Bulldog pup

I have been waiting for the sun to get a good photo. This was done from a photo of my nephew's pup. Fun to do with all the colors in a white dog. Lately I am loving doing these pets. Will have to do some cats. It is an 8x10 oil.

Open Water

I had been watching the weather as I had found a lake around the corner from the last painting that I thought inspired me for a painting, so on Tuesday I drove to the spot inside the Holmes County Line and did this painting. There were about 200 ducks and geese on the meadow and lake, noisily sparing for their ladies graces.There was a brisk breeze but I loved the atmosphere and the geese. Thank goodness, I feel good about this one! Maybe I can be a cold weather plein air painter!

Autumn Pathway

I completed this oil this week. I was inspired by the darkness behind the path and the brilliance of the trees. This is a studio painting as the weather was so cold and wet. Darn, its a long time to Spring!

Weather for Ducks

This was my first painting after getting my boards stamped in Athens for the OPAS competition. It was cloudy and it did rain halfway through the painting but I had put a 5 can soup recipe in my crockpot and it was perfect coming in from the rain, and it poured while I had lunch and then the sun came out and I finished up the painting.

Morning Rising

This was my one of the paintings Done in Athens, Ohio for the Ohio Plein Air Society Competition. A fantastic view with the fog in the valley beyond. Almost too vast to paint. But it was so inspiring I had to do it. This was the painting that I entered in the Competition. I did not win anything but the competition was fierce!

Herb Garden 2

I was definitely intrigued by those pots in the herb garden. I wanted to do this painting the day before but we had to move due to spraying in the rose garden. I also wanted it to be an 8x8 but only had an 8x10 panel. If I cut it down the composition changes. I don't like it as well as the day before painting. The greens are a challenge and the amount of different foliage is a challenge also. What to eliminate to make a good painting!Sometimes painting a formal garden makes it difficult to do melodic lines!

Kingwood Mansion

Painted this today (Memorial Day,2011) Very hot, 92 degrees, buggy with all the rain this year. Difficult to design as there was so much lawn but I didn't want the Mansion to be the center of interest. I think I am getting better at trees but still have problems with my greens.

Summer painting

This painting was done at the Lowe-Volk Nature Center in Galion, Ohio. Purchased by Jim the manager of the Center.I will continue to post the paintings of the summer. It has been difficult to upload as I spend 2-3 days painting and have had a number go to shows and hanging various places.

North Lake Park

 
This was done at North Lake Park in Mansfield. I was intrigued by the red car and the shadows across the road. Rather difficult with the incline. I added the people and the ducks when I came home. There must have been 30 white ducks and 200 Canada Geese with all their babies. They are owners of the road and it is difficult to make them move! They weren't agressive like some Canadas.

Mifflin Lake Bridge

I had trouble photographing this one. Lots of glare. I really like the original. I did the value study and am learning to use the knife. At times frustrating as sometimes the paint won't go on the canvas, or won't go on top of other paint. Debra taught you do it with a feather touch. My hand shakes or jerks and it goes where I don't want it!

Clearfork Spring

Why do I pick such a complicated thing to paint plein air. I try to be simple....I liked the contrast of the little jutting out of land against the lake but then.....the sky was easy, the background hills worked but then the trees...oh the trees and the branches and this branch wouldn't stay in the foreground and that one wouldn't stay back so it was no 3 hour painting...much longer but I do like it now.

Spring at the Farm

When you put them all together I like the watercolor the best, bright color, dramatic value. The last oil is the finished oil. The photo shows too much white due to wet paint. I will have to look at it awhile. I guess not too bad for the first time outside this year with the oils...still attempting to work the easel, paints, carrying it all, plus been reading too much on color and am confusing myself, both in oil and watercolor!

Morning Breakers

This was a commission with a lot of free rein. Lake Erie scene for a dentist's office. I wanted something calming and pleasant. The area is around the wildlife center between Catawba and Toledo. I truly want to go back there this Spring when the wading birds are migrating. So I put in the darling little Sandpipers that run back and forth around the waves and I wanted a pleasant scene so I did a morning sky. The painting was a success. It will hang in a show in April in Mansfield, but the dentist claimed it and ordered another painting.

Lake Erie Docks

It is finished. Due to the picture being so dark I had to improvise the dock and the rocky ground and lightenup the land masses. The sky isn't exact but it got so wet and thick with paint I was afraid it would blend too much. I had difficulty getting the hot pink color of the sunset. Emile Gruppe says that titanium white swallows up color and that zinc is more transparent. My white is Gamblin's mix of titanium and zinc. I will pick up a small tube of zinc for the future.

Sunset at Lake Erie Beginning

The photo I am working from and the blowup which loses color when blown up. And the painting so far. The photo taken by my granddaughter already has good composition. The colors aren't too difficult but the hot pink of the sun and reflections is difficult. It was so thick with paint I had to let it dry and will work more on it today. The Spark+ My granddaughters favorite photo of the dock at Lake Erie,and my desire to present her with this gift for Christmas.

Mohican Gazebo painting

I guess I am paranoid about posting that I will be gone for a few days. I spent two days in Mohican Park and got one and half painting done. This was done in the morning. I chose to put the gazebo top in the bottom third side and bottom of the 8x10 canvas. This photo will have to be straightened to post on Fine Art America. The Spring colors on the far side of the lake had to be adjusted for the painting as they were too brilliant. The water changed continually and the light was changing so I had to decide what would stay. I will post the photograph on the next blog so you can see I changed the trees to make the composition work better. I also worked on the details at home, darkening in places, putting shadows and lights on the trees, putting shadow and light on the floor of the gazebo. I heightened the colors of the sun on the leaves also.