Tomato Harvest Finished

Finished "Tomato Harvest" 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

Finally finished the tomato painting today.  It will be framed and delivered next week after it dries. I hope they will like it.  That's the thing about commissions that I don't like....managing expectations.
But this is a delightful couple who asked me to paint this and I couldn't say no.  I'll let you know their reaction.

Here are the two previous posts: one and two

Big snowstorm coming tonight, may have to work on pastels at home tomorrow!

Finished Pear and Red Ribbon



"Pear and Red Ribbon" 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord
Click Here to Purchase Painting
Redid the photo on 11/30/11...the other was not a good pic

Cloudy, windy day with mailings and computer pickups.  So little time to really paint.  Lunch was fabulous...June brought in homemade turkey vegetable soup.  Off to snuggle with my blankie on the couch now.

Beginnings of Pear and Red Ribbon

 

Work in Progress "Pear and Red Ribbon" 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord

This is the burnt umber underpainting for a new 6 x 6" that I started yesterday.  As those of you who have seen my work before you know I almost always start with an underpainting if I am working in the light/shadow approach to painting.  Once I lay some burnt umber down, I start working with a paper towel to adjust the values.  You can also see the pencil grid in the white space of the pear, this helped me to get the ribbon shapes in the right place.

Since this won't be painted all in one sitting, I took a big mop brush and softened all the brush srokes and edges.  This will eliminate for me, fighting dried ridges in the next layers. 

The pear is yellow green and red, and the ribbon is red.  I think it will be very appropriate for the holidays.  Watch for the finish!

My Response to Black Friday

"Brighter Days" 4 x 4 Oil on Gessobord

I really dislike the term "Black Friday" about as much as I dislike shopping.  I'd rather be in the studio painting any day.  This little colorful painting is my response to the term "Black".

Thanksgiving was lovely, my son's mother-in-law hosted dinner at her home.  She is an exquisite hostess and had invited my other son and his family, all eight of them, to join us.  We had 16 people total and four of them were little girls, so precious.  They all played together and were so polite.  Thank goodness we got out of there without any leftovers.  I tried to be very good and not overeat, and I succeeded. 

Now the onward march to Christmas!  Let's see if I can get out of cooking for that one too.

Randy Higbee Gallery and Me!

Earlier this year I set my sights on entering this exhibit.  Some of my favorite artists have been in the past shows. The gallery has a 6 x 6 exhibit in April and again in December.  Pictured is the invitation to the exhibit.

I entered three pieces, and didn't expect to get in given the beautiful paintings that are always featured as part of the exhibit. 

Lo and behold, last week I got notice that one of my paintings, "Strawberries and Blue Bowl" was accepted.  I'm now starting to prepare for April's exhibit (big smile).

Red Pear and King Soopers

"Red Pear" 5 x 5 Oil on Gessobord
Click Here to Purchase Painting

Stopped in my local King Soopers this morning to pick up a prescription and I could hear the new crop of red pears calling to me across the store.  I thought putting them on a green surface would make the sort of holiday-ish. 

Underpainting for "Red Pear"

Pear on Blue Plate 4 x 4 Oil




"Pear on Blue Plate" 4 x 4 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

  A little James Taylor and some good company (June) and it was a productive day painting today!

Time for a Change

My blog has been up and running since 2007.  It started as "Color On" which featured my colored pencil work, then I merged my textile blog "In Stitches" with it, as one blog was enough to keep track of.

Next my one and only blog became "Littleton Studio" which was fitting because I worked out of my home in Littleton, CO.  The textile/fabric posts went away entirely because I became too busy with my artwork.  I had begun studying pastels with Deborah Bays and my blog posts were all about my pastel work.

In March 2010 my blog became "Golden Point One" because my studio moved into a funky little motel space in Golden, CO with June Davis.  I'm still in Golden at the studio with June and will be for as long as we can make it work...we love having a studio together.  Last December my blog took a distinctive turn to daily painting.

But it is now time for another change. I'm going to change the name of my blog (and the look).  My blog will now become just me "Cynthia Haase Fine Art". I'm also changing the template of my blog to lighten the black background to something a bit less contrast-y. 

Because you can't have a blog post without a picture, I'll share this caricature of me.
It was drawn by colored pencil artist, Debra Yaun, at the Dallas Convention July 2011.

I hope you have enjoyed the ride.  As I told my mom the other night on the phone (she's 82 and very spunky)..."I'm not winding down as I get older, I'm winding up for a wild ride to the end."

More Work on Tomato Harvest

"Tomato Harvest" Almost Finished
6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord

More work today on the commission for a friend, "Tomato Harvest".  All that's left is work on the leaves and stems and a few touch-ups here and there.  I hope they will be pleased with it.

Red Grapes Finished

"Red Grapes" 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord
Click Here to Purchase Painting

Finished up the light on the red grapes this morning.  That's the good news...otherwise, I was a big "cranky crab" this morning.  Poor June,  she left early!  Can't say that I blame her.  (Actually she had another commitment!)

Tomorrow will be better...won't it?

The Start of Red Grapes

"Red Grapes" Underpainting

"Red Grapes" First Layers of Color

Didn't get much painting done today...too many Monday emails and start of the week stuff!  But I did get a good start on these "Red Grapes" 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord.  As you can see the first photo is my sketch/underpainting.  The second photo shows my efforts to paint the darks and to get the mid-tones in.  What's left is to paint the light!

Once I painted the first layers, and knowing I won't be able to get back to this until Wednesday, I took a big  mop brush and softened all the edges on the grapes.  I didn't want any paint ridges to cause me problems when I begin to paint the light later this week.  I can reestablish edges in the next layers.

Tomorrow is our beautiful two year old granddaughter, Emma's, day at Papa and Wanga's.  Nothing gets done except playing on Tuesdays.

What Do I Do When I Don't Paint?

"Sunset" 9 x 12 pastel on board
being delivered to the Littleton "Own an Original" Show and Sale today

"Strawberries in Blue Bowl" 6 x 6 being shipped to
Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa, CA
for the 6" Squared Exhibit and Sale

I frame, deliver and ship paintings.  I also am the President and Marketing/Outreach person for Lakewood Arts Council, serving Jefferson County in CO.   My duties are to maintain the website, blog, and Facebook page.

I just took over on November 1st as the President of the national organization, Colored Pencil Society of America.  Previously I had been the Membership Director for five years.

Finding time to paint is basically carving time out and being committed to it, and on the days I don't paint make sure my activities are art-related.

And yes, it's cheaper than therapy!

A Tropical Heat Wave!

"Mandarin Orange" 5 x 5 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

Well after painting in the frozen tundra yesterday, we have heat today.  A little too much heat, we have the door open today, and my mandarin orange came out looking a little like it's in south Florida.

At least I won't go home with a headache like I did yesterday.  I never did get warm at home and finally took aspirin and went to bed.

Tomato Harvest and Brrrrr.......

Underpainting for "Tomato Harvest" 

First Colors Applied
"Tomato Harvest" Work in Progress
6 x 6" Oil on Gessobord

This is a commission I was asked to paint for a friend's son who is an extraordinary tomato grower.  I'm showing you the underpainting which has been done for about a month so it was good and dry.  And then I started working on the color today.  No reason to wait that long in between, just had to get my tomato "mojo" going.

No heat in the studio today....it's a long story which I don't have time to tell.  Let's just say I needed to paint fast and find a warm spot for coffee.

An Apple a Day Project

"Apple and Copper Bowl" 5 x 7 Oil on Gessobord

My painting is featured today on the front page of the "An Apple a Day" project by Michel Oosterhout.
Tomorrow my painting will only be seen on "the apples" page.  Michel started the blog as a 365 apples (one per day) project and there are some very familiar names from the daily painting artists.


It's fun to see all the different interpretations of the classic apple.

Almost Time and Missing Glitter

"Almost Time!" 4 x 4 Oil on Gessoed Panel
Sold - Thanks Rebecca!

Summer has come and gone and we are now barreling towards Christmas.  Thought it would be fun to try my hand at the ever-ubiquitous red Christmas tree ornament.   I had to leave the gold glitter off, it took me most of the morning to get the ellipse right on the hanger.  Go figure!  I just ran out of time.

Painted Pear, Pear Soup and an Interview

"Leaning" 5 x 5 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

I haven't painted since Monday and I LOVE pears, so today I got back in the groove by painting an old standby and friend...the pear.  My studio mate, June, brought in killer pumpkin soup last week for lunch, and today it was pear and parsnip soup....also killer!

Awhile back I did an interview for Creative Catalyst Productions and today I got notice it was posted and live.  Click here to read the interview.  I was very pleased with how it turned out.

Think of Me in June

Colored Pencil Magazine's 2012 Calendar

I woke up to really good news this morning.  My "Strawberry on a Plate" is featured in Ann Kullberg's new Colored Pencil Magazine 2012 Calender. I am officially now "Ms. June of 2012".  So exciting!

It was worth all the frustration I felt trying to finish that painting.