A special lady....

Ruth
11x14, pastel
work in progress

When I attended Charlotte Wharton's workshop in September, Charlotte arranged for me to stay with her at Ruth's home in Rockport. Ruth was a stranger to me, but now I consider her to be a good friend. We spent three days together, laughing and talking in the evenings. I wanted to do this for her. Ruth is a beautiful woman, 80 years old going on 30. She has a love of art and life. I've had a hard time getting that mirthful look she has, but I think I'm close.

Painting a Memory

As promised, I got back into the studio today. This is one I started back in the summer.....what better time to paint a happy summer scene than a cold, icy day in December? This is my son and his friend at our neighborhood pond, probably about 20 years ago. I purposely included the dark pine branches hanging down because the beach is surrounded by them and its shadows hold the scene, my memory, almost like an embrace. I didn't use a photo, this one came from a memory in my head. I'm a sentimental old gal and I love painting favorite memories.

The Boys at Greenland Pond
8x10, pastel

Busy,Busy

I know, it's been almost a month since I've posted, but it's been almost a month since I've worked on a painting! And I'm feeling it! I definitely need to get back to it.
I did work on my website though and it is up and running finally, so please go take a look.
I am promising myself that tomorrow I'll spend a good part of the day in the studio.

Almost finished

Pastel
12x17

Overall I'm pleased with it. I'm going to put it away and look at it again in a few days before finishing it. Maybe by then I'll think up a good title.

A Work in Progress....

This is about 3 hours into it. I was looking around for some photos of figures with musical instruments and remembered that these local musicians are friends of my son so I swiped a photo from their Face book pages. I loved the composition and the light. So far, I like how it's coming. I changed some things . The photo was taken in a recording studio so I left out the big mike hanging over them and the headphones and I darkened up the lighter, cluttered background. I started with the darks but I added other elements right away because I like to see how everything is working together and where the energy is going before getting too far into it. I put in a few highlights early on to help me visualize the whole thing.
I took this photo of the painting so far and put it on the computer and played around with it.....with the contrast, saturation, etc. I find that helps me figure out the next steps I'll take with a painting ....and it allows me to see it from a different perspective too.

I think I will download a couple of songs from their website to listen to while I finish painting it.....how cool is that?

At Greenland Pond

At Greenland Pond
9x12
Pastel

Finished! I'm dedicating this one to my two boys who live far away now from this pond in our neighborhood where they spent so many days catching turtles, jumping off the raft ( Ma, watch me! No, watch ME!) and just being little boys.

Dressage

Dressage
9x12
pastel

Not quite finished with the background and a few other things here, but I am finding that I really love painting horses. I find photographing the painting and looking at it online helps me see it in a new way so I can decide on changes or additional work I may want to do on it.
My first horse painting was The Final Turn, below,which won an award at a gallery show.

Horses have such majesty, grace and power, no wonder I love to paint them!

Work in Progress

This is a scene from a photo I took last weekend at Greenland Pond. The colors with the afternoon sun on them were just magnificent! This is how it looks after about 2 hours of work. I think I have about another 2 hours to go. I still have to add some more darks and highlights, tone down a few places and bring up others. I'll be adding some fallen leaves to the water and I've just started the tree trunk. So check back at the end of the week to see the finished painting.

At Greenland Pond
9x12
pastel
work in progress

Two Works in Progress

I haven't posted any paintings in a while so here are two that aren't quite done, works in progress.....

This first one is 9x15 on velour paper. This paper feels kind of like suede. I've only used it once before on "The Reader" but I am coming to love it! It is a totally different experience than the other surfaces I use. You have to layer the color, you can't really mix them together very well because of the way the surface holds the pigment. But I love the softness that results. And there is less pastel dust, which is always a good thing.

Leaf in a puddle

Snowbird

I just started this one. I used a photo that my sister took. This is also on the velour paper.

I don't know when I'll get back to it, but I like the way it's coming along. If you enlarge the photo, you can see the texture of the surface.

Welcome to Autumn

Since Fall is upon us, I decided to put some of that Beautiful color into my work. I created this today. It only took a few hours and after all the detail of Brandon's Portrait and the hours (days) that went with it, it was nice to just kind of let go, be more expressive and get into the color!
Seeing it in the photo, I think I'll darken it up a bit here and there....then it will be done.

Around the Bog

12x16

pastel

Tomatoes!

Tomatoes

pastel

8x10

I'm picking the last tomatoes of the season, so I decided to use them as the subject of my first still life. Being the last on the plant, they aren't as perfect or pretty as mid season tomatoes,but I think it gives them character! This was just a quick little study I did in a couple of hours this afternoon. I set them up on a table by the window so I'd get a good cast light on the left. They are in a hand made ceramic bowl, which was fun to do too. I think I'll continue with it later and try to make them even more realistic!

Juried Show

Two of my paintings have been accepted for The All New England Juried Exhibit at the Cape Cod Art Association....Dune Walk and Marsh Glow... Dune Walk

Marsh Glow

Getting accepted into a juried show is like winning an award! These two paintings are now hanging on the wall at Le Petite Day Spa in Chatham. They are still for sale, but not available till after the show in October.

Reflections

Bear Lake
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
11x17
pastel

I took the photo that I used for reference when we were hiking in the park. It's a beautiful place!

For Sale

I guess I forgot to mention....until someone inquired....
Most of these paintings are for sale. Just email me....click over in the sidebar there.....and we'll talk.

Chatham Fog

Chatham Fog
pastel

11x14

early morning fog on Lighthouse Beach....the fog is lifting. I wonder what he found?

To the Beach!

To the Beach!
12 x 17
Pastel

Mant's Landing in Brewster

We were at Mant's Landing Beach the other night. I was hoping to get some nice sunset shots, but as we approached about ten minutes before sunset, I noticed all the clouds and figured it wouldn't be much. Boy, was I wrong! As the sun peeked out from under the clouds as it made its descent, it lit up the sky and the water in fantastic colors! So I did get some nice shots and today I painted this.
The lighting is a little off in my photo of the painting but you get the idea. Mant's Landing Beach is the beach just east of Paine's Creek Beach.

Sunset at Mant's Landing Beach, Brewster
10x27

An Award!

I just got a call from Cape Cod Art Association telling me that my painting, "The Final Turn" received an Honorable Mention Award at the Founders Exhibit. The exhibit opens with a reception from 4-6 pm this Friday and runs through August 10th.

Cape Cod Art Association

They like me....they really like me!

Pardon the Sally Field impersonation......

but I am now a juried artist member of The Cape Cod Art Association. I had five paintings juried and they decided I was worthy! Basically what that means is that I can participate in all their exhibits and get a discount on classes, etc.

The next exhibit opens this Friday and I can submit two pieces. All the work is available for sale.

So, take a ride on over to their gallery on Route 6A and you'll see my two works "The Reader" and "The Final Turn" among the offerings.

Founders
JULY 16- AUGUST 10
Exhibit and sale of Artist Member Works
Opening & Awards Fri July 17, 4-6PM

Finally!

I finally had time to work on my latest piece.
Paines Creek is a popular bayside beach in Brewster. At low tide, you can walk out a mile on the flats, stopping to play in the tidal pools. The past few years the grass has really grown....making it a little harder to swim, but I think it's pretty. In this painting it is low tide at mid-day with the sun reflecting off the grass.

Click the photo for close up.

Paines Creek Beach

pastel
13x18

I'll be doing a series of Paines Creek Beach scenes .

setting up the studio

My new easel arrived today, so to make room for it I decided it was time to do over the whole workroom. I purged all the sewing stuff, moved around the tables in different ways but ended up putting them back where they were and arranged all my pastels on the table next to the easel.
I cleaned out the closet and stacked all my papers and boards on the shelves. Everything is now airy and organized and I'm ready to get painting again!
The last couple of days, i traveled around the Cape and took reference photos for future paintings. I'm so full of ideas....I have to organize my thoughts and make a schedule. Between painting and learning more techniques, taking photos and everything else that I have to do in my regular life,I have been one busy gal!
I didn't have to go too far to find a perfect photo for a future painting. ....my rose garden! Get a look at this..... this photo already looks like a painting.....

So, I'm looking forward to doing that one!
Hopefully in a week or so I'll have more work to post pictures of.

I recently had five of my pieces professionally framed....my rooms look like a gallery now!

Welcome to my New Blog!

I'm still constructing the blog as my time permits ( I'm busy painting!) But, here are some of my recent works.....you can click on any to view the details

Nancy
Pastel 9x12

This is a portrait of my sister. She kindly agreed to pose for me so I could get some photos of a seated figure, but I ended up using them to do her portrait instead. I used this as an exercise in being more free and loose with the color and light, using orange, red, blue, green and purple in the skin colors and really concentrating on how the light falls. I finished it in one day and I'm really pleased with the results. Click on it to see larger details.

Joyce Margie
9x12, pastel

This little girl sat still just long enough for me to snap a photo. I was enthralled with her big blue eyes and all the freckles. She is a little bit of a tomboy and I think I captured that.

Brandon
9x12, pastel

This is a friend's grandchild, gazing at his new pet fish.

The Reader
18x24, pastel
This is a portrait of my son, the poet. This pose really captures him since he is also a writer and a voracious reader. I snapped a photo when he was visiting. This is the first portrait I have ever done with pastels. It's done on velour board, which I love working with.

The Final Turn
10x16
pastel
I saw a photo on a blog the day of the Kentucky Derby. I don't know why, but it moved me to paint a picture of it. I had never painted or drawn a horse...and I finished it in 2 days. There is something about this painting that you can almost hear and feel the galloping hooves as they round the bend. I'm having this made into a print since so many have asked.

Fire In The Sky
14x17, pastel

Yes, this is an actual sunset, I didn't make it up!
It is over Linnell Landing Beach here on Cape Cod

Marsh Glow

16x20, pastel
This is Scorton Creek in Sandwich

Dune Walk
12x14, pastel