I have been painting up a storm lately and enjoying every bit of it. The weather has changed drastically in the last few days, my husband had gone up to the Sierra Buttes and there was about 4 inches of snow! I hope to get up there soon to paint.
Painting #2 of the North Yuba river
Painted saturated wet on wet. If you haven’t tried this technique you have to give it a try, it is absolutely thrilling. There is approximately a two hour window of painting time without having to wait for any layers to dry. It takes a bit to get used to the mushy appearance as you work it but to me it is like sculpting rather than painting. Once it is dry, you go back in to punch up your darks.
Painting #3 imagined river landscape
What a joy to paint this, I had no idea how it would turn out and I loved that fact, I prefer working this way.
Painting #4
Again another intuitive painting, I loved playing with the light.
Painting #5 of Bullards Bar Resevoir
The glow in the middle section is not quite as bright in reality in this photo, keep that in mind. I loved painting this, imagine that!
Painting #6 a semi-abstract
This painting wasn’t turning out as I imagined so I decided to abstract it to play around with shapes and values, nothing lost in an exercise of this nature. I have three more paintings to share, until next time!
I have been painting and also getting ready for fall and winter. I have been feeling a desire to get out there to paint en plein air with the weather changes. The painting above is wild and colorful but I wanted to get out of my usual routine. I like to stretch myself to see what happens.
painting #2
Another painting testing my colors and being loose, not sure if it works but that is alright.
Painting #3
This one was painted entirely by intuition, my favorite way to paint. This is that same scene that I have painted over and over.
Painting #4
Another view of that ever elusive scene. I didn’t have an idea where this was going until it was happening, I went along for the ride, easier that way. I
Painting #5
This was based on a photo that I took of a reservoir near me. I wanted to go dramatic and here we are.
Painting #6
I wanted to paint serenity but wanted to have a little more interest in the water, I added a little more detail for dimension. I might give this another try it two.
I should be working on outdoor activities but nope I had to make that decision to go through my pastel paintings to organize and to throw out paintings that aren’t working.
*for some reason these paintings look fuzzy when I use my Kindle to upload these, go to my Instagram account to see my paintings more clearly. I haven’t uploaded two of them on this post but you can follow me on there and see my art more clearly. I’ll be working at finding out why this happens.
This painting surprised me because I thought it wasn’t good enough and now I am very happy with it.
Another “disappointment” ha!!!! I love it now! I am telling you, gold on to paintings, give them time and you’ll either love them or if not move it along.
Another painting that I had a hard time liking, it was too rough in my assessment. Now that I am looser in painting, it warms my heart to see this one.
All these paintings are plein air and it sure gets me hankering to get out there to paint, that is for certain. Going through these paintings has made me acknowledge that I have been on a long journey of creative acceptance.
I want to encourage those of you who often feel discouraged or who feel that you’ll never get anywhere in your art making. It takes time, patience and a personal vision. Goals are fine but vision is more important, it is the heart of the matter, a focus, trusting that you your inner creative will come into full freedom of expression. Don’t stifle your inner creative! By golly!
I have decided to post more often using my Kindle Fire, I wasn’t so sure of the quality of my photos until I decided to let go of that perfectionist desire for clear photos. There you go, onward to my latest painting, finished today.
This one is based on a reference photo that I shot while on vacation in the North coast of California. I took creative licence and changed the scene to suit my fancy.
This was painted on a half sheet of Fabriano hotpress 140# watercolor paper. My second time of using this paper, the hotpress that is. I love how the water and paint flows so wildly and that fits my style totally.
I painted by pure intuition and took many breaks. I felt that it didn’t initially had a focal point at the outset but I allowed it to reveal itself. I am considering that I might work on it more later if I see what needs to be done.
The color choice was by pure instinct and also I added shapes, or lifted as I’m felt inclined. I love how easy it is to lift color on this paper. I have noticed that quarter sheets seem small to me. I can be quite stingy about paper but I feel reluctant about painting on smaller sized sheets.
I often wonder if I don’t spend enough time on my paintings but I am feeling confident that my work style is what it is. I work as I feel led and after all, if it is working, go with it.
See you next time. Keep painting and exercise your creativity!
I have truly enjoying my painting sessions lately. I will be posting from my Kindle Fire and if you want to see the clearer version, drop by and visit me on Instagram.
Painting #1
The painting above is of Bullard’s Bar Reservoir at evening. I went very dark with it perhaps a bit too dark but I like it anyway.
Painting #2
This one I almost abandoned because I thought I had jumped little ahead with the layering but I stayed with it to the very end. The trees on the right are a bit static and I will vary the height of one of more trees, an easy fix. This is a view of the Sierra Buttes from the other side.
Painting #3
I wanted to redo the Bullards evening painting a second time. I went a bit abstract with the sky. I used a sprayer to simulate light on the water.
Painting #4
This is on blue tinted Bockingford paper. I went wild and carefree with it, wet on wet and pushed the paper to its limit and boy did I have fun! I love this paper!
Painting #5
Eh so so for me, I lost the dimension and feeling of my rocks but wanted to include it. Not enough value range in the rocks.
Painting #6
On Fabriano hotpress. A pure joy to let the paint flow. I didn’t want a lot of detail I am again going for feeling. I am painting for me.
Painting 7
Last but not least. I almost abandoned this one because of a defect in the paper at the top section. There were two long scrapes and the paint settled right into them. It was a letdown and I was going to flip it over to paint on the other side when I decided at the last minute to crop the painting. It was a good decision because I ended up with a better composition anyway. The trees actually are a deeper green than my photo shows.
There you go, I am alive and well and painting up a storm! Until next time, happy trails!
If any of you have wondered if I have gone missing for good, here I am! Actually what happened is that I have recently purchased a Kindle Fire tablet and discovered that I can use it to take and upload photos to Instagram. I have tried Instagram before using my cell phone but I hated the quality of the photos (picky me). Posting there is so much easier, less than a minute and I am done. It takes me forever to navigate around WordPress, I almost dread it because it is so funky and slow. I haven’t given up entirely on my blog here but if you want to see what I am up to follow me on Instagram: Here I am!
I have also discovered that I can do a far better job of editing my photos of my paintings spot on. Going from my regular camera and editing I always seem to run into having my blues stand out a bit too much or my yellows are off. On Instagram I am amazed how spot on I can get my paintings to be. Plus it is so fun and easy.
painting #2 of Bullards
This painting was started as a plein air but finished in the studio. It was so difficult to capture what I saw there and I almost decided to turn this over and use the other side. I decided to finish it and I really like the water.
painting #3 of Bullards morning light
This painting is not as yellow and pink in the sky, more subtle, keep that in mind. I had gone out to plein air paint at Bullards one morning, showed up at 5:45 am. So beautiful there but so very difficult to capture what I was looking at. I decided to sit and watch the light hit that section of trees and I think that about 30 minutes passed and I just sat and observed. In the not so long ago past, this would have upset me, the fact that I couldn’t capture what I was looking at.
Once I got back into the studio, I decided to paint entirely from my memory of the morning. It was simply magical how it poured out of me. To realize that you can’t truly capture Gods’ creation to the absolute T is imperative to being at peace as an artist, imho. But, we sure can express how we feel about what I see or experience, that is for certain. That is my goal.
painting #4 of the North Yuba
Perhaps a little more detailed with the rocks than I like but then I had fun with this one.
painting #5 of the South Yuba
No don’t adjust your monitor, this was purposely painted with an out of focus, soft approach. I didn’t want to fuss with details or bringing it up to a finish, I wanted an impression, that is all. This was painted saturated wet on wet.
Thank you for bearing with me on this long post, have a wonderful 4th of July for those who celebrate!
**A word about photos. The paintings and photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.
Oh my I am so picky today! I am thinking that I need to stretch my creative muscles and go for a really loose painting. I keep picking the above painting to bits. I have a problem with all those rocks, maybe it is my picky mood. So I started another Yuba river painting but more loose and carefree.
layer number 1
I always love starting out a new painting, so exciting! I started out with wet on semi-wet here.
layer #2
I often will bring the background to a certain stage than move onto the middle or foreground. I don’t like to complete a background because often it takes a back and forth work to bring a painting to the correct feeling or value.
layer #3 or more
I started to move on those rocks and the back trees on the left and gradually brought the water up slowly. I used a wax crayon to protect the whites.
I do believe that those rocks were my enemy and yet I loved how a lot of them presented that special glow that I saw that morning. In the final stage I did lump some sections of the rocks into a more concrete mass. All in all, not bad but I am missing my wild and loose and fancy free approach. I need to go bareback on that wild pony!
This is the reference photo of that morning on the North Yuba….beautiful, don’t you think?
*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.
I had a difficult time getting my photo to marry up with my painting but I tried, keep that in mind.
Goose Lake on Lanaquarelle 140# quarter sheet
I have been working on multiple paintings and this one is pretty much finished though I might put in a few dark sections in the back woods. Goose Lake is up in the same area as the Sierra Buttes and for some reason I am intrigued with this view. Here are my previous posts of Goose Lake: Goose Lake in Sierra County and Pastel of Goose Lake and last but not least Acrylic of Goose Lake.
As I worked on the above painting, I kept to an over-all feeling and gist of Goose Lake and tried not to rely solely on my reference photo. I like to imagine myself at the scene, hearing the birds, feeling the environment as I paint. I usually listen to music that helps me to imagine that I am there, in this case Native American flute music. Often when I paint a forest scene, I will listen to nature and bird sounds or lately Chinese music.
Again I truly feel that it is important to paint what you know and love, but that is my own personal prerequisite. I worked on this painting (as I am accustomed to do) when I am in the zone. Once I feel my artist eye or view wane, I step away. The sky, backwoods were painted wet on wet. I went back in to put in some calligraphy. I took more care with painting the trees in the front.
Lately my goal is not to be precise or detailed, I want the essence of a scene, there is something appealing to me about this approach.
*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.
I was trying for a landscape with minimal detail, just enough to give the viewer the essence of the scene. At first I wasn’t too happy with it but the more I look at it, I believe that I reached my goal. I am trying for that happy medium where I don’t needle my paintings to death with superfluous detail.
Tulips at the Crystal Hermitage at Ananda Village
I wanted to plein air paint at this beautiful local gardens before the tulip season is finished. This is last year’s post about this beautiful place Glorius Tulips at Crystal Hermitage . I am planning to visit here throughout the year because they do have the gardens open for visitors year round.
Aren’t these beautiful? I love it at Ananda. When I lived with my Mom and Sister back in the 1980’s I often would hike up the road and visit Ananda Village. I still love the area and the people.
painting #2 My first painting at Ananda
I was fretting a bit about painting flowers, because I generally don’t practice with them enough. I decided to keep it loose and fancy free. I might bring in some more darks to bring out the centers but basically I want to keep it loose.
painting #3
I almost abandoned this painting because I have the tendency to freak out when I can’t see where I am going with a painting. But, I pressed in and was determined to get something out of the experience. Happy to say, I ended up liking it rather than hating it. I am unsure if it is finished or not. Plein air is suppose to be not detailed to death and I want to keep the freshness and resist the need to noodle it to endless detail.
Peaceful Beauty
If you ever get up to the Nevada City/North San Juan area, take the time to go see the gardens at Ananda, especially during the tulip blooming season which is typically March-April or early May.
*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.
While I worked on several paintings alternately today, I wanted to exercise my artistic muscles with a loose rendering of this miner’s shack. This is referenced from a photo that I took of an old miner’s camp called Carson Camp in Sierra Co. My husband and I took a trip to the high country last summer to scout out the area, he wanted to show me where he worked as a miner in a hard rock gold mine. Close by is the Ruby Mine where he worked back in the 1980’s. It was amazing to have him show me around and to explain the various buildings and equipment. My photo here is close enough to my painting though the Burnt Sienna used didn’t seem to stand out as it should.
I am thinking of perhaps either crisping this up a tad or starting another one. I wasn’t concerned with details as I was going for feeling. I had to catch myself when I wanted to render too much. I would like to abstract the building a bit more and to know what to showcase and leave the rendering to that area.
*A word about photos. The photos on my blog are mine, taken by me and copying them would be stealing from me. If you find a photo that you would like to copy or use, I request that you ask me for permission and I expect you to give me full credit for my own photo. Thank you so very much.
Yuba Gold 