January Swinging

#1 “Tranquility” – 11 x 14 inches – semi-abstract

I have been really letting loose lately after a few angsty days of trying too hard. I truly am an artist who prefers to follow my imagination rather than focusing on what my art “should” look like. Talk about freedom!

#2 “Brewing” – 11 x 14 inches – abstracted sky

I saw a fantastic photo of one of my friends on Facebook and felt inspired by it. I asked her permission to use it as a reference photo. Heather Anthony Kieley lives in Arizona and the vistas there are quite beautiful. I used a lot of thick paint on a semi wet paper. I used my intuition in order to get the look I wanted.

#3 untitled – 11 x 14 inches – imaginescape

I like to get in and get out when I paint. I have been called a “straight shooter” I suppose it carries over to my approach to painting. This is definitely an allaprima painting.

#4 – “Glow” 11 x 14 inches – imaginescape

I made up for my angsty days by painting 5 new paintings in one quick secession, one after another and boy was it freeing!

#5 “The Forest Awaits” – 13 x 19 inches – abstracted landscape

Painting from my imagination is addictive! Yes, indeed. The thrill and magic of painting blindly is wonderful, give it a try sometime.

#6 “Essence of Spirit”- 11 x 14 inches – imaginescape

I kept at this until I was satisfied. It took me a few days to complete it but so worth it. It was as though I was being whispered to.

#7 “Serenity’s Hope” – 11 x 14 inches – imaginescape

The last one group. Thank you for taking the time to read and view my paintings! Until next time!

Anniversary and More

Painting #1 “A Matter of Perspective” – 13 x 19 inches – imaginescape

I really enjoyed working on the above painting. I have a tendency to rush paintings. I think that I like the excitement and I have found that I paint best by not knowing what is around the corner. But I often allow myself to get too carried away and push a painting too far. I used restraint and intuition while working on this particular one. I enjoyed watching this painting come alive.

Painting #2 untitled – 9 x 14 inches – imaginescape

The photo doesn’t do this justice. The colors are subtle, yes, but richer in reality. Again I wanted a “less is more” look. Sometimes this is hard for me because I have a dramatic, throw caution to the wind attitude with watercolor.

Painting #3 “Peace” 11 x 14 inches – imaginescape

As I mentioned I have an aggressive approach with my watercolors. I do believe the reason is that I push until I get the feeling and look I want. I used to do this with my pastel portraits. With watercolor it can be tricky because you can loose that freshness so easily. One thing I have learned is that if you have a confidence and use care, you can push watercolors. Rarely have I lost a painting ( in my opinion) when I work with that confidence. Don’t mess with a watercolor out of dissatisfaction, it will show it, believe me.

Painting #4 untitled – 9 x 14 inches -imaginescape

The foreground was not cooperating and soon it became apparent that the sky was the star. I cropped it and now painting and I are happy.

Painting #5 – untitled – 13 x 19 inches – imaginescape

I had posted this on Instagram and I decided to delete it. I initially loved it but wasn’t too sure about the dark foreground. I am going to put it aside for a while and assess it later when my eyes are fresh. It has an other worldly appearance to me. Also it reminds me of the paintings of Yosemite by Albert Bierstadt, one of my favorite artists.

Our wedding on January 11th, 1986

David and I have been married for 34 years now. He retired last month after 24 years with the Forest Service. He worked as a seasonal for a few years before he was hired full time. This wedding anniversary was a little special because of his retirement.

That’s all for now! If you have any questions about my art, shoot!

A New Year!

Painting #1 “Hidden Treasure” -13 x 19 inches – semi-abstract

A Happy New year to all of you! I loved the painting above. I love the way that Fr. Ultramarine Blue and Piemontite Genuine combines. I love it even better than the blue combined with Burnt Sienna. I thought that I would start a sky painting but somehow it evolved into a semi-abstract of a cleft in a rock? Regardless of what it is, I really love what I ended up with.

Painting #2 “Newness” 13 x 19 inches

I used two colors and by the time the colors mingled and turned into the greens that you see here. It was a balancing act to maintain the individual colors in the sky. I love living on the creative edge!

Painting #3 Untitled – 11 x 14 inches – imaginescape

I wanted to see what I can do differently with a simple seascape. A colorful outcome but I like the drama at the bottom half.

Painting #4 Untitled – 11 x 14 inches – imaginescape

A little drama goes a long way!

Painting #5 “Desire” – 11 x 14 inches – imaginescape

One of the reasons I really love watercolor is the granulation one can achieve, especially with Daniel Smith watercolors. By the time I completed this painting, it reminded me of a swamp.

Painting #6 “Humbug Creek”

Once in a while I go back to working with a reference photo. This creek is located near the Yuba River and along one of my favorite trails.

Painting #7 untitled – 11 x 14 inches – semi-abstract

I reworked this one to give it more punch.

Painting #8 untitled – imaginescape

I often let my imagination run about to keep things loose and fresh. Nothing really too serious, perhaps allowing my creative self to get out of the tight restraints of my expectations. I really feel that it is important to play. Well that’s it for now. Stay creative!