Personal Art Blog

Sharing the lessons I teach at the Artist Guild and the personal discoveries in my art.

Monday, August 10, 2015

WASH DAY




Wash Day
6x8in oil on canvas panel $135. SOLD


Artist Note. 
I went plein air painting with a couple 
of artist friends and my reward for 
getting up early on a non-working day
was finding this place.
Rare to find someone hanging their
laundry outside any more.

Would you believe there was a 
chicken coop too!
The little cluck clucks were as 
cute as can be.
Dilemma...put them in
or leave them out.
Such a small space so I left them out, 
but will go back and paint them
for sure.


52 comments:

  1. Back in the day, we took laundry hanging on a line as the norm. Thanks for a quick childhood flash back Julie.

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    1. When it was raining in England the clothes would hang from racks high up in the scullery part of the kitchen. I think the dryer was more popular than the washing machine when they first came out.
      Thanks for the visit, friend.

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  2. Julie This is gorgeous. So much life, colour, light and movement. Amazingly all achieved en plein air. What a great artist you are. Sorry I don't pop over here often enough to tell you. I am taking a slower pace in life these days.

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    1. Thanks for the nice words, Laura. Plein air always looks a bit less perfect more spontaneous than a planned painting. I always like the fact that you paint plein air and your new one of the church in Little Venice in London is amazing.
      Good for you taking a slower pace. Enjoy it, friend.

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  3. Wow, beautiful piece! Clothes lines are always a good thing!

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    1. Hi Sherry, thanks for the visit and complement.
      I was admiring your beautiful watercolors. You can tell you are really
      comfortable with the paint.

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  4. Gorgeous, Julie !
    In my neighborough, some people still hang their laundry ;-)

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    1. Hi Martine - I never see it in my neighborhood, but where I went to paint was in the farming area and maybe it is different there.
      I enjoyed seeing the wonderful series of drawings you did on your 3 hour bus trip. The mother and child series warmed my heart.

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  5. I love the colors and lost eggs- wonderful as always!

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    1. yes - the colors are very summery, but clothes are brighter here in the summer. I think most hot climates use brighter hues.
      That is a great painting you did for the DPW Challenge. Love it. The water is extra fab.

      Fortunately I was at the beach briefly when I did the workshops in OR and WA. I have some photos I can paint.

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  6. Love the colors and brushstrokes in this. I also love to try & capture the image of hanging laundry - reminds me of my youth, my mom, and of a simpler time.

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    1. Nice of you to comment, Nan. Thank you. A simpler time indeed.
      Your nocturnal painting have a lot of emotional quality. I tried them a couple of times and found them difficult so my hats off to you.

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  7. Love the colors and the essence of a summer day feeling! How fun it would be to see you painting in my backyard. This is how we dry our laundry here in Italy. I admit, I miss a dryer when I hang socks but it gives your clothes a wonderful fresh smell. I have a few reference shots of women hanging clothes from their windows, you have inspired me to paint them! :-)

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    1. I remember the clothes hanging from balconies and windows in italy but it was quite a few years ago now so interesting to hear you still do it. I guess it all depends on a sunny or rainy climate to how frequently it is done.
      I really enjoyed your watercolor painting influenced by your trip to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. The video gave me a good feel of the museum. and that was a great tip you gave about getting the tickets online first.

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  8. Love it Julie,....the light is wonderful, I can feel the breeze on my face. Very fresh feeling.

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    1. I Carol - I felt the same about your tropical painting. I could feel the heat. Beautiful and restful.

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  9. Technology! I visited yesterday but who knows what happened to my comment!

    I just wanted to tell you that I thought you made the laundry look beautiful-crisp and clean and very fresh!

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    1. Never saw it if you did visit, but thanks for the second try, Libby.
      Your post on your new work is exceptional. I was fascinated.

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    2. Thanks Julie! I am trying to get in the habit of checking back in with you. I should be posting some more design findings today. It's been fun to discover things as I go along:)

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  10. this is so lovely. beautifully executed. haven't hung wash out for years, but my mom did every week and I did for the 1st 10-12 years of marriage.

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    1. Hi Sharon, i did too until I we got a dryer. In fact there was a race in the neighborhood in Ireland to see who got their washing out earliest. Considered lazy if late. Can you imagine women doing that to other women. Wouldn't happen today.
      I congratulate you for the very sold drawing program you have developed.
      Valuable for so many students.

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  11. lovely! I really enjoy your plein aire pieces.

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    1. Good to hear from you, Lavon. Glad you like them.
      Hope you are painting.

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  12. Beautifully painted Julie. I love all the colors on the clothes line! And the light is wonderful! Takes me back when I lived in Brooklyn and hung my sheets out! Never did find them!! The blew away. Lol

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    1. I liked the colors on the line too. I moved two pieces around to flow better.
      I nailed the sun on them right off at the start and by the time i had finished they were in shadow. Plein air is tricky that way.
      I enjoyed the sheet story. big grin but it would have been a blow at the time.

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  13. I don't know why a line of fluttering laundry hanging in a yard is such a joyous scene! Just reminds me of ordinary tasks done by hard-working people. Love the fresh feel of outside-dried clothing and the fresh sun-smell of sheets and towels. Your painting brings all that to life for me.

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    1. Fluttering laundry - you write poetry, Carol.
      I think everything you wrote is quite amazing and I thank you for a beautiful comment.

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  14. Ah Julie this is simply gorgeous. I love the colors in this painting. I call them happy colors. I still hang my clothes outdoors. In fact in the nice weather it is a rare day to not have something on the line. I am sure this one will sell quickly. Hugs!

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    1. I agree, dear friend - happy colors.
      It doesn't surprise me to hear you still hang out your washing if the weather is nice, it does smell good but I have a friend who hangs her towels out and I feel I have exfoliated by the time I finish drying off after a shower. So scratchy! I bet yours are not like that.
      Once again you have a wonderful post on your blog.

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  15. Lovely and light-filled!!! I love scenes like this...especially because they are so rare.

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    1. yes, Joan, I agree - it is light filled because the sky had not one cloud in it.
      I was thrilled when I found this little farm. Still more of it to paint.
      I am always amazed by your diversity. The last visit to your blog I saw a complicated building - today a portrait. Good for you.

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  16. most people around here still hang laundry, a lot of the older built houses often don't have room for a dryer, or see it as a waste of money using a dryer, thankfully we have one tho since its been an almost non stop rainy summer :/

    really nice bright colours and great textures to the painting :)

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    1. I am originally from Manchester - reportedly the rainiest spot in England so the weather was a deterrent to outdoor drying so ofter we hung them on drying racks which we raised and lowered from the ceiling using a pulley system . Another deterrent was the soot ( Industrial area) so if hanging outside we turned clothes inside out to keep them clean!
      My sister, who lives in England, has a far more up to date kitchen now with a washer and a dryer. I bet she hangs things out now and again.
      I was impressed with your new business card with a very beautiful drawing.

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    2. Where I am from in Canada actually use to have a law where you couldn't hang your clothes out, not a lot of people knew about it and a few years ago it was changed.when people did start learning about it. No one could figure out why there was such a law in the first place lol, the pulley system sounds like a good idea :)
      and thank you about the card :)

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  17. I just love the colors. Your painting makes me smile.

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  18. I can tell from your blog you also enjoy color. I am looking forward to seeing the development of your new alcohol ink painting.

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  19. Hi Julie. I went to comment at work and then the phone rang or some such thing. This painting is filled with a carefree joy. Wonderful colors, light and breezy. Love it.

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    1. Hi Helen - yes - carefree joy aptly fits the mood of this plein air painter - until it all goes wrong!
      I know you also have experienced the joy part of PA but how about the other kind?
      Did you paint the wild flowers plein air? They looked fresh with perfect harmony.

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  20. Very beutiful painting with so amazing and happy colours !!!

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    1. I agree about the colors. Thank you for saying that. Your colors are always so beautiful it makes the complement a gift. Thank you.

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  21. Julie, you have just inspired me, seriously. And it isn't the first time but maybe I can do a series of this idea...Love this piece; reminds me of when my mom used to hang out laundry when I was little...

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    1. I would love to see you do some washline paintings Sherry - go for it!

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  22. I love the way you've captured the sunshine, the colours and the sound of the washing flapping in the breeze. Unless it is raining for too many days in a row I always hang my washing outside as most people do here. I also find it a joyful sight and you have inspired me to paint my own washing line! We have kept a very old-fashioned Australian Hills Hoist which is rarely seen in gardens these days.

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    1. I would enjoy seeing an Aussie washing line, Wendy. What fun that would be.
      The only thing I hang outside is the rug - to beat it.!!

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  23. This is awesome Julie, so full of light and colors! Feels just like my backyard :-)

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  24. Love love the atmosphere in this. What a lucky artist to get to paint such scenes!

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    1. You live in a wonderful place full of atmosphere. I think of you and your beautiful home a lot! And miss you.

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  25. Love this, Julie. The colors are gorgeous!

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    1. Audrey - how nice of you to comment. Thank you. Glad you like the colors. We share a love of color don't we?

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  26. Dear Julie, I choose this post to greet you, because this painting is full of light and joy to my eyes.
    The joy that I really need in these difficult times.
    I never expected to be able to write again, to publish on Blogger or on fb, but I thought the sweet habits that have made my life more pleasant, in recent years, can continue to make a bit more peaceful even the hardest days.
    Sending a loving hug
    Rita

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    1. Thank you dear Rita.. I have worried about you and your husbands health and fears have been eased a bit with this contact. Yes, the comfort of habit can help get us through hard times. Know that many, many of us truly care about you.
      Prayers and a fierce hug off love coming your way.

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I love that you are taking the time to comment and thank you for it. I am sure other readers will enjoy them too. If you cannot comment through this format then email me at juliefordoliver@gmail.com
Cheers,
Julie