Art from Utopia

Barrel cactus wash

2012-01-30T16:06:00.000-08:00

It was a really beautiful day today. Not a cloud in sight and the air had a sparkle to it in the morning light. My painting pal Bev and I decided to paint by a wash. We like the way the land slope down on either side and the light on the rocks. We like how these barrel cactus have red needles that really glow. You can see from the photo how I simplified and did some changing of the subject. The painting is an 11x14 oil on a panel.
We had a lot of people stopping along the trail. One lady said she wanted to start to paint and had ordered an easel. When it came 5 years ago it wasn't put together so it is still in the box! I think we talked her into coming out next week and giving it a try!

More fun art for the patio

2012-01-26T18:31:00.000-08:00

Alan and I made a cool spider out of these aluminum balls we got at the junk yard. You can never have too much stuff hanging on your patio!

More Cactus Paintings

2012-01-25T09:12:00.000-08:00

I have some more plein air paintings to post. These all ended up with saguaro cactus as the main subject. They are such amazing plants that ignoring them is pretty much impossible! So here are some of the latest. I keep threatening to paint a different time of day, since these are all morning light. It is easier to jump up and go out first thing, before the rest of the day's activities can distract you though.

New Paintings

2012-01-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

I have been working on some 24x30 acrylics out on the patio. One is a little aspen scene from a photo I took last year. I enjoyed keeping loose on this one. It is hanging at a 2 person show we just put up last week. There are about 40 paintings up between me and my pal Laura Cohen Hogan. It will hang for 3 months. The other painting is of an old turquoise truck I spotted under a big tree. It was a Granite Creek Winery up in Chino Valley here in Arizona. I didn't want to get too tight with it, but just share the scene.

Paint Out Photo

2012-01-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

This photo from the Farm at South Mountain was posted by the Oil Painters of America that sponsored the day. I am right in the middle looking sort of festive in my hat...I have never been a hat person but have become one for my outdoor painting times. This event had about 75 painters! What fun!

Figure Paintings

2011-12-27T13:36:00.000-08:00

Today was a great morning working from the model. I am continuing to explore ideas using lots of texture before I start the image, laying, adding and removing paint, and throwing in some unusual tools to apply the paint. I am posting 2 images from today and 2 from last week. I work on both paintings at once, waiting for one to dry a bit, or for me to slow down in my layering. It is fun to see where the work takes me..These are all acrylic on gessoed paper. I am having a lot of fun with these.

More Paintings

2011-12-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted some of the most recent small paintings so here you go...They are all oils 9x12 or smaller...

Painting Rainy Arizona

2011-12-19T10:30:00.000-08:00

We have been in a weather pattern lately that has been great for our thirsty desert. The storms have seemed to hit on my plein air painting Mondays over and over though. That makes for quite a challenge for sun lovers, especially when it is cold too. Here is what got painted out in the stormy desert. It was a very different color palette than usual. I loved the streak of light that showed up briefly...had to work fast to catch it.

Fancy Frame

2011-11-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I participated in a silent auction fund raiser. I donated some paintings and ended up buying one. In addition there was a rather hideous (really it was) painting in a big carved frame. It was 30x40 and really heavy duty. I got it for $32 with my eye on the frame and not the painting. Because the frame was off white I had to find a subject that would work so I started going through my photos. I ended up picking one of cliffs going down to the Salt River. The shoreline has white rocks and boulders so it was perfect. I used acrylics and spent a lot of time building up thin layers of texture for the cliffs. I went back and defined them with more opaque paint. I had a lot of shadowed areas that were contrasted by the areas hit by the sun. It was really a fun painting to do where everything when pretty well. Usually you pick a frame for the painting, but this time I did a painting for a frame! I think it goes perfectly with this fancy frame.

Stormy Monday

2011-11-14T15:50:00.000-08:00

We had a cool stormy Monday last week. The clouds kept coming up and down on to the mountains. The colors were cool and interesting. Here is my paint set up on the trail.

Patio Art

2011-11-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

Alan and I saw an idea sort of like this at a local fair and zoomed down to the scrap yard. We got all the stuff we needed down there and made this to hang on the patio. It is all natural metal except for washers that I spray painted blue, purple, red-orange and black. It was a fun project.

Painting Without Fear

2011-11-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I attended a really fun workshop led by Stan Kurth called Painting Without Fear. It was really a fun day. Stan had worked for years doing tight graphic design work that was driving him crazy. He finally broke free to do his own art and it is loose and fun. He showed us lots of examples of his work and explained the process of building up texture, layering color, taking away color, layering more...He then begins to look for suggestions of imagery that he can define more with added details and often opaque paint around the negative spaces. This really wasn't new, who hasn't imagined images that accidentally occur? But what was new was the timing of the joy of playing with your images like you used to! Most of the participants are competent artists who are serious in their work. We all had fun and did indeed feel like we were enjoying painting without fear. Lessons for me included being way more patient building up layers of texture. It is worth the time to layer and consider those additions and subtractions. I was working on thick nice watercolor paper instead of canvas. There was something yummy about that paper. I also learned that you can scrub off acrylic with alcohol. That was news to me and a great new tool! I already use gesso when working with acrylics, but that is part of the opaque layers. Stan mentioned contrast of opaque and transparent and I sometimes forget to let that contrast be one of my tools. Here are my results for the day with Stan as well as some additional images, including some working from the model.

Painting at the Fair

2011-10-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

It was the nicest weather in a long time for our plein air painting at the Arizona State Fair. It was sure a different subject after so many desert sessions. We started early before the crowds came. It was fun to watch the fair come alive with people showing up, rides starting up, music going. My 10x10 oil is of the view towards the merry-go-round and ferris wheel. (After the judging I found out I got second place in the contest.)

Paint Out at the Farm at South Mountain

2011-10-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the perfect day for the paint out at the Farm at South Mountain. The event had 70 artists registered to participate! Sandi Ciaramitaro is an artist in residence there. She arranged for Oil Painters of America to sponsor the day. The Farm has some restaurants, gardens, cool buildings, big trees..so many nice spots to paint that we were all spread out. I quickly settled on this view and had shade all day. It was wonderful. A different subject for a plein air painting than what I usually do here in Phoenix.

Sedona Paint Out

2011-10-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

A "paint out" is a gathering either formal or informal for plein air painters to work at the same location. It is a lot of fun to find a new spot to paint at and meet new artist friends. Arizona Plein Air Painters had a paint out yesterday at the Sedona home of Sue Davis. It was a beautiful day and Sue's backyard is 360 degrees of views of Sedona's famous red rock scenery. It was bliss! Sue and her husband were gracious hosts sharing their art filled home and a delicious lunch. I got three 11x14 oils done...photos are a bit tricky with the paint too shiny in the sun and a bit dull in the shade...but here they are. I started "tighter" with the one with the big tree in the front right. The middle one is catching some of the yellow flowers and junipers and red rocks. Then I turned back to the same view of the mountain as the first one.and did a quick one (40 min.) before we left. You can see how the time of day changed the colors. I really hoped the Davis' would invite me to move in their guest room, but they didn't so I am back down in the valley.

Back Painting the Desert

2011-10-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

Finally the weather has let up and we are back to painting the desert. I was walking away with 2 paintings most mornings before we stopped in July. So far after a month back at the weekly plein air session I have only been able to complete one painting each morning. I guess I am rusty! One day we had lots of moving clouds that changed the lights and darks a lot. You really have to decide what to "chase" and what to stick with. This week I challenged myself by doing the painting with only painting knives. No brush work at all. It really put me through the paces. I had to think and be very deliberate with each bit of paint. It was hard work, tiring and fun at the same time. I knew it would use up a lot of paint so I loaded up my palette with a generous bit of each color. I had a variety of knives, but ended up using only a few and one in particular was the main tool. I think you will be able to tell which painting it was by the globs of paint.

Here's the Exception

2011-10-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

I have always loved books. I grew up in a home where books were always given for birthdays or Christmas. It was a favorite pass time to read and still is. In fact even with a Kindle I accumulate books without even realizing it. Of course when you are an artist looking at beautiful art for reference, inspiration and pleasure is a given. All of this has made me treat books reverently. Notes were not in the margins, but on separate papers. Book marks are used instead of folded page corners. But Brian Dettmer makes books into amazing pieces of art. His altered books are the exception to the rule when taking care of books. Instead his precise cutting makes magic of those pages. Check his work out and don't look at books the same way again. (Google his name to find his website. It doesn't seem to link properly from the blog. It is worth the effort to see his interesting alterations of not just books, but those old cassette tapes too!)

Steve Jobs Made Me Do It

2011-10-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

The other day Steve Jobs passed away. The media coverage was extensive, as it should be. Besides covering the genius of his inventions there were several airings of his graduation speech made after his cancer diagnosis. This speech tells the audience that it is a gift to know you are going to die and to therefore be compelled to "live your life." I sometimes spend a whole day watching the tube or sitting on the computer. I know my days are not infinite and yet I often squander the hours away. After hearing Steve Job say more than once that day to "live your life" I set up for a day of painting. It is finally that glorious time of year where Arizona can once again brag about the weather. I love setting up on the patio once the summer gives up.

This painting is of Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona Arizona. It is acrylic on a tall skinny canvas 60x15". I love the idea of showing a slice of a view. The photo was a little hard to take and didn't quite get the top couple of inches but you get the idea. I also put a shot of a portion of it...I tried to not over tell the story..give enough to make the impression, but stay just a bit loose....

Life Drawing Mornings

2011-09-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Life drawing twice a week is a great way to make sure I practice drawing. I love painting and can forget the fun of dry media. When I go to life drawing I use a variety of tools. I am posting a felt marker page with some gesture drawings. These are a minute long usually and the model takes positions that they could not hold longer. This model, Eric, is really athletic and can stand on his head or do other poses that can be very challenging. I am also practicing losing edges and outlines so you will see a few pastel drawings that don't always clarify the outline. Suggestions instead of telling is what I try to do on these. I use soft pastels, oil pastels and nu-pastels on these. The time for these poses vary from five minutes to twenty.

Plein Air Artist of the Month

2011-09-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Plein Air Artists group that I belong to highlights one artist member a month on the website. I am it this month. You can check it out at http://arizonapleinairpainters.com. It's a bit ironic to be the member of the month of a group dedicated to painting outdoors when it has been a month of not going out. It has been a super hot summer (well I guess that is no surprise when you live in Phoenix) so paint outs would be more of a fight for survival than for artistic accomplishment. But just the other day I actually experienced what some might call a cool breeze. Yes it will cool off again! (we begin to doubt it ever will about this time of the year) In fact, my pals and I have already scheduled the first session back out at our favorite desert spot.

The desert areas of Arizona go through a real rejuvenation when the nights begin to cool and the high temperatures dip below a hundred now and then. It means we survived the summer. Shoppers at the nurseries begin to anticipate the first batches of new plants arriving to plant. Those empty flower pots can once again be filled with color. Even more exciting for some is the color we can once again apply to canvas out in the sunshine.

Got a Little Crazy

2011-09-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

I got a little crazy at life drawing today. One drawing is really pretty abstract...another just loose..another pretty real..one just a sketch. Had fun with all of them.

Painting Red Hair

2011-09-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

Painting from the model yesterday ended up being about an hour and a half. I focused mostly on the face. This model has dyed her hair a bright light red that is a fun color. I only wish it had been down so I could have used more Cad Orange!

Two for One

2011-09-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

My life drawing group has two models for the price of one every month or so. It is really fun, and tricky to get both models done well. It is really difficult if the pose is short. Sometimes I end up focusing on just one of the two during the pose. Here is a fairly long pose where I get both models in the drawing to start and then go back for a second drawing of just part of the woman. That drawing was on a rough toothed paper so the pastel skips as I apply it. It forces you to suggest more than define too much.

Long Pose Painting

2011-08-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

Today I managed to get to the long pose session. Tuesday mornings seemed to always be tough for me, but I made it today. What a fun morning! I did an oil painting and the 3 hours flew by.

Life Drawing with fun hair

2011-08-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

I love this model for several reasons: skin tones, great poses, fun personality, but especially her HAIR! It is just fun to squiggle those lines! Today the three hours flew by. Here is a twenty minute pose...with hair squiggles.

More Studio Shots

2011-08-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

I got my cabinets cleaned out and reorganized in the studio yesterday. I am posting a picture of one of the two which stand next to each other in the studio. It is jam-packed but things are pretty accessible now. Picked up a couple more plastic containers and feel pretty good about that storage area. I am also posting my desk. It is really one of those plastic banquet tables with a piece of glass on top. That solves the textured surface issue with those tables. I stuck some blue shelf paper under the glass to make it a bit more appealing. My light box is on top that I use for calligraphy on wedding envelopes. Finally a shot of part of my bulletin board...it is layers deep of stuff I like, photos etc....I've mentioned before how much I love seeing other people's work spaces so it is only fair that I share.

Life Drawing Morning

2011-08-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

This morning was a great time at life drawing. We had a great model and wonderful classical selections on KBAQ, our local public radio station. There were many moments today that I thought how perfect that instant in time was...the music punctuated by the sounds of the various mark making tools. Some people are painting with watercolor, some draw with ink or pencil and then add paint. Others use charcoal or pastels. Some focus on realistic renditions while others strive to accomplish other visions, but all are inspired by the model. It is such a special comradery. I am posting a small quick 10 minute sketch. You can see a suggestion of the tattoo that our model has down her back. I am trying to convey the image without relying on telling too much. I hope the viewer will fill in the blanks.

Final Exit

2011-07-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Lucian Freud made his final exit at age 88 the other day. He was one of Britain's most celebrated painters. I remember being horribly fascinated by an exhibit of his paintings. Wonderful thick brushstrokes describe the forms of his subjects. His absolutely brutally honest paintings were captivating. No flaws are glossed over but instead are treated the same way that all the observed features were. As I looked at his daughter's portrait I was thinking how glad I was that none of them were of me! I considered Queen Elizabeth to be very brave when she had him do her portrait. His work is like looking in a mirror at home without the tricks of nice lighting in those store dressing rooms. Cellulite, blemishes, blotchy skin...but oh that paint! Such brushwork!

Life Drawing Fun with Pastels

2011-07-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

I had to miss life drawing last week because of my calligraphy workshop so I was excited to get back to it. I had fun drawing our model Lisa. Here are a few of the pastel sketches I did on various colored pieces of paper. Since these are pretty quick drawings and some days we do lots I use archival scrapbook paper for some of them. I have found tablets of paper at the dollar store or on clearance and enjoy picking a color that goes with my impression of the pose. It is always interesting to see how the different background colors and values affect the colors of the pastels.

Rabbits

2011-07-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

I ran across this oil painting of some cottontails I did years ago. I still am captivated by the Sonoran desert and the wildlife and plants that manage to survive in the harsh environment. In the middle of the summer only the toughest can last until the mild weather returns. The beauty of the desert with the spectacular spring colors and lovely winters is earned by the season of summer. This is the season that really sets the desert apart. If we have grown unaware, it snaps us to attention and lets us know what Mother Nature is all about. We have long harsh heat punctuated by dust storms, stunning thunderstorms and flash floods. Through it all the desert creatures manage to thrive in harmony with this amazing place.

But I Miss Painting!

2011-07-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

I have been attending a national convention for IAMPETH this week. It is a group dedicated to calligraphy and handwriting. I have been amazed at the high calliber of the teachers, the passion of the attendees from all over the world and the depth of information about this subject. There are master penmen and traditions and history about letters that I never imagined. It has been fascinating! I write wedding invitation envelopes so I was interested in learning to write in a fancier hand. I learned a lot more than that this week. I am showing you a "vintage" piece of writing as well as a sample of modern pictoral calligraphy that Linda Schneider does. I have enjoyed this week ...but I have missed painting! Can't wait to get back to the brush and canvas, but this has been a delight.

Another Painter Gone

2011-07-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

Cy Twomby passed away this week. He was a painter I always enjoyed and shared with my high school students. He was in his eighties, but still seemed to be so current. The influence of his paintings can be seen in contemporary galleries across the globe. His scrolling brushstrokes in bold colors, the interesting pencil marks that emerge from the neutral backgrounds are two different looks that can be seen being explored by many artists.

I was thinking that the work of Twomby seems so fresh and "now", but he was working in this direction for decades. Evidence that it does take the rest of us awhile to catch up to a foresighted artist like he was. I understand that he was a genuinely nice person who loved life. I am glad we have his paintings to enjoy in his memory.

The Painted Horse

2011-07-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

A few years back I did a painting for a motorcycle and car custom painter. His shop was called The Painted Horse and my piece had that on a banner. I painted a horse with a V-twin engine for it's body and some reflections like metal on the rest. It was a cool assignment. Painting lightning in the sky was fun. I really wish I had a better picture of the results as this photo cuts off part of the bottom and has a weird light thing in the right corner. The guy has left town for parts unknown so this photo is all I have. I used acrylics on a 48 x40 canvas.

Sketching Fun

2011-07-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

Life drawing the other day was fun because of the model. He has long hair and a beard which makes him look very Old Testament. He took lots of dramatic poses for our quick gesture sketches. He was more relaxed for this 20 minute pose. I used conte crayon and used a scribble line for lots of it.

Soupy Ocean Painting

2011-06-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

Before the monsoon makes it to Phoenix we experience our famous "dry heat". The humidity is low which makes it possible to function at 110 plus degrees. It also means thoughts turn to cooling water! A few summers ago I was so thirsty for water I painted it over and over in oceans, rivers, creeks. It is that time again! Finished up this long (16x40") ocean scene today. I like the white soupy effect that the ocean often has. I feel cooler already!

Painting roses

2011-06-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

I did a few paintings of roses this week. It was tricky to try to get the thin and delicate quality of the petals. I used a soft bristle crisp-edged flat brush to get the edges. When I caught the edge just right it gave a thinness to the petal that I was hoping for. I stopped before I could overwork them. I learned a bit with these. Flowers can take a lifetime to master. I really liked doing them on the long skinny canvases. (4"x12")

Invitation to the Luau

2011-06-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

My studio pal Laura Cohen Hogan and I are having a luau theme for First Friday. It will be fun to think about the lovely tropical breezes of Hawaii in the middle of the brutal desert summer. If you are around Phoenix, you should stop by! It is upstairs at the Artery Building on Indian School just west of 7th Street. Easy parking behind the building.

A Wipe Out

2011-06-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to a painting session where we had a long pose. I did an oil painting and enjoyed the process, but not the product. I wiped out the painting when I got home. I had a nice morning with wonderful company, music (niece Jane was the DJ on the Classical Music station) and good model. I wonder if the fairly dark room had anything to do with my rather boring results? I am not sure, but rather than mess with it, I wiped the painting off the panel. I actually felt proud of myself for seeing the value of just practice, no product. It felt good to admit defeat, but feel good about the effort.
I am happy when I produce a nice successful painting, but that should not be my first goal. To learn during each effort and become better should be the target. Many painters repeat successes over and over because they sell. It is a temptation that artists of all genres have. Authors can repeat formulas over and over and so can artists. I was thinking how my desert paintings could seem repetitious as I go to the same area to work. But as long as I am consciously interacting with what I see, staying deliberate with each painting stroke, I am being authentic. It is when you succumb to using the same answer, using generic information instead of what is there, and when you make it a formula, then it is no longer part of the authentic journey.

Summer painting

2011-06-21T20:11:00.001-07:00

This week I had a couple of busy mornings. Monday morning in the desert there was one of those morning moons. We have to stay in the sheltering shade as we paint so these scenes I painted before. The big multi-armed saguaro stands in front of the ironwood tree that was pink a month ago. Now it has green leaves. When I first started going out to the preserve it looked like a beautiful, but dead tree. The other painting I did was a little close up of a baby cactus. I have painted it before, but practicing the same subject is bound to help eventually!
I am also posting the second smaller painting I did last week. It is just more pretty desert scenery! Little barrel cacti in the front. Their needles can be reddish.

Some glimpses of my studio

2011-06-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

My home studio is what once was my daughter's room. It is a pretty tight squeeze as I am a pack rat when it comes to art stuff. I have some large cabinets, a desk and bookcase that aren't pictured. You can see the "Fab Four" looking down over the closet. I have another easel that is out on the patio when the weather is nice. I love looking at where artist's work so I thought it only fair to share a glimpse of mine!

Life Drawing Today

2011-06-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

These are some of the work from life drawing today. The quick gestures (one minute) are to warm us up. We practice catching the movement of the model. They are fun to do. The longer pose (20 minutes) is done with nupastels. I am trying to work from within the figure instead of outside outlines. I am squinting at the model to see the unity of light and dark and the essential details. I am trying to convey the image with an economy of information. Fun challenge!

Painting the Desert in June

2011-06-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

It is really fun to continue to paint the desert as it changes with the summer. We see the colors warmer as the sun is higher in the sky when we start to paint. Months ago the mountains stayed quite blue with the morning shadows. We are staying under the big shade of the preserve's center so we are able to paint and feel comfortable even in June. We had nice breezes this morning as well.

Aloha

2011-06-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

I am starting to work on some Hawaiian inspired art this month. For our next First Friday we are having a little luau. Both Laura Cohen Hogan and I went to University of Hawaii and love the islands. We are celebrating that wonderful place with art at our July 1st open studio. It is our hot and dry time of the year, so day dreams turn to a gentle tropical breeze along the ocean shore. Hope you can join us for the fun!

June Morning

2011-06-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well the colors are changing again in the desert. This is the beginning of summer and the desert blooms are beginning to fade. Cactus blossoms are still open, but you can see the brush drying out. Still beautiful though!

New Color in the Desert Palette

2011-05-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

This morning there was a new color to paint in the desert.The ironwood trees which previously looked mostly like dead trees have woken up and are in bloom. They have lovely pink blossoms on them which are a beautiful addition to the paint palette. It was a lot of fun to add this new color to our paintings. The palo verde trees are losing their yellow flowers so the ironwoods stepped up just in time!
My second painting was a little study of a baby cactus making its way in the shade of a tree. It was hard to separate the gray of the tree and the gray of the rocks.
What another great day in May. The high will be in the 80's today. A good 10 degrees lower than we should be. I am not complaining!

That's better!

2011-05-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's painting had a strange split personality. I realized later that a half hour interruption during the painting might have altered my attack at the work. (maybe just an excuse!) My friend Carole Belliveau suggested that all was well except the tree which I knew didn't go with that saguaro. This morning I softened those brushstrokes on the tree. In a matter of seconds the tree now seems to be part of the painting. It is funny to realize how a tiny bit of blending could make such a difference. The surface quality of your work has to be cohesive with the whole. My colors and values were ok, but the use of the brush and the texture it provided were not in harmony with the rest.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you....

2011-05-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

Not my best results out in the desert today. If you look at the painting it is almost as if there were two styles fighting it out. The saguaro cactus was a multi-armed specimen that was full of blossoms. The details on it just weren't jiving with the palo verde tree, also in bloom that got me really bogged down. Neither one were speaking the same language in the way I was painting them...Oh well, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose...but you always learn a little something along the way! Besides the not so great results it was another beautiful day in the desert. We set up in the shade of the preserve's building to get out of the wind. It was actually chilly! Unheard of for this late in May!

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

meant2be events: {blessed2be} mother's day party My daughter Regina made a design story board based on one of my paintings. She is a wedding planner extraordinaire and creates events that are stunningly beautiful. She started her business Meant 2 Be Events from scratch and has become one of Phoenix's top planners. I am a proud mom!

Degas Compositions

2011-05-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today I was at the horse race track taking some reference pictures. My digital camera like many others has a delay before the photo is taken. I noticed this again and again as I took the pictures of the horses being ridden and led. I quickly realized I was ending up with cropped compositions much like the ones drawn and painted by Degas. It was a bit comforting to think of them and not get so frustrated that the photos weren't always exactly what I planned. A horse heading into the shot, or out of it, cropped off dramatically, even by accident maybe just what was needed.

Painting the Desert in May

2011-05-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

Painting the desert this May morning was spectacular! The Palo Verde trees were in bloom this week and lots of yellow was in nature's palate today. Be sure to click on the pictures to see them bigger. I was pretty happy with the loose foreground bushes today. Yes that cactus was leaning in towards the other saguaros. They usually grow pretty straight, but once in a while they lean to the side a bit. Because of some breezes it was not too warm this morning so I had a spot in the sun. It had some nice Palo Verde (Arizona's state tree) and saguaros (their blossom is our state flower)in the view. I did my usual routine of one main painting (11x14) and then a smaller quick study (8x10). The quick one needs some more darks in the tree on the left, but I will touch it up later. I am also posting my second one from last week. You maybe able to see that the trees weren't blooming as much yet. What a gorgeous day today was! Hope the temperatures hold for a while longer!

Reflections on the Workshop

2011-04-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

One of my fellow students, Shirley Fachilla, at the Carolyn Anderson workshop wrote a blog that really captures the experience. I recommend her comments to you at her blog http://sometimesapainting.blogspot.com. In the attached image from a demo you can see how Carolyn uses just enough information for you to see the image. I was very impressed with the gesture of her brush strokes. She was masterful in her use of the brush to attain real variety in her paint application. Wonderful!

Desert Painting Morning

2011-04-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here is the result of desert painting this morning. It was one of the prettiest days yet. We had a nice shady area to work in and the birds were all busy. A baby cactus wren was chasing its mom all over making her feed it. It was nagging her like crazy..."Mom, Mom, Mom..." The palo verde trees were starting to bloom and some of the cactus were showing blossoms as well. I was happy that I pushed the mountains back into the distance pretty well.

Painting Workshop

2011-04-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a great week at the painting workshop with Carolyn Anderson. She is an awesome teacher who has really helped all of us amp up our paintings. We have lots to digest and somehow incorporate into our work. The class includes artists from all over including some from Canada, Michigan, California, Maine...even a couple of us from here in Arizona! Most of our work has been from live models with the exception of half of today working from photos. Looking at Zorn, Sargeant and Fechin I think I am leaning to be aware of edges more than ever.

Cholla Cactus

2011-04-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

This Monday it was a bit of a disappointment. There were a few blooming cacti but for the most part less flowers than the week before. I had been anticipating a real color display, but the blooms were about done on the brittle brush and not much took its place. I ended up painting a view with lots of cholla cactus. It was a bit of a challenge to paint them. Parts of this painting were ok, but overall it seemed like I was fighting those stickery characters!I am attaching a photo that shows them as well as my painting.

Back to School

2011-04-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

I am excited to have been able to sign up for a class with Carolyn Anderson that had been full. There was a new vacant spot that I snagged. I have admired her loose and exciting paintings and seen her recommended as a teacher by many artists I respect. This will require the commitment of getting up and out of the house for a whole week, but I am sure it will be worth it!
I just found an interesting blog about increasing your abilities in whatever field you are in. It is written by Daniel Coyle and is called The Talent Code. He has written a book of the same name and has researched the conditions that help us improve. One of the ways was to look for good models which leads back to my upcoming class!
http://thetalentcode.com

Spring Is Here!

2011-04-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

Today was a gorgeous cloudless day out in the desert preserve. I had fun with the yellow blossoms on the brittlebrush. This was the second week with them blooming. I am posting a painting from last week when it was a cloudy morning. You can see the difference in the colors which were not as vibrant last week. I admit I got a little carried away with the colors this week on the two I did this morning. I couldn't help myself!

Thinking about Monday

2011-04-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

I am thinking about going out to paint on Monday morning. It is becoming sort of an obsession, this appointment with the desert. It is so special to be in the midst of the natural setting and be working to respond with paint to what I see. I feel connected to the artists who came earlier and first began to work out in nature. It took the invention of portable paints to make it possible for artists to work so directly. The light, the forms, the colors are so different when you are working from life as opposed to from a photo or memory.

Black or White

2011-03-14T13:31:00.001-07:00

I painted the same view two times this morning. One was on a black gesso board which was a new technique. I thought leaving the black edges was a bit gimmicky but had no choice it seemed. I redid pretty much the same view on a bit bigger, but white board after that. I am posting them both. Which one do you think was more successful?

Step by step painting

2011-03-09T15:59:00.000-08:00

Today I worked on a 30x40 inch desert painting based on one of the 8x10 studies I on site. I took pictures of the steps so you can see how it all happened. I also like to check what I am doing and looking in the camera gives me a different perspective. Another way I get a fresh look is by using a mirror to see what I am doing. With your face buried in the process you sometimes lose your objectivity. It was a wonderful day on the patio..great weather and some cool tunes.

Another Monday Morning

2011-03-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

These Monday morning paint outs are a spectacular way to start the week. This morning was a bit different. The wind was starting to gust and the day started cloudy. The mountains had a different look with the cloud shadows. I keep trying to tell myself not to "chase the light" as it made the mountains go dark and then light and then back again. I loved the way the brittle bush has some dead straw like parts left from the winter so I chose a scene with them in it. I also like the contrast of the palo verde green against the bluer hue of the mountains. In this painting I really tried to stay fresh and not "picky" with the paint. I brightened up some of my color as well.
The second painting was a quick sketch of another tough old desert tree. It has lots of roots showing along the edge of a wash. By then the wind was starting to get stronger so I packed up for the day.

Still More Desert Painting

2011-02-28T11:43:00.001-08:00

Today I was out painting the desert again. The weather was just perfect for outdoor work with no wind and the temperature just right! I always learn something when I paint in front of nature. The colors, the lights and darks, the shapes and textures are amazing teachers. Each painting is like a problem and I have to work to find the solution. Even paintings that don't succeed can have great lessons in them.

A Year Later!

2011-02-23T15:58:00.000-08:00

This was cool. I got an email from someone who wanted to buy a painting that was in a gallery a year ago. Her aunt loved it and is back in town again. The buyer had taken a picture of the label with my name and found me. I met her today to sell the painting of my bad puppy. Her aunt loves Boston Terriers even when they are naughty!

Presidents Day

2011-02-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

Back to the same great spot looking at the McDowell Mountains. I still need to work on the first painting of the mountains and some cacti. The second one I did during the last hour of my morning. It is of a palo verde tree that is still alive but bent and dead in some parts because of flooding in the wash it grows in. I was enjoying the contrast of light and shadow in this view.

Valentines Day in the Desert

2011-02-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

Well I was up and at it early on a Monday morning. Instead going off to the office it was back to the desert for a painting session. These on site plein air paintings are so much fun. That is the only way to truly see the colors and lights and darks. It is a challenge to get it nailed down because the sun is changing every thing by the minute!

Beautiful Saturday in the Desert!

2011-02-12T16:31:00.000-08:00

Today I forced myself to get up and out of the house (instead of a lazy morning with coffee,the paper, the news, the dogs on my lap)and drove to McDowell Mountain Conservation Area. This area was set aside 20 years ago and as part of the anniversary about 15 painters set up to paint this beautiful area. I had never been to this trail head and will definitely be back...bathrooms, water, shade and gorgeous scenery! Here are the paintings I got done this morning.The wet oil paint has a lot of glare in the sun..sorry!

Photo at work

2011-02-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

I ran across a photo of me at work painting at the Glendale Chocolate Affair. The Glendale Daily Planet is a website that covers Glendale news. I guess he lost my name, but he did post a little picture. You can see the house in front of me.

The Love Shack

2011-02-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the City of Glendale(AZ) Chocolate Affair Plein Air Paint Out. This even includes carnival rides, vendors, bands and everything chocolate. It draws a big crowd. Last year they reserved parking for artists to return at the end of the day with their paintings. This year they didn't so I found a little house not too far a walk from where I parked. This little house is turned into a shop and was all decked out for Valentines Day. I edited most of the stuff but left the Love Sign and some of the hearts. It was pretty chilly most of the day and the sun really struggled to break through.

Apache Escarpment

2011-02-01T13:47:00.000-08:00

This is an escarpment on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. I think this painting is finished, or close to it. This was a spectacular big of geology off the road that we did not have permission to go to. We did walk over and take some photos though. It had several aspens that just glowed in contrast to the pines. I am not sure I was able to capture it, but I tried. This is an acrylic 2x4 feet.

Or Best Offer

2011-01-31T14:57:00.000-08:00

Just finished a freeway frontage road painting. This one is larger than most in this series. It is a 36x30 acrylic. I liked the car with the or best offer "obo" on the back window.

Little Desert Study

2011-01-26T21:09:00.000-08:00

The other morning a couple of us went out to paint a bit in the desert. This little study is of a Palo Verde tree and saguaro sort of tangled up together. This happens a lot because the trees protect young cactus. There is a lot of glare on the wet oil paint!

Mixed Media Abstract

2011-01-23T15:46:00.000-08:00

I got an abstract mixed media piece in Glendale Art Council Annual Show. This piece includes collaged Chinese newspaper. I have no idea what it says, but visually I love the way it looks. Hope it is nothing offensive or silly!

Urban River

2011-01-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was at the Salt River just up from where it is stopped by the dam to make Tempe Town Lake. Looking down on this river bottom with the bridge and freeway nearby made for an interesting contrast. I struggled with the first painting and ended up wiping out the little piece of land before the water's edge at the last minute. It was a big improvement. By then my fingers where pretty cold, but I did a quick study for 40 minutes or so of the area just to the east. (top image) I like the freshness of this one, even though it is probably needed a tree trunk or branch... I like to see if I can squeeze a quick one in once I am loosened up. No sense driving across town for just one!

A Special Wave

2010-12-28T14:01:00.000-08:00

This is my largest wave painting yet. It is 54x39 inches. I was proud of the custom built stretcher bars we made for it. It was requested by a friend with a spot for it in San Diego. She is a special friend who has a husband fighting cancer. I tried to have this wave be one that had a positive energy to it.

Fall Day at Seven Springs

2010-12-17T19:17:00.000-08:00

The other day we grabbed the dogs and drove out to an area a bit north of here called Seven Springs. It is still very much desert but because of the year round flow of Seven Springs Wash there is enough water for some big trees to flourish. We had a nice day with the place to ourselves. I got a couple of small (5x7") oil paintings done of some fall trees.

Plein Air Painting Day!

2010-11-07T17:02:00.000-08:00

Today I was part of a plein air competition at the Shemer Art Center and Museum. We signed in around 9 and painted until 1:30. The juror then selected work for the exhibit that starts next weekend. The Shemer was originally a beautiful Spanish style home that was donated to be an art center. It reminds me of my family home in Southern California. I loved the light and shadows on the walls so chose that as my first painting. I have been having trouble using oils after so long with acrylics. Today I found a nice solution by starting with acrylic and then adding oil over this under painting. It worked great. I was able to hang on to my darks that way. After this painting I had about 90 minutes so I ran around to the other side and painted the intersection with Camelback Mountain in the background. I had to be speedy, but it was fun. Both pieces were accepted for the show so I was a happy girl driving home!

2010-10-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to my page at the Paint the Aspens 2010 section of High Country Gallery's website:
joyouslakegallery.com/PainttheAspens2010/AnnOsgoodPTA2010.htm

I am still finding myself thinking about the week in the forest. It was such a nice time connecting with people and a different environment. Almost every day the wind was stirring the trees. It would start in the distance and then move through the leaves with a clatter. There were different cries from birds than the ones I am used to in the desert. The pine smell and crisp air were really like a tonic. I am so glad I made the effort to go out of my comfort zone and experience it all.

Paint the Aspens

2010-10-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

It was a great week in the White Mountains of Arizona at the Paint the Aspens event. 30 artist painted in the forest for the week and then submitted 3 finished works to hang in the High Country Gallery in Pinetop. I was a bit puzzled about painting in the forest as I haven't really tried. Desert, beach, city are all in my comfort zone but the forest was a new challenge. The weather was another big challenge as the week started, but fortunately it improved day by day. I was relieved to get 3 paintings done that I could frame and submit for the show. I was happily surprised to learn 2 of my 3 sold the first day! What a nice ending for a spectacular week!

Baby room mural

2010-09-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

Now for something completely different..I finished the mural for the baby nursery. I think it is going to be a nice place for a little one!

Foxy Moxy

2010-09-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

Here is another Roller Derby Girl. This is 4x2 feet so she is nice and big. Fun to paint!

Another Derby Girl

2010-09-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

Finished another roller derby girl. This one is called Ancestors and is very Dia de Los Muertos.

Big, big painting

2010-09-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

I completed a big copy of another painting of mine, "The Key". This one was 3 canvases wide and measured 40 inches high by 90 inches wide. It is fun to work big, big! This painting is for Arizona Pain Specialists.

Derby Girls

2010-08-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

I am starting a new series of paintings based on Arizona Roller Derby Girls. I started with a small portrait of a skater who has great eye make-up and fun tints in her hair. She reminded me a a colorful exotic bird.

Plein Aire Painting

2010-07-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

I ran into a posting by the city of Glendale, AZ where I was one of the winners at the Chocolate Affair last February. I had taken a rather poor photo of my painting and was glad to see a better one that they took.http://www.glendaleaz.com/centennial/pleinair.cfm

2010-06-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

Life Drawing Fun!

2010-06-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

Every Thursday morning this summer I have been enjoying life drawing. I use oil pastels on brown paper from Home Depot's paint department. It comes on big rolls and I cut off a bunch of random pieces before I go. Here are some samples. You can see crazy color is my favorite!

Portrait Assignment

2010-06-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

I had an assignment to paint my husband's grandkids, Estella and Andrew. (I am much too young to be a grandmother to his son's children! Ha!) Anyway, working from a photo I did this acrylic 16x20. It went fairly smooth. Now that I am not working a day job I can paint into the late night and get things done faster.

The Job That Wasn't For Me

2010-06-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

Well last week I had the fastest job ever. I quit before I started! I was hired to do painting workshops in art stores for a paint manufacturer. Sounded like a pretty cool part time gig. Then the "curriculum" came they wanted me to teach. It was scripted copy cat paintings that the students were to paint along on little 9x12" canvas boards. This was wrong for so many reasons I can't list them here. I quickly emailed my resignation...yikes that was a close call!
Meanwhile Life Drawing continues to be a real high point to my week. I'd better finish getting my studio cleaned up so I can get to painting soon.

Paintings from Lake Pleasant

2010-06-07T01:01:00.000-07:00

This is a series of paintings of the area around Lake Pleasant. They hung in the reception for my niece Ingrid and Adam's wedding which overlooked the lake.

New web site

2010-04-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

I am excited to have a new website thanks to my daughter. She gave me a year of hosting for my birthday and set up the first bits on the site. It is really nice. My old hosting company doubled in price and I had let the site sit unloved for awhile. I am excited by the new look and will do some tweaking to get it just right. Meanwhile it is an improvement for sure!

Where did time go?

2010-03-03T17:03:00.000-08:00

This is the first post in over a year. Where did time go? I lost months in the blur of my last years of school and working as a volunteer exhibit coordinator. Those jobs overwhelmed my time and left me neglecting this other world. My work may have suffered as a result, but I hope not. I hope I have been learning things which will flow out as I begin to really work in earnest, full time as an artist. I have one quarter to go in school and then I hope an amazing period of work will begin. I plan to use oils for the first time in over a decade. A weekend workshop using them plein aire is the spark for that. The adventure is almost ready to begin...

Home made charcoal

2009-02-19T17:35:00.000-08:00

Last evening I made some homemade vine charcoal. It was so easy I am amazed that they sell vine charcoal for the amount of money that they charge. I wondered around the backyard collecting twigs and sticks of all sorts. They ended up being from the sisso tree, the Brazilian pepper tree and even some lantana.I wrapped them all together in two layers of aluminum foil. This got thrown in the fire pit with a bit of wood and some newspapers to get it going. After about 25 minutes I took it out and opened the package. It had sticky dark tar like residue on the inside layer and then lots of nice soft vines of charcoal! All just as easy as that! Today I walked the dog and picked up more sticks at the park. This could be habit forming!

Happy Birthday Jackson Pollack

2009-01-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

Just want to say Happy Birthday to Jackson Pollack. He put so much of himself out there on the altar of paint...Wish you stayed around longer...Sometimes I feel I live a life of too much routine and safety. Is this the life that gets passion on the canvas? I don't know, but it does make for more longevity...

Excellence

2009-01-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about excellence. The "miracle on the Hudson" airplane landing made us all appreciate what a job well done looks like. Excellence on the job saved over 150 lives. I find that the striving of the artist is the seeking of excellence. What does an excellent painting look like when it has never been painted before? With experience and training we can begin to recognize it when we see it. How then do we ourselves create it? It is a balance of turning our training on enough to use our experience, but also we need to turn it off to let the muse take us to new places. Step into the unknown with the trust that our preparation will guide us to take the right paths. It also means the dedication to this quest of excellence. The practice of our craft is not always pleasant- uncertainty, fears of falling short, the raw reaction of an audience- this is part of the package. The other night I watched my niece Jane Hilton play with three other musicians in an Irish band. The individuals all displayed an expertise that could only be attained by hours of solitary practice. The joining together and performing could only come after those lonely dues had been paid. This too is part of the deal- the solitary quest to find your expression that no one else can say. No short cuts exist for true excellence- but the safe landing makes the effort worth while and sometimes even life saving.

Buying Creativity

2009-01-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

Ok - so maybe I can pretend I am being patriotic by spending ..but really I am attempting to buy my way to creativity with just one more art supply purchase? It was on sale...and I had a discount coupon too..so I ordered one of those little palm plein aire paintbox/easels...Will I suddenly work better with this adorable wooden box? Will I venture out to the great outdoors on a more regular basis? I don't know..but I am thinking that this will be a cool little tool for easy mobility. I have painted out with the wheeled cart, the portable folding easel, the collapsing table and folding stool. Yes the results were worth it, but the task is still daunting- load the truck, unload and drag the stuff...It is too easy to give up on the idea before it is begun. So this little box has a thumb hole in the bottom to hold and you can work on little panels..ofcourse you need the discipline of a limited palette as well. I think it could be a good exercise for me to get out there quickly and frequently..or else I am indeed just trying to buy my way to creativity instead of putting in the sweat...but it was on sale!

Desert Glass

2008-12-31T18:07:00.000-08:00

These are a few of the fabulous glass pieces in the Dale Chihuly exhibit at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden. The mix of art and plants was wonderful! What a fun day walking through this installation.

Christmas Windows

2008-11-30T19:18:00.001-08:00

Here's some photos of the windows we painted with the Art Club. I only included myself and buddy Larry who I teach with. I didn't want to show students online...It was a fun charity event for us. The students were great helpers..everyone was hard working and creative.

Gallery Space

2008-11-29T17:47:00.000-08:00

I finally took a step to get on a gallery wall here in Phoenix! Thanks to Jane, my niece, who introduced me to Randy the owner of Red Dog Gallery. He saw some of my work on my website and is going to hang some in his gallery. This is fun as I haven't been in a gallery in ages! I will be going down with a few pieces just in time for First Friday. He likes zany animal pieces and surrealism so the recent little ones will be perfect. If you are in town go check it out on Friday!

Community Service

2008-11-21T19:50:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I will be up and out early for a Saturday. Some dedicated Art Club members and Larry my buddy art teacher will be with me as we paint a Winter Scene on some big storefront windows. We are doing it for a group that puts on Christmas parties for needy kids. They will have a few hundred kids there for a nice holiday that they might not get otherwise. It is nice to be able to do our part to help...Hope we get it all done in one morning though as squeezing in this sort of thing is hard after school. I will post some pictures of how it goes.

This Week's Paintings

2008-11-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

This week I did a painting...(Why can't I get them from landing sideways????) that was inspired by a blog by Karin Jurick who takes a photo and then everyone paints it and sends her the image. It is fun to see what people come up with. I did this sideways walking lady which reminded me of a Hopper motif.
Then I did the crazy who is afraid of quantom physics chicken painting...It seems to make sense to me...

Time is Like an Onion

2008-11-14T14:57:00.001-08:00

This is another 12x12" acrylic done at school. I enjoy doing these little paintings at my desk. They make the days go by so much faster! I get the kids working and then pick up my brush. It is nice to have pretty good classes to work with instead of babysit. I have a couple of kids who need to be monitored, but most are busy doing their art. I used a glaze to separate the onion from the land and add a bit of shadow to the dinosaur egg. This is all about time being in layers like an onion...are we adding to the layers or peeling them away?