Painting into the New Year

painting #1 Imagined landscape

I am doing one last post for this year anticipating a break in January. I am going to be focusing entirely on painting and not posting here or on Instagram. By the way, I have no idea why my Kindle takes better photos of my paintings than my expensive camera. All of the blues are either too blue or it doesn’t show the transition of color very well. The above photo has more blue/green than it appears.

I was very frustrated looking for a painting to appear, so I sprayed on more water and there it was! a mountain!

painting #2 Imagined landscape

This one is not showing the nice transition of grays, blues are popping up. Ugh…. this one is one of a series on light coming through the mist.

painting #3 Remembered Landscape

As I am typing here I have 10 minutes before my lime flan is ready to come out of the oven, yikes….the rush is on! The above painting is one of a series of remembered landscape of the scene on Shenanigan Flat.

painting #4 Remembered Landscape

This one bored me when I finished painting it but then I think that it has a calm serenity that intrigues me now. The blue/green doesn’t show up as it should but you get the general idea.

painting #5 Remembered Landscape of Lake Francis

I wanted to test out a few colors combinations and this is one of two that I painted. I haven’t posted this one to Instagram, so it is new to those who view my paintings there.

painting #6 Remembered Landscape of Lake Francis

This is the other landscape with similar colors. This one is on Instagram and the colors are more true on there. I did come back in and punched up the values and created more of a focus.

painting #7 Imagined Landscape

I am trying to get this view painted as I have it in my imagination. I am not quite happy with it as of yet. The blues are too sharp here in the photo as in reality, more grayed down blues. Yikes! 2 minutes and my flan is done, I am almost finished here anyway.

I hope that you all enjoy New Year’s Day and I am looking forward to coming back to post in February.

Busy Painting

painting #1 Morning  light on Oregon Creek

I had hoped that I could marry up my photo to the actual painting, I did a pretty close job, the grayed down colors aren’t showing up as it should and the backlight isn’t coming through as dramatic as I like. But aside from my silly complaints, I adore this painting! One of my favorites.

Lately I have been delving more into a minimalist approach to painting and I feel that it fits my style. The painting above was one of those exercises that I pursue now and then to keep my technique honed but it came across with more feeling than I had anticipated. It is an area that I have visited quite often, only down the road a few miles from me and about a 5 minute hike in.

painting #2 imagined landscape

I painted this one when we were out of power and I painted in front of the woodstove. It is such a hassle to take my painting supplies down to another location in the house but it was well worth the struggle. I originally planned on a dramatic sky but my sky turned into a wild free for all landscape, punched up with dramatic color.

painting #3 Remembered Landscape of Sand Pond

I enjoyed painting this one and I love that glow coming through to the left.

painting # 4 imagined landscape

I struggled in getting the correct colors but I think that it is pretty close, though the foreground is more ochre in reality than it appears here. I loved splattering on water and watching the magic. Watercolor is so much fun! I ADORE the medium!!

painting #5 imagined landscape

I woke up on Christmas Eve with this glorious streaming light imagery in my mind’s eye and I had to paint immediately. I painted 4 within a 3 hour period. This is one of them.

painting #6 one of the four in a series based upon light

I think of all the four (of which I am showing only two in this post) this is my favorite. For one thing, I didn’t think it was working and I soon realized that the orientation changed on me. I envision it as a “waterfall” of light. I painted it entirely by instinct and I knew when to brush on water to create those swirls of bloom. I feel that this is where my spirit soars with watercolor. I find anymore that forego drawing on my paper but get down to business with painting. I thought in the past that it was impatience but it is because most of my paintings veer from the lines that I would draw anyway.

painting #7 wip imagined painting

I included this one though I didn’t edit the photo. I am letting this sit a bit to see what I need to do with it. I have a fascination with light. For the past several days as I paint these paintings focusing on light, I have been listening to an Icelandic group by the name of Sigur Ros, it fits the mood to the T.

I recently sold of one my paintings to someone here on WP and I think that it came at  a time that I needed a little validation. Thank you so much and you know who you are! I also sold two more just this past week and even though I don’t paint to sell, it has encouraged me to continue on. I am considering taking January off to focus on my painting but who knows I might post, We’ll see.

Happy New Year! Be encouraged and keep painting. It takes a lot of determination and work but well worth the effort! So keep on!

 

 

 

 

 

Happily Painting

Painting #1 remembered landscape

I didn’t realize that it has been almost a month since my last post! I have been painting up a storm and sometimes I forget or dread posting here because it takes more time than on Instagram.

The painting above was thrilling to paint because I let all restraint go and let loose. I love texture and flicking on some drops of water and watching the results was fabulous. I think that is why I adore watercolor. The opportunity to let the paint do its thing and I am a willing partner.

Painting #2 Humbug Creek

I gave up on this painting once it was dry. It was started as a saturated wet on wet but I didn’t like the weak look. I have to admit I get impatient and I like to “sculpt” my paintings while they are wet. Once it is dry I will go back in and adjust but I like to paint about 75-80% in the first round. I started an abstract on the other side and abandoned that one because of feeling picky.

I turned this one over and I realized that I liked it more than I thought originally and finished it. To me it looks like it could be in the swamps somewhere in the Southeast US.

Painting #3 Bullards Bar Reservoir – evening light

I love morning and evening light at Bullards, something magical with the area. I am fortunate that I live within 5-8 minutes of this area.

Painting #4 Bullards – remembered landscape

While our power was out, I sat in the front of the woodstove to paint this one. I used my memories to paint it and I am quite happy with it. I can go with more detail with the water but wanted to remain simplistic.

Painting #5 Imaginary Scene

This started out from referring to a photo of some trees at the North Yuba but it took on a different scene and I am alright with that. I do believe that I need to soften the horizon line, seems too sharp and “chunky”, an easy fix.

I have to tell you about those trees on the right. I am finding that I don’t like to depict something too realistic because frankly it bores me. I didn’t like the trees at the onset because of that fact, I simply took my sprayer and watched it pull the color away and I ended up with something I could build upon. Again, watercolor at its finest moment. The medium is meant to be spontaneous, finding serendipity in creativity.

Painting #6 abstract

Originally this started out as an imaginary scene but I didn’t care for it until I saw a shape that I spurred me on to start “building” my painting. Away I went and before long I ended up with this abstract. My photo gives some hard and dirty edges that are not in reality, bear that in mind.

Painting #7 Remembered landscape

My favorite scene of course! I had a difficult time getting my photo and painting to marry up but I am satisfied enough to include this. I am quite happy with this and I took a few days in assessing and painting it slowly.

I hope to post more often, a month is much too long. I am happy to report that I am feeling more and more confident and the scourge of my perfectionism is letting up. When I struggle with it, I walk away and work through it before returning to painting. Thank Goodness! Happy painting folks!