Tongass National Forest

5" x 7" oil on canvas on board
$100.00 + $10. s/h

A good part of our second week in Alaska was spent exploring the interior of Prince of Wales Island (the third largest island in the US.)  Being avid fisherman, my husband and son wanted to try their luck on some of the rivers and streams.  This is Staney Creek in the Tongass National Forest.

Here's another Sitka Black-tailed fawn playing dead.  We were driving through the National Forest when a doe and twins jumped out of the trees.  This one got separated from her family, so she just laid down until we drove away.

The Skiff

6" x 8" oil on canvas on board

$100.00 + $10. s/h

While on the boat in Alaska we traveled to and from the beach, and on short trips each day,  in one of 2 skiffs.  Again, I painted this one from the back of the boat on a drizzly day.  

These totem poles are from the park outside of Ketchican.

Another Rainy Alaska Day

5" x 7" oil on canvas on board
$100.00 + $10. s/h

I just got back from 2 weeks in New York and New Jersey.  I had the opportunity to combine a workshop with a niece's wedding, visit with my sisters, see old friends, visit my husband's childhood home, and see old friends and family of his.  It was a great, and busy, trip.  Now I'm ready for some calm routine.  I didn't have the opportunity to post all of my plein air pieces from Alaska, so I'm going to post those for the next few days.

This is one more piece painted from the bow of the boat, under cover, while it was raining.  It was a challenge to try to show the rain and clouds.  It did stop raining for my photo!

This is a really, small fawn that we saw while beach combing.  Fawns are taught to play dead if separated from their mother.  This one never moved the whole time we were on the beach.

                                      
                      

Michael Klein Workshop Day 3

100 Garden & Flower Oil Paintings - 31/100

Day 3 of Michael Klein's workshop was spent on one still life.  Because this was not enough time to complete one, I chose to focus in on the main gladiola bloom and lightly block in the rest of the flowers. 
His palette includes:  Titanium white, Raw sienna light, Yellow ochre pale, Cad yellow pale, Cad orange, Cad red deep, Burnt sienna, Alizaron crimson, Raw umber, Burnt umber, Cobalt blue, Ultramarine, blue, Ivory black, Cobalt violet and Viridian green.  This is a much different palette than I'm used to, making it a great challenge.  Many of these colors I'd never used; he uses Cobalt violet only for mixing, not for flower colors.

Here's a picture of most of the workshop.  Michael, center, has a show at Arcadia Gallery. 

One evening we went to the Broadway show Jersey Boys.  The show, recommended by blogger friend Carol Schiff, was wonderful.  I lived in New Jersey from 1964 - 1970 so I knew every song they sang!

Michael Klein's Painting Workshop Day 2

On the 2nd day of Michael Klein's workshop, we watched him demo for about 2 hours and then either started on a new still life, or worked on an individual flower.  I chose to work on the yellow rose on the left.  During the lunch break, the still life fell over, so I restarted and worked on the rose on the right.  It ended up being a lucky fall, as I learned from restarting.  Michael completes an entire flower, then moves on to another entire flower, throughout the still life.  That way, he doesn't have to worry about a flower wilting.  I usually paint all my darks throughout the whole canvas, then go to lights, always working through the whole canvas.  I do have to worry about flowers wilting, they don't last, so I find myself painting quickly.  Michael paints slowly.   Like Richard Schmid, he doesn't repaint an area, or make lots of color passes. He studies the color, and puts it down once.  This really got me thinking...am I wasting time, paint, energy.

Several of you asked to see my sister's painting; this is her piece from Day 1.  My sister, Natalie Italiano, is an instructor at Studio Incamminati in Philadelpia.

 This is a very small corner of the cast studio at Grand Central Academy.   They have an amazing collection of casts which are used by the full time students.

After class we went to Vasari Classic Oil Color store and distribution center.  Here's Gale showing us how some of their classic paints can be mixed.  It was so great to see this.  I treated myself to some Sap Green, as green was their featured color on sale this month.

The Met and Michael Klein

I am in New Jersey visiting my sister.  When our now grown children were young, we would all spend a week or two together each summer doing fun kid related vacations.  Now, my sister and I still spend the time together, but we plan painting related vacations.  We just got back from 4 days in New York City.  She wanted to take Michael Klein's "Flower Painting" workshop, at Grand Central Academy of Art, so, I took it also.

Our first day in NYC we spent at the Met.  I couldn't get over how many people of all ages were there!  How wonderful that so much of humanity is interested in art!  Inside, the museum didn't seem crowded, but when we came out there were lots of people sitting on the steps enjoying the sidewalk musicians.  I asked at the information booth what the attendance for that day was:  20,000!!

The next 3 days were spent in the workshop. This is my day 1 piece, (I was not able to finish).  Michael is a realistic artist whose approach to painting is based on a strong theoretical and scientific study of  form and nature.  My background is based on observation and color.  It was great to see another approach and to step outside of my personal comfort zone.  I find that makes me think, learn, and grow.  He talked a lot about form;  the form of each individual flower as well as the form of the overall still life.

I have not finished posting my Alaska plein air pieces, yet.  I'll get back to those soon.

A Little More of Waterfall Bay

6" x 8" oil on canvas on board
$100.00 + $10. s/h

This piece is from the same rainy afternoon as the last post;  although, it seemed like morning.  With 17 1/2 hours of light each day, we'd be up until after midnight, having dinner after 10:00, and often sleeping until whenever we wanted.  Our schedule was way off.  But, that's another great thing about a trip, it doesn't matter.

This is the boat we spent a week on, the Glacier.  We would always anchor in a calm bay at night, and venture around in the day, usually in a 12 foot hard, rubber skiff.

 I took this photo from the skiff, (you can see the rope at the front) when we were motoring from one beach combing spot to another.  I couldn't believe a humpback whale was right in front of me.  There is no known report of a humpback knocking over a skiff!

Waterfall Bay, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

5" x 7" oil on canvas on board
$100.00 + $10.00 s/h

My husband, our son, and I just got back from an incredible 15 day trip to SE Alaska.  Most of the time was spent on, or near, Prince of Wales Island. We flew from Denver to Seattle to Ketchican, where we overnighted to wait for the once a day 3 hour ferry to POW Island. We spent one week on a 55 foot boat meandering in and out of islands, bays, the ocean, exploring nooks and crannies and having an adventure of a lifetime.  This painting was done on the back of the boat, under a roof, in a drizzle.  I have never seen so many greens and grays!  About half of our trip was overcast or rainy, but it gave for great color studies!

I have never painted from a boat before.  I have never painted in a raincoat or in Extratuff rain boots!  But, you do, what you gotta do!

This is pretty much what I wore everyday.  Fleecs and rain gear.  One day we went beach combing and created beach still lifes.

While I was away, I became a part of a new daily painting group, Daily Painter Originals.  If you have not already done so, please check us out, and sign up to be a follower.  We will be showcasing 24 daily painters.  Our mission is to create fine art that is accessible and affordable.  I am thrilled to be a part of this group!

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 30/100

Garden Hose
8" x 8" oil on wrapped panel
$195.00 + $10. s/h

There's no on and off, or high and low spray levels on the hose nozzle.  Just a soft, rain like spray.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 29/100

Another Challenge
6" x 8" oil on panel
$100.00 + $10. s/h

With a burgundy rose you have to make sure that you're not getting too pink or red when lightening it.  With a white rose, you have to pay attention to the reflections and shadows.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 28/100

Burgundy Dahlia
6" x 8" oil on panel

This is a second sample piece for the wedding shower invitation.  Another of the bride-to-be's flowers is a burgundy dahlia.  Talk about a lot of petals!  Even though one of her colors is dark blue, I lightened it in this sample to create contrast.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 27/100

Burgundy Rose
6" x 8" oil on panel
$100.00 + $10. s/h

SOLD

I'm painting what will become an invitation for a wedding shower.  The bride-to-be's colors are burgundy and dark blue, and a burgundy rose will be in her arrangements.  I think that in lightening this rose it ended up too red.  Also, there's not enough contrast with the dark blue.  I'm going to try another one.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 26/100

"And Again"
5" x 7" oil on board
$100.00 + $10. s/h

For this one I grayed it even more with a lot of Cad Red Light!

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 25/100

"Try, Try, Again"
5" x 7" oil on board
$100.00 + $10. s/h

For this background I added more Cad Red Light.  It's a little better.  I think Ill try once more.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 24/100

Orange Sprig
5" x 7" oil on board
$100.00 + $10. s/h

I've decided I need to use Thalo Blue.  It's not in my usual palette, although it sits in my paint box.  I can get all the colors I want for my landscapes with out using it, so because it's so strong, I avoid it.  These sprigs were in our yard, and since they're a complement of blue, I thought they'd be great to use in a Thalo Blue study.  I added Cad Red Light to gray the Blue, but don't think I used enough.  I'll try again.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 23/100

Brussel Sprouts
6" x 6" oil on board
$100.00 + $10. s/h

Another piece from the vegetable cart at Summerland Gardens.  I loved the colorful leaves and the shadow on the blacktop.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 22/100

Yellow Squash
6" x 8" oil on panel
$100.00 + $10. s/h

Of course, it's important to have a healthy diet.  And, I guess it's also important to have a healthy painting appetite!  So, these are from the vegetable rack at Summerland Gardens!

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 21/100

"Hoe Down"

8" x 8" oil on cradled canvas board

$185.00 + $10.00 s/h

I saw this hoe when I was at IRIS4U in Denver, and of course, I had to paint it!

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 20/100

Three Plus One
6" x 6" oil on board
$100.00 + $10 s/h

This is the third of the tulips.  It was a beautiful bouquet and I loved the colors it allowed me to create!