"Paintings have a life of their own that derives from the painter's soul." Vincent Van Gogh

Monday, August 30, 2010

On the Road to Glasgow and Update on John and Tilly


My life has changed a bit and I have not been able to paint the last couple of weeks so thought I would post an older painting. This one was shown at the Scottsdale Best and Brightest Show and sold before the show even opened! I was so thrilled and it remains one of my favorites. It is 16x20 oil on canvas. I hope to get back to my routine of painting every day as soon as I can.
My friend Gwen in Great Britian recieved the painting of John and Tilly that I posted here on my blog a few weeks ago.  I had shipped it to her as a surprise birthday gift and she was thrilled! Her comment was something like she is "over the moon"! As a surprise return birthday gift to me, she sent me a copy of a book she has written but not yet published called "Wave Me Goodbye". I intend to curl up with it over Labor Day weekend - and now I, too, am over the moon!

Friday, August 13, 2010

My Cousin Audre


This is a casual portrait of my cousin Audre. Audre has the most delicate pale skin which is framed by her gorgeous black hair. She has remarkable beauty. I painted this portait cropped from a photo of Audre sitting at a table in a restaurant near Lake Tahoe watching the antics of her 5 month old grandaughter. I loved the complexity of the light and shadow over the contours of her face, the hint of an adoring smile and the beautiful colors. This was done alla prima in about 3 hours this afternoon.
I used an unusual palette - thalo green, alizarin crimson, cobalt blue, white, a tiny bit of sienna and a tiny bit of umber - not a usual portrait palette at all. I love the black that is made from thalo, alizarin and blue - it is so deep and infinite - like looking into deep space.
If you click on the painting, it will enlarge and you can get a better look at it - aren't computers wonderful?!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Final Approach


I have been in a real slump this past week or so. Work has taken a lot out of me and I have not been able to do even a successful study. I finally finished this one today - I had started it over a week ago and just let it sit on the easel through my doldrums. It always amazes me how vulnerable my creative spirit is to external factors, stress in particular. This one is 24 x 18 oil on Blick canvas panel. These Blick panels are just wonderful - the canvas has a nice medium texture that grabs the paint and the panel itself is substantial and of good quality. Also, they dont break the bank and are perfect for me to paint on right now.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Steeplechase

I dont have a definite title for this one yet. Its the biggest in my steeplechase series at 36x24. Borrowing a quote from the recent Phil Levine Newsletter at www.paintingfrance.com. "Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye......it also includes the inner pictures of the soul" Edvard Munch.
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American Impressionist Society

Accepted! This painting was juried into the American Impressionist Society 11th National Juried Exhibition. It is being held at Richland Fine Art Gallery in Nashville, TN in October. This painting was done from a photo I took late one afternoon at the Del mar Racetrack here in San Diego, CA. It also recently won the Jurors Award at the Women Artists of the West show awarded by Peggy Kroll Roberts. I am so thrilled to participate in the AIS show this year! Here is a link to the AIS site where you can find a list of accepted artists: http://www.americanimpressionistsociety.org/