moody and dark oil painting

Carolina Low Country

oil on canvas board

11" x 13"

click to see it larger

Very moody and dark...I used a very limited color palette. I hope this is the first of many. I put on Pandora and just painted. It's out of my head. I was just on Edisto Island last month for a time after my husband passed away and so I have visions of the low country in my head. It is a dark and dreary day and it fits my current mood of loss.

Experimental painting

I was in Princeton, NJ recently for a weekend and went shopping in Lambertville, NJ. What a great town! If you are ever in the area be sure to stop in the town. Great antiques, art galleries and restaurants.  In one gallery I was inspired by some paintings I saw where the artist crinkled the paper before beginning the painting. So of course I had to try this when i got home. First go round is just ok, I will redo this painting a few more times, different papers and such...play and experiment to see what happens.

A flower of a certain age...

cropped to 5x7

watercolor on 120# cotton paper

And if you are looking for a great place to have lunch in Princeton, may I suggest the Yankee Doodle Tap Room. We had a wonderful meal out in the garden terrace. Inside at the bar is the original 1937 Norman Rockwell painting "Yankee Doodle Dandy". So excited to see the original that prior to this visit I had only see in books!  

old painting, new post

About a year ago I went on an art-changing life-changing trip to France to paint. I was there for 2 weeks and I painted my way across Provence. A trip I will not soon forget. Today I was thinking of how I would like to return to Provence for more. But I would also like to go to Italy.

Several years ago my friend went to Italy. I asked Peg (my friend who went) to send me photos on her phone of things she thought I might like. She sent me this one photo and I fell in love with it. To me this tells such a great story and is typical of what one might see in Europe.

laundry day, 4 x 6 inches

watercolor on 140# paper

 

My favorite part when painting this was the wall.

I love the old scaly wall with the rusty line hanger on the left, with the rust drips.

Rocks and shells

I painted another rock watercolor. I added a shell and a piece of a shell this time. The shadow on the top rock is ALL WRONG! I was experimenting and it went bad...ah well...lessons to learn. I want to be more experimental in my painting..."what if I..." sort of painting. But I have to be willing to live with it. I was wondering what it would look like if I made a large shadow, and it doesn't work. I enjoy painting in a series. I believe I learn more when I do. And I have so much to learn about watercolors!

But I do like the shell. That was fun to paint and try to make it dimensional. 

rocks and shell

watercolor on 140 lb. arches

Painting Rocks and Sand

I recently purchased a wonderful DVD by Birgit O'Connor about painting rocks and sand. Here is my first attempt at rock and sand painting. I really enjoyed the process, relaxed and fun. No worries, only experimental. I think I am getting older and wiser; I just don't stress out as much over my art anymore. Maybe it's a level of acceptance and practice? Anyway- here are my rocks. I'll paint them again and again. And I'll add pastel when I get there...

 

 close up of some of the rocks

 another close up

 last close up

rocks on the sand 1

watercolor

9x12 140 lb. paper

fairytales

Who doesn't love a fairytale? I sure do love them! I am taking an online course about illustration. This is a watercolor/pastel painting I just completed for the course. We are studying an old Russian folk tale, "The Frog Princess". This is an illustration of our lovely princess after she has been turned into a frog by the evil King. She is now on her journey and takes a moment to look back from whence she came...

"From whence she came..."

watercolor and pastel

 

 

 

have not been painting...

Since I got home from vacation I have not been painting. I am in a crafty mood, so I've been doing some crafting. I hope to return to painting soon! I tend to go in cycles with my art and craft. Not sure why and what it's all about, but now that I am retired, I honor the muse...and currently she wants to craft... anyone else out there experience this?