Help Hibisicus!

This piece has been sitting since December in a state of helplessness, poor thing.  It's an adaptation of a Terry Madden watercolor in terms of composition, but done in oil on a large canvas and trying to do justice to the yellow color of the hibiscus' in my Mom and Dad's yard (Terry's was pink).  I have changed it so much and so many times, my head is swimming =)  The background used to be light in a watercolor sort of fantasy look, then my teacher said "no, it needs to be dark".  So now it's dark.  Not sure I like it.  And, I still have to correct the flowers for highlights and such, but - it's a work in progress.  Maybe publishing it will really get me to think about it and get it done!!

Baylands Morning

Another plein aire paint-out!  Marshy baylands, huge eucalyptus, and distant foothills.  Cloudless sky, but a with wonderful morning glow!  Later in the morning, this little reflective stream became a veritable lake! 
Colors show more yellow in the photo than in the painting =(  Nevertheless.......perfect fall weather, wonderful friends, talent abounding around me!

Santa Cruz Boat Harbor

Overcast morning, but very comfortable.  Except for the fact I had real serious trouble honing in on a subject today!!  And, that always makes me get jittery and feeling a little intimidated =( 
But - I dove in and decided to paint this wonderful "schooner" and try to find some rhythm in the distant eucalyptus trees and the docks in the foreground.  It turned out to be fun - although I just can't do any more with this until it dries - if I do indeed decide to go back into it.

Too Much FUN!

Nope, I just couldn't leave it alone, so I "finished" my rose garden plein aire attempts "in studio" (ha - aka kitchen!)  I had to have a little more fun with these and see if I could learn a little more about how to paint roses!  I'll keep trying =)

Rose Garden Beauties!

Second attempt at real-life plein aire painting!  So much to learn - my colors weren't true at all, since a foggy morning changed to one with me looking straight into a bright sun with a shaded canvas.  Alas, I had so much fun painting today I couldn't resist posting my work even if it is really not that good ;-)  I guess what I should say is that these are "studies" for "real" paintings I will do in my studio, uh huh!  Maybe that's true!

Plein Aire Retouched!

Okay, so yes, it is my very first real plein aire painting, with a few touches back here at "the studio" as it were (my kitchen). I consider it a real plein aire because I was on the balcony of our vacation rental condo on Pebbly Beach Rd. in Avalon on Catalina Island, with my guerilla painter's box and the stuff I thought I needed packed carefully from home.

The light was changing, the boats were bobbing in the harbor, and Dan and Michael were calling to me from below on the street on their rental bikes. What could be better?? I completed this in about 2 hours or so, beginning with the challenge of first-ever use of the guerilla box on a tripod in a cramped space! Acrylics as a base coat, then oils to finish. Clearly I need a BIG lesson on landscape - but you can tell my focus was the Casino.

Did you know that the Plein Aire Painters of America was founded on Catalina Island in 1986? If you love Plein Aire painting - please look for the book "Enchanted Isle: A History of Plein Aire Painting in Santa Catalina Island". It is a treasure!

Cheers to "Firsts"!

During a wonderful art "retreat" with friends, I was able to help construct a still life and paint it with acrylics! My first ever painting from "still life" and also my first ever acrylic painting! I'm not unhappy with this painting even though the paint totally misbehaved in my opinion on the canvas (being accustomed to oils) and I struggled with the light and shadow in my first ever still life painting.

Still- this is a wonderful remembrance of best friends, a beautiful venue, lovely fresh sweat peas, and a fantastic blue and white vase!

Enjoy - more to come =)