The Warm Earth

Parkway Series #19 12 x 16 oil    Sold

It is interesting to me that even in rain and mist I find it hard to stay away from reds and greens. Even though this time the combination is a very low key range of the contrasting colors, the warmth of reds and greens remains strong. I will be fighting my desire to use these colors in a few months when the blue-grays of winter approach.

Relaxation and Rain

Parkway Series #18 Explore Park Spur 12 x 16 oil $85.

The rain this weekend was relaxing. Whether staying home or taking more photographs, it had a calming effect on me. The cool mist was a relief from the hot humidity of summer. The soft muted gray-greens were a relief from the high intensity colors with which I usually paint.

Blessings

Parkway Series #17 12 x 16 oil  Sold

As the foliage colors change from summer to autumn the yellows and soft purples are everywhere. Not only were my eyes drawn to the complementary colors, but the shadows around this tree seemed to form the spokes of a wheel as they moved with the setting sun. What an incredible blessing it is to have the time to see and reflect on the wonders of Creation.

Shadowlands

Parkway Series #16 12 x 16 oil  Sold

The focal point of this painting is the play of light across the land. However, to expand on this idea, as Michelangelo said, the whole "work of art is but a shadow of the Divine Perfection."

An arrest of attention

Parkway Series #15 12 x 16 oil Sold

Many have tried to define art; few have succeeded. This quote certainly rings true for me. "I feel art has something to do with the achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos: a stillness which characterizes prayer, or the eye of the storm. I think that art has something to do with an arrest of attention in the midst of distraction." Saul Bellow

I'll fly away

Parkway Series #14 11 x 14 oil   Sold

How incredible is the beauty around us that so many times we are too busy to see. This late evening vista on the Parkway transported me into the clouds and I found myself singing the old hymn, "...when I die, Hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away!"

Look Up

Parkway Series #13 11 x 14 oil Sold

Many times, I'm so intent on photographing the wonders of the mountains and valleys, I forget to look up! Maybe there is a lesson in this; what Beauty we behold when we do.

Heaven Bound

Parkway Series #12 11 x 14 oil   Sold

When I am up on the mountains, I love the serenity. I love the quiet sounds of nature; I love looking across miles and miles of ridges and valleys. I love the wind and the wildflowers. But, most of all I love the feeling of being, in some way, closer to Heaven.

"I just work here"

Parkway Series #11 12 x 16 oil Sold

Artists have a hard time with self-critique. Always making judgements of my own work leads to self-doubt and apathy. Daily painting gives me little time for second thoughts. I like the artist, Wolf Kahn's motto, "I just work here". After a year of daily painting maybe I'll slow down enough to critique my work.

Freedom

Parkway Series # 10 12 x 16 oil $85.

I love working in "plein air", however, most of the time I am forced to work from photographs. Working from photographs has its advantages, like being able to turn the photo upside down or side ways to get another perspective on the composition. But one of my goals in daily painting is to free myself from the photograph. In painting landscapes, the artist has much more freedom to be a designer. If the compostition calls for a stronger horizontal, I can add a tree limb. With other genres, it seems that changes would be harder; with portraiture it is hard to add another arm!

Celebration

Parkway Series #9 11 x 14 oil Sold

"If you've seen one tree, you've seen them all." I've heard this many times. There seems to be no ideology for painting landscapes today. History reveals a past celebration of the landscape with westward expansion, colonialism, exploration, nationalism, romanticism. But "it's all been done before." My rebuttal to this is "hogwash"! I will continue to celebrate the landscape because it deserves celebration.

Are we there yet?

Parkway Series #8 12 x 16 oil $85.

A big question for most artists is when to stop working on a painting. There is always the temptation to work it to death which I do frequently. I chose to stop working on this painting sooner than most. I like the loose brush strokes and more of the red background showing through. Is it finished? I'm not sure; I will live with it for awhile before I make that decision.

Power and Peace

Parkway Series #7 12 x 16 oil $85.

Even though I get an incredible sense of peace being in the mountains, my soul is also excited and awe struck by the magnificient power and beauty surrounding me. Using a red background to paint on brings power and punch into the dynamics of a painting. The red-orange is a mid-tone over which I paint the dark and light values. Then, when green (the contrasting color to red) is added, the excitement begins! I leave bits of red to show through the foreground to pull the image closer to the viewer. Power can be conveyed through color. I believe, the peace is conveyed through the Spirit with which the image is painted.

Stronger Value Patterns

Parkway Series #6 12 x 16 oil $85.

I am surprised at how quickly my eye is drawn to value patterns now that I am painting daily. Forcing myself to paint faster (like 30 second gestures in college!) is proving to be a great way to get the important "stuff" down first.

Mystery

Parkway Series #5 12 x 16 oil Sold

As I was trying to find a way to express my thoughts, I remembered this quote from Francis Bacon. "The job of the artist is to always deepen the mystery." Using too much detail in a painting takes away the joy of imagination and mystery. I'm beginning to simplify the image; it will be interesting to see how far into abstraction I will go.

The Voice Within

Parkway Series #4 12 x 16 oil  Sold

While working on this series of paintings, I am listening to my heart. My response to the visual field of which I am a part lets me know what image to photograph. The sensory smorgasbord sometimes seems overwhelming but more and more frequently, I am finding my heart strings being pulled by color contrasts, value patterns and the abstract shape of shadows. My search continues for a personal style. I believe after a year of daily painting, I will find my personal style by listening to the Voice within.

Complements

Parkway Series #3 12 x 16 oil  sold

Complementary colors continue to fascinate me. Yellows and purples, pinks and greens seemed to fill the Parkway on the foggy morning of my photo shoot. The contrasting colors were a visual delight; the cool misty rain and occasional patches of sunlight kept me guessing as the same scene changed from moment to moment.

Captured by Light

Parkway series #2 12 x 16 oil   Sold

Saturday Aug 22nd was rainy and I am a painter of light but I decided to drive up on the Parkway to take pictures anyway; no one was up there. The solitude and fog were beautiful and the light was just beginning to burn off the mist. I was amazed that around each bend there was another painting! I may paint this one again using a different color ground. Each painting has a colored gesso under the paint. For these fog paintings, I used pink. It would be interesting to paint them on blue or purple.

Too Much Fun!!!

Parkway Series #1 12 x 16 oil $85.

Last week, my ideas were to plan and set goals and prepare for the marathon in January. However, I painted whenever I had free time and surprised myself with the completion of EIGHT paintings in one week. I am now under the impression that this is just too much fun to wait until January! I know that I have not arrived as a painter; there may be days when I cannot paint; but the fear of daily painting is being overcome by the energy and joy of doing it!!! The contemporary landscape painter,Wolf Kahn said success is in the appetite for work. If that is true then I will be successful because my appetite for painting is growing by the day. Also as I work I am seeing drastic changes in the way I approach the work. My style has changed in just one week. It may change again, who knows, but this is just too much fun to wait any longer. As of today, I will be posting one painting a day. THE SERIES BEGINS. All paintings will be numbered and posted in the order they are done.

Marathon Painting

Parkway Sunrise 12 x 16 oil Sold

Running a marathon is a good analogy for my Parkway Project. After thinking more about my desire to be a daily painter in 2010, I have decided I need to be much more organized and focused on goals. I need a weekly training schedule between now and Jan. 1st. Over the next few weeks, I will be determining the number of hours each week I will need to paint. I will be making a list of my goals for this project and I will be keeping a training log of weekly paintings so that in January, I will be able to pace myself so that I do not burn out. I really appreciate all of the encouragement from those with whom I have shared my ideas. I will continue to post weekly paintings until January, then I will be posting daily paintings Monday through Friday until Dec 31, 2010.