Summer Scene

I haven't been out to paint in oils or pastels in over a month. I'd intended to paint with pastels today, but I left my pastel backpack at home. So I took it as an omen and decided to use oils. I'm pretty glad I did because I really like this one. I did discover that I need a different yellow than the cadmium yellow medium which I was using. It's too dark and orangy, making it impossible to get the fresh summer greens I was seeing. Chris suggested lemon yellow and that made a huge difference. 8"x10" $25.00

Hot Off the Presses! My Newsletter

I have recently developed a newsletter which I have emailed to anyone interested in what is happening with my art. If you would like to receive future editions, please send me an email and I will be sure that you name gets added to the mailing list. In the meantime, just click on this image and the current newsletter will come up full size.

Northampton Creek

I am definitely happier with this one - I even signed it. Done on location in North-ampton Park. I am still struggling to mix colors, but I am getting a better handle on values. The scene was a confusion of trees and branches, dead grass, debris... all of which required a lot of editing and simplification. I like the overall feel of the painting, though. $25.00

Fruit is Hard

Yep, doing fruit is hard. I figured that because the painting of apples came out well, that oranges should too. Wrong. I definitely will redo them in the near future, but only when I can concentrate on doing so. The biggest mistake I made with this is attempting to do it at my kitchen table when my kids and husband were home, and with my kids' friends in and out all evening. No wonder I like painting plein air - there are a lot fewer distractions!

Three Strikes and You're...

Apples! Two of them, on a plate. Now, I have to admit that I am pretty happy with this one, despite the fact that it took me 3 hours to do it. I don't care too much for painting still-life as a rule, but this was fun. Especially since it was snowing nasty, wet April snow outside. It was nice to be in where it was warm and I could drink my coffee without worrying about where the nearest bathroom was. I may do another one tomorrow! $25.00

Try,Try Again

My second attempt, this time with a new tube of white and an experi- enced oil painter - Chris O'Handley. I found a view I liked, set up, picked up a brush and then... my mind went completely blank. I honestly did not have a clue as to how to start. After futzing around a little, I began to remember all of the things I put to use in a pastel painting. Things like values, light, contrast and color all came back to me. I have to admit the color mixing and using a brush confounded me, but at least the values are close-ish and it does resemble the little ski shack it is. Chris gave me great suggestions and encouragement. I may even try this again someday. $25.00

First Oil

Here it is! My first painting in oil! Really bad, huh? I think so too. Here's why: no white paint. I grabbed one of every tube of paint I own - all 7 colors, including one large tube of Titanium White, and headed out to try my hand. Little did I realize that paint will get hard just sitting in the tube if enough time goes by. The tube of white was about 15 years old and it was like a rock. I didn't realize until I had everything all set up. Well, despite my best intentions this was not going to work, so I packed it all back up and headed home. I'll probably try it again. I hate to waste a board!

To Paint In Oils or Not To Paint In Oils...

I do a lot of shows over the course of a year and I have been often asked if my pastel paintings are in fact oils or if I paint in oils at all. The answer has simply been, "No, I really enjoy using pastels". And I have. But in all honesty, I've never learned to use oils and have never really wanted to learn... until now.

This past year, I have broken 4 pieces of glass on my framed pastel paintings. A couple of times the piece was ruined and the frames damaged. I am a practical and frugal person and I have always admired the durability of oils and the way my oil painting friends treat their finished work so casually - stacking them up, touching the surface, framing without the fragility and weight of glass. But I do love pastels. The range of colors and how I use them is a tactile experience that I never want to give up. They are a wonderful medium and I feel I still have so much to learn about them. I want to continue to grow old with them. But I took all of that broken glass to be a sign.

So I have decided it's time for me to expand my knowledge as an artist and teach myself to paint in oils. Some of the finest artists I know paint in both oils and pastels. I want to join their ranks.

I do have some experience as an artist. I write about my experiences with pastels in a couple of other blogs, but I'll have to see how well that knowledge translates to a new medium.

So here I go. This blog is devoted to the experience of learning how to paint in oils. I have no experience in painting in oils, as will be clearly evident. So wish me luck.