Sweet Vidalia

Sweet Vidalia

8x8 pastel on Canson $150

 

I love the DPW Challenge.  First thing Sunday morning I check to see what is posted. This one was perfect because I bought these salad onions a few days ago.  I was set up to do landscapes in pastel so I decided to this instead.  I had a mounted piece of gray-green Canson - exactly the wrong color for this but I decided to use it anyway.  I focused on the positive and negative spaces and lost and found edges.  It was fun. 

Oranges, mini

Oranges

2x2" oil on canvas paper, 45.99

This is another for the Minumental exhibit.  I like doing these little studies. 

 

I am trying to paint and post everyday to get ready for Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 challenge starting Jan. 1st.  I can't imagine painting everyday and working full time.  I did it in September but somehow that seemed easier!

Wedges

 

 

 

 

Wedges

6x6 oil on cradled panel $150

 

 

 

 

Hopewell Rocks

Hopewell Rocks, Bay of Fundy $150

6x6 Terry Ludwig pastels on Art Spectrum Colorfix Suede paper

 

I did this for the Daily Paintworks Challenge - "Away from Home"

A few years ago we visited my brother-in-law and his wife in Cape Breton, a 12 hour drive! We stopped in New Brunswick to explore the Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy, which has the highest tide range in the world.

 

I rearranged my studio so I could have an area just for pastels and one for oils to make it easier to switch from one media to another.  It is working well so far. 

 

 

 

 

Apples - Minumentals

Apples, Minumentals

2x2 oil on canvas paper $49.95

 

I am getting ready for an exhibit called "Minumentals" at New Hampshire Institute of the Arts. All the art work is 2x2" or less and priced at 49.95 or less.   I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for my two paintings so I decided to do one of these little minis whenever I finished one of my daily paintings.  The still life was set up and I already worked out the composition.  This was fun but I need to buy smaller brushes!



Apples

Apples

6x6 oil on panel $150

 

The solstice is here and even though Winter has just begun we can look forward to increased light. Today was mild and some of the snow is melting, I was even able to photograph this outside.

 

This is the sketch.  I find drawing and composition to be very relaxing.  After work if I am too tired to paint I will set up a small still life and do a value and composition study.

I use an imprimatur of Transparent Earth Orange and a brush drawing in umber.  I refer to my sketch as well as my still life while I do this.



I block in basic colors and values in order to cover the whole panel with thin paint.

 

First Layer of thicker paint.  After this I often take a break, sometimes just for a coffee.  Today my sisters and I helped my mother get her house decorated for a major family party.  The garland looked nice wrapped around the stair rail.

Often when I get back to a painting I see flaws major or minor that were not obvious before. I wiped out some areas and adjusted my drawing.

 

The Red Door

 

The Red Door

8x8 oil on panel, $150

 

I worked on this throughout the week and put finishing touches on it this morning.  I think it is done.

I painted this farm for the first time about thirty years ago using nupastels.  I have gone back many times for more reference photos and I think I would like to go back today and see it in the snow.

 

 

Daily Paintworks Challenge

 

First Snow

5x7 oil on panel $100

 

The Daily Paintworks Challenge was to paint a view out a window and to include the window. This was the scene that greeted me first thing this morning. We were prepped for a major storm.  I live on a private dirt road so we had the plow truck ready.  The snow only amounted to a little over 8 inches and we can drive over that.  I'm going to put on some wool socks, tall boots and go for a walk.

Wine and Cheese

Wine and Cheese

8x8 oil on panel $150

 

We are buttoned down and waiting for the storm.  The plow truck is ready and the flashlights have fresh batteries. If it amounts to anything I will have the whole day tomorrow in the studio.

 

I bought these props at Hobby Lobby but maybe if we get snowed in I'll pull out the real wine and cheese.

 

This is the sketch, I started before the sun was up.  I like using the golden section for my compositions.  I find all this geometry very relaxing.

 

 

Umber on panel

Block in with thinned paint

 

 

Zorn Palette

Winter

5x7 oil 100

Why would someone who owns 15 different blues want to try the Zorn palette?  That's what I asked myself, but the last challenge was so much fun and I learned a lot so I thought I would give it a try.

 

This time I used the same composition as my pastel from earlier this week.  I couldn't find my photo so I used the pastel as a reference.  

 

I hadn't used my ivory black since art school many years ago and my ochre was suffering from neglect.  I added the titanium white and vermillion and was pleasantly surprised. This was a lot of fun but tomorrow I will use my blue!



 

Christmas Glitz

Christmas Glitz

10x10 pastel

This was done as a demonstration and finished in the studio.

The Woods

The Woods

pastel 8x10 $125.00

 

I did this at the Robert Carsten Master's Class at the Currier Museum.  Robert is an excellent teacher and demonstrator.  I have learned more about landscapes and pastels from him than from all my other classes combined. He brings a sense of humor to his lessons, it was a truly enjoyable day.

 

We left Manchester and headed for Bedford, 13 minutes away but were delayed by a road race, a santa road race! Just picture hundreds of santas and elves running!

 

We did get to Bedford in time for the opening reception at Sullivan Frameworks where I found that two of my paintings had sold.

Dancing Light

Dancing Light

Threat of Rain

Threat of Rain

5x7 pastel $100

 

This was done for the Daily Paintworks Challenge "Clouds".  The reference was taken at Plum Island last Spring.