MY NEXT PAINTING

Magic Princess Pool!

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Sat, 13 Apr 2019 19:24:00 +0000

Magic Princess Pool, oil on canvas, 18x24.

This is a work that jumped into my head soon after our Florida vacation, and I worked hard to keep up with it. Inspired by time spent watching my Granddaughter in that pool, and her detailed chatter about being the Princess who rescues the other Princesses in the pool- including Princess Daddy. This is a meaningful painting for me, as it holds these fond memories.

As I worked on this, I felt so many aspects I've been studying, like composition, edges and self-assessment, were starting to gel; in that way this is a very constructed painting. I thought hard about masses, large and tiny, where to put them, lost and found, values. I really like the thickness of paint in some passages, probably hard to see here. But I think I am starting to understand better.

Wetlands Deer Visitors

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 18:12:00 +0000

Wetlands Deer Visitors, oil on Arches Oil Paper, 9x12.
Our neighbor deer do not care if people are around, they seem bored by us.

Philip, Into the Distance

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 19:41:00 +0000

Philip, Into the Distance, 9x12 oil on panel.

I found his gaze, and head gesture intriguing; this is a memory of a nice hiking trip.

New Sisters

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Sun, 30 Dec 2018 23:55:00 +0000

New Sisters, oil on linen panel, 9x12, 2018.

I have been in these last months of 2018 experimenting with texture, intent ( the balance between the image and the abstract sploosh of paint), pattern and composition. Yes it has been a mess at times, deliberately sacrificing the lovely promising start to go haywire. But I hope it is all ultimately going in the right direction! Happy last day of 2018 everyone!

Plein air, my Hydrangeas!

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Sun, 15 Jul 2018 23:45:00 +0000

Hydrangeas to Canna Lilies, plein air, oil on canvas 16x20.
$800 contact me for purchase

It was hot and very sticky the last few days, but plein air is easy in my driveway, facing my east garden. This took a few mornings, because the sunny view that excited me quickly turned to stubborn overcast. Hooray the sun came out Saturday morning! Below is an in progress shot.

Weigela Geometry 12x16, plein air

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Sat, 30 Jun 2018 23:00:00 +0000

Weigela Geometry, oil on canvas panel, 12x16, plein air
$650 contact me for purchase

Normally my weigela shrub sends out random, rangy spikes, beautiful but wild. But this year a graceful, large cylinder shot out, all the neighbors commented on it. Below is an in-progress shot.

First Peony of the year!

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 17:17:00 +0000

First Peony, oil on canvas, 8x10.
$325 contact me for purchase

This spring has been so odd, hot then cold then rainy, different blooms are suddenly bursting all over! In the middle of another floral painting I saw the first peony in my backyard. Took a break to paint this- soon there will be too many flowers to get around to! Below is a shot of the scene.

Neighbor's Fort, field sketch

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 18:43:00 +0000

Neighbor's Fort, field sketch, oil on panel 8x10.
$325 contact me for purchase

It was great painting outside on the first nice day of Spring- here in Minnesota it took so long to warm up! I have long wanted to paint my neighbor's charming fort, their boys are sweet neighbors to have. The remaining snow is quickly disappearing. Below is a shot of the setup.

Fallen Memory, plein air

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 16:42:00 +0000

Fallen Memory, plein air, oil on linen panel, 5x7.

$100 contact me for purchase

First outdoor study in awhile, quick and it felt good to do. This huge fallen cottonwood was climbed often by my kids, all the way to the top! They also sat and read on it, and there was a tree hole where my daughter stored her copy of Little House on the Prairie. After one hard rain she found the book swollen out, like an open floral semi-circle.

Strolling the Beach ( I wish I was!)

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 15:56:00 +0000

Come on, I just shoveled 4 inches of heavy, wet snow, when will this winter end! Oh to be in Riviera Maya again, if I paint it will it come? This is from 2 plein airs I did there, one was OK but kind of boring, the other was a chaotic mess. Also it was hard to get a clear shot, the paint ridges kept catching glare, so much thick paint. Below is a closeup.

Strolling the Beach, oil on panel, 8x10.

$325 contact me for purchase

Peach-Mango Dum-Dum

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 21:12:00 +0000

Peach-Mango Dum-Dum, oil on linen panel, 5x7.
$100 contact me for purchase

I must have gotten in the zone while painting, because looking down at such a small object, I felt like I was painting a huge galaxy. Maybe it was the super-nova colors I saw in that overcast light. Dum-Dums are charming and fun, they are also good training for observation and translation. For instance, that was the hottest shadow I have ever seen, so rich and orange it was like dark fire. There's a glow to it in real life that the photo can't catch. Also here I was playing with the 'trade-off' you can decide, between value and luminosity; that's something I observed when I copied that Edgar Payne.

Bob, In His Element, Riviera Maya

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 22:21:00 +0000

Bob, In His Element, Riviera Maya, oil on panel, 12x16.

A nice warm memory, during this too lingering Minnesota winter.

Pear in Overcast Light

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 01:52:00 +0000

Pear in Overcast Light, oil on linen panel, 5x7.
$100 contact me for purchase

I haven't painted a fruit in a long time, it felt nice and relaxing. The light coming in on an overcast day stays nice and even, cool and shimmery.

Cherry Dum-Dum Lollipop

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 17:02:00 +0000

Cherry Dum-Dum Lollipop, oil on linen panel, 5x7.
$100 contact me for purchase

Still life is a cozy, fun subject to work on during the frigid winter, and I love painting these little Dum-Dums! They've been around forever, and are still everywhere you turn. I get them from restaurants, haircut joints, little shops- they are a part of everyday. I plan on beefing up my Dum, dee Dum-Dum, Dum! series, so many fun flavors. Funny for this one I got in the zone, and started thinking I was painting a rosebud. Then I would look up and think where is the rose? Then I would see the Dum-Dum and go Oh, right.
They are small, so it takes some concentration to observe them:

Copying an Edgar Payne

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 00:51:00 +0000

After Edgar Payne, Sierra Peaks, 16x20 oil on canvas
$800 contact me for purchase

I've been experimenting for awhile now, expanding my ideas about painting; making quite a mess, let me tell you. It's all good though, diving into technique, intent, and natural confusion. But to clear my head and get back to Earth, I copied this work by Edgar Payne.

Payne created Sierra Peaks in 1917, its original size was 28x34, and was destroyed in a fire some years later. I only had a computer image, with all the limitations that come with it, but could discern enough detail to give it a go. What a lot I learned from this! As I went along I accepted the times I felt like I was getting in Payne's head, imagining the thought process by his brushwork.

If you are interested, here are my observations:
1) I was surprised how rich, pure and saturated the blues and purples were in the mountains, only grayed by the addition of white. Also that cliff shadow passage was not nearly as dark as I first thought, and had to keep adjusting it. Even though I had the comparison of the darkest dark in the row of pine trees, it was still a discovery. But with such a large mass in the composition, I gained a luminosity as I lightened, that wasn't there when it was darker. It was an eye-opener seeing that difference.
2) During the initial sketch-in there were so many tangents made, that normally would worry me in my own work. But I saw in-progress how Payne got rid of them with a flick of the brush, or the grouping of same value masses, so he certainly didn't fret much.
3) Also at the early stages all that cool color bothered me; I've always been temperature sensitive, and it was so much blue and purple it seemed relentless. But when I finally added some small warm notes, as in the foreground rocks, that little bit really sang. That subtle restraint is new to me, and I was surprised how effective adding just a little warmth can be, instead of shooting strong yellows around. The very little cad yellow medium in the white snow really makes it pop.
4) The most dramatic line in the painting is the cast shadow from the cliffs onto the ground. A temperature change happens there that greatly enhances it; especially at the far end, in the shadow onto the snow. The blue is a warmer blue than I first saw, viridian and cobalt blue, that makes for a significant small glow. I first tried a purple like the cliff, then tried cobalt blue. But when I gave that slight warmth adding viridian, it was a Wow moment for me.
5) I wouldn't be surprised if he painted this en plein-air, there's a looseness to his brush here, with some nice thick strokes. As I painted the white snow passages, I could feel a rhythm to his strokes, cascading down quite poetically. I couldn't quite get that feeling, painting in a 1:3 ratio; I'll bet he painted that with his whole arm moving. Also I'll bet the actual scene was not quite that lyrical, that Payne devised it. I'm reminded of one of Stapleton Kearn's many great neck tattoos, 'Design is never observed, but installed'.
6) Finally, I think that foreground wildflower bush was scrubbed in at the end, as an afterthought. Perhaps he wanted to knock down the strength of the sloping line behind it, and push the painting farther back at the same time. It's also a nice shrubby relief from all the hard rock texture- I tried to scratch it in as he did.
I hope you find these student ruminations helpful, thanks for reading!

Vintage Blue Splatterware

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 15:17:00 +0000

Splatterware, 9x12 oil on oil-primed linen panel.
$425 contact me for purchase

There are some textural thick and thin passages here, that change the viewing of the painting in different light. I like that effect- makes it not such a 'still' life.
Below is a shot of the setup:

Vadnais Inn, plein air

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 18:22:00 +0000

Vadnais Inn, on Rice St. and I-694, MN plein air 12x16
$625 Contact me for purchase

I have been driving by the Vadnais Inn for decades, and am glad to have finally painted this charming building. I was especially drawn to capture the image of the rather saucy lady on the name sign- she has been fading as the years go by.
I'm not a big bar goer, but I find neighborhood pubs interesting. I know they call them dive bars, but while I was painting a man, then a woman, perhaps the owners, came out to look and chat. Then I realized, why it's not a dive bar- it's really a Mom and Pop shop.

Hello Olive, 3 days old!

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 02:29:00 +0000

Hello Olive, 3 days old, oil on linen panel 11x14.

I painted my first granddaughter at 3 days old, so I guess it should be a family tradition! Welcome little Olive Jane, so sweet and squeaky, with gassy grins and wide yawns. The Grandgirls inspire me to work harder, and paint better.
There is some thick paint here, especially to model the swaddling blanket. I think it adds a dimension of interest, and enhances the scene being portrayed. I think that is my next step as a painter.

Delightful Garden, plein air, 9x12

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 21:17:00 +0000

Delightful Garden, plein air, oil on linen panel, 9x12.
$425 contact me for purchase

What's nicer than a plein air painting session in your own backyard? I've been wanting to paint my garden statue for awhile, glad this beautiful day let me.
There are two ways to look at a painting; to look at the scene depicted, and see if it is convincing on some level. Then there is the two-dimensional picture plane, is the painting interesting, as an object itself? That's something that doesn't carry over enough on the mighty Internet, but carries a lot of power in person. There are some quite thick passages here, that help to enhance the scene here even though the strokes themselves don't show up.
I have been working on paint thickness, texture and strokes- that Alchemy of paint, that I studied much too early in my painting time, but continues to plague me.

Loring Park Art Festival, plein air

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 14:55:00 +0000

Loring Park Art Festival Kabob Truck, plein air, 8x10
oil on linen panel $325 contact me for purchase

What a fine, festive day at Loring Part Art Festival, Minneapolis MN. The crowd was friendly, and the smells from this kabob food truck were enticing. People were coming and going, I managed to sketch a few in with paint. So many dogs passed by I was glad to include a cute one. There was a pretty, stylish girl working in the truck, a nice detail to add as well.

But in the evening I had to rush to my daughter's home, to babysit my granddaughter; she and her husband made a beeline to the hospital, where my new granddaughter arrived 5:22AM the next morning! A banner day for the family indeed.

Loring Park Vista, plein air, 8x10

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 17:25:00 +0000

Loring Park Vista, plein air, 8x10
$350 contact me for purchase

Even with the huge swarm of day camp kids, all in matching bright orange shirts, it was a peaceful time painting in Loring Park on Friday. I haven't been there before, and was lucky to find free 2 hour parking. It was a bright, overcast morning, pleasant to be there.

Purple Coneflowers, plein air, 5x7

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 18:46:00 +0000

Purple Coneflowers, plein air, 5x7.
$100 contact me for purchase

A nice comfy morning in my front yard, looking at my purple coneflowers. Neighbors came by, chatted a bit, I gave them some lily of the valley divisions; a typical Saturday.

Neighbor's Garden redo, 9x12

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 22:30:00 +0000

Into the Garden, oil on linen panel, 9x12
$425 contact me for purchase
Got out my palette knife, and worked some more on this. I'm more satisfied with it now, it made for good homework.

Neighbor's Garden, 9x12

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 02:58:00 +0000

Into The Garden, plein air, oil on linen panel, 9x12.

Looking into my neighbor's vegetable garden, it was a challenge to make sense of all that shrubbery. Lunar the dog is often perched up on the deck, and watching me paint is boring I guess.

Plein Air in Paris, France #3

noreply@blogger.com (Judy P.) — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 02:32:00 +0000

On Promenade Pereire, Paris. Plein air 8x10 oil on linen panel.
$325 contact me for purchase

Here is another plein air from Paris, 7 minutes of walking led me to Promenade Pereire. Spanning the entire length of the center of that very busy Boulevard, elegant sitting areas and flowers made it a lush oasis for me.
Of course it was for all the kids, with their nannies too. Right after I set up my easel, five little First Graders barraged me with questions "Madame, Madame!" Even after they acknowledged my "no parle Francais" it was still "Madame, Madame!". They were cute, but kept up their chatter, constantly ran circles around me, knocking into my easel- "Please don't bump the easel!" They stood between me and the easel whenever they stopped to look at my painting, and jumped over my backpack again and again. The nannies must have figured I was a good rest break for them; they were nowhere to be seen. One little boy picked a red rose, and put it on my shelf; I smiled and said Merci, then another boy brought me a huge branch cluster, full of thorns and roses- "No, don't pull out the shrubs!".The
little girl gave him a scolding, then it was around and around my easel again.
So hectic and stressful to paint, but they were sweet. Except for one little stinker, who was as noisy as
the others, but he had a mocking tone to his voice. After an hour finally the nannies showed up; one spoke in clear English, "Sebastian, why are you saying such mean and nasty things? I am going to tell your Mother!" Wow, so he was worse than I thought! They all left and it was peaceful again. But now I was beat, and quit early. I blocked in the sky and added the flowers later.
I still considered this a good paint session since I do like kids, well most of them anyway.