Recent Inspirations - 30 Day Challenge with Leslie Saeta.....

"Colors of Laguna Beach"

Oil on Linen Panel    8x6"

Recent Inspirations - 30 Day Challenge

"Quiet Sunset - Laguna Beach"

Oil on Linen Canvas    6x8"

Available Here

On our trip to Southern California last month, us girls had a nice dinner on the cliffs of Laguna Beach at Las Brisas Restaurant. We enjoyed a lovely view, and then after dinner we walked down to the beach. I must have taken a 100 photos! It was the most beautiful evening. Very few people on the beach, and then a just married couple made their way down the steps along with a few friends and a photographer. 

Looking up the beach or down, the light was fantastic. We stayed out there for a long while, just enjoying the waves. 

Recent Inspirations - Ocean Colors - Painting 15

"The Magic Hour"

Oil on Linen Panel    8x8"

This piece is a total experiment/study. I wanted to play around with color. While in Pacific Grove last April for a month of painting, studying at the convention and teaching a workshop, I took plenty of photos. The evening light there is truly amazing. 

I've decided that I want to paint several studies so I can learn to capture what I remember from that area. This is the first one, and I tried not to get too picky with color and brushwork. I want to let things happen with the brush. I'm excited to paint more of these and explore different compositions while pushing color and lot's of paint!

It will have to wait until I get home from another quick trip to Sacramento this weekend. I'll see you when I get back.

Recent Inspirations - A Fun Little Study - Paintings 13 & 14

 Yesterday I had a single student in the studio and we worked on learning value, color mixing and brushwork. It was a fun little exercise. I enjoyed playing around with the brushwork on the little black and white study. As I told my friend, you can get away with almost anything when it comes to painting, as long as the VALUES ARE CORRECT.
 I use a value scale to teach my students this very important concept.  The value scale should be only five values, and we name them, starting with the MIDDLE VALUE - and to the right of that is MID-DARK, then DARK. To the left of middle is MID-LIGHT and the first one is LIGHT. You can paint your own value scale on a piece of canvas about 3 inches by 16 inches. Carry it with your painting supplies. Use it to compare each color you mix. If you mix a color, using your palette knife, hold the knife with the mix over the value scale while squinting. When the knife disappears, you have landed on the value of the color you mixed.
We design our painting with a notan, and NAME THE VALUE OF EACH SHAPE, (L,ML,M,MD or D), before mixing our palette to begin our color study.
If you want to learn more about values, paint lots of small studies, and maybe one or two before you begin any painting......

 A small sketch notan should look something like this (above). I did three of these as I was exploring my DESIGN. After this I chose the best one before I began my painting. (I like #3) In it there are 5 values - do you see them? Can you tell the difference between the mid-dark and middle value? Do you see the darkest value? Notice that the eye connects these value shapes. This is how you want to paint.

A small painting notan should look something like this. I ignored any detail here. I was deciding on how big to make the darkest value shape. This is the design process before you begin to paint. 

I know it will take patience to do these studies but it will pay off BIG. As you continue to do them you will find freedom in your paint brush!

ps, I'm leaving town for a quick trip to Sacramento for a dr's appt. so I'll be back in the studio next week. See ya then.

Recent Inspirations - Painting #12

"Marina Evening"

Oil on Cradle Board   12 x 12"

I made it back into the studio tonight, after spending the day in bed with a cold/who knows what? Feeling a bit better, but I was worried there for a while that I would be too sick to paint or teach this week. A day or two of rest really helps.

This piece from a photo I took last April in Monterey. It is a beautiful place.

Recent Inspirations - 30 paintings in 45 Days?

I haven't been to the studio these past few days. Life has been really full and fun, and I just couldn't take the time to paint. We have enjoyed a very special week with friends here in Truckee while my husband has played in the yearly Invitation Tournament at Tahoe Donner Golf Resort. It was fun to hang out and see how it all works.

I donated a painting to be auctioned off as well. I had so much fun with this that I've decided to paint another one for next year, and I had a chance to get out and take some photos. It is a beautiful course. And I am enjoying it now because I have recently started playing golf. I'm so glad I did!

So here is the deal. Because I haven't kept up with my paintings the last few days, I have made the decision to take more time and go ahead with the 30 paintings rather than painting fewer than thirty.

This is a personal challenge for me, and I want to continue on with my exploration of recent inspirations.

So I'll see ya when I can with my next piece. Looking forward to it!

Recent Inspirations - Day Eleven

"Waterfall Above Emerald Bay"

Oil on Linen Panel    6x8"

Purchase Here

This one is painted from a  reference photo I took at Emerald Bay, from the top of the waterfall. I wasn't all that happy with it but got a chance to go back into it later. I'd like to paint it again in a larger format. It was a good practice shot!

I am certainly feeling the pressure at this point with the painting a day. In fact, we have a huge event this weekend and company staying with us. It will be wonderful to connect with friends. 

Anyway, I may not get to the studio for a couple of days - so I will have to paint when I can, possibly on Sunday or Monday. These 10 days have been inspiring and more lately, maybe a bit too much. But I haven't thrown in my hat yet, and maybe a little break will get me going again. 

And as always, I thank you for stopping by!

Recent Inspirations - Day Ten

"Memories of Montmartre"

Oil on Cradled Panel  6x12"

I had fun with this little photo I took in Montmartre last Summer. Very good memories indeed!

"Truckee Love"

Oil on Linen Panel    9x12"

Available Here

I have lived in Truckee, California for almost a year now. I opened my Studio downtown last November and I am loving it. Life is different here. Slower. The people are incredibly friendly, caring, active. 
This view is right above where my studio is, at the top of the stairs. It is a beautiful view. I see it all the time and it changes everyday, as does the weather here. The light through our little town is beautiful, and I especially enjoy it in the late afternoon, when there is still a little snow on the mountain and it has a pinkish hue. 
This painting is from a photo taken a little earlier in the day, at the beginning of Summer. I'm hoping to paint this one again as the season changes this coming year.

Recent Inspirations - Day Eight

"Golf as it was Meant to Be!"

Oil on Linen Canvas   14x11"

NFS

For this piece I painted from a photo the Pacific Dunes Golf Course. Michael is playing in a local tournament this coming weekend and I am providing this piece for one of the raffle prizes. It was fun. One thing to remember with this kind of painting is that you really need a strong light source to bring interest and excitement to the painting. 

Now that I am learning to play golf, I suspect you will be seeing more of these types of paintings from me. In fact, I'm looking forward to our trip to Hawaii, my first ever golf trip next month. 

As the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge progresses, I am coming to a couple of conclusions. Number one, I am enjoying it and I love that painting is becoming a habit again. Number two, I can't believe I signed on to this challenge as I realize the upcoming events this month that will really make keeping up difficult! So I will just keep saying to myself, "One day at a time, one day at a time, one day at a time!"

Recent Inspirations - Day Seven

"Sunset View at the Keyhole"

Oil on Linen Panel   9x12"

Available Here

This is another beautiful spot that we painted en plain air last week. I can't believe i used to live near here in Southern California, back in my 20's. I appreciate it so much more today. It has so many beautiful places to set up and paint. 

This too, I had to paint a second time. Looking forward to planning another trip to this area...

New Inspirations - Day Six

"San Clemente Pier Palms"

Oil on Linen Panel

Available Here

Another photo from last week on my girl trip. I loved this scene and painted it once per "plain air", but wanted to paint it again. When I get out there and I'm looking at some beautiful scene that I don't often get to see, it is overwhelming. I need to study it, and take time to paint it again in order to understand what I'm looking at. So, attempt number two! I hope to paint it many more times. I really am enjoying this view with the palm trees lined up in a lyrical manner.. Really fun!

"Letting Go" - New Inspirations - Day Five

"Letting Go"

Oil on Linen Canvas    18x24"

Today I was fortunate to spend time with students in the studio. We studied the idea of letting go and letting things happen on the canvas. We began with a transparent wash of color and value, then layered on the paint thick. It was a fun experiment!

North Shore - Lake Tahoe - Day Four

"North Shore"

Oil on Wood Cradle Board  6x12"

Available Here

I have fallen in love the the Lake Tahoe Region. I still can't believe that I live here. Yes, I am blessed to live in one of the most beautiful areas of the United States. It has been quite an adjustment to be sure, (I guess it gets harder as we age), but I have met wonderful new friends, I have learned to golf, I am getting my ski legs on, and I have my own painting studio!

Yes, I am living the life and I am feeling blessed beyond measure.

Recent Inspirations - Day 3

"Dana Point Harbor View"

Oil on Linen Panel   8x10"

Available Here

This past week I spent a week hanging out with good friends in Southern California. We got to paint, take photos, visit some beautiful sights and visit the San Diego Museum (Sorolla!), and the Festival of the Masters. It was an exceptional trip. 

I painted this piece from a photo I took of the Dana Point Harbor. This was my first attempt, but I plan to paint it many more times from different perspectives in order to learn from what I was looking at. It was really the best of times.....

Recent Inspirations - Day Two

"On the Road Again"

Oil on Linen Panel   8x10"

Available Here

Day two of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge, I chose to paint a photo from a recent road trip to South Dakota. I was attracted to the pastel colors of the landscape passing by. I like the simple moving stripes of colors as they speed past the window.
A different and new subject for me, I am enjoying the view from the car window. Below I've uploaded some of the photos from the process of painting. I washed in the underpainting using my clear washy medium mixed with the transparent paint colors.

"Recent Inspiration" - 30 paintings in 30 days

"Laguna Beach Sunset"

6x8" Oil on Linen Panel

Available Here

I'm struggling with focus. My life has been so full of fun and travel this Summer. Wonderful really. But I have lost my focus on painting. My love for painting is still in tact, but there is no flow. So I've decided to take on the challenge that Leslie Saeta has proposed again this month. Paint a painting a day for 30 days. We will see how is goes.
My quest-
I am looking to grow in the next thirty days. My goal is to use a thin transparent underpainting and then add large strokes of opaque impasto on top. Should be fun!

*These paintings will be available on the Daily Paintworks Website.