quickies

Have to run to a meeting tonight, so here's a quick post of a fast drawing. 

I did get to the woods to draw the daffodil leaves coming up through the dead tree leaves on the ground, but had to do a very quick study as the sky darkened while I drew, and the rain drops started falling on my paper. I'll revisit the spot tomorrow, weather permitting.

Here's a photo of the woods with the oncoming storm:

and I just had to post the little visitor on my monitor as I assessed my photos of the storm:

(the stinkbugs are waking up from their winter nap and trying to get outside. 

This little guy was confused, I think)

a mostly sky-scape

The idea I wrote about a few days ago has still not come to fruition. 

Today, during a walk in the woods, I was pulled in a totally different direction. The vibrant, green shoots of daffodil leaves are pushing up through papery dead leaves. I know from past experience that if I want to get this (and other) spring emergence down on canvas, on site, I have to act quickly, so I may put my concept painting on the back burner for a while. 

Last year I did some sketches of plants pushing up through the leaves, but didn't take it any further. I'll go back to get a painting started early tomorrow morning, if weather permits.

Meanwhile, here is a landscape with clouds:

the dud

Two days of work now under a coat of paint. Restarting tomorrow.

Mind Diving

Past entries show the visual process of making a painting. Today I was thinking about the unseen, mental process. Is it of interest? I don’t know, but it’s part of my work. 

So many ideas and directions bombard daily, it’s sometimes hard to settle on something to completion. It’s too easy to get sucked up in tangents.

An idea for a new painting formed and demanded attention during this morning’s shower. While my mind kept flitting and the earworm music popped on and off, alternating and combining with the shower sounds, this painting idea kept poking me until it was so firmly rooted that I have to put it on paper or canvas. The tangent: How did the idea for this particular painting came into my mind’s eye? Was it conjured by the scent of the soap?  

The mythical Hydra part of thought-following: you follow one line and find two more spring up, fully formed:

I followed the line of thinking that sensual input could trigger the image in the mind that wants to be painted, in this case, aroma of soap could be trigger. But following the aroma trail lead to the memories that are conjured up by it. Do they have anything to do with this idea for a painting in the mind? 

Scents and flavors, and sometimes sounds, come to me when I paint that aren’t in the actual atmosphere at the time, but I think they might present because the subject matter of the painting (or sometimes just color) arouses them. (The smell of a hot garden, a dusty road, the leaves in a breeze sound, etc.) 

But this is the germ of the painting coming from...where? 

In addition to the scent of the soap, recent conversations, events in the world, emotions, a recently read poem, and even a recent painting swell the seed of the painting that’s in my mind. But where did the seed come from?  Other things, not considered here, likely come into play, as well. But this is as far as I swam this morning. We’ll see how the painting comes out.

Mother and Child painting

Ended up choosing a different drawing than any I posted.

This one was, for me, emotionally charged and tender. I'll take a photo of the drawing and post it later this evening.

as promised, the drawing for the above painting:

trying to find the pose that will become the painting

finishing, starting, sensing, strawberries

I'm posting a few of the pieces I've been "finishing."

The first, of nasturtiums in the garden, was "finished in 2007, but I've finished it at least twice since then. This time it's really finished. Unless I go back into it again.

It's an oil on canvas, 30" x 40" - there's a slightly earlier version of it in the first post on the blog,  shown with other paintings in progress. (See "older posts")

Here it is set in the dead leaves of our front yard. Hopefully it's a portent of coming colors of spring and summer. The winter colors of the world seem to intensify the spring/summer colors of the painting. Maybe an idea for a frame, if I can manage it without kitschiness.

Indoor photo of the painting of nasturtiums, almost full frame:

Detail of above painting. For saturated color, energy of growth, variety of leaf colors, and last, but not least, flavor, nasturtiums are essentials in my (gardening, painting and culinary) book.

Then, there is the more organized, evidence of the hands-of-man garden I started last spring, that should be completed this spring. I'm finding that I sometimes apply the paint (or whatever material I'm using) according to what I'm seeing. In this case, it is like sowing seeds in neat, orderly rows, unlike the wild abandon of the above. I often get caught up in sensual experience, whether visual, aural, tactile, oral, or smell, or any of those combined (for instance, the taste, smell and colors of sweet fresh strawberries.) Just thinking about that took me away from my post. 

Here's the more organized garden, a painting still in progress (16" x 20" oil on canvas):

I felt the manicured and tidy, enclosed garden contrasted with the the natural, uncontained growth of the trees beyond the wall. Not too obvious, but it creates a tension.

Now to a completely new direction for today. Saturday I had a visit with a dear friend and her beautiful baby boy. I took many photos, but didn't have time to sketch. I'm going to try to do a painting of one or both of them just from the photos and memory. Also trying to finish up the portraits I have going already.

Please come back to check in, and feel free to leave comments, if you wish.

Forest Swamp

This painting has been an argument. 

I've fought with the surface, the materials, the wind (that's just hopeless), and even the trees, while they shush me with their dry leaves. I'll win this argument, but not today. I think I prefer friendly banter, but maybe my best paintings come from these arguments, throwing in a pinch of tension to mix with the final  calm and resolution. Maybe I just had too much coffee.

Morning Sky photo

More fungi work

The first 3 images below are stages of a painting of an up-close view of fungi shrouded by dead leaves, near a mossy tree trunk. 

The last is a photo of the finished fungus painting I posted yesterday at an earlier stage.

the 2 cloud photos I forgot to upload yesterday

Clouds February 14, 2011

The clouds were so colorful and theatrical yesterday, in the wind. Even though I was "under the weather" I just had to go out for a brief spurt of awe.

painting posting tonight

2 cloudy day photos and a fungus painting

Still under the weather and stayed up way too late reworking this fungus. I have to see how it looks tomorrow because I've been on top of it for so long I can't see it anymore.

Happy Valentine's Day Rose photos

Derailed for a couple of days, but getting back on track. 

Paintings should be ready to post this evening. 

Meanwhile, roses from this summer's flower shoots, tweaked a bit. 

Happy Valentine's Day.

Rocks, water, tree reflection

This piece started off as a realistic drawing of the marsh in the woods near our home. I've had my eyes on the mossy rocks, fungi and lichen since we first moved here. Colors change every second with the light. The large oil painting of the woods (still in progress) that I posted in January is this same location. In the spring, the peeper frogs echo an almost palpable soundtrack.

Still reworking the portraits, and hope to post one or more later tonight, but no promises.

red tail hawk

Have to run back to the site to sketch the vultures at the carcass. Hoping an eagle will join them if the racoon isn't already devoured. The hawk seems to have had his fill.

tulip budding

Last spring I did several studies of tulips as they budded and bloomed. This is a mixed media piece I've been working on for the past few days. Now to get back to the portraits again. I had to step away from them so I could see them freshly.

the possible cow

I don't know where this one is going, or whether it will go any further. I took a photo of the painting in black and white, as well as color, and the black and white simplifies the forms, so the cow is more evident. But the painting is in color. Lots of color.

illuminated cabbage

I'm going to try to get at least one painting posted later today. Stay tuned for a possible cow.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of photos from this very frigid and windy morning:

I've done several drawings of these cabbages, and intend to get a painting going soon. This morning they reminded me of rows of monks, making their way toward the rays of light:

Hawk-stalking

snow scene with shadows

Here are the beginning and the final versions of a snow scene with shadows. I'm hoping for one more snow storm before the crocuses.

still not finished, but decided to post anyhow

I'm still wary of posting stages of a painting, but I've gotten some e-mails from people who find the process interesting, so I'll continue (at least for the time being). The greatest challenge for me in painting is allowing a dialogue and not trying to impose preconceived ideas on the painting surface. I may have an idea, but then I have to let the work flow and be open to new directions, if they should present themselves.
This portrait is still not finished.

PIP (portrait in progress)

This one is not finished and may change completely. It's already gone through several metamorphoses. May work some more tonight, after the game.

Visual Echoes

There was a moment when a chevron cloud formation echoed the chevron slats of the gate in the fence along the wall of the field. It was a very brief moment for a photo as the clouds dissipated and the light waned in a matter of blinks.

Hoping to get one or two of the portraits finished enough to post before the game tonight.

snow on nest drawing & flock of geese photo

Would have worked this drawing to death if I didn't have to go somewhere.  Hoping to revisit this nest/theme many times, as they change through the seasons. It seemed almost as though the branches were  treasuring it.

photo of deer and geese parading the field

Thank goodness I left the dog home ...this photo would have been quite different if Clark had come along.

clouds, fence, trees and snow

I had a friend who would find odds and ends like remnants of furniture on the street, often as he walked to his studio, in New York. He'd create helpful devices like a rolling table to draw on, or other inventions to make it easier to work. I thought of him as I stood in the road trying to balance my notebook and brushes. I think he was smiling at me.

phrost phairy photos

Early morning ride to the bus. There was an iridescent screen of frost crystals covering the car.

roses

This one has been very frustrating and I'm about ready to throw in the towel.

Maybe some sleep will help.

paper issue

The paper started buckling  before I finished this one. Sometimes I get a little too rough, I suppose.

rock outcropping

This is a rock outcropping I've passed and wanted to draw or paint many times, and finally decided to pull over for a quick sketch. The quick sketch stretched into hours, but it didn't seem that long.