Faces with Character

"Jack"

It has been awhile since I have painted my 6 x 6 face series.  I am hoping to have One Hundred Faces finished by July of this year to hang in a show in August. 

"Linnea"

Remember trying to whistle while you were young?  I still can't do it but it doesn't stop me from trying on occasion.

"Nuts"

Even those pesky squirrels can be funny and endearing occasionally especially when they look through my office window to see if I am going to chase them off my bird feeders!

I did these three characters in the last two days and I think I am up to 47 faces!

Time to go paint.

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

In 2013 I painted a rather large canvas (30 x 40) for a show I was having with a group a artist friends that I paint with - Bay Area Studio Artists or BASA. The show was titled "Shades of California" and I painted a beach scene from my beloved Lake Tahoe.

 However, I made the umbrella RED! I thought at the time that it added a snap of color!

And it was used for the Marketing of our show.



I never liked the painting and I couldn't put my finger on why - other than the colors of the water were too intense and maybe everything was too saturated? It was not calming like I feel when I am on this beach.

I changed the water and made the stripes of the umbrella more defined.  Still no.....

So I have had it stored in a back room but often wondered what I could do to improve this painting.

Move forward to 2016 - last week.  I was getting ready for an upcoming show in Danville at Chow and I thought about a painting for their large wall.

I began to work with the photo of the painting in PhotoShop.  I changed that awful purple-blue of the shadows from the chairs, removed the flip-flops (because it always made me wonder where that person went to?), and I lowered the horizon.  Better.....but.......

Then I decided the umbrella was too stiff and needed a slight breeze.....so I changed the shape. Mmmm.....still not working.

I changed it to blue, then taupe and finally solid white.  Better but not feeling light and breezy!

Then yesterday morning I noticed our white canvas umbrellas on the back deck and snapped a photo.  I could see the colors coming through the under part of it as well as the changes in the fabric as it moved from post to post.  I also received a catalog the day before with a selection of umbrellas so I combined my photo and the catalog stripes and here it is...............

I feel so much better.  It was a tough challenge but I stuck with it and am very happy with how it turned out.  Time to give it a title.....

New Art in Napa!

My artist friends and I from BASA just hung a new show at the Napa Library.  We will be having a reception and Artists' Talk this Friday.  Please check out the flyer for more information!  

I hope you can join us for a fun evening.

If you click on the above BASA link, you will be able to see some of the wonderful pieces of artwork.

What's On My Easel?

Some very round sheep!

I'm wondering if it's just long fur and the shepard is taking them for sheering or if they may be pregnant?  I got the photo reference from a website called "Paint My Photo" and it reminds me of some rural scene in England or Italy. I began sketching out the painting on a much smaller canvas but it didn't have the impact of the sheep coming towards the viewer.  I am very happy that I started over with a much larger canvas.

Here is how far I have taken it today.  There is still some work to be done on their faces and in the trees.  But overall I am liking the scene!

Summer Swim

Summer Swim

Oil - 30 x 40

Even though it has been raining for the last few days here in California, it's not too soon to plan for upcoming Spring and Summer shows. I have a number of shows just around the corner and you can check them out on my "Events" page.

Three of my paintings have been juried into a show at Ironstone Vineyards and I will be attending the reception of March 19!  Hope to see you there!

What's On My Easel

I haven't been posting for several months and I apologize.  My father passed on January 21st and Dec. and Jan. my family spent helping my mom care for him.  It is all as it should be as he was 88 and had a very rich life and loving friends and family.

But..... I didn't paint for over a month and I will tell you that it is hard to get back into the zone but I was so ready!

Since then I have finished a large commission and painted the above painting for a solo show in September, as well as entered three paintings into a juried show, all of which were selected!!!

I will keep you posted as to upcoming events and paintings.

Day 3

Day 3 of Leslie Saeta's online challenge of 30 Paintings in 30 Days.  This is Face #16 of my personal challenge of painting 100 faces.  Isn't she a cutie?!