Connie Miller's Stream Of Connieciousness

Think Fast!

2011-07-23T13:59:00.006-06:00

The problem with having a little dog with new health issues (and the resulting vet visits), and a delightful social life, is that painting time takes a backseat. But, I truly thought that I could bang out another winner of a painting even if I only had short sessions in which to paint it every day. The error in my thinking there was that I wasn't thinking! I had an idea for a painting but hadn't thought it through, so I spent 2 out of 3 days of painting wandering all over the canvas and getting increasingly frustrated that my very first thoughts on this painting were 1)not solid enough to have a good start and 2)weren't working for this subject. I was trying to emulate the vibrant color style of the previous painting, "South Texas Beach", which had worked so well for that subject. But, I couldn't see where to go with it in this painting. In the end, it's possible that the underpainting peeking through will add some vibrance but I'm not sure that it was worth the time wasted getting to this place (and still not done!). It will get finished this weekend and I will have to promise myself to spend at least 2 hours a session and have a solid idea beforehand of where I want to go with the painting. Like writers who meander all over the page before they finally learn to stick to their outline and edit their work, I need to have a good statement going in.

Beach Week!

2011-07-17T10:52:00.004-06:00

My artwork will be in a group show this August which amazing artist Robbin Robertson Polter arranged for 5 artists at Russ and Co., in Central Austin. It's a three story building, but I will still have to enter paintings with size restrictions, so am in the process of creating much smaller work than I'm used to. To that end, I purchased smaller palette knives and ordered 9x12, 11x14 and 18x24" oil primed linen canvases to work on these next 2 weeks. My first attempt at painting from our week at the beach is a very bright "South Texas Beach", which is 18x24". I wanted to work "large" first, much like the Irises that I did in June. I tend to work out the design and information much better in a larger format and then can condense it into the smaller painting easier. I doubt that many painters work that way, but it works for me, since I primarily work with a palette knife (some day I'll write about that). I do love, love, love the oil primed linen substrate! The colors don't sink into the canvas and are so vibrant! I may have to restrain myself a bit more, now that they show in all their glory. Nothing subtle about this painting!

Catching Up

2011-07-17T10:29:00.010-06:00

June and July are traditionally busy months for me, because it's the time to celebrate birthdays and Father's Day and Beach Week at S. Padre, then catching up from all the fun! So, while I did get some painting done during that time, I couldn't find the additional momentum to write about it. Instead, I will do a photo essay...bottom to top order.

Naples Yellow FTW!

2011-06-14T12:41:00.002-06:00

"Shenandoah Mountains" 24x36 oil on gallery wrapped canvas (in progress) I worked on mainly the sky for my session yesterday. The sky is a deep clear blue with wispy clouds, yet there's an area of moisture right in the center that needed just the right hue to represent what was going on with the clouds, moisture and sunlight. And Naples Yellow is just the color to bring in there. It has a bit of a peachy tint that works well with your blues for creating atmosphere. I mixed it with ultramarine blue at first, but got it too gray. Mixing with Schveningen Blue (Thalo), which is an Old Holland oil color, brought in more of the turquoise excitement I was looking for. It was a dance of mixes across the canvas as the light changed across the big blue bowl of a sky. It looks really intense against the blocking in of the foreground, but never fear. It'll all come together (she says confidently) in the next few days. I can't wait to get into the purples and russets and golds of the trees, but know that I have to go slowly and with a light hand or I'll end up with a rougher painting than I'd like. That is an issue that plagues me since my primary paint spreading tool is a palette knife, not a paintbrush.

The Atmosphere Is Killing Me!

2011-06-13T17:21:00.002-06:00

Shenandoah Mountains 24x36 oil on gallery wrapped canvas (in progress) Started a new painting yesterday, on the suggestion of my daughter, Sami. She's living in Virginia for a year and discovering the delights of mountain hiking. The photo she sent me was of the view in the Shenandoah mountains on her first hiking trip last Fall. There's tons of atmosphere in this view and I just hope I can do it justice. I blocked it in yesterday, and that's what this is a photo of. Today, all I worked on was the sky and the very distant mountains, and am dead now. Phew!!! I will post a photo of it tomorrow because the sun's too low and yellow in the sky now.

Connie Miller's Stream Of Connieciousness: New Paintings

2011-06-07T21:49:00.000-06:00

Connie Miller's Stream Of Connieciousness: New Paintings

New Paintings

2011-06-07T12:46:00.007-06:00

Azalea 18x24 (in progress) oil on gallery wrapped canvas Iris 2011 CS Miller 24x30 oil on gallery wrapped canvas. Lake House View 2011 CS Miller 36x36 oil on gallery wrapped canvas Finished the "Lake House View" without a great deal of additional work. Started a new painting which was inspired by a video of Spring plants. I love the looseness and color combinations. It's had everybody oohing and ahhing, and I think they are inspired by the colors, too. Or maybe it's just that everybody loves an iris. I sure do. I love their long, long stems and their vibrant colors. And, the fact that they show up in the Spring when we're desperate for some color in our lives makes them a superior flower. Add to that my new painting of an Azalea bush (in progress) and I've had a very satisfactory week or two. Satisfying to me to have had the chance to paint them and stretch my skills, and satisfying to have sold the commission to a very happy owner. I'm always happy to sell my paintings to people who I know will love and appreciate them. That's probably why I've mostly just sold to people I know! That may change if "Iris" or "Berkeley Bird of Paradise" find new homes this week while hanging at Real Gallery downtown. If you're so inclined, art galleries on Congress are having another "I Art Congress" this Thursday, June 9th. Real Gallery is a nice space on the west side of the 900 block of Congress (just a couple doors south of Quiznos). They'll have wine and music 6-9p.m. I hope to be there. I have a very sick doggy right now, so all plans are up in the air regarding leaving the house. She's my heart and soul and this house seems rather empty without her little noises right now.

Had An Epiphany

2011-05-31T18:35:00.003-06:00

"Lake House View" 36x36 oil on gallery wrapped canvas...in progress... I had brought the colors into a more realistic realm, in this painting, but wasn't feeling the love. So, after a rousing get together with artist friends where we talked about color A LOT, I took my palette knife and a total devil-may-care attitude and went to town on the water. I liked what happened so much that the hills got the treatment as well. Thinking in terms of color vibrations instead of matching the hues to reality, I had a blast. Generally, you don't go trying experiments on a commission, but I had to throw caution to the wind and listen to the Muse. And I think I've gotten over a hump at last and can strike out on a new adventure.

Lake House (imaginary) View

2011-05-19T11:50:00.002-06:00

Sad times have hit area lakes, here in Austin, due to the worst drought in decades. So, knowing that the lake house, whose view I am commissioned to paint, is sitting on a cove that is rapidly drying up, I am glad I went out early this Spring to get the inspiration photos I'm working from. Because, in essence, I am painting an imaginary view at present. Painting a point in time that has passed, for now. I'm hoping that all my thoughts of water in the lake, while painting on this, will conjure up some much needed rain for the area. If it works, folks, I will let you know!

They Is What They Is

2011-05-16T14:22:00.007-06:00

"Barton Springs Bridge" 2011 CS Miller oil on gallery wrapped canvas 24x30x1 1/2" "Devil's Hole Waterfall II" 2011 CS Miller oil on gallery wrapped canvas 30x30x1 1/2" "River Trees" 2011 CS Miller oil on gallery wrapped canvas 30x40x1 1/2" I first picked up a paintbrush 4 1/2 years ago, after not touching one since the age of 13, so I'm pretty experienced in not declaring a painting done until I've touched every part of it many times. This can be good, this can be bad. And sometimes you have to decide that it is what it is and sign it. You can check these out on my website as well: www.conniemiller.net

2 Months Later...

2011-05-04T12:46:00.002-06:00

"River Trees" 30x40 Got some work done, after two months of sitting. I am in that mode right now, where I feel that I can't start anything new (no matter how I yearn to get to Richmond scenes that inspire me) until I finally sign a few paintings and get a commission going well. "River Trees" has been sitting long enough, so I chanced it that I wouldn't destroy that which I liked about the painting. I took it from normal to colorful and think it's fun. I also did a blue wash on the background and like it better. I don't think it recedes enough yet, so that will get some work. And, yes, I'm aware that the middle tree is way too purple. I decided that I'd been working long enough yesterday, and it's always good for me to leave a painting in an awkward situation so I'll be prompted to get back to it as soon as possible. I hope it's today, but I am wiped out from my morning. We shall see...

Getting Back To Unfinished Business

2011-04-17T08:33:00.006-06:00

Barton Creek Bridge was started because I was attempting a loose composition inspired by Scott Ewen's landscapes . It was a total failure at looseness, so I just let it sit in the livingroom to mock me. However, I was still drawn to the composition, so decided to work on the things that bugged me. I told my hubby last night that I usually dread going up to paint when all I have ahead of me are problems to work out. But, I got so involved in making this a good painting this week that it had me totally engaged in the creative process. What a rush!

Been Busy...Sort Of

2011-04-09T12:16:00.008-06:00

"Lake House View" 36x36 oil on canvas "Zilker Gardens" plein air 9x12 oil on canvas "Devil's Hole Waterfall II" 30x30 oil Early this week, I decided that my foot could handle some standing for prolonged periods of time, so it was time to go up to the studio and paint!! I also decided that I would work on a painting that I started back in June of 2010 and hadn't finished in August as planned. It's been sitting on my desk upstairs, mocking me and making me wish that I hadn't made it so monochromatic. So, I got in there and added the greyish greens that are part of the wonderful pink granite of that region of the Texas Hill Country. And I lightened up the background to add some interest. Now, I will let it sit for a bit and see if I think it's done or if I am interpreting visuals in it that no one else is, haha! It's like, I know what I see but does everyone else see it or are they confused about it. On Thursday, I met at Zilker Botanical Gardens for a Plein Air Austin paintout. I thought the hardest part for me would be figuring out a composition and painting fast enough to keep it together when the light changed. Luckily for me, it was a very overcast day, so the light did not change very fast at all. Unluckily for me, I set up my tripod and pochade in the parking space next to my car (not allowed to walk distances yet) and some woman insisted on parking in that space instead of one of the two on the other side of my car. I know now that I could have spoken up and nicely asked if she'd move, but I was so shocked and enraged at her behaviour that I couldn't form any nice sentences. And, since I thought she was with our plein air group, I thought it behooved me to keep my mouth shut and not alienate anyone in the group. She took out her painting stuff and joined another group up the hill who spent the next hour or so laughing like crazy (about what I do not know), so I guess I could have gotten all confrontational on her. But, my mama raised a "nice" girl and so I just spent the morning unhappy that my composition and position had been compromised. In the end, it may have taken my mind off of all the other things that get in the way of enjoying painting outside, so I'm a bit grateful for that (in hindsight). But, in the future, I may have to make up my own sign that says "no parking", or bring an orange traffic cone that I stole from UT Parking after they gave me a ticket that pissed me off. Perhaps, I spoke too soon about being a "nice" girl? Friday morning, I had such a great urge to start painting the lake house view that I've been commissioned, instead of doing sketches in 2 more formats, that I just did it. We haven't decided if it's going to be portrait, landscape or square, so it's presumptuous of me to just start in on a square, but it really called to me in that format and I can always do one in a different size later. I blocked in the darks and lights and tried hard to keep those areas together early in the painting. Then, I had fun with color in the water. I will work on that some more, because the light patches will be toned down as reflections on wind ruffled water. It's fun to paint again! If anyone can tell me how to set paragraphs, I'd be forever grateful. I lost the ability one day and haven't figured out the trick for getting that formatting back.

My Skillz, They're Rusty!

2011-03-18T15:22:00.004-06:00

I had foot surgery, which kept me on crutches for 2 weeks, which also meant that it would be too difficult to climb the stairs and stand at my easel to paint. So, I thought I'd get out the old Prismacolor pencils and have a go. Unfortunately, my full supply of pencils is nowhere to be found (or nowhere that my sweet hubby looked for me), so I had a limited palette and no blending pencil, which is a must. But, it was just for fun anyway. I wanted to make a card for my nephew's birthday and also do a "white object on colored ground" painting challenge, and I couldn't reach any of my white vases, so I found a baseball that this same nephew had signed for me after a winning game, cleaned it up and put it on a colored cloth. He'd given it to me for my 50th birthday and since he's still a primo pitcher, now on varsity, I thought it appropriate to name it, "Birthday Baseball". The second painting is an oil pastel. I was able to clamber into my car and go get some art supplies, thinking that pastels could be fun. I came home with oil pastels, which have a pretty close consistency to Crayola crayons, but you're able to blend them better. It wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be but I'm not giving up yet. I just need to get looser. Yet, you'd think that doing a painting of something that was just in my head couldn't get any looser...ha! But, if you stand about 20 feet away, in the dark, and squint...it's not too bad.

Still At It

2011-03-06T09:49:00.002-06:00

I am satisfied with the foreground of this painting, but managed to make some strokes for the background and the "leafy" branches that really needed to be addressed. Yet, in the time I allotted for painting, I don't believe it's as finished and as polished as a done painting, so I'll hopefully get to it before foot surgery on Tuesday, because I'll be limited in how much I can walk and stand for a few weeks afterward.

Third Time's The Charm

2011-03-01T11:07:00.005-06:00

"Sami's Bouquet III" 16x20 "Sami's Bouquet II" 16x20 "Sami's Bouquet I" 16x20 I set myself the challenge of painting a bouquet and, believe me, it was a challenge! All those shapes and details confused my brain and I made a royal mess of it. Not only that, but I tried doing it with a brush and setting the bouquet at a level, under a lighting that did nothing for me, that the whole situation was just uninspiring. Lesson learned. So the very last effort was done in a looser arrangement (had to change vases as the bouquet aged), composed from a more contemporary angle and painted entirely with painter's knives...soooo much more enjoyable. And that, along with the exercise of painting flowers from life, was what I was looking for. I always want to express the joy I feel in creating art. It comes through most of the time, and I know that this joy is why the feedback I've been getting lately is about how I've inspired someone to take up their own creative endeavors. Secretly, folks, I get a bigger kick from hearing that than any compliment in the world.

Brought Out The Brush

2011-02-16T11:43:00.003-06:00

Most of this has been done with a painting knife, but I thought it might be nice to bring out the brush to diddle around a little. A small brush is good for fine lines and the wide, flat brush was good for hitting the branches for a gauzy foliage look. Once I got some of those droopy branches and foliage in, I didn't want to mess with the background so much. It didn't need it, other than me wanting to lighten a path through the left side which will draw the eye beyond the tree trunks, which I'll get to eventually. I am having a mental arguement with my style, wanting to be so much looser. You'd think, using a painter's knife, that I would be producing something pretty loose. I guess it'll come when I'm ready for it. Maybe more plein air painting will get me started. Since it's no longer freezing outside, I'll have to make a plan to get out there and do it.

Love The Large Format!

2011-02-12T12:57:00.003-06:00

River Trees 30x40" One can't tell from a cropped photo how large this painting is. I ought to not crop it one of these days, so you can get an idea of how much it resembles a window's view of the river outside (I wish!). It sits in my dining room, when I'm not working on it, giving me the impression that there's a lovely flowing river and, now that I have it at a point where it doesn't bug me, I find it very relaxing and soothing to look at. It would be a nice thing to gaze at in a doctor's office or auto repair shop...two places that cause anxiety. I'd been missing the layer upon layer of painter's knife painting that made up the entire "Storm Wave" painting. It was so freeing to go in with bright colors and then hit it with duller glazes of blues and greens, come back with more brights and lights and then bring it closer to reality. The layers look so good with a top coat of varnish because you can see the under layers peeking through. Lots of depth. So, the trees got a little of that action the past couple of days and then late yesterday I went after the rock walk on the right. I saw blue undertones in the rock, so actually did a pure color glazing of Cerulean on different spots and went off to do something else while it dried a bit. When I got back, there was still enough tackiness to it that I could work it in with a lighter pinkish lavender mix and so it developed some grays in spots. But, right before I gave up for the night, I didn't like what I had and decided to chance mixing right on the canvas with some Titanium white knifed into the tacky paint. It worked a treat! I only mention my success with this as a lesson on how not to listen to your teachers, haha! Mixing pure pigment on the canvas is usually a big No No, so I was mentally slapping my hands even as I was finding it working so well. Another life lesson, brought to you by the Bonga. Feel free to use it, but don't tell anyone I told you.

Out, Damned Pink!

2011-02-11T10:49:00.002-06:00

"River Trees" 30x40" The pink trees may have been restful, but I think I was just reading a bad photo copy and not staying true to what I know these trees to be. BUT, I will concede that there was a bit of sunset light playing on them, so the pink is there to some degree. Anyway, I'd gone so overboard with it that it annoyed me all day and finally, while my soup was simmering at 6:15, I went up to the studio for 45 minutes to see if I could rid myself of the worst of my annoyances. I knew I didn't have energy for more than a bit of glazing, such was my day (or allergies). It's getting there...slowly, but surely.

River Trees

2011-02-10T10:48:00.004-06:00

This first picture is of the beginning of the painting. Wednesday morning was icy and cold and not sunny, so I attempted to photograph this from inside, with my spots in the diningroom. I'm almost embarrassed to post the picture of the second stage of this painting, because it's such an awkward stage. I painted for 4 hours, late yesterday, and believe that it was 1 hour too long. But, the water looks good at least. I also was on the phone about a brother's medical emergency and keeping a daughter company as she drove back to Richmond from D.C., which is a little distracting to the painting process. But, the water looks good. And maybe, if I keep mentioning the water, you won't wonder too much about the pink trees? Cuz, the water looks great! It's okay, though, because I'll do a glaze over the pink and bring the values down, then move on to the background and then come back and see what I can do about the rock walk on the right without making it too chalky looking, work on all the roots and check on the trees again to see what else they'll need before the final work on the tree limbs. I always wish that I had given myself a larger block of time to work, because I always seem to stop before I've finished a stage, but this painting showed me that 4 hours is too long and you can get ahead of yourself to the point of no return, if you're unlucky. I'm lucky, though, and can see where to go next. Phew! And doesn't the water look great?

I Love A Good Experiment, Don't You?

2011-02-07T12:47:00.003-06:00

I had a couple of hours free, and a cheap 16x20 canvas (sure seems small after my 30x40's), so decided to work through the same experiment with looseism (yeah, I made up a word, but I bet you know what I mean!). I thought the best way to start was to work from my previous attempt, instead of having a photo reference. I can remember some of the photo, and just did a bit of creative color choices in the foliage (which will have to be lightened up at the top), but really tried for nice strong strokes of the painter's knife and let each stroke stand. Problems that occurred: the bridge still stuck out like a sore thumb because I had made it so defined. So, after I'd closed the lid on my palette and was about to call it a day (in disgust), I took one of my painter's knives and blurred the definition with large strokes. Then, it was just one brown blobby thing, so I stole some excess pale blue from the water and went over the large pillars to give them some light. It is what it is, but I am relieved that I could do it and now feel like I can move on to another composition, though I can't recall having anything in mind for my next painting! I've been going like gangbusters here for a couple of weeks, and loving it, so I guess I need to slow up and do some research on what to do next, where to go and how to get what I want from it. I'll take suggestions if they don't involve animals or bridges, haha!

Two, Count 'Em, Two Done!

2011-02-05T13:16:00.004-06:00

" Monticello Fall Tree" 30x40 oil on gallery wrapped canvas "Monticello Woods II" 24x36 oil on gallery wrapped canvas Not signed, but I am calling two paintings done! The Monticello Woods II was a no brainer...add some foreground leaves and "leaf" the rest alone. That was the intention, but I did work in some more depth in the foliage all over the painting, BUT I left the ground plane and the trees alone and that's a big step for me. Fall Tree, which will be renamed, "Monticello Fall Tree", just for the heck of it, needed work on the tree trunk. It was driving me crazy with its cool tones which, surprisingly, didn't work well against the warm foliage and warm ground plane. So, Transparent Red Oxide went to work again. Love that paint color! I combined it with Ultramarine Blue, in various mixtures, and reworked the foreground tree and the background tree. Then, used a glaze of Transparent Red Oxide on all the foliage and came back in with the yellows and orange tones to finish it off. I feel like it flows better now, colorwise, and I can relax and...sign them!

Monticello Woods II

2011-02-03T11:18:00.003-06:00

Sometimes it's good to let a painting rest before you go in and muck it up. Because of that, I have TWO paintings resting in my dining room which, along with other finished paintings that I want to hang or are waiting to be framed or are waiting to be delivered to a show, is starting to look like my studio annex instead of the entrance to my home. Kinda colorful, I must say! So, what do you do when you want to give a painting a rest? You start a new one. I believe I've said that just recently and that's why I started "Barton Creek Bridge" on Sunday. Now THAT one has to rest and I started a new one yesterday. And nearly finished it, too! As with "Monticello Woods", this one went quickly but I was able to go even further with it because of having done the other one just last week and stopping it at an earlier point. So, now I have a little bit more to do: I have too many "sky holes" that require a bit of overlay of leaves so they don't stick out like...sky holes. And, I think I will leave it be after that. I am learning, in my exploration of this "less is more" technique, that the dense application of paint sometimes makes the painting more flat and has less of a glow about it. I also see that some of the energy dissipates so I'm going to see if I can manage to get what I want in the first paint application so the glow of the white canvas beneath the paint remains. I think it might take making several paintings of the same composition, like Monticello Woods, to help me with the more a la prima technique that captures the energy and glow. I'll let you know how that goes and what I'll be able to do with the paintings that are "resting" to recapture some of the initial energy and fire.

Spent Some More Time With This

2011-02-02T12:57:00.002-06:00

3 more hours of work on this and am somewhat satisfied with the results. I don't know if I'll work on it today, because the power company has asked us to cut back on our electrical usage due to the huge drain these frigid temperatures have put on the grid. Rolling blackouts are plaguing the state, though my house has been spared so far. My appointment got cancelled and the grocery store blocked off the frozen and dairy aisles because they've been losing power off and on all morning. Were I to decide to paint, I'd have to power up my laptop for the photo, turn on the overhead fan and my work lights, which isn't saving much power.

No Exactly What I Planned

2011-02-01T11:26:00.003-06:00

So, Monticello Woods is now signed without me putting another touch of paint on it. Unusual for me to call it finished before I get into lots of color, tones and texture, but a friend begged to buy it at this stage. I couldn't deny her and also thought that it was pretty cool and said a lot with just those few lines of trees. I think I probably would have only brought in a few foreground leaves on the trees and maybe given more dimension to the larger trees, so it's okay to stop. And, what do you do when you'd planned on a week of working on a painting? You start a new one. And the new one, originally, was going to be another Monticello Woods with the added touches that I hadn't gotten to do. But, best laid plans... I was on Facebook and saw a painting a friend, Scott Ewan, did of a river/lake scene. So loose and abstract and inspiring! The reason that I took up the painting knife was to get to that point. I am so inspired by the work of Alex Kanevsky and, in my heart, am heading in that direction. So, with those two artists' work in mind, I started a new painting from photos we took on our walk around Town Lake last year. Best intentions though, were foiled by a bridge! You know me and man made structures. I cannot figure out how to let them be loose! My other complaint will get fixed today and that is that the drawing was fine but my looseness got all over it and messed up the angles of the bridge. Frank noticed it right away, but to give him credit, he first said "Whoa!", which is a compliment if you know my hubby.

New One Blocking In

2011-01-29T11:12:00.002-06:00

I decided to let "Fall Tree" sit for a bit and see if I need to do a few little things or let it stand on its strengths as is. So, to take my mind and attention off of it, I started sketching out some new compositions from the same trip to Richmond. The light there, at Monticello that day, was wonderful and I felt such a great peace wandering the grounds. I'm sure a lot of what I was feeling was because I was with my daughter, whom I miss soooo much, but the beauty of the place couldn't be denied. I even went so far as to sketch a shady path WITH PEOPLE (tourists), which I have been avoiding lately. It's not that I can't paint people or don't want to paint figures; it's just that I like putting myself in the scene and people just clog it up with extra ideas. So, we'll see if I ever paint that one, but this one flowed so easily when I sketched it, and again with painting knife in the block in, that I know this will be a fun painting. I like the elongated format, too. (36x24) I've been raving about how much I love Transparent Red Oxide on Facebook. It's transparency makes it really glow on top of a white canvas. All of the red and yellow leaves in the trees, and the yellowish sky, are all done with just Transparent Red Oxide and gel medium. The ground plane and trees are a mixture of Transparent Red Oxide, Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna, which makes a lovely chocolatey brown with purple undertones. I usually use Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine Blue for my block ins. I love Burnt Sienna! And now I love Transparent Red Oxide. There's so much yellow in it that, when mixed with Ultramarine Blue, you can get some interesting greens. Won't see many of those in this painting as all these trees were in full Fall mode with oranges, reds and yellows abounding. We were dumbfounded at the glowing colors which surrounded our walk through the woods. 'Twas a wonderful start to a fantastic day which included a Colonial lunch of the best fried chicken I've ever eaten, a steep walk up a mountain to pick gigantic Fuji apples and coffee in cute Charlottesville with a young friend from Sami's high school days.

Shadow Work

2011-01-25T10:52:00.002-06:00

Nearly 2 weeks later, after a visit home from my daughter and a bad week of allergies (damn cedar fever!), I got back to painting and am happy with what occurred. I was bothered that entire time off by the shadows on the ground; some were extremely cool and the others extremely warm. When you've got such a sunny day, you're going to have a lot of daylight filtering through the trees and so these extremes wouldn't actually be seen in Nature. The tree got some work, too, also because of the light bouncing up and filtering through. Unfortunately, I'm getting a lot of reflection from the horizontal brush strokes, which I didn't see when I was painting, so I'll need to go back and tamp those down quite a bit. Other than that, I don't hate it.

Turn It Upside Down

2011-01-12T13:44:00.003-06:00

I had to resort to the old tried and true method for "getting it right" when I can't tell what's bugging me the most about a painting. In this case, though, I was pretty sure that what was bothering me was the lack of foreground space and the thickness of the trunk of the tree. What had drawn me to the composition in the first place was the design of the shadows in the foreground, yet, when I did the sketch, I placed the bottom of the tree too far down and stretched out the trunk. I thought I'd be okay with that and lost myself, instead, in the plethora of colored leaves. In the end, or at least 12 hours into the painting, I always come back to what is missing and it was the big, fat foreground. And so, to punish my weak ways, I did a day of technical painting with the canvas upside down so I could only look at shapes. This usually works to help me see things more clearly and I can figure out where the weak spots are. So, I think I got it! And now I may just spend another painting session working upside down so that I can really get the shadows the right value, hue, and color temperature, though I am rather fond of the warmth in them right now (on the right). We shall see. I may just finish making dog food and do laundry for the rest of the day. I'm a hippie mom.

Welcome To My Hatred

2011-01-11T12:58:00.003-06:00

There is a point in nearly every painting I do, usually about the 12 hour mark, that I find more to hate than to love about what is on the canvas. I don't go so far as to take a knife to the canvas, but I spend many heart rending hours trying to will away that hate. The only thing to do is go in with more paint and paint away the offensive areas and create new magic. This takes no strength of will, because I already hate the area. So, suffice it to say that it will look better next time you see it. Ugh!

Technology Can Bite Me!

2011-01-07T14:32:00.003-06:00

Oops! You caught me in a cranky moment. I am dealing with the new computer/external hard drive woes and can't wait for the procedure Frank is promising me where any photos I upload to my new computer will automatically be copied to the external hard drive. My editing software doesn't recognize the external hard drive, so I have to upload my photos to the desk top, edit them and then move the file to the external hard drive. Of course, now that I've written that, it occurs to me that it's not too many more steps and I should quit whining! Afterall, I have a new, superfast hard drive and updated editing software so life really isn't all that bad. Just...different. Speaking of different, can you spot the changes in this painting? My husband could and we all thought he was oblivious to my artwork. Just turns out that he needed better lighting in which to view it. So, thank goodness he tackled my "honey do" list this past December and finally installed my track lighting chandelier in the dining room where I have one spot trained on my easel which displays my work in progress. It's a great set up for me, because I can bring my painting down from the studio and let it sit in a spot light all night where I can view it from a couple of different vantage points and determine what needs work the next day. I may just put in 2-3 hours of painting a day, but am working the rest of the evening every time I walk through that space. Anyway, if you haven't figured out what has changed, the ground is a huge hint. It's mostly lighter, but I worked on all the shadows, too. Worked on some background and worked on the background leaves in the trees so that there's a bit of a feeling of depth there. And, I worked on most of the tree and tree limbs. Unfortunately, my editing software doesn't include photoshop, so I couldn't get rid of the glare on the lower tree limbs. I will have to rough them up a bit, with some thicker paint and a painter's knife which will cut down on the glare. I love how the colors in this painting are so harmonious with two other paintings I have in the dining room right now: Berkeley Bird of Paradise and Boat (www.conniemiller.net).

Autumn in Reverse

2011-01-06T11:37:00.003-06:00

Usually the leaves fall in Autumn. While painting this, I purposely chose not to put in all the branches and leaves right away, to leave room for background sky. So, now I've put in more branches and leaves. It's still mostly blocking in, but I do work all around the canvas and have been dealing with the trunk of the tree in more detail. What's really bugging me, at the moment, is the ground. The sunlight was so strong that the colors were more washed out, so I will have to tone down the saturation. Having a new computer and dealing with accessing photos stored on our external hard drive has been a pain, and a distraction, but I now have my photo editor installed and have figured out an extra step for storing photos, so I can crop photos again! I'd much rather that all that stuff was second nature and I could just paint, but this seems to be the month of learning new things...like a new website! If y'all haven't checked it out, it's www.conniemiller.net, hosted by Fine Art Studio Online. I may also be checking out their blogware and see if it's a little more user friendly for a person who can't figure out how to set paragraphs! I'm sure it's some little html symbol, but it's beyond me at present. So, that's why all of my thoughts run together...much like the title of this blog!

Visit To Monticello

2011-01-05T12:57:00.003-06:00

Autumn in Virginia is absolutely lovely; something I missed when we moved to Texas so many years ago from Michigan. The colors of the trees, on our drive to Monticello from my daughter's apartment in Richmond, made us ooh and ahhh the entire trip. And, once we got there, we knew we'd come at just the right time. The maples blazed, the sycamores were ruby red, any number of trees held golden to bright yellow leaves. Everywhere we turned, on our walk of the grounds at Monticello, there were purple mountains as a backdrop and muted to brilliant foliage as our eyes moved across the landscape and our cameras clicked away. This particular tree was in Jefferson's "back yard" and grabbed me from every angle. I particularly love the gnarly trunk and the low sweeping branches. The sun shown golden on the fallen leaves all around it, which makes this enormously warm and inviting to me. Let me explain the funny shapes of blue on the canvas. I really hate "sky holes" and try to avoid them whenever possible. Instead, I prefer to paint in the sky and later bring in the tiny branches and bits of leaves so that the sky is then peeking through instead of what I perceive as lying on top of the painting when the "sky holes" are painted in. I think you get a lacier, lighter effect this way. And so it looks a bit awkward at the moment, because I did the sky with a painting knife, which means thicker paint that I couldn't paint into without making a mess. I'm not an a la prima type painter, so it's what I'll get to today or tomorrow. I hope you enjoy the colors!

Fall Tree

2011-01-04T13:54:00.003-06:00

It's been 3 weeks since I have done any painting and maybe that's why I've been a little cranky. I've had this painting in my head all this time and was just waiting for the opportune moment to get up to my studio and start the sketch. I also knew that I wanted to do it in a large format, 30x40", so that it would make a nice statement. And I think it does already!

Maverick Is Signed!

2010-12-16T16:21:00.002-06:00

"Maverick" 2010 C.S. Miller 24x18" oil on gallery wrapped canvas

Gave Him A Glow

2010-12-14T11:20:00.002-06:00

Maverick's color has been bothering me for a while, so I took the painting into different rooms in the house to look at it in different lights. The final decision was to warm up my palette and make him glow. I got out my new #12 Flat Silver Brush (love it!) and ditched the fear that comes with painting over what I had liked. The result is a warmer, more proportional dog and a background with sunlight peaking through the trees overhead. I like the combination of big brush and painting knife effects and am giving myself 2 days to finish him. It was commissioned as a Christmas present, so has to be dry enough for retouch varnish, painting the sides and wiring to hang. Then, I can think about Christmas.

Background Fun

2010-12-11T11:38:00.002-06:00

Decided to work on the background yesterday. It involved putting in some bright blues and peaches and then coming over it and scraping darker, grayer greens, then coming over it again and scraping with yellow greens. The last layer was a darker, more olive green glaze.

Maverick's Color Transformation

2010-12-02T12:09:00.002-06:00

Sweet Maverick looked just fine to me when I'd finished painting on Monday night, but there's a trick that too much exposure to bright light does to your eyes and your color perception which I only noticed the next afternoon. Maverick was purple! Yes, there are definitely shades of purple in his fur, in shadow, but I had taken it too far and didn't bring in the lights within the shadows which would have shown the warmer tones which make up his fur. So, Mr. Maverick got warmer yesterday and I had to leave the background for next week, as I'm pretty sure that I should be attending to house stuff and packing for my trip to Mom's frigid temperatures tomorrow. I really wish that I'd bought the knee length down puffer coat when it was on the sales rack at J. Crew last year. But, just like Texas in the summertime, when you just move from air conditioned house to air conditioned car to air conditioned buildings to survive the heat, I imagine that I'll be quite toasty most of the time going from heated house to heated car to heated buildings. And I won't go out and shovel her driveway for fun this year! Or maybe I will!

"Maverick" Just Keeps Rolling Along

2010-12-01T12:13:00.003-06:00

I was dragging yesterday afternoon, after my podiatrist appointment where he squeezed and prodded my foot to figure out where the problem was and also to back up his theory that it's a neuroma, so I wasn't chomping at the bit to get up to the studio and paint. Some days are like that but, fortunately, I know that once I get the lid off the paints and start mixing colors I will be totally immersed until Riley rouses me for some dinner. She's a good doggy that way. I'd been having issues with the flatness of the painting and knew that it probably was a matter of working on the background first to get the values better, more accurate for the lighting. The flatness was a style of painting that I didn't think would go well in the home it was going to. I tried using my painting knife on the grass, but didn't like the effect, so went back to the paintbrush. It's been a bit since I've done an entire painting with brushes, but it looks like this one is it. Funny thing about brushes and their effect on canvas, I realized that I was having one hellova time photographing this painting today because the light kept bouncing off the brushstrokes. I don't have that problem half as much when I use painting knives. So, I worked on the background and made some adjustments to Maverick's stance, then reworked nearly all of his fur so that the values were good and he wasn't so splotchy...no matter how cool the colors were. I'm at an in-between stage where everything is cooking but it needs some spice, a little "Bam!" to kick it up a notch. I imagine that there will be additional colors brought into the background so that it's not a sea of greens. But not so much as it competes with Maverick for attention.

Signed It!

2010-12-01T12:10:00.002-06:00

I Am Not Going To Change A Thing...I'm Not!

2010-11-23T11:35:00.004-06:00

As the title implies, I am having an interior dialogue concerning the tiny imperfections that catch my eye every time I see a photo of this (finished) piece. Thing is, when I look at the real deal on display in my dining room, I don't see anything that I want to change. So, I am using that as my gauge and taking it upstairs sometime today to sign it. Changes made to it on Sunday have convinced me that I need go no further. I greyed down the light on the bridge and brought more reflected light onto the sides. I reworked nearly all the foreground foliage and defined the treetops better in the background. I went over edges to get them as straight as possible, but with a painter's knife, there are ridges that can't be totally righted. It's just one of the fun imperfections, or looseness, that I find endearing about using a knife. I left the sky and the water alone, so now everything's dry and ready for varnish this weekend...after I sign it today. Champagne celebration!

Don't Get Excited Just Yet

2010-11-21T14:08:00.004-06:00

Sometimes I want to say, "Don't get excited just yet", because I know there's a lot of work to be done and many more changes that will bring it to the brink of excellence only to fall during the next session while I work on problems. I've been giving myself the same pep talk, personally, lately because I want to be excited about Sami coming home for Thanksgiving, but also know that her time will be divided between us, her boyfriend and her friends so we may not see half as much of her as we'd like. And I understand that. She has her work cut out for her, trying to talk her friends into coming to see her in Richmond, not as a group but individually and spaced out over the months so she has something to look forward to all the time and can learn to live with her loneliness. Me, I crave "alone time" as a friend coined a long time ago and made perfect sense to me. I was *never* alone growing up and craved a chance to have the house all to myself so I could crank up the music and dance or pound on the piano and sing at the top of my lungs. Sami, on the other hand, began her busy life at an early age: started competitive dance in 2nd grade, dance & TaeKwonDo in third grade, dance & TKD and drum lessons in 4th grade, dance & TKD & drum lessons and homework in 5th grade, dance & TKD & drum lessons & homework and band in middle school which then became marching band/concert band, drum lessons and homework in high school so there was no down time, no time to be alone but she didn't crave it like I did. She feared it. Feared that she'd become a "bum", as she put it, if she didn't always have something going on. I see that continuing now that she's in an place all by herself and just has a job to go to each day and not homework and projects hanging over her head when she comes home. She's craving activities to keep her from sitting in front of the TV or reading book after book after book. I wish her luck with finding a passion that will make the hours fly by, that will take her out of her aloneness and bring her into contact with interesting people and activities so that when she does finally sink into the sofa at the end of the day, it'll be with relief. Now that I'm alone a lot, I find that it's perfect for my craft. I sit alone in the hot tub or on the patio and the ideas flow. I stand upstairs for hours and work alone on my paintings and love the solitude. If I were to go out and paint regularly, I'd be perfectly happy to commune with nature alone and look forward to doing that when my body is tuned up. But, that's where I am in my life. I get excited at the prospect of several days of alone time so that I can really get some work done. It looks like I might have a couple of hours of uninterrupted time this afternoon, so I'm going to see what I can do with "Maverick".

Maverick (work in progress)

2010-11-18T11:46:00.003-06:00

He's coming along. I think I have the likeness better and his posture is more of a dog barely holding still before he jumps. I put in the orange background with the plan of doing the green grass over it (complimentary colors, sort of). The greens of the grass are pretty blue, so this should work nicely. Or I go another direction altogether and make the background purple and abstract. I initially didn't want to take this commission because, as with human portraits, you can get a likeness but people will always find fault with what isn't perfect (me being one of those people when it's my own work). I figured it would be a torturous experience, but decided that I had to be brave and go for it. They say (I don't know who this "they" is, and would like to wring they neck sometimes) that whatever you're afraid of, whatever is your weakness, is what you should work hard to overcome. So, that's what I'm doing. By the way, I am in love with this dog's face.

Maverick!

2010-11-17T11:53:00.003-06:00

Started work on the drawing of Maverick, the Golden Retriever, which is a Christmas present for a friend's hubby. He's a wonderfully goofy, rambunctious "teenager", which I have not fully captured in this drawing. I don't know why I have to do my sketches globally instead of starting with a contour sketch. Had I done the basic shapes and contours, I wouldn't now have a barrel chested Lab instead of the rangy Golden that he is. Ah well, at least I see it now instead of way down the road in the process. I'm thinking that I might use a brush a lot more in this painting. I don't see the need to suffer through trying to get everything right with a knife when I know I can get it right easily with a paintbrush. I know that folks like the texture that comes with a knife, so I will definitely work some of that in there and not entirely abandon the knife, but think that the lines of his body will respond better to the lyrical feel of a brush instead of the heavier spreading motion of a knife. All this talk of knives and spreading has me thinking of lunch!

It's Getting There

2010-11-16T11:47:00.004-06:00

I left for Richmond last Wednesday and got home late Saturday night, gave myself a day of "rest" and then hit the studio yesterday for 4 1/2 hours. Initially, I had promised myself no longer than two hours and to just work on two areas, but it's always better if you keep all parts humming together, so that's what I did. Now it's singing a happy tune that sounds something like..."It's getting there...It's getting there...". When that's the case, it's often a good idea to let it sit and start on something entirely different. We'll see if I can resist the urge to get out a straight edge and work on some things that are wonky. I need to channel another song, "Let It Be", and move on to my doggy portrait. Maverick, the doggy in question, stands taller than me on his hind legs and is full of joi de vivre as is what I consider an inborne trait of Goldens. I am praying that I capture that in the portrait and have chosen my photos to work from with that in mind. Then, when that painting has to rest, I can get started on any one of 5 paintings I want to do from my trip to Richmond, Monticello, Carters Mountain Orchard, Williamsburg (where I didn't photograph a single building) and Newport News' mouth of the James River.

Let It Rest

2010-11-08T12:01:00.003-06:00

One of the keys to enjoying your painting is to not obsess over it. That said, who doesn't obsess over the good and the bad when you're working on something you care about? I just call it my "magnificent obsession" and try to quit working by 6:30 p.m. so it doesn't keep me up all night. I solved the problem I was having with the water and am not really sure what I did that made the difference. If you had seen it at 4 p.m. yesterday, you would have thought I was out of my mind because the colors were all over the place and it looked doomed. But, scraping and paper towels took off what I didn't want, and adjusting the hue on some shadows really did the trick. Had I not been obsessed with "getting it right", I surely would have given up. One of the other keys to happy painting, I've learned, is to give it a rest. Sometimes it's just a matter of leaving it in your studio and getting on with other things that take your mind off of painting. In my case, with this painting, I will be leaving town for a few days and so will let it rest here at home without me. No, I don't always book a trip to get away from my paintings, but it seems to be the case with this one, haha! I did the major drawing and then left town for 9 days. I immediately had to get ready for a camping trip, so it had to sit all by its lonesome another week and a half until I had finally cleared my calendar and my life for some dedicated painting. I've put in something like 12 hours this week, so that's why it's moving along so "fast". Now that I have the bridge in, I will turn my attention to the clouds. I actually love them a lot, but know that they need to be lightened up some to be a reasonable part of the scenery. If you encountered clouds that dark, you wouldn't expect to see any defined shadows, but the day we were up there, the sun peeked through in different parts of the sky, so I have to represent what you aren't capable of seeing from the view I'm painting. So, I'll give it a rest and plan out where to hit it next week. It also gives you "followers" a rest from this dialog. Enjoy your time off!

Shoulda Left Well Enough Alone: the Painter's Lament

2010-11-07T11:11:00.003-06:00

I like to take pictures of the progress I make on a painting, for all sorts of reasons. I think it's instructional to see it in it's various stages, it helps me to see it from "afar" so as to judge it in a more detached way, people who eventually own the piece like to have a chronicle of its creation. But, sometimes it will turn around and bite me in the butt with the "painter's lament", why didn't I leave well enough alone?? All I can say is that I knew I needed to bring up the value of the water on the right side of the bridge and you wouldn't believe how much paint I put on and scraped off, leaving little bits of color, in an attempt to bring in the different shades of the ripples and the reflected light off the clouds/sky. But, on another note, the strength of the huge bridge has been established. So, there's that.

360 Bridge II In Progress

2010-11-06T12:09:00.004-06:00

I started the painting sketch of this bridge a month ago, knowing that I was going to be out of pocket for at least 3 weeks with Sami's move and then our camping trip. I'm glad that I did, because then it was so easy to step in and start the painting without worrying about the drawing. It's a big canvas (36x48), which will take a number of painting sessions, and I have a Christmas deadline so it was wise to get that early start. I worked on some of the water on Thursday and liked what I got, but then messed with it more after I had been working on the rest of the painting and am not so sure about the green-ness of it. I may go in with a red glaze and see if that brings some of the depth back. I wanted to get everything covered with paint for a good start and then bring in the bridge. Everything seems a little intense and sloppy (my usual beginning), but I think the strength of the bridge as focal point will work nicely to pull it all together. I'll, of course, work on the cloud and plant forms more, and there are plenty of other details to consider, too. We shall see.

Plein Air Painting on a Campout

2010-11-04T09:04:00.003-06:00

We had the most beautiful weather on our annual camping trip to Inks Lake State Park. Every day was clear and sunny, the shadows long because of the time of year. The lighting was dramatic on the landscape and made my eye very happy! However, since I wanted to be social with all our fellow campers, I needed to set up my easel on my campsite and work quickly. Well, one works quickly while painting en plein air anyway, because the light changes so fast. I chose the view from my campsite, the light in the reflection in the water under the log I found fascinating. I initially was only going to do the sketch and then go launch the boat and drive around the lake for a bit. Then, come back and put in the color that I knew would be there later in the day. But, my hubby was content to sit with a beer and hang out with our friends in the next site, so I just kept going and going. And used the painting knife. Friends would come over and watch over my shoulder, which I found a little embarrassing because my work always has a sloppy look to it when I'm working. It smooths out as I work the layers with the knife, so I think it looks okay now and definitely has the feel of how quickly I was working in that hour!

2010-09-26T09:11:00.003-06:00

"Zilker Gardens Water Lilies" 9x12 oil on canvas board I forgot to mention that I attended my first Plein Air Austin paintout at Zilker Gardens last month and my painting of water lilies was accepted for the PAA show which is up right now at Bass Concert Hall, 5th Floor Gallery. The reception is Sunday, October 10th, 2-4 pm. I understand that the gallery is open during the weekdays as well if you can't make the opening.

Further work on "Sami's Sonata Lilies"

2010-09-20T18:53:00.004-06:00

Ready to be signed. "Sami's Sonata Lilies" 14x18x1 1/2" oil with knife on gallery wrapped canvas. What a thrill to finally get to put in the yellows! What a chore to work through all the shadow colors, though. Why is yellow so hard??

Sami's Sonata Lilies

2010-09-15T16:11:00.004-06:00

Daughter Sami is moving to Richmond, Va. in 4 weeks to live and work at their state health department as an Emerging Infectious Diseases Fellow, a position she got through the CDC after graduating with honors with a degree in Microbiology from University of Texas. She's one smart cookie. I decided to do a couple of paintings for her new apartment and have started on the first of the series of Sonata Lilies from a bouquet she got from her boyfriend celebrating their 1st year anniversary. They were the most wonderful flowers, staying fresh and opening more and more for over a week. I took two series of photos, once at 5 p.m. and another time at around 10 a.m. I liked the light on both of them, but wanted to do the more golden light of late summer afternoon for Sami. I'm sure the other photos will provide plenty of inspiration for more Bonga Botannicals. I like to do a value sketch in a complimentary color and then bring in layers of glazes on top. That means that nothing I do is ala prima and can take 4-5 painting sessions for these smaller works (18x24). I'm looking forward to using the painting knife more tomorrow and bringing in the wonderful yellows of the lilies.

Sorry 'Bout That

2010-09-03T15:15:00.007-06:00

"Berkeley Bird of Paradise" 24x30x1 1/2" gallery wrapped canvas. Oil with knife. "Hibiscus II" 24x30x1 1/2" gallery wrapped canvas. Oil with knife. "Tulip" 24x30x1 1/2" gallery wrapped canvas. Oil with knife. "Off Season" 30x40x1 1/2" gallery wrapped canvas. Oil with knife. "Turtle Tree" 30x40x1 1/2" gallery wrapped canvas. Oil with knife. I thought that perhaps I was a few months behind on paintings postings, but not 6 1/2 months! I had hip replacement surgery on my right hip, at the end of March, which went well. I was back to painting within 6 weeks and have had some good success with paintings since then. I'll just post them all and let you browse a bit. Pretty soon I'll be changing the layout, so that I can use this site as my primary paintings site since ekaweeka seems to be down permanently. Bummer.

Update coming soon

2010-09-02T22:38:00.001-06:00

Mo' Paintings (in progress)

2010-02-13T13:01:00.001-06:00

I Have A Painting In This Show

2010-02-01T19:45:00.000-06:00

Turtle Tree

2010-01-17T16:34:00.002-06:00

I'm so excited about this new painting. The colors mellow me right out and I think it has an Oriental feel to the composition. It's called "Turtle Tree" because the turtles love to sun themselves on this low hanging tree which barely skirts the water. Since this is just the initial block-in, you can expect several more posts of the painting in progress.

"Storm Wave" is done!

2010-01-07T11:38:00.003-06:00

"Storm Wave" 30x40" oil on canvas I worked mostly on the foreground which needed a little more defining. Added some lights on the tops of the waves and adjusted the height of part of the wave. I love the colors and wish I had a place to hang this to look at it every day. What I'll do, instead, is keep it on the easel downstairs until it gets replaced with the next work-in-progress. AND, I will enter it in a couple of juried shows and see if anyone bites. One of the shows is meant for working artists who've cut their teeth on lesser shows, but I figure I need to get my name out there and don't mind entering (and being rejected) until I do make it. It's all part of the process.

So Nice To Sign A Work

2009-12-16T17:17:00.004-06:00

The title does not bely exactly the feelings I have when I sign a work. It's actually more like panic, haha! Like, am I sure I have no more to say with this painting? The panic usually gives way to a sense of completion but rarely is it one of glee or a state of celebration. I don't know why that is. When you finish a project, don't you immediately want to go out and celebrate? The signed piece is the "360 Bridge", 30x48" impasto oil on canvas. It was a commissioned piece and I keep wondering why he's content with the title since this bridge has been named Pennybacker Bridge. Perhaps, like me, he's used to calling it the 360 Bridge. Just like Town Lake is Town Lake and not Lady Bird Lake and MoPac is rarely referred to as Loop 1. Gotta love Austin for its ambiguity. I thought I'd include a photo of a work STILL in progress. "Storm Wave" is going slowly, but I don't mind since I'm enjoying painting large swaths of color with my palette knife and scraping off areas to reveal the color underneath. It's been nearly pure pleasure to do this one and I think I'll miss it most of all when it's done. When I sign it, I will KNOW that it's done because the canvas won't accept another bit of paint, haha! No, seriously, for some reason I just know that the next time I pick up a palette knife and work on this painting will be the last time as well. Time to move on and I can't wait to tackle the next one!

Updates on Work

2009-12-08T13:45:00.007-06:00

I am still working on the 360 Bridge, but this week is its last in my possession. I will add one more car to the bridge because it is bugging me to have all the focus on just the two. I'll paint the sides and then it's wiring and varnishing time and off to its new home. "Pond" is in its new home. It sold at the Maranda Pleasant Gallery Holiday Art Box Show on Saturday, December 5th. "Potholes" is hanging in the juried 12 Buy 12 Show at Austin Art Space and was used in the ad in the arts section of the December issue of Austin Monthly. It's the "Cool" issue, and that was my reaction when I saw that my piece was one of only 4 used in that ad. I have started and finished another painting in the 12x12 format. It's from my hubby's hike to Devil's Hole at Inks Lake State Park. There are tons of rocks, big boulders, so I didn't make the trek this year.The water was running like crazy after some great rainstorms this past Fall, which has been a rarity the past few years. Made for some great inspirational photos for me!

360 Bridge and Pond Update

2009-11-10T15:27:00.003-06:00

Here's the latest on the 360 Bridge. I'm nearly ready to include cars...if I decide that that is what it needs. It could also have a boat being loaded on a trailer. We shall see. I don't think I'll work on this until I get back from visiting my mom. It's good to let paintings sit and percolate without the daily viewing that mine get, sitting in the dining room. This second one is a 12x12" that I started yesterday. It's of a small body of water, like a pond, near the waterfall at Devil's Watering Hole at Inks Lake State Park. I didn't get tight and define the rocks underneath the water, even though I was gaining my inspiration for the subject from a John Singer Sargent painting of a pond with underwater rocks. The format is too small for much detail with a knife.

Potholes and 360 Bridge

2009-11-02T13:13:00.004-06:00

A friend of mine reminded me that I've been lax in posting, so here's the latest on my work in progress, 360 Bridge, and my finished one, Potholes. We just got back from 4 days of camping, so I don't have much time to go back and find earlier versions of the bridge in its progress. But there will be plenty more, I can assure you! I was so inspired by the light on the trees at Inks Lake, that I think there will be a painting that takes precedence over the storm wave. I would have painted out there, but people all arrived at different times, so there was really no alone time. I may have to go back if I can't remember that tree well enough with the photos I took. I took them from shore and from my boat.

Bummer

2009-10-14T16:27:00.005-06:00

I just looked at my last post and realize just how much I loved the initial sketching in of the storm wave. It looks nothing like that now, because I'd gotten ahead of myself and brought the values up too soon. What I have now is nearly all middle values and the process will be to slowly bring up the values so that the light looks like stormy weather is approaching. I hope I'll love it. I worked on the Potholes with my new paints and am in love with them! They're nearly all translucent which makes for some lovely layers of paint. This piece is becoming a favorite of mine, but is destined for a show at Austin Artspace, which means it will probably sell if it makes it through the jury process. People buy at those shows and 12x12 is a reasonable size for most folks. I'm learning to not get too attached to what I'm working on. I should just enjoy the process. I also have finished the painted sketch of the 360 Bridge. That is going to be one really fun painting! Can't wait! I finally had some sun today, so I got a better photo of "Vieux Lyon" and a final photo of "S. Padre Sand Dune II", since that is also finished. Hooray! My very talented brother, Ski, is thinking of creating an artist's website for me. I'm looking forward to that and hope that him hitching his wagon to my "star" will be profitable for him (and me). Enough for a good bottle of wine at least!

Updated Photos To Come

2009-10-12T22:41:00.005-06:00

We've had rain and overcast skies for days, so it's not all that easy to get photos of what I've been working on. I think Wednesday is supposed to be nice, so I'll try again. I will just do a short update on the S. Padre Sand Dune II (30x40), since I've worked on it since this photo and consider it done. Just need to sign it and photograph it. I've started 3 new paintings since my last post: The 360 Bridge (a commissioned piece), a small (12x12) abstract painting of an area in S. Africa called the Potholes, and a huge storm wave (30x40)! They're all fun, all compelling and all exhausting to work on. I'm in my element!

What's Goin' On!

2009-09-25T12:30:00.003-06:00

We had over a week of cloudy days and some rain, so this was the first that I've been able to photograph anything I've been working on. No great loss, I'm sure, but I like to document the changes. And have there been changes! The Lyon painting now is sporting some windows when originally I wanted to make that aspect of the buildings very understated. I'm not totally happy with them and know there's more to do to get precise on the perspective. Probably why I'm exhausted at painting studio sessions. I don't like Geometry. The S. Padre Sand Dune II is coming along. I'm being very playful with the hues of the sand and wonder if it's a little too outrageous against the more traditional colors of the foliage and sky. I'm sure it is. Enjoy anyway!

Puppies!

2009-09-02T22:16:00.008-06:00

My sister-in-law's brother is coming to Austin this weekend to visit friends, so I invited him to drop by and check out my studio gallery and, if they have room, take a painting back home to my brother. Don't know if the latter will happen, but it's okay because I often go visit in November and can take it then. I am happy that he's coming to see my cool new space, though, and am also happy that I'm finally making good on my intention to paint his two long haired Daschunds. I think they turned out okay. I made the mistake of signing the painting instead of letting it sit a day, so had to go back today and do a red-violet glaze over all the lights so that they pop instead of looking chalky. That's the mistake of using white to lighten a color instead of just making a more intense lighter shade. The background was another issue because I had used white to lighten my yellow ochre and it looked awful and pastel-y today. I spent more time than I'd planned, putting in a few greens and browns, then scraped most of it off. Went over that with a cad red light and yellow ochre, scraped most of that off and pretty soon, I had a nice texture happening because of all the scrapings, so I did a glaze of cad red light, yellow ochre and a touch of white and feel like it can stand as a background now. [Update: the next day, the background and foreground looked too similar and lacked depth, so I worked on it again!] Having seen the error of my ways, when it comes to trying to match colors exactly to photos, I decided to mix Alizarin Crimson with a touch of black and used that where the darkest darks were...now you can see the definition in the eye area! Such a simple thing, but so effective. [NP]I am also still working on the Lyon street scene in painting studio night. It's been such a big lesson on light and reflections. And using colors that I sure wouldn't have chosen on my own for interpreting atmosphere and light. It is a lot more magical than if I'd been left to my own devices, which makes me happy and yet sad. I thought I was moving ahead, but realize that what I would have chosen to do with this subject is so much less fantastic than what my teacher has guided me with his suggestions to do. So much less.

Painting Light

2009-08-26T12:18:00.003-06:00

I have my painting teacher to thank for this looking okay. He reminded me that what I'm trying to paint is LIGHT and not things, so painting the local color was taking me down the wrong path. The sand dune one is what I'm working on at home and again, painting the light is what I'm about.

"S. Padre Sand Dune II"

2009-08-24T11:42:00.002-06:00

I had a wonderful party of very creative people at my house last Thursday night. The next morning I woke up with an unbearable urge to go to S. Padre. I knew that wasn't feasible, because they expect you to pay for your hotel room and food, so I started a new painting...S. Padre Sand Dune II. When we were down at Padre this summer, I took a whole range of pictures of the sand dune I stared at every day. So, rather than do the same exact composition (I just don't think that's right), I looked through all my shots and settled on another composition that pleases me and worked on blocking it in on Friday. All the lessons learned from the earlier painting will be helpful this time and maybe the painting will flow easily and much quicker than the 17 hours the first one took. At any rate, I know it will be fun.

Lyon is started

2009-08-12T16:49:00.003-06:00

S. Padre Sand Dune is in a new home as of yesterday, so last night it was good to start a new painting that I already am enamoured of. It's from my daughter's visit to Lyon, France last summer. The photo has been calling to me all this time and finally I feel ready to do this painting. It's only 24x30", which is a nice relief from the big pieces I've been lugging up and down the stairs. I'm not terribly fond of the canvas, though. It's a gallery wrap, but the edges are rounded so a palette knife goes off into nothingness instead of hitting the curved edge which leaves a bit of white along the edges. Learned my lesson and won't use this canvas with palette knives again. I like how the blocking in is shaping up. It's my plan to keep doing paintings with a long block in time so that I don't get hung up on details (hard to do with a palette knife anyway). I have just finished reading "Julie and Julia" and saw the movie last week. My husband and I typically go to our favorite little French bistro for our anniversary, so my life lately is tinged with French, buttered with Francais, bubbling with the feeling of champagne in my anticipation of this painting and more paintings to come. Au Revoir, Constance

The Sand Dune is Done!

2009-08-07T16:35:00.003-06:00

"S. Padre Sand Dune" 2009 oil on canvas 30x40 I've enjoyed every second of this painting. Maybe it's because I chose a composition of something that I enjoyed looking at for an entire week and it reminds me of the lovely time I had there. I do think that good paintings come from that enjoyment. I think one can become more immersed in work that is compelling and the Muse tends to stick around longer when one is having a good time.

How I Miss The Beach!

2009-07-23T19:54:00.003-06:00

This painting is a nice reminder of our time at the beach. The beach is on the Gulf of Mexico side of the island, which means that it faces east. Most of the time, my chair was facing the water, but if I wanted sun on my face in the late afternoon, I'd turn my chair around and this would be my view. Well, nearly. I need to work on the grasses, which are just blocked in right now, and warm up the beach a little more from where I toned it down Tuesday night. It's a lovely dance, keeping all the tones and values in relation to one another.

2nd Night

2009-07-15T13:29:00.002-06:00

I knew the sky color was wrong and shouldn't have left it, but working on it last night was a lesson on getting things right. I grayed it up quite a bit and now it looks like a more natural atmospheric sky for the beach. I also grayed up the shadows and beach, adding warms where the sun hits it the most. It was a magical night of palette knifing, with most of it spent mixing piles of paint!

Loving the Blocking In

2009-07-08T18:25:00.003-06:00

I started a new painting last night of a sand dune I watched all week long at S. Padre. In the late afternoon, the sun was low enough to make some great shadows and entice me into thinking I could paint them. I spent almost 3 hours last night at studio painting session, blocking it in. Not finished with the block in, but it already has a nice feel to it. And I love that it's another big canvas, 30x40", which works so well for using a palette knife. I've got a friend wanting to commission a really big painting of the Pennybacker Bridge. The subject matter sounds like fun; I just don't know what size to go for. My idea of big may not be his idea, so there will be some sorting out of the format and size. He's not been known to stay anywhere more than a couple of years, so a really large painting becomes a bit of an albatross when you have to pack it and haul it wherever you go. Which had me thinking that I might suggest doing it as a triptych so it's 1)easier to move and 2) can be hung seperately in different spaces if he moves to a place with smaller wall space. That would just be more challenging for me to do three complete paintings that can stand on their own. I might need another easel to keep all the works together. This is sure sounding like fun!!!

Getting Behinder and Behinder

2009-06-24T17:37:00.003-06:00

June seems to be a month of catching up, but I got a little painting done in there. I had a nice three days to concentrate on the Hibiscus and then had to let it sit. Am still not convinced that I like the background; wish I had Photoshop so I could see what it looks like with a very out of focus background. I think that has to be my next art related purchase. I have been working on West Cave Preserve, during my studio sessions at Noel Robbins' studio, and I believe that I'm done! I don't even think that I'll compare it to earlier versions for fear that I'll second guess myself on bringing in all the warm tones that I did last night. I just feel the light better now that it's warmer.

Yeah, Yeah, I Know

2009-06-09T12:01:00.004-06:00

I was sitting in the hot tub today, squinting at the trees in my yard and way across the street, and knew that the problem with my background is that I've not gotten it light enough. But, since I tend to work in layers, dark to light, maybe that was my intent more than three weeks ago when I last painted on it. I should make notes.

West Cave Preserve

2009-05-28T16:31:00.003-06:00

This is slowly getting the depth of field that I wanted. The main thing that inspired me to do this painting was the light, so I have to work at getting the light on the ground brighter and lighter. I think the contrast is okay elsewhere, but am willing to work as slowly as I have to to really see what's going on with the composition.

Hibiscus Sure Is Colorful!

2009-05-19T16:10:00.002-06:00

I worked on this for a few hours (palette knife) and may not get to it again for a while. My daughter is moving to Brownsville for 10 weeks and I am caught up in her preparations. In the late afternoon sun, in my dining room, the colors in this are soooo vibrant! It's definite eye candy.

Hibiscus is Bloomin' Fun!

2009-05-17T16:22:00.004-06:00

The blocking in of this painting is still a lot of fun. I'm trying very hard not to get into detail yet, but sometimes it appears just from the change in value/color on some of the leaves. I already changed the composition by getting rid of a big patch of white sky on the upper right. The pool might be next, or maybe just the patio whiteness that is so distracting. I have so much green in this painting that it is nice to have a little bit of something breaking it up, but right now it's battling with the hibiscus for viewers' attention. The West Cave Preserve painting is also slow going, but I'm okay with that. As long as there is positive direction each week, I consider that important progress. Both paintings are being done with palette knife and fun! What's not fun is the pain in my hip which will start to limit my painting sessions in the next year or two, until I get another hip replacement. I bet you thought only big dogs had Hip Displasia...little women can have it, too, as I found out. It eventually causes arthritis in the joint because it has too much pressure hitting too little area. It's not life threatening, but does impinge on my quality of life when it gets to the bone on bone stage.

Studio Painting and Finished Painting

2009-05-11T18:03:00.003-06:00

I just realized that I haven't put up the finished version of Aloe Flowers. And, I started a new painting for working at Noel Robbins' studio (West Cave Preserve) from a photo of trees that my daughter, Sami, took. She takes some lovely dramatic shots that I appreciate so much!

Starting A Fun One

2009-05-11T17:49:00.003-06:00

Last week, my brother Ski sent me a few photos of an hibiscus in his yard that I could use for inspiration. I absolutely loved how open and lush this bloom was and felt it needed a big canvas to express how fun it was. Fortunately, I had taken advantage of a sale at Aaron Bros. a while back and had a 36x36x2" canvas just waiting for something this strong and vibrant. I'm still blocking in, but of course can't help but use my paintbrush to describe the shapes and lines within the shapes, so it's developing form already. Fun!!

Mother's Day Painting

2009-05-06T14:29:00.003-06:00

Howdy Fellow Painters! Just thought I'd share this little painting I did for my mother for Mother's Day. It's actually from a photo she took of some tulips last year. I was going through some old emails and came upon the photo and the light just spoke to me, so I figured it would be a wonderful tribute to her artistic photo if I were to paint it for her. My back-up plan, if the painting refused to cooperate with me in time for Mother's Day, was to do a really good print of her photo and mat and frame it for her. That would actually be a better tribute to her work, but this painting needed to be painted. You know how that is? Sometimes the subject just won't let you alone until you do something with it. I'm a little surprised at how it turned out. I've been working with a palette knife so much that I expect something rather painterly with everything I do. This has much more the look of something by Andrew Wyeth (out the window) and "I don't know who" in the foreground, but I don't hate it.

New Rendition...Hope You're Not Disappointed

2009-05-02T16:07:00.002-06:00

I gotta be meeee! I realized that is what was bothering me so much about this painting. When I have a paintbrush in hand, I tend to get into details that aren't important to what I'm trying to express. So, out came the palette knife and I got started on the background. Then, I blocked out the flowers with cad. light and came back in with all the colors you see now. And it was fun! Not a struggle anymore. It's not done, but getting much closer and then I can frame it in my new black Illusions frame from Jerry's Artarama. I am so freaking stoked to have these frames for nearly all my paintings. I hit their online sale and ordered as many of the black ones as I could fit to the paintings I've done in the past year. Illusions look like floating frames and I love that look. I already have one painting framed that way, that Davis Gallery charged me $199 for. I feel like such a chump because none of these frames cost more than $40 and I know they're not that hard to install a painting in and wire the back. Live and learn, I always say.

Firenze Afterglow

2009-04-23T17:22:00.002-06:00

Catching Up

2009-04-22T21:17:00.004-06:00

I have totally enjoyed the past 13 months that I've been studying with Noel Robbins. His teaching methods work well for me and I've gotten so much better as a result of listening to what he has to teach. I still need to test what he's taught me, though, and will often work on something at home that I don't bring to work on at studio time. It's not that I'm ashamed of it or afraid of his criticism. I work on it away from studio time to prove to myself that I have truly learned enough to stand on my own. And when I no longer feel like I need the training wheels that his guidance provides, then I can paint at home all the time. So far, I have not accomplished any magic at home. I've done some "fun" stuff, but I don't stretch myself with my home projects as much as I do with what I do in Noel's studio. I work hard, nonetheless, and every day look for a sign that I've figured out how to make the magic happen. It happened the other night at studio, but I've yet to see it with this current work at home. I think the only way I'm going to be happy with it is to give up the photo and go with my memory and with the knowledge of how I know things must look to have the atmosphere and distance and light that I feel in the photo. Crossing fingers that I can get this piece where I will be satisfied instead of confused.

More on Aloe Painting

2009-04-13T10:39:00.007-06:00

Due to some issues with my AOL, I have spent way too much time being frustrated and dealt with it mainly by painting and staying off the computer. So, here's an update of the process with this painting. I worked hard to get the contrasts true to the photo and then began to realize that the photo wasn't true to nature, so then I tried to get the flowers to come forward and become more 3D. I don't know why that should be so difficult, but I'm just not getting it yet. One more try today and then I'm going to let it "sit" for a bit. You may also notice that I kept messing with the lower background, unsure as to whether or not I wanted that much detail. In the end, I think the changes in light help to convey the bright sunny day. And, because it was such a bright day, I may have to come back and lose some of the intense color. Boo hoo! I was really enjoying it for a change. But then this whole painting has been a departure from my usual toned down palette and knife style of late, so maybe I ought to let the brilliant coral tones stand as they are. We'll see.

Aloe Flowers

2009-04-05T13:46:00.005-06:00

After visiting the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, I came home thinking that the first painting I'd do would be the very cool poppies, but I was totally drawn to a photo I took of an Aloe plant's flowers. I love the brilliant corals topped with very cool greenish gray. So here are a few pics of the start. I'm so messy in the blocking in stages. Hopefully I will finish soon and have something fun to look at in my dining room until it finds a show or a new home.

Comfort Painting

2009-03-12T15:25:00.002-06:00

I may not be alone in this, but feel like I've hit upon a new term: comfort painting. It's much like "comfort food" which you turn to when you need to snuggle up and turn off the world for a while. A Comfort Painting is one that has no pressure, perhaps is even a revisiting of a previously fun composition and is also quick to do.

Though y'all know that I don't do any painting quickly, these little panels (5x7) don't dry very fast, so I can't do much in one sitting. I painted the whole panel's imprimatura one day and then days later painted the composition and blocked in the background and foreground. I had to then let that dry so I could come back another day and start working the pears.

I've been sick this whole week with a sinus infection, so painting in little spurts as I have done with these, seems to work well with feeling like crap and not having a very clear head. And the subject matter is one that I feel so very comfortable with and enjoy more than most fruits or flowers. They're so bulbous and fecund and I enjoy the extreme light and shadow in this composition.

What's your Comfort Painting?

Firenz Afterglow

2009-03-04T18:55:00.003-06:00

I hope that the fact that I already have a title for this piece bodes well for this work, but am wondering if it's just wishful thinking. Why? Well, today I decided to document what I had worked on last night at studio and the first thing I did was knock a glass ashtray full of sea shells off the buffet when I grabbed my little table easel which resulted in shattered glass and broken shells all over my clean floor. At least I learned that The Maids do an excellent job of cleaning under furniture.

Within 5 minutes I had another disaster on my hands when the painting I was photographing (Firenz Afterglow) was hit by a gust of wind and it and the table easel went crashing to the patio floor, putting a little dent/tear in the canvas. I understand that there are relatively easy ways to fix it, but made me sad nonetheless.

They say bad things come in threes, so you can bet that I'm watching my every move today to make sure that nothing precious gets damaged. No picking up the doggies, no handling delicate or expensive items today. In fact, I should probably get off the computer since I find it much more valuable than most things in my house!

One second more and I'm done. This painting is a lesson in low values. How to make it interesting when there's very little contrast. How to understand just how to keep the values low and still convey light in the painting. I did a lot of scraping last night, because every time I'd squint I would see that I'd gotten it too light. Should be interesting if I can get this lesson learned. And now I have to buy a new tube of paint because I don't own any Old Holland Schveningen Blue (Thalo Blue).

I'm Hungry, So Let's Get This Over With!

2009-03-02T13:44:00.002-06:00

As the heading says, I'm hungry and really just want to post the signed painting, so I'll keep my comments short. Issues with this painting were all about the background. Staying true to the friend's photo made the composition a little confusing and not all that dynamic. By bringing the lawn and fence across the left side, I think it provided cohesion. And the other problem, how to work the fence, got plenty of attention. Too light, too dark, too undefined, too warm, too cool. You name it, I dealt with it, haha! And now I'm very excited to contemplate a few more paintings. I want to do some small ones for my "Fearsome Foursome" gang of girls for when we meet up in San Antonio in about 3 weeks. That may get done, it may not, depending on how crazy life gets or if other paintings have to take precedence. Also, I'm excited about the possibility of using some photos Sami took at West Cave Preserve yesterday. There was a grotto, a cave and beautiful vistas. Really interesting subjects and, since my daughter has such a remarkable eye for getting the strong shot, I am really jazzed about using her work to further my own. We collaborate well! And now for some food. I've been photographing this painting, which is a bear because of all the texture. Then, working on the photographs to get the best one cropped, adjusting for the light. And I've been sort of dieting lately so always feel hungry. Three pounds doesn't sound like much but it's making me cranky! I needz mah chocolate!

It's All About The Lesson Learned

2009-02-27T17:52:00.004-06:00

Today's lesson, boys and girls, is don't be so attached to what you want to express from your inspiration photo that you forget about good design. Or maybe the lesson is don't feel like you have to be true to the photo, even if it is of a particular place, if it doesn't work as a composition.

I was dealing with both of those things today because the photo is from a friend's yard and I wanted to be true to the surroundings. Plus, the reason I chose that particular photo to work from is how the dappled light made the sky and the background very abstract and interesting.

However, once you start down that path, you may as well forget about the subject because there's always going to be conflict for the viewer (and painter) if the design has your eye going in too many directions and you can't tell what it is that you're looking at.

While it's okay to have the background vague, it's not okay for just *some* of it to be vague and other parts understandable. If you're the kind of viewer who takes in all the details, you're going to focus on that blob because it just doesn't fit with the rest of the background.

So, this is an amaryllis from a friend's backyard. I think it looks like an amaryllis in a backyard and, since I'm sick of it, I'm just about done with this backyard amaryllis. It's not moving, not inspiring, just a pretty flower...with a huge lesson attached to it. Do you think, if I named it, "The Teacher", that would be too confusing? Haha! I won't, but will forevermore think of it that way.

There Are No Original Thoughts...Or So I Thought

2009-02-25T13:48:00.003-06:00

When I got to painting studio last night, and Noel glanced at my amaryllis painting, he said, "That looks like a Daniel Sprick painting!". I was dumbstruck with dismay. After having copied a Cezanne painting twice and having it bought up right away, I swore never to copy another artist's work. It just isn't why I paint.

So, to have him immediately jump on the subject matter as being dirivitive of another artist's work made me so unhappy that I was unable to get started on anything for a good half hour.

Now that I've seen the amaryllis in question, the only thing I can say is that it's an amaryllis. I don't think that anyone would mistake my composition or style for anything resembling Daniel Sprick's work, phew! http://www.gallery1261.com/html_artists/sprick/amaryllis.htm

So, once I'd squeezed out some paint colors on my palette, I spent more time than I wanted looking at two photographs that I'd brought, in hopes that being in a different location would help me decide which one was worthy of a painting.

The one I chose is a sunset over Florence that my friend, Lynda, took while visiting her daughter last summer. Even the tiny thumbnail photo of it grabbed my eye, so I knew that it would make a good composition. Noel agreed and said the words I've been looking for...he said that if I work it right, this painting will sing! Not only that, this feels so much more original than anything I've done in a while, so I'm super stoked to have this challenge ahead of me. Stay tuned.

I thought I'd share the blocking in with you. Initially, I started with way too much detail, which is a big flaw of mine. Noel was sitting across the room and suggested that I just block in the two big shapes and get the values right, before moving on to the detail. What I managed to paint last night was what I could see in the thumbnail, so I know I'm on my way! Woot!

The Pressure's On

2009-02-24T17:31:00.003-06:00

I go to painting studio every Tuesday night at Noel Robbins'. And every month there is a day where I panic because I don't have my next great painting all lined up. It's weird that the wonderful inspirational photos that I've been collecting for the past 3 years are doing nothing for me. I look them over, wander around the house and the yard, go online, look over my daughter's and husband's photos and nothing is singing to me lately. Nothing has sung to me since "Pierre".

But, I have painted something like 7 paintings and all those market bags and Valentines since "Pierre", so I can paint without being deeply moved by my subject. I'm just wishing that I could go back to that feeling that *this is it* when I see a photo. I've had three paintings that hit me that way: "Mining Ruin", "Canyon Waterfall", and "Pierre et Ballon de Football".

The closest I have come, is the "Thrill Before The Storm", but that one was rife with problems, decisions that had to be changed, issues with using a published photograph. All that kind of spoiled the joy of getting to do that painting.

I guess what I'm looking for is some joy. This amaryllis comes close. It's only 9x12, and hard as hell to use a palette knife on. So...I'm thinking that, if I can't get behind one of the inspiration photos I'm taking to studio tonight, I might just do this amaryllis on a larger canvas. And, no, that's not an original idea with me.

I'm skimming my new book, "I'd Rather Be In The Studio" by Alyson B. Stanfield and she quotes an artist who says that he paints small paintings to give away and a larger version to sell. Another take on that idea is what I came up with on my own: paint one that you think your commissioner would like and another one that is all your own style. Both ideas have a lot of merit and will leave you with a piece that you can sell in the end.

I've taken a photograph of my progress on the Amaryllis and am nearing the end. A few tweaks and I'll sign it and varnish it. Hopefully, I can get to it tomorrow and it'll be dry enough to varnish and give to my friend on Thursday because I just realized that she does volunteer work on Fridays and won't be at Jazzercise. Ah well. There's always next week.

Signed Painting and Work in Progress

2009-02-23T14:23:00.004-06:00

Here's the signed "Bikes". Lesson learned here was how to render leaves on the ground without getting specific with each one. The other lesson was about how hard it is to use a palette knife to do bicycle wheels. An accurate rounded shape is tough! Should have learned that lesson with the "Grapes"!

This other painting is still really rough. I don't have the proper colors down on the flowers but just wanted to see some red on the canvas before calling it a day on Friday. I'd worked primarily on the drawing and background for part of 2 days and just did some smears of reds in about half an hour, to describe the flowers. I hope to work on it today and pretty much finish it. I also hope to give it to the friend whose photo I'm using for the inspiration. She doesn't know it, though, so don't tell;-)

I Just Need To Sign It and Name It!

2009-02-18T18:19:00.004-06:00

Maybe it's Spring Fever. It's been a lovely 82 degree sunny day with nary a cloud in the sky and I have been worthless today. Well, to be fair, I did sit outside and read and that is worth something when you're used to working indoors all the time. Still, I can't stop the little nagging voice that said, "Get your paints out and PAINT outside".

I couldn't stop the other nagging going on in my head that said, "Just paint something...anything!" And since it's not too late, I may just go smear some paint on a canvas and play with color. Lots of good things happen when I do that.

So, I could call it Spring Fever, but I'm wondering if it's just the let down that happens when I finish a painting and think I've decided on the next one but am not totally enamoured of the original thought. I thought I wanted to paint a sailboat with sails unfurled. It sounded romantic and a chance to really do something interesting with white. But, I'm not chomping at the bit to get to it. A classic sign with me that I'm pushing too hard for an idea that's not working.

I have a new book about figure drawing and am not getting very far with that, either. So, what to do? Clean the studio? It's not in need of any cleaning. Look at art books? Not all that interested. I think tomorrow I will go to the Blanton and look at art in person. Sometimes that is the only way to get things going. Looking at really, really good art makes me want to be a better painter, better designer. It often inspires me to try a different way of looking at my subject, different color palette, even a different style. Something without bicycles.

The Play's The Thing

2009-02-12T15:47:00.009-06:00

I have had a ball playing with paint the past couple of days. I had it in my head that I wanted to make some heart paintings and maybe make some of them into Valentines for special someones in my life, but I also had two special girlfriends with birthdays who I thought needed a heart painting. In no way was this supposed to be "important" like the thought of a gallery painting engenders, and because of the play aspect of it, I was able to have fun and learn quite a bit about paints at the same time. If I didn't like the compliments I was trying to put together, I could scrape it off. No harm done. In fact, the many layers from some good and bad decisions gave each piece more depth. I know that for a fact, because I was tempted to stop with the second layer on the second group of hearts I was working on; they looked fine with their underpainting of gold acrylic and purple acrylic. But, if I'd stopped, it would have meant that I was giving up on the idea of play and giving in to the idea of playing it safe. And when I stopped thinking of them in the Hallmark card genre, and started mixing the paints around, I think they turned out a hellova lot better for the play. Each one is 6x8 canvas. I bought a little sampler tablet of different canvases, 2 of each kind. Some are linen, some are cotton duck and all fascinating to work with. I learned that linen is really too smooth to use a palette knife with in the manner I'm used to. The paint just slides away with no resistance from the weave. My two most favorite I will give to my daughter and husband as Valentine cards and then ask them if I can mount them on boards to hang. That will be an interesting activity to learn about. What glues and what woods or other hard surface to mount them? This play has become quite the learning experience! Happy Valentine's Day!!!

"Bikes"

2009-02-11T14:29:00.003-06:00

When I got up this morning, the sun was low in the morning sky but still very bright, shining its intense light all the way through the kitchen to the diningroom at the front of the house where this painting was sitting on the easel I have placed there to look at my work anytime I'm passing through.

I realized that the bright light really showed up the detail in the painting. I also realized that I should have better lights in the diningroom if I plan on using it as my space for viewing works in progress.

I read somewhere that you can show a lot more texture in your paintings and reduce some of the glare if you set your painting at an angle from the light. It is so wonderful to have a good, bright light from our Springtime sun shining at around noon to 2 p.m. now. Makes it much more convenient for me to photograph what I'm working on. I took photos at two different angles and chose this as the good one for showing the texture and giving it some depth. Digital photography flattens the image otherwise.

Next step is to put in some suggestion of leaves blown up against surfaces and maybe brighten the bike colors some more, because that is what prompted me to paint this picture in the first place.

Signed and I'm Keeping It

2009-02-09T14:21:00.001-06:00

The Great Grape Giveaway!

2009-02-08T18:39:00.004-06:00

I was happy to have finished this in time for Nancy's birthday party last evening. She'd sent me two photographs last week and I really doubted that I could do them justice in just that short amount of time. But, fortunately, I chose a much smaller canvas (14x18) than I'm used to working on and I think that helped me get it done in time. I brought it to the party, still wet, and was pleased with her reaction. She said that she took some time selecting photos that had a lot of color in them. Unfortunately, the main color in the photo was green, so I had to fudge it a little by bringing out color and tones that weren't really there because of the bright light. Anyway, I'm glad to have it done so I can concentrate on the next great thing, haha! Well, you wouldn't say the next mediocre thing or the next not so wonderful but I'm trying thing, right? Gotta think positive (ly). I was also happy, that same evening, to take a painting off the wall and hand it to a friend who'd come to pick us up. He'd mentioned loving my first plein air painting (done at Inks Lake), so I was thrilled to let his wife and him have it for their own. Turns out they were equally thrilled to have one of *my* paintings. Aw, shucks. I am messing with the template and adding things, looking forward to some good instruction from Kate on how to work this bloomin' blog shtuff. Stay tuned.

A Little of This, A Little of That

2009-02-05T21:15:00.003-06:00

I started the day with good intentions. It was going to be a painting day and then this evening go with a friend to Austin's West End for First Thursday Gallery Night. But.....

As with any good intention, you have to decide how important it is when faced with the decision of following through by any means possible or going with the flow. I chose to go with the flow and it's only now that I'm home from seeing other people's art that I realize it was for the best that I did not paint today.

Because...what has bothered me about this piece is that it really isn't very Connie-like. I have enjoyed painting my medium to large canvases with a palette knife in great swooshes of color, picking up the layers underneath and developing texture and depth. But this smallish (for me) canvas is not all that much fun to work on with a palette knife. In fact, if I could go back in time, I would have used a brush. But, since that's not an option at this point, I took it as a signal tonight when I saw lots of different work from artists I know and others I'm just getting to know, that I should at least be REAL with what I'm doing. What I mean is, just because I'm using a palette knife on this painting doesn't mean that it is my "voice" in this piece. It's almost just a gimmick. What I need the palette knife to do is what I do with the large canvases, mix those paints around. Give it motion.

Because this is a piece from a friend's photo and I'm giving it to her, I think I attempted to play it safe. I am so disappointed in myself for that. I know I am learning a hard lesson here and dearly hope that I can right enough wrongs for me to value this painting in the end.

I can't wait to get to the grapes tomorrow and give them some volume with the use of light. Hopefully no one will need me tomorrow.

I did want to share my excitement about my next intentions. I just got the book, "Henry Yan's Figure Drawing, techniques and tips" and can't wait to learn his methods for producing such luscious, full of energy drawings. In reading a number of art blogs, it seems that there is a growing trend toward drawing, sketching, getting the image down in your head before starting a painting. I did my first "best" painting using that method when I took a course from Noel Robbins at AMOA. And, just a year ago, I started going to his studio just so we could work on drawing. I don't know why I didn't stick with the drawing part. I did it for one painting and then I guess I forgot? Maybe I was just so excited about painting?

So, anyway, now I'm fixing to get back to drawing and sketching. I think that will help me work up my nerve to go to paint outs with the Plein Air Austin group, too. My issue is a strange one: I joined PAA last year, with every intention of taking my brand new easel and backpack out to paint outs. In March I had the worst episode of herniated lumbar disc I've had in years, right after using my backpack at a painting session with Austin Figurative Gallery and was laid up with muscle relaxants and pain meds for 5 days. So now I can't help but associate back pain with my wonderful backpack.

One of the sweet PAA people suggested that I just bring a sketchbook to our paint outs and I think she deserves an award for creative problem solving. Why I did not think of that is beyond me. Guess I was too focused on what I couldn't do to figure out what I could!

Two photos of two things I'm working on. After the Blogging 101 workshop I'm taking 3 weeks from now, I should be able to put captions under photos, create paragraphs and post blogs that I follow. I'm not a total idiot, but I do tend to give up if it looks like I'm going to be at it for hours problem solving.

Show and Tell

2009-01-29T08:51:00.003-06:00

It's been a while since Camille or I brought our work to jazzercise for a little "show and tell". It's a pretty good place to do it because there's a great long ledge to place our work and a vast, expansive room from which to view it. The lighting is kind of "eh", but it's daytime so there's that.

It was such a convenient way to show friends what we've been up to, instead of scheduling a time to come over, which has it's own hassles since our studios are in our homes and there is still a modicum of housepride beneath the oily veneer of paint in our psyches that says we need to clean up the place before we have people traipsing upstairs. I'd rather paint than clean any day!

Second best to seeing it in person is to post a picture (or two or three) online. The experience of viewing in person is so much better because you get a great feel for the space and dimension and texture that just doesn't come across in a little photo; especially if you don't have the photographic skillz, polarizing lens and Photoshop to present it in its best form. But, mainly, it's the 2 dimensional, flat aspect of a photo viewed on a computer that takes away half the power of an in-person view. One of the reasons that I like to visit art galleries and artists' studios.

So, boys and girls, what I have to show today are three paintings, in various stages of completion. There is the Grapes painting that I began blocking in the other day with a palette knife. It is from a friend's photo and will be a birthday present to her. I am in love with the colors, especially after working in such muted tones for the past couple of months. The colors will get toned down, but I like to work dark and intense in the beginning and layer lighter, more muted on top. Probably comes from my beginning of fine art drawing with Prismacolor pencils and the wonderful effects you can get from layering them, but I do love working that way with oils and acrylics. More depth for one thing and I think everyone enjoys seeing the underlayers peeking through.

Then there's the completed (or so I am thinking at the moment) bigass flower. This particular composition is a cropped version of one I have painted twice before as an exercise in color and light. The original rose is from a photo my daughter, Sami, took at Zilker Botanical Gardens a few years ago and it's a bright fuscia. When I painted the first one, the assignment was to take a black and white photo and create your own color painting. I worked and worked and could not get it to become a yellow rose. Ultimately it ended up a brilliant red and I called it done.

The second one that I did (don't know why) did end up with some yellow tones, over browns, and much more loose and fun. That was nearly 2 years ago.

This one was begun with the idea that it was going in my daughter's friend's apartment, to be done in shades of cream and purple. I guess I'm fortunate that she was in a hurry to decorate her apartment and found something else for that wall because I have had a lot more fun doing this painting in everything *but* cream and purple!

Lots of lessons learned about chiarascuro and color, so this fun painting has been very educational.

I took the photo for it yesterday when the sun wasn't quite sure if it would stay out. The wind was a little threatening, too, and I did have to pick the painting up off the patio after it took a nosedive. Proof that using well made canvases is a good thing.

One Down and Many More To Go

2009-01-15T13:52:00.003-06:00

I had some great success concentrating on my painting Tuesday night at Noel Robbins' studio. I'm glad that I can tune out conversation around me and work well. Maybe that's what I needed last week when I was the only student!

I was able to pull together all the disparate spots and create the cohesion and finish that it needed. I feel satisfied that it's the best I can do. Sometimes that is where you land, sometimes you come out of it euphoric.

Then there's this other painting that I started to distract me from my misery. It's been fun putting on the initial bright colors and then going for various purplish grays (Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna) that made it really entertaining. But, color won out in the end and what had started as just a little bit of yellow ochre in the flower's middle, ended up a full blown change to the whole canvas. It's lost some of it's depth and the thing going on in the top left is very distracting and unexplainable. So, onward I go, learning so many things along the way that this is still considered a fun distraction.