ago.  It must like all this snow and extreme cold.  It is so beautiful the colors are amazing.

 

Working color and value

More color variations and values are added.  I could have done more to this layer however something came up, my 7 day cruise.  So off I went.

Drawing with paint

This is the beginning of Purple Power.  I used the paint to draw and lay down some values.  This approach is useful for detail.  With flowers the colors look more intense with layers of oil paint.