Oil Painting of Magnolias in a Red Vase

"The Red Vase"

Oil on Linen

I finished this piece some time ago and it is hanging in Gallery 9.  Somehow, though, it never got posted here. It's a small but unassuming piece and yet I like it because of the strong shapes and the bright red vase which pops the piece.

Oil Painting of Begonias in Cool Light

"In Cool Light"6" x 8", Oil on Linen, Board Mounted

White Begonias are fun to paint. There are so many petals on them. White has its own itinerant challenges in that the shadows become vague and difficult to read. However, that gives the artist a little more license. As every color on the canvas is relative to every other, this might apply to any subject. But white invites you to tint in subtle way. I found yellow, pink and violet tones in these which made the cold of the white in north light, just a hint warmer and the shadows, just a note cooler. I want to try them again, but change the relationships a bit. Hmm. Blue shadows? That would be different for me.

In case you haven't noticed, ahem.  I've been doing a bit of alla prima work. Quite different from my more polished work, this white begonia floral, was done wet in wet in a single sitting. 

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Oil Painting of Roses in a Copper Cup

"A Fine Day for Roses"

6" x 8", Oil on Linen Mounted on Linen

One of the reasons I enjoy painting florals is because of the challenge. They're elusive, delicate and subtle. All very difficult qualities to attain in a painting. Also their edges always intrigue me. Not all the edges should be painted as if they are important. Some should fade into the background while others should be sharp and come forward. The key words here are "as if", because all edges are important. They all add to the whole picture. So while one petal may not appear as important as its neighbor, it's quality adds to the delivery of the whole painting. Hmm. Did you get that?


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Floral Still Life, Oil on Paper Mounted on Board

"Asian Influence"Oil on paper mounted on panel

I've been heavily involved heading up a local event here in Port Angeles for the last five months. The event, "Paint the Peninsula", was a plein air competition which lasted five days and included a barbecue kickoff, a wonderful cocktail party at Camaraderie Winery and a Gala black tie event and show, all culminating in a Quick Draw competition and mini festival. That, in turn, was followed by a three day workshop offered by Ned Mueller, our judge. It was grueling as I not only helped to run and coordinate the event, but hosted two house guests and participated as well. Twenty years ago, this wouldn't have been a problem. Currently with a fresh back injury, it was like running two marathons back to back. I'm done. Stick a fork in me. 

Anyway, with all this work on my plate (no pun intended), this weekend was the first time in a few months I've actually had to get in my studio, turn out the overhead lights and just paint. No phone ringing, no other work to do and no students. Just me and the set up and the quiet. This photo doesn't begin to capture the light in the painting. It has a bit more contrast in this photo too than is in the painting which I've tried to fix on Photoshop, but then I lose other stuff. Darn. The camera is still new to me and I'm a poor student of photography. Well, I'm going to have to cave and take some lessons. I did better with my Canon, but the Nikon is a little trickier. 

I work under north light from a large cathedral style window which brings in soft, cool light. It's more noticeable when you see it live, but there's some broken orangey color in the background peeking through that helps to give the painting an airy feeling. Still working toward achieving that special quality of light that evokes a soft moodiness.  I'm coming more and more to the point where I copy less of what I see and add more to the painting of what it needs. I'd like to get to that place with portraits as well. All good things in their time. 

Still Life Study of Chinese Tea Pot and Rose Hips, 12" x 11"

It's been a very busy and hectic year. While I've been a full time artist for years, sometimes working 60 hour weeks, I never dreamed that the top item on my bucket list could be more stressful than that. Attending an atelier is both an exhillerating and exhausting journey. I attend four days a week (day five I have to teach at my own studio so I have enough money to attend school the other four). Because I live so far from Seattle where Georgetown Atelier is located, I have to spend those three nights with a friend and a relative. Then I drive the three hours home late on Thursday after class.

I'm on a brief vacation now and I have quite a few pieces I'll be posting over the coming weeks to show off a bit. This small piece which is only about 11" x 12" is a small color study for a larger still life I'm still working on at school. We generally do these as they help to iron out problems which occur during the painting process before we actually get to them. Some areas didn't come out well in the photo. Another student took them at the atelier during the past two weeks and forwarded this to me so I can't account for the the faded area in the lower right hand corner. But otherwise, it's a good representation. The edges need a bit of work and you can tell it's not a finished painting in and of itself, but over all, I'm pretty happy with it. The large piece is proving to be quite a challenge. I'll post it when it's done and perhaps share some of it's development along the way.

Impressionist Painting of Dogwood Flowers, 8" x 10", Oil on Canvas

"Dazzle"




It's really been a long while since I have found the time to indulge in a small floral. I'm a little rusty but once things got moving, the flowers flowed off my brush. I chose these Dogwoods because I enjoy the crisp white blooms that stand out against a darker background. I put in the yellow tablecloth to brighten things up a bit. With the Seqim Arts Studio Tour coming up in July, I have to start getting things framed and some new work complted. I've targeted Saturday afternoon for that task and hope to put out some new landscapes as well before the awaited date. I'm keeping to small formats for these, but framing them with wide mats and thin gold frames. They look spiffy.

As we get closer to the date, I'll start posting work that will be exclusive to the show and also links to maps and guides for the tour. The studio tour is being held during the Sequim Lavendar Festival. It's a huge event and we have all kinds of wonderful things happening from wine tasting to Jazz in the Alley scheduled for the long weekend. Anyone interested should contact the Sequim Chamber of Commerce.

Oil Painting of White Orchids and Red Tapestry, 13" x 21.5", Oil on Unstretched Canvas

"Balance"
I've been meaning to do a wall hanging for some time. A recent trip to Korea gave me the nudge I needed to get started. I chose some unstretched canvas for the job and then got busy. This painting is not yet for sale as I need to add the fabric and tassels that will complete it as a wall hanging. To see how this painting was done, to www.musensbysusan.blogspot.com and follow the links.

Oil Painting of Peonies and Lace Tablecloth with fruit, 21" x 24", Oil on Panel

"Peonies and Old English Lace"
This painting is available. Email me for pricing and information.

I've been working on this piece for some time but because of time constraints and an impossible schedule, I'm only getting around to publishing it today.

As you've no doubt noticed, I'm not publishing very much at all these days. School and teaching have me completely tied up and then with only four days left in the week, I'm only getting to paint what I please about one or two days a week. Hence, no time for daily painting. While I mourn the loss of visibility and, obviously sales, I'm truly flourishing in the academic environment. I just love attending Georgetown Atelier and teaching has become more exciting and rewarding for me as a result.

I'll be renaming this blog to something more appropriate soon and am considering withdrawing from DailyPainters.com unless I can find the time to publish more often. I hope, despite that, that you will opt to still receive my blog posts. I have truly loved doing business and sharing my work with all of you and hope to someday be able to give you more paintings on a regular basis. However, school is a long time committment for me and as I wish to open an atelier of my own some day, this is an opportunity I must take advantage of while I still can do so.
I still intend to publish to the blog smaller pieces for occasional sale and pastels as they become available. As I am required to produce for the Blue Whole Gallery in Sequim, I will still be posting a few times a month.

Oil Painting of Magnolia Spray, 11" x 14", Oil on Panel

"Magnolia Spray"






I've recently been introduced to Facebook. Ok...I'm a little behind there. But then, not everyone blogs either. Anyway, as a result, I hooked up with a friend from my teen camp days and she commissioned a small painting. My friend didn't want a vase in this floral, however; she requested instead only a spray. So here it is. Hope she likes it. To see how this painting was done, see a step by step demonstration with pictures and explanation at www.musensbysusan.blogspot.com.

Watercolor of Yellow Roses, 11" x 14" image, matted to 16" x 20"

"Playing with Roses"
SOLD


Just got to playing the other day. Not really wanting to put out my full palette of oils, I reached for a jar of water and splashed some watercolor around. Then I thought, "Hmm, this could use some pastel". So I dug those out too. All in all just a dipsy doodle day. Here's what came of an hour of splash.
This painting come matted in a 16" x 20" matt and ready to frame.

"Rayon de Soleil"

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I've just finished this one. Can you tell I'm suffering from a little identity crises? I've been doing a lot of close realism in class but three years of painting in a loose impressionist manner has made a deep and lasting influence on my style. I suppose I'm searching for something between the two. These roses are a bit tighter than my usual. Hope you like them. There's so much more texture on the vase than shows here.

Tea Pot Painting, Oil on Linen, 14" x 18"

"Crystaline Tea Pot"

Hooray! I'm finally working out some of the kinks in photographing my work with my digital camera. This never used to be an issue but lately it seems I've had a horrible time getting a good shot with it. So today I spent an hour or two figiting with the manual mode and the (OMG) user's guide. It's a good thing I have a Master's Degree. I needed it. Anyway, the research helped and I have a much better image to show for my time.

Most of you will recognize this Tea Pot as it's been the subject of many paintings. I first painted it in pastel about 10 years ago. I've shown that painting here before and you can see it below as a comparison. I've never been able to capture it quite a well as I did in that pastel, but I think I've come close here. I've been working on this piece as an entry for the Oil Painters of America Western Regional Juried Show. I've taken it as far as I think I can. Now I'll just hold my breath. It's my first attempt so I don't have high expectations, but I can dream can't I? Here's the old pastel. What do you think? Did I do a good job with the oil? The light is, of course, different. In the original pastel I used warmer artificial light and in the recent oil above, I used natural north light. Additionally, the cool green against the warm red cloth and background do make the pot appear a bit brighter and more colorful although I've done my best to play that down a bit. Groan...I'm perseverating.

Lilacs in the Light, Oil on Canvas Panel, 5" x 7"

SOLD


On one of my morning walks I spotted Lilacs growing beside the Hwy. I believe this empty lot was once a front yard although the remnants of the home are no longer visible, there are lots of flowers that were once part of someone's garden.

I ran out of hardboard which is my preferred painting support and so this is on canvas panel. The pesky facets of the canvas make for difficult photographing. This is actually a lot clearer than it appears. Remember the camera is an extreme close up. Additionally, because I have to shoot in low light, the photo gets a bit of over exposure that is difficult to correct for on photoshop. All in all, however, it's not too bad a photo job. Enjoy.

Sunflower in a Mason Jar Painting, 9" x 12" Oil on Panel

"Sunflowers in a Mason Jar"

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I spent a few days in Albuquerque soaking up the sunshine this past week. Part of my trip included taking in the Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition in Santa Fe. What an incredible show. I got to see so many beautiful pieces of work. I didn't enter this year as I didn't have anything prepared to send out. But I'm busily working away on some entries for next year. I'm inspired!

Painting of Pink Orchids in a Cobalt Blue Vase, 11" x 14" Oil on Board

"Orchids in a Cobalt Vase"

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I've really been behind on my daily painting as a result of school. Seems I barely get home from Seattle, teach a class, and then I'm back on the road again. Here's one I squeaked out between homework assignments. Things ought to smooth out a bit once school is over.

Soft Light on Violet Blooms, 8" x 10" Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

SOLD



I recently purchased about 50 canvases at a good price. I simply forgot when I did this that I always have a problem photographing the darn things. Seems my camera picks up every little bit of light on the weave and magnifies it. It makes getting a good photo very difficult. I'm going to start gessoing these canvases so as to smooth out the grain and get a clearer picture. But you'll just have to take my word for it that this picture is beautiful and sharp in person. There's a nice thick paint layer on it as well. The blooms jump off the canvas. All paintings are guaranteed and returns are ALWAYS at my expense. Shipping on this little gem is free. It's a gallery wrap canvas. No need to frame.

Pink Rose, 5" x 7", Oil on Board

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Here's another little bloom I worked on today. It's of the rose family but I'm not really sure which one. Maybe someone can help me out here. This little gem is painted in glazes so it glows nicely with a little light on it. I like the way the transparent Burnt Umber background looks like wood grain. Just a happy accident. Enjoy.

"Magnolias", Oil on Board, 5" x 7"

SOLD


One of the things I've been considering as I return to painting on a regular basis is what I'd like to include or change about my daily painting routine in order to keep it fresh and, above all, interesting for myself. I'm always looking for a challenge. Daily painting - or almost daily - when you're trying to actually do a finished piece, can easily lead to burn out. As I am currently studying realism in the classical form at an atelier in Seattle, I've decided to try as often as I can to include small realistic paintings. As these are quite time consuming, I won't be doing them all that oten. But the purpose is to hone my skills and not take up a lot of studio space while I do it. So these are by necessity small, post card paintings in the spirit of the original daily painting movement. I'm offering them at low prices because they're a bit different than my usual fast work and also because I just think folks need a break these days. Enjoy.

Below is the slide show I promised from the demo at Sequim Arts in Sequim WA last week.

Dogwood with Poppies, 12" x 16" Oil on Linen

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I'm back! I tried to think of something witty to say but the simple truth is, it's done! Well mostly. There are a few details like a sink and the outside painting and landscaping, but that doesn't affect me or my ability to paint. The office is finished, the studio is mostly done and I am back to work - officially - today. And I must say, it's good to be back. I enjoyed the absence of pressure in not having to post something nearly every day, but I missed being "in touch". Even when I don't hear from folks out there, I know I'm being seen and heard and that seems to be enough to push the isolation of the studio away for a while.
This painting was completed during a demo at the Sequim Arts meeting in March. I intended to do a small 9" x 12" painting much like the ones I usually post here but one of my students pointed out to me that folks in the back rows wouldn't be able to see a thing. So I chose a larger canvas and painted with bigger brushes. The photo doesn't do it justice as the painting is on linen and the darn stuff reflects every little bit of light in the room. It's hard to keep a sharp image and still correct for the glare. I'm working on getting a better photgraphy set up. Well, I'm running late for my class in Seattle, so I'll post the slide show of the demo on Wednesday. See you then.

Dogwood and Tangerine Painting, 15.5" x 18.25", Pastel on 2 Ply Cotton Rag

"Dogwood Daze"Currently NFS

Painting is becoming more and more of a challenge with the mess around me growing daily. We're into the third day of drywall and mudding. I'm told to expect at least three more before they plaster and paint. Sigh. I purchased the materials for my matting table today and hope to sneak into the empty studio space on Sunday when the workers are gone and put the thing together.
However, I did manage to get a bit of work done yesterday and today. My husband helped me move my huge case of pastels into the dining room (the drawers tipped forward, oh no!) and after I made some order out of the mess, I started this painting. It's a mixed media, actually. The underpainting is done in watercolor and then I've worked glazes of pastel into it. I've found that this technique works best on rag. While the paper is a bear to raise a nap on, once you do, the surface allows you to get multiple lazers of pastel in thin glazes. I'm entering this one in the Northwest Pastel Society members juried competition. They've advertised that it's an "anything goes" show for pastel so I'm hoping the mixed media flies. Wish me luck.