..Daily painting for October 31

I trust that no one minds my having some ghoulish fun on Halloween*. This is painted with two colors only, Viridian and Aliz Crimson, 8 x 16 stretched canvas. It is an "out-of-my-head" painting...*I love creepy imagery. Happy Halloween!

Daily Painting White Rose

Oil on 8 x 10 canvas panel.

Wetlands...III

I painted this during the Beavercreek Wetlands Paint out. It is oil on 8 x 8 canvas panel. It is quite similar to the 6 x 6 painting I did of the same view. Brenda Boylan and I traded paintings and this is the one I gave her. She nicely photographed it so I would have a record of it. (Thanks, Brenda!) I love the pastel painting that Brenda did (that I traded for). I will photograph hers for her records too. It was a first for both of us to "give away" work....but, since it was a swap it isn't really giving anything away.

Photos from the Beavercreek Wetlands Paint out & Reception at the Kingstad

Painting(s) from the Beavercreek Wetlands Paint-out

Today I joined a bunch of other painters at the Beavercreek Wetlands Paint-out behind the Kingstad Gallery. It was really fantastic to see so many painters all out together. When we were finished we brought our paintings into the Gallery and Kitty Wallis conducted a critique of about one-third of them. Beginning at 6 pm the Kingstad provided a lovely "last Tuesday" reception for us. It was a really enjoyable afternoon and evening.
(paintings are 5 x 7 & 5 x 5 oil on canvas panels)
Available email for further information

You are Invited!

Autumn leaf Daily Painting

One of the nicest things about this daily painting project is that one day you can paint something complex and the next day you can paint something "singular". It all counts! Today I chose the simplest subject ..a leaf from my driveway. Oil on 6 x 6 canvas panel.

SOLD!

Sandy River Plein Air daily painting

Here is my daily painting. Oil on 8 x 8 canvas panel. It was a beautiful day today!

Daily Painting Red Pot

Here is my painting for today. I remembered Kitty Wallis' admonishment.. to be mindful of using both yellow-red and blue-red to describe the turns made in a red object. Hooray..! I think I did it. Whenever I paint late in the day I have that glare from my basement lighting to deal with in my photograph. OH WELL.
Oil on 8 x 8 canvas panel

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Oil sketch October 24

I meant to get an earlier start on my daily painting. Also instead of working on a still life or a landscape I opted for a concept painting that is "out of my head" (no wisecracks... lol)! This is very sketchy..but it is an idea for a possible "real" painting later. I am glad that when I began painting I was taught to "draw with a paintbrush".
6 x 12 oil on canvas paper

Daily painting October 23

Here is what I painted today. It is oil on 9 x 12 canvas panel. The pumpkin color was a challenge..certainly more so than I thought it would be. Also I used a medium (Neo megilp) in the background and it made for a lot of glare in photographing it. Well, despite the difficulties, I am glad I painted today!

Available email for further information

Seven Questions for Creatives to Answer

My Photographer friend Patrick Kolb offers this exercise to creative people.

Answer these questions in writing:

1. What is your definition of Painting (not dictionary).
2. What is the most important thing in your life?
3. What is your greatest strength as a Painter?
4. What is your greatest weakness as a Painter?
5. Where would you like to be as a Painter?
6. What is keeping you from getting there?
7. Complete the following sentence until you run out of things to say
"If I could complete a body of work it would....."

You owe it to yourself to take some time and actually write on paper the answers to these questions, especially today. It might be the best gift you get.

(Substitute whatever your medium for the word Painter. ie: What is your greatest strength as a filmmaker?)

I found this exercise to be insightful..thanks, Patrick!

The black or white background verdict is in

I sent out an email to a batch of people to ask how they felt about the black background. The results were running 50-50 when I decided that the white background is much easier to read. The black background makes the colors of my paintings stand out better, but everyone knows that I also use a fair amount of WORDS on occasion. So, it is back to the white background...and thanks for helping me decide!

Fall at the Sandy Delta Park

Oil on 8 x 8 canvas panel

Available email for further information

Considering the black background for this blog

I think I will live with this for a few days. I know that everyone and their cousin Bob uses the black background....and maybe there is very good reason for that. I will see if I can adjust and if I can't I will simply change it back to white again. Do you have an opinion on this?

Near Corbett..."Sunbreak"

Plein air painting near Corbett, Oregon. Oil on 8x8 canvas panel.

Available email for further information

Blonde

My painting of the day today entitled "Blonde". It is oil 6 x 12 on canvas panel.


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Golden evening

My daily painting for today. Oil painting on 8 x 10 canvas panel.

SOLD! 

(thank you, coopersmith)

Portland Open Studios..Michael Fisher

Today I was the greeter/host for artist, Michael Fisher's Open Studio. It was an easy job! I heard nothing but compliments for his work all day long. He sold several pieces last weekend and several more today. I think it can be said that his specialty is the "urban landscape", but he offers traditional landscapes too. There is one more day left of Portland Open Studios (tomorrow). Michael said that he will apply for Portland Open Studios again next year.....and though he waffled about whether or not he would opt for the 2nd weekend, I reminded him that his best sales seemed to have taken place during the 2nd weekend! It pleased me that people are still buying art, even during these tough economic times. People seem to love bringing the outdoors indoors... and Michael's work achieves that very well!

Tree on the Edge

My daily painting for today! 9 x 12 oil on canvas panel

"Turning away"

Here is my painting for today. It is 6 x 12 oil on canvas panel. Reference, a pastel drawing from last year. I can see why Scott Burdick and others favor a taupe-like background. It seems exactly right for figure painting.

Available email for further information

October 16 painting

This is 9 x 12 oil on canvas panel

SOLD

Peace concept

Earlier I watched most of the the Presidential debates and then an informercial starring Peter Fonda and some unknown blonde babe hawking the Time/Life "Flower Power" CD selection. I'll go on record to say that I find it pretty disappointing that Easy Rider himself has come to this. If someone had ever told me that Peter Fonda would go this route I would have insisted nooooo. That music definitely takes me back in time to when young people were all up in arms over war. I guess some of this was on my mind when I painted this. It is a combination hood ornament and angel.

Tuesday's end-of-the-day painting

Sunset 8 x 8 oil on canvas panel

Available email for further information

Presents from Italy!

My friend Carolyn brought me some gifts from her recent trip to Bologna. She gave me some Fabriano paper, a gorgeous shawl and a Venetian glass dipping pen. Belisimo! I stopped at Muse art supply store to buy some sepia ink to try out the pen. I couldn't master writing with it at all...(there must be a secret to how to write with it!) Well, no matter! It is a wonderful thing just to LOOK at...I can't wait to wear the shawl. It is definitely fun to have a globetrotting friend. (Thanks, Carolyn).

"Early light"

Last summer during Eric's workshop we painted in just brown and white. Tonight I revisited the exercise with a photo of the Gorge. The Gorge is always depicted in cool blues. It was fun to paint it instead .....as "warm".
8 x 8 oil on canvas panel.

I found a Benbell in a tree!

Today I found a Benbell in a tree! What a nice thing..I felt so honored! The card that is attached to the benbell asks the finder to do something "kind". Recently I have been thinking about donating my painting "After Liepke" to PDX for Women. The subject matter seems to be a good fit. Today, because I found the Benbell, I decided for certain to donate the painting. If you want to buy it.. go to the auction 10/18/08! You will get it for a steal! It is framed with a very nice black frame.
On October 18th, 2008, head to the Oaks Park Dance Pavilion in Oaks Amusement Park for an evening of music, dancing and camaraderie to support Women for Women International, a non-profit organization helping women survivors of war in their own countries who are left alone to raise their children after experiencing horrific acts of violence. WforW helps women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Nigeria, Irag, Sudan, Columbia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.


(This is the painting I am donating oil on stretched canvas 30 x 40 Title: "after Liepke")

(click to enlarge flyer)

SOLD! (all proceeds to Women to Women)

Roses

My Magsafe connector finally really stopped working today. It has been frayed for a long time. I called the 1 800 Apple number, however, and I got to talk with someone right away. Good customer service still exists. I did not have to sit on the phone for a hundred years and the guy I talked with was great! I will have my new Magsafe connector in just a couple of days. Whew! I is impossible to think about life without the computer! If I do disappear for a few days...you'll know my connector is delayed. I am running on battery until I get my connector!
Roses = 8x8 oil on canvas panel.

Portland Open Studios

I stopped by to see Michael Fisher today. He is one of the artists showing in Portland Open Studios. He has a lot of new work this year and I loved seeing his "urbanscapes". My favorites are the night scenes that utilize lots of glowing warm light. I got to see about five studios today altogether. Fun! I sometimes think about applying to be a Portland Open Studios artist....but..... I...... don't...... know........

Christine..study

My printer wouldn't work today so I had to work on this oil study while looking at the reference on my computer screen. I am a little uncertain about the the likeness so I will do another. I was pleased with the "Warholian" shots of color that occurred to me to add at the end.

Back to the landscape

Last year I did a color thumbnail of this scene. I found my old notes and my photo reference. I primed my canvas with absorbent ground. This is oil on a 8 x 8 canvas panel. I was shooting for a dreamy appearance. Did I manage it?

Rabbit in "made up" snow

My reference photo was a rabbit in green grass but I liked how my white canvas looked next to the brown of the rabbit and I opted to make it into "snow". Oil on 9 x 12 canvas panel.

Simultaneous contrast

Today my painting employs a light against a dark. When I took the workshop with Mitch Baird we had quite a long discussion about simultaneous contrast and he also talked about another term...I think it was "inversion" (?) Well, I can't find my notes, but I remember him telling us that there was a significant difference between these terms. This is a 9 x12 oil sketch.
While I painted this I listened to Nat King Cole singing in Spanish on the radio. Painting horses also reminded me of a painter I met this summer.. A strapping handsome "real" cowboy who merges his life as a farmer with his life as a painter. I especially enjoyed seeing his painting of horses that he submitted to the Hood River Plein Air exhibit. Gregg Caudell

Best of Show, Kingstad Gallery

Eric Kingstad, Me, George Broderick
Much to my surprise I won the Best of Show Ribbon in our Annual Group Show. I was really happy to receive this honor! I am so pleased that we got to hold our annual show at the Kingstad Gallery. From the beginning it has been a great experience. Thanks so much to everyone for all the well wishes I have received pertaining to this award..it is deeply appreciated!
(Show Juried by George Broderick, Eric Kingstad & Lora R Fisher)

Celeste Bergin Thoughts of Malcolm, 30 x 40 oil Best of Show
Kitty Wallis Hot Tub II, 24 x 36, pastel First Place
Michael Orwick Sunset At Vista House, 20 x 18, oil Second Place
Amanda Houston May Clover, 20 x 20, pastel Third Place
Brenda Boylan View From Center, 8 x 13, pastel Honorable Mention
Maeona Urban End Of The Tile Factory, 11 x 14, oil Honorable Mention
Barbara Szkutznik Passage, 31 x 36, pastel Honorable Mention

Kingstad Gallery Reception

Here are some photos from our 4th Annual Group show at the Kingstad Gallery. Not all of the art on the walls is included. New photos will be added in the near future. It was a great evening. Thanks to everyone involved for a wonderful reception!