Personal Art Blog

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

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

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!

Monday, October 26, 2015

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.


Saturday, October 24, 2015

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!!!!


Tuesday, October 20, 2015

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,


Sunday, October 18, 2015

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.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

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



Tuesday, October 13, 2015

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.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

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?


Thursday, October 8, 2015

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.




Tuesday, October 6, 2015

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.

Sunday, October 4, 2015

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

 I am going to enjoy catching up 
with everyone's blogs.