No Mucho Mojo...

"Lemon Alone" 4 x 4 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

Maybe it's the warm temperatures (mid 50's) or the wind (feels like mid-50's) or just the end of the year, but my mojo is lagging.  So I picked something simple today, colorful but simple.  I set up my trusty little lemon from my "studio fruit bag" in the fridge, put it on orange construction paper, and painted away.  June thought I was just getting started when I finished the lemon, little did she know I was done and headed home for a nap!

Green Bottle...and Goal Work

"Green Bottle and Orange Slice" 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

Worked hard to finish this up today.  June and I took some time to talk about what transpired and goals for 2012.

Each of us took on the challenge to list our achievements in 2011 as it relates to our art (producing, marketing and education).  We also listed some things we would like to achieve in 2012...very inspirational and motivational.  I'm so blessed to be sharing the studio with June.

Orange Slices...Two Paintings...Almost

"Orange Slices" 4 x 4 Oil on Gessobord
Click Here to Purchase Painting

We had a lovely Christmas Eve, and a very quiet Christmas Day.  The orange slices are left over from our fruit tray.....they were just too pretty to eat.  This was a quickie to get me back in the mood to paint.

I also started this painting today but got tired about half way through.  I wanted to get the orange in before the lights made it shrivel up.  I will be finishing it up on Wednesday.

"Green Bottle and Orange" Work in Progress
6 x 6" Oil on Gessobord

Art and Opinion Blog..am I alive?



"Sunset" 9 x 12 Pastel on panel
SOLD

"Sunset" is featured today on the Art and Opinion blog, an educational non-profit blog about art images and well known artists that mostly are already dead. Did I pass on and noone told me?? I've been re-blogged from that site to some hip young creative blogs. Grandma has life in her yet! OK, I'm still alive.

More Cranberries and a Bushel Basket of Snow

"Holiday Pear and Cranberries" 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

Big snow a comin' tonight!  Up to 12" for our area west of Denver.  So got my little self into the studio today and painted what else?  More cranberries..I love these little critters they are so cute.

I was trying to paint a little differently today....picking up a brush full of paint and laying it down then leaving it alone.  That didn't work out so well....it looks alot like my other technique of smushing it around 'til I'm happy. 

I'm happy!

Lime and Cranberries...Coming Up on a Year!

"Lime and Cranberries" 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

I love these cranberries!  I bought a bag of them yesterday and they are just so happy and colorful.  They'll probably end up in a few more paintings before I move on to something else.

Looking back through my photos and records, I find I am coming up on the first anniversary of my first daily painting.  What a great discipline this has been and I will be forever grateful to those collectors who have purchased my work and kept me going.  I've painted over 165 paintings so that averages out to about 3 paintings a week.  I'm proud of that!  All but about 25 of them have already found homes all over the US, Canada and Australia.

Can't wait to see what the second year of daily paintings brings.

Lemon and Cranberries from Life

"Lemon and Cranberries" 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord
Click Here to Purchase Painting

I had such fun painting the apple on Monday with much looser brushwork, I thought I would try it again.  Lately I had been doing my setups but then photographing them...which I find makes for much tighter painting on my part.

So Monday's apple and today's painting were painted directyly from the set up in my little black box in the studio.  It's a much different experience and results ins a much different painting approach.  Will stick with this for awhile....just because it's just so darn much fun!

Apple Vibes and Christmas Music

"Apple Vibes" 5 x 5 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

I started a painting earlier this morning, it's a 6 x 6 with quite a bit more detail than I'm used to...but it's time to stretch a bit.

So after getting that painting started and put up to dry, I decided to do something loose and fun.  So with a little Christmas music and some dancing around and having fun....I ended up with "Apple Vibes".  So fun to paint when you don't have to stay in the lines!

Now I'm going to go home and eat my apple model for lunch.  Ciao....

Tequila Wanted

"Tequila Wanted" 4 x 4 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

We've had our two year old granddaughter two days this week.  Grandma's draggin'!  So I need to paint something simple today.  There's always a good old lime!

Next week I'll be working on a larger piece and probably post in working stages...stay tuned!

Higbee Exhibit and Artists Statements



Photo of one of the exhibit groupings from Randy Higbee 6" Squared Exhibit
My painting is top middle

What a fun Awards Ceremony was held on Facebook last night.  The winners were announced via  Randy Higbee's FB page real time.  A lot of folks "gathered" and as the awards were posted we were able to make comments and congratulate our favorite artists.  All of the winners produced amazing work.  I'm going to start painting now for the spring show!!

ARTIST STATEMENT

The following is an exercise from Molly Gordons' article on creating an artist statement: (It's a fill in the blank exercise and my answers are in red)

When I work with oils  I am reminded that I love brushwork and texture.
I begin a piece by setting up a still life with classical lighting.
I know a piece is done when I feel I can reach out and touch the objects.
When my work is going well, I am filled with a sense of relief and exhilaration (OK maybe a little self judgement).
When people see my work, I'd like them to sense the beauty and drama of everyday objects.

This is definitely harder than it looks...I'm going to cogitate on these answers for a few days. 

"Oranges on White Plate"
SOLD

Back in the studio today....aaaaahhh!  This is how the umber underpainting in my last post finished up.  It was my first time painting orange slices, and white "anything" always throws me for a loop.  But I'm halfway pleased with how it turned out.

Onward and Upward....

Mysteries..Unfinished Paintings and Artists Statements

As Yet Unamed Work in Progress
Underpainting in Burnt Umber
6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord

I've been working at home for the last week, between snow, bitter cold, and ice...I can't make myself leave the house.  I'm not as productive at home as I am in the studio, but I have managed to finish one 6 x 6 (sold) and started another (above).  It's a bit of a mystery right now, eh?

Who has taken the time to write a really super artist statement?  Let's see the hands...anyone? Anyone?  I was asked to write one in less than a day for the Randy Higbee Fall 6" Squared Exhibit in Costa Mesa.  What I submitted was a concoction on the fly of a past interview and how I was feeling that day.

Here is what I sheepishly submitted:
Artist Statement: In my approach the work comes first then the concepts. I don't wait for inspiration, my inspiration comes from just painting. Working mostly in still life I start by arranging objects, classically lighting them (from the left), and moving them about until the lighting creates an abstract structure. It's not about the objects for me, it's about how the light reveals the form, separating the scene into light and dark structures. It's the drama of the scene I crave, not so much to render an apple (or any object) correctly.

I've been sleepless at night since then thinking about artists statements...and have been reading artists statements.  I'm not talking about a bio, or a CV (resume), or testimonials....just a good old solid, true and real artist statement.

Here are a couple of really good articles I found on the internet and will be tackling a new artist statement in the next week.  I'll share some of my thoughts and work as I go along.  Hopefully this will inspire you to take a look at yours or even think about having one.

How to Write an Artist Statement by ArtBusiness.com

How to Write and Use an Artist Statement by Molly Gordon

A Snow Day..and Apples

"A Slice of Red", 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

Woke up this morning to a beautiful fluffy 6" of snow.  Good thing I brought home my painting supplies yesterday.  Cleared off the dining room table and had a good old time painting.  It's always a good feeling to produce a painting, so you hate to go too long without doing so.

A Couple of Good Things!

"Strawberry on Plate" 9 x 9 Colored Pencil over Oil on panel

Ann Kullberg, "Queen of Everything Colored Pencil" and my first cp idol, has just posted her 2011 Theme Show.  My painting above is right at the top of the exhibit.

As of yesterday, my pastel and colored pencil paintings can be seen at Sharp Art Gallery, an online gallery which has some wonderfully talented artists.  Very pleased to be accepted to the gallery.

"Lemons and Blue Glass" 12 x 18, Pastel on Wallis paper