#59 Manne in the Hall 9 x 12" plein air

Just couldn't paint out the windows like the other artists were...all the good views were taken! So I searched around and as I work best in solitude, I scanned the hallway. Sure enough, there was this mannequin posed on a table as part of the advertising for one of the businesses in the building. I thought she made a striking pose, so here it is.......

                                                     #59      Manne in the Hall
                                                                            9 x 12" plein air

                                                                   $60....what a DEAL!

 

#57 St. John's Steeple...of the 60 paintings in 60 days for $60

Some days, things just tell you they must be painted! The steeple of St. John's in Delphos, OH, did just that.

The light behind them was really bright, causing the varied angles to create a dark, defined shape against the ever-changing blue sky. I am also drawn to the patina of aged things, such as the copper on this particular steeple. They develop personality as they age. OH, the stories they hold!

The diagonal of the composition was another plus; this being an anchor of the community, the weight in the bottom really anchors it in the painting.

If you ever in the area, be sure to check out this incredible church.

If you know someone that would appreciate this, remember, you can purchase it through Nov., 1 for the incredible price of just $60. (After that it goes back to regular retail)

Thank you for looking...


              St. John's Steeple

               6 x 10" oil plein air
                     $60

#56.... Went to a Garden Party.... of 60 paintings in 60 days for $60

You just never know where you will find flowers planted! Creative gardeners see differently...as did this one who recycled a 'past it's prime' upholstered chair. It served another purpose, as the little black & white kitty decided it was a great place to lounge! Love the use of the old 60's style light base behind it as a planter, too...

Went to a Garden Party

 

plein air 5 x 7" oil

$60

 



#51 of 60 paintings in 60 days for $60

Little White Church was painted plein air and it was cold and windy..tried to use the palette knife as much as possible for the church....fingers don't work the brush so well when cold! Gloves just get coated with paint and then start pulling paint from panel so that doesn't work for me. Guess that just means when the weather is cold, I will choose to paint in the warmth and comfort of the studio...

 

Little White Church

plein air   5 x 7"  oil

 

$60

 



#37...Aspens................#38.........October's Full Moon

Aspens are one of my favorite trees, even though they don't grow here in Ohio. I love seeing them each time I make it west; esp. if I am lucky enough to when they change colors. Even simply green, they are still beautiful, most notably for that textured silvery-white bark.

 

#37 Aspens   8 x 10 oil

$60

 

 

October's Full Moon

miniature 3 x 4" plein air

includes frame

 

$60

#34 Sedona Rocks...60 paintings in 60 days for $60each

One of my very favorite places to visit is Sedona and the breath-taking views of red rocks everywhere!

 

 

#34 Sedona Rocks

 

8 x 10" oil

$60

 

 

Whiskey Basin #19 of 60 paintings in 60 days for $60

Productive time in the studio...finishing plein air pieces and a studio piece. Here is #19 that was painted plein air in Dubois, WY at Whiskey Basin. One of the most beautiful places I have ever been!



 

Whiskey Basin

8 x 10" oil

 

$60

 

 

# 18 of 60 paintings in 60 days for $60

Number 18 is one of my favorites! Peonies are such short lived flowers and like lilacs, I just love their fragrance.

 

 The best way to preserve their beauty and the joy they bring is to paint them!

 

 

# 18 Peony Rose 6 x 6" oil on panel (from life)

 

 

$60

 



60 paintings/60days/$60 Day #1

Maybe I am a little crazy, but here goes. To get me painting more and giving you a great deal, I am going to attempt to paint 60 paintings in 60 days and you get the chance to purchase them for only $60!

It is good to work with an  'attitude of gratitude' and that is my motivation for this challenge. So many of you have been so wonderful to me that I want to keep 'paying it forward'.

I will be doing a bit of travel during this tremendous challenge, so for those of you that love the west, be sure to watch as many of these paintings will be done on location from Denver to Wyoming.

One will be from the Wagon Box Ranch for sure, as we mentor the students from Dubois, Wyoming, middle school and high school.

Here is day #1.......HURRY! at only $60 for an original oil painting, these will go quickly...

 

Aspens among the cottonwoods  

9 x 12" oil on panel

 

$60 special

 

 

# 27 River's Gold

To an artist, some things can be more exciting than real gold..... Like seeing a glowing,  bright golden bush down the river, while in Montana painting with a bunch of like-minded creative souls! I seem to have my camera in hand more often than the paint brush. Sometimes, it is a good thing, as you can only paint so many hours on location in a days time! That's when the camera comes in handy. I started this plein air and scrapped it....it almost made it to the burn pile, but instead, it got a reprieve today and I tried again. The good thing about the studio is you are more relaxed and have more time to make color/value decisions.

It takes me right back to that afternoon, to standing on that road while dodging the huge, lumber trucks that were hauling trees to the mill. ( We thought we had chosen a quiet little back road that no one used!)

                                      #27 River's Gold
                                     8 x 10" oil on mat board   $75

# 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

Mentoring students in Dubois, WY with SKB

Today was our opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child. So popular that we had 47 students take advantage of instruction, one on one, from an artist that was matched up with them according to medium and subject matter.

My student was Cory Neal, a football player and a VERY motivated artist, passionate about applying paint to the canvas with a personal message. His interest today was painting a very distant peak from Wagon Box Ranch that his brother had rappelled down. Gotta love it! He also loved the water wagon so we included part of it in the foreground.

 

What a great experience it was! I taught him color theory and mixing. He was an excellent and attentive student. Then we were served lunch at the ranch, just to the left of this scene. The smoke had cleared somewhat from the fires still burning so it was enough for atmosphere but you couldn't smell it.

Thanks, Kate, for hosting us...........looking forward to mentoring again!

"Studio Light"....45 minute plein air painting.

Kyle Martin was a real joy to have teach the workshop. He was full of knowledge and could paint and talk about it without skipping a beat!!! He was SO willing to share and really cared that the students got it........I managed to get a 45 minute painting...needs some work yet on the right, but I ran out of time and shade!

Kyle Martin Plein Air workshop

As the organizer, I didn't get a whole lot of painting done, as I wanted to make sure the students needs were met first and of course, food was also a priority. (The pack turns wild if you don't feed them.)

Kyle did a demo after having students paint some value paintings to kick off the morning. Just what we needed to shake out those cob webs, along with a cup of coffee, after our pre-workshop gathering/reunion celebration the evening before.

Stay tuned.....More to come.....

Sorry, it has been so long. I have been out of the state. I went to Gulf Shores, Alabama, to visit the beach at my cousin's condo as she recovered from surgery. We had great fun getting reaquainted after all these years.

The weather wasn't as warm as I had hoped for.......prior to going it had been in the mid 70's with sunshine. It decided to turn much colder after my arrival....I got blamed for bringing Ohio weather to the south!

Upon returning, it was MUCH colder in Ohio! Barely reaching out of the teens. I was ready to go back!

I did cut my journey short and a good thing, as my van broke down before reaching home. Had to have a trailer brought to get it home. A crank sensor went out!

Anyway, I did get to Mississippi with my cousin and also visited Florida and Georgia before coming back. I saw a fellow artist friend was having a show at Orange Beach, AL, and managed to get together, see the show and go out to dinner. What Fun! The artwork was plein air and by three women that paint together regularly , yet are from three different areas of the country!

The art was wonderful and I bet they sold several. I also met up with some plein air painters from Pensacola, FL. It was too cold to paint, (only 18) but I took lots of photos and enjoyed the company of the two that showed up in such cold!

Guess I should be glad for the turn to cold weather. I can now more easily concentrate on a commission that needs to be done by next week. It is chilly in the studio, but considering it is about 17 outside, I should count myself as warm!

As soon as I finish this one, I am going to dust off my carharts and other cold weather gear to be ready to paint outdoors for the next few months....... I have been able to do a number of plein air paintings with the fall color, so now I am looking forward to doing several with snow!