Day Two Block In

My block in is still very thin paint and I tend to bounce around playing with different areas. I really start having fun once thick paint gets on the painting, so I try to find an area to get that going early on.

Day One Set up

This is a shot of my entire set up. I prepare my canvases with two coats of Gamblin's Oil Painting Ground. I rough it on with a big palette knife and get it fairly smooth, but not perfect, I like some imperfections. I stain the canvas with a combination of warm earth reds and when it is dry sketch directly with thinned paint. Lately I've been using Winsor Newton's 'Drying Linseed Oil' as a painting medium.

study for Flight of the Bumble Bee

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This is a 6 x 8 study for an 18 x 24. My goal with these smaller studies is to see problems early on before I start the larger painting, plus they are just so much fun to do. I usually have a certain idea or feeling for each painting which may be inspired by color combinations or even music. Through the process of painting that idea may shift or the mood may be altered, but right now, I am thinking bumble bee and dandelion field. Since it takes me soooooo long to complete a large painting, I thought I might try to post my day by day process for this larger painting. I hope it works out! :)

Blush

Okay, don't ask me to explain, I can't anyway. I first started painting my "present" paintings (earlier posts or see my website) because of an obsession with the image of the gift that I could not understand or fully explain. After painting that image for a while now, I have come to understand what it all represents for me. I think coming to that understanding and wanting to dig deeper has lead me here. This is the second "undies" painting (as a friend of mine coined them) that I have done now. I have more undies tacked up on my studio wall waiting to be painted as we speak. Okay so it's crazy.... Okay I am really a normal person.... Okay I don't really see a clear market for these paintings, but when an obsession calls you have to answer. Right?

Hanna's Day

I recently have been experimenting with iridescent oil paints after being inspired by another artist's work in iridescent pastels. Oh, how fun these paints are! I decided to give them a try on this painting I started, but never finished, about a year ago. I mixed silvers and golds in her hair, stars, moon, and dots throughout the landscape. I just love the effect and can't believe I've never considered using these paints before. They added just the element of sparkle and delight I wanted for this painting.

Red Mug and Pears

I enjoyed painting the green mug so much I decided to paint a red one. What is that Zen saying...??? ... something like you have to empty your cup before you are ready to learn. I like that idea. Maybe I'll so a whole series of empty mugs!

The Veronese Mug

My husband brought home this mug for me knowing how much I love this color. Veronese Green is one of the colors Van Gogh used a lot of, Van Gogh being one of my favorite artists, but who doesn't love him??!! Plus, I was really in the mood for a lot of color!

Sold

My original concept was to have four paintings, each showing part of a present. So here is the third. This project has been a challenge in trying to make all the paintings work together, while at the same time making them individually strong enough to stand alone.

Sold

This is the second painting in this group, with the first being my previous post. I have always contemplated how to paint the present 'open' without actually painting it unwrapped. For me the 'present' symbolizes what is seen vs. the unseen; such as body vs. soul, or nature vs. spirit. I feel that cropping in and literally splitting the image apart might communicate this idea better, plus there is something wonderful about the two paintings completing each other. I am really excited about this direction and its possibilities.

SOLD

This is a new approach to my 'present' painting series I've been working on the last several years. This painting is one of eventually four in which I have cropped in close on the bow. I loved working with all the variations of blue and was inspired by the lake here in Chicago.