The Point 6" x 8" oil on canvas board

This is the "point" as I have named it. It's a little area where the path twists around the corner, so from my viewpoint the land sticks out quite a bit. The crepe myrtle is still blooming. I got a shadow a the top from the clamp holding the wet painting, so I'll have to retake the photo in a few days after it dries. Because of limited space all my paintings are stored in a wet canvas carrier in the storage unit. It's a weird feeling having to store them all, since I am used to leaving them out for a few weeks to look at while they are drying.

Not what I was hoping for.....

I've been focusing on putting down the large masses or shapes, looking at values and design. Really it's probably more than my brain can think about all at once. Usually I just paint. Now I am thinking. maybe the two things don't go together?? No I know they do. I just need to get to the place where the thinking is more intuitive and not so rigid.

So what I was trying to do here was capture the awesome beautiful bright green grass. It really was this color. I think what I don't like is the design of the painting. There is a cool rusted burn barrel in the middle ground that got lost. And I know that the whitish green trees is the center are drawing your eye in and you get stuck there. I also managed to put the dark pine trees right in the middle in the background.

So what do I like about this painting? I like that sky color, and the color of the pavement. I love the bright lime green grass and I really like the stripes of green grass coming towards you. I realized that there is a very cool pattern of green grass all over the pavement that I didn't see til I was packing up.

Ok so here is the same painting cropped and the dark green pine trees taken out ( done with my editing software in iPhoto). I also softened the dark areas in the middle and under the  light green trees. Now the barrel pops out a little more. Hmmm. I'll have to go back and see what I can do tomorrow. I really do like it better without the dark pines. That early in the morning everything is back lit to a certain extent and much darker.

I'll think about that ...tomorrow.

Reflections 6" x 8" oil on canvas board.

This was done early in the morning between 7:30 and 9:30. What I am finding out is that around ten o"clock the early morning haze clears out and the blue sky appears. Sometimes with clouds, sometimes not. But by then the temperature was close to 90 degrees and I had to call it a day.
 It was very peaceful painting, a few dogs walking with their humans and a couple fishing.

That ugly thing 6" x 8" oil on canvas board

I painted this view again from a different angle. This time no building, just part of the bridge and the path. Of course I had to put in the turquoise fencing. I am just enamored with the color and design of this fence, but it is a bear to paint. Another overcast morning, so I used a red underpainting which I like in the sky. that shadow under the bridge came out too red in this photo. Here's a picture of the fence.

Bluebird of Happiness Assemblage 12" x 12"

I just finished teaching a seven week class on collage. This is my assemblage using cardboard, paper, paint, and found objects like glass, stone feathers and metal. The Bluebird is the state bird for New York State, but I have never seen one. That is until now. On the property here at Morningstar, in Fort Mill, SC. we have several bluebird families. You can't imagine my delight when I first spotted one. I really acted quite ridiculous - but I was so excited to see that awesome blue color as the bird flew away.

So I chose the bluebird as the theme for my box. Coming here to Morningstar has fulfilled some deep longings, that I can't really explain, but I know it's God and His loving kindness blessing me. I'll post some student work next, so you can see some of their very cool collages also. this lesson was based on  Joseph Cornell, an artist who made assemblages famous.

assemblage: a work of art made by grouping found or unrelated objects.

New Bridge 6" x 8" oil on canvas panel.

It was overcast while I was painting this. This is a new bridge (built over the old bridge) that goes across the lake and connects the path that goes around the lake. It's a very nice addition to the area. I like the feeling of haziness I got in the background. It was hard to really see too many shapes and colors in the background because of the lighting. So I just squinted and laid down the color I thought worked. 

Crape Myrtle 6" x 8" oil on canvas board

I am painting early in the morning - 7 am - 9:30 am this month. Mostly because I can not last much longer once the temps get up over 85 degrees. This is my first southern summer and it is a baptism of fire! But I really love getting up early; I have for as long as I can remember. Maybe I just am living up to my name.

But I wanted to share how different it is to paint in a new climate. South Carolina is so different than New York. Red dirt, bright green grass and leaves still, flowering trees in the middle of a heat wave. My upstate new York brain is having a little trouble adjusting! My husband and I relocated here last year in September, so we missed last summer. This is the third summer we have unpacked or packed boxes. I don't recommend it! We have definitely trimmed our stuff down to only what we need and a few things we love. Very freeing.

I am so happy to be using oils again. It has been three years since I packed them up. I really love plien air painting. It is so peaceful to be outside trying to get something down on canvas. All that being said, I am focusing on basics now - looking for the big shapes, measuring to get things right, thinking about values and color temperature. One thing I'd really like to conquer - or at least improve on, is getting more paint on the canvas. I am experimenting with using a palette knife for sections of some of the paintings. I am re -reading the book  Alla Prima by Richard Schmid. He is considered a living Master and a wonderful painter. Check his website out.