Category: Oil Paintings

Too Hard, Part Three

A few years ago, my mom and I visited Blowing Rock, North Carolina. This is where her mom, my G’ma grew up. We were exploring a bit, and I took a few photos of a little creek near G’ma’s homestead. Mom expressed an interest in having me paint this for her, and I have been procrastinating for 5 years. The point of this procrastination is to acquire more skill.

I’ve been messing with this painting that is too hard for me for several days in a row. Finally, I got an idea.

Since I took the photo and it is on my computer, I pulled it onto the screen and enlarged each murky spot so I could see what I was trying to paint. It’s pretty stinkin’ hard to paint things that I can’t see, and I finally accepted and understood that I cannot see what all those dark murky things are.

Look at that! The colors are brighter and the details appear on the laptop screen.

Now I have lots of rocks in the closer water area.

It’s hard to tell anything in the full sized photo, either as an 8×10″ or on the screen. But when each thing is enlarged, VOILA!

I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE FINE!

Excuse me for shouting. I’m so relieved. It is too wet to photo (too shiny). It is too big for the scanner, so maybe I will get a good photo when it dries, and maybe not.

Phew. Christmas is 2 days away.

Blowing Rock North Carolina oil paintings

Too Hard, Part Two

When something is too hard, we go slowly. Think about a steep trail. Think about moving a heavy piece of furniture.

S L O W L Y.

The background, the part where the sunlight is brightest, and the bank to the right of that area is beginning to make sense.

Ick. This is terrible, and there are too many dark rocks. The colors are all either dark brown or something sort of greenish-brownish-gray. Why did Mom and I like this scene so much?

Best viewed from the back of a fast horse.

Hey! this is looking significantly better! I’ll tell you why tomorrow.

This scene is near Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and is significant to my Mom. I hope to finish it by Christmas AND have it dry enough to transport.

Blowing Rock North Carolina oil paintings

Too Hard

Since spending hours working on a painting that is too hard for me (i.e. “above my pay grade”), I’ve been thinking about how we handle things in life that are too hard. . . we take them S L O W L Y.

I can’t remember when I started this painting. It was many drawings, paintings and at least three murals ago. Many projects with real deadlines interfered with the progress. Finally, I decided to finish this to give to my Mom for Christmas. It’s okay – she doesn’t have a computer or know what a “blog” is.

It has been lurking in the background for months. This was last spring. I got the basic shapes on canvas and decided it was too hard.

It kept asking for attention, so I dabbed at it a bit more.

This was how it looked in July. It is also how it looked in December, when I decided it was TIME. Nope, past time.

Grandma's Creek

What’s to be afraid of? Paint slowly, one tiny area at a time. Mix the colors, dab at the canvas in the areas you know how to handle.

The areas are beginning to get defined.

Whoa. This is too hard. I have to stop and breathe.

Oh – it is near Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Don’t mention this if you see my Mom, okay?

Blowing Rock North Carolina oil paintings

Navel Season

December is in the midst of navel season. Navels are seedless oranges, known for their great eating rather than for juice. The season has been greatly extended by adding early and late varieties.

These are most likely the classic navel, Washington, also known as Old Line.

These five oil paintings are also for the ag realtor who gives them as gifts to his clients.

1570 Navel XI 1571 Navel XII 1572 Navel XIII 1573 Navel XIV 1574 Navel XV

Olive Harvest

Olive harvest takes place in October. For me, it is NOW, because these oil paintings of olives are FINISHED.

Five of these paintings go to an ag realtor who has the good taste and class to give my oil paintings to his clients. Isn’t that brilliant?

The sixth goes to a friend who is giving it to her brother, an olive grower.

There will be a seventh, a 24×24″ painting that incorporates the best of each one of these.

Maybe. I have the canvas and the idea, but until paint hits canvas, it is just an idea.

1565 Olives I 1566 Olives II 1567 Olives III 1568 Olives IV 1569 Olives V 1577 Olives VI

Secret Oil Painting Workshop Part 2

Why “secret”? Because I don’t advertise and recruit. . . it is an insider thing for my advanced drawing students. I don’t believe I know enough to truly teach anyone how to oil paint. Instead, I view myself as one beggar showing a few other beggars how to find bread.

Let’s see how these other beggars did. . .

M wanted to paint the Tetons from a photo she snapped on one of her many road trips. I painted it first so she could see what sorts of colors and brush strokes. (Mine is slightly visible behind the photo on the little easel on the right.) Then, she was off and running, just looking at the photo and mixing her colors from the primaries. She needs another session or 2 on this canvas to complete it. Phooey – I was hoping she would buy mine from me, Just messing with you, M. I am PROUD of you!!

A chose a photo that I found a little intimidating. She wanted a black background which I knew how to help her with. She has a great eye for proportion, knows what chicks look like and is a bit perfectionistic. These are great qualities to paint in a realistic manner. This is after 2 sessions, and I think 1 more might do the trick. Isn’t this wonderful??

L is amazing. She has painted with me several times, and is off and running. She paints on her own at home, and has plans to give these second two paintings as Christmas gifts this year. The orange wants more texture, but the pear might be finished. There is no stopping this woman!!

drawing lessons lessons oil paintings

Secret Oil Painting Workshop

I’ve been oil painting since March 8, 2006, which doesn’t seem like enough experience to be teaching. However, several of my drawing students have asked me to conduct an oil painting workshop. I began doing this a few years ago, but only for my advanced students.

The participants need to understand proportion, perspective, values and my manner of teaching.. I need to understand where they are in their abilities, and how they learn.

Oil painting is much harder than pencil drawing because of the added elements of color mixing, all the ingredients to manage and the less than cooperative, wet, flippy brush, but if a student has the understanding I listed above, they can achieve impressive results in just a few painting sessions. Four of the five participants had painted with me before, and we did two sessions together this year.

We work from photos as a matter of ease and convenience. Plein air or using real life set-ups doesn’t fit our space, abilities, or level of experience. I want my students to have success and to be happy with their results rather than leave a workshop feeling as if they wasted their time and money. I am too familiar with that sort of result and want better for my students.

About 2 years ago, E asked me if she was ready to oil paint. I told her that she wasn’t. She kept working very diligently at her drawing skills, and this year she was ready to paint. We started with a simple subject – easy shape, few colors to mix. This is how it looked at the end of her second session. This photo looks a bit washed out compared to the painting because it is wet and shiny. But, still. . . pretty impressive! Her choice of background color truly complements the orange, since blue is the complement (opposite on the color wheel) of orange. Hey, Mr. Favorite Customer, aren’t you proud of your wife, and aren’t you glad she didn’t listen when you told her to give up on drawing lessons??

J pulled out this canvas she had started last year and dabbed at it without any photo reference. I dug through my cat photos on hand and couldn’t find the one I was looking for. We found one that helped with cat face proportions, and then as she was packing to leave, she flipped her canvas over and found the very photo I had been seeking! It was how she started this painting a year ago, and then we both forgot. The second session of painting was more fruitful. Lots of life in those eyes!

drawing lessons oil paintings

Mineral King Oil Paintings For Sale

This week we conclude our little run of things for sale (did you notice the pattern?) with oil paintings of Mineral King.

Fridays are for Mineral King, but I haven’t been there since October. Since this is the season when people like to buy stuff, it makes sense to show you the paintings for sale.

Please forgive me if this seems sellsy and pushy. I promise I am not wearing plaid pants, waiting to pounce with false chatty cheer. I am showing you these in case you were looking for something like this. I am here to help you (and no, I am not from the government).

1535 Marmot

Mineral King Marmot, 6×6″, $60 (and no, I don’t know why it is appearing so large here).

1542 Kaw Hdwtrs

Kaweah Headwaters, 6×6″, $60

Long Way There

Long Way There, 12×16″, $275

1529 FG XVIII

Farewell Gap XVIII, 8×10″, $125

1527 Saw XV

Sawtooth XV, 6×6″, $60

005 MK Valley

Mineral King Valley, 12×16″, $275

1528 Saw XIV

Sawtooth XIV, 8×10″, $125

MK a.m.

Mineral King AM, 12×16″, $275

mineral king

Mineral King, 12×16″, $275

1441 MK Trail

Mineral King Trail, 11×14″, $250 (It isn’t this dark in real life – my poor computer skills may be misleading you on this one.)

1563 FG XX

Farewell Gap, 6×6″, $60

Eagle Lake Trail, 16×20″, $400

These are available on my website, this page: Oil Paintings, Landscapes

There are more but this post is already crazy long. Please excuse the length and enjoy the pictures.

Mineral King Mineral King oil paintings oil paintings

Olives

I am the daughter of a farmer who grew oranges and olives. Instead of going into farming, I went into art depicting the products of local farming.

A friend of mine sells agricultural properties, and he likes to give my paintings to his customers (although he probably calls them “clients”. . . someday maybe I’ll learn the difference between the two words. . . for now, I prefer the less pretentious “customer”.)

My friend has bought many paintings of oranges, lemons and tangerines from me. I really appreciate him and his business.

This year he has asked for some paintings of olives. This feels a bit weird, because one of the olive groves he sold belonged to my parents. Time marches on, and changes are inevitable. I’m thankful that my friend came to me for the paintings and for the opportunity to paint olives.

8 wet

wet ag

5 olives

When I can come up for air again from my busiest month, I will study these 5 paintings of olives and design a new painting of olives to paint on a 2 foot by 2 foot canvas. I have the canvas and the idea. Next, I need the time to design and the time to paint.