Harmonic Resolution

Harmonic Resolution / 16 x 20 / oil on linen panel

Finished this afternoon. I am intrigued by the blue background and greenish sky. I may try that combination again in another painting.

Steeplechase

22x28 oil on linen - so gigantic for me! I am emotionally exhausted after this one. The title is pending....

Thinking Big - 30 x 30

A new start today and a glimpse into another corner of my new studio.  My next project is to get some kind of lighting system. I have wonderful consistent northern light all day but need to be able to paint after the sun goes down!

Finally Painting Again

I am feeling very tight and unsure of myself after a long hiatus. I have been thinking about working on this piece as I left it unfinished when we moved - so decided  to see if I could re-energize and finish it. As you can see, my brushwork is suffering as well as my use of color. I felt a lot of  hesitation and loss of confidence as I painted today so will have to work on these things. Its like starting all over again after  almost a month away from the easel. In any case, I hope to be posting more frequently although there is still a lot of renovation work going on in the new house, But my home office and my studio are up and running and I intend to find the time to paint. Oil on linen panel 36x24.  And a close up below.......

Packing Can Wait

I will leave this for now - I see a lot more to be done but will let it rest for a while. Happy to paint today!

Best of Show - Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming!

Women Artists of the West 41st National Exhibition - Juror of Awards: Ann Templeton.
Please go to this LINK for a list of the award winners. I am in a state of shock! Wow!

More Work on the Work in Progress

Its close now - I will let it set up for a few days and make the final adjustments before calling this one done.

Work in Progress

I am working on a large 24 x 36 oil on linen piece. Its probably my most complex and ambitious painting to date and, I  must say, I am exicited about it so far. All the figures, the action, the snow - its really been fun to work on. Its not done yet but I thought I would post it and then update when it is done. I would love to hear your thoughts and feelings about it so far. Thanks for stopping by and for looking!
Here are a couple of close up shots as well:

On the Easel Tonight

I am about 85% done  - a few final tweaks here and there. I love the composition and the feeling of tension and ucertainty as to what is going to happen next. I am not sure who is in control here - the jockey, the horse or the forces of gravity.

Steeplechase Once Again

And a final few tweaks added today (Tuesday March 8th) and I am calling this one done.

18x24 oil on canvas board. The top photo is the final picture and next are two close ups. 

The series of photos above show the process of this painting from the original oil sketch with  a few strokes of color through to the final piece and two close up shots to show detail. The canas was toned with burnt umber plus thalo green and the original oil sketch was done in burnt sienna with some burnt umber for the darkest darks. In the second shot, I am massing in broad areas of color using thin paint and paying close attention to areas of shadow and light. I love how the horse is leaping into the shadow. The third shot shows the background added and the 4th is the final picture. All comments are greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Flat Out

Only had time for a quick small study before heading out to Reno for a few days of cold crisp air and snow capped Sierra mountain beauty. This little one is 8x8 and I call it Flat Out.

Chaos Theory Two

18x24 oil on canvas panel

I love painting horse anatomy and this composition certainly presented a challenge!

Marketing Cards and Sheepish Feelings

I wonder if any artist in the world loves their gallery like I love mine! Jeanne Chisholm of Chisholm Gallery is a marketing goddess and ever since I met her last October she has presented my paintings to the world so enthusiastically and in such high style. I am so grateful to her for her energy and unflagging efforts. This is the marketing card she has developed for the Aiken Willcox Inn exhibit. I love it! I adore it! I think it is absolutley perfect. But I must say I feel ever so slightly sheepish. Upon seeing this I suddenly realized I am the featured  painter in this exhibit - I had no idea! In any case, I am extremely thrilled and  can only say that I was so focused in getting ready for this show - framing and shipping and getting a decent portfolio pulled together - that I must not have been paying quite enough attention. Anyway, there is also a sculptor in the exhibit, Patsy Davis,  and you can find her lovely whimsical bronze sculptures on the Chisholm Gallery site as well.  I hope some of my readers and blog followers who live close by will get a chance to visit the Willcox Inn during this exhibit. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Look Out Aiken, South Carolina - Here I Come!

Quantum Poetry 24x36 oil on stretched canvas

I spent this past weekend framing and printing out marketing materials for the exhibition hosted by the Chisholm Gallery next month at the Willcox Inn. Its a GORGEOUS place and has a pretty interesting early American history. Apparently notables like  Winston Churchill, Harold Vanderbilt, Elizabeth Arden and Count Bernadotte of Sweden have all stayed there at one time or another - how fun is that! I am so thrilled to have my steeplechase series hanging out there for a while! Tomorrow I will take a grand total of 11 paintings to be crated and shipped off. This has been a real learning experience for me and I am super excited about it.
In between all this hectic preparation, I had a little time to paint and what I did was take a painting I thought I had finished a couple of weeks ago and repaint the entire thing! I dont think I have ever done that before.  I liked some things about the painting but the color was not working for me - which was odd because I loved it at first. I changed pretty much everything about it and like it much better now - it feels right. I still have a few final highlights before I will call it done but its 99% there now.

Finished, Neutrinos and all!

                        

  

Put on the finishing flourishes and touches and I am happy! I loved painting on the linen as it gives so much texture to the brushstrokes - I could get used to using linen and think I should make it a habit.  Have posted a couple of close ups as well.  I still dont have a title for this painting but I think its the closest I have come yet to my goal of engaging the viewer in a reality that is beyond perceptual appearances and expectations. I will keep on trying and it is facts like these that spur me on:  "Neutrinos are the most abundant particles in the Universe and our Sun produces over two hundred trillion trillion trillion neutrinos every second, sixty-five billion of which speed through every square centimeter on the Earth's surface. They pass through the Earth. and us, without disturbing a single atom."
I must say I find this to be extremely fascinating and hope to give my viewers the feeling that there is more going on than meets the eye - no matter what subject I am painting! In any case, I hope you enjoy this picture as it is one of my favorites to date!

Work in Progress

I spent today working on this 24x18 piece. I think its about 80% done now - needs refinement here and there. I really like the composition, the subject (unusual as it is) and the hint of the jockey rolling free. I will post the next update when its done. I call it Chaos Theory! All comments are appreciated!

Steeplechase Series

 This is a 36x24 oil on oil primed linen panel. What a luxury it is to paint on oil primed linen. I love the way the texture of the linen grabs the paint off the brush. The Chisholm Gallery is working on a show for me in February at the Willcox Hotel in Aiken, South Carolina. Its a gorgeous place and I think my steeplechase work would be well displayed there. I hope all the arrangements can be worked out. If it happens, I will be looking for a company to crate and ship the framed pieces - what fun! Here is a link so you can see this glorious place: The Willcox Hotel.  I am very excited about this unique opportunity. Apparently steeplechase season is coming in South Carolina!

Down to Business

My new business card! I love having a memorable card to give to prospective collectors. I try to design it to be colorful,  representative of my current work and  style and to be - well, simply unforgettable! Its fun to hand them out at art show receptions, social events and serendipitous meetings. I create mine online at VistaPrint. At this site, you can  upload photos of your own and design your card exactly as you want it to be. I have ordered from them in the past and found the cards to be of very nice quality and the prices to be reasonable. This time, on a whim, I also ordered a few refridgerator magnets - I don't know why but  I sure hope I can find a use for them! In case you are interested, the link is: VistaPrint Business Cards.

Quantum Poetry

Oh, I am loving the color in this - glorious color! The sky is a mixture of Winsor and Newton Vermilion (a pinkish red) and Rembrandt Vermilion ( an orange red) with buff titanium to lighten and a dash of white for good measure. This one  I have titled Quantum Poetry. 36x24 oli on stretched canvas. Please click on the photo to view it larger - I am sure you will enjoy it more!

The Principle of Uncertainty - Finished

I added a few details, tweaked the shadows, added some warms and I am calling this done now. Oil on canvas panel 24 x 18