cristall harper art

untitled so far: Part I

2012-01-30T21:14:00.002-07:00

I finished Flourish on Thursday of last week, and almost as soon as the last brush stroke was laid, I began this painting. Friday, Saturday and today have been very long painting days. Today was a twelve-hour painting day. After this one is done, I'm taking a few days off!

Only a few flowers are left - the bottom will be mostly greenery. This painting is 27" x 39". Each tulip is as big as my hand.

Any title ideas?

Flourish

2012-01-26T15:02:00.003-07:00

19" x 32" original oil
available in February

This is a new favorite. After working on this all week, it turned out how I pictured it in my head. In early February, this painting will be delivered to the downtown Deseret Book in Salt Lake City where it will be for sale in their original artwork section.

This little peekaboo bud is my favorite part of Flourish.

It looks like a mess while it's taking shape.

Speaking of messes, I finished Flourish as I ran out of room on my palettes. Throwing these away after a painting is as good as throwing class notes away after taking the final.

Flourish: Part II

2012-01-25T20:12:00.001-07:00

Thank you Sunny for the hot cocoa! I have a hot chocolate fairy. Everyone needs one of those.

I was at Utrecht in Salt Lake this afternoon and bought a tube of cobalt green oil paint. I prefer to mix my own greens, so it's a big deal for me to buy a ready-made green tube of paint, but I have to say that I really liked it. It wound up in the mixes above. I

I worked some more today on my 19x32" painting Flourish. It's coming along. I'm on the home stretch and can feel the end in sight. The greenery in my tulip paintings used to be my least favorite area to paint, but I'm starting to relish it.

Flourish: Part I

2012-01-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

Today I began a painting. Outside it looks like this: gray and cold. My easel is therefore full of color! It snowed today. Two days ago I was in a t-shirt.

I love it when Buttercup naps next to my easel.

I washed the background in orange and used charcoal to draw on the painting. This painting is 19" x 32".

I love the beginnings...

This is how I left it for tonight. It's still snowing and since I have no hot cocoa, I'll settle for some apple cinnamon tea. I love this variety of tulip because it is pale on the outside, but the inside is bright red-orange. The angle of the tulips I'm painting show off that bright inside so well. I have had this photograph for a long time and am finally getting up the courage to tackle it. It should be a good one.

Patient

2012-01-17T17:27:00.001-07:00

"Patient"
6x6" oil
available at Alpine Art

My dog loves to sit and stare out into space. I don't know what she's thinking about, but she just sits there patiently, enjoying the sun. I can learn a lot from my dog.

This is my palette after painting today.

Turn, Wink, Oh boy oh boy oh boy, Ready for Kickoff

2012-01-16T20:03:00.003-07:00

"Turn"
6x6" oil
available at Alpine Art

"Wink"
6x6" oil
available at Alpine Art

detail of "Wink"

"oh boy oh boy oh boy"
6x6" oil
available at Alpine Art

"Ready for Kickoff"
6x6" oil
available at Alpine Art.

These four paintings are headed to my Salt Lake City gallery Alpine Art later this week. Alpine Art does a great job of selling my paintings of my lab, Buttercup. She has such a funny personality, and I can see it in each of these paintings. Ready for Kickoff is for real - my husband will boot that soccer ball to the end of the yard and she tears off after it, bringing it back in her mouth. She won't play that game with me though...only Matt. That soccer ball has been outside in the sun and snow for years and years, and it just won't die.

My hand is feeling ok - luckily I'm not a lefty, which is the wrist that had surgery. I can work for about an hour and a half before I need a break to ice my wrist/hand (and rest my brain, which seems to be extra tired lately). I will be very busy this spring, and I'm anxious to get back to painting full-time.

Thank You

2012-01-14T08:48:00.001-07:00

This last week I held a special art sale to help pay for some unexpected hand/wrist surgery. I want to say a big THANK YOU to my new collectors and to some old collectors who came through to help me when I needed help. I fell asleep smiling last night, thinking about how blessed I have been and planning out new tulip paintings for upcoming shows and events. I think 2012 will be a great year.

I will get back to painting tulips soon (when I can concentrate for longer periods of time - my pain meds make me so loopy). For now, I am working on little 6x6" paintings of my yellow lab for Alpine Art. That is my Salt Lake City gallery and they do a great job of selling out of my dog paintings for me - people just love yellow labs I guess! I have a few little paintings that I worked on before my surgery that I haven't posted yet, so I will share those as soon as I get them photographed.

Renew

2012-01-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

10 x 10" oil

sold

Happy New Year and 2012. I've worked on this painting for a few days and am happy to offer something white for the new year: it just felt right. I used such small brushes for this piece as you can imagine, since it's only 10x10". I'm already getting antsy for spring and trying to plan out my tulip photographing trips (I'd really love to go to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington), which stresses me out, since I can't control Mother Nature and peak bloom times are so erratic year to year. I am hoping to find plentiful reds and whites this Spring - I have not had good luck finding large beds of reds and whites the last couple of years.

Thanks to Alpine Art for selling all but one of my paintings over the holiday season, and thank you to my new collectors. I hope to meet you at future art shows.

-Cristall

Curtain Call

2011-12-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

30 x 40"

sold

I finished this tulip painting today. The flower that is peekaboo-ing open was the hardest, probably because I fretted over it being perfect as a natural focal point. I am already getting anxious to be in the flower gardens next spring, photographing new tulips for new paintings.

Here is a photograph showing the beginnings of the peekaboo flower.

2011-12-13T15:08:00.003-07:00

I'm working on a big one: 30x40". Yesterday I sketched out the darks and background blossoms; today I'm filling in the middle blossoms and greenery. It snowed this morning. It finally feels like Christmas.

Birthday Girl

2011-12-06T15:09:00.001-07:00

6x6" oil

just sold

I enjoy paintings of food. Lighting makes food look better than it really is, and cupcakes are no exception. I just want to stick my finger in this frosting. I may have jumped on the cupcake bandwagon just a bit...there seem to be so many cupcake paintings on the market recently, but they are just so darn cute. Thanks to Lindsey Peterson for baking and frosting this one for me - I found her at the Provo Farmer's Market selling her gourmet cupcakes and they were just right.

Kaytlind

2011-12-03T23:00:00.001-07:00

16 x 20" oil

sold

This is a favorite color scheme. I'd like to do more paintings of this patch of flowers. I can remember how warm it was the day I photographed these - the sky was an impossible blue. Today, it was windy and 28 degrees. It's December in Utah! To my dear friends the B's who are getting this painting: Merry Christmas, and I am so happy you had a good 2011.

2011-12-02T18:10:00.001-07:00

This 16x20" oil painting needs to be done ASAP for a Christmas client. I love the pastels. Tomorrow I will mix the greens and work some more.

5 New Paintings for Alpine Art's Holiday Boutique Show

2011-11-14T18:41:00.001-07:00

Today I finished the last of 5 new paintings to take to Alpine Art on Wednesday. Alpine Art is the exclusive seller of my dog paintings, and they are always show favorites. My lab, Buttercup, is the model. It is fun for me to share paintings of her with other art and dog lovers. This show, I threw in a chicken painting. The painting is of my old chickens. They were little rascals about staying out of my flower beds and vegetable garden, but their eggs were sure tasty.

Walkie

sold

Zen

sold

Come

sold

6x6" oil - available at Alpine Art

3 French Hens

6x6" oil - available at Alpine Art

Little Dogs for the Holiday Boutique Show

2011-11-11T17:02:00.001-07:00

For the last few years, I have participated in a holiday boutique show at Alpine Art in which my little 6x6" dog paintings are for sale. The paintings are due at the gallery next week so I've been busy getting the little pieces finished. I have a couple more I'd like to do tomorrow and Monday.

This photo above shows a preview of Zen. My dog will face the sun while sitting up and close her eyes. It's hillarious.

Holiday II

2011-11-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

12 x 16" oil

available at Terra Nova Gallery

I love these colors. I'm so glad I took a lot of photos of this flower bed on this particular evening when the light was strong and the blossoms were full. White tulips have every color in them.

Holiday II: Part I

2011-11-07T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today I began a new painting, my first painting in a new series of work. I've returned from a week off after finishing my pieces in last week's art show. Being back in the studio was great. I really do belong there.
I took some pictures along the way today and here they are:

It is 12 x 16": small for one of my tulip paintings.

Zions Bank 14th Annual Artists' Reception

2011-11-02T23:58:00.001-06:00

Many thanks to Zions Bank and to those that made it out to my show tonight. I had a successful evening. I was happy to begin a relationship with some new collectors, and it was rewarding to see old collectors again and send them home with their newest Cristall Harper original. I am blessed to be able to do what I love.

The weather yesterday was horrendous. Yesterday was my assigned time slot to load up my art and travel to SLC to set up my space. The highlights were: getting the paintings loaded into the car in the rain, pulling over on the freeway in the blow-me-over wind to re-secure the protective plastic covering my lights in the back of the truck, driving on the freeway in rain and snow next to semi trucks, and navigating downtown SLC construction to find the artist loading zone. Thanks goodness for a helpful husband and Zions Bank volunteers. They were wonderful.

It's time to begin again on my next series of work. I am excited - it's like getting a new book and turning the first page. Art is great.

Harvest

2011-10-24T15:44:00.000-06:00

30 x 45" oils

sold

This painting, Harvest, will hang in my upcoming show on November 2nd. I like the title for this piece and the expanse the word gives to the field of flowers. This is my largest tulip painting to date. It was great fun and a great challenge to paint. Enjoy the photos below showing the progress over many, many hours and days.

This is one of a few palettes used, scraped clean, and reused during the process.

I will be replacing some now-worn-out brushes and buying more oil paint this week. It's amazing how fast I burn through those supplies. At the completion of a large body of work, it's also satisfying to take inventory, order what I'm short on, give the studio a good vacuuming, and set-up for my next series.

And this photo shows the scale of the finished painting (catching glare from my windows).

Mademoiselles

2011-10-12T19:00:00.000-06:00

18 x 18"

oil

sold

This shabby chic painting would look great in a girl's room. I pressed lace into the background paint before it was completely dry and then glazed a darker paint into the pattern so it would show up. See the detail shots below of how it turned out. Click on them to make them larger.

Mali

2011-10-11T20:46:00.001-06:00

5x7"

oil

sold at the Mali Rising Foundation dinner auction

Last year's painting I did for the fundraiser was similar to this piece. I like this year that my subject is older and in the sunlight. I love that head wrap and her beaded necklace. This one is hard to give away.

Mixed Berry

2011-10-05T12:10:00.002-06:00

30 x 30"

oil

sold

This painting has an overcast light which is not something I use often, but it was great to pull out the purples.

Thanks for the title suggestions everybody. I got some good ones that gave me ideas for future paintings. I went with "Mixed Berry." I even made raspberry/blackberry jam the same day I finished this painting, so it was even more fitting. Thanks Liz for the title suggestion.

I was very happy to throw that palette away.

Butterscotch

2011-09-27T20:18:00.003-06:00

16 x 20" oils

sold

I love the golds and the overhead light in this piece.I am happy with the way the petals feel, like you could reach out and touch the lit edges.

a detail

Taking the Stage

2011-09-21T17:13:00.002-06:00

20 x 30"

oils

sold

I named this piece Taking the Stage because the tulips look like they are all crowding forward for a curtain call, the spotlight hitting some but missing others. I have so much fun personifying tulips through my artwork and titles.

I spent the longest on the bright yellow-orange tulip in the foreground, probably an hour and a half. It was a challenge to portray the reflective and transparent light. I love the zoomed in cropping and the peekaboo of the bottom red tulip's center.

June Brides

2011-09-13T14:30:00.004-06:00

34 x 34"

oil

sold - fine art prints available

Today I finally finished this painting. It was a lot of hard work and concentration and a lot of color mixing. As you can see below, I used 4 palettes to hold all of my paint. I named it June Brides because the blossoms are standing figures in warm colors, reminding me of a beautiful bride posing in the summertime for her picture. For prints, e-mail me at paintergirl@byu.net.

This painting was part of the Logan Fine Art juried salon in October 2011 and it will be for sale at my show November 2nd.

June Brides: part I

2011-09-08T16:54:00.001-06:00

34 x 34"

oil - in progress

I began this piece today; it is the first of 8 to hit the easel that I have planned out for future shows by year's end. I am tired just thinking about finishing it. It took me all day to do just this. I haven't arrived at that magic moment of the painting where it flies out of my brush. I am concentrating a great deal on just where I am in the leaves/stems that I can't yet see color. Paintings of this size and subject are started like a hard jigsaw puzzle: one piece at a time. But you just wait until it's done - I can see it and it's a beaut!

Sweets

2011-09-01T09:45:00.003-06:00

8 x 8"

oil

just sold

My favorite thing about this little painting is the color harmony between the pinks, greens and that neutral background with just enough warmth in it to tie it all together. After painting with yellows (Custard), it's nice to get out the deep red pigments seen mixed in here on Sweets.

These are tulips I photographed at the local Thanksgiving Point Gardens - it's only 7 months until their next tulip festival, not that I'm counting...

a detail

Standing as a Witness

2011-08-29T19:36:00.010-06:00


(click on image to enlarge) prints available in 10 x 15" (17 x 22" framed) and 15 x 22.5" (22 x 29" framed) sizes

Prints are available on my website , at Deseret Book, and off-and-on at Utah & Idaho Costcos. The print has an option to be customized with a name and/or special phrase of your choice, or it can be just the flowers with no text.

I am at the Lehi, Utah Costco today holding a framed print.

This is an ad that ran in LDS Living magazine.

A few months ago I was asked by Amalphi Arts to do a tulip painting that could represent the 8 values taught in my church to the young women. The 8 values each have their own color and they are faith (white), divine nature (blue), individual worth (red), knowledge (green), choice & accountability (orange), good works (yellow), integrity (purple) and virtue (gold).

My favorite thing about this painting is how it represents 8 timeless values that are worth having no matter your gender or religious preference. Our communities would improve if we had more exercised faith, more belief in our divine nature, more realization of our individual worth, more pursuits of knowledge and education, more acceptance of accountability for our actions, more people engaged in good works, more use of integrity, and more examples of virtue.

I am happy to offer this print and know it will be a positive influence in your girl's life. Thank you to Dallan, Melanie and Brian and more behind the scenes at Amalphi Arts for making this happen.

Success,

Cristall

Redesigned Website

2011-08-19T23:14:00.002-06:00

Hi All,

My website, www.cristallharper.com, has recently been redesigned by McCallum Design. He did a beautiful job and I invite all of you to click on over and check it out! A big thanks to John who translated into pixels what I envisioned in my mind.

Happy Weekend-
Cristall

My dog soaks up the heat like it's going out of style. It was 94 today and she loved it.

Custard

2011-08-18T16:30:00.004-06:00

8 x 8"

oil

sold

My last painting was titled Cherry Cheesecake and this one being called Custard portrays me as a food addict, which I won't try to deny. Food names come naturally to me (although my husband gets the credit for naming this one). I love the bright colors; it's a nice nod to the end of the summer as school is starting again.

Cherry Cheesecake

2011-08-10T19:24:00.002-06:00

23 x 27"

oil

sold

I've just been slammed with work! The title makes me smile - something creamy topped with little red dots equals cherry cheesecake and the color composition of the tulips in this painting.

Enjoy the sequence photos below.

Sage, Cornflower and Honey

2011-08-09T15:24:00.000-06:00

Sage

20 x 16 oil

sold

Cornflower

20 x 16 oil

sold

Honey

20 x 16 oil

sold

These three tulips will be delivered tomorrow to Brownstone Gallery where they will be framed and then taken to Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah to be installed in the remodeled space. Thanks Rob for putting this together, and I'm excited to see these paintings in their new space.

Summah

2011-07-26T15:55:00.000-06:00

It's summer. It's hot, I'm on vacation, and I'm getting ready for fall shows.

Here is a time-lapse view of "Luminaries", one of my favorite pieces that recently sold. It was featured in a Spring issue of American Art Collector.

Many of you out there want to see new work. I promise, it's coming. My studio is a mess of photographs, charcoal and panels, which always leads to goodness. Keep checking the blog.

I hired a web designer and am very excited to reveal my new website in the next couple of weeks. I've gotten busy enough with painting and managing the business end of being a painter that it was time to hire out the website design and upkeep. His name is John McCallum of McCallum Designs and he has been great to work with already.

"Luminaries"

18 x 24

just sold

Dainty Feet

2011-07-14T13:58:00.001-06:00

10 x 10

oil

available at Alpine Art

Alpine Art is my gallery in Salt Lake City, UT. They do a great job of selling my little dog paintings. I recently delivered to them a batch of new paintings for a show benefiting homeless pets and they have sold all but two. I painted this picture of my yellow lab to send up to them and I hope a fellow dog-lover and new collector finds it and brings it home.

This is a picture of my yellow lab, Buttercup, posing for me with dainty feet. She is such a spoiled dog.

Frosted

2011-07-11T15:49:00.001-06:00

10 x 10

oil

sold

Here is the finished painting from Friday's live painting demonstration at Brownstone Gallery. I really love the colors in this piece.

A Good Day x 3

2011-07-07T21:36:00.000-06:00

Three good things happened today. Days like today don't come along often so I enjoy them when they do.

1. Brownstone Gallery called me to discuss details for tomorrow's live painting event and they informed me that three of my tulip paintings sold this week.

2. I attended an awards ceremony for the American Fork Steel Days Art Show and my painting Miss Scarlett won 1st place in it's category as well as Best of Show for all the categories.

3. I finished the tulip commission I've been blogging about. I'm meeting with the client next week and soon I'll have more details I can share on my website. Stay tuned.

A good day!

If you'd like a fun and free activity tomorrow, stop by Brownstone Gallery in Highland between 3 and 6 to watch me paint a tulip. See you tomorrow.

Miss Scarlett

2011-06-11T16:11:00.006-06:00

24x36

oil

sold

I am leaving on a trip tomorrow - bags are packed, itinerary is printed, summer is here! For now, enjoy my latest tulip painting Miss Scarlett and I'll see you all at the opening night of Best In Show on Friday, June 17th at Alpine Art, featuring my five newest dog paintings.

... a detail of the diva

Miss Scarlett: Part II

2011-06-06T17:28:00.000-06:00

More work today on Miss Scarlett. It's looking like a mess with blank tulips here and there and glare shining off the surface, but in the next couple of days it will be all done and I can't wait to see how it turns out.

This painting is 24x36".

Miss Scarlett: Part I

2011-06-04T17:59:00.001-06:00

24x36" oil

I have had the idea for this painting for a while. The tulips in this painting will all be yellow except for the inside of one, which will be filled not with yellow, but instead with bright crimson, thus the title. This Spring I saw a few of these "rogue" tulips: yellow tulips with one random red petal, etc. I think the accent of red in this painting will be just enough pop and a fun focal point.

And I thought this pic of my dog was hillarious. I shot it of her while I painted today. Oh to be a dog and sleep whenever you want...

I also painted another 6x6" dog for my show at Alpine Art on June 17th. I added it to the post from a few days ago called Dogs Dogs Dogs. To see it, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the post. The painting is called "Nap."

Minty Fresh

2011-06-02T14:49:00.002-06:00

6x6" oil

purchase through the artist (paintergirl@byu.net)

Here is the second cupcake in my cupcake series. Drawing the lines of the frosting was the most difficult part of this painting...like finding your way through a maze. A close second was making the cupcake liner transparent-looking.

These little paintings are too much fun. I think I'll take a suite of them to the local bakery and see if they're interested in purchasing them. The inside of their shop is like a magazine - everything cute and colorful.

a detail of the mound of frosting in all it's creamy swirliness...

Dogs Dogs Dogs

2011-05-31T16:38:00.007-06:00

I have a show opening in Salt Lake City at Alpine Art on June 17th, 2011. The show is called Best in Show and it'll feature paintings from many local artists, all showcasing our pets. A portion of the proceeds will benefit No More Homeless Pets, a local organization. The show runs through July. These little doggie pieces are my latest and will be included in the show. To purchase, please contact the gallery, and know that you are supporting a great cause!

Bird Dog, sold

Friend, sold

(detail of Friend)

Play?, sold

Nap, sold

Pictures from Last Night's Show

2011-05-20T08:36:00.000-06:00

The crowd is just getting started. There were so many people!

This blue piece, "Cobalt", is the painting the bank used for their promotional material and they ended up purchasing it for their corporate collection. I was so pleased.

Last night's art show was everything I hoped it would be: I met talented and successful artists, got seasoned business advice from those who have been doing this for years, I was able to get my art in front of collectors, and 6 out of 8 pieces sold. I also got commissions for 4 more pieces. My heart is full of so much gratitude towards Zions Bank's Art Committee for putting together such an advantageous evening for the artists and for choosing my painting, "Cobalt", to be featured on the promotional material (which the bank purchased for their corporate collection of art). The two artists next to me, Stephanie Deer and Eric Dowdle and his wife were there throughout the evening offering support and friendly conversation. I wish them much success!

To all of my collectors and supporters, a big thank you for making my first big show a real success!

Mariposa

2011-05-14T21:48:00.005-06:00

18x18" oils

sold

The shapes of the fluttering petals reminded me of butterflies, and mariposa is 'butterfly' in Spanish. I like the sound of the title better in another language. The background is split into two colors to indicate sky and ground. I like the two-tone contemporary effect.

Some of you have asked if I hold a palette in my left hand. No, but I do keep it gloved and I hold my rag with that hand. I squeeze my brush out when I change paint colors. As you can see, it's a messy job, but the paint stays on the rag and glove, making for easy clean-up. The glove also keeps the chemicals off my skin.

My palette of swirly swirls-

The tools of choice for today-

The day is spent...

Baby Girl

2011-05-13T20:39:00.001-06:00

12x20" oil
sold

My best friend from college just had a baby and I am so happy for her. Her little baby girl is the inspiration behind this newest tulip painting: the pastel colors and happy brightness are all things baby girl. I am really happy with the lighting and composition of this piece; the leaves and stems add so much depth. If I had my own baby girl, I'd keep this painting and put it in her room!

a close-up

Candy Land

2011-05-11T08:38:00.001-06:00

27x28" oils

sold

prints available - email me at paintergirl@byu.net

Done! This is my favorite painting to date. It's a fresh perspective and I was pushed to work past my limits. I have been wanting to paint a color field version of tulips for some time, but not until this year did I find the right bed of tulips that would make a great painting. These tulips are great because they offer multiple colors to break up the composition, and that deep red against the pale yellow is so satisfying.

One of two very spent palettes.

Candy Land: Part I

2011-05-10T22:04:00.000-06:00

I painted for 10 hours today. My back is sore to say the least. And I love my dog because she slept on her bed in the studio all day to keep me company. I'm going to curl up with a mug of hot cinnamon apple tea and be satisfied with the progress I made today. I have a lot more to go to be ready for my show May 19th.

Please come, I would love to see you all there.

Click here for the invitation.

It will feature my best work yet.

Here are some shots from today:

Cadets

2011-05-09T18:02:00.001-06:00

21x36" oil
sold
I used a whole tube of black paint. I kept painting it darker and darker. The bottom area is more patchwork than realistic. The stems used to be more pronounced but the composition was too busy. I am learning the difference between hinting and delineating. I love the high-key contrast, greens, bright yellows, purply grays, and the backlighting. This painting will be available at my art show May 19th. I have so much more to paint to be ready. So much more.

Part I: Cadets

2011-05-05T19:16:00.000-06:00

21x36" oils - in progress

$395, available at the 2011 Utah Valley Art Show- click here for details

This madness will eventually be a finished painting. There is a lot going on and my challenge is to sit and work through the difficulty with my mind solving three areas at once but my hands only able to paint one. The background will be a deliciously dark olive green.

Fifteen days until my big show. I'm in a slight panic. I got the invitations today. Here's a view:

And yes...that is MY painting on the invitation. Awesome. It's "Cobalt" 28x27", $355.

87th Annual Spring Salon

2011-04-25T11:00:00.001-06:00

21x36" oils, sold

on display at the Springville Museum of Art through 3 July 2011

My above painting, Sunset, was juried into the 87th Annual Spring Salon at the Springville Museum of Art. There were 1,008 entries and only 253 were accepted. It's an honor to be displayed alongside some amazing Utah artists.
This piece was purchased by a museum patron who visited the show.

Dusk

2011-04-13T14:54:00.000-06:00

10x10" oils
sold

I love this background brown against the tulip's brightness. Surprisingly, there is a gob of brilliant spring green mixed in - the siennas overpowered that pigment but the green played it's part nonetheless.
This painting has already sold - thank you to my awesome collectors out there!

my mixing palette

Here is the newest member of the family- I picked this easel up yesterday while I was in Salt Lake buying art supplies. Totally impulse. I didn't mean to. It just jumped into my trunk (barely). The ledge that the painting sits on is adjustable up and down and my back is thankful - worth every single penny.

Family

2011-04-07T09:23:00.003-06:00

24" x 36" oil
sold

I chose this title because these tulips are standing together alike and tall, like a family grouping. It's also a nice nod to the institution of families as close units, as dysfunctional and wonderful as they all are.

I really like how the light is shining on these tulips from the front. Usually my pieces have back-lighting or strong side-lighting. The light coming from the front makes these tulips a lot more confrontational and upright. Couple that with the burnt red background and visually it's very vibrant.

Listening for 5 o'clock

2011-04-05T18:10:00.001-06:00

6" x 6" oil
available at Alpine Art Gallery
sold

This is my yellow lab, Buttercup. Alpine Art of Salt Lake City, UT is my exclusive carrier of little doggie paintings and I invite you to check out their website or better yet, visit in person. It's up in the Avenues area of downtown Salt Lake amid old trees and other old buildings. You'd never know you were in the middle of a desert.

Every day, my lab can sense when my husband is almost home from work. She'll wait and watch and listen. His truck has an old tick in the wheel and that's how she knows a block away that it's him. It's her favorite time of the day. (He's never home by 5, it's always later, but since 5 is the stereotypical "quitting time" I like it for the title better than another random number of hour.)

Enjoy! *bark*

2011-03-31T11:40:00.001-06:00

Tuesday night I had a group of girls come over to my studio to watch me paint. They are in my church youth group. I think they had fun, but I definitely enjoyed it. The painting got some more work done on it after they left and again today while it was still wet. The flowers are done, but the background will need another application once this one is dry. The reds I used when mixing the background color are very transparent and I don't like how it looks brushed on - I want it very opaque. Unfortunately reds take the longest to dry so it will be a few more days before I can mix and apply a more opaque background that still has that crimson brilliance.
These tulips are front-lit, a light angle I don't normally use because my paintings are usually top or back-lit. I like how confronting the row of them all are together.
The Thanksgiving Point Gardens opened on Saturday and I am so ready for hot weather and flowers. It's snowed and rained since Saturday but the sun is out today and I may take my dog to the canyon and try to soak up every speck of Vitamin D I can handle. I'm sick of drab.

Yesterday I took myself on a field trip and it was such an enjoyable day. I went down to Provo to the BYU Museum of Art and spent hours and hours there seeing their current shows. I even ate lunch at the Museum Cafe. It was like I was in college again (my building, the Harris Fine Arts Center, was across the sidewalk from the museum and I would spend a lot of time in the museum...they still have the same huge, perfect leather lounge chairs). One show in particular was just amazing - the Carl Bloch exhibit. My favorite pieces were the altar paintings. I just have to mention that four of the five altar paintings have never been anywhere except their native church in Denmark or Sweden, so it's remarkable that they traveled to Provo, Utah of all places, and I was able to go see them, sit in front of them, stare at them and admire them. The figures are life-size, the colors are beautiful, the brushstrokes are there right in front of me, and there were two paintings I could hardly take myself away from - Christ in Gethsemane and Doubting Thomas. It was a good experience.

Sunset

2011-03-24T12:48:00.006-06:00

21 x 36" oil

sold

This painting was on display at the Springville Museum of Art from 22 Apr - 3 Jul 2011 where it was purchased by a museum patron.

I "finished" this painting twice before today but when I went to photograph and post it to the blog it wasn't right. First it had the wrong background color, second it needed lots of work on the stems. It can be difficult to finish a painting when the last stages are such small changes. It's much more fun to do the beginning of the painting when big changes happen.

Sunset: Part II

2011-03-17T14:49:00.000-06:00

More work today on this 21x36" tulip. Good progress. I like these kinds of days.

I planned on painting the background color a deep olive...something is keeping me from using that color.

I listned to a Muse album about five times on repeat...the brush was going and going.

Sunset: Part I

2011-03-16T15:12:00.000-06:00

I began a tulip today - it's 21x36". Got the tulips drawn out. Blocked in the infernal stems. Got the brights blocked in. Remembered I've got to go grocery shopping before dinner. Really would like a nap. That's the way some days go.
See you tomorrow.
Ha.

Mount Timpanogos Temple commission

2011-03-14T17:09:00.010-06:00

36x60" oils
sold - prints are available

The commission of the Mt. Timpanogos Temple is finished. It took me 7 weeks from start to finish: photographing and planning with the client down to the actual application of paint. I signed the painting today so it is d-o-n-e done. I'm having Hawkinson Photography come to my studio tomorrow and photograph it so that I have what I need to have a printer make prints of this painting for any interested buyers.

If you would like a print of this painting, any size, I will be happy to have one made for you. Please e-mail me: paintergirl@byu.net about prints.

I will celebrate this painting being finished by deep-cleaning my studio, buying new paint and brushes (now that I've worn through a few), and getting a massage for the crick in my back and neck from holding still for so long while detailing the architecture! No really, it was a pleasure to paint and now that it's done I can't believe I did it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

for scale

there were two or three palettes going at all times...

brushes of choice

Mt. Timpanogos Temple commission: Part IV

2011-03-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

More progress today. I'm close to that bend that brings me around to the home stretch. More to do: light on trees, shadow side of building, glass window details, gold statue on top...

Mt. Timpanogos Temple commission: Part III

2011-03-02T17:39:00.000-07:00

So I was sick with the flu for 5 days and today is the first day I've been out of bed working again. This painting is proving to be harder than I thought. At the end of the day when I leave the studio it's a relief to not be thinking linearly in terms of millimeters. I could never be an architect or anybody else that works with straight lines all day. Still, difficulties aside, the structure is taking shape. I haven't rounded that figurative corner where I feel like I'm on the home stretch of the painting and until then it's just going to be me locking myself in the studio to work to get to that point. At one point today I told myself, "Just paint one line, figure one line out and paint that one line." Ten lines later I'd have to get up and walk around. ADHD much? Yes. I want to get this baby done and out of the studio to make way for Spring and tulip paintings! The countdown begins...

American Art Collector article

2011-02-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

The March issue of American Art Collector features me on pages 82, 83 and 92 in an article named "Natural Beauties: Works from some of today's best florals and botanicals artists." It was great exposure for my paintings and my name.

Luminaries 18x24" oil - sold

Fireflies 14x17" oil - sold

Mt. Timpanogos Temple commission: Part II

2011-02-24T18:16:00.001-07:00

More work today on the temple painting. I want to work dark to light on the temple architecture so I'm blocking in the whole sillhoette in black/brown. I'm amazed at how long it's taking. It took me almost two days to trace the outline and fill it in. I'd mark a line, stop, measure it for plumb, repeated a thousand times...

The hardest part of this painting so far is the amount of time it's taking and the slow progress. My mind works so much faster than my hands. There is nothing free-flowing and botanical about architecture and if I'm off a 1/16" the whole thing is wrong. It's a challenge to keep the high level of concentration for so long that this is requiring. HOWEVER...when it's done, it'll be awesome. I'm taking the hours now to get the bones of the structure right and then at the end when the paint goes on, it'll be quick, correct, and fantastic looking.

Mt. Timpanogos Temple commission: Part I

2011-02-21T21:57:00.001-07:00

Work began today on the commission of the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. My plan is to do everything behind the structure first with free brushstrokes, then build the structure in layers dark to light. We'll see how she goes!

Bumblebee

2011-02-17T16:28:00.001-07:00

12x20" oils

sold

Bumblebee was finished today. Yellow tulips are fast becoming a favorite to paint, especially this variety with the red liner on the petals.

Mmmmm. Yummy.

Bumblebee - Part I

2011-02-10T18:05:00.001-07:00

12x20" oils

in progress

Bumblebee was begun today. It already has a strong personality and I am trying as the artist to stay out of the way and put the paint where it wants to go.

Boom Truck Baby

2011-01-21T20:57:00.002-07:00

I've been commissioned to do a painting of the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. The finished piece will be 3x5'. I've been working with the client on possible view angles and it's come down to two possibilities, one being from the Southwest corner. This angle showcases the mountains in the background (including the temple's namesake) and the light playing well off of the architecture. Here's the catch: from the SW corner, one can barely see the temple because of the trees. Even if you're standing next to the temple with the trees behind you, the perspective of the temple is so extreme that the composition is horrible, like you're an ant looking up at the giant structure.

Enter James and Shelby Arrington, my good friends and fellow artists. Last week they were on location with me and we were brainstorming how to get around the tree trouble. Photoshop? Ix-nay. James thought of a boom truck. Yessss. So, thanks to Ron and Jesse Dean of A+ Affordable Tree Service and their boom truck, I got the shot I needed from the angle I needed. It was also a small miracle to have the weather window we did - January has been nothing but rain, clouds and hazy inversions blocking the view of the mountains.

I'm glad today is over with. Phew.

Jesse, my operator

Shelby, my documentor and fellow artist-friend

...still wearing my kneepads, having just come from volleyball...what a day...

from the sidewalk, blocked by trees (but otherwise an awesome angle of the temple and mountains)

from the air, out of the blasted trees - cool huh!?

Now I have to do some cutting and pasting of the temple and mountains to bring the mountains back down to eye-level...the work begins. Check back to this blog in a few days to see what's happening next!

Fireflies

2010-12-31T17:45:00.003-07:00

14x17" oil

sold

I've been so busy with commissions and the holidays that I haven't painted "just for me"; this painting is one I've had on the back burner for weeks. I really enjoy the colors in this piece. I deliberated over the background color for days - this color has just the right amount of green and blue in it to make me happy with the choice.

Christmas Surprises

2010-12-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

I've finished this portrait and it's frame for a friend - a Christmas surprise. The photo is of her dad holding her as a little girl. I love her pigtails and little fist grabbing her dad's shirt.

Some Pictures from Tonight

2010-12-03T22:10:00.002-07:00

Here are some pictures from tonight's live painting demo at Terra Nova Gallery. There was a good crowd and I met many new people. One of my tulip paintings at the gallery sold while I was there. I always like meeting new collectors so I was happy to be there at the same time.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

Down Dog

2010-11-22T16:01:00.003-07:00

6x6" oil

sold

OK, so the title is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I can't help myself. I've been wanting to do a painting of my dog doing this yoga stretch since I got her, but I've never gotten a good shot of the pose until now. I love how she's squinting into the sun, and I can feel the stretch in my own ribs and legs when I look at this painting. This would be cool in someone's yoga studio. This painting is available at Alpine Art.

The beginnings...I decided to paint on red.

awwww, the real dog in my studio while I paint

Once

2010-11-04T13:28:00.002-06:00

30x40" oil

sold

I love this painting. I got up early this morning and finished it. It's been sitting in my studio, unfinished, for weeks and weeks, waiting for me to come back to it. Usually they are fast and furious, done in a day or two. The title "Once" came from the feeling of being on the beach before daybreak, all things fresh, clean, and ready to begin again - a wonderful metaphor for life.

Enjoy the detail shots below.

Distracted but Happy

2010-10-27T16:30:00.000-06:00

This is what I woke up to this morning... it's the first time on my birthday that I've had this much snow! The pumpkins on my steps are buried.

Yesterday I picked Concords and made it through some of the juicing before the end of the day, but I need to finish it today since the picked grapes are just sitting there, waiting for love. I look forward to this all year!

Before...

AFTER! (angelic voices singing...)

Blue Belles

2010-10-25T20:20:00.001-06:00

8x8" oils

This painting will be available through Xanadu Gallery

sold

Blue Belles is a fun title for this fresh, contemporary piece. I love how these tulips feel sunny and tall.

Luminaries

2010-10-22T17:23:00.005-06:00

18x24" oils
sold
This is a personal favorite. The person that ends up buying this painting will have one beautiful piece. It would have looked great on my own wall.

The photo below shows a preview of the painting I'll begin next: whites and blues, very fresh with a contemporary composition.

Luminaries: Part I

2010-10-21T18:45:00.003-06:00

18" x 24" oils
(sold)

I'm geeking out over the luminous salmon pinks in this piece. I'm very pleased with how this one is coming along - even the stems (my nemesis) are cooperating and the composition feels very natural. This is my favorite color of tulip to paint - the pinks are so very luscious.
My brain is officially fried though after working on a piece this large with this many blossoms all in one sitting. If I had more steam, I'd do the background and finish it all tonight but I'm hungry and Netflix is calling my name!

Saturday Night's Mali Rising Fundraiser

2010-10-11T07:03:00.006-06:00

At the dinner

James and Shelby, the new owners of Soul

Our table of friends

One of the silent auction tables

Mamadou Diabate: a Grammy-winning musician who entertained the crowd

Saturday night was a great night. My painting, Soul, sold quickly and I was glad the proceeds went to a good cause. I even won something at the silent auction.

Compliments

2010-09-20T15:38:00.006-06:00

8 x 8" oil

sold

Here is a preview of some new work that will be at my Fall Show this November. I began this painting today with the intent of painting light pink tulips, but it must be the reds and oranges I can see up on the mountains, because these strong harvest colors are what came out of the brush. Light pinks will have to wait for another day.

This variety of tulip is a favorite to paint. The blossoms are strong in both color and line, and this little 8x8" hanging on a wall is just a POP of color that would make any art-lover giddy.

Soul

2010-09-16T15:59:00.006-06:00

7x7" oil
sold at the Mali Rising Foundation dinner auction

She's finished: my beautiful Mali girl, full of soul. Soul is the only word that would work for the title too - she just has this look in her eyes of strength, goodness and power. Here is a video about Yeah Samake and the Mali Rising Foundation: http://www.youtube.com/v/mn18CoUfweo&hl=en&fs=1

almost finished. . .

2010-09-13T16:01:00.004-06:00

(7x7")

I've got to work on her shirt some more and I think that will be about it. My husband is going to build a wide frame for this that I will finish with a black-brown coat of wax. I'm glad to get this painting out of the way. It was intimidating but I think it's turning out really well. Looking at her makes me feel peaceful.

Now it's about time to start two other paintings for the Dollhouse Fundraiser that are due at the end of the month. I'm going to paint tulips for those. I have no idea what tulips, but tulips nonetheless.

Today's Happenings

2010-09-09T13:34:00.004-06:00

I got the mail today and there was a surprise check from my Salt Lake City gallery - Waiting For Birds, the above painting of my yellow lab, has sold. It was a favorite and I'm sad to see it go, but happy it is in a fellow dog-lover's home.

Above, you can see two pictures showing the portrait I'm starting of the (beautiful!) Mali girl. This portrait will be for sale at the dinner-fundraiser-auction next month for Mali Rising, the foundation that builds schools in Mali, West Africa. Thanks to James Arrington, my friend and fellow artist, who took the picture in Mali and is letting me use it for a painting. She is just stunning. I can't get over her eyes. It will be hard to capture her grace - what was I thinking taking on such a hard painting?

Aaaaand...I'm shopping for another easel. I'm hopefully going to end up with three easels that I can work on all at the same time: one set up for tiny pieces, medium, and the big boy for huge paintings.

And after a lovely morning, I check on my chickens and they have this for me. I love my chickens.

Endings

2010-08-30T13:29:00.003-06:00

19" x 22" - oils
sold

This is the painting I finished today. I started it last week and it was originally 25" tall, but there was no way around the big black nothing at the bottom - it was too heavy so I chopped it off and luckily it was on the end. Now the composition feels better. It feels like it's supposed to: balanced, peaceful with an edge, and open.

I titled it Endings because of the way the painting feels to me and because I see life happening in cycles. I have a quote on my blog home page that says "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." That sums it up nicely.

Enjoy the close-ups below.

Wyyyyyyoming

2010-08-13T11:33:00.003-06:00

Taking a quick trip. It's time to get away. Views like this in the West make me want to be a landscape painter! So many things to paint, so little time...

Rain

2010-08-11T15:55:00.009-06:00

6" x 6" oil

sold

This painting feels very fresh, and the soft grays and yellows remind me of being outside after rain has cleared. I love how crisp the light is on the stem and how balanced the shapes inside the petals feel.

Can I say I am LOVING the weather we're having in Utah right now? Beautiful and sunny with a cool breeze. I do my drawing outside now, and it's so invigorating.

...wow...now that I've posted this painting to my blog, I can see how perfectly it matches the grays and yellows in my layout. Weird. I guess I really do like those colors.

Garnet

2010-08-10T16:57:00.005-06:00

6" x 6" oil
sold

The rich red color inspired the title of this piece, like looking into a lit garnet. Tulips can have the most amazing colors. Enjoy.

On a side note, it's been great painting in my new studio. The light for painting and photographing is much better out there, and I enjoy being able to step outside to take a break and get some fresh air, listening to the birds and feeling the breeze.

chroma!

Heart

2010-08-09T16:10:00.005-06:00

5" x 6" oil
sold
I chose to paint this pose of Buttercup because of the strong light and shadow and it was nice to see a heart-shape in the layout. I sure love my dog, and she is always good subject matter.
This small painting will be at my art show in Salt Lake City later this month, opening August 20th at Alpine Art. See you there.

Once: Part IV - and a new studio!

2010-07-26T15:38:00.005-06:00

30" x 40" oils, in progress

I moved into my new studio today! I've included some pictures below.

It's been weeks since I've worked on Once but I needed a bigger space to be able to work on it productively, which is why today is a special day. It was so incredibly nice to have a large space to work in, one in which I didn't have to worry about hitting my head on the low sloping attic ceilings. Today has been a long time in coming. I'm looking forward to having a real studio space in which to produce paintings.

A blurb about today's painting: Once has gone through numerous transformations in color and composition. Today was all about simplifying the color zones and softening edges that were previously very hard. Who knows what the next session will bring? I'm liking the color-field feeling in this one though, especially in the large 30x40" size.

a yummy texture close-up

walking through the entrance of my new studio

a "must-have" for me

the initial work area

my friend

Star Watch

2010-07-20T14:15:00.005-06:00

8" x 16" oils
sold
In college, I just about minored in astronomy. However, I got engaged and decided to be done paying tuition, so I simply finished my Bachelor of Fine Arts. I still love astronomy, and it finds its way into my art now and again.
I recently spent a week at a church Girl's Camp and I was in charge of conducting a Star Watch with the girls, teaching them constellations, etc.
Yesterday while I was sketching and thinking, a sketch very close to Star Watch came out and today I decided that it would become a painting. The meandering white line along the bottom is in charcoal and it's an oversimplified gesture of the ocean's movement. No need for details in this one.

Master of My Own Destiny

2010-06-23T12:47:00.005-06:00

18" x 30" oil
sold

Master of My Own Destiny is a strong and balanced painting. I began my day today with no intention of painting, but as I ate my morning cereal, this painting popped into my head and once I went into the studio, it just all came out of the brush and knife and less than an hour later, this 18" x 30" catharsis was sitting on my easel, full of soul, love, and longing. Let me explain that last bit: art is great for sharing, and art is what I do, so I'm not too shy to say that the last bit of life for me has just been hard. I've felt some failure and disappointment. I've not painted much, so I think that's why today's painting leapt from the brush: it was all stored up inside.
Here is a poem I wrote to summarize the meaning of this painting:

The roar of the sea within my heart
laments the chances lost,
laments the failures keenly felt,
laments the sorrow's cost.

But it does not do to hide inside,
to never risk a fall,
to never try to live or die,
to never try to fly.

The sea, it says "I can be strong,
I can rise up again,
I can be free of chains and night,
I can succeed." And then-

My diligence is born of strife
My path's laid out as light.
The sun it rises steadily:
My destiny, my life.

Waiting For Birds

2010-06-09T15:41:00.005-06:00

6" x 4" oil
sold

Here is my dog, Buttercup, sitting around waiting for birds to land in the yard so she can chase them off. She single-handedly keeps my raspberry and blackberry patch safe from quail. When I pick berries, she likes to help me eat a few. She hasn't learned yet how to eat them off the bush, and I hope she never does!

Last night I was talking to an avid art collector about how some artists (including myself) paint from photographs. The picture above is a good illustration of how I use a photograph for the inspiration and drawing, without limiting myself to the photo's drab color. A lot of painters stress about making their painting just like a photo, but why bother? Your imagination is so much richer.

awwww...

Busy Nose

2010-06-07T17:49:00.003-06:00

6" x 6" oil
sold

I am participating in a group show June 18th at Alpine Art in Salt Lake City called "Best of Show." It will benefit homeless pets in Utah. I was asked to do various paintings of my yellow lab, Buttercup. This is the first one. They will all be petite like this one, and oh so cute.

Roll

2010-04-06T16:26:00.005-06:00

18" x 36" oil
sold

This is my favorite seascape that I have thus far painted. The composition is simple yet bold, the color family is nearly monochromatic, but that hit of cobalt turquoise in the wave is the perfect punch of chroma. It doesn't hurt any either that I can close my eyes and hear the roar of a rolling wave. Thanks Bonnie-Jean for the reference photo.
Like Karin Jurick, it's very zen to paint the ocean on a frigid day. It's Spring Break here, and it's snowing. Hm. Poor teachers.
The hardest part of this painting, and the bulk of what I worked on today, was the falling water on the left side. It's hard to make seafoam and water not look like clouds. Both have mass, both have soft edges, both move, and both are pretty much not that fun or easy to paint.

ahhh, cobalt turquoise...the queen of colors.

Once: Part III

2010-03-25T13:55:00.003-06:00

30" x 40" oil

This painting is almost finished. I am pleased with today's progress. I leveled out the shoreline, evened out some proportions, and fine-tuned some colors. All little stuff, but I can tell a difference before and after. Hopefully it gets finished next painting session.

a detail

Roll: Part I

2010-03-23T15:18:00.005-06:00

18" x 36" oil

Roll is an interesting painting. It's the first time I've shown this much wave, but I couldn't get away from that fabulous turquoise, the linear qualities of the composition, and how the wave cuts diagonally through the space. This painting's got a long way to go...I hope you like it so far.

Thanks to Bonnie-Jean for sending me the photo.

Once: Part II

2010-03-16T15:11:00.002-06:00

I worked on Once some more today. I added sky at the horizon, darker waves and worked the wash and sand. The size of this painting is making it take longer (it's 30" x 40") but it is wonderful to stand next to. There is so much paint on the lively surface.
Let me explain the title choice for this piece: the word "once" brings two fitting things to mind for me. One, it brings up a feeling of fleetingness and beginning, and two, it sounds like a memory.

a view of the beast on my studio floor (while the drips in the foreground dry flat)

Once: Part I

2010-03-09T16:40:00.007-07:00

30" x 40" oils

This painting is massive, and there is so, so much paint on the surface. I kept having to get more and more paint out as I mixed and applied; it was unreal.

I played volleyball this morning, came home and did some organizing for a family reunion, but the whole time I had this nagging in me to start this painting. It is so large that it was intimidating to begin, but once I got out the paints, I was home and doing my favorite thing.

It is a scene from the Dominican Republic, which I visited a year ago. I got up early before the sun came up and took many pictures, ironically only a few of the water. There are some really good things happening with the reflective, steely blues. The sand needs some love though - I'll fix it next time.

No title ideas are coming to my mind. None. Something will come. I'm open for suggestions, but I like short, non-cheesy titles.
Enjoy the reel below, showing you the guts of what I did today.

Gold

2010-03-04T14:27:00.009-07:00

23" x 27" oils
sold
Gold has a beautiful warmth to it, and the paint on the surface is very thick. There are lots of places to get lost in the patterns of knifework and brushstrokes - my favorite thing about looking at original art. I listened to a song called Gold by Interference while painting this. Thanks Amelia for burning me the CD. It's a great song - check it out. I think the soundtrack won an Oscar or something...

Gold: Part II

2010-03-02T21:34:00.003-07:00

I love painting, and any day I paint is a good day. The studio really is my favorite place to be, especially since someone invented the iPod and Bose docking station. Anyways...

*sigh* I'm tired. I'm looking at this painting right now and am not in love with it. I was really into it earlier today, but now I'm not so sure. I've come to that frustrating place again, and that place is stuck between "seeing the painting finished in my mind" and "seeing it finished on the easel." I'm a fast painter, but sometimes I wish I were even faster. "Patience, grasshopper." I know, I know...

One thing I am COMPLETELY in love with, however, are horizontal lines. Give me lots of them. I love them all.

GOLD. Beautiful, warm sun.

Ice Queens

2010-02-27T13:37:00.005-07:00

8" x 16" oils
sold

Finito. I love the olive green and bits of red. The day is young and I still feel like painting. I'm going to go work on Gold.

Ice Queens: Part II

2010-02-22T16:17:00.002-07:00

The title for this painting is fitting, seeing as it snowed here yesterday and there's a FREEZING wind blowing. All I want to do is curl up in front of a heater and sip hot cocoa. And hibernate.

The petals are a little crisper after today's work.

Ice Queens: Part I

2010-02-18T13:52:00.004-07:00

8" x 16" oils

It's been months since I've painted poppies, and it may be the fact that Spring is around the corner, but I was in the mood to paint poppies today. These grew around the corner last summer and I only stopped once to photograph them. They were growing in front of a church and I was a little nervous about poking around a church with my camera when people were driving by, staring at me.
The great thing about being a painter is the freedom to bounce between subject matter material. I love it all.
The bits of red peeking through are my favorite parts so far. The hardest part today was mapping out the crinkles in the petals - something which will improve the next time I work on this piece.

Gold: Part I

2010-02-16T15:11:00.004-07:00

23" x 27" oils

I began this piece today. The title is Gold for the obvious reason of the sky color, but also after Robert Frost's poem Nothing Gold Can Stay. If any of you have seen the movie "The Outsiders," you'll know the reference. It's kind of a sad poem, but pretty nonetheless.

The sky has a nice heat to it, but the water is not yet alive. I'll work on that next session. I also want to fix the division of colors above the cloud line - blur them a bit. Today the paint needed to be left alone though.