Tuesday, January 7, 2025

 Where do I go from here? 

It is many any years since I've even thought about painting, let alone this blog -even more years since posting here. Caring for my dear husband, Steve became all consuming. He supported me and my endeavors, in so many ways, since our beginning in 1998. I will be forever grateful for his love, generosity, humor and steadfastness. April of 2023 he transitioned to the other side and is off on his own adventures once again. This says it all: The Other Side by Don Conoscenti. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pl0HWxNWvg

A few weeks ago, I went into the studio with the intention of considering what to do. 

Could I still paint? Have I learned a bit about values an chroma? Could I still find my initial intention of making work that brought beauty, serenity and calmness into the paintings and perhaps share that with others seeking that in their chaotic lives?

I don't know yet. 

Much dust and chaos reigns in my space - just as I left it during a health crisis for Steve and never went in again. Many tubes of paint have dried up - all of my Munsell tubes of mixes completely dried up, a few brushes ruined. Lots of panels started and not finished. So much dust and cat hair that I want to weep. Cleaning and weaning the ruined and unnecessary is helpful. Watching and listening to other painters and gaining inspiration from their journeys is helping as well. Even some of the greats like Christopher Remmers, Andrew Tischler, Graydon Parrish, Julie Beck, and others, as well as some of my friends, Paul Foxton, Sadie Valeri and many others, are inspiring me to begin again. Maybe it will be like riding a bike, or maybe not. 

My urge to create is steadily growing stronger and when the studio is where it needs to be, perhaps I'll receive a new idea, energy and way of being from the Source of Creativity. 

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

(Well, Blogger is publishing all my new photos much lighter than they are in my photos or seeing the paintings in person - wonder what's up with that!!! I kind of don't want to hit publish- get so frustrated doing this kind of busy work - no offense to computer people! What's the point of publishing my work if it looks washed out!)

Here are two 12" x 12"'s, also at Abend Gallery in Denver.


 
The Center of a Sphere is not on it's Surface...
oil on panel 12" x 12"

Lee's Peonies
oil on panel
12" x 12"
Sold

New Paintings...

Been painting every day and still it takes forever to finish. I'd rather paint than write so not much to read here! Here are some new paintings - all at Abend Gallery for the Holiday Season.

 
Sasha's Tip   
oil on panel 6"x 6"

(Sean) O'Meallie's Yoyo  
oil on wood panel  6" x 6"

Side View

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

More paintings at Abend

Blue Pitcher and White Tile
20" x 20"
oil on canvas
Private Collection
                
Egg Timer
20" x 20"
oil on canvas
Private Collection
            

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Counter Balance...Sold!

 Counter Balance
oil on panel
  10" x 20"
Private Collection  Oslo, Norway


Long time since I've posted, but I am painting again and have several paintings in the works...more to come!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Some Recent Work...

Sand Dollar Bay 1
oil on canvas 12 x 24
Private Collection
 
 
Denver Botanic Gardens
The Birdfeeder
oil on panel  5 1/2" x 11 3/16"

Private Collection
 

Monday, February 21, 2011

Copper #8 Grisaille

Getting better - will work on this until I'm satisfied then I'll start the color - my whole objective with this entire enterprise! By the way, I use 1500 grit sand paper cloth, wet, to sand down ridges of paint in-between each days work if there are any. I don't use any medium at this stage.

Copper #7 Grisaille

Here's the very beginning - a real mess! Looks kind of blue green, but it's totally neutral gray paints!

Copper #6 drawing

I use home made pastel transfer paper using a sienna soft pastel/alcohol on tracing paper to transfer my drawing to the copper. Then I'll start the grisaille.

Copper Prep #5

Here's my 12" x 12" 18 gauge copper panel smooth and dry ready to the drawing. You can see how thin the paint is - that beautiful pink copper color shows through in place, though it won't show in the finished piece.

Copper Prep #4

Sure wish there was a way to put more than one photo is a post, then I could write the whole thing together instead of piece meal - last step on top of first ones! Anyway...

Here, I'm using a brush to put on flake white - actually I used some Cremitz white here - that's been thinned with mineral spirits or turps. I started with the brush to get the stuff on there, then I smoothed it out with my thumb.

Copper Prep #3

After polishing with the Never Dull and cleaning several times with the alcohol, I then use ca.400 grit wet/dry sand paper to take off the red curprous oxide (CU2O) formed by reaction between surface of copper and oxygen in the air. You can see the fine powder that's on the sand paper and the difference between the cleaned side/dirty side.

This abrading, done in small circles with dry sand paper and quite abit of pressure, is what allow the paint to bond with the copper. I think an ion is exchanged between oil paint and the metal, but don't know the science exactly - only that it works!

Then I clean off any red dust that is left behind, again with the alcohol. Now it's ready to accept the ground of thinned flake white.

Copper Prep #2 Supplies

  • Never Dull - a metal polishing batting that works well.
  • Denatured Alchohol
  • 400 grit wet/dry sand paper
  • flake white oil paint thinned with a bit of mineral spirits

Copper Preparation #1 Dirty copper

I love painting on copper! But as with most painting supports - linen, panel, canvas or wall, there is much work that must be done before I can even think about painting on it.


Here is a 12 x 12  18 gauge copper panel. Paint will not adhere to the surface as it is and MUST be thoroughly cleaned and abraded .

Blue

Blue 
oil on linen panel  13 x 15
Private Collection

My intention here is to study the color blue. However instead of painting blue spheres like I did for 5 YR, I decided to try this blue pitcher that's pretty close to 6.5PB and Nasteriums from last summer's window box...for a touch of humor I added a small iron bird wondering about that reflection that leads outside! I started this one with local color on linen panel and have started another using a neutral grisaille but on copper. I'll post the way I prep the copper in the next post.

Battiporta - Italian Doorknocker

 
Battiporta  (Italian Doorknocker) 
9 x 8 oil on wood panel
Private Collection

New Work 2011

My, how time gets away from me!  I have been working, though you wouldn't know it from the dates on this blog!


Black Capped Chickadee 
 oil on panel 6 x 8
Commission

Saturday, October 23, 2010

20th Anniversary at Abend Gallery in Denver, CO

 
 
                    Still Life with Crystal & Peonies 
                       oil on panel  15 x 17 (image)