"Norwood's Buttercup Fields" A Plein Air Study, 5" X 7" Oil on Canvas Panel.

Oil Paintings and Plein Air Outings

NEW!!! Oil Painting Blog

New to my blog as well as to me, join me for my adventures in Oil painting.  

Yep you heard it O I L, (water mixable that is!)  

I've always had a sensitivity to oil paint but mainly the solvents needed for their use. After a few years of trying to make pastels, acrylics and my beloved colored pencil work "En Plein Air" for onsite paintings I've found that water mixable oils will do the trick.  I'm using Cobra brand for this purpose and I'm taking to it like a duck to water.   

"Norwood's Buttercup Fields"  A Plein Air Study, 5" X 7" Oil on Canvas Panel.

I had a really great day today!  Who can ask for more than that?

Creating my very first Oil painting, (using Cobra Water mixable oil paints).

Wonderful Spring air, very few bugs, painting in the shade of a hundred year old tree - and Virginia buttercups filling the fields at a local Historical landmark plantation, Norwood.  This plantation has been in the same family since 1835.  To view the plantation click:  here 

The back fields, I plein air painted, in colored pencil, one c-o-l-d November morning in 2013, are horse fields that lead down to the James River in Powhatan County.  When we visited that Nov. day the owners volunteered to allow us to come back in the Spring to paint the same fields when the buttercups were in season.  

Me at my easel. 

And Oh my! Were they right about the beauty of the golden fields!  What a view from the back of the house.  Knowing that at one time, there had to have been tobacco or other crops planted there, but today they board horses.  The horses came and went all morning long but this painting was not about them.... it's was all about the buttercups.  

Ok, about the Cobra paints --  as an ex - acrylic & watercolor painter, who has primarily made her way to the wonderful translucent color of Colored Pencils - 

Cobra's, by Royal Talens,  are Juicy, Creamy and didn't dry fast like Open Acrylics do.  The breeze was warm and 92 deg. today at 2:00 when we finished.  So they did dry enough to add layers on top of my underpainting to enable me to finish in the field.  No solvents are needed, not even water, except to wash out a brush!

Although I worked small, "just a study" I told myself.  It didn't have to be a finished painting, after all.... my first oil and first completed "Painting Media" painting in 15 years.  I left the golden field of Norwood happy and content that I finished a piece in 3 hours.  That would never have happened in CP, I'd have had to go home to finish it even at this small 5 X 7 size.       

OK now since we painted under the trees, evidence of critters and debris fell into my palette the longer the session went.  To the point that I was adding texture as I went.  LOL ;))))

While I have much to learn about these oils, I love not getting a headache from solvents, and clean up is easy with soap & water.  Stay tuned for more adventures in Oil.  

"Just Add Water" Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelbord

"Just Add Water"  12" X 16" Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelbord

I finished this piece in April just in time for the fine art fundraiser I Co-chaired again this year, "Artful Healing" which benefited World Pediatric Project, at the Jepson Alumni Center at the University of Richmond.  

The reference was taken on my 2012 trip to Provence and the lovely hill top village of Bonnieux, France.  On one of the side streets was a cute little shop with art and other crafts and outside on their terrace was this lovely little gathering of watering cans.  Perfectly arranged, although I did move the bluest one on the right over a little. The snail shells are to remind of the snail paintings seen in that gallery as well as the great escargot on the menu in town!  I can taste the garlic butter.......Mmmmmm.

My local art association - Bon Air Artists, has put on fundraising art sales for over 23 years, which have always benefited a local charity.  I have co-chaired 5 of them in the last 6 years.  A very time consuming activity which unfortunately takes much time away from painting in CP.  This was my last year to co-chair the event, as I have made a commitment to producing many new finished works for my upcoming One Woman show at Uptown Gallery here in Richmond, Nov. & Dec.  Stay tuned.....

Much more fun news to come, as I hold a secret adventure in the works.  Keep drawing and enjoy this wonderful Spring!  

  

Showing my new colored pencil painting "Sisters" as progressive demo

"Sisters" a 24 X18 Colored Pencil painting on Ampersand Pastelbord.

Figurative works often tell a story with their imagery and my new piece has it's own.  Each Tuesday morning I drive to my oldest son's home to get my two granddaughters on the school bus.   Our normal morning routine is like many, breakfast, lunches packed and involves getting their long hair ready for school.  The idea for this piece came about from creating braids in various styles.  Cora, the eldest is a blonde and Shauna is brunette.  Their bond as sisters is close even though they are three and a half years apart.  They have many similarities, they love to dance, are great students, and loving grandchildren.  But like any two sisters they have their own personalities and differences, much like their different hair color.

So I asked them to pose for me, something as little divas they love to do.  Braiding their hair together, blonde into brunette, their single braid became a lovely mix of them both.  I had the girls dress in contrasting colors, their favorites, pink and blue.  Jeans of differing shades completed the look.  Arm in arm they walked out the front door and down the porch steps to the front yard.  Keeping their braid tight they had to match their steps, they stepped in tune, left right left.

The late afternoon fall sun played an important role in giving their hair and clothing a great glow.  The actual background of the scene in my reference shot was a little too busy.  Too much to keep the focus on the girls and their bond. (hair and embraced arms).  So I simplified the background to a more distant colorful tree line softening the horizon and making grass less competitive with the figures.

After transfering the line drawing onto the white Ampersand Pastelbord, I completed the sky (using my usual rubbing technique to layout the clouds) and began the tree line.  Blocking in the trees after I did a watercolor pencil tinting on the grass.  It became obvious I needed to set it aside until I had worked out how simple I wanted the surroundings.  It's hard to get a start on a piece and set it aside for a while, but sometimes that's exactly what needs to happen.  My start on "Sisters" sat for more than six months.

It's not my nature to leave work go unfinished.  The reality is, the work seems to stare back at me as much as I stared at it!  Analyzing me as much as I analyzed it.  Maybe that's how we come to an understanding of what needs to be done to bring a piece to completion.  Other pieces and obligations get in the way or completed as I worked out in my head what it needed.  So I started on the hair, weaving the braid just as I did the original braiding.

I then started on the girl skin at the neck catching the light of the afternoon.  Cora's blue shirt and it's folds then Shauna's pink shirt.  Keeping watch on the brightest lighting on Shauna's right shoulder. Moving on to their hands.

Working on their jeans, was actually so much fun, Cora's dark denim, Shauna's distressed denim.  Alike but yet different, just like my girls.  Again keeping the late afternoon sun on the front right hand edges of the pants.  Tenner shoes next and then finishing the fall foliage in the trees and adding CP to the underpainting of WC CP's in the grass.

In the time (one year and a half) from when I took the reference photo of the girls, till today Shauna is now taller than her older sister and the two are developing into young ladies.  Capturing a moment in time of these two sisters was a pleasure and a trial.  I hope you enjoy my efforts and the work in progress shots.

2nd Annual Student Show and What's been happening in Jan.

I'm a little late in posting photos of my 2nd Annual Student show at Crossroads Art Center & Gallery on Jan. 16th - Feb. 17th, in my exhibit space.  We had a great turn out and lots of beautiful art.  Unfortunately I don't have a group picture of all those who are showing their work but I am so very proud of all of my Students.  they work very hard and I believe enjoy the process of Colored Pencil Painting.  This is by no means all of them but a short view of the show.  If your in Richmond go by Crossroads Art Center & Gallery before Feb. 17th to see the work for yourself!

The infamous "Bob" with his portrait by his lovely wife, Toni Brown. Dressed as he was in his portrait. This was her first portrait accomplished in my class. And it won an award in her local Fredricksburg Show. Great Job!

Jean Dickson with her first Rose accomplished in our Beginner's class this spring.  And she has moved on to more lovely work since.  A decorative Painter Jean has many talents.

Barbara Chadwick with her "Study in Red" her first piece accomplished in class and "Pumpkin" drawn in class and from life.  Barbara is a botanical artist who usually works in watercolor and enjoys working from life in that tradition.

Pauline and "Clyde"  in front of her first portrait of her handsome hubby.   Pauline's work in the show also included her piece from our shiny objects class,  Still Life With Strawberries.


Additional students in my show with work are Jan Ozolek and her "South African Lilac Breasted  Roller"-Bird Portrait seen to the left of Pauline in this picture.  And Brian Austin's lovely landscape view "Sister Bay Beauties" with Echinacea also in this view.

Rebecca Spangler's two landscapes: "Savannah Street Scene" and "Mabry Mill" are also part of the exhibit.  (pictures coming)  And Barbara George's "Ireland Green" butterfly-botanical piece.





Kathy Scott's "Provincial Cafe" is a lovely street scene from one of her many European vacations.


So as you can see my students have worked hard and deserve to have their paintings shown both here and on my exhibit walls at Crossroads Art Center and Gallery, Richmond, VA

They are already hard at work on new pieces in 2015 and I'm sure the show will grow and gain more interest for colored pencil painting!  I know my pride in showing their work keeps me teaching and encouraging new people to pick up this media.

Gloria