Finished Painting
At my easel
Several weeks ago, I attended a workshop with
Howard Friedland in Chester, NJ. We visited the
Willowwood Arboretum and
Natirar state park where we took pictures, sketched and painted on site. The views were breathtaking. It was difficult deciding which scene to paint as there were so many to choose from. The final day was spent working from photos indoors which is another aspect of landscape painting. It was a great workshop! I learned a great deal and will always remember Howard saying that talent depends on how much you practice.
Attending the workshop gave me the courage to participate in a locally sponsored painting competition "Paint the Town Challenge" that is part of the annual Medford Arts Festival. The task was to find and plein air paint a recognizable are of Medford, NJ. All participants had to show up between 9am and 10am to get their blank canvases stamped, and then paint and return the piece before 4pm. Other than the workshop, I had never taken my easel outdoors. While I was nervous, I felt up for the challenge. The other thing making me stressed was the pressure of having to finish the painting in just a few hours that same day. I seldom start and finish a completed piece in one shot. I have to fit my painting time into a busy schedule, and with two active kids, it can be difficult to do.
Picking the location was not too hard. I had scouted the town on the weekends over the last several weeks. I chose an old mill known as Kirby's Mill and sits along side a beautiful meandering creek and a small damn. My initial concern was more about the competition for the painting location than the difficulty of the scene. I had often thought of painting it, but never before had the courage. I was happy that Saturday morning, when I showed up at the mill. I was the first person there, and was able to get the exact location I wanted. I loved the spot, but as soon as I began to paint I said to myself "what was I thinking in choosing an image with a reflection in water". At one point I thought about turning my surface upside down, but then realized that wouldn't work because the image is a mirrored view. Simplifying the foliage was also a difficult challenge. It helped to squint to see dark and light abstract shapes, but I still feel I got lost in some of the greenery. A tool I found helpful was a value finder. I squinted, placed the card on the landscape, then onto my painting to judge the value which was very helpful in painting depth. I began painting around 10 am when it was cloudy. Fortunately, the sun did not come out for the first few hours, so the lighting was pretty consistent. After that time, it was a struggle trying to remember what I saw with the sun peeking in and out of the clouds. I can see why you have to paint quickly and simplify, simplify, simplify!
Much to my surprise, I won first place! My painting will hang permanently in the Medford library and I am proud to say I tried my best. What a great experience!
9" x 12" Oil on Board
I began this painting about a year ago and thought it was about time I finished it. Some of the flowers and leaves were added because I thought it needed more interest. This little cobalt blue glass bottle is a favorite of mine to paint. SOLD
8" x 10" Oil on Linen
18 x 24 Oil on Canvas
I just finished this painting and entered it in the Facebook "First Annual Autumn Arts Painting Challenge and Competition". It is a larger piece (18 x 24) that I regularly paint, but the size of the sunflowers made it difficult for the surface to be any smaller. This olive jar was purchased on Ebay quite a while ago but I didn't find anything that perked my interest until this autumn, which is my favorite time of year. So much color to paint!
8" x 10" Oil on Linen
I finally finished my second still life from the Jeff Legg workshop I attended a few weeks ago. The marble shelf was a great addition to this set up because it brings the colors from the jar and background together. It was tricky putting the writing on the jar. I waited until it was completely dry, then blotted it to make it less opaque.
11" x 14" Oil on Linen
Set Up
6" x 6" Oil on Board
Found this little vase in Cape May over the summer. I just love the cobalt blue bottom with the red berries. Sold
8" x 10" Oil on Gessoed Board
So far, my pansies are still blooming. The heat of summer is sure to make them die out, but at least I was able to pick this bunch. Available on Ebay.
On another trip to the grocery store I found a small, medium and large pear that I thought would work with this antique tin box. Available on Ebay.
I painted this piece in acrylics for an on-line magazine called Art Apprentice On-Line. This is an interactive on-line e-magazine with lots of full color photos, informative articles and art lessons. It's worth checking out. If you would like to purchase the painting, it is available on Ebay. SOLD
At my easel
Finished Painting
Set Up
First Color Layer - Day one
This painting is my attempt at copying the free lesson of Alexei Antonov listed on his website. I learned so much from painting his demo. It was tricky trying to keep the colors from muddying in the shadow areas. If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click to bid on Ebay.
This is the completed painting. After putting it aside for several days I realized the blue glass was not properly lit. I added a blue reflection on the vase that was needed to add life to the painting. SOLD
My set up.
My studio lay out.
This is my first attempt at laying in the color and defining the elements of the design. I think the leaves are too intense and the vase needs more brightness.
After the second day of painting, I feel the table needs some warmth and the tangerines in the back need to be toned down a bit.
Watermelon always reminds me of summer picnics. I'm ready for the warm weather! This painting is available on Ebay. Click to bid.
Recently, I acquired this ginger jar and filled it with flowers from my favorite shop. The colors of the blossoms compliment the mottled appearance of the container for a harmonious composition. My set up was placed on a glass surface because I thought I would paint the reflections. Instead, I decided to add petals and skip the reflective surface.
These beautiful apples and plum were found at the supermarket and I thought the plum would make a great piece for a set up because the plum's leaf was still attached. Unless you grow it yourself it is so difficult to find any fruit with leaves. As soon as the local farms in my area start growing their usual crop I plan on painting fruit with leaves. Available on Ebay Click here.
Kirby's Mill, Medford, NJ
