Soaring

'Soaring' 

6x6 oil on panel
SOLD

I snapped a few shots of these seagulls wheeling and diving gracefully above the Vince Lombardi Rest Area on one of our drive by's. I cropped the ones I wanted to paint and focused on giving the composition a sense of movement. I've also been sketching pelicans, which are most interesting birds. Teradactyl-like, they cruise over the Gulf in the late afternoon and are fantastic divers. Meanwhile, gale winds and low temps here in Southwest Florida today, are keeping all but the most intrepid beach goers away from the shore. 

50 Shades of Grey

"Grey Garlic" 6x6 

oil on panel
SOLD

Well, not really, but values are incremental and we can only create about 3 to 5 discernible values to depict light in our paintings. I mixed up a large amount of dark 'grey' with Cad Red, Ultramarine Blue and Cad Yellow. It leaned a bit toward brown but when I added white it was a blue gray. I blocked in the garlic using burnt umber and then using three values of my grey I painted in the values. After I got my pattern down I went over it with some color. By the way, I must be the only one in the world who hasn't read that book. I did order it from the library but this is one you have to buy, the wait list is that long!!

my palette

Ruminating

JoAnn Sanborn Studio

I've been busy visiting with family, sweet baby Win, teaching and beaching. I'm in my Florida mood ;)
Today, I got some needed inspiration through a visit to my artist friends on Marco Island. 
JoAnn Sanborn, a wonderful painter of the Everglades and Betty Newman whose shimmering abstract work thrills me, have studios at the Esplanade, a waterside development of residences, shops and restaurants on Smokehouse Bay. 
I've been thinking about doing some new work but only have snippets of ideas as to what it might be. I call it ruminating, and we shall see where it takes me. 

Meanwhile, click on their names to enjoy the work of these two ladies.

Betty Newman in her Studio

Tropical Roses

"Tropical Roses"

6x6 oil on panel
click to buy

Tropical is the theme for this month's Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge, which even though I am in Naples, Florida, did not go well for me. Roses can be tropical, right?