Hudson Valley Painter

My Blog Has Moved!

2007-08-15T16:34:00.000-04:00

My blog has moved to http://www.hudsonvalleypainter.com. This site will no longer be updated. Please update your bookmarks!

Switching over to a new blog account and URL

2007-03-19T09:33:00.000-04:00

Please click here to be redirected now. Remember to bookmark the new site and/or click the subscribe button at the top of the new banner!

I am switching over to my new blog account and URL now. The new blog is the same URL as the old one, without the "blogspot": http://hudsonvalleypainter.com.

Sleepy Sunday and bunches of sketches---Open Studio Life Drawing

2007-03-18T17:28:00.000-04:00

12x16, pastels on Daler Rowney paper, $40
To purchase, click here, then click Paypal link.

I spend my Sunday mornings with a group of artists in a figure drawing studio, where we have a different model every week. We practice drawing from poses ranging from one minute to 25 minutes, in whatever medium we choose. It's no wonder the great masters always worked on drawing figures from life. There is no better practice for the hand and eye, and it is a skill that carries over to all subjects.

The drawing above is in pastel on Daler Rowney pastel paper. I love the different colors it comes in and the woven texture. This was a 20 minute pose---the last pose of the session. We were all a little sleepy by then, even the model!

I'm in the process of switching over to my new blog, so my Paypal links are already over there along with many more drawings from the session. If you're interested in purchasing this drawing, seeing the others I've posted, or just checking out my new site before it officially opens, just click here. The new URL is http://hudsonvalleypainter.com. You can also click up at the top of that blog to subscribe and be notified via email of future posts. I'll be maintaining this blog too through the rest of the week as I make the changeover.

Please come visit the new site, and bookmark it for your future reference. I think you'll find it much more viewer-friendly!

International Sketchcrawl 13---A Grid of Sketches

2007-03-17T22:28:00.000-04:00

Today was the International Sketchcrawl #13, and although I didn't get nearly as much sketching in as I'd hoped, I did finish up a two-page grid in my sketchbook that I'd started a couple of weeks ago. This is 8x10", across a two page spread. Thes were done in my father-in-law's apartment overlooking the Hudson River, in another relative's home, waiting for my daughter outside the gym, a compositional sketch for a painting, the office building for the Rockefeller State Park Preserve, waiting again in a waiting room, and a couple of things in my studio.

International Sketchcrawl #13 tomorrow!

2007-03-16T19:57:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the official International Sketchcrawl #13. That means that artists around the globe will be packing up their sketchbooks, pens, pencils, brushes and paints, and heading out to do as many sketches of their day as they possibly can. Whether you're an "artist" or not, anybody can participate by just doodling your surroundings as the day goes by. I hope to have plenty of drawings to show by the time I post here tomorrow night.

Today we're having a blizzard here in the Hudson Valley, with upward of a foot of snow possible! Schools are cancelled, so I've been having a family day and working on the new blog, which is almost ready to unveil.

Fall Overlooking Constitution Marsh and Storm King

2007-03-15T21:56:00.000-04:00

Fall Overlooking Constitution Marsh and Storm King
5x7", gouache
Available unframed, or matted and custom framed. Email me for details.

Sketching in Watercolor at Rockefeller State Park Preserve

2007-03-14T21:33:00.000-04:00

5x7", double matted to 8x10", Ink and watercolor on Fabriano Artistico hot press rag paper
$30 including ivory/gold double mat as shown below, and shipping within the US, via Paypal
Email me if interested

Today was overcast and although the sun was barely peeking through, I couldn't resist an evening stroll at the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. I sat by Swan Lake and sketched for awhile with watercolors and ink, enjoying the pastoral view and beginnings of spring.

This sketch is double matted with an ivory outer mat and beautiful gold inner mat, ready to pop into any standard 8x10 frame.

The End of the Ocean Path in Acadia National Park

2007-03-13T16:12:00.000-04:00

6x8, Oils on canvas covered, archival hardboard
$125 including shipping within the US, via Paypal
(email me if interested)

Acadia National Park in Maine is by far my favorite vacation spot. This was painted today from a photo I took during one of my annual excursions there. I never get tired of visiting Acadia, and I never get tired of painting it either!

No Skating---Thin Ice

2007-03-11T18:37:00.000-04:00

No Skating: Thin Ice
5x7, Oils on Canvas covered hardboard
$100 unframed via Paypal within the US
Email me if interested; my Paypal server link is still under the weather.

All the snow started melting today here in the northeast. I went to Leonard Park in Mt. Kisco, New York to do some painting. There is a lovely Chinese style pavillion there overlooking the pond. The ice was starting to melt as the sun peeked in and out of the clouds. It's nice to finally get a little taste of spring!

Last night was the opening of the Hudson Valley show at Freshman Fine Arts in Beacon. Many thanks to my friends and fans who came to see the show. Below are a few photos of my paintings there. Please contact the gallery directly at 845-440-8988 if you see something that interests you. The paintings range in size from 5x7" up to 24x36".

The show is really wonderful, with a wide variety of colorful work ranging from abstract to contemporary realism. Please do stop by and see it if you're in the area.

Fall Beginnings, varnished and framed

2007-03-09T15:43:00.000-05:00

Fall Beginnings
5x7, oils on canvas
$120, varnished and framed, including shipping within the U.S., payable via Paypal. (Email me if interested.)

This painting is varnished, framed with a lovely antiqued gold frame, and ready to hang on your wall or stand on a table with an easel back. All it needs is a spot on your wall, or the side table to a sofa!

This is one of my favorite trees along the lakeshore here by my house. The trunk and branches have so many interesting twists and turns, and the foliage turns a bright gold in late fall. I've been meaning to get out there to paint it in winter. I guess I'd better hurry up and do that before all the snow is gone!

Show Opening Saturday March 10, 6-9pm at Freshman Fine Arts

2007-03-09T09:44:00.000-05:00

I have eight paintings ranging in size from 5x7" up to 24x36" in a show opening tomorrow at Freshman Fine Arts in Beacon, NY. Please join us for some wine and munchies between 6 and 9pm to see different artists' interpretations of the Hudson River Valley, from abstract to realism.

There's always lots going on during Beacon's monthly "Second Saturday". Shops and galleries are open late, all the galleries have their new openings then, there are glass blowing demos at Hudson Beach Glass, and wine tasting at the Artisan wine shop. There are wonderful restaurants and antique shops. It's a great way to spend a Saturday night. Come join the fun!

Saturday, March 10, 6-9pm
Freshman Fine Arts
4 South Chestnut Street
Beacon, NY
Phone: 845.440.8988

Cherry Blossoms in the Italian Gardens at the Vanderbilt Mansion

2007-03-08T17:07:00.000-05:00

Cherry Blossoms in the Italian Gardens
12x16", oils on canvas covered hardboard
Email me if interested in purchasing. (Link on right under the links menu)

When out painting landscapes on location (plein air), artists encounter issues with changing light and having to work fast. Sometimes paintings need little fixes in the studio, such as picking out pieces of leaves that fell off trees, bumping up a few highlights, or adjusting color/value in spots to account for viewing with indoor lighting. I have several paintings done on location that have been waiting patiently in the studio for small fixes of one kind or another.

This painting was done last spring in the Italian Gardens at the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York, and has finally received a few touch-ups. The cherry blossoms there are nothing short of stunning. I can't wait for late April to roll around so I can paint cherry blossoms from life again!

Sunset Over the Fields

2007-03-07T08:33:00.000-05:00

Sunset Over the Fields
5 x 7", Oils on Canvas covered hardboard
Sold

This is another scene from beautiful New Paltz, New York, painted from a photo I took there last fall.

The new Hudson Valley Painter blog banner

2007-03-06T22:11:00.000-05:00

I'm moving my blog next week to its own domain name! I'll also be changing blog software. My designer suggested I come up with my own top banner for the blog, so I thought, what better banner for a Hudson Valley Painter than a panoramic scene from one of my favorite painting spots overlooking the Hudson River! I've done tens of paintings from this location. I went through photos this morning of this overview from Boscobel, taken through many years and seasons. The photo I chose from which to paint the banner was one taken on a chilly November day. This is gouache, painted on Fabriano artistico. It's 3x12, which is about the actual size of the banner, so I had to break out the teeny tiny brushes. Next I need to break out the Nikon to get a clearer image of it!

Not for sale at this time.

Magenta Mums and Brass Bird

2007-03-05T12:20:00.000-05:00

Magenta Mums and Brass Bird
16 x 12", Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$395 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

Bench With a View from Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

2007-03-04T21:06:00.000-05:00

Bench With a View
14 x 11", Oils on Canvas covered hardboard
$350 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)It was a gorgeous fall day at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation when I painted this on location, "en plein air". One of the preserve managers lives in the house at the bottom of this hill. The red fall fields and views of the surrounding hills make this one of my favorite spots on the 4700 acre property. There is a paintable scene in every direction! They recently put in the bench by the tree, providing weary hikers with a perfect resting spot to view the serene landscape.

Welcome to the USA Today readers!

2007-03-04T14:17:00.000-05:00

I'd like to give a big welcome to all the USA Today readers who are coming to visit my online studio/blog as a result of today's article in USA Weekend. Thanks so much for stopping in and browsing through my paintings.

The front blog page only holds 30 days of work, so you can see other paintings by clicking on the archive links on the right side of this page. Most unsold paintings not currently in galleries have Buy Now links so that you can pay by credit card or bank transfer securely through Paypal. Paintings are priced by size, hence the wide price range.

I do lots of pet and landscape commission work, so feel free to contact me if you've got a special pet or scene in mind that you'd love to see in paint!

Feel free to email any questions to me; there's a link directly to my email on the right side of this page, under "Links". I hope you enjoy your visit. There's a new post nearly every day, so please bookmark my site and come back often to see what's going on in the studio.

Jamie

Great Blue Heron in the Marsh

2007-03-04T09:19:00.000-05:00

Great Blue Heron
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)This painting was done from a photo that my sister took on a trip to Florida years ago. Great Blue Herons visit frequently on the stream behind my house. I plan to paint one from my own photos soon, but this pic that my sis took was so beautiful and majestic that I thought I'd try hers first! It's amazing how green the Florida greens are. I rarely need to punch up greens with viridian or phthalo green here in the northeast, but in working from this Florida photo, I finally had to give in and use a tiny dab of viridian mixed into the green of the foreground.

Salmon Sunset

2007-03-04T08:48:00.000-05:00

Salmon Sunset
5 x 7", Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

Chickadee Haven

2007-03-02T15:38:00.000-05:00

Chickadee Haven
6 x 8", Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$125 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)This is a 6x8" compositional study in oils for a large painting I'm doing for the headquarters of Putnam County Land Trust, which is the building in the painting. (It used to be called Chickadee Haven by its former owner.) It abuts their 140 acre Peach Lake Natural Area. I felt like having a little color explosion today, so I did it using Charles Sovek's cadmium orange/cerulean blue light/shadow underpainting. I always like the vibrancy and depth that combination yields. I'll be doing the larger painting with more of a yellow/violet color harmony, rather than the orange/blue.

Here's a little idea of how this was done. I started with a mix of cadmium orange and titanium white for the lights, and cerulean blue for the darks. All light areas were blocked in with the orange mixture, and darker areas with the blue:

This is the beginning of the color-adding process:

A Walk in New Paltz

2007-03-02T06:43:00.000-05:00

A Walk in New Paltz
5 x 7", Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)There is so much to paint from this one spot in scenic New Paltz, New York, that I think I could go there every day for a month and not run out of things to paint by just facing in different directions!

This painting can also be purchased with custom framing. Email me, rather than clicking the button above, if you wish to purchase it framed and ready to hang.

Lovebird's Concerto---oil painting

2007-02-28T21:46:00.000-05:00

Lovebird's Concerto
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
Sold
Click here to see gifts and personal items with reproductions of this painting that are available for purchase. More products with this image will be coming, so please check back soon!

Many thanks to Rodney and Tamara Money for the photo reference of their adorable bird. BeBe won top bench placement in the African Lovebird Society Pet Writing Contest just a few weeks ago. He is a Dutch Blue Pied Peach-faced Lovebird. Rodney and Tamara are lovebird breeders in North Carolina. You can check out the cute arrivals at their website. Rodney is also a composer, so it's not surprising that BeBe is playing a piano concerto.

I probably don't need to tell you how much fun it was to work on this painting, but I do think my lovebird, Mango, got a little jealous.

Soda Cans in the Studio

2007-02-27T16:10:00.000-05:00

Soda Cans in the Studio
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed masonite
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)I've had this setup in my studio for over a week, but just had a chance to finish up the painting today. Below is a picture of the setup in my studio. (You can see that the angle the photo was taken from is different from the angle at which the painting was done.) I know it's fun to have a peek inside the artist's studio sometimes. I did some recent rearranging. It's a lot more convenient to work in here now. I have greater flexibility, with additional setup space, so I can have a few still lifes cooking at once. I'll take photos to do a full studio tour soon. Stay tuned!

Red Barn on Butlerville Road

2007-02-27T06:54:00.000-05:00

Red Barn on Butlerville Road
10 x 8", Oils on Canvas covered hardboard
$245 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)This was painted from a photo I took in New Paltz, New York. I love the vistas there by the Shwangunk cliffs, with rolling farmland and old barns everywhere.

During winter break vacation, my daughter and I flipped over two Jenday Conures, and now have two more members of the family! They've taken up residence with Coconut and Mango in the upstairs studio. In addition to their endearing personalities and comic antics, I anticipate they will make ideal painting subjects! Please welcome the two girls, Lulu and Lucy. (Click to enlarge image.)

Initially we were going to get only Lulu, but they have been caged together for a few months now and we couldn't bear to separate them. Lulu is almost a year old, and Lucy is 7 months. Conures aren't known for talking ability, but learn tricks easily and are quite affectionate.

Yelllow Mums in February 12x12" oil painting

2007-02-25T19:02:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge:

Yellow Crysanthemums in February
12 x 12", Oils on Canvas covered hardboard
$295 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)Today I had a great time painting with palette knives for the first time in a long time. I must have been color starved after being away from painting much of this week! This was so much fun that I think I'd like to get back to doing some more knife paintings----perhaps one a week as a change of pace. This is larger than many of my "daily paintings" at 12x12". The paint is extremely thick and the work is very textural, which is hard to see in a digital rendition. I used a fairly large palette of colors, compared to my usual limited palette choice:
Cadmium yellow lemon
Cadmium yellow pale
Napthol Red
Burnt Sienna
Ultramarine Blue
Cobalt Blue
Cerulean Blue
Titanium White

Tomorrow I'll finish up a painting I started while my neice was here. I'm looking forward to getting back into the daily painting swing of things again.

Winter Break

2007-02-18T20:31:00.000-05:00

I'm off for several days of family activities. Schools are closed all week, and I've been having some fun doing things with my daughter and hubby. I'll be back with more artwork on Monday, February 26, if not before.

A Day of Thumbnail Sketches in Ink and Watercolor

2007-02-17T22:34:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge images:
Today was a busy day and I knew I wouldn't have time for a full-fledged painting, so I began the day by making a two-page grid of boxes in my sketchbook. That way, I could do small thumbnail sketches as I went about my day.

I used a Uniball Vision Micro pen to do all the drawing. For some of them, I used the little Koi watercolor box that's in the sketch, with a water barrel brush; for others, I used the palette below with an Escoda #6 travel brush (the gold cylinder in the photo). I loved doing this "grid" approach to quick sketches. It made them feel managable on a day when I otherwise would not have done any artwork at all. It looks pretty cool in the sketchbook too!

Red Berries and a Silver Guitar

2007-02-16T14:59:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge either image:

Red Berries and Silver Guitar
7 x 5", double matted to 10x8", Gouache on Fabriano Artistico 100% rag paper
$100 double matted, unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)This painting is sold in a beautiful double mat (shown below), ready to hang in any standard 8x10 picture frame.

This is a painting filled with things that are so special to me. The little silver guitar was given to me by a wonderful student of mine. The red berries are from a bouquet that my husband gave me for Valentine's Day. The beautiful red pot was made by a local potter Marilyn Price. I got it at the RiverWinds Gallery while out gallery-hopping with my friends last weekend. As soon as I saw it there on display, I knew I had to paint it!

Cherry Blossoms Along the Hudson

2007-02-16T05:17:00.000-05:00

Cherry Blossoms Along the Hudson
16 x 20", Oils on Canvas covered hardboard
Email me if interested. This painting is currently in a show.

This recent big winter storm has made me look forward to springtime! This is a painting I did on location in springtime at Boscobel Restoration, enjoying the beautiful cherry blossoms along the path above the Hudson River. The painting is varnished, framed, and ready to hang on your wall!

Three on a Swing

2007-02-14T19:30:00.000-05:00

Three on a Swing
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)Many thanks to bird breeder Linda Brandt for the reference image of three of her baby birds on a swing! We lovebird owners know how they adore their swings, so I was tickled to see this image of three climbing on board together. I haven't painted any birds for awhile, so I'm due. This one was great fun.

My palette for this painting:
Cadmium yellow lemon
Quinacridone Rose (Permanent Rose)
Ultramarine Blue Deep
Burnt Sienna
Titanium White

Gallery Sitting---All proceeds donated to rebuild Putnam Arts Council following Sundays fire

2007-02-13T15:10:00.000-05:00

Gallery Sitting
7 x 5", Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)All proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated to Putnam Arts Council for the rebuilding of their Art Center and Galleries following the horrible fire on Sunday night.

I painted this interior scene from life while gallery sitting at the Belle Levine Gallery at Putnam Arts Council. Following the fire on Sunday night/Monday morning, this gallery space is no more. Having recently shown about 40 paintings here during the holiday season, it's hard for me to believe it's gone. It is such a terrible loss for Putnam County. The sculpture in the painting, "Hawk of the Hudson", is by the wonderful sculptor Paul Yarden. It was made from driftwood found along the riverbank.

You can read more about the fire and public reaction (including my own) in

this newspaper article

Afternoon in Acadia National Park---oil painting

2007-02-12T13:17:00.000-05:00

Afternoon in Acadia
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
Sold
Every summer, my husband and I go up to Acadia National Park in Maine. We spend at least one day strolling along the beautiful ocean path , enjoying the scenery and ocean breeze while chatting and taking pictures. This painting was done this morning from one of the photographs I took there. I used a couple of paintings that I've done on location there as color references, since pictures never tell the whole story.

My palette for this painting was:
Cadmium Lemon
Permanent Rose
Ultramarine Blue Deep
Viridian
Burnt Sienna
Titanium White
Comparing this painting with the one I did on Saturday, you can see how moving away from the warm red and yellow I used there gave me the crisp, cool colors I needed for the very different light in this painting.

On a sad note, I just spoke with a local reporter who told me that the Putnam Arts Council had a serious fire overnight. With so many art centers folding around the country, I hate to think of the one closest to me not being able to continue. Hopefully they will rebuild. I can't imagine this community without an art center! I had about 40 paintings there through the holidays, and accidentally left one behind when I picked them up. I don't know yet if it survived the fire or not, but at least no people were hurt in the blaze. The March Member Show is on my website as one of the shows I was planning to participate in. This is a terrible loss to Putnam County's artists and the general public.

Winter Moonrise

2007-02-10T13:36:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge:

Winter Moonrise
5 x 7" matted to 8x10", Gouache on Fabriano Artistico 100% rag paper
$100 matted, unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)Many thanks to Connie van Winssen for use of a photo reference for this painting from her villiage of Westbroek in The Netherlands. I don't generally paint from photos other than my own, but I was so captivated by the colors and mood of this scene that I just had to paint it!

I selected a warm, limited palette of colors: Yellow deep, Venetian red, Ultramarine blue, and white to bring out the rich warmth and glow of the scene.

Below, you can see what my palette ended up looking like when I was finished! I did wipe it off once during the painting process, after laying in the initial colors. When a palette gets too muddy, that mud starts making its way into the painting.

Below is just the painting by itself, before it was signed and matted. This was such a joy to paint! Thanks, Connie!

Tracks in the Snow at Sunrise oil painting 6x6

2007-02-07T13:20:00.000-05:00

Tracks in the Snow at Sunrise
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)I looked out the window this morning and there was a beautiful sunrise of subdued violets and yellows over the lake. I wasn't yet set up to paint, and knew that what I was seeing would vanish long before I had a chance to lay out palette and get my brushes. Rather than skip painting a sunrise, I went through photos I'd taken of the view in previous winters. I came across one I'd been meaning to paint for a long time, and spent the morning having a wonderful time doing this painting.

Tomorrow morning, I'll have to make sure I'm set up earlier to catch it in the moment!

Here's an update of my show calendar so far for 2007:
March 10-about April 8---Hudson River Show at Freshman Fine Arts, 4 South Chestnut St, Beacon
May 12-June 4---Lower Hudson Valley Plein Air Painters show at Bannerman Island Gallery, Main St, Beacon
June 15-July 1---White Silo Winery (four-artist show)
September---Two-person show with Suhua Wood at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation
October---Artists on Location, Garrison
November---Two-person show with Walter Mosley at Bannerman Island Gallery
December---Solo show at North Salem Library

Of course you can always see a rotating selection of my work in all styles and subjects at The Paint Box in Bedford Hills.

There's a link on the right to my blog for my shows, openings and other events. Stay tuned there for more news. I'll add specifics as the dates get closer.

Brass Pitcher and an Apple in Sue's Studio

2007-02-06T19:34:00.000-05:00

Brass Pitcher and Apple
7 x 5" matted to 10x8, Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico 100% rag paper
$50 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)I had a couple of hours of free time while my daughter was at gymnastics, so I went over to my plein air buddy's studio, which is near the gym, and did a couple of watercolor sketches. Sue and I paint outside all the time together, but not in the winter when it's about five degrees out! It's really fun to play with someone else's still life stuff. She has this sweet brass pitcher that I loved painting. I've put it in a double mat, so it's all ready to pop into any standard 8x10 frame.

It was my birthday a few days ago and my husband got me these gorgeous red sable, Escoda travel brushes, sizes 10 and 6. The brushes come apart and slip inside the tubes that double as handles. This watercolor sketch was my first test drive of the new brushes. I love them to bits! They fit right inside the pocket of my sketchbook cover too.

The Wall Shelf 30x24 oils on stretched canvas

2007-02-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

Wall Shelf
30 x 24", Oils on stretched canvas
$1800 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

His Favorite Chair

2007-02-04T20:50:00.000-05:00

His Favorite Chair
10 x 8", Oils on Canvas board
$195 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

Carnations and a Shell, oil painting 6x8

2007-02-03T19:23:00.000-05:00

Carnations and a Shell
8 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$125 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

Sketches of Old Sturbridge Village

2007-02-01T20:18:00.000-05:00

All images can be clicked for larger versions.

I drove up to Massachusetts today to have brunch with my son, and decided to sketch at Old Sturbridge Village while I was in the vicinity. What a fabulous place to draw and paint! It's an old colonial village, with everything from farms and sawmills to pottery demonstrations and hot mulled cider over an open fire. They do not allow photography nor artwork for commercial purposes, but they had no problem with me bringing my sketchbook around.

These are ink and watercolor in a 5.5x8.25" Hand Book Journal. They're done across the two-page spreads, so each image is about 8x10". The images are a little distorted because the paper doesn't lie perfectly flat.

I started out in the Towne House (above), on the recommendation of the sweet woman working the Admissions counter. I could have spent the whole day drawing there, but there were so many other things to see!

The Fenno House was my next sketching stop, where this big fireplace with oven and built in cabinets above captured my interest (below). I didn't realize there was a person spinning wool in the next room! We chatted for awhile about all the interesting things there, and I sketched a couple of them. She gave me a piece of unspun wool to bring home. The little house in the drawing below is the Fenno House.

The District School (below) had a sloping floor so that the students in the back would be able to see the teacher! The benches were built so that the backs served as desks for the students behind.

On the upper right, that brick structure is a huge pottery kiln. When I say, "huge," I mean about 20 feet tall! The kiln takes 3-5 cords of wood to stoke the fire, and can handle about 800 pots at a time. They fire up the kiln a few times a year.

The image below that one was sketched in the kitchen at the Freeman House and Farm, where I was served hot mulled cider by a woman dressed as a farmer's wife in colonial times. She was cooking bread pudding over the open hearth in the kitchen. On top of the cabinet is a sugarloaf. The farmer's wife would break off pieces and grind them with the mortar and pestle.

When I left the farm and continued walking down the road, I saw this picturesque covered bridge over a frozen pond (below). I walked past the blacksmith, sawmill, and some other buildings and crossed over the bridge, heading back to the Village Green.

The bank in the Village Green is really pink! It was getting late, so I headed back to the main building to quickly check out the Clock Museum before it was time to go. On my way there, I came across an artist painting a wall mural based on a colonial woodcut. He'd project a transparency of the woodcut onto the wall, and then do an interpretation in black acrylic on the white wall. It looked fabulous.

I only had enough time left to get to the gift shop. I wanted some kind of a small souveneir, made there at Old Sturbridge Village, to bring home with me. I found the perfect item; it's a little ceramic inkwell!

Work in Progress Image 7---last section of the Wall Shelf

2007-01-31T15:31:00.000-05:00

WHEW! I finally finished this section of the wall shelf. That red and gold espresso cup and saucer proved to be easily the most difficult still life subject I've ever tackled. There were several moments when I thought about removing it from the setup, and replacing it with something else. What a challenge! Not only was the color and glimmer of the gold tough, but getting the geometry right was extremely difficult. However, now I'm glad I climbed the mountain, and I can just enjoy the view!

Below is the painting as it stands thus far. I still need to paint the whole frame of the shelf, which is actually a beat-up old window frame. I'm sorry it's not a great photo; I'll get a better one when the painting is finished.

Struggling Through

2007-01-30T17:51:00.000-05:00

Why is it that there's often the largest hurdle near the finish line? I'm struggling, struggling with this last section, then still need to complete painting the shelf itself. The progress image of the section isn't all that exciting, so I'll spare y'all the sight of it and will hopefully have something to show for my efforts by later tomorrow. I knew this painting was moving along too smoothly to be for real!

Work in Progress Image 6--- Wall Shelf section completed

2007-01-29T15:59:00.000-05:00

It's time to get back to this big painting and finish it up. I completed the remainder of the section I started on Friday, and will be starting the last section later today.

Click to enlarge:

Here's a sneak peek at the whole painting so far, minus the exterior shelf edge. The center vertical and lower right section are still unpainted. I'm hoping to finish up by the end of the week.

Open Studio Life Drawing---25 minute pose 36x24"

2007-01-28T17:36:00.000-05:00

36x24", 25 minute pose:

36x24", 25 minute pose:

I love drawing on this crinkly brown craft paper, but taking photos of the results is always an insurmountable challenge. I'm finally arriving at the inevitable conclusion that if I like working on this color, I'm going to have to find a source for it that is in a form that stays flatter.

I finally got back to open studio life drawing today. It's such a great break from my usual art routine. I'll have 8 weeks of it on Sundays. That should almost get me back to plein air season! The poses were mostly one minute and ten minutes. We only got two, twenty-five minute poses out of the three hour session.

I deserve a day off!

2007-01-27T13:55:00.000-05:00

So, I'm taking one. I went shopping this morning for office furniture for hubby. Once back home, I brought Mango down to my studio to keep me company, but I just ended up playing with him as he chirped and climbed all over the outside of his cage, while I talked on the phone and looked at travel brushes online. This must mean that I need a day off. I'll be heading down to New York City later for my daughter's gymnastics competition. Maybe I'll do some sketches down there. Maybe not!

Work in Progress Image 6a--- a section of a section of the Wall Shelf

2007-01-26T20:43:00.000-05:00

I've got just a section of a section to show for today. So much to paint, so little time!

Work in Progress Image 5---another section of the Wall Shelf

2007-01-25T18:36:00.000-05:00

Click any image to enlarge

I've really been looking forward to painting this section with the figures, amber glass, and wooden clock. The little figures came with pianos and piano stools and were given to me by my dad, but they've temporarily suspended their duo to model for my painting. I got the beautiful hand-blown amber glass at a flea market. I saw it and just swooned! The wooden clock was a gift from a friend, and was made by her parents.

I still have a few little tweaks to do, but I'll do them as I move on with the other sections, or at the end. I'm sure I'll see more to do by then!

I thought it was time to let y'all take a peek at how the whole thing is coming along, so I've got two additional images for you. Below is the section I did today with yesterday's section.

Below is a picture of my studio with the setup and the painting. The painting isn't as wide as it appears here; that's the photo distortion at work, and one of the reasons why I prefer to work from life. There is an excitement inherent in working directly from the source. I'd be very bored painting this from a photo, but the character of the objects, the way the light hits them and the warmth of the colors, is something I can really feel when painting from life. It transforms the experience.

Work in Progress Image 4---another section of the Wall Shelf

2007-01-24T19:23:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge:

Here's another section of the 30x24" painting of the wall shelf. This may still need a little more work on the leaves, but I'll go back and do it at the end when the other sections are finished and I can better judge how it works as a whole. The image above was photographed with a very yellow light overhead. The color is actually closer to the image below:

Many have asked me to take progress images on the sections, which I keep forgetting to do! I remembered to stop for one today. It usually takes me three "passes" to complete a section. The first pass is a basic color stage, where I block in the main colors, lights and darks. Here's an image taken at the end of that first pass. I usually stop then and take a short break, let the paint set up a little, and then work over all the elements a second time, pushing the lights and darks and starting to add more detail. On the third pass, I make sure the highlights and dark accents are strong enough, and tweak anything that doesn't look quite right.

Work in Progress Image 3---another section of the Wall Shelf

2007-01-23T15:30:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge:

I tackled another section of the wall shelf today. Painting that racoon was so very much fun! Below you can see what it looks like with the section from yesterday.

Work in Progress Image 2---a part of the Wall Shelf

2007-01-22T14:40:00.000-05:00

This is about a 10x9" section of the full 30x24" painting. The unpainted thing at the top is part of the racoon's tail hanging down from the upper shelf. Maybe I'll paint that section tomorrow. Sorry about the glare in the upper right. It's wet wet wet and the darks are so shiny until it dries.

I ended up having to add a bit of cadmium yellow pale to my palette. I'm using a Masterson palette with a sheet of glass in it that I cut to size. I cover it and stick it in the freezer when I'm done painting.

I'll have another installment tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Work in Progress---Wall Shelf monochrome stage 30x24"

2007-01-21T18:11:00.000-05:00

Wall Shelf #3, 30x24", oils on stretched canvas, monochrome stage
Click to enlarge:
I didn't get quite as far today as I'd hoped, but I finished the compositional stage and as much as I'm going to do of a monochrome underpainting. It's far enough along to start putting in color tomorrow and working section by section. You can see that I repositioned several items since yesterday. Because the canvas is a slightly different proportion than the actual shelf, and also to emphasize certain elements, I adjusted object shapes to better fill the space. I pull out the old Artistic License when I need to make changes. *grin*

Above is a picture of the still life area in my studio. I love having a U-shaped work area, because I can step far back from my easel to view the painting without tripping over anything, and everything is within reach. The chair is for the computer on the right. I prefer to stand when I paint, unless I'm painting very small. You might think the tarp is there to protect the carpet, but it's actually to provide additional cushioning for my feet!

I'll be doing this painting with just four colors and two whites, unless I make an addition along the way. I chose these particular colors based upon what I need to be able to mix for the colors in the setup, and also because I want to steer the painting a little to the warm side. I'll be using:
Winsor Newton Artist Cadmium Yellow
Williamsburg Cadmium Red Medium
Rembrandt Transparent Oxide Red
My own homemade Ultramarine Deep
Classic Artist Oils Titanium White
Winsor Newton Griffin Titanium White
I'll be mixing the two whites together in order to get a titanium white that will dry a bit faster. I'm not crazy about the consistency of the Griffin alkyd white, but mixed with the dreamy, creamy Classic Artist Oils version, it works quite well.

My little Peach-faced Lovebird, Mango, lives upstairs, but I have an extra cage down in my studio so that we can keep each other company. He likes to climb around the playset on top of the cage while listening to music and supervising my progress.

Work in Progress---Wall Shelf--photograph of setup

2007-01-20T16:50:00.000-05:00

I spent the afternoon lugging this heavy, old wall shelf into my studio and filling it with objects from the current scavenger hunt. (See post below.) With my daughter's help, I was able to hoist it onto the still life table in my studio, where it fit perfectly. I'll probably still switch out a few items and move things around a bit. Then I'll be getting down to work on this for the next week or so on a 24x30 canvas.

I'll be posting daily to show a section at a time. Usually I work on a whole painting at once, moving around here and there over the canvas. My plan for this one is different though. I'll do a block-in the first day, and after that I'll likely be going object to object, a few at a time. This is going to be a lot of fun! I'll be working on it only from life, not from a photo, but from the spectator's perspective, it's always interesting to get an idea of what the artist started out with.

This shelf was a flea market find. It's made from old, heavy 2x4s and weighs a ton! I think after it's done its duty for this painting, I'll keep it in my studio to hold supplies.

The Beginnings of a Scavenger Hunt

2007-01-20T13:27:00.000-05:00

Every 9 days, a new Scavenger Hunt begins in the Artwork from Life forum on the Wetcavas website. Members sign up to host, and from January 20-28, it's my turn to play host and select the list items for the hunt. For those of you who would like to play along, the basic rules are:

All items on the list must be sketched from life--not imagination nor photo references
Each object you draw can count for only one item on the list, no matter how many shapes/parts/colors that object contains. This was agreed to by unanimous vote among the participants
You may place multiple objects together in a painting, and may count those objects as separate list items, but no single object can count for more than one list item.
All items posted must be numbered. Count them as you go. The first item you sketch and post will be #1 regardless of its place on the list. Do them in whatever order you wish, but count them in the order in which you sketch them, from 1 to 26.

You can do as many or as few items as you like; you don't have to finish the entire list to participate!

The List:

shelves or cabinet
vase
bottle
pitcher
fruit
stuffed animal
something yellow
figure (doll or sculpture)
clock, hourglass or timer
brass or gold object
seashell
favorite gemstone or rock
books
box (can be small/decorative)
a tin (Altoids, cookie tin, etc.)
bowl
copper object
silver object
flowerpot
flower
leaves/greenery
plate
cup
musical instrument (real, decorative, or mini)
wooden object
drinking glass

If there are any items you do not have, feel free to substitute with whatever you wish. Try to come as close as you can to a requested object.

I have a special challege for this week. (The challenge is totally optional.) All of the items have been selected so that they can fit into a single painting or drawing. Yep, that's right! Get out that HUGE sheet of paper you've been saving. Even a large piece of newsprint or a cut up paper bag should do just fine. A full sheet of watercolor or fine drawing paper would be awesome. Use a canvas and oils if you'd like. You can do either all or just part of the list this way and still count it as completion of the challenge.

1. Position the items on the shelves or cabinet. Take a pic to show us if you'd like. Select your surface to work on.
2. Sketch/paint the items one at a time, or in small groups, just as you would for any other scavenger hunt. Take pics of your work as you go, so you can number them and show us the items as you do them. We will be seeing cropped versions of the entire piece as you continue to work on it.
3. When you've finished, take a photo so that we can see the completed work with all the items you've included in the challenge.

If you'd like to post your images on Wetcanvas with the rest of the gang, here's the thread we're all posting to:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=395884

This should be great fun.

Five More Sketches from the Scavenger Hunt

2007-01-19T22:14:00.000-05:00

The Wetcanvas Scavenger Hunt #25 ends tomorrow, so I slipped in in a few more sketches from the list of 26 items. These are 7x11 pages from the sketchbook I made last week. The sketches are Uniball Vision ink pen and watercolor. No time for an oil painting today.

Tomorrow starts a new scavenger hunt, and I'm the host this time! It will run from January 20-January 28 (nine days). I'll post a link here for anybody who's interested in joining in. I'll put the list up early in the morning, and will post it here on my blog as well. Stay tuned!

Clementine in a Bowl on a Box

2007-01-18T17:28:00.000-05:00

One Clementine in a Bowl on a Box
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)This proved to be a much more challenging subject than I anticipated! I had a wonderful time today working through the issues presented by the interesting shapes, angles, and reflected light and color. I got this fascinating little bowl at the flea market last weekend. I have no idea what its original purpose was. It's hard for me to envision a use for it, but it sure did work well for the painting! The mahogany boxes have also proved to be wonderful props. I love the rich, warm color and the flexibility they offer in positioning subjects .

My palette for this painting was:
Williamsburg Cadmium Yellow Medium
Williamsburg Cadmium Red Medium
Winsor Newton Artist Cadmium Orange
Winsor Newton Artist Burnt Sienna
Homemade Ultramarine Blue Deep
WN Griffin and Classic Artist Oils Titanium Whites mixed together

Brass Pitcher in a Mahogany Box framed oil painting

2007-01-17T15:33:00.000-05:00

Brass Pitcher in a Mahogany Box
5 x 5", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$110 framed as shown, via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

When I was away in Pennsylvania last weekend, I went to a flea market. I found all kinds of old copper and brass objects, glass items, little bowls and pitchers, and a wonderful set of old mahogany nesting boxes. The woman at the flea market remembered me from last year. She pulled out boxes and boxes of "stuff" for me to sift through. The result of all this is: I have lots of new things to paint! This is one of the mahogany boxes lying on its side with a little brass pitcher peeking out.

I painted it on a 5x5" panel because I have this wonderful frame that size which is a perfect match for the brass of the pitcher. I love it to bits! The price is for the painting framed with shipping within the US, but if you'd prefer to purchase it unframed, please email me and I will lower the price accordingly. This frame can sit on a table or be hung on a wall.

More Vacation Sketches from the Weekend

2007-01-16T19:45:00.000-05:00

Here's another watercolor sketch set across two pages of the new journal from this past weekend. You can click the image to enlarge it.

I did an oil painting today, but it has lots of darks in it which are causing a lot of glare. I'll get a much better photograph of it if I wait a day for it to dry a bit, so you'll see that one tomorrow. In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying the sketches from my trip. I love working in this new journal. Can't wait to try some other mediums in it.

Vacation Sketches and Review of Hand Book Journal

2007-01-15T17:18:00.000-05:00

Click for larger image:

My husband and I just returned from a wonderful weekend away. I had some time to do some watercolor sketches in the hotel suite and simultaneously test-drive the new Hand Book Journal that I got from Dick Blick. The one I got is 8.25x5.5", portrait format. I used it as an 8x10 sheet, painting across the two page spreads. This book by far exceeded my expectations! The surface takes watercolor quite well with minimal wrinkling and it has a wonderful texture for drawing too--not too slick and not too rough. The paper is thick; I'd say it's not quite the weight of Stonehenge with a similar surface texture. Highly recommended! I'm looking forward to trying it out with colored pencils, acrylics and gouache too. It's also available in a very cool square format, and in a pocket size version.

Sailing at Sunset

2007-01-12T09:07:00.000-05:00

Sailing at Sunset
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
Sold

When we were in Maine last summer, we went for a sunset sail on the four-masted schooner Margaret Todd. We lucked out with a spectacular sunset. I took oodles of photos, including the one of this boat sailing nearby. Every time he tacked, the light would catch the sails from a different direction. I was so glad to have my camera along!

I got up extra early to finish the painting this morning. I'm going to be offline for a few days after this post, but I'll see y'all back here on Tuesday.

A Stroll Through the Gallery 7x22"---click on blog image for larger view

2007-01-11T16:09:00.000-05:00

Click image to enlarge:

This is the inside, 2-page centerfold spread of the Art Journal "Gallery-in-a-book" that I'm working on. It measures a little larger than 7x22". The painting on the left, plus all of the gold frames, are painted directly on the paper. The other three abstract paintings are original "Art Card" paintings, 2.5x3.5" each, affixed with removable tape to the paper. I liked the idea of presenting my original miniature paintings in a gallery format without destroying them as individual works. It's fun to see what they'd look like if they were actually enormous paintings hanging on a gallery wall instead of just a couple of inches top to bottom! The titles of the paintings, from left to right are:
Jester
Struck by Lightning
Evening Music
Dueling Boxes

The work on the two pages is done with black ink, gold ink, acrylic, and watercolor. The writing just above the floor describes the paintings.

You can see my January 6 post below for more information about this 8 page journal. Five more pages to go! The journal will be posted here for sale when it is completed. You can also see larger versions of the individual paintings in my posts from the past couple of weeks by scrolling down the blog page.

7am Lake Sunrise 3x5" beautifully framed

2007-01-10T15:13:00.000-05:00

7am Lake Sunrise
3 x 5", Casein on illustration board
SOLD
This 3x5" plein air casein painting is beautifully framed and ready to hang on your wall. Casein is an archival, non-soluble (when dry) milk-based medium with brilliant color and a matt finish. It looks similar to oils but without the slight gloss, and like oils, the paint does not lift. It is a wonderful and underused medium that is experiencing a resurgence in popularity, and with good reason!

Life Drawing 45 minute pose 36x24"

2007-01-09T20:26:00.000-05:00

The image above is a cropped version of the 36x24" sketch of Amy. I never feel I come away from a life drawing session with a "finished" piece since the poses are so short, but it's great practice to keep going after that elusive goal. This sketch was done on my favorite brown crinkly craft paper, which makes it hard to get a good photo. I tear off 24x36" sheets from a huge roll and clip them to a big piece of foamcore. I like working on the midtone surface, since I can just add my lights and darks. Amy is a fabulous model and also an artist, so she always thinks about how a pose will fill the page. The medium is charcoal and pastels. The full image is below.

Kids on the Beach in oils

2007-01-08T15:33:00.000-05:00

Kids on the Beach
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
Sold

I painted this today in oils from a photo I took while visiting my parents in Florida. My kids hate to have their pictures taken, but they were having too much fun to notice.

Palette:
Cadmium Yellow Light
Cadmium Red
Ultramarine Blue Deep
Transparent Red Oxide
Phthalo Green
Titanium White

Windmill on the Hill oil painting---plus Sketchbook Making instructions

2007-01-07T15:07:00.000-05:00

Windmill on the Hill
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)Tilly Foster Farm is an old horse farm that was purchased a few years ago by Putnam County to retain as open space. It has beautiful rolling fields, old buildings and barns, and a fantastic overview of miles and miles from the top of the pastures. This painting was done from a photo I took there in the fall.

Making a Multi-Media Sketchbook
I've made a number of sketchbooks over the years and have recently been asked to share some of them. This is perhaps the easiest, most useful, and most versatile of them all. The biggest advantages to this design are that many different kinds of paper can be used for various media and effects, plus the paper can be removed easily for framing.

Use any kind of cardboard, foamcore, illustration board, or matboard for your covers. I used scrap pieces of matboard that I had around the house and cut two pieces to the same size. Purchase some ringbinder rings in an office supply store. I got mine at Staples (very inexpensive). Holes were punched in the matboard for the rings:

Next, cut various types of paper that you like to use for painting, drawing, and sketching. Be sure to cut the paper about 1/2 inch smaller than the matboard. When in use, you'll be doubling over the matboard to serve as a firm drawing board. The matboard edges also serve to protect the edges and corners of the paper. Punch holes in the paper, making sure they line up with the holes you've punched in the covers. You can paint your cover to decorate your sketchbook, but I just left mine blank.

If you use a lot of wet media, consider a piece of foamcore for one or both covers, coated with a couple of coats of acrylic medium, to use as a painting board. You can even tape paper down to it that way after removing a sheet from the book, or use metal office clips to hold it. Oil pastel and soft pastel artists can include sheets of glassine with holes punched, to place between finished drawings.

Glue a pocket to the inside of the front cover. (See image below.) I used this to hold templates for standard sizes. If you have, for instance, a 5x7" template in the pocket, you can pull it out to draw a quick 5x7 rectangle on a piece of the paper. Then you'll have a drawing or painting that will fit perfectly into a ready-made mat and frame. The little pocket also comes in handy for photo references, drawings, a ruler, etc. I put a sticker on the inside of the cover saying "If found please return to" with my name, address and phone number.

You can click on the image below to enlarge it:

On the right side, the shiny plastic is a sheet of clear acetate. When working in colored pencil or graphite, I'd keep this under my hand to stop the pencil from smudging. I kept another sheet of it in the little pocket inside the cover. You can also keep glassine in the book, or whatever else you use to protect your finished work.

I hope this helps some of you who want a sketchbook that can do it all!

Art and Sketch Journal Beginnings

2007-01-06T18:43:00.000-05:00

I've decided to begin making a series of art journals, which will each contain a collection of sketches, paintings in various mediums, art cards mounted inside, collage work, and some experimental pieces. I'll post pages as they are completed, and possibly put the journal up for sale when it is completed. I'll continue to do oil paintings too of course. I need a lot of variety in my life. *big grin*

This Journal Number 1 is eight, 7.25x11.25" pages of Arches hot press, 100% 140 lb. rag watercolor paper. The image above is a cropped photograph of the first page/cover. I really like that square format. Perhaps I'll make the next journal a square.

The full page is below. On the right side is the item list of the current "Scavenger Hunt" from the Artwork from Life forum on www.wetcanvas.com. Every 8 days, a new list is posted and participants draw or paint those objects from life (no photo references) that they find around their homes. I've been enjoying participating when I can, and figured I might include many of those objects in the current journal. Today I sketched and painted the mechanical pencil, journal, and ruler from among the list elements.

If you click this image, you can see it closer to actual size:

Salmon Sunset oil painting

2007-01-05T16:10:00.000-05:00

Salmon Sunset
5 x 7", Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

Evening Music---Watercolor and inks on watercolor paper

2007-01-04T08:33:00.000-05:00

Evening Music
2.5 x 3.5", watercolor and inks on watercolor paper
$10 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

Winter Serenade---Watercolor, black and metallic inks on watercolor paper

2007-01-03T23:05:00.000-05:00

Winter Serenade
2.5 x 3.5", Watercolor and inks on watercolor paper
$8 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)I'm having way too much fun with these little abstracts.

Stroll in the Park

2007-01-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

Stroll in the Park
8 x 6", Oils on Canvas covered hardboard
$125 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

Warm Geometrics With Gold and two more ACEO mixed media paintings

2007-01-01T15:24:00.000-05:00

Yep, I'm still playing with some abstract ideas, but plan to return to some more traditional artwork tomorrow.

Warm Geometrics With Gold, 2.5x3.5" (ACEO)
This painting is watercolor and ink with a gold metallic border and detailing, on watercolor paper:

Vacation Time, 2.5x3.5" ACEO
Ink and red acrylic, with silver metallic border and detailing, on watercolor paper

New Year's Eve, 2.5x3.5" ACEO
Neocolor II and ink on watercolor paper

$8 each via Paypal to JamieWG@aol.com, including postage within the US. Specify date (1/1/07) and title of painting with your payment and I'll get it right off to you. One of the advantages of acrylic, ink and watercolor is that they don't need weeks of drying time!

Boxes and a Monoprint With Gold ACEO 2.5x3.5" miniature abstract painting

2006-12-31T17:25:00.000-05:00

Continuing on with some fun abstract experiments........
This painting began with boxes painted on Arches hot press watercolor paper in acrylic. Next, a black monoprinted image was pressed from a glass plate. Lastly, gold metallic trimming was added.
About actual size:

Enlarged image:

Boxes and a Monoprint With Gold
2.5 x 3.5", Acrylic and metallic ink on Arches hot press 100% rag paper
$8 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

Australian Groper ACEO miniature painting in acrylic

2006-12-30T17:29:00.000-05:00

Australian Groper
2.5 x 3.5", Acrylic on Arches hot press watercolor paper
$15 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

Little Cranberry Island in Maine

2006-12-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

Little Cranberry Island in Maine
This is an ACEO size miniature (2.5x3.5"), gouache on 100% rag watercolor paper. It is a scene from a photo I took while visiting Little Cranberry Island for a day, off the coast of Maine. The price is $25 including postage within the United States, payable via Paypal. Email me if interested. (Email link is on the sidebar.)

Five Miniature ACEO Size Abstract Paintings

2006-12-28T21:26:00.000-05:00

Today I decided to play with some abstract ideas in a miniature format. They are standard Art Card (ACEO) size of 2.5x3.5"---the size of playing cards. The images below should be showing the cards at approximately actual size.

Jug and an Oatmean Raisin Cookie---gouache and ink on acrylic primed watercolor paper:

Sugarbowl---gouache and ink on acrylic primed watercolor paper:

Struck by Lightning--acrylic on Fabriano Artistico 100% rag paper:

Dueling Boxes---Sharpie marker on acrylic primed watercolor paper:

I might expand on some of these ideas for oil paintings, or more ACEOs/minis.

These are $4.99 each including shipping in the US, via Paypal only. Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested. Include the title of the painting you'd like and I'll email a Paypal invoice to you.

Hastings on Hudson Water Tower along the Hudson River en plein air, oil painting

2006-12-27T19:20:00.000-05:00

Hastings Water Tower en plein air
12 x 16", Oils on Canvas covered hardboard
$395 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)This is a plein air painting that I did in July of the famous water tower at Hastings-on-Hudson. There has been a big environmental feud brewing between residents who want the tower restored and kept as a local landmark, and the property owner who wants to avoid the high costs of restoration and just tear it down to build something more lucrative. I love the warm colors and interesting shapes, and wanted to be sure I had the opportunity to capture it in paint before it disappeared.

Last sketches of Scavenger Hunt 22---I'm done!

2006-12-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge image.

Scavenger Hunt 22 (See my Dec. 20 post) contained a list of 26 items. These are the five I had left. I arranged them in a still life to finish up the hunt. They are sketched with a Uniball Vision pen and watercolors. The items are:
22. Something cold: ice cube
23. Puddle: The melted water from the ice cube
24. Coaster: What the ice cube is resting on
25. Cutlery: My favorite Henkle knife
26. Something you dislike: Dead flowers!

I'm glad that I managed to finish up all 26 items in spite of a heavy holiday schedule here. It's been a lot of fun to have this sketching break from the usual finished painting routine. With 14 coming for lunch tomorrow, it's likely that I won't be able to get any painting done until at least Thursday, but I hope to get back to the oils soon!

Scavenger Hunt three more items, almost finished!

2006-12-25T20:16:00.000-05:00

These are all Prismacolor pencil in my 7x10" Canson Montval cold press watercolor book. Click on the image to enlarge it.

These are items 19-21 of the 26-item scavenger hunt, so I've only five left to do by Wednesday to complete the hunt. (See my December 20 posting for more about the Scavenger Hunts.) Hopefully I'll be able to do at least a couple of paintings after that and before the New Year. The most challenging item by far in the hunt this week is to draw/paint a piece of crumpled foil. I put that one off about as long as possible, and you can see why; mine doesn't at all resemble crumpled foil. Actually, I crumpled it into the vague shape of a swan in the hope that if it didn't make it as crumpled foil, it could be loosely identified as a swan. Very loosely. Imaginatively. *smile* I'm giving up on that one for now, though I might throw in some gouache highlights and try to salvage it later. I'm looking forward to seeing what the other scavenger hunt participants do with that one.

The ear belongs to my nephew, Tal, who is one of our houseguests till Wednesday. He was sketching a clementine while I drew his ear.

I cut a twig from a forsythia bush and brought it inside to sketch, to satisfy the "twig" component of the hunt. I loved the little buds forming along the twig stems. Pretty soon, it will be time to force bloom some for a late winter painting.

Just After Sunrise en plein air, and Merry Christmas!

2006-12-24T13:17:00.000-05:00

Just After Sunrise en plein air
Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
Sold

Seven More Sketches from the Scavenger Hunt

2006-12-23T23:12:00.000-05:00

Since I'm so busy through the holidays, I've joined an online sketching "Scavenger Hunt" this week, where participants draw as much as they can from a list of 26 items. At least I can keep doing a little artwork, without the pressure of having to turn out finished paintings every day. Sketching is such great practice, and I try to do a day of sketches at least once a month. These are all pen and ink with watercolor in my 7x10" Canson Montval Watercolor book.

Click on the images to see larger versions. See the post from 12/20 for more information about the Scavenger Hunts.

More Scavenger Hunt Sketches

2006-12-22T09:39:00.000-05:00

Click to see a larger image.

Read about the current Scavenger Hunt on my December 20 post below. These are four more list items, done on a page of my 7x10" Cotman watercolor book.

Red Trees on a Grey Day

2006-12-21T20:54:00.000-05:00

Red Trees on a Grey Day
8x6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
Sold

A Scavenger Hunt of Sketches in ink, watercolor, acrylic

2006-12-20T16:50:00.000-05:00

Click to view larger images.

The Wetcanvas art website has a Scavenger Hunt that starts every 8 days. Since my time is so interrupted now with holiday goings-on, I figured I'd jump in there and do as much sketching as I can when I don't have a long block of time for oil painting. You can find the rules and the current list here:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=389272
Anybody is welcome to jump in and participate! Basically, you find items to sketch from life from the current list. You can do as many or as few as you like, but it's a nice challenge to try and complete them all within the 8 day period. You may do them in any size, time frame and medium, but they must all be done from life---no photo references allowed. You can see the current list by clicking on that first image; I wrote it down at the bottom of the page. Some scavenger hunts also include special "challenges" in addition to the 26 items, but this one did not.

It's such a fun break from the usual routine. For the sketches above, I used a Sharpie marker (just on the first one), Uniball Vision Micro pen, Prismacolor pencils, Koi watercolors, and Golden Fluid acrylics. They are in my 7x10" Cotman watercolor book.

Road in the Preserve (Ward Pound Ridge) plein air oil painting

2006-12-19T18:54:00.000-05:00

Road in the Preserve
5 x 7", Oils on Canvas covered hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

Maine Sunset painting matted and ready to frame

2006-12-18T15:39:00.000-05:00

Maine Sunset
5 x 7", Acrylic on Arches hot press 100% rag paper
$49.99 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)I remember so well the vividness of the sunset on the night I took the photo for this painting. We were returning from a sunset cruise on one of those perfect Maine evenings. This painting is 3x4.5", and is hinge-mounted to a backing board and double matted to fit into any standard 5x7 frame. The backing board, double mat, painting and shipping are all included in the price within the US. It would make a nice trio with the two acrylics from the previous two days! The photo makes the mat appear a little grey, but it is actually an ivory colored outer mat.

Sailing by Porcupine Island in Maine matted and ready to frame

2006-12-17T16:16:00.000-05:00

Sailing by Porcupine Island
5 x 7", Acrylic on Arches hot press 100% rag paper
$49.99 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)This past summer, our hotel room in Bar Harbor faced the Porcupine Islands. We'd watch the boats sailing in and out of the harbor. This painting was done from one of the photos I took there. The painting itself is 3x4.5". It is mounted to a backing board and beautifully double-matted to 5x7", so it is ready to pop into your favorite standard 5x7 frame.

Frozen Pond matted and ready for a frame

2006-12-16T21:03:00.000-05:00

Frozen Pond
7 x 5", acrylic on Arches hot press rag paper
$49.99 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)This acrylic painting was done today from a photo I took last winter of a frozen pond in Somers, New York. The painting is 4.5x3". I have mounted it to a backing board and double matted it to 5x7", to fit in any standard 5x7" frame. Price includes the backing board, double mat, and shipping, as well as the painting of course!

Yellow Carnations and a Brass Bird shown actual size

2006-12-15T19:12:00.000-05:00

Yellow Carnations and a Brass Bird unframed
5 x 5", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$95 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

I went into an antique shop last weekend and saw this little blue cobalt pitcher/vase and just HAD to have it to add to the vase collection! I told the man in the shop that I'm an artist and he immediately knocked 1/3 off the price, telling me that "artist" is a magic word. hehehe...This is its still life debut. I paired it up with some yellow carnations for contrast, the brass bird for color cohesion, and the baby's breath to soften it all a bit. It was way fun to paint.

Here's another image of it, larger than actual size (click to enlarge):

I cut the panel and selected elements specifically to go with this wonderful frame I found. Here's a photo of it framed. If you'd like to purchase it with the frame, click the link below instead of the one above. The frame looks a little overpowering in the digital image, but in real life it looks perfect and truly suits the painting. You can have it either with an easel back for a tabletop, or hanging hardware for a wall; just let me know.

Yellow Carnations and a Brass Bird FRAMED
5 x 5", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$115 framed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

Sunset Boat Ride on the Lake in oils

2006-12-13T10:46:00.000-05:00

Sunset Boat Ride
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard

Great Blue Heron in the Marsh

2006-12-11T17:24:00.000-05:00

Great Blue Heron
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)This painting was done today from a photo that my sister took on a trip to Florida years ago. Great Blue Herons visit frequently on the stream behind my house. I plan to paint one from my own photos soon, but this pic that my sis took was so beautiful and majestic that I thought I'd try hers first! It's amazing how green the Florida greens are. I rarely need to punch up greens with viridian or phthalo green here in the northeast, but in working from this Florida photo, I finally had to give in and use a tiny dab of viridian mixed into the green of the foreground.

Mommy and Me---sheep and lamb in the barn at Muscoot Farm

2006-12-10T17:24:00.000-05:00

Mommy and Me
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

This is the painting I'd started on Friday, but didn't quite have a chance to finish until today. It was painted from a photo I took at Muscoot Farm in Somers, NY. Too cute!

I've also taken a photo of the nocturne (night painting) I tweaked a bit in the studio, after painting it initially in the pitch black of night and not being able to see what I was doing, and swapped that image on the previous post.

Yesterday's receptions and openings were great fun. Many thanks to friends, neighbors and patrons who came to the events. I managed to get a lot of my own holiday shopping done in the process.

Painting and Showing and Painting and Showing

2006-12-08T15:12:00.000-05:00

I started a painting today, but was disappointed that I didn't quite have time to finish it. Yesterday I finished the tweaks on my night painting from the day before, but haven't had a chance to take the pic and upload it. Hopefully I'll finish up the one I started today over the weekend, then will take photos of both and upload them here.

To those in the area, I'll be making the rounds at my shows over the next 24 hours or so with receptions and greetings. Feel free to visit and browse at:

Garrison Art Center, Member Show---Tonight from 7-9pm
Putnam Arts Council Belle Levine Gallery, Invitational exhibit of about 40 of my paintings---Saturday from 12-3
Bannerman Island Gallery---Five of my paintings in the show, reception is Saturday 4-6pm
RiverWinds Gallery---9 paintings left in the Buone Feste show, reception Saturday 5-8

Also, the owner of The Paint Box gallery visited my studio this morning and selected five more paintings, so she now has about 15 down there in Bedford Hills. Stop in if you have a chance!

A Little Night Sketch en plein air

2006-12-06T22:13:00.000-05:00

A Little Night Sketch en plein air
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)
While waiting outside the gym for my daughter, I pulled out my little pochade box and did a sketch.Painting at night en plein air is great fun, but it sure is hard to see what you're doing!

I'll be doing a little more work on this, cleaning up some edges and tweaking a bit. I didn't quite have time to finish it last night. Then I'll repost and add a "buy" link.

Trading Places No. 1---Clementines and a Flower

2006-12-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

Trading Places No. 1: Clementines and a Flower
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)
I love placing a piece of fruit at the base of a vase of flowers for still life paintings. Today I thought I'd let them swap locations. The vase was a recent gift from a relative of mine. It's making its still life performance debut here today. Thank you, Shirley! I love it to pieces!

For anybody planning to attend my show at the Belle Levine Gallery on Saturday, I'm going to have to change the hours that I'll be there. I'm hoping to go from 12-3 instead of from 2-5; I have a conflict with the opening of a show at the Bannerman Island Gallery, which will be Saturday from 4-6pm. Five of my favorite small works are in the Bannerman Island Gallery show. More about that later! I am so behind on posting, but must go get dinner started now or my family will take my brushes away!

It's a Dog's Life

2006-12-04T15:02:00.000-05:00

It's a Dog's Life
6 x 6", Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
SOLD

When my Bichon Frise, Rondo, isn't busy making trouble, he's asleep on the chair or sofa in my studio. Even though he sleeps for long stretches, as soon as I start to draw or paint him, he gets up and moves, so I have to resort to photos if I want to capture him in paint.

Humpty Dumpty (Egg No 2)

2006-12-03T17:41:00.000-05:00

Humpty Dumpty (Egg No. 2)
6 x 6", Oils on Sealed, primed masonite
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

Egg No. 1: Egg With Glass Globs
8 x 10", Oils on Canvas covered chipboard
$180 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

The Morning After, drying panels, and Mango

2006-11-29T13:06:00.000-05:00

The Morning After
7 x 5", Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$100 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)
Well, I confess.....This isn't leftover from last night; I set it up for the painting. Then hubby asked me where his aspirin went, and I had to tell him it was down in the studio, in my setup. That got some laughs. I still need to touch up the elipse on the top of the glass. I played lost and found edges and then it got.....lost! hehe

Meanwhile, a coat of gesso and modeling paste mix has been added to the two coats of sealer already on the new panels, and they are drying in the studio. Once they get dry to the touch, I put them in letter-holders (found at Staples for a couple of dollars each) to dry completely. This keeps them separated and prevents them from taking up every square inch of surface space in my studio! I'll apply the first coat of gesso/pumice this afternoon. They probably won't be ready for painting until the weekend.

My little birdie, Mango, came down to the studio for a visit. I have this open wire playset for him down here, like a cage without sides, so he can have something to climb around on while enjoying some millet and chattering. My daughter made that cute toy for him.

From Framing Madness to Panel-Making Madness

2006-11-28T19:55:00.000-05:00

When my framing frenzy was over and the dust finally settled in my studio last night, there were 54 paintings ready to go to the show. I decided to leave two of the larger paintings here, and delivered 52 to Putnam Arts Council's Belle Levine Gallery this morning. It's going to look awesome! I'll try to get some pics to post after everything is hung and ready. I'll also be at the Gallery on Saturday, December 9 from 2-5, and on Tuesday, December 12 from 12-3 for anyone who wants a personal tour of the exhibit.

For those in Dutchess County, don't forget that I have 9 paintings left in the Buone Feste show at the River Winds Gallery! It's right on Main Street in Beacon. There is a wonderful selection of gift items in that show made by local artisans. I splurged and bought myself a pair of gorgeous handmade earrings there.

And let's not forget Westchester County.... You can see my paintings at The Paint Box in Bedford Hills. There are many small pieces, as well as a 24x36 plein air oil painting of Constitution Marsh in Fall.

Now that all those paintings have been framed, what's a Daily Painter to do? Why, start making panels to resume painting, of course! My studio has been transformed from Framing Central into The Painting Panel Factory. I'm really eager to paint more square formats. I've often used 12x12, but those are a little large for my daily paintings, and I can't find smaller ones that are reasonably priced. So, I'm making up a batch of 6x6"s, and while I'm at it, more 5x7s and 6x8s too---about 100 in all. The masonite boards are all cut (thanks to some help from my dear hubby), and after returning home from the gallery, I sanded about 30 of them and sealed them with two coats of GAC100 (acrylic polymer emulsion). I'll follow that up tomorrow with a mixture of acrylic primer (gesso) and modeling paste, then two coats of a gesso/pumice mix.

I hope to get back to churning out a painting every day (well...five days a week) in another day or so with my new panels!

Passing by Storm King and the PAC Show

2006-11-26T19:31:00.000-05:00

Passing By Storm King
24x36, Oils on stretched canvas

I'm getting ready for a big show at the Belle Levine Gallery, with over 30 of my paintings ranging in size from 2x3 inches to 2x3 feet. You're all invited to this fun event, which will also feature the work of many local artisans just in time for your holiday shopping. The show opens this Saturday, December 2, and runs through December 22 at 521 Kennicut Hill Road in Mahopac, NY. (More information will be posted on my Shows and Galleries blog. You can click the link in the sidebar on the right side of your screen.)

As you can imagine, I've been busy, busy, busy with Framing Madness in my studio. Last night and this morning I framed 8 pastels. Here are a few of them. They are all 16x20" framed size.

In case you've ever wondered what an artist's studio looks like while engaged in Framing Madness, have a peek. It's not a pretty sight....and don't trip over anything, pleeeeease!

Fall at Leonard Park en plein air and my new pochade box

2006-11-24T18:02:00.000-05:00

Fall at Leonard Park en plein air
6 x 8", Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$125 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)
I finally was able to snatch some plein air time today. Hooray! It was one of those spectacular fall days, with the warmth and sunshine you didn't think you'd find again until spring. I dropped my daughter at gymnastics and headed for a nearby park to take in some rays and test drive my new pochade box.

I hear those giggles among those who know me. "Another pochade box?", they're asking. I already have one for oils (which is a little bigger and supports larger panels) and one that I made for gouache. I plan to use this new one for "stealth painting". heeheehee... It's so small, and I've filled it with watersoluble oils so that I can just use whatever water I have on hand for painting in cafes, my car, or even the kitchen, with no worry about fumes or toxic substances, and no need to carry oil or turp.

Here's an image of the painting still in the box. You can see there's a hinged lip at the top of the part that holds the panel securely in place, so that you can slide the panel in and out. The box will hold one 6x8" panel horizontally, and keeps it separated from the paints so that I can travel with the wet, completed painting.

The palette itself is actually wood, but I covered it with white contact paper for easier cleanup, and because I prefer to mix colors on a white surface. I find it hard to judge the colors and values of my dark, transparent mixes on a dark wood palette. The white contact paper worked out great. It wipes clean easily with a palette knife and rag, and if it gets tattered down the road, I can just peel it off and recover. As shown below, the palette slides to the left, giving easy access to the box's storage compartments.

Here's another view of how I packed up my box. I had to cut the handles off some of the brushes so that they'd fit. Underneath that rag is a thumb hole for supporting the box while standing.

For those looking for a small box like this, I give this one pretty high marks. It is sold by Utrecht, and made by Jullian. It is very reasonably priced, and comes with an adjustable leather shoulder strap too.

Chapped Lips?

2006-11-23T21:59:00.000-05:00

Chapped Lips?
4 x 6", Oils on hardboard
$85 unframed via PayPal, free shipping within US (email me for international rates)

A Birthday Card for Hubby

2006-11-21T15:48:00.000-05:00

Today is my husband's birthday. Amidst the hustle and bustle, my daily painting involved making a card for him. He always takes an apple to work every day, so I had to get the apple in there. Some of the flowers that I bought several days ago are still kicking. I put the survivors into a mug and pulled out my watercolors, then added a little ink pen. I used a 7x10 sheet of Arches HP and folded it in half, so the card is 5x7.

It's been very hard to get serious paintings done with the holiday looming this week and all the framing I need to do for upcoming shows. I'm hoping to be able to get back to doing some oil paintings next week, if not sooner, and will be keeping my sketchbook, pens, watercolors, and colored pencils close at hand for the remainder of this week!