Friday, October 30, 2009

Horses


Parkway Series # 41   12 x 16   oil    $85.

Animals along the parkway are always interesting subjects.  I have tried to get photos of deer and cranes and turkeys but so far the images have not been exactly right for a painting.  Composing this photo with diagonals added some eye movement to a very peaceful scene.  The pasture is south of 220  before ascending Bent Mountain.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Long Shadows


Parkway Series # 40   12 x 16   oil   Sold

Being low in the sky, the late afternoon autumn sun was coming directly through the trees on the right across the road.  I love the highlighted trees and purple shadows. This is a section of Parkway south of 220 driving North as it flattens out in the valley.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Composition

Parkway Series #39   12 x 16   oil   Sold

Traveling the Parkway up the mountain, south of 220, this overlook is on the right, a view of Lost Mountain.  I  remember composing with the camera.  The zig zag diagonals move the eye into the painting.  The dullness of color pushes the image back and the intensity of color (reds and purples) pulls the image forward.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Perspective

Parkway Series #38   11 x 14   oil     SOLD
The perspective in this picture interested me.  Normally paved roads are not that interesting.  There has to be something like shadows or color or perspective that convinces me to paint a road.  Country dirt roads take me back to a time of a simpler life and have a story that appeals to the imagination, but paved roads remind me too much of the fast pace of life and technology to which I have an aversion.  The Parkway slows me down enough to engage it as a subject, but even still I find myself continuing to be drawn to other elements of the Parkway, like trees and overlooks and animals and sunlight and color.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Peak Weekend

Parkway Series # 37  11 x 14 oil   Sold

Driving the Parkway is glorious with the yellow golds and breathtaking red/orange leaves.  Saturday was overcast but still exhillarating.  The fall colors have peaked and the Parkway was packed with people on Saturday and Sunday.  It was bumper to bumper at the Peaks yesterday.  What fun to hike along the lake and smell the woodland scents.  I have some  great photos of the lake and I'm excited to begin work on some water scenes soon.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Blue Skies Ahead

Parkway Series #36   11 x 14   oil    Sold         prints now available

As I traveled the Parkway, south of 220, this cloudy day I was disappointed because of the lack of sun.  Then coming down the mountain toward Roanoke, the sun finally came out.  I was so exicited I took the photograph for this painting out of the front windshield of the car!!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Warm Shadows


Parkway Series #35   11 x 14   oil    Sold

Value trumps color.  Even though shadows should be cool, I enjoy switching warm and cool colors just for the creative effect.  The warm shadows on the road fill the painting with warmth.  This is the road leading up from the river at Explore Park.  I am so sorry to see overgrown paths and picnic pavillions with no tables!  My prayer is that someone would see the potential of this beautiful place and save it from profits, greed and lack of love for beauty and nature.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Mill Mountain Park

Parkway Series #34   11 x 14   oil     $85.

The sidewalk near the Star on Mill Mountain became a canvas for abstract patterns on this sunny day.  My "road paintings" may be interrupted occassionally for rabbit trails like this one.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

S. E. Overpass

Parkway Series #33    11 x 14     oil     Sold         prints now available

This is the overpass between Vinton (Rt 24) and Buck Mountain (Rt 220).  I feel that after completing the last six weeks of paintings, I am beginning to feel the landscapes rolling off my brush quicker and easier and more successful than ever before.  I know all this practice will pay off.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Read Mountain Overlook

Parkway Series #32   11 x 14   oil    Sold
Just south of 460 looking north, this overlook has a great view of Read Mountain and the valley near Bonsack.  It was, however, the red dogwood that caught my eye.  After the frost last night, the single red trees will now blend into a blaze of red and orange that will be hard to distinguish one from the other.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Overpass in Purple

Parkway Series #31  11 x 14   oil   Sold

I appreciate all the encouraging emails and comments about my Parkway Paintings.  Many of the admirers have suggested more roads, overpasses and bridges.  The first of the series of "road" paintings is the 460 overpass between Bonsack and Blue Ridge.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

October Skies


Parkway Series #30  12 x 16  oil   Sold

The angle of the sun and lack of humidity make October skies the most fabulous of the year.  I'm again, back at the Explore Park Spur for this sunrise.  The actual painting has a bit more color in the sky than this image suggests.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Color Harmony

Parkway Series #29  11 x 14  oil   Sold

This painting is an experiment with analogous colors (colors close on the color wheel).  As long as the color value remains true to reality, the hues can vary from reality-interesting results.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Orange and Blue


Parkway Series #28   11 x 14    oil   $85.

The contrast of orange and blue caught my eye in the very chilly, early morning panorama looking S.W. from the Explore Park Spur toward Buck Mountain.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Red Trees

Parkway Series #27   12 x 16   oil, on display,   $95.

I love red trees.  I stop and take pictures of every red tree I see.  Dogwoods are the first to turn red; beginning with magenta, the color deepens to alizarin and finally turns to burnt sieinna.  Red maples are glorious too.  And when the sun hits the foliage the light show becomes irresistable.  This tree has an incredible view of the Peaks of Otter. It majestically sits below the guard rail on the way up the mountain toward the Peaks, overlooking the Jefferson National Forest.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Roanoke River Overlook #3


Parkway Series #26    11 x 14   oil     $85.

The hike back up from the river was flooded with light tumbling across the path.  The sun was so warm yet the air was cool.  The colors changed around each bend; what a beautiful day!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Roanoke River Overlook #2


Parkway Series #25  11 x 14    oil  $85.

As I continue working, I am experimenting not only with color but with varying degrees of abstraction.  I like the loose brush work and the impressionistic quality of this painting.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Roanoke River Overlook


Parkway Series #24  12 x 16  oil   SOLD

Looking for new subject matter, I hiked down, under the Parkway, to the Roanoke River.   The brown, muddy, fast moving water was not nearly as interesting as the light and shadow along the way. After the last few paintings,  I've decided no more red background for a while.  My need to change directions is leading me to experiment with different color schemes.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Rocks?


Parkway Series #23  12 x 16  oil   Sold

I am not sure that most people would be drawn to rocks.  However, there is something about their reflective nature and the multi-colored surfaces that intrigues me.  This painting was fun  to do and I believe it is one of my more successful ones.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Memories

Parkway Series # 22    12 x 16   oil   Sold

The photo for this painting was taken on the Roanoke Mountain Overlook.  Below is Garden City, Mount Pleasant and in the far left you can see Vinton.  The shadowed fellow sitting there seemed to be reminiscing and reminded me of long past memories of my children and my younger days, living in the shadow of this mountain.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Open Studio, Ya'll Come

Parkway Series # 21 Iron Gap Overlook 12 x 16 oil   Sold

After a month of rolling them out, I am beginning to get behind in my daily painting! This painting is one done earlier in the year. Today I am busy getting ready for my Open Studio tomorrow Sat. Oct 3 10-4 and Sun. Oct 4 2-4.  Many of my paintings will be discounted and my student's work will be on display also.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Front Porch View

Parkway Series #20 12 x 16 oil Sold

I just could not resist painting in the open air from my front porch. My justification is that the parkway runs along the ridge in the distance! My thanks goes to my neighbor, Donna Ramsey, who bought this one on site.