Pomegranate Trio - day 26 in the challenge

Pomegranate Trio

6x8in oil on canvas panel SOLD

Day 26

Artist Note

I'm still pushing color!

I was given a few pomegranates

with twigs and leaves still attached.

Wonderful - thank you, Gail!

I have been doing some experimental

stuff and I will show that tomorrow.

Flowers - day 17 in the challenge

Stripes and Sunflowers.

8x6in oil on canvas $125. SOLD

Day 17

Artist Note

This was done a few weeks ago.

It went through some changes today 

as I freshened it up. 

my eyes not only had to get

accustomed to painting

something other than interiors...

but also the result of a visit to the retina

specialist earlier today.

I am attempting to paint

and type with dilated pupils.

A riot! I do know

the blue colors are not quite this vivid. 

Dont forget to check out all the 

wonderful paintings on the 30 in 30 Challenge

HERE

Turquoise and Orchid

Turquoise and Orchid

8x6in oil on linen  Gifted.

The photo is not too clear and has caught a 

bit of a glare.

Sorry. On vacation and do not have my usual set-up.

I love this little vase. I mean I really love it, and was 

devastated when I accidentally knocked it off

the table and saw it shattered into many pieces.

Our host and good friend, understanding my loss

miraculously glued the jigsaw of pieces 

back together...patiently sanding angles

and matching shapes. It took hours.

What an eye!

What a really good friend.

He grows orchids so this was a gift for him.
MY time for His time seems right... doesn't it?

Watercolor Studies of Mr. Chomp

Looking for Lizards

unfinished watercolor study

It has been a long time, but I have painted Mr. Chomp before.
He belongs to dear friends and is a rescued cat
...saved from a nasty traffic accident 

after being discarded in the road when he was
about 2-3 weeks old. My friend stopped her car
and dodged the moving traffic to grab him safely up.

(There has to be a severe consequence somewhere 

along the line for people who casually discard animals)

Much loved and taken outside on a leash for an hour

each day, Mr. Chomp rewards everyone by being affectionate

 and entertaining.

Artist Note

Using a Moleskin book, I didn't draw first, 

but went right into using washes of color.
Mr. Chomp was not staying in one position for long

The paper is smooth and buckles slightly with watercolor.
it adds nicely to a bit of puddling.

 Mr. Chomp kept moving around in different positions, but finally...slept!!!

Yupo Floral

Yupo Floral

6x8in watercolor on Yupo paper  SOLD

Another trip to the dentist and I accomplished three

small paintings this time - two bird nests, and this floral.

All three from the imagination.

Artist Note.

This is what I call a decorative piece. 

I did a basic cartoon of  flowers with a rigger brush, 

then added light washes of several lavenders and soft greens.

Next, I anchored the design with a strong abstract design 

going from orange mixed with red and green (to tone it down)

 into even darker brown shades.

I lightly drew lines with the rigger to add some

 interest to the flowers. 

Working on Yupo is challenging but I am learning to 

take advantage of the run, drips and movement on the surface.

When I compare this to my previous post of apple blossoms

I can understand how surface quality may be used to provide 

an artist with a personal style. This particular technique lends itself
to more of the abstract and decorative aspects of painting. FUN!

Georgia's Door

Georgia's Door

6x6in oil on canvas panel  $100. SOLD

This is influenced by a photo I took in Abiquiu, New Mexico
of the back of the Georgia O'Keeffe house...
looking over the wall with a zoom lens!

I was concerned about doing too much of a likeness as they
have copyrighted absolutely everything related to Georgia.
A visit to the home on tour is worth all the security and
scolding if one steps away from the strict directions. I loved
seeing her studio, kitchen and view.
I went back on a different day to explore the surroundings
and took lots of photos and painted color samples.

Artist Note
In my last post I showed how I use glass to explore options
when using a photo for reference.
Here is another way I find it INVALUABLE when showing.
artists options for improving their painting.
This painting below is by an artist friend who had copied an
old etching in oil and added color.

Placing the glass over it made it easy to explore some
changes before working on the canvas itself.
I like this method of showing the many different ways
the painting can be improved. FEARLESSLY.

Breaking up the
row of bushes
and not having
them all on the
same line.
Covering parts
of the straight
branch


The brush flows smoothly over the glass and it makes
one
wish all canvas felt the same way!
Easy to lift off with the paint scraper and I use a
Clorox wipe to clean it off completely.

Proud Julie

I am really a happy camper today as I feel blessed to have been included
in the list of The Art Room's Artists Who Blog. We were asked to pick our favorite painting of 2013.

The Art Room

It was hard to choose my favorite paintings of last year but if you wish to see
what I picked then please use the link above.
Make sure you scroll and check out all the fine artists already on there (through January.)

If you are not familiar with The Art Room then you are really missing
out on some inspiring and interesting art talk. I subscribe and always look forward to seeing it in my mailbox.

TARYN DAY, who is a fabulous artist in her own right, takes the time to lead us into the world of intimate viewpoints she gains by either interviews with contemporary artists or research into the work of artists of the past.
Give yourself a gift and explore the links above.

Peacock Feathers With Roses

Peacock Feathers With Roses

7x5in oil on canvas panel  SOLD

Artist Note

The beauty of the rose always astounds me,

but place it next to a peacock feather and real

competition for the top spot happens.

The real dilemma for the artist is deciding

which one wins.

Rose or Peacock Feather?

This is a pick-up from an earlier post.

Pretty swamped catching up after family visit.

The Four Callas

The Four Callas.

8x6in  oil on canvas panel   $125. SOLD

The elegant Calla is another flower
I really like to paint.



Artist Note.

Today I mailed off the prints for the
runner ups from my give-a-way.
It felt really good. I had three
6x6in giclee prints made on canvas by the
finest company I know for producing exact
color reproductions. Fabulous eye - honest.
I rent my downtown studio and gallery from
the owner and so I am very familiar with
the high quality. All archival. I have never had
a giclee made before as I like to
protect the owner of the
original, but seeing this was an artist thing
I went ahead and am pleased I did. Afterwards
I painted a little texture on them - let them dry,
and then sprayed with the important light
protector.

If you are looking for a company to do a giclee
or other type reproductions
then you may be interested in inquiring by
following the link below.

big picture digital lab

Blue Mountains - Southern Colorado

Blue Mountains -   Southern Colorado

8x6in  oil on canvas panel   $125.

The season's dead grass and weeds
form intricate patterns of muted colors
against the backdrop of beautiful
blue mountains.

Artist Note.

I lived in Denver for 8 years and really
enjoyed the beautiful scenery all over
Colorado. The grandeur of the Rockies
knocked my socks off, but I often
discovered my heart beating faster with
the closer, more intimate beauty of the
patterns created  by the weeds...
or water skimming over a rock.

Give-a-Way and Year Wrap-up.

Nest and Feather Series

6x6in oil on canvas panel. Give-a-way

I decided to offer a painting which is dear to my heart.
I have not offered my nest/feather series on my blog
before but I am genuinely grateful for the friendships
and support the followers of my blog have shown and
thought someone would care for a painting like this.
If you are interested in having your name
in the hat, please let me know in a comment why you 
would like to have it.
As he did last time, my hubby will select
the winner.

Looking back on the year I think the single
most important area of my art career was
the response to my Fracturing video.
All the frustration became worthwhile
as the complementary comments came in
and even more importantly - the sales continued
to climb. As I am not even computer literate
and had never worked a video camera before
I have been humbled by the forgiveness shown
for the unprofessional teaching remarks like whoops
and off with its head! Plus noises in the background etc.
It was difficult for me to do as I was on my own, but
I have been asked many times to do another one
and am thinking it over.

Another really neat thing was having a painting
chosen by a New York City collector  Ken Ratner
His collection has some of the old great masters,
 but he selected quite a few blogging
artists and I was honored to be one of them.
After saying that, I realize I value each 
and every person who buys 
a painting, admires a painting and takes the time to 
leave a comment. I feel very blessed.
I wish you all a successful year of painting or collecting
with good health and much personal happiness.
I look forward to visiting your blogs and being inspired by
the amazing work and genuine sharing.

Oh, almost forgot - I will not be participating in the
30 day painting Challenge this time. Too much going on.
 I wish those of you who do, a very enjoyable experience.

My Favorite Gift

My Fav Gift

6x7in watercolor on Yupo  NFS


Below is a photo of a gift from a blogging friend.
Plus a bit of seasonal holly!

The true spirit of Christmas giving is in
this gift. Can you imagine how my heart
jumped with pleasure when I opened this up.
This gift is from someone I have never met but
when she saw this beautiful glass ball filled with
feathers she thought of me and my feather series
Her thoughtfulness left me speechless.
It arrived just as we were leaving on a 6 hour
drive. I hung it from the car visor so I could
try and paint it while we traveled.

First I explored with some sketches.

and then I went into my first ever Yupo
experience...and what an experience THAT was!
Can you imagine every bump in the road...
The journey flew by.

I sincerely wish everyone's Christmas will be 
full of love for those with us as well as those 
who have departed, but live on in our hearts.

Tea for the Holidays /Workshop Wrap-up

Tea for the Holidays

6x8in oil on canvas panel  $125. SOLD

I love my red teapot, and for this holiday season

it seems appropriate to paint it with the 

pine cones and berries.

Artist Note.

I didn't manage to finish this demo until the workshop

was over, but they did get to see the main steps involved.

It was an exciting workshop with accomplished artists.

I think the main change I saw in their work from before

to after - was a stronger use of color and not over-stroking

the paint. That came about as they learned the different 

ways to use the knife and brush. 

Over-stroking the paint can lead to 

a frown from Julie!

As well as regular canvas I also provided sheets of the 

Fredrick black primed canvas sheets to try. 

They really seemed to enjoy working on that particular surface.

The landscapes were worked out first with value thumbnails

They did fracture more than you can tell, but

"tidied up" to their own personal interpretation. It was the

second fracturing workshop for three of them.

Here are some of their workshop paintings. Unfortunately

some of the photos I took had showed too much glare and 

I apologize to the artists for missing some out.

(Click to enlarge)

Workshop Demo - Chili

Green Chii

8x12"  oil on canvas  SOLD

The workshop finished today. Lots of exciting paintings
were accomplished. Old and safe habits had to be discarded
at the door so an open mind could walk through it.
All the artists were accomplished with established styles,
but looking to "loosen up". Oh boy - did they ever do that!
My goal was to not only teach them how to fracture, but
to change their usual color habits along with a different
paint quality. What they will keep from what they learned
is what interests me. Usually it is an awareness
of the important vibration created by using warm and
cool colors -  plus a new appreciation of edges.
I encourage retaining individuality. You will see that below.
I forgot to take photos of everything before they took some
home but here are some of the many paintings completed.

I only teach six artists at a time because I feel
the need to be able to help them with what their
personal goals are.
I have tried teaching larger workshop classes
and it does not work for me. I once had 12 and it
darn near killed me not to give each one individual
attention. The six artists in this workshop
all worked amazingly well and it was a great
experience. They were still painting
right up to the last minute. A very good sign!