Behind the Easel
A ranch in Arizona commissioned this painting. The boots were hand painted years ago. The composition was chosen as if the couple were standing next to each other holding hands. That small intimate expression of your toes touching, reserved only for your mate. A gesture of love.
I painted the patterns and bright color with great joy. The light in the foreground helps to balance some of the crisp white in the boots. The cool blue in the background calm the vibrant and active warm hues in the larger pair of boots.
Sadly this was a posthumous commission. The larger set of boots are now empty. I hope in time this painting will bring a smile, a memory, comfort.
Oct 19, 2011 | Categories:Wet off the Easel | Tags: Bike Painting, Cowboy Boots, Western Art, Western Decor | Leave A Comment »
A day dream. You can do anything, go anywhere…
It has been a while since I have painted a figurative study and this painting was a joy. One of those rare days the brush seem to dance and I followed. A lose figurative painted in a classical style, alla prima. This painting exhibits a wide variety of paint quality, from thick to thin from opaque to transparent. I happy with the outcome and look forward to painting more.
Look at the horizon, look at the sky, Day dream.
Jun 20, 2011 | Categories:Wet off the Easel | Tags: Beach Art, Beach Decor, Coast, Coast Art, Coastal Painting, Girl on Beach, Nautical Decor, Painting, Sea Art, Seascape, Seascape Paintings | 1 Comment »
I grew up in Clearwater Florida. The view from the boardwalk to the water was long, the sand white, and as a girl I remember my sisters and I tossing our sandals and feeling the hot sand under our feet. I could not wait to get to the water’s edge.
To me the most dramatic paintings have a full range of values and visual contrast. I always make sure that the lighter values visually “link together” to create a pathway of light to the subject. The eye enters the painting with the energy of cool shapes in the upper left corner and then pushes the eye toward the focal point .
I try to make my paintings a story. The excitement and interest in this piece is not just the cruiser. The story is the moist salty air, the sound of a seagull. The painting is the beach memory to be made.
May 19, 2011 | Categories:Wet off the Easel | Tags: Beach Art, Beach Decor, Bicycle Painting, Bike Painting, Coast, Coast Art, Coastal Painting, Low country Art, Marine, Nautical Decor, Painting, Sea Art, Seascape, Seascape Paintings | Leave A Comment »
A bird on a boat serenely floats at the end of it’s tether.
To give the water interest I have let each layer of glaze drip slightly and then lay the canvas flat to dry for several days. This pattern is repeated over many weeks. The high contrast reflection is a focal point, as a splash of color demands attention.
This tranquil little boat is safe with it’s own sea captain perched as if on guard.
May 17, 2011 | Categories:Wet off the Easel | Tags: Beach Art, Beach Decor, Bird, Boat, Coast, Coast Art, Coastal Painting, Low country Art, Marine, Nautical Decor, Painting, Sea Art, Seascape, Seascape Paintings, Skiff | Leave A Comment »
36X36 Oil
Every minute of the day the sky is an ever changing gift. The sun is masked in the early morning light and comes from the whole sky, more or less straight down.
Layers of glazing, sketching and reworking this painting took longer than most. It has been on and off my easel over many months. I wanted to portray the feeling of a gentle breeze.
A classic cruiser on a day when the sky envelopes everything. Soft muted blue, green, gold and a whisper of wind.
May 12, 2011 | Categories:Wet off the Easel | Tags: Beach Art, Beach Decor, Bicycle Painting, Bike Painting, Coast, Coast Art, Coastal Painting, Low country Art, Marine, Nautical Decor, Painting, Sea Art, Seascape, Seascape Paintings | Leave A Comment »
A playful rendering of red boots communicate a sense of color and energy. Painterly, whimsical and fun, a vehicle to explore nuances of color. I used a loose natural fabric background to create movement and contrast the weight of these well worn crimson red boots.
Apr 27, 2011 | Categories:Wet off the Easel | Tags: Cowboy Boots, Crimson Red, Western Art, Western Decor | Leave A Comment »
36X36 Oil
A bright sunny day reveals the crisp white planks of a skiff. It rests just out of reach of the surf.
Building transparent glazes the painting depicts the perpetual struggle of a fluid ocean against the coastline. My intention was to emphasize the contrast between the kinetic nature of water and the peacefulness of a boat parked and still.
Breath easy and listen to the lapping motion of the wave as it advances forward and retreats again.
Apr 27, 2011 | Categories:Wet off the Easel | Tags: Beach Art, Beach Decor, Boat, Coast, Coast Art, Coastal Painting, Low country Art, Marine, Painting, Sea Art, Seascape, Seascape Paintings, Skiff | Leave A Comment »
A small unassuming boat with patched holes and a few bailers just in case. An empty craft, the sweet thought of leisure and adventure.
I delight in the lines and curves that painting a boat offers. My intention with this piece was to force the viewers concentration on a single focal point. This is naturally the way we see things, but not easy to accomplish in a painting. I concentrated on symmetry, and soft/hard edges to reinforce the over all composition. Values are exaggerated by using cool shadows (Alizarin Crimson and Ultramarine blue).
Even lying in dereliction, a boat tells a story.
Even his griefs are a joy long after to one that remembers all that he wrought and endured. Homer, “The Odessey”
Apr 14, 2011 | Categories:Wet off the Easel | Tags: Beach Art, Beach Decor, Clouds, Coast, Coast Art, Coastal Painting, Low country Art, Marine, Nautical Decor, Painting, Sea Art, Seascape Paintings, Skiff | Leave A Comment »
A barrier island with miles of sand, shells and tossed driftwood. A walk along a primeval beach during spring break, or a weekend escape is an exhale of winter.
A sketchy boat with cool shadows rests on shore. The water and horizon harmonize light and color through countless number of glazes.
I wanted this painting to awaken the memory of exploring a peaceful underdeveloped island. The image of a private beach and the inhaling breath of spring.
Mar 28, 2011 | Categories:Wet off the Easel | Tags: Beach Art, Beach Decor, Boat, Coast, Coastal Painting, Low country Art, Marine, Nautical Decor, Sea Art, Seascape, Seascape Paintings, Skiff | Leave A Comment »
Every time I wear these boots I am celebrating just a little. Dancing a little. Click my heels and spin a lazy circle. I want to scuff the heels a bit, and enjoy the rhythm of the clip clop.
I used Yellow Ocher, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, and White to obtain a full spectrum of harmonious colors. I dabbled warm and cool colors in the background and was more concerned with the feeling of light and harmony in direct contrast to the rich color and active brush work of the subject. Reflected light helps model the form and gives variety to the shadows.
The perfect boots; warm and slightly stiff at shins; fierce fire engine red; bring on the dancing…
Mar 17, 2011 | Categories:Wet off the Easel | Tags: Cowboy Boots, Red Boots, Western Art, Western Decor | 1 Comment »
