Plein Air in Converse, Indiana

I joined the Indiana Plein Air Painters this year and this is the third paintout I've attended. Held in Converse, Indiana, this paintout was sponsored by a number of small businesses in the town of Converse.

I had never heard of Converse before I visited it for this event but I left with a positive feeling.

Unseasonably warm weather arrived with the first day of fall, and coincided with the paintout, titled "The First Brush of Fall". The 90 degree weather was not exactly conducive to plein air painting but that's part of the challenge when you enter a plein air event: you must be prepared for everything- even pouring down rain.

I painted a pastel of a farm on the first day and made the mistake of standing in the sun because that's where the best view was! It was the first time I'd used pastels in the field and I was not too happy with the support I used-- a handmade board primed with a mixture of gesso and marbledust. I think I should have sanded it.

Plein Air Paintings

Tis the season! Warm weather and sunny spring days mean it's time to break out the easel and get outdoors to paint. I attended the first paintout of the season in Waterville June 5-7. The first day I arrived late and painted down by the river.

My first painting is a view looking westward down the Maumee River. I stood on a rocky riverbank and enjoyed myself.

11" X 14" oil on canvas

The second painting I completed that day is the Route 64 Bridge. It was built in the 1940's. The light was nice on this metal monster but I wonder if I painted it because it was a comfy place to paint; I was lazy and I didn't feel like moving my easel. I've heard the old adage that a good painter can find a painting anywhere but in my case I struggle. I like to be inspired and not have to make too much up.

11"x14" oil on canvas, Route 64 Bridge

Two Small Still Life Paintings

Just a couple small still life paintings done from life. The first explores the relationship between yellow and violet. The second is a more colorful painting that looks at analogous reds and violets on the warm end of the color wheel.

8x10 oil on canvas

6x6 oil on gessoed masonite

Beach Art

 When it gets chilly I start thinking about the beach. Sand, sun, and sunscreen. Time to pull out the reference photos from my vacations and see what kind of painting I can come up with.

6"x6"

oil on panel

Gold Star Portraits

Sherry Ann Franks coordinated another memorable event on Sunday. Every year Sherry Ann puts in countless hours to put together a Blue Star/Gold Star program that honors the families of local military families. It is a solemn ceremony with a color guard, bagpipe player and inspiring music touches the hearts of everyone who attends. This year the mothers who received Gold Stars (their sons were killed in the line of duty) released white doves as well. This is the fourth year I have done paintings for the families and it doesn't get any easier. The photos I use are not ideal and the time frame is tight- usually four weeks to get two paintings done. But I know these parents will treasure their portraits as a reminder of their loved one and I'm honored to be a part of it.

American Frame donated the frames again this year.

Click image to view full size

Style verses Substance

Style verses Substance... what exactly does that mean? Sometimes it means you put aside the actual reality of what you're viewing and dramatize what is ethereal and poetic (to you) about your subject. It's no secret that I enjoy painting FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. I've done so many different versions of pears and garlic and tomatoes-- you name it, that I feel compelled to change it up now and then. I like to ask myself, "What if?" In this instance I wondered what would happen to the roma tomatoes if I used a trowel of a palette knife to lay the color on. I paint differently when I use the knife. It makes my strokes a bit more intentional and keeps me from becoming too invested in detail--which can quickly lead to the death of a painting.

I found that using my cadmium red light straight form the tube really captured the glowing red of these tomatoes. A simple grouping of similar objects arranged artfully and painted with a heavy hand. But I really like it that way.

Roma Tomatoes

6"x6"

oil on Gessobord™

SOLD

On My Easel This Week: Honoring Those Who Fight For Us

There's precious little a person like me can do when to defend herself, let alone her country, so I have great respect for the brave men and women who serve in  our military. Especially now, when the world is a more dangerous place than it has been since the attacks on 9-11.

Every year a division of the local VFW Auxiliary chooses to honor local families by presenting the families of those serving in the military with blue starts. The mothers of soldiers who have died get a gold star. The ceremony is meaningful; filled with bagpipe music, tearful ballads and an honor guard.

I do oil paintings of the deceased soldiers and I present them at the end of the ceremony. These are tough paintings to do. You have to divorce yourself from the circumstances while you look at the reference photos of smiling young men who are hugging their girlfriends or hiking up a mountain with their favorite dog. The trouble is you know these young men will never hike or hug again and it's hard to accept that. As hard as it is for you to accept it's a thousand times harder on their family and friends.

So I try to create a painting that honors the soldier and will provide some sort of comfort to the family. Oil portraits last hundreds of years so the painting is likely to become an heirloom. The soldier whose life too early will become a legend in the history of his family. He's a hero, and while we don't worship our heroes we do recognize their valor and the courage it takes to put yourself out there in harm's way.

This year we are honoring two soldiers. I started the under-paintings this week and I hope to finish the paintings next week.

Joseph Lilly and Steven Stevens

Beach Boys and Girls

Nothing says summer to me more than children playing on the beach. There is something so engaging about the way they mold and scoop and form the grains of sand. These two paintings were commissioned by the father of the children and presented to their mother as a surprise! Dad directed me to some Facebook photos and I created the small impressionistic pieces, keeping in mind they would hang together.

6" x 6" oil on Gessoboard ™

Netta's Greenhouse and Nursery near Alpena

We traveled south to Alpena, Michigan on the second day of our painting adventure. The forecast was for an unseasonably hot day in the nineties so I was looking forward to some painting in the shade. Netta's Greenhouse and Nursery, owned by the wonderful Netta and her family, turned out to be the perfect place to paint.

I settled myself down near some flowers to paint an outdoor still life while some of the others painted Netta's house and her greenhouse. Netta ended up buying two of the paintings but she didn't want to pay enough for mine so it went home with me, where I tweaked it a bit.

I brought three 16" x 16" canvases and I really enjoyed working on the square format. I do a lot of small 6" x 6" paintings but the larger ones have never interested me until now.

Netta's Teapot 16" x 16"

Artists are collectors too!

If you're an artist, you are probably a collector too. I know that I am. I love pretty things and I especially love pretty things I can put into my paintings. This lovely pot is hand-thrown and I purchased it because it's hand-made and unique. I know most of the people who buy my paintings make their purchases for the same reason!

Although all paintings need to be based on a strong composition, a secondary consideration can be color, or tone, or theme.... just about anything you as the artist and creator can dream up. You are the director! The pear is there solely to pull the eye into the piece but this painting is really about warm rust colors and how they relate to cool greens and warm yellows.

Composition with Yellow-Greens

14"x18" oil on canvas

$350

 

Profiles

I don't do a lot of portraits using a profile view. I'm not sure why because they're just as intriguing, in my opinion. This one is a bit larger than life size and I painted it at the request of a client who owns another one of my American Indian paintings. That one is a Nez Perce warrior and the male is facing left. So I painted this one as a mate to that painting, using the same background and solemn side view, but facing to the right.

She is based loosely on another Edward Curtis black and white photograph, circa 1900.

12" x 16" oil on canvas

Nez Perce Maiden