Rushing Water

Rushing Water

6"x8" oil on panel $150
Purchase SOLD

Artist Note

When the guild classes were stopped 

in  March due to c-virus,

 I still owed the painters a lesson

so I gave some thought to what 

would be the most useful and guess what...

Absolutely...

Hands down...

THE Number one problem...

is watching artists

 trying to paint from a photo 

EXACTLY what  they see 

without doing a few 

The typical problems are 

VALUE

&

COMPOSITION

This is the original photo which I used for the painting.

As an Impressionist I had to add 

the colors I clearly remember seeing 

Water is full of colors

 in the sunshine and 

also reflects the sky. 

The dark values appear way too dark  

as we know shadows are transparent...

but notice how the tops of the rocks 

are not only competing with the value of the water

but tend to lead the eye out of the pic.

Below is how I check if the composition works.

I like to use 

"every quarter should be different" 

a very useful way to prevent matchy-matchy areas.

At the same time I mark off the center to help me 

remember to have a circle of the interest 

right in the middle. 

When I first became aware of art workshops 

in the 90's, I went to a 

few of the really good painters.

Ovanis Berbarian, for florals.

Dan Gerhart for figure.

Michael Lynch for landscapes.

plus

Richard Schmid, Burt Silverman - demos at ASL

They ALL said "paint what you SEE."

Trouble is... I didn't SEE what they did.

I had to learn.

But, hey, they too had to learn to "see."

I went back and found their early work 

and it was heartwarming to find

when they first started they made 

the same mistakes as all of us.

Time and learning are what make the difference.

Remember, shadows are transparent. 

If you are painting plein air 

you can see into the shadows very clearly

but a photo can make them way too dark.

Look above at original photo. 

I took this in Yellowstone

and I could see into those dark areas

and clearly "see' everything, 

all the bushes, stones and trees

surrounding this gushing stream. 

You cannot make any of those 

out in the photo

Sunsets are the worst offenders.

The ground is never as dark at sunset

as the photo makes them. 

I now take two pics - one of the sun setting 

and one of the ground. 

But logically, when you look how 

light the sky still is overhead, you know

it cannot be really dark on the ground.

The sky can look waaaay too dark 

in a poor photo. Usually it produces a

strong cyan blue - especially at the top, 

whereas it is actually

 more of a cobalt or ultramarine.

Take the photo to a window 

and look halfway up in the sky

to compare,

 and then down at the pic.

You will see it. 

The blue sky overhead is not what

you paint. 

Shadows are not the same gray 

over everything they travel.

A LIGHT COLOR IN SHADOW

BECOMES MORE OF A MIDDLE VALUE

A middle color value goes 

deeper in shadow BUT not as dark as

A DARK COLORS IN SHADOW 

The reverse is true in the light. 

BLACK MOVES TO A  MIDDLE VALUE

IN THE LIGHT and even lighter in some cases.

Remember the ABSENCE of light is the darkest

area. Underneath bushes, rocks or in still life 

it is the line you see under the object.

Strong sun bleaches out color.

If you cannot paint plein air

then the next best way is to paint from 

a monitor of some kind. 

Even then you sometimes have to lighten

the darks to see into them.

But if you have a stash of old pics

(like I do)

which inspire you to paint them 

then I hope these hints help.

If you are a decorative or abstract painter 

none of the above applies.

In my next post I will demo a abstract version.

Cheers everyone. Thank you for staying until the end.

Stay safe.

Abstracted Landscape plus Monet Inspiration

Cloudy Skies

8X6" oil on Raymar panel $150.

Purchase HERE

Artist Note
In this painting my goal was\
abstracting to only the
main shapes
of what I saw in the landscape.

I used colors from one of
Monet's Landscape themes.
It is a great way to learn how
 he really used a LIMITED palette.
The same few colors mixed
in different proportions
make for an interesting
 harmony.

 Below, left, is another Monet waterlily painting

You can see how I matched the colors 

on the plastic sleeve overlay before

using them in a still life of my own.

Scraped and gone, the painting exists no more
but it was a terrific lesson on the green
because I found it was mixed
from yellow and purple.
Reddish purple and blue purple.

Sunning!

Sunning.
8"x 6" oil on Raymar panel $150. SOLD

This is part of an small adobe
house in the Upper valley area
of El Paso, Texas.
It is very old and once housed the
seasonal farm workers
for the large farm it is on.
It looks abandoned...
I guess machines
now do all the work .

Cats were everywhere!
They were very peaceful
and there was not a skinny one
to be seen.
There must be a treasure trove of
field mice around!

Santa Fe Gate

Santa Fe Gate

8"x6" oil on canvas panel $150.

Purchase HERE

Artist Note.

I found this delightful gate

on a trip to Museum Hill in Santa Fe.

The property must be old because 

the trees were very tall. 

Fall color were glowing through here and there

and the yellow was like a spotlight on the lens

...way too bright,

so bright the camera had to be adjusted

so they didn't bleach out.

Then it was important to decide, 

was the gate the focus

...or the golden trees?

I hope the gate is noticed first.

Tricky!

Sunrise Over The River

Sunrise Over The River

6x8" oil on canvas panel $150. SOLD

Artist Note

This was painted from a 

watercolor sketch.

which was very loosey-goosey

because it was such a fast rise. 

I tried to take my mind back to 

the actual time but it has been a few years.

Oh well...I enjoyed painting it

and that is the important thing...right?

Its pansy Time Again!

Pansy Time

8"x6" oil on canvas panel $150.

Purchase SOLD 

Artist Note.

The pansies are back

and I have planted them in pots

on our balcony.

Such a happy flower. 

They make me happy

thru the wintertime.

Anyone else like them?

Yellowstone Stream

Yellowstone Stream

6"x8" oil on canvas panel  $150.

Artist Note

This is painted from sketches 

I made while on a trip to 

Yellowstone National Park.

What an incredible place.

I have a visitor - 

a very special blogging friend,

Lisa Graham.

She arrived for a weekend stay.

Lisa recently moved from Witchita, Kansas, to 

Castle Rock, Colorado. Just south of Denver.

Happy me...it is a much shorter drive 

and a straight shot down

to Las Cruces on I-25.

Those of you who have followed 

me for a long time will 

remember how our friendship 

developed while she took care 

of her ailing mother 

and then after she died

 I invited Lisa to visit in 2014💙

Then I visited her...💙

and now she is visiting me again...💙

I have always loved the honesty

in her work.

Totally and authentically, Lisa.

She is a storyteller with paint!

Here is her latest post and

I hope you check it out.

Lisa Graham art

Light On the Lily Pond

Light On The Lily Pond

6"x6" oil on canvas panel $110. SOLD

Artist Note

This is a beautiful lily pond 

which was illuminated

by a

single ray of sunshine.

Although I painted this from 

the photo I took, 

it was still 

very clear in my mind

making it so much easier 

to capture the mood.

I have always been grateful

for my visual memory.

My hubby, bless him, has not

much visual recall.

For him,  directions are given

 by miles and compass, north, south etc,

whereas I see the blue fence,

the yellow house, the big tree, etc.

I bet most of you are the same

as I am.

A little personal note.

As you probably have noticed,

 I have not been posting

anywhere near as frequently

during this past year.

Paintings are taking 

MUCH longer

because I am having  some

problems (quite a bit) with my vision 

but it will be corrected 

in a couple of weeks

when I will be having 

cataract surgery. 

Second eye early next month

Alleluia!

I wonder if any of you have had 

or know anyone who has had

experience with the monovision - 

where one eye is corrected for distance 

and one for close up?

Would you share with me, please?

I have been posting my older work

on Instagram and Facebook.

I hate to have worked so hard 

to build up to build up a following

only to have it all disappear due to 

age and mother nature.

Thanks for sticking with me.

Cerro Pedernal Storm

Cerro Pedernal Storm 

Near Ghost Ranch, NM

8x6" oil on canvas panel  $150.SOLD

Artist Note.

Georgia O'Keeffe's ashes are spread

at the top of this mountain.

I enjoyed an annual visit 

for five consecutive years at

  Ghost Ranch, NM.

A stunningly gorgeous area in 

northern New Mexico.

Sometimes with an artist friend 

and other times with my

hubby who would patiently

read while I painted.

The water you see is Lake Abiquiu

- an important reservoir 

for this high desert area.

The Plein Air Convention (2018)

which was held recently in Santa Fe,

enjoyed a painting trip out there

 and I confess to being totally envious.

Bosque Del Apache, NM. Sunrise

Bosque Sunrise 

8"x 8" oil on canvas panel $200.

Purchase HERE

Artist Note

I finally had time to paint this 

amazing sunrise view

from my visit to the Bosque in the Fall.

(If you look carefully at this

on the early morning of the 25th 

you will see the Santa's sleigh 

going across the light!!)

I held my annual December 
Fracturing Technique Workshop

and it was a pure delight for me

 due to a very compatible  

and also

 a talented group of artists 

who were willing to push themselves

into new territory.

Thank you all for honoring me 

with your painting trust.

Now it is MY time to paint 

before the new classes start in January.

 I have a Do Not Disturb sign on

my studio door.

 My friends are honoring it!

We have been blessed with 

not selling the house yet 

and so my kids & families 

are coming in for one last 

holiday blast in the home we all love.

Wishing every one of you who 

follow this blog, a wonderful

Christmastime of Love, Peace, and Hope.

May our fine military forces,

the first responders everywhere

and  especially the amazing firefighters 

in California

get to be home or at least be able to 

skype/facetime their loved ones

for the holidays.

I will be back before 
the New Year.

Orchids

                                                                                   

Orchids

6"x12" oil on canvas panel  $200. SOLD

Artist Note

This was a demo for

 the last class of the semester

at the Artist Guild SNM

It was painted on a surface 

already colored

by a previous wipe-off.

I started with the transparent
darker areas first, adding
the colored opaque areas bit by bit
as I gradually moved into
the whitest areas,

I used a photo I had taken
at Trader Joes of the
tops of the orchids through
the  clear wrapping.
Purple, yellow and white flowers.
Beautiful together.

This is an unusual size but I like
how it flows
and do not want to crop it.
It will need a custom frame.

Thank you for all the
great comments on my last post.
I am sorry I have not had time
 to answer them.
Busy, busy with Thanksgiving
and fun company.
Plus...
the house still on the market!!

Peony Time

Peony Time

8"x 8" oil on canvas panel SOLD

Artist Note.

Cherries and Peonies,

what could be more classic than that?

I always remember what 

Ovanes Berberian

told me...

Paint in  the NOW and not in

the ways of the past.

So did he mean the brown type
or dark backgrounds?

He certainly has never done 

one remotely like a Chardin,

The Dutch School or Rembrandt.

He was true to his beliefs
and I love his colors...but I wanted 

a dark cloth behind these peonies

so

I added the

 non-traditional striped cloth.

I think it gives it a little more

of a contemporary flair.

Going to have a "packing" weekend.
This is just so we empty
the house of too much "stuff"
to get it ready to show.
My studio will take at least a week to tidy up.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Peaches & Stripes

Peaches & Stripes

6"x6" oil on canvas panel  $125.SOLD

Artist Note.
I must have a little thing going for stripes
at the moment. I have done three
still life set-ups and they all
  have the same striped cloth.

Does anyone else notice that they
favor a certain item for a while?
The cherries are still being included too!

When I finished this painting
 it reminded me
in color
 and pattern
of a
Vuillard or Bonnard.

Lordy...had I subconsciously
copied one of their
still life paintings?
This can happen when you have
a lot of art history background.
Anyone relate?

After trolling though
 nearly everything I
 could find on Search
 I could see quite clearly
the differences, but I am
rather happy that
 this one reminds
me of their patterns
and colors.

The Striped Pitcher

The Striped Pitcher

8"x 6" oil on canvas/panel $140. SOLD

Artist Note.

I LOOOOVE my new studio!

 I want to show you my

set-up for painting a still life

 I needed  something that was: 

convenient to get to... 

right by my easel...

      and very versatile...

This fits the bill perfectly.

I screwed two shelving strips 

into the wall

making them long enough 

so I could adjust

the viewpoint from either,

eye level - see below

- or moving it down for 

taller still life set-ups.

 (See last image)

It is so easy to adjust. 

. I used the longer18-inch brackets

to support a good sized surface. 

I used a 20"x20" piece of plywood

on top of the lower brackets

and  placed a piece of

24' foam core over the top

This also prevents my overhead light 

from interrupting a

single light source.

I can have fabric over this 

to drop down behind

And I can also use colored paper

The gooseneck light

 adjusts in any position

from any side.

This shows how 

I can also use the

  sight-size method. 

So there it is. I hope I get a 

lot of use out of it.

Whoo hoo!!

Red Hearts and Sunflowers

Hearts and Sunflowers

8"x 6" oil on canvas panel $140.SOLD

Artist Note

Thinking ahead to Valentines Day.

I have had this terrific vase 

for many years 

and it is sturdy enough 

to hold large Sunflowers. 

Something bright for 

cold days.

Yellow Roses and Split Complementary

Yellow Roses and Vase
8x6 inches oil on canvas panel $140.SOLD

Artist Note
Continuing the color harmony
focus at the Guild this month.

This Split Complementary
 color harmony is an unusual
one for me to try.
For a start it is a red/violet
and not a blue violet.
The wheel below is by
The Color Wheel Company.

I made a reminder of my 

warm violet mixture.

and decided to use a tube color.

See the top one below.

Below is the palette

for the painting

The larger amount of the red/violet

reminds me to have more of it than

any other color. I cooled it 

with the black.

I used both the 

complement - yellow

and the grey to neutralize it.

 -

Colors used are

Mauve  (Holbein)

Perm Yellow Light

Ivory Black 

Titanium White

One dominate color - meaning "more of"

is the key to all these harmony lessons.

I remember the wonderful artist/teacher,

Ovanes Berbarian, saying over 

and over again...

"ask yourself is it a 

A pink-y painting

a blue-y painting - a green-y painting!"

Then make sure that color dominates.

I used to think the accent color 

was the dominate color

because I would notice it first

Like the yellow rose here. 

It took Ovanes to 

put it in easy words 

for me to understand.

So this is a "mauve-y painting!"

Ravens At The Pond

Ravens At The Pond.

6x8in oil on canvas panel  $140.

purchase HERE

Artist Note.

I have been sitting 

sketching the ravens

from inside the car

at this spot.

They vanish if I get out.

This is a local ponding 

area for the Pecan Factory. 

The Common Ravens 

stay year round in our area

and LOVE this particular

spot... even

 when there is no water!

I have seen up to 20

at one time, but

there are only 

about 8 ravens 

in this painting.

For The birds!

For The Birds

6x6in oil on canvas panel SOLD

Artist Note

I was sitting on the patio 

at a local cafe 

and one of these little guys
came right on up to me

and took food right
out of my hand.

Talk about socialized...
and a bit cheeky!

Tangerine Time

Tangerine Time

6x8in oil on canvas panel  $150.

Purchase HERE

Artist Note

When I started this painting

the tangerines were gorgeous.

I was hungry.

All that was left by the end 

of the painting was

a bit of peel for color reference!

Have a great weekend

Yellow Roses & Fruit

Yellow Roses & Fruit

8x6in oil on canvas panel SOLD

Artist Note.

I loved painting this one

and am thrilled it turned out well.

The light was just right.

Yellow roses for 

Valentine Friendship

were a gift and I gathered 

the other items easily.

I am back

 to doing still life paintings,

and it feels very, very good.

I think they are my favorite

for a couple reasons...

I get to choose items I respond 

emotionally to, and the 

biggest plus...

I can set it up,

and it stays in one place.

Yes, I do have to paint 

the flowers first before they droop,

but other than that 

I can come back and do a 

bit here and there.

I have several displays

set up in 

my studio at home and it 

is a wonderful feeling

to walk into the studio and choose

which one I want to paint

that day.