10-10-10

Today I want to stop and take a moment to appreciate achieving a few small goals. I have finally made it into the top 10 listing on both google.com and bing.com when you search for palette knife paintings. Wow! To be listed on that very first page is so exciting and so cool. Also-I have now reached 10 followers and have gotten 10 comments on a single post (a record for me). Both of those thanks to another talented palette knife artist, Trisha Lamoreaux. Thanks Trisha-I've been admiring your work from a far. So let's hear it for the number 10!

Future paintings

August has been a busy month so I haven't had a chance to do much painting. That doesn't stop me from being inspired though. I have had a chance to do a little sketching from some photographs that I think would make nice paintings.

This first one is my friends' daughter, Elizabeth, in a bookstore in Paris.

And this one is of my friend's parents (Elizabeth's grandparents) reading the paper inside a beautiful castle where they stayed in Scotland. You can see where she gets her love of reading!

I have been wanting to try an interior painting and this photo has such wonderful light I am excited to give it a go. It reminded me of the beautful interiors that Vuillard painted. Check out this painting of his on Gail's blog and you can see why. I will have to use him as my inspiration when I paint this one.

Berkeley Street take two

Looking up Berkeley Street II

Oil with a palette knife on canvas paper

12" x 8"

SOLD

At our Barnes & Noble show in July I had two different people interested in purchasing my painting called Looking up Berkeley Street so I offered to paint another for the second person who inquired. I finished it this weekend. It was an interesting exercise because I went back and forth between looking at my reference photo and looking at the other painting. There are many differences between the two but I'm pleased with the results. If you'd like to see the first one I painted, here is the link to that blog post.

I've also been working on a really large version of this painting that measures 48" by 30". I sketched it in several months and it's been staring at me ever since. I think I am intimidated by the size. Holy cow what was I thinking?

Streets of San Francisco

Streets of San Francisco

Oil with a palette knife on canvas paper

12" x 8"

SOLD

Here is my entry into this week's Different Strokes From Different Folks challenge. I was confused when Karin referred to this as a view of Lombard Street because I always thought that was the crazy winding street, but perhaps this is the climb to get there and then you descend down the other side? 

When I first saw the photo I was excited because it immediately brought to mind one of my favorite artists, Richard Diebenkorn. I dug out the big orange book I had about his work and found this painting. I wanted to use his work as inspiration for my painting.

Ingleside

Richard Diebenkorn

Oil on Canvas

81 13/16" x 69 1/2"

1963

Collection of the Grand Rapids Art Museum

I started with a sketch again to warm up....

And then launched in on the painting last night. I think it will make a nice companion piece to the NY Madison Avenue painting and the other scenes of Boston in my View from a Cube series. A new "Streets of..." series might be in the works. 

Honeymoon en Espana

Wendy and Bill

Oil with a palette knife on 1.5" cradled board

12" by 9"

NFS

I painted this for my friends Wendy and Bill as a surprise wedding gift. It was painted from a photograph that was taken on their honeymoon at a wonderful cafe in Spain. I mean, don't you just want to be there right now with your honey and a glass of wine? I know I would. 

All wet

All Wet

Oil with a palette knife on canvas

10" x 8"

SOLD

OK-it's actually NOT raining today, but this painting was done from a photo that my friend Kim took of her daughter Lucy on one of the many days that it has been raining this summer. She has it posted on her blog. I just loved all the colors and doesn't she look like the Morton Salt Girl? Lucy might be getting a new baby sister today so three cheers for that. Good luck today, Kim.

JULY 30 UPDATE Elizabeth Dianne was born at 5:22am Thursday morning. Welcome Elizabeth and Happy Birthday! 

Looking for that perfect gift?

I've updated my blog side column to include a price list for commissioned paintings. I love to paint from family photographs and they make a unique and special gift for birthdays, weddings, and other important occasions. Take a look at the paintings in my Family Album Series to get an idea of some of the previous commissioned work that I have done.

I like to paint on these artist panels that come in 3 different thickness. This photo gives you an idea of what they look like. So send me your photo and let's talk!

Quiet Time

Quiet Time

Oil with palette knife on canvas paper

10" x 7.5"

$50 unframed

This is my entry into this week's Different Strokes From Different Folks challenge.

I started out with this pencil drawing to really study the figure as Karin suggested. I find that my train commute into work is a great time to sketch. As I was getting off the train, a woman commented "Your drawing is really nice. I was watching you draw in the window reflection as I was sitting behind you." A compliment like that from a complete stranger can be the best kind ever.

Looking at my painting now, I do see some flaws in the drawing. His torso looks too squat. But I do think that the drawing helped me to really study the figure in detail before I attacked the painting with a knife. I wanted to focus on the figure and really downplay the background. I also deliberately put him in the corner, emphazing his isolation from the surroundings. Here is a close up of the face.
And I didn't wait until the last day this time. Yeah!

Sparkle Sisters

Sparkle Sisters

Oil with palette knife on 1.5" cradled board

8" x 8"

SOLD

I painted this for my sister Cathy. It was painted from a photograph that was taken on a vacation that she and her best friend Christine took to Mexico a few years back.

They call themselves The Sparkle Sisters. I was thinking that I might add a few small fireworks in the background for a little "sparkle". What do you think?

Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria

Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria

Oil with palette knife on canvas paper

8" x 8"

SOLD

This is my entry into this week's Different Strokes From Different Folks challenge. I found it difficult to get the boat to look right. I scraped it off a few times because the color got yucky. And I kept hearing Karin's advice in my head as I was painting "Remember that there is weight to this boat in the water - pay careful attention to the woman and the boat resting in the heavy water." Of course, I waited until the very last day to enter this challenge. But they are such fun to do. I can't NOT at least try it.

Art cafe

Today we hung our paintings at the Barnes & Noble in Walpole. Here are a few shots of the exhibit which will be up for the month of July. We hope that everyone enjoys the view while they sip their Vente-Two-Pump-Vanilla-Non-Fat-Extra-Hot-Lattes.

Return from reunionville

These past few weeks I took a break from the rainy, rainy, (did I say rainy?) weather we've been having in Boston to attend my 25th college reunion at Miami University in Ohio, and to attend a family reunion at Bethany Beach, Delaware. To my delight, the weather was sunny and hot in both places.

My college reunion included a tour of the art school. Since I don't have any new paintings to share, I thought I would post some of the photos from the tour. The building above is where I spent many days and nights in the studio. To my surprise, many of the same easels, stools, and "props" were the same as they were 25 years ago. I guess that's comforting. This is a photo of our tour guide (an art history professor) in the new painting studio.
When looking through some college photos to share with my friends, I came across this photo of my painting class. Don't you love the looks on our faces? Such self searching souls we were-HA!

And look-here is one of those same stools. Still in use after 25 years.Last night I had a dream that our house was sinking into the mud from all the rain. I better go make sure that isn't coming true....

3-2-1... Veggies!

3-2-1 Veggies

Oil with palette knife on canvas paper

9" x 9"

$200 framed

This is my entry into this week's Different Strokes From Different Folks challenge. I was feeling that these beautiful vegetables needed to be organized so that I could give each it's own special attention. The size is 9" by 9" on canvas paper. Here is a close up on one of the onions.
Don't you just love summer?

Mind blogging

I just found this term from urbandictionary.com. I feel that it is fitting for what I have been up to lately.

Mind Blogging When you've not posted anything on your blog in a while, but you've been thinking about many topics to write about. 

Example

person1: Hey, where have you been? What you been up to? I've been watching your blog, but you're not even writing. 

person2: Yeah - I've been mind blogging, but I just haven't had a chance to post anything lately.

I do find myself thinking about art and topics to post about all the time. I keep a running list (of course-being the list maker that I am) of ideas and art pieces that I want to blog about. Now, if I can only find the time...

Anticipation

Wow-I think that was the longest I've gone without posting anything new since I started this blog. Not quite sure what happened. I think I must been distracted by all things summer; yard projects, house projects, kids home from college, etc... The blog has gotten a bit dusty-just like the deck looks right now with the layer of yellow pollen on it!

Anticipation

12" by 9"

Oil with a palette knife on canvas

SOLD

Anyway-here is a new painting to help keep the dust off. I worked on this in Thursday night painting class from a reference photo that Nancy picked out for me. Kim calls it cute but we're thinking it might need a little glazing over the peach colored blanket so it doesn't blend in so much with the skin tones. I'm thinking it might also need a pattern as well. Kim showed me how to glaze with the sand/cement painting I did awhile back. I'll report back with more on that soon.

What a wonderful town

It's A Wonderful Town

Oil with a palette knife on canvas

12" by 6"

SOLD

This is my entry into this week's Different Strokes From Different Folks challenge. I was just in NYC last week so I was really looking forward to painting this one. I love New York. It is truly a wonderful town. That's why in my painting the sky is a beautiful blue. I found painting the taxis came quickly, the buildings...well I sruggled a bit with those. Getting straight enough lines with the palette knife is a bit difficult. You can check out Karin's reference photo here.

En plein air in Walpole

Last weekend, our art instructor Kim Morin Weineck arranged a painting workshop in Walpole center. We all met at the revitalized fountain that was completed last year. We were hoping that the water would be flowing, but alas there are a few leaks to repair first so no spouting turtles to paint. Ah well. 

Here is Polo busy working on his painting using acrylics. You can see Nancy in the background working on her painting.

And here is Kim working on a wonderful pastel. Check out the cool gadget she has to hold her pastel in place.

This was the first time I painted really large with a palette knife. It was an interesting experience, a little intimidating and frustrating because I wanted to cover more ground faster than I was able to. I should have brought the bigger palette knives I just bought recently-d'oh. Here is my painting at the end of the day. Still needs some work, but eventually got it to a point that I liked what was happening. 

Here is a photo from where I was painting. I'll need to use this as I work to finish my painting.

And finally, here is photo of everyone's paintings at critique time. A wonderful variety of compositions and styles.

It was a great day. Thanks Kim. We had a little bit of everything weather-wise and onlooker-wise but all in all a great day and surprisingly exhausting. 

Momma Me-a

As a tribute to my mother on mother's day, I wanted to post some paintings I did from old photos I had of her.

My mother's side of the family had a farm in Ohio, and this first image is of my mother, probably in her early 20's, standing in front of the barn. I loved her red plain dress and the glasses.

My mother also was an avid golfer. This second painting was a composite of several images I found from a trip she, my father, and some friends took to Spain.

I think the man on the left was their caddy. I'd like to be there right now, wouldn't you? (TIP: speaking from experience, Mother's Day is a great day to get a tee time on the golf course! You will practically have the course to yourself.)

Have a great day and I hope you are doing something you enjoy.

Life with Vermeer

Sunday was the third and final part of our RISD art history lecture series. The subject, Vermeer!

There is very little record of Johannes (Jan) Vermeer's life, but here is what we do know. He lived in Delft, in The Netherlands (1632-1675) and had 11 children, 8 survived. He only produced about 30 paintings in his short lifetime, about 2-3 a year, which was significantly less than most artists of that time. He married into wealth and even though he was an art dealer by trade, he seemed uninterested in selling his own work. The book and movie The Girl With The Pearl Earring obviously raised recent interest in his life and work, but his paintings of everyday life have made him a popular artist for many years.

Like other artists of the time, he started with religious subject matter. Here is one of his early paintings.

Then he started painting images from his everyday life. Below is a view of Delft and was the only panoramic scene he painted. Apparently, if you went to Delft today, this scene would still look very similar. I find this painting mesmorizing and would love to see it in person some day.
This next painting is called The Little Street and it shows Vermeer's house. Isn't there something kind of Norman Rockwell about this?
Then he moved inside for his subject matter and stayed there. The painting below is called the The Concert and was the one of the paintings that was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum here in Boston in 1990. What is so appalling is that the thieves actually sliced the painting right out of it's frame. Ahhhh-so tragic! Hopefully some day it will be recovered so we can all admire it again.
Vermeer was quite the set decorator. Everything was positioned to create the most dynamic composition with the light source almost always coming from that same window at the left. I particularly appreciate the intricate floor patterns he creates and his use of negative spaces to aid in his composition. It is believed that he also used the camera obscura to help him with his compositions and to maintain consistency with repeated sittings of the models. His use of highlight (such as on that famous pearl earring) is also an indication of some kind of camera-like effect. In addition, he used the scenery to give hints about what was going. For instance, when you look at his work, take notice of the paintings hanging on the wall. He was known to have quite a sense of humor.

I noticed, even though the lecturer didn't mention it, that in his later paintings, he focused in more on the people instead of the entire scene. This was one of my favorites.
Check out that red feather hat. Amazing! The book, Vermeer by Lawrence Gowing was recommended for those wanting a good read about his life. And if you've never read Tracy Chevalier's book , it is one of my favorites.

I'm married to a famous artist!

My husband's latest show at the Moose Hill Massachusetts Audobon Society Gallery has received some great media coverage. He's been too busy to brag and blog about it so I'm going to do it for him. His picture and articles have appeared on the cover of this week's Sharon Advocate, The Walpole Times as well as the MetroWest Daily News. There is also a You Tube video that one of the reporters posted. I am SO PROUD!

Here are the links:

You Tube video

The Sharon Advocate

The Walpole Times

MetroWest Daily News

And few more images from the show: