Steller's Jay

Steller’s Jay
8”x6” oil on Raymar board
Purchase HERE

Artist Note
A visit to Cloudcroft, NM, (9,000ft)
 for a few days last month,
provided the pleasure of seeing
many wonderful Jays.
They flitted between the trees showing off
flashes of their beautiful, blue colors.

Jays love peanuts in the shell
and our host would place them on the deck rail.
They would actually pick and choose,
putting back down ones they didn't want.
It was fun watching them .

I have decided to do a  short "bird series"
and it is helping me get back in the flow and my block.

Due to my painting technique, exact detail
is pretty impossible.  I try for the essence or impression .

I am explaining this because
I have a serious birder who follows my blog.
He posts the most incredible images
taken by Miriam Bauman
I am hooked on his blog and through it  have traveled
and seen the most interesting
and awesome places/things/birds.

Check out his amazing blog link below
if you are a nature lover.

David M. Gascoigne

Anemones

 Anemones. 

11x 14. Oil on ray-mar panel Sold 

Artist Note

A friend heard me 

struggle through my block 

and came to the studio as 

this one was developing. 

She said she liked it. 

When it hit the gallery walls 

she bought it. 

 Happy dance!!

Two Blues

Two Blues
6x6 inch oil on Raymar panel $125 SOLD

Artist Note
I was invited to go to an
artist friend's house to plein air
paint his beautifully blooming plants
and guess what I found I wanted to paint.
Surprise, surprise...a turquoise chair!
(Anyone who knows my work 
will understand.)


He had mixed varying colors
of blue plant containers ranging from
cobalt, teal and turquoise
and it made a stunning display
of surprising harmony.
Very exciting to the eye and heart.

The Water Jug

The Water Jug

8"x10" oil on linen mounted on panel $225.

Purchase HERE

Artist Note

A cause for celebration....

I finished a painting without
scraping it off!

It has been a bummer of a summer 

as far as my painting block goes.
I tried all suggested solutions.

I have enjoyed a couple of trips and not 

having to be in my studio quite as early.
I guess it just takes time.

The 4 week online tutorial I paid so much for 

has not been staying on my computer. 

Cannot find the darned thing.

I have only done two segments 

and cannot get the other two.

The second segment is on automatic
writing/mark making.

That influenced some of the marks here.
I kept doing the spiral of  life
with the charcoal.

It is the first online I have ever done so 

maybe I am doing something wrong.

I am going to persist because I think it is well 

thought out and has been excellent in the 

first two segments.

Will let you know when I know.

I continue to post new and older works
on Instagram where my following
far exceeds Facebook.
Weird when it is the same paintings.
It is also far easier to be able
to reply to their comments
and that adds up - time wise.
My instagram is
juliefordoliverart.

I still post here first though.
Enjoy your week and thank you
for following my blog.

Twin Waterfalls

Twin Waterfalls

8"x 6" oil on Raymar board $150. SOLD

Artist Note

Inspired by sketches from a trip to 

Yellowstone National Park.

Personal Note

I have been going through a severe 

artist block.

I turned for help to Carol Marine's wonderful book
Daily Painting
where she has a whole section on it.

 Although I related 

and was inspired by those who shared

their own experiences, I find I am still in it.
It is a horrible place to be.
I do not have any hobbies
so I cannot turn to anything
else with the same focus 

I am still turning up daily at the studio.

I am faithful doing a journal.

I am experimenting with different media
-which is supposed to be fun.

and
I have paid a considerable amount
for an online course which
helps one evaluate their
individual purpose
in life and with their art-path

It was developed by an artist /psychiatrist
(which gives me some confidence.)
I will share if I find it is really helpful.

Hopefully I will be successful
and get back to doing what I love most.

Stay tuned...

Farmers Market Series - Yellow Hat.

Yellow Hat
6"x8" oil on canvas board $150.
Purchase HERE

Artist Note.
The yellow hat caught my eye.
AND...
yes...we allow dogs
 at our Farmers Market.

The market is getting full
of all kinds of goodies.
This week I bought
 lush red and yellow peppers
and other
wonderful veggies.

Passing on some info I was told
when I got the peppers.

Did you know that the female
pepper is sweeter than the male?
And... did you know that the female
pepper has three or four
distinct bumps
on its bottom where the male
 has two and is flatter?

You can see the top peppers
(which are upside down)
have clearly defined bumps
on their bottoms.

Okay friends, I had already published the
above about the male/female peppers
but
A nagging fact-finding vibe
kept coming into my mind
so I Googled it...
Sheesh...it is
NOT TRUE!

 Yes, there are four bumps
and three flatter bump types
but it has nothing to do with gender.
Apparently there are no gender
differences and the
sweetness depends on the soil!!

White Flowers And Porcelain

White Flowers And Porcelain

6"x6" oil on Raymar panel $120.

Purchase HERE

Artist Note

This was a demo for one of the 

Artist Guild classes.

It is the last month 

of the Guild sessions until August

and we are doing a refresher 

of everything which has 

been  reviewed this semester.

I started this painting with a 

 dark transparent paint

 covering 

the board 

and then I lifted off

the lighter design with a rag.

This exposes the white 

of the canvas. 

To make the main flower shape

 whiter I used a brush 

dipped in Gamsol to totally

lift off the underpainting.

I find it pretty easy to gradually 

build up  the shapes with

layers of color making sure 

only one or two flowers 

are a tad realistic and the rest 

just abstract suggestions of color.

Maybe this is the easiest way of all

for floral still life paintings.

I bet most of you have tried it. 

What do you think?

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!

Light and Shade

Light and Shade

8"x6" oil on Raymar board  $150.

Purchase Sold

Artist Note.

Yes...

another New Mexico Gate.

They somehow reach right into my heart 

and grab it. 

I truly get an emotional response 

of pleasure when I see one.

I like to paint beautiful things.

No room for angst in my painting world.

How about you - do you feel the same?

I am pretty sure the answer is yes

 from what I see you all do. 

Lilacs At The Nichols Ranch, New Mexico.

Lilacs At The Nichols Ranch, NM

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

Purchase Sold

Artist Note.

I went painting...

An artist who belongs to the guild,

Sue Nichols,

lives on a beautiful ranch 

which has been in her husbands family

for well over a hundred years. 

It is one of the places 

where you can go 

and pick your own fruit if 

you want to.

I was invited to go and paint 

the fruit orchards in bloom.

 I wish you could

have been there to see the glorious

Cherry

Apple

Peach,

Apricot

 orchards finishing or starting to bloom

At the end of a fun painting day 

I saw the late sun

catching the lilac bush.

All I can say it was magical

and totally 

impossible to capture its 

true beauty.

Loved doing this piece though.

Take a look at some of the 

many gorgeous views 

HERE

They have a big Cherry festival

coming up in June. Fun for the whole family.

I cannot wait!

Sue paints her environment

A coupled of painting she has done.

Of all the cow paintings out there'

this is from direct observation - the real deal!

Coming To Water.  oil. Sue Nichols.

Windmill And Sunset. oil Sue Nichols

and if that is not enough

Sue does beautiful Stained glass work.

Stained Glass Screen.  Sue Nichols

And here is this busy woman digging

holes for new cherry trees...

the old fashioned way.

She also bakes and makes the BEST pies ever!

Thanks for the great painting day, Sue.