Why am I working so hard?

......when I could buy paintings direct from China for a fraction of the time, cost & effort? Geez - I could be shopping at the mall instead of spending each day in the studio!


This is an email received by my sister:

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The FOB prices for the paintings in our stock can be USD7/pc for 20x24inch and USD12/pc for 24x36inch, if you are interested in, I can send some photos of our works to you, we also can paint exactly according to your any e-mail pictures, it is very easy to do the international business now, feel free to ask me any question, looking forward to your reply…

Colorado Landscapes

My sister, Joanne, only started painting two years ago. She works in oil, doing primarily landscapes. In the past year, she has sold about 20 paintings through the two galleries she hangs in, in Colorado. (www.joannehansonart.com)

She has been invited to exhibit her work at 'Meet the Artist', an annual show in Breckenridge and
invited me to join her.

These 8 x 10 oil landscapes are for the show in Breckenridge in June.

Birds in Art 2008

I just received notification that 'In the Wind' has been accepted into Birds in Art, 2008, at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. Yay!

Today's work....

I must be tired. I can't for the life of me think of a title for this 8 x 10 oil. The landscape is San Diego County....on the road to Warner Springs.

Perhaps that would be a good name? "On the Road to Warner Springs". OK - that's it!

"Homecoming"

I painted this small oil on location, 'plein air', at Ace Basin, a wildlife refuge about an hour south of Charleston, South Carolina. This morning, I added the heron.

A Lesson in Edges - for me

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to see a collection of Richard Schmid's work in a private home. I was fascinated with his edges...or lack of them. The only hard edge I can find in each piece was around the focal point.

Since seeing Schmid's work up close & personal, I have been more aware of edges. My purpose for painting this piece, "Wait & Watch", was to make a concentrated effort to keep most of my edges soft.

This is an 8 x 10 oil - unfinished.

FINISHED! "Journey into Night'

I showed this piece here, on an earlier blog entry, unfinished. Here it is finally complete. It is one of my two entries for Birds in Art 2008, at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.....the best of the best avian art exhibitions in the world. My second entry is 'In the Wind' , the painting of sheets and barn swallows that is also shown on an earlier blog entry. We may enter two but only one can be accepted. Results in mid-May!

STUDIO TIP

My friend, Susan Faust, passed this tip on to me. Whether painting outside or in the studio, a rag soaked in baby oil works well for removing oil paint from your hands. I keep the rag in a plastic bag and have one in the studio and one in my outdoor painting gear.

Light through the trees - series

I've been intrigued with light through trees. This is the third piece I've done along these lines, though all are different.

Today's Work-in-Progress

I'm currently working on a 12 x 16 oil of egret, flying at sunset. Tentative name? Perhaps "Journey Into Night". My goal is to keep the edges soft and colors muted, with little detail.
I want this painting to give the viewer the feeling that I had when I saw these egret in flight at Ace Basin, south of Charleston, South Carolina.