Pastel Painting of Duck a Bush Salt Flats, 22 1/2" x 10"

Mattina Tranquilla"
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On a recent return trip from Olympia, WA, my husband stopped the car at the Duck a Bush river so that I could take pictures of the salt flats. This area always intrigues me but unfortunately I never seem to be able to get there when the light is right. This time we were there in late morning. Not the best light but I made do. I improvised a bit on the color but I think this pretty much captures the moment. I may do an oil on this next.

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.

Painting Study of a Brass Pitcher, 9" x 12"

The past few weeks have been filled with parties, visiting guests, summer shows, studio tours and teaching. I've hardly had time to work at actually painting anything. But here's a study of a brass pitcher I whipped out during class. I'm just finishing up a landscape and hope to get that up on the site soon. Sorry for the absence. I live with guilt these days over not getting enough done. Yipes...I still have a commission to start. Sorry Arlene!

Nude Figure Study, 9" x 12" Oil on Panel

"Contrapasto"

I've been pretty busy getting ready for a three day studio tour. The Sequim Arts Third Annual Open Studio Tour takes place this year during the Lavender Festival on July 17th, 18th, and 19th. As most of you know, I have a new studio and so this was a good opportunity to show it off a bit. I have a bunch of studies that I did for school just before the summer break and I'll be showing some of them this week as a way of filling space. I can't actually get back to the easel until after the tour. Thanks for staying tuned.

Lilancs and Pears Oil Painting, 8" x 10" Oil on Canvas

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Time has been pretty tight lately as I gear up for the upcoming Sequim Arts Studio Tour. I'm number 11 on this year's tour. In addition, because I'm a contributing author/editor for www.sequim-news.com which is a local online newspaper, I've been writing a series of articles on all the particpating artists - an endeavor that is very time consuming. Check them out on the "arts" page or today's article about Rudy Bauer that's on the front page! Anyway, I'm a busy girl. I stole some time to get into the studio today and here's what I came up with.
I had no difficulty in photographing this canvas. Last week I reprimed a host of them with Ganblin's Oil Primer. This great stuff fills in the interstices on the canvas and gives a nice smooth finish. That's the kind of finish I prefer and it's much easier to photograph. Hope you like it.

Yellow Roses on Gallery Wrap Canvas, 8" x 10"

"LaNice's Gift"

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My Studio warming party was held this past Sunday. We had around 40 people or so - we had invited around 75. That's OK - the ones who showed were true blue and we had a ball. I turned the studio into a little night club with cozy tables and put a red gel in the theatre spot light on the ceiling. We lacked the darkness of a nightclub in that it doesn't get dark here until about 10:00 PM now, but it didn't seem to bother anyone and, in fact, we partied from about 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM and then went down with the sun.

These roses were a lovely gift of summer from a long time friend and collector. So I named the flowers after her. Here's to you LaNice. Thanks for coming to my party. It's friends like you that warm my heart and bring inspriration on days when nothing else seems to be stirring.

Here's a pic of my friend Coffee (far right) and some of his friends burning up the dance floor, er, studio.

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

"Playing with Roses"
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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.

Nude Figure Study, 9" x 12" Oil on Panel

We've been working on temperature studies in class this month. This piece, although, rough, was done on Tuesday. While not completely accurate, I'm pleased (and so was the master) with the overall temperature accuracy. Unfortunately, I got stuck at the end of the semi-circle around her and therefore had to cope with a side view. Not too interesting and static as far as poses go. I hope to make these small studies more pleasing to the eye as well as accurate as time goes by. While I've done many figure studies on this blog, only a few have been from life. The rest have come from photos which I bring up on my laptop because the lighting is more accurate that way. This is much more difficult as I'm racing against time and the hues are more elusive. Some day I hope to be able to afford models for long poses over a few days.

Sunset over Seiku, Oil on Panel, 11" x 14"

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Must be the week for sunsets. I did this oil sketch from a photo I had in a box of references. No time for chat tonight. Enjoy!

Sunset on the Hamma Hamma Salt Marshes, 5" x 7", Oil on Panel

"Solitude"
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I've been forced to take a five hour drive home from my Tuesday Atelier class in Seattle due to the temporary closing of the Hood Canal Bridge. This usually brings me to the Hamma Hamma River and the adjacent salt marshes about sunset (we have long days here in Washington now). I haven't had my camera with me but I've pulled off the road and tried to take some mental notes that I could translate into a small study. Here's my first one. The water looks a bit greener here than in the actual painting. I guess I need some work with photoshop.

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"

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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.

Asian Jar with Pears, Oil on Panel, 11" x 14"

I locked myself in the studio today. After having been tied up with classes and teaching for days, it was nice to have the studio to myself for awhile. I started this piece the other day but had to stop in the middle because of other committments. Like marriage. While I'm happy with the jug in the back, there are still things that I'm not satisfied with. I believe I'm still at a juncture in my painting and not entirely certain of where to go to next. It's sort of like being at the edge of a cliff. Taking the next step is like a leap of faith. My classes are going well enough, but the pace is slow and it will be awhile before what I'm learning translates itself to my work. I think, I'll try for a stronger sense of realism in the next substantial piece. In the meantime, you may see a small one or two. I have a couple of weeks before I go back to class. I'll be staggering for a few weeks until the end of the June session because of the Hood Canal Bridge Closing here on the peninsula. It takes an extra two hours to drive to and from Seattle so I'll be taking it easy on myself by skipping a couple of classes. School is out then from the end of June through mid September. I'll be glad for the break. Heavens! It took me five hours to come back from school on Tuesday.

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.

Oil Painting of Asian Tea Pot on Woven Cloth, 8" x 10", Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

"Blue China Tea Pot"

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Time for detail. I took an extra day to let things dry so I could put a bit of detail into this piece. I adore this little blue tea pot and have used it in a few other paintings. I've yet to capture it's sweet essence. I picked up this red woven scarf in Spain in October and I had a lot of fun painting it. Imagine what I could do if this was a weekly painting instead of a "daily" one?

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

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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"

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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.