Stormy Day

Stormy Day

6x8in oil on canvas $135.
Purchase HERE

Artist Note.

We really need rain due to 

the severe drought we have been 

having in New Mexico, so

it is hard to complain about 

a couple of days of really

hard rains.

I had been hoping to paint a

special spot

on the way home
after visiting our son,
 but when we got there

this is all I saw

out of the window.

I did a small sketch

(below) in watercolor

 to get the basic values 

and shapes.
(courtesy of the 

windshield wipers

helping out and 

hubby softly snoring 

as he took a nap, sweet guy!)

The only light areas were
in the sky and water.
The vertical sides of the bushes
and hills were very
dark by comparison.

The sketch came in handy
when I was
back in the studio today.
It helped me recall the
actual structure of the dam.
Using artistic license
I made the falls less wide,
and eliminated a building
that was there.

The sky was still magnificent 

as we got closer to home.

Today is sunny and bright.

Not a cloud in the sky.

Am grateful our ground has

collected some 

much needed moisture.

BUT I am only too aware

of the devastation caused by

too much rain in other

 parts of the country.

I am truly sympathetic,

and cannot imagine the 

strength needed to 

restore and carry on.

Blessings to all.

Artists of Influence - J.M.W. Turner

Rain, Steam and Speed 

- The Great Western Railway

J.M.W. Turner 

painted 1838

I was invited to write about the 

influences which helped me as an artist

 by the company 

Patience Brewster

I have been enjoying reading some of

the artists who have been sharing

their own stories so I was delighted

to participate.

Standing in front of this amazing

Turner painting (above) was 

definitely the start of realizing 

a

 painting 

could give me goose bumps!

My huge emotional response 

shook me up because before that I 

was enamored by technical skill...

not realizing the 

pure genius

of technical skill it took Turner

to do this.

This painting was done 

2 years before Monet was born.

Turner painted outdoors a lot

and colors above are true to the 

part of England I knew so well

because he actually painted

the atmosphere...

 the rain, 

steam trains,

and a very industrial area.

Turners watercolors are a 

delight, but not easily available

to view in the area I now 

live in here in the US

so when the museum in Houston

had a exhibition of his watercolors

 years ago, I flew out to see it

and was delighted to find the 

goose bumps were still there.

Other Influences.

Picasso had a strong impact 

with his many different periods

of style and media. Such

comfort knowing it was 

okay to change focus,

and Cezanne has long been an artist

I turn to when I need inspiration. 

And my love of 

Impressionism/Romanticism 

was continued by being 

drawn to some of Monet's more

atmospheric paintings. 

Yes - the waterlilies for sure. 

Seeing we are talking about 

influences in art

there are interesting stories

about Turner's influence on Monet

after Monet visited the 

National gallery in 1870 

The story goes... 

Monet stood in awe in front of

Turner's work and then after

some private visits ...and do you think 

he could have seen this 

during one of them?

(Sunrise is a clue)

Norham Castle -Sunrise

1845

JMW Turner

And when, after

returning to Paris, Monet started to 

try and capture the emotion

he experienced about the atmosphere

as well 

as the brighter colors of 

painting outside.

There is no doubt of the change  

when you see the before and after.

Here is a popular Monet piece

painted in 1867

Garden at Sainte-Adresse

C. Monet 1867

Forgive a little rant here...

Although this is a very popular

piece I dislike this painting for 

several reasons, the

"dibby dabby do" brushwork

in lower half and smooth work

on top with every dang mast

 on the way off horizon

painted in perfect detail!

BUT all is not lost - 

Monet visits Turner 

and look what happens

Impression - Sunrise

C Monet 1872

This is the painting which coined the 

word Impressionism.

How marvelous for Monet

to find an influence

which had such a profound effect.

Sorry this led into such a long post.

I am beholden to all artists 

who get inspired to try and

capture emotion, no matter their

style - but it was Turner who 

gave me my first goose bumps.

It was fun finding out who in turn

influenced the great Turner.

But that's another story.

Thank you, Marietta for the invitation

to participate. 

You must be very proud of 

your mother, Patience...

her work is beautiful.

Please check out the blog

of patience brewster

Stormy Clouds at Sunset.

Stormy Clouds at Sunset

6x6in  oil on canvas   85.

Rain is always welcome in the desert.  This storm looked so dark and promising, but this time it fell on the other side of the mountain and we did not get a drop.  These are the Organ Mountains, here in Las Cruces, N.M. They are situated on the east side of the city so the sun rises behind them and sunset casts its glow on them. On this particular evening, a small amount of color hit for a only a brief moment. I had been so sure I was going to get a brilliant, golden cloud. Sigh!

Artist Note:

This was done with a palette knife. I scraped and mushed with the back of the knife to try and capture the soft, vapor quality of the clouds. I left texture in the foreground