Daisies, Blue Jars and Geraniums oil paintings

This was the fourth lesson.Again a challenge but I am loving this techniques. Thin blocking in and then thicker paint on top. I am so excited about this that I am going to sign up for her online course, Painting in Province. I have been doing my art journal. It was difficult during the holidays to keep up and the regular journaling has not been done regularly but hope to get back to that as the holidays are mostly over. Will be putting away Christmas Decorations as I want to get back to painting. This painting was given to my good friend Danae. The Sunflowers were given to my three granddaughters.

This was the Fifth Lesson and I love how it turned out. This is a gift for my son and daughter-in-law. I will tell you about the 6th lesson next week and the extra painting. I still have two bonus paintings to do and want to get them done before the France Workshop.

My websites:

http://www.judyfischerwaltonfineart.weebly.com
http://judy-fischer-walton.artistwebsites.com

New Process in my Paintings

This was the first painting of the my new class from Dreama Tolle Perry. It has been a wonderful class full of joy, and inspiration. So......since I seem to have trouble getting to painting, I decided to put this saying on a panel for inspiration.  I used an oil/Gamsol mix as a medium and put juicy colors down over the permanent magic marker, then I added thicker paint on top of the wet painting. Then I did another one.This helped me learn the process of thin transparent wet underpainting and then thick opaque brushwork.

 Then I was ready to do the cupcake. I literally fell in love with this process. It made me crave a cupcake but resisted running to the bakery. So then I practiced another one., my own colors and design. I am so excited about these paintings. I had fully intended to post every week of the six week course but life intervened, plus a computer crash didn't help. I did keep painting each week and will make my posts weekly through the course. Dreama's course is more than a painting course. She encourages meditating, journaling, gives lots of painting tips, and you get continual positive uplifting encouragement. I am really hoping to do her Painting Paris, her next workshop. I will work on each week's post this week and schedule them. I am very behind in posting in my websites and doing my newsletter so am hoping to get those up to date while I am off work from Kingwood Center Gardens. I have two Sundays left to work and then I am off for January, February and March. Of course I will keep painting. I have some beautiful poinsettias to paint and some lovely flower photos that I took before the weather set in. I will also show you some of my art journal pages next time. 32 degrees here in Ohio the past few days. So enjoy until next week.
 My websites:
http://judy-fischer-walton.artistswebsites.com
,http://judyfischerwaltonfineart.com
,

The latest Plein Air paintings, new colors, new challenges

I am still working three days a week and it is so difficult to find time to paint, let alone time to write my blog. I have been trying to sketch with a Sharpie ultra fine marker everyday. On Saturday the ninth I did an 12x16 pastel with Johannes in a paintalong. I do wish I would have done it in oils but I learned a lot. I did use the PanPastels to start the block in. It is very challenging to paint a forest of pine trees and make each one different. Each side different on each tree, each tree a different color, Each tree on a different plane, no triangular trees. My poor deer....I could not get his face bright enough. If I was going to paint pastels much I would buy some sticks for making finer lines. The pastel pencils just don't do it. I used sanded paper. This is a painting that will never get framed.

Then Thursday I got to paint with my artist friends at Kingwood. The summer blooms are just starting and I chose the fountain view. I painted to the left of the Terrace so the large pot sits off to the side to make a better composition. I used a toned canvas and was happy that some of that showed through the painting and I wiped out the lights.It was very humid and my canvas was still moist with the Gamsol. I then put in my darks with Greenish Umber (my favorite dark) It is great for trees, especially evergreens.Black with variations of yellow make wonderful greens. The light changes so fast. I took a photo and made a black and white sketch where I saw the light in the beginning. I have learned to do that to keep my light consistent. The scene is completely changed by the time I finished.

Then the next Thursday we all went to the Bellville Park and I painted the little waterfall. It was a spillway . I am experimenting with some new colors, inspired by Dreama Tolle Perry. I love her paintings and colors. Depending on the price, I would like to take her online course in the Fall. So this was the first time I brightened up my work with her palette. This was also a challenge as it had rained and it was cloudy so I had to imagine the sun. I really had to work on my rocks to make them believable , so make them recede, and then to do the water so it did not fall evenly. It actually ran down a flat slab but that was boring and made straight lines, so had to change the way it fell.

Saturday we artists drove to Fremont to the Rutherford B Hayes Center for a paintout with the Ohio Plein Air Society for the Hayes 100th Anniversary. It was a three day event but we could only go for one. It was a beautiful day at a  beautiful place. There was lots of shade and most everyone was painting the house. I wanted to use my new bright palette so I found a spot with a vase of flowers. Again the light was there in the beginning and at the end but I did my black and white sketch and took photos.The painting looked too dark probably from painting in the shade and looking at the light. The eyes change things so I did brighted things up.  I have been toning my canvas with either Transparent Red Oxide or Transparent Brown Oxide or Transparent Orange Oxide. Again I wiped out the lights and used the Greenish Umber for the darks, blocked in all the puzzle pieces and left the flowers for last. I varigated the steps broke up the lines with sunlight ar skylight, broke up the stone lines with bush branches, enlarged the flower area and exxagerated the colors. I did have to glaze the further post to set it back. So I broke up straight lines, varigated colors, created depth, made the four corners different, eliminated clones, kept the no fly zone around the edges soft and muted and varied my edges. Rules! Thanks to Johannes Vloothaus. I feel good about my new palette, lots of colors right now and will probably eliminate some after experimenting.

I can see my paintings are starting to look like I want, more exciting color, more impressionistic brushwork.

I also purchased some new books on Amazon... Daily Painting by Carol Marine about painting small and often to become a more creative, productive and successful Artist, Art Before Breakfast, a zillion ways to be more creative no matter how busy you are, and Shut Your Monkey, how to control your Inner Critic and Get More done. I am slowly working my way through these. So more sketching daily, more small paintings. I did buy some 6x6 canvas boards. I also painted a birthday painting for my Great Granddaughter. So now, I need to paint daily and start a commission .

I have started the commission but the daily painting just is not getting done. I have taken a lot of photos from Kingwood and my flowers at home. My  grandson put in about 10 feet of Hostas he dug from his home , and I brought some free plants and put in half of them last night. Worked today and it was terribly hot. 92 in that ticket booth and then I went to my great granddaughter's for the end of her 1st birthday party.

#waterfall,#oilpainting,#Pastels,#Kingwoodcentergardens,#RutherfordBHayescenter,
#Ohiopleinairsociety

My websites. You can sign up for my quarterly Newsletter at the Weebly site.
http://judyfischerwaltonfineart.weebly.com
http://judy-fischer-walton.artistwebsites.com

Oil and Watercolor paintings and Plein Air for the week

This painting was done after a workshop with Johannes Vloothaus on Landscape symbols. I used a photograph from Kingwood and completely designed the tree, made an entry path and and varigated the foilage. I changed the sky to a more atmospheric element and created depth.
Photographing the painting was very difficult. No matter where I put it, outside in the shade, inside with blue light, warm light, I just could not get the color right. I am not proficient enough in Photoshop to get the changes. I think I may download "Gimp" and see if it is easier. I do use Photoshop for cropping if it has not been done on my camera or phone.
This was my first week to work only 3 days so I should be more productive. I did paint at Kingwood Center Gardens this morning but need to photograph it. I will get my camera and see if I can get better color on this painting and the new one.
I have finished the yard, and garden, potted some herbs and flowers.

Well, The tree did not photo any better, in fact it is worse. The color in the foreground is definitely purple and I cannot get it to photograph that color. Frustrating.
The second painting, the path was done plein air at Kingwood Center Gardens. I do like my trees and think I am better at trees since the Johannes workshop on Landscape Symbols.
Yesterday I pulled the watercolor I had started and finished it. Very overworked. Not what I want in a watercolor. I want transparent washes, bright colors and somewhat abstract so need to practice, practice, practice!

This was my first plein air painting done about a month ago. I loved the view and I had to work quickly as I had to leave to go to work. I now don't have to work Thursdays so I can paint with my plein air group every week.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any comments and sign ups for my blog.

#paintingtrees,#plein air,# KingwoodCenterGardens,#landscape painting.

Painting in Panpastels

I have not been able to work on the Peggy's Cove painting but will tomorrow when I am off work. I will fix the lights, darken the water and possibly do the fog better.

The Monet's Garden was pure joy to do. I love the PanPastels. I bought the basic set from a friend who didn't care for them. I am happy with the painting but feel like working on it tomorrow also as it is so soft but has some hard dark places. This was so much fun. I want to find some other colors that are basically landscape colors.

I have been working on my newsletter so will be sending that out soon. My working is getting in the way of my art! I know I am a day late with the blog.

Our Thursday painting group has been unable to paint as the weather has been bad. Three inches of snow and l9 degreees! So much rain and cold. It looks like Thursday will be warmer and we are to paint at Malabar Farm. It will be a fast one as I have to work in the afternoon. My websites are http://www.judyfischerwaltonfineart.weebly.com, and http://judy-fischer-walton.artistwebsites.com #monetsgarden, #PeggysCove, #oilpainting,#Pastelpainting,#Panpastels.

Zinnias and Holly paintings

Reworked this little 5x7 . I was unhappy with the background that I had originally painted in all that olive green so did some knife work on it.. A much better painting now.

After watching a webinar by Linda Kemp I attempted some negative painting in watercolor. Old habits continue! Found my self painting positively so had to redirect myself. It got darker than I wanted so had to scrub out the one corner. I love Strathmore's Gemini paper!

This is a work in progress. The plan is to not overwork it! Wish I would have left some white in the upper middle left! Still trying to come up with a Christmas painting for a Christmas card.

This weekend Northlight is giving 50% off everything so I ordered Linda's book Simplified Design and Color for Artists and also her Negative Painting Techniques for Acrylic. At $15 each and no shipping. I can use these in my classes.

I also signed up for Johnnes Vloothuis's three week online webinar for $11! 

I am bummed as will miss part of Saturdays webinar as I have to judge a  gingerbread house contest at Kingwood Center at 2 pm and buy poinsettias for my classes next week and the greenhouse at Kingwood doesn't open until 3pm. Everything happens at the same time around the holidays. At least the webinar will be available to download for free for whoever signs up. He is going to paint the Grand Canyon in oil on Saturday.

Re

Juicy Holly and Snow painting

Problem..no connections with the darks

Holly and Snow, a better version.

What a difference in the photos. Cool light vs warm light!I will photo with my good camera when it dries some so there is no glare.

  At any rate if I would have followed the value study more I could have accomplished the painting sooner. Also the value study was too big, 81/2 by 11.Hope you can learn by my mistakes. "No matter how skillful you become, painting never actually gets free and easy. we all learn something each time we paint."

 I had put the value study aside and just painted! At any rate, I do feel the painting is overworked but it was fun. It is so wet with paint it will take a long while to dry.I also learned how to put wet paint on wet paint with a knife! 

 My intention was to do a Christmas card painting and the inspiration was that photo of Fall and Winter greens below. I think I want to do more of a simpler painting, perhaps watercolor.

 I watched a free webinar yesterday on watercolor, promoting a new book. Simpllifyinmg Design and Color for Artists by Linda Kemp. Wonderful and now I am excited about watercolor.I think I may purchase the book when it comes out in December and use the techniques in my watercolor classes starting in January.

I did purchase Richard Schmid's new book, ALLA PRIMA II. It is my Christmas present to myself. Ever since I have been single I buy myself a present since I don't have to buy a spouse or significant other a gift.It will take me some time to get through it. The paintings are beautiful in it. 

If you wish to receive my Newsletter, send me an email jwalton15@neo.rr.com

You can find my art work at www.judyfischerwaltonfineart.weebly.com and prints can be purchased at www.judy-fischer-walton.artistwebsites.com

Hope you all have a great week and remember there are no mistakes, only lessons.

Life gets in the way of the Creative Life

This morning on my Facebook, I saw a beautiful photo of leaves, and snow and greenery from Kingwood Center. I want to paint something like that. I am so inspired that I want to leave my schedule today but I can't. A lunch calls, a storm door to be put up , walk the dogs, A newsletter to craft and paintings to post on my Fine Art America site. Hopefully this afternoon or if I hurry with the house cleaning, this morning.
Life certainly gets in the way of the creative life.So while I vacuum I will be considering what medium this painting will be. Oil, watercolor, acrylic, on paper or Yupo? Lately I have had a craving for Yupo. Next blog you will see what I decide.

I have much on my creative list: A Christmas card, a painting that can be printed for a free gift, posting, photographing paintings, newsletter, Just plain painting. I was thinking it is sunny and warmer and the outside holiday decorations could be started but ART is the priority here.

Here is another demo that I did in my Landscape Secrets class. This is an 8x10 oil.

 I have so much to teach. I have learned so much from workshops, books, videos and I can pass all that on to students. My Landscape Secrets class has been crafted from my studies with Johannes Vloothuis. Three years of his online classes and my own paintings have improved so much. This Saturday he is having a free demo at 1pm on composition which I won't miss! If you are interested I can  forward an email for you to sign up. He is also going to be doing a three week class on Saturdays starting Nov. 30. His site is www.Improvemypaintings.com 

Cherry Tree

First Plein Air of 2012. 8x10 Oil done at Kingwood Center in Mansfield, Ohio. It was so fantastically beautiful and warm. It has now turned cold with frost again tonight but will try to paint tomorrow afternoon. Supposed to be 55 degrees but hoping for a little more warmth than that.
I have been working in the yard for the last three days getting my garden ready. Did more than usual as it was cool enough to stay out and finish. I usually get overheated chopping, pulling , cutting! Mowed the lawn as some of it was a foot high.
Also found out one of my favorite paintings, "Abandoned", well, that house was torn down. So sorry as I wanted it to paint it again.
Found out today also that my Painting of the Longhorn portrait I did was reprinted and sold on Fine Art America. I am happy happy today.

Early morning Holsteins

8x10 oil. Done from a photo taken by me in Southern Ohio. Inspired by the black and white against the greens and hills.

Blowin in the Wind

I have been wanting to do a painting of clothes hanging on the line. This is from a photo I took at the Elderhostel at Malabar Farm in Ohio. I cropped the picture way down to do the backyard with the clothesline. I probably spent more time on what clothes I wanted hanging on the line. I really enjoyed this painting and was inspired by the tree colors.

A dog named Annie

Finished this painting of my brother and sister-in-law's dog, Annie. She is a labradoodle. I love her silky coat. This is an 8x10 oil.

Winter Sun

Despite my resolutions, I haven't kept up with the blog. I have kept up with the painting. It became a nice day when I went to pick up my paintings from the Christmas show at the Mansfield Art Center, when they asked to keep seven of them for the gallery. The gentleman said the director loved my work. Well, that does something for the soul! I went outside, and it was warmer than usual and the sun was out. Hmmm. Think I will pack up and go paint in Holmes County, one of the sites to paint in for the Ohio Plein Air Society's Tenth Anniversary Show this year. We only have until May 1 to complete and enter five paintings. Last summer wasn't too great to get them done due to various reasons. So off I went....this is the first plein air of the year. Just outside of Loudenville I found an open area with parking and decided to do this Amish Farm. When I posted on Facebook a friend said it was a Beardsley Amish, a neat clean, no frills Amish farm. I was careful to note that this was in the Holmes County Line.

Twin Buttes Wyoming

This is one of two paintings for my son, who will pick one for himself and one for his friend in Wyoming where they went hunting. They had a good time but the snow got too deep and the Elk must have been hunkered down, but they came home with good memories and great photos. I may add a little snow to the branches and trees but will wait for his response about it.

January Thaw

With one painting finished and time for another, I continued to paint. My fingers were cold. I had some little texting gloves, little knit gloves with the finger tips off. They helped! The geese continued to squabble. No one came around. The time before a Loudonville police man had stopped "to take a look" and said I would be safe in the area. He had pulled someone off today on the main road, probably for speeding, so I knew he was patroling. By the time I was finished painting I was really cold and had to go! No restrooms opened now. I opened the car door and squatted, sitting on the edge. I hoped no one could see. I had no choice.

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!

Roses and Lavender,Sold!

Sold this painting and shipped it today to Australia! Now I can say I sell Internationally! Thanks, Australia!

Barn

This is a commission I have been working on for some time. Hope the people who commissioned it as a gift will be happy with it.

Rottie Female 2

Did some more painting on this as those who commissioned it wanted the dog to be darker. Hopefully they will be satisfied.

Waiting, dog portrait

Finished this today. A challenge, doing those whites which aren't really white! I was inspired by the eyes on this dog and wanted to challenge myself to do a white dog.