Sunrise study in oil

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Here is a little oil study I did this weekend with my friend Sherida.  She came over on Saturday and brought this beautiful sunrise picture.  We decided to each do four little studies in oil.  I played with changing the colors and changing the size of the sun to see what it would do to the mood.  

What I think is fun about this little study is that all four paintings are on one canvas, so you get four sunrises in one picture!  I don't know if anyone would ever want to hang this painting up, but it just looks really cool all together on one canvas. 

 

Which one do you like?  #1 top left #2 top right #3 bottom left #4 bottom right.   Let me know in the comments below:)

Anticipating snow....

They are calling for snow this weekend in my part of the country. We have avoided it up to now which is pretty amazing seeing as it's already November 17th!  We usually have at least a dusting by Halloween, but this year we have had beautiful sunny days and cold nights.  A perfect fall really.  So with snow on the radar, I thought I'd post my newly completed family of foxes.  I need help with a title for this painting. Maybe something with snow and snuggle?  Or family retreat?  I can't decide so please give me your ideas - I would love to hear them!  Just put them in the comments section below.   

Thanks and enjoy! 

Portrait Group

It has been said that there is no better exercise than to paint from life.  It teaches you to observe and analyze your subject and make decisions on the spot.  I learned this in graduate school and I would agree, it's one of the best ways to improve yourself as a painter.  The problem is.... how do you find a way to do it regularly? 

Well, I am lucky enough to have a portrait group in my area that is run by the East Aurora Art Society, of which I am a member.  Despite my busy schedule this winter I have been able to make it to a couple of the Friday sessions and have been so inspired by the experience I wanted to share it with you all!  Above you can see one of my paintings and a little bit of my process.  I blocked in the shadow shapes first to try and capture likeness.  I was working with a limited pallet of colors and I did not have violet, or anything to make the violet color of her scarf, so I had to borrow a dab from a friend.  I love the triadic color scheme it created.  When I was done with this painting I thought I could use this study to create a "mom" character for one of my picture books.  She looks young and fresh and very French with her scarf on her head.     

    

At portrait group there is usually about 5-8 of us and a model in the basement of this quaint church in East Aurora, New York.  

It's a rather simple setting of a yellow cinder block Sunday school room, but once we begin and are focused on our subject I find more than enough inspiration in the model who is sitting right in front of us!  I paint in oils on canvas paper because I only consider these to be studies and I am experimenting with a limited pallet to see what I can produce.  The sessions go about 2 hours with a little break in the middle for the model to grab a drink and for us artists to gab a bit.  I can't decide what I like more, the painting or the conversation between the artist, all of whom are there to improve themselves.   

 

Here are a few more my studies here for you to see.  To me each one represents a little bit of learning that is turning me into a better painter:)

Enjoy

Tschuss!

 

Snow Day!

Well, in case you didn't know, I live in Buffalo, NY.  Actually south of Buffalo, NY in snow country.  He have had an epic storm this week, and yes, epic is the right word here, that has dropped 4 feet of snow on us in 36 hours.  So the last 3 days have been snow days!!!!  All the schools are closed, including my college, there are travel bans so no one can drive on the roads, and even if we wanted to drive we can't get out of our driveway!  So it felt appropriate that I post snow art and snow quotes today:)  The above painting is an oil I did a few years ago and the quotes below I found on the internet.  Since we can't beat the snow we might as well enjoy it!

This quote is a good one because we have spent the last three days at home with a fire in the fire place and something yummy cooking on the stove.  Movies, playing cards, and painting are the things we have been doing to pass the time.

I love this one because winter is really beautiful in a silent way and you need to be quiet and in the moment to appreciate it.  Snow actually has so many colors in it and snow covered forms can be turned into anything.  Let your imagination run wild.  Do you know how many creatures I see in my yard from the lumps of snow that have formed there...I could create a whole story from it.  Maybe that's what I'll do today:)

Raven Study

For the picture book I am working on I have included a raven as a character.  In preparing my character studies, my professor suggested I study ravens a bit so I can understand their shape, coloration and character.  I did a lot of internet research on all kinds of image sites and found many pictures of ravens. They have a very distinctive shape and I was intrigued with this.  They are also portrayed a lot in artwork, and are revered by many cultures and people groups.  

Here is a list of roles of the raven from the blog http://www.scavengerart.com/raven.html

Since man’s earliest history the Raven and Crow have held a high and honored position in our mythology and spirituality.

The Norse God Odin had two ravens, “Thought” and “Memory”, which he would send to fly around the world each day so they could report back to him events as they unfolded.

Native American tradition holds the Raven~Crow as the courier of energy flow that brings about change and creates new realities. The raven, being black, is associated for them with the “void” from which all energy flows.

Northwest coastal tribes believed Raven was the creator of the Heavens, the Earth and the Sea. It was he who brought forth the light and lifted us out of the darkness. He was very wise but he was also known to be a “trickster”.

Aesop's "The Crow and the Pitcher" illustrates Crow's intelligence and how "necessity is the mother of invention". For Southwestern Native Americans the Raven~Crow was their “Storyteller”. Passing down knowledge and wisdom from generation to generation through myths, stories and parables. Listeners beware! Raven was also a trickster, one could never be sure if the story he told was a simple truth or held some more mischievous lesson.... Ravens are considered by many to be the most intelligent of the birds, and they are known for collecting bright, shiny or colorful objects to decorate their nests. The key Raven/Crow holds symbolizes the opening of doors and the welcoming of positive change into our lives. When Raven/Crow is perched on a ball he serves as a representation of living in balance.  If he is perched on a heart, it is to help us remember that which is most important in our lives. Raven/Crow sometimes holds a pair of dice to symbolize chance or fate.  If he holds an old watch it is to remind us of our place in the universe and to live in the moment.  Of if Raven/Crow holds a compass it is to help us find our way or to give us direction. Based on all my research, I did a few paintings of ravens last week.  I was focusing on their shape and variation of color.  While they are generally black, upon further study of them you find blue, purple, magenta, and even some green in their feathers, picking up colors from things around them.  I have one more raven on my easel but thought I'd post these for now since I haven't posted in a while.   Let me know what you think!

Illustration Friday!

I know it has been a while…can't believe how busy this polar vortex winter has been!  This week's topic on IF is voice!  I immediately thought of the distinctive voice of Louis Armstrong and realized I have done a whole series of Jazz paintings and one of them features Louis!  So here is my contribution to "Voice" for Illustration Friday this week.