Rushing Water - Yupo.

Rushing Water

7x10in Watercolor on Yupo

Artist Note.

Still involved with the 

water series. 21 so far.

I am on a short

 trip and did this on the 

way to our destination.

I love to paint in the car. 

I feel free to paint

 and not worry

if a bump creates an 

unexpected blob...or two!!

Just pure fun with paint

which makes the trip fly by.

Be happy with 

your paint today!

Winter Light On The Falls

Winter Light on the Falls.

6x8in oil on canvas. $135.
Purchase HERE

Artist note.

This is the painting I did over the 

unintentional wiper 

shown in the previous post.

It is on oil primed linen

so I am glad I could 

rescue the board.

This was a demo for the 

Friday group at the Guild.

They insisted I not wipe it off 

like I usually do after a demo.

(Bossy Lot -they keep me in line!)

The demo was about keeping your 

dark areas as transparent 

as possible. I used three colors

plus Titanium White.

Viridian, Ultramarine 

and Tsp. Brown Oxide.

I did some touch up areas to 

bring it up to speed and 

now I am glad the

Friday group 

were in charge.

Thank you, guys!

Quick Note.

Thank you from "Daisy"

(click to enlarge)

I received this wonderful 

note from Daisy asking me to thank 

all of you who voted to make her 

best cat so she could be 

as proud as her sibling was

before passing on to

kitty heaven.

I am so impressed with how arty the 

card and note are. Even the envelope!

A halo for everyone 

who helped.

Afternoon Light On The Falls

Afternoon Light on the Falls

6x8in oil on canvas 

Artist Note.

About a major ooops!

My husband called me at work

 as I was cleaning my palette

ready to go home.

We started talking about his day

and I continuing to clean with

the phone in one hand

 and palette knife in the other. 

(Cleaning the paint piles etc.)

He had me laughing and

I was relaxed getting out the 

alcohol to finish cleaning the 

palette...only it wasn't the palette

I had cleaned...

it was my painting!

Nothing left but mud.

Trust me, 

it was not a laughing Julie

who hung up the phone!!!!

Moonlight at Yellowstone

Moonlight At Yellowstone

6x6 oil on canvas WIP
(work in progress)

Artist Note
This is for the
Daily Paintwork Challenge
this week.
ONLY three colors -
red, yellow and blue, plus white
allowed for oil and acrylic painters.
This one has
Transparent Red Oxide
Ultramarine Blue
Titanium White.
It is unfinished deliberately
for the Challenge,
I will add another couple
layers of colors
when it is dry- maybe.

Check all the good paintings
using three colors
HERE


Sorry about the light catching
the ridges of paint,

Sunrise On The Firehold River - Yellowstone

Sunrise On The Firehole River
Yellowstone.

6x6in oil on canvas panel $130. SOLD

Artist Note

Steam rising up by the river

at sunrise was a jaw dropping
sight that has stayed with me.

I had to work out
how to do the steam
first because I had not
painted it other than
from one or two
 geysers before.
The palette knife was handy
for "mushing" to achieve
the softness.

Next it was just a matter of 

adding the colors of sunrise.

I am very happy with 

the way this one turned out.
especially the
colors in the steam

One of the highlights of my 

visit was 

seeing a room full of 

Thomas Moran paintings

Below are the notes 

from my sketchbook

 I noticed the
absence of GREEN in his work!

Here is a link to the collection.

Thomas Moran Yellowstone Watercolors

Falls At Yellowstone

Falls At Yellowstone

8x6in oil on canvas panel $135. SOLD

Continuing the water series.

This one is a more intimate

view of a shorter set of

falls.  

I went less abstract in this one 

because I painted it from 

memory and 

I remembered 

every beautiful area..

Artist Note.

I was asked how 

I can paint from memory.

Here goes.

Before I start to paint from

memory

I sit quietly and recall

a place until I see it clearly

in my mind. 

I NOTICE THE 

QUALITY OF LIGHT FIRST 

and jot it down.

Next I try to pull up the 

sounds - hear the rushing water, 

birds singing, if there was a breeze etc.

This gets me totally in the mood.

When I feel I am "back in time"  

I pick

up my knife and mix

the basic colors first.

I establish the harmony on the 

palette, placing the spots of color

next to each other...

and if it jives with my inner vision...

then off I go!

(Hope this helped Mr. Franklin)

Again, all done with the palette knife

Falling Water

Falling Water
8x6in oil on canvas panel $135.SOLD

Artist Note.
My series on the waterlily pond
has taken me into painting the
water itself. First reflections
and now the falls.
All palette knife.

This one appeals to me because
when I was in Yellowstone
a couple of years ago
I painted waterfalls with
great pleasure.
I found I was excited just seeing
one. I would yell - stop the car -
and because the beloved driver
wanted to be assured of a
pleasant evening - he would
screech to a halt, sometimes even
doing a u-turn so I could
jump out and quickly do a watercolor.

I felt that excitement painting this one.

Sunrise in New Mexico

Sunrise in New Mexico

6x6in oil on canvas panel $110. SOLD

Artist Note.

Totally done with a palette knife

this little painting came together fast.

I have to ask myself...

why do some work and not others?

Could it be because it is an abstract? 

Or could it be - it is all about 

a mood - a harmony?

Any ideas anyone?

Reeds and Reflections

Reeds And Reflections

 6x8in oil on canvas &135.

Purchase HERE

Artist Note

I like the simplicity in the design

on this. Guess what is underneath...

yes, two Koi!

When I started the painting

 this is the path I was on.

I was trying to get the 

shafts of light on the water .

I couldn't quite get what I wanted and 

I realized I had repeated the pattern 

of two fish swimming together...

been there - done that 

type of thing. Scraped it off.

(left a neat ghost.)

No Koi,.. no Waterlily...

just the reflections and reeds.

I like it. It's different for me.

Yellow Crocs - Santa Fe.

Yellow Crocs

6x8in oil on canvas  $135. SOLD

Artist Note.

I saw this lady with the

bright yellow crocs

catching the rays in Santa Fe.

When I asked if I could take a photo 

she said, "sure" but she never looked up 

from her writing...

and her dog's eyes 

never stopped watching me.

The dog had a purple leash

and next to the yellow crocs

my heart was captured.

My First Alcohol Ink Painting - Koi.

Koi.

9"x9"

alcohol ink on Yupo NFS

Artist Note
My first time with the alcohol inks.
I found the inks powerful
in saturation, luminous
and tricky to work with.
I can see the benefits of
experimenting especially on
the Yupo paper.

Last week I joined
some  painting
 buddies on a trip
to Santa Fe to paint the
aspen leaves turning gold.
Aspen???
Guess what interested me more...
remembering I have been involved
with a series from the
waterlily pond?
Yep - my mind was still
on the water reflections and fish.
Funny how I couldn't just
be attracted to anything else.
A series is a series!

For those of you who have
never been to
Santa Fe
 there is a gallery
with a magical sculpture garden.

Formally known as the Fenn Gallery
It is now the Nedra Matteucci Gallery.
I have been visiting there for many
years. Look how gorgeous it is.
(click to enlarge).

I did do a plein air of the aspens
up by the ski area.

And loved seeing all the 

Chamisa  (rabbit grass)

in full bloom.

I encourage you to treat

yourself and

explore the link

Nedra Matteucci

 Gallery

 I am going to enjoy catching up 

with everyone's blogs.