City Streets - II

12 x 12 oil on stretched canvas

I haven't done a lot of painting lately - busy with holiday cooking, shopping, decorating, etc.  I liked this nightime scene and decided to try it.

Traveling through the Cotton Fields

12 x 16 oil on canvas

Another cotton field today!  It's already dark here so I couldn't get a good photo in good light - had to use artificial and you can see the shadow of my push pin holding canvas to board in upper right.  That is not a bird flying upside down!

Delta Snow

8 x 10 oil on canvas - SOLD

Mississippi doesn't see a lot of snow but in early fall it looks like snow in the fields with all the cotton!  I grew up in the Delta where you see row after row of the white fluffy stuff every year--miss that scenery.  

King Cotton

12 x 16 oil on canvas panel

I wanted to try my hand at a close up view of cotton - I liked the idea of painting on a dark background to contrast with the cotton.  I'm missing the Delta - this was a common sight every fall!

Madison Landing Boathouse

12 x 16 oil on linen panel

This painting was completed in my workshop in Atlanta this past weekend.  I hesitate to even post since I did not do the entire painting.  Jim Richards was the teacher and he has his strokes in here too  but this scene is right by my house and I have wanted to paint it for a long time but just wasn't sure about all that water!!!!  I learned a LOT in the 2 day workshop and was so glad I had the opportunity to attend.

Flamenco Dancer - Finally!

16 x20 oil on canvas 

Finally completed this one!!!  The background is a little smoky looking but I had trouble photographing it with the dark background - the glare really shows up.  It really is not that muted, much darker.  The color saturation in close-up is more true to actual painting.

Flamenco Dancer - making progress

16 x 20 oil on canvas

Still working on this one.....  more to do on the face, arm and hand.  The reference photo didn't show the bottom 1/2 of her body so I am making up as I go along.   After posting, I am seeing a lot of glare on right side of body, might have to retake!

Flamenco dancer, first session

oil on canvas panel

After seeing Robert Henri's Spanish dancers last night at the MS Museum of Art, I was inspired to try to paint one with what I could find on the internet.  He was a fabulous painter, I could have studied them all night long.   The exhibit will be in Jackson for a few months and I will probably go back numerous times - they are beautiful.  This is a very rough beginning--just blocking in the lights and darks.  

French Village

12 x 16 oil on canvas panel

I've been working on this for a couple of sessions and I'm not sure I'm completely through with it.  There were more people in the street and I had to take a little creative license in places.  

Another Smoker - Complete

12 x 16 oil on canvas board

This is one I started on last week and just got around to finishing today.  I tried to use the palette knife some in this one; still not comfortable with it using it though.

Another Smoker - 1st session

12 x 16 oil on canvas

I didn't have much time to work on this one today so it is very rough and the photo has a lot of glare on it.  I tried for an abstract rendering but ending up painting in features, etc.   I can really tell a difference when painting on linen.  I am totally out of linen canvases and am using a supply of cotton canvases that I have.  I miss the linen - need to order some more!  There is a HUGE difference to how the paint moves around.

Rankin County Railroad - Final

 12 x 16 oil  on hardboard

Sometimes I just can't leave a painting alone.  I keep going back and re-doing over and over.  It bothered me that Rankin County Railroad didn't "read" as a railroad but I couldn't get the rails to look right....  I re-worked today and am much happier with the look of it since it looks more like a railroad now.

Head Study

6 x 6 oil on canvas panel

Just practicing and playing today....had a small toned canvas board and saw this photo in newspaper and thought I'd give it a try.

Rankin County Railroad

12 x 16 oil on wood panel

Thought I would try this for today.....tried painting in the rails but ended up looking like individually painted teeth on a portrait and painted them out with just a suggestion instead.

Waiting II - Complete

12 x 16 oil on linen

Finished  this one today.  I had to remove 1 inch from her height and adjust everything - hate when I have to do that but just the way I approach.....  I had my canvas on a desk top easel and I was standing up--that usually throws my proportions off--when I am not eye level with canvas.

Waiting II

12 x 16 oil on linen

I started on this one today and I think I need to make some adjustments to her length.  I need to measure her out to see.  Some times I get a little too elongated.  Normally I paint by feel, which I did today, then go back and measure after that--kind of a backwards way to approach things but I like to jump in right away while I'm feeling it.  Too much measuring, etc. takes away the initial "fun" for me so I deal with that later.

Deconstruction in Progress

16 x 20 oil on hardbord

I am borrowing the title from Terry Miura's description of the way he handles some of his paintings.  I am trying to deconstruct this one so it doesn't look so stiff.  It is hard to go back into an old painting and  destroy it in an effort to "help" it.  I know I need to get over that trepidation and just go for it but I'm still having trouble going after his face and cigar which I know needs to be loosened up.   

Bananas

8 x 8 oil on stretched canvas

My take on banana trees; love them, just can't seem to grow them but my neighbors have plenty!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

12 x 16 oil on hardboard

This was painted from an old black and white photo from the 40s.  These girls were on the levee in the Mississippi Delta.  I liked the way the two on the left painted out better than the right.  I think I got too "drawey" on those and will probably continue to play with them.

Life Drawing Sketches

These are some sketches from my life drawing class this spring.  The first one was where the figure was lighted with one light source to the side and we did a value drawing.  The second and third drawings are of the model unclothed (which we did first, I just have the order reversed here), then we added a vellum tissue paper over our initial drawing and drew him clothed on top of our original drawing.  The last drawing was where we could look at our paper to just place the pencil on the sketch pad, then we were not allowed to look at what we were drawing, not even to see if we were in the correct position.  Our eyes stayed on the model the entire time and we were supposed to draw her in one continuous line.   I picked my pencil up a few times and that is why the left arm is growing out of her left leg.  On some level, I sort of like the finished product, you at least get the feel of her wearing a turban.  All of these life sketches were done while being timed.  I can't recall how much time for each.  I think the last one was for 5 minutes.

Fishing First

5 x 7 oil on mylar

Another submission for the 30 in 30 Challenge.  This is a very quick sketch of my grandson's first fishing expedition with his grandfather.   He actually caught a fish that day (about the size of a minnow) but a fish nonetheless!   My mylar has a fold in it and it shows in this photograph but I didn't even discover it until now.

Rodeo

6 x 6 oil on canvas panel

This is my entry into Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 Challenge.  This is a friend's grandchild at the rodeo - I just loved the pose and wanted to paint.  My theme for the 30 in 30 will be children having fun!  Hopefully, I will be able to hang in there for 30 days.  I'm already one day behind.

Inside Brent's

12 x 16 oil on birch panel - SOLD

Needs a little more refining but then that's it....trying to keep it loose!

Red Rover, Red Rover II

9 x 16 - SOLD

Revisited this one...  This one was accepted into the Cedars Annual Juried Show.  I was thrilled as I have never entered a juried show before.

Cafe Scene

20 x 20 oil on stretched canvas - SOLD

This is basically finished - I have a few touch-up spots to do but this painting and I have spent way too much time together lately so I am laying it aside for a bit!

Big Sis, Little Sis II

11 x 14 oil on birch panel

This is one I painted over another beach scene that wasn't working out today.  I don't know why the water is looking so red, it isn't like that on painting.  I will probably rephotograph tomorrow earlier in day.

Cafe Scene - Start

20 x 20 oil on canvas - SOLD

Just started this today - have much, much more to do, but my neck hurts from being so tense drawing this.  And to think, I was aiming for looseness - both the painting and me!

Countryside

6 x 8 on canvas

Just a little study this a.m.......

Why Oh Why? II

16 x 20 oil on raymar panel

Enough for today; haven't decided if I want to work on this one any more.  

Why Oh Why?

16 x 20 oil on panel

As in ..... "why oh why do I put myself through this?"  Still working on this one .....

My Grands

16 x 20 oil on gessobord - NFS

Painted more on this one today - still not satisfied that it is complete though.....

My Grands - Initial Session

16 x 20 oil on raymar panel

This is the first stage of a painting I'm doing of my grandchildren on the beach.  I zoomed in on the figures only for photo and I have many corrections I need to do but my goal is to keep the figures somewhat abstract. 

Painting On The Rocks

12 x 16 oil on canvas

This one needs some more fine tuning but I'm stopping for now.  I need a lesson on rocks!  I just painted on a piece of loose canvas which has a big fold in bottom left corner but hopefully it will straighten out when I mount it on board.

Experimenting.....

8 x 10 oil on canvas panel

Just experimenting today with some new grays and greens I bought recently.

Mississippi Cotton

8 x 8 oil on stretched canvas

Having grown up in the Mississippi Delta, this was a common site in the fields all around.  I miss seeing the fields full of cotton ( looked like snow).  I've moved and cotton is not farmed here like it was in the Delta in my day.

Square Books - Complete

12 x 16 oil on linen

Finally got to the finished stage and signed!  Yay!   Lots of neck strain on this one!

Square Books - Beginning

12 x 16 oil on linen

This was started yesterday and I worked more on it today but am still not finished - just got tired of working on it today.  Hopefully I will complete it tomorrow.  Buildings are tough to get level especially when you are using a piece of linen not mounted on a board yet.  I had it taped to my painting board slightly askew yesterday resulting in much re-working today.

Drawing 5/12/14

graphite on newsprint

I'm posting this from my drawing class last night because I really haven't painted much lately.  We were supposed to do a value study from one long pose last night.    I draw too fast and tend to leave out details/nuances  so my goal is to be a little more deliberate in the future.   Since I was late,  I ended up on the side of the model which was mostly in shadow...bet I get there on time next week!!!!  

Same Song, Second Verse

12 x 16 oil on stretched canvas

A re-do of same reference photo (my hydrangeas from last summer).  They haven't started blooming this year.  I am trying to get some paintings ready for a show this weekend so I thought I would pull this one out again and try, try again!  

Double Whammy

12 x 12 oil on stretched canvas

A double whammy for me for sure!  I was trying to paint in a higher key plus trying to paint roses!  Tough, but I learned a few things in the process I think.  I will have to try this same pose again and see what results the next time.  I still want it to be much lighter!

Buckhead Creek

8 x 8 oil on stretched canvas

This is a view of the creek at the park where our grandchildren like to play.  It's a neat park with lots of equipment for them to play on and even has stepping stones across the creek - beautiful setting.  Note:  I re-did this and removed some trees.  After posting yesterday, I saw too many verticals so I removed some trees.  This photo isn't as clear as yesterday's--it has some morning glare on the left--but I like it better without all the trees and reflections.

Shy Peacock

8 x 10 oil on canvas panel

I have been looking for a photograph of a peacock (since we don't have any around here) to paint and the only one I found that I liked was one without his wings spread.   I love their colors and when I lived in Florida, there was a neat town outside of Orlando--Winter Park that had peacocks all over, just walking in the yards and streets - they were beautiful.  That was many, many years ago and I didn't get any photos back then. :(  

Hodgepodge

12 x 16 oil on canvas panel

Today's post is really a hodgepodge of techniques and experiments I attempted.  I had an OLD panel that has had about 4 previous paintings on it.  I used it to try out some new techniques such as mixing the paint on the painting itself straight from the tube, using some new brushes I picked up in Atlanta this past week, palette knife work, thick paint applications, etc.  The end result is ok but not something I am thrilled with.  I began by trying to paint in high key but abandoned that idea - just don't really know how artists such as Nancy Franke can achieve that....my strokes all blend into the background when I attempt.

The Rest of the Man

18 x 24 oil on canvas panel

This is the full length of the Splash of Color of Challenge (actually it said "Splace" of Color Challenge but that didn't make sense to me so I changed it).   I see I need to work on the leg to the right.  You see flaws clearer when "posted" for some reason--that will be another day though!

Splash of Color Challenge - DPW

18 x 24 oil on canvas panel

This was done for the Daily Paintworks Challenge.  Actually this is just the top half of the painting.  I had been intending to paint this for some while and when the challenge came up to take a black and white photo and add color I decided to forge ahead.  I didn't put that much color in--I think I just substituted two new colors for the black and white and did more of a value study but it was a "challenge for me".

Georgia Countryside

6 x 6 oil on canvas panel

This photo was taken somewhere along a back road in Georgia.  I think I was attracted to the shadows of the trees and the light at that particular time of day.  I am trying to do more landscapes to "stretch" a little.  I have just figured out that when you blow up these little 6 x 6 canvasses, they end up being larger than I painted.  Maybe that is why I start seeing so many "flaws" when I blow them up--akin to looking at something under a microscope I suppose!! :(