Red II

          This 24x30 oil done on a gallery wrapped canvas is the second in a series of "Reds" that I have slowly been working on.  (The first "Red can be seen here.)  It seems like I work in different colors for a while and then need to return to vibrant reds for a new spark of creativity. With this one I wanted to really zoom in on a tulip for and almost abstract feel.  The biggest challenge I had in painting this?  Wind.  My easel sits near the window in my little studio area and for several days we had some strange wind gusts that kept blowing the painting off the easel.  This painting definitely left it's mark...on my carpet.  Oh well.

              On another note, I had a great time last weekend at the Iowa Artists Regional Show in Iowa City, IA.  there were so many talented artists there and we got to enjoy a great demonstration by Davenport artist Raphael Iaccarino  who then went on to judge the over forty five paintings there.  I took two paintings:   Tori and Twelve and Magenta Rhapsody and took home two red ribbons for both.  This doesn't qualify the paintings for the State level show, but not too bad for my first year.

Until next time....

In the Heat of the Afternoon Sun

I did a little figure study over the weekend based on a photo I found online (I have yet to find the name of the photographer to give them credit - give me a shout out if you happen to know!)  This was one of those laid back paintings that just relieve stresses as you paint them - it made for a perfect ending to a busy week.

The things that really drew me to the subject was the unexpected shock of the green color in the Indian woman's beautiful robe and the abstract design and textures in what would typically be, without really noticing it, a simple wall of a building.  It always amazes me how much beauty there can be in the simple things that surround us, that we usually just overlook.

Iowa Fields

      It has been eons since I have posted anything - but it is not because I have stepped away from my easel for the past month.  It is actually because I have been working on this bigger project  (35x35 oil) for an upcoming show in May with other members of the Cedar Rapids Creative Artists.  The show is called "Repeat, Repeat, Repeat..." and will be held  May 18th at Mr. Beans Coffee House in Marion (for you locals!).  The idea for the show is fantastic.  We have a photographer among the group that took a picture of an Iowa scene and each artist is to do their own interpretation of the scene.  Now this group is loaded with so many talented artists with so much more experience than I have ( I am constantly learning from them all!).  Each person can use as much artistic interpretation as they want as long as the photo remains the basic concept.  I am so looking forward to seeing the ideas that people come up with.
    I must say that when I got the photo I was a bit out of sorts.  I don't do a lot of landscapes, even though I do enjoy them when I do.  I struggled for many months over how I could put my own creative spin on this scene.  I considered zooming in on and making the windmill my main focus.  Alright, I have to admit, this idea came about purely from the realization that the windmill was the closest thing in the photo to my "flower comfort zone".  I scratched that idea after unsuccessfully contemplating how I could do that and still include any of the actual landscape to let it remain the photo concept in some way.  I literally sat on this for about three months without doing anything.  Finally I decided to make it more my style by concentrating on the color.  I love color.  I really am drawn to pure color with lots of energy.  With that in mind I zoomed in more on the field of grasses, which in the actual photo are not really so in the forefront.   The barn was another issue for me - I don't usually paint buildings.  By setting it more behind the grasses I was able to avoid making it the focus of the painting.  Therefore I was able to more make the subject the beauty of Iowa fields blowing in the wind on a summer day - which -  is there anything better (although I admit, I am a little biased!)?
   For those of you in my area, I encourage you to come out on May 18th and see  "Repeat, Repeat, Repeat...".  It is going to be a great show.

Flowering Quince

                I usually have a subject in mind when I paint, but this time I started with a color palette idea and went from there.  My daughter and I were out shopping one day when I saw this beautiful scarf in a little different color scheme.  I was so inspired by it!  For the next week or so I kept thinking about the colors in that scarf.  Even though I loved the scarf I had been showing some restraint that day and didn't buy it - so I kept just running the ideas in my head.  But alas, restraint-shmaint, I went back and bought the scarf so I could use the color idea and get to wear the new scarf!  I just loved the combination of that teal blue and orange along with the hint of those sap green leaves (double click on the painting and you will be able to see more detail).
  I wasn't sure at first what flower I would actually paint, but I knew that I wanted  flowering branches in a large crock, mostly because I wanted the white of the crock to offset the dramatic teal color so it wouldn't over power.  I did a lot of research until I discovered a flower I was not really familiar with - the flowering quince.  After the research and the painting, this is now on my list of must-gets for the spring planting.
   This is a larger painting (35x35) done in oil.  Please contact me by email if you are interested in purchasing this painting or speaking to me about doing a project done to your specifications.

Cameo Head Study IV

 
    I snuck in one more of the cameo style head studies, before I plunge into a couple of bigger projects that will take up quite a bit more time.  This one was inspired by a vintage photo I stumbled across of a twenties or thirties era actress (not sure who the actress was, no one that I recognized).  What  I loved about the photo that inspired me was that her hair was tied up in a fancy scarf, with just the little jet black wave curls sticking out.  I chose to change it into more of a head band style scarf with no designs, just a bold royal blue against her dark hair.  I wanted very strong features - a strong nose, chin and jaw, to give it more drama.
   Although is did the painting after finding inspiration in the photo, I wasn't painting the woman in the photo per say.  I just wanted to do a woman with dark hair.  The funny thing was, about half way through the painting I got to looking at it and realized that, unintentionally, the woman I was painting had taken on quite a few features of an actual woman I know.  I asked my daughter who she thought the painting looked like - and right away she named our friend.  It's funny how we pull inspiration from different places without even realizing it.
   Next week I should be at a good point in my other current project (the one that was giving me so much grief the last few weeks!), to give you a peek.  Until then....

Cameo Head Study III - Funk

            Here is a glimpse of my latest head study.   Once again, I am going for the idea of the classic cameo (as in the old fashioned broaches), with some modern twists.  Every one in my family who saw this being painted immediately commented with something along the lines of "wow! Big hair...".  You betcha it is - and I love it.  If I had not been born quite as pale as I am - this would have been my hair.  I love to see a woman of color with a big funky fro announcing her confident outlook on the world.  I think it amazingly fun and beautiful all at the same time.
    Okay, I have had a few people ask me if I am no longer painting flowers - the answer, of course, is never!  I am actually in the middle of working on a bigger project that I am currently a little stumped on.  The background is giving me some grief, leaving me with not much to show anyone.  I feel like I am, however, on the verge of a breakthrough (ha!).  So I will keep you all posted when I have a little more to show.  Until then, I continue to have fun doing these modern cameos...

Cameo Head Studies Part II

              So I told you all in my last post how I recently re-discovered the beauty of cameo style broaches with the lovely profile of classic women of old.  It is funny to discover what oddities can inspire you.
             Ever since, I have been playing around with small head studies - in particular profile views of women, with those cameos in mind.  However, I wanted to put more of a modern twist on it.  I liked the idea of throwing some color into the mix, with lots of loose brush strokes - all of these elements put together making  cameo head study number two...