Once in a lifetime experience!

Hollywood has a new film set! Showing up early to check things out turned out to be the start of a true adventure. Seems they were in need of a sign painter...... and there I was. So Monday morning we started planning the layout and lettering for sign #1. All was well until the sky turned dark and winds picked up. We got the sign moved to the livery just in time, before the hours-long deluge drenched everything!

Tromping through the mud and mini rivers that formed , we still managed to keep the hammers and paint brushes in full motion.

Sun up to sun down, we all worked to bring the dream of  Robert  'Cowboy' Culbertson to reality. What a privledge to work alonside the likes of Jim Hatzell,  from films such as 'Dancing with Wolves'...and most of the 'Boys from Illinois'...

They rarely stopped to take a break and I followed suit, knowing time would fly and we needed to finish by Thursday night, before the unveiling on Friday.

Cowboy and his wife, Donna, had decided to honor Richard DeShon by naming the hotel after him; but we had a tough time keeping a sign that big hidden from him when he showed up on location!





Stay tuned.....

What a treat when he saw the sign;
he was delighted and planned to surprise his wife, Mignon,
 by not telling her before she came to see the town herself.

 

# 30..... Went to a Garden Party

This years challenge has been a little easier this year. I chose things before hand, to narrow the field of choices; that, in itself, can eat your entire day away.

At first, I had chosen the theme of 'western'....but I also didn't want to box myself in, so I had also included several other photos to choose from, knowing how mood affects what we feel and want to paint. I am son=mewhat sad for this to end but as I am packing my suitcases today, the timing is perfect. Another western experience awaits in AZ and there are plans to meet up with some of my favorite painters in Sedona, Jerome and down to Tucson.

With temps here in the 60's, although short-lived, I thought it appropriate to end on a sunny, positive note;

                                                           Went to a Garden Party

                                                                10 x 20" oil
                                                       gallery-wrapped deep canvas



Here is the months worth of work...........now I am excited to be planning some larger, more involved paintings, working on those miles of canvas.........

I hope you have enjoyed this journey with me....stay tuned; I will soon be blogging about fun in Arizona and writing for Hostelling International.

Stay safe and have a wonderful day...........Ruth Ann


                           

# 15 0f 30 paintings in 30 days 2013

Well, I tried to do something simple and although there is a lot of drawing, it was. I really liked it before I put any color to it, other than a wash of transparent oxide red. It had an old world feel to it and the simplicity was pleasing. You know, like when you look at a black and white photo and just know you wouldn't enjoy it as much in color.

I think I was down in Amish country when I snapped this photo. Seems I found a number of interesting doors that day.....

                

                              #15       Window to the Past 

                                           4 x 6"  oil on panel    $20

Thank you for viewing my art...........comments and suggestions are always welcomed.

Ruth Ann

# 11..... of 30 paintings in 30 days 2013

Wow...I can hardly believe it is already day 11! Last year, it was getting to be a bit of a struggle by this time and this year, I just feel like I am getting rolling. I am really having fun the last few paintings. Not sure if it is because I am going back to portraiture or if it is because these have been in the planning stages for some time. You know, the long, long list that seems to just grow....it is great to start checking them off and watching the list shrink for a change!

I feel like I am learning more this go round. I now think I need to do this more than just the month of January. I still have a bit of travel planned for this year but maybe I will do small ones when I travel if I don't paint plein air!

Here is today's effort.........again, I struggled with a few things and think I need to go back and punch up a few darks....

 

# 11 The Yellow Hat

12 x 12" NFS

 

I appreciate feedback regarding what you think about this; should something be changed??

 

I look forward to your comments...

 

As always...........thanks for viewing....Ruth Ann

Choosing a frame for your art...

As artists, we sometimes have a tough time picking a frame that really suits our creation. I am certainly guilty. So often, we get all caught up in the beauty of the frame and forget that we need the art to shine. When I overheard visitors in a gallery comment as soon as their eyes drifted to a certain piece.."OH, LOOK at that wonderful frame!"..........you knew for sure it was the wrong frame for that piece. I had an even tougher time getting over this, as I restored old beautiful frames for a number of years, so it was hard to not choose one based on its beauty alone. Many are works of art in themselves...hence the fad awhile back of hanging empty frames on the wall.

Recently, I was getting ready to ship a work of art to a gallery and noticed the frame had gotten damaged. I didn't have time to repair it properly so I knew I had to go shopping.

Usually, a good rule of thumb is if you put a frame on it and it disappears and you just see the art, you have a perfect frame.I went searching for the same frame because it did just disappear when the art was inserted but chose a different one, to my surprise. Sometimes, it can be that the frame just seems to complete and become a part of the piece as in this one.

The silver seem to emphasize the highlights of the crystal glass, the mid tone texture repeated the front of the shelf and the outside repeated the background dark. It made the art seem much  larger than the little 5 x 7" that it is........

I would love to hear what you think..........comments?

Thanks for viewing and reading my thoughts............Ruth Ann

# 10................30 paintings in 30 days 2013

This discipline of getting to the studio might finally be working like I was hoping. It has motivated me and by just 'doing the work', I have excercised my right brain enough that it is now correctly in the mode of'  " how can I best tell the story I have to tell ?  ".

So today, I started one that has been percolating in my mind for quite some time; part of a series. The problem was mostly fear of failure, but also sometimes an idea just needs to set on the shelf until it's time.

So I chose to start with just a wash of oil color to get me started and that really was part of the solution. Not only did it get me beyond that 'white canvas syndrome', it set the mood for the less importrant background. The shapes were very necessary but I needed them to stay quiet so the foreground could speak. I am very happy with the result!

                                                        #10......Straw Visor with Flower
                                                   12 x 12" oil on canvas (mounted to wood panel)
                                                                        NFS

Thanks so much for viewing my art.......comments are always welcome..........Ruth Ann

# 9.......30 paintings in 30 days

Today's attempt is not anything I am happy with but I did paint........that is my goal. To create some more consistent hours in the studio. It is easy to drift in the mindset that if you aren't selling a bunch, maybe you should slow your painting down, too. That is not really a good idea...yet, I admit to sometimes falling victim to that. The more productive time spent in the studio, the better the mind set and the more creative you become.

The results of today are not a waste, either. Much was learned and there is certainly more failures ahead but the great thing about that is the sooner I get some more of those failures out of the way, a few wonderful creations are going to appear at the end of my brush! It's a matter of numbers. The odds are with us; so I plunder on.

In fact, I started two other paintings after this one.......

                                        Hohokam Path 

                                      5 x 7" oil on panel     $45

Standing in the Shadows

Staying with my western theme, here a few more aspens. I traveled all the way to Montana to paint and the first ranch we painted at was.............."Buckeye Ranch"   .........they had both been originally from Ohio! Go figure. They even had an entire room ....aka the bar.........done in Buckeye decor.

Anyway, they were fabulous people and gave us free rein of the house and grounds.  The aspens had not started to turn while I was there in August but the shade of the barn was inviting and got me out of the glaring light. I took hundreds of photos while there and this is the result of the one looking towards the road leading to the ranch.

                                                   

                            Standing in the Shadows

                                                  9 x 12" oil on museum matboard     $75

I think I need to make a few adjustments, esp. the trees at the top but here it is today...
thanks for looking..........Ruth Ann

# 7....... of 30 paintings in 30 days 2013

Thinking I should really start some projects that have been tossed around in my right brain for several months, so today I plunged in.

Having been bitten with the travel bug a few years ago, I have tried to do as much exploring the landscape as I can. I am saddened to see the litter that I find while hiking. Last year I started picking as much up as I could, on one particular area. Then it dawned on me that I should repurpose these rusted pieces of metal. I wrapped them in newspaper and flew them home with me.

They have been treated to stop the rusting process and  are ready for painting. Each one will have a subject that I have personally encountered and photographed in the area where I gathered the metal. With the uneven surface, it is difficult to get detail but here goes attempt #1..... a Magpie that I followed for some time.....

 

'Alone in the Desert'  

 3 x 8" oil on rusted metal     NFS

 

Comments and suggestions are always appreciated.

 

Thank you for looking........ Ruth Ann

# 6 of 30 paintings in 30 days

Well, this one was started 'en plein air' in Montana. A friend had given me the surface to try; a resin treated  paper made specially to be light weight for travel. That it was. It also grabbed the paint. I struggled with it and finally gave up, knowing I needed extra time to deal with the properties of this new surface.

I found I rather like it. The oil painting looks almost as if it were done with pastel. So here it is, reworked. Still not quit what I was going for but I was so enamored with the incredible vista of those monstrous mountains, it was a difficult capture!

I still can put myself right back at that moment, painting, the wind blowing and how wonderful it all was!

                                                         Glacier View  

                                                       9 x 12" oil on resin paper  $75

# 5 of 30 in 30 days

I painted this scene in a large format and since it is one of my very favorite places, Sedona, I wanted to paint it again in a smaller size.

I have to admit, I liked it better about 40 brushstrokes ago, but since none of you were here in my studio to grab the brush from me, here it is...

                        Red Rock Crossing in Autumn         9 x 12" oil on panel        $75

                                              Have a fabulous weekend..........Ruth Ann

# 4 of 30 paintings in 30 days 2013

On the bucket list was seeing the aspens turn golden! That one got it's checkmark this last fall, as I had the priviledge to explore Montana then Wyoming while they were gloriosly in full splendor.

                                                        9 x 12" oil on panel

Day 3 of 2013 - 30 paintings in 30 days

It has been a really tough day at work and the show opens tomorrow; let's hope I get all the photos on the gallery wall nicely in time!

That meant little time for a painting after a quick supper tonight. I even had to skip lunch completely, so  I was certainly hungry and needed to eat before thinking I could pick up a brush! I am still dragging and it shows in my painting. Funny how our emotional state usually shows up on our surface.

                                 
                                                 6 x 10" oil on panel

Day 2.... 30 paintings in 30 days 2013

Well, I am sort of sticking to my idea of western paintings. I always loved the colors of the sky when I captured these photos while exploring the area just northwest of Phoenix. The sun was starting to set and I was trying to navigate my husband to an area where I could get a decent shot that didn't include houses. I allowed my intuition to guide me, and directed him to take a right or left, urging him to just trust me; we ended up in this beautiful clear area and when I saw the statue backlit, I knew someday I would try to capture it in paint.

                                                            9 x 14.5"  oil on panel

I would really appreciate help in a title for this one.........any suggestions????

Have a wonderful evening and may he shine his light upon you......  Ruth Ann

January #1..30 paintings in 30 days

Well, I am off to a rocky start but certainly learning! I thought I might attempt painting number one with a palette knife so it would go quickly and I wouldn't get caught up in the details.

I was not happy with the outcome, so I scraped it off and tried to salvage it with brushes. I will paint this one again, as it is a very special place in Glacier National Park. It is known as Heaven's Peak.

 

I like the warmer version although the shadow pattern is much better and stronger in the palette knife version.

 

Heaven's Peak, Glacier National Park,9 x 12" oil on panel   $125

Pre- Art Conference

What a wonderful day! Rising early and then getting my luggage delivered was a good start to the day. Wanting to get re-acquainted with Dubois, I went for my favorite walk along the Wind River again.

About halfway through, the winds started howling fiercely and the rain came. All I could do at that point was to fasten the chin strap on my hat and keep walking. Luckily for me, it didn't last very long.

Deciding where to have lunch, as there are several choices. I liked the look of the Cowboy Cafe and it seemed to be pretty busy, a good sign.
I must have made the right choice because not only was the food excellent, just as I was finishing Pam and Les Cable and several others from the art conference showed up. Great reunion!

Color charts and snippet # 2

Today was a good, productive day in the studio. This one is coming along nicely, although it surprised me when I started liking what was happening on the canvas a whole lot better than the pretty darn good photo I had managed to capture of this area. I got one spot that looked really 'sweet' and I knew I needed to avoid it like the plague or I would destroy it. I then chose to forget the photo and just paint what I liked on the canvas.

 A light bulb moment, kind of, as now I better understand those before me that recommended using a photo as a 'jumping off point', not just slave and copy it.

I should be able to complete this one tomorrow.........can you guess what landmark this is?

                  ***************************************************


I also was having trouble with subtle grays
 for one of the very large paintings and it was
 full of little shifts of greys.........so I opened
up the cupboard door and studied my color charts.
 There it was! I was trying to get the tone/value
 using Burnt Sienna when a much better and
more accurate choice was Transparent Oxide Red!
 I am pretty sure that I will be using
 my color charts more often now.



Have a wonderful evening and remember when that color is elusive, make some mixes and record them for future reference!

Sneak peek...

Working on all new work for a show and not being able to share it is tough! Therefore, I have chosen to photograph snippets of my paintings to give you a sneak peek of a portion of the painting.

 I am keeping a journal as I do this, as I have never painted this many paintings of this size. Considering the challenge I did in January of the daily tiny paintings and then to jump to this. Almost overwhelming, but it was my choice. What was I thinking?  I have stretched a number of my own and made a few panels. The smallest is 18 x 24". Well, life is short and it has been a great motivator.

They say any successful artist has miles of canvas behind them; as much canvas as I have used this month will only get me about a quarter of a mile.....sigh!

The palette of Norman Rockwell

 June Trefs Bell inquired "wonder what palette Norman Rockwell used?", after she and her family enjoyed viewing the exhibit at the Dayton Art Institute in Ohio. Having recently had the pleasure of exploring the exhibit myself, and always wanting to find the answer for a friend, I did some research in my own library and online. Here is what I found; 


                                               NORMAN ROCKWELL'S PALETTE
　

The colors he generally used were manufactured by Winsor & Newton , those in lower case represent the colors he only used on occasion;

ALIZARIN CRIMSON
rose madder
VENETIAN RED
CADMIUM RED DEEP
VERMILION
BURNT SIENNA
burnt umber
mars violet
RAW UMBER
RAW SIENNA
YELLOW OCHRE
cadmium orange
CADMIUM YELLOW PALE
LEMON YELLOW
ZINC WHITE
VIRIDIAN
terre verte
FRENCH ULTRAMARINE
IVORY BLACK
 cobalt blue
cerulean blue
payne's gray


His medium, when he used one, consisted of rectified turpentine and Grumbacher's Oil Medium #2

          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Another source says Rockwell used Shiva paints, with which he employed the following palette:
ALIZARIN CRIMSON
CADMIUM RED DEEP
CADMIUM SCARLET
CADMIUM RED, EXTRA PALE
BURNT SIENNA
RAW UMBER
RAW SIENNA
FERROUS YELLOW
LEMON YELLOW
ZINC WHITE
VIRIDIAN
COBALT BLUE
ULTRAMARINE BLUE
magnesium blue
cadmium yellow medium
cadmium orange
light red
With these, he used Shiva's artist medium.
************************************************************
Some excellent info found from these sources;

http://www.blogger.com/profile/06683605918720652182

http://www.blogger.com/profile/05321227473311180542

†† Norman Rockwell. Rockwell on Rockwell:  Watson-Guptill Publications, 1979.

Planning and accountability

As an artist, we usually just want to spend our time creating, no matter what our medium. That has been my case. I have fought all the good suggestions and words of wisdom from those successful artists that I admire. It all seemed so overwhelming!

Well, 2012 is going to be a big year for me, in more ways than one! Maybe turning 60 is such a milestone that it is telling me.....no more excuses; no more procrastination. I need to walk the walk!

So here it is; January was a great start, thanks to my new friend, Kristen Dukat, who kept me going on the 30 paintings in 30 days. Thanks to that and some wise words from Carol Marine, I am finally planning. YES, I said p-l-a-n-n-i-n-g.....I am to be held accountable. I am putting it on paper. It is amazing how wonderful it is to have a plan!

I was always good at saving money and planning, I am not sure why I didn't translate it over to my art. The principles are basically the same, just a little more complicated.

Some of my 'not planning' was not  excuses, but a great deal due to an overactive nervous system, due to a spinal injury. Now that I know & recognize that, I can do my best to overcome it.
I am excited about the possibilities.

I started my plan with putting in the things written in ink, such as the days I have to work, some paintings workshops that I am sponsoring, vacation, etc.

Then I added my goals............yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily. First of all, I have given myself permission to be flexible, so that I don't feel like a total failure if I miss one or two small goals. I am working to keep the big picturte in mind.

All of this is not my idea. I am compiling all the great advice  that I have gleaned from books, the internet and other fabulous, sharing artists and applying it as best I can, on this given day, at this point in my life. It is but one part of our journey.

I also added travel to places that I want to make it to. Part of my bucket list. Friends have been telling me they live vicariosly through my travels. I used to do the same thing, until I changed my thinking and started believing I could travel, too. There is so much out there to experience! God has created such a tremendously beautiful world and to get to explore it through our eyes, camera, and paint is an incredible opportunity.

It isn't always easy, but it is certainly possible if we plan and make ourselves accountable!

Have a wonderful day!  Ruth Ann