A Ray a Day: Daily paintings by Phyllis Ray

#134 "Run With Me", acrylic, 16" x 24"

2012-01-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

Today is a snow day in Bellevue. Such fun to sleep in, look out at the snow over a cuppa, know I won't go anywhere in my car today, have time to catch up on things like blogging. So here is something from another side of my psyche. It might be finished. It might not. It has been through several incarnations already...and maybe there will be more. (I was stuck for awhile, and realized the working title was wrong. I changed the title and was able to go forward). But for right now, this is it. When I do this kind of painting I feel strong urges to include some things and eliminate others. Among other attributes this cat is carrying 3 homes, a sign for transformation (the butterfly) and the bird that I have come to see as my guide. All of these are meaningful to me. I do not yet know what the bunny going backwards means. It shows up often. This time he seems to be just taking a ride. There are icons here for beauty, ideas, and growth. The painting as a whole feels cohesive to me. The Ray for the Day is "Run With Me".

#133 "Love Affair With Langley" calendar for 2012

2012-01-16T16:30:00.000-08:00

Somehow I managed to forget to mention that I published a calendar for 2012 featuring 12 of the Langley oil paintings. Vista Prints did the work and they made a really lovely calendar for me. I am proud of this body of work. It is a great year when I make 12 paintings that I am pleased with. 2011 was one of those years. Think of it....that is one really successful painting a month (considering there are some months I don't paint....it's a better hit rate than that). The calendar was a big success. The two stores in Langley that carried it had to re-order and told me how much people loved it. The Ray for all the Days of 2012 is "Love Affair with Langley" calendar.

#132 "Waiting for the Bee Keeper to Return", oil, 16" x 24"

2012-01-16T15:46:00.000-08:00

It has been 3 whole months since I last posted. The thing is...I love posting on this blog, so you know I have been otherwise occupied. The Holidays happened (I'm really glad to see them gone, even though I had a ton of fun with family and friends), and I masterminded a fairly major remodel for our Langley condo, prepping it for our final move there sometime this Spring. I also spent a couple of weeks in Mexico in October. So those are all my excuses. Now I hope to settle down to some kind of orderly painting life. I have had to come to terms with the fact that I am a seasonal painter. For years I have told myself I should be in the studio most days of the week. My muse awaits me daily, and so forth. The truth is I rarely paint from Thanksgiving to the New Year. I also don't paint much in the Summer. I can continue to beat myself up over it, or I can accept it as my natural rhythm. The latter seems the more sane approach to me. So this painting marks the beginning of Winter Painting Season for me. The challenge in this painting was that there was not a strong light source. It was an overcast day and the light was more diffuse. My task was to convey the feeling of a cool, overcast day. And, of course, this vehicle has quite a Iot of personality. I wanted to convey the feeling of a vehicle past it's prime and still beautiful. You've seen it before and will no doubt see it again."Waiting for the Bee Keeper to Return" is the Ray for the Day.

#131 "Lovely Ladies", oil, 24" x 6"

2011-09-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

As a child hollyhocks were one of my favorite flowers. They grew in our yard in Portland and I played with the petals and the seed pods. I made lots of things from them but mostly I remember making lovely ladies with gracious skirts out of the petals and necklaces with the seeds. As it happens there is a magnificent stand of hollyhocks just outside Studio 106. This Summer I have gazed at them, photographed them dozens of times, made a few lovely ladies, and now I have painted them. This painting is on a 2" deep cradled board, so the sides are also painted. They just called for a tall skinny painting. I have another started on my easel. The Ray for the Day is "Lovely Ladies".

#130 "The Blind Leading the Blind", acrylic, 16" x 20"

2011-09-12T17:26:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. It's been forever since I posted. But I have not been slacking. After all, I moved my studio and my residence in July. That took quite a lot of energy and thought. I have been working though. Both with the acrylics and the oils. This posting is another in the series of acrylic paintings that seem to be reflecting things that are going on in my emotional life. I love doing them, and they always surprise me. I think I'm pretty good at getting feeling into my oils and watercolors. That is, the feeling of the day, the moment or the place. But the acrylics seem to be a direct link to my most inner world. The Ray for the Day is "The Blind Leading the Blind".

#129 "Another Langley Morning", 24" x 18"

2011-06-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

So this is #12 of the Langley Series. Again, a fun painting to paint. I am working on establishing a clear foreground, midground, and background. This scene is again from a morning walk. The view is across Saratoga Passage to Camano Island from upper 2nd St. Of course the angles of the foreground architecture is what mainly captured my imagination. Again, a little Thibaud crept in here with some bold lines of color. This painting really came to life in the last hour of painting. I brightened some colors, grayed some, and had fun with orange, turquoise and lime green. Yum. The Ray for the Day is "Another Langley Morning".

#128 "Brookhaven Morning", oil, 18" x 24"

2011-06-21T14:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Sweet Patient Blogsters, Even while being in the middle of moving I have eked out some small bits of time to paint. I guess it helps to preserve my sanity. I have 3 pieces to share with you over the next few days. This one is number 11 of the Langley Series. There is also a number 12, which means I will produce a calendar of Langley scenes that I have painted over the past year. This one is another scene from my walk from our condo to Studio 106. These homes are called Brookhaven and are very sweet low income housing. I'm so proud of Langley that these homes are right next door to downtown! I seem to be channeling Wayne Thibaud with these paintings. It is very fun at the end of the painting to add a bit of color here and there. The Ray for the Day is "Brookhaven Morning".

#127 "Reach for the Moon", acrylic, 18" x 24"

2011-04-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

So back to the acrylic, playful work. This image just delighted me as it emerged. Each of these images seem to show me parts of my subconscious, personality, I'm not sure what. I just know that it feels sometimes like I have a tiger by the tail. These paintings seem to be telling me something about myself. Or maybe they are telling the viewer about me. Or both. At any rate, this is fun. The Ray for the Day is "Reach for the Moon".

#126 "Backstreets of Langley", oil on board, 18" x 24"

2011-04-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

Though I totally enjoyed painting this oil painting of lovely Langley, I am eager to get back to the acrylics tomorrow and get my hands in them. These two types of paintings I am doing right now tap into totally different parts of my psyche. The oil paintings appeal to my orderly, logical self. The acrylics tap straight into my whimsical part that likes to surprise myself. Both appeal to the sensual me. When I walk to my dear Studio 106 from our Langley condo I walk through the back of Langley into the front of it. This is a scene I see on one of the several routes I take. I always enjoy looking at these buildings. The Ray for the Day is "Backstreets of Langley".

#125 "Move" 24" x 18", acrylic on board

2011-04-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

I spent the day in my Kirkland studio and worked with the concepts I learned from Jesse Reno. Trying to make it my own. Beginning to find my personal iconography. Everything in this painting has personal meaning to me......and yet I "found" it in the painting. Well, the basic shapes are found. I added the symbols that mean new growth, home, change to me. Our house is on the market and so I suppose it is not surprising that this house is on wheels. It is hard to know if this piece is finished. I worked on 3 pieces today. I made some changes to Remember, painted out an entire composition that I haven't yet posted and worked on "Move" which changed many times today and may continue to do so. I am loving this way of working and find myself totally engaged and really curious about what will emerge. It was very hard to leave the studio today. I also love to paint pictures of things I see and making them look and feel like what I am looking at. I have one of those on the easel as well. I'll eventually post that one. The Ray for the Day is "Move".

#124 "Remember", acrylic on board, 24" x 18"

2011-04-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

It's another Artfest creation! I think I forgot to mention that these paintings were started by painting with our hands. Jesse had huge pump bottles of acrylic medium body paints. The first few layers of paint are applied with our hands. All the formal elements of art are being employed at all times: thick/thin, dark/light, warm/cool, large/small etc. So once the first smear of paint is on the canvas we need to stay engaged with the piece, always asking ourselves if we like the way it is looking and is there balance and does it feel right. "If you don't like it get rid of it!". We keep working until we feel pleased with what is there. Then next layers are done with brushes, oil pastels, big black pencil or whatever will help us say what we want to say. We look at the hand painted surface and begin to find what is there.....like looking at cloud formations. We save what we like by painting around it. Paint out what we don't like. Always engaged. Always present to the piece. Just the way any art is made. I don't feel this piece is quite finished. I see areas that want to be changed. I will keep working on it. I have two more that need much more work. They will show up here later. Meanwhile, yesterday when I went back to work on a Langley street scene that I had on my easel before Artfest I felt much more fearless, much more certain, much more engaged. I'm still high from Artfest! Hope it lasts a long, long time. The Ray for the Day (fittingly) is "Remember".

#123 "Be Free!", acrylic on panel, 24" x 18"

2011-04-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

Now for something a little different! I just returned from an amazing event called Artfest. It was a 3 day workshop that is held annually at Fort Warden in Port Townsend WA. My artner (new word we coined this weekend) Joanne and I got excited about an outsider painter named Jesse Reno. We discovered he was teaching at Artfest and decided to go if we could get into his class for at least 2 days. We did, so we went. I could say a LOT about this experience, but let me just say that I knew my creative juices needed a little kick in the pants....and had a feeling Jesse Reno might be instrumental. I was not prepared for how powerful this whole experience turned out to be. I feel old parts of me have been re-awakened and new rooms have been opened. We worked hard all day long, were lost in the flow, and everything felt all new and shiny again. I'm not sure how this experience will integrate itself into my current work, but I am sure it will. A Reno quote: "It's just a piece of paper. If you can't take a risk with that what will you do with your life?" I thought I had finished this painting and I almost loved it. People were coming around taking pictures of it and telling me how much they loved it. I told Jesse I almost loved it. He said "paint it out and see what else you can find there that you will love more." and I did it! and what I found I liked better! And people were saying they couldn't believe I did it. It's only a piece of paper, but it took a lot of courage. Something else I heard over the weekend that tickles and describes me: "I didn't come to save the world, I came to decorate it!" I am challenged to discover my own personal iconography that describes my passions. More to come. The Ray for the Day is "Be Free!" SOLD

#122 "Spring! and Little Sandwiches", oil on board, 24" x 18"

2011-03-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I said I was going to paint flowers. Actually, I started this painting several months ago. I took a long time to get the drawing just right, and I laid in the underpainting, getting some idea about values. The original inspiration came from a photo of a garden party birthday I attended last year. For some reason I didn't get back to it until this weekend. I took it to Studio 106 in Langley, invited my friend Faye to paint with me and we had a super delicious day painting and listening to wonderful music. This painting makes me smile. The Ray for the Day is "Spring! and Little Sandwiches".

#121 "Mexico Sketches"

2011-03-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I promised I would try to make a slide show of the sketches I did in Mexico. I did it! How fun to learn something new on the computer. This is a sampling of the sketches I did during Feb/March in Manzanillo. The Ray for the Day is "Mexico Sketches".

#120 "Looking Down Second Street", oil on cradled board, 16"x20"

2011-03-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

This is a different view of Langley. On an early morning walk I was struck by the fabulous long shadows and the wonderful shapes of the buildings. Not to mention the water and the mountains and the sky. This was a complicated painting to draw and to paint, and I love it. I tried to just make shapes, alternating cools and warms, different textures and sizes and still have them read as the buildings that are there. It was interesting to make the street appear to dip down and then up again. All on a flat little board. I do so love this little town! Hey! All the Spring flowers that are popping out are making my heart glad. And making me want to paint flowers. Which I will probably do! I hope you know you can click on the painting and see it larger. The Ray for the Day is "Looking Down Second Street". SOLD

#119 "In Her Easter Bonnet..." oil on board, 31"x11"

2011-03-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

So for all you whiners out there who feel I haven't fulfilled my promise of A Ray a Day.....well....dang...I haven't. My excuse is this: I was in Mexico for nearly a month and I didn't paint while I was there. I did, however, do a sketch a day and I posted them on www.whidbeyislandsketchers.blogspot.com. We sketch all Wednesday afternoons and well into the evening, complete with food and wine. It is a blast. If you want to see my Mexico sketches you can go to that site, where you will see tons of other really fabulous sketches. I may try to figure out how to put a slide show of them on this site as well. In the meantime, I've decided to do an Easter Bonnet thing for my Langley Open Studio event on April 2, and this is the painting I made to advertise that event. I wanted to paint something playful and I really had fun making this painting. And I'm back. There's another painting on the easel that is nearly finished so look for that later. Meanwhile, the Ray for the Day is "In Her Easter Bonnet...."

#118 "Twins", oil, 14" x 11"

2011-02-13T14:44:00.000-08:00

So I did get the companion to Mystery Dress finished this weekend. I invited 4 painter friends to join me in Langley and Studio 106 for the weekend. We came and went at different times, painted watercolors and oils and sketched. We ate fabulous food, drank good wine and talked art and other important things to our lives. During all of that I finished this piece, did a number of sketches (look at www.whidbeyislandsketchers.blogspot.com to see those and other wonderful sketches by Whidbey artists), and worked on a Langley scene I hope to finish before I leave for Mexico. My challenge in this piece was to make it as evocative as the Mystery Dress painting. The Ray for the Day is "Twins". SOLD

#117 "Tall Tulips", oil, 6"x24"

2011-02-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

Paintings seem to be taking longer to finish these days. I seem to be working on several at a time. Something new for me. It helps to know I have something started to go back to. I think about them all the time. I am also sketching again, and posting on the www.whidbeyislandsketchers.blogspot.com as well as this one. Open Hearted, the February Langly Art Walk at Studio 106 was hugely successful! Many lovely people came for art, chocolate, red roses, red wine, and schmoozing. I was high for days from it. Every Spring I get a hankering to paint tulips, so here is my first of what I think will be several long, tall flower paintings. I really can't help myself. I also have a companion to Mystery Dress in the works and another scene in Langley. I'm also leaving for Mexico for three weeks, so it may be awhile before you see those. I'll be posting sketches though on the sketchers blog. The Ray for the Day is "Tall Tulips".

#116 "Ready for the Mystery Dinner", oil, 11" x 14"

2011-01-29T08:52:00.000-08:00

This painting was inspired by a room we stayed in at Mosswood Hollow Retreat Center. We stayed there with our entire family and had a Mystery Dinner party. Everyone was costumed to the hilt and it was fabulously fun. I first made this painting without the red dress....just the room with the light falling on the bed. Liana Bennet looked at it and told me she "just didn't care about it". It simply didn't interest her. It made me determined to make her care....hence the red dress which evoked an even more vivid memory for me of the family costume party...and won her interest in the painting. I really like this little painting. It is evocative of...what? The title could change if anyone has any better ideas. The Ray for the Day is "Ready for the Mystery Dinner".

#115 "Open Hearted", oil, 20"x16"

2011-01-25T16:58:00.000-08:00

This painting is coming out a little soon for Valentine's Day, but I can't help myself. I decided to paint a satin heart to use as invitation and ad for my February Langley Art Walk which will be on Feb 5. I ran all over the place looking for just the right heart to paint (finally found this one at Walgreen's at the suggestion of an old friend). This was really a luscious painting to make. I was into the heart, the chocolates (I mean, like really into them), and those fabulous red tulips. So I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day early. I think love, chocolates, tulips and red stuff is appropriate any old time, don't you? If you happen to be in Langley on the evening of Saturday the 5th of Feb please do drop by for a little Valentine's party. Wear red. The Ray for the Day is "Open Hearted".

#114 "Sketching in Langley", watercolor sketch

2011-01-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday I had so much fun sketching with the Whidbey Island Sketchers! These dedicated sketchers meet at a different location every Wednesday to draw. There is also a lot of laughter. When the Useless Bay Coffee Co. (where we were sketching) closed some of us continued on to Studio 106. The Sketchers will be showing their delightful work there for the March Art Gallery Walk. I'm delighted to host them. We also drank a little wine, went on to a meeting at Whidbey Arts to talk about promoting art and artists on Whidbey. Four of us just couldn't give up the day, so we wound up eating pizza at the local pizza place and talking more about art. I look forward to more sketching, laughing, talking, eating, drinking with this group. To top it off they featured my sketches on their blog! Check it out at www.whidbeyislandsketchers.blogspot.com. The Ray for the Day is "Sketching in Langley".

#113 "Table for Two", oil on cradled board, 8"x8"

2011-01-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, to follow the theme here, if you are going to make and serve coffee you need someplace to sit and drink it! Ergo, this painting. Also, I find this to be quite a charming scene. It takes place in the Two Tartes Bakery where I had my last show. The painting above the table is one of mine. The one called In a Stew. I took the liberty (artistic license) of changing the color of the chairs (in life they are brown wood) in order to make a more lively painting. I find little vignettes like this that take place in bakeries or cafes to be so compelling. Comforting in fact. They evoke potential conversation, friendship, intimacy for me. Of course the anticipation of something good to eat or drink doesn't hurt. I read somewhere recently that reading the menu sometimes creates more endorphins than the actual act of eating. Anticipation of good things to come creates good feelings. Not too surprising, is it? The Ray for the Day is "Table for Two".
SOLD

#112 "Espresso Machine", oil on cradled board, 8"x8"

2011-01-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

So if you are going to have cappuccino and a cookie, someone has to make the coffee and have someplace to make it. Here is my rendition of an espresso machine. Once again, how does one paint stainless steel? What color is stainless steel? It's pretty much the color of whatever it is reflecting on a base of gray/white? Reflective surfaces are really interesting to look at and to paint. This was quite a lot of stuff to get onto an 8"x8" panel. I think I like to paint larger than this. I like bigger brushes and more paint better than small brushes and small spaces. It is a good exercise though. You might remember I thought small paintings would be easier? quicker? Not so. My next posting will show you where you might sit while enjoying the espresso of your choice. The Ray for the Day is "Espresso Machine".
SOLD

#111 "Cookie Jars", oil on cradled board, 8"x8"

2011-01-12T13:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been painting but I haven't been blogging. Holidays, family stuff, putting up Christmas decorations, taking down Christmas decorations, trips to Langley. Life. So I'll catch you up with my latest paintings. "Double, tall, decaf....." got me started on a small cafe series. All the paintings are 8"x8" on cradled board and reflect something about our coffee culture which is huge, especially here in the Northwest. Incidentally, I got kicked out of a couple of stores for taking photos of food. The coffee shops were pretty cool, especially when I introduced myself and told them what I was doing with the photos. Big grocery stores really don't like you taking photos of their food, though. I loved painting this little painting because I knew I couldn't paint glass so all I could do was paint the shapes and values as I saw them. Miraculously.....I ended up with glass cookie jars. The Ray for the Day is "Cookie Jars". SOLD

#110 "Double Tall Decaf Extra Dry...." oil on cradled panel, 8"x8"

2010-12-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

So it's the Holidays and I've been having a cold so I decided to paint some very small paintings. To conserve energy, I guess. I decided to do a series on cafe scenes. Guess what? It takes just as much energy to paint a small painting as a large one. All the paintings in this series will be 8" x 8". On Tuesday Barb Barry and I spent the day in Studio 106 in Langley. We had such a delightful day. We painted, and walked around the sweet shops doing a little Christmas shopping, and painted some more, and wound up having a delightful dinner at Prima Bistro above the Star Store. I finished this painting while we were there. I need to give a small nod to Wayne Thiebold for some of the inspiration. To all who may be reading this blog, I wish you a very Happy Holiday Season. The Ray for the Day is "Double Tall Decaf Extra Dry...."

#109 "Behind Useless Bay Cafe" , oil on cradled panel, 16"x20"

2010-12-07T09:59:00.000-08:00

This is one of those times of the year when painting slows down. Two blissful weeks in Mexico in November, then Thanksgiving, then my open studio for Langley December Art Walk, and now I am getting ready for Christmas. However, I did manage to finish this painting, and am quite pleased with it. This view is from a parking lot behind Second Street. Sometimes the backs of buildings intrigue me more than their fronts. This very popular coffee house cafe has quite a big garden in the back from which they make some of their very delicious foods. I pass by here on my walk from our condo to Studio 106. A lovely 2 block walk. I'm working on some small panels (8"x8") of coffee cups and kitchen scenes. Lots to do before I can attend to them. The December Art Walk was quite delightful. I will post some scenes from that event tomorrow or the next day. In the meantime, I'm just very happy to have completed this piece. The Ray for the Day is "Behind Useless Bay Cafe".

#108 "Pick me! Pick me!" oil, 16" x 12"

2010-11-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I finished two paintings and started another. This is the second painting I completed. Since I am headed for Mexico for a couple of weeks the one I started will be awhile before completion. These jolly little scooters were sitting in the sun outside the rental store just hoping someone would come along and rent them. Their shiny colors somehow remind me of jelly beans. It's hard to know which one I like the best. Hasta la vista for awhile. The Ray for the day is: "Pick me! Pick me!"

#107 "The Barber Shop" oil, 16"x20"

2010-11-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

While on my birthday paint-a-thon at Studio 106 I finished this painting of the barber shop. Of course it is in Langley. 5 of us spent the weekend painting, talking, walking, eating, drinking. It was a paint-a-thon slumber party! What a great time we had. The weather was gorgeous and we were all blissed out. Joanne led us in a Shrinky Dink project. (You had to have been there). I will post the results when they are in. It also turned out that the garden around the studio was being planted while we were there, so it was being created around us as we painted. Being Halloween we saw many ghosts and goblins lurking around the streets. It was quite magical. The Ray for the Day is "The Barber Shop".

#106 "The Soap Store", oil, 16" x 12"

2010-10-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

It appears I have been a bit remiss in my postings. Life is just so busy. All good. I made this little painting last week and have just not had time to post. This Soap Store is directly in front of my Studio 106 in Langley. Again it was a sunny, sunny morning and I was entranced with the shadows and that wonderful orange door. I am delighted that I was able to indicate products in the store and in the window with just little strokes of the brush. Thanks to all the people who commented on #105 "Sun Garden". It was wonderful to open my blog and see so many positive comments. It is gratifying to know people are reading my blog. Thank you so much. I started another painting today that I did not finish. You will be the first to know when I do. I am planning a "Soft Opening" for Studio 106 in Langley for the First Saturday Art Walk in November. If you are in the area I would love to meet you! The Ray for the Day is "The Soap Store".

#105 "Sun Garden" , oil, 20" x 16"

2010-10-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

Oil painting is so much fun! It has been another fabulous day of painting. Jacqui and Joanne joined me in my studio today. We each went into our own worlds, broke occasionally for critiques and certainly for lunch and art talk and chocolate. I'm continuing my love affair with Langley. The streets of Langley are graced with extraordinary gardens. This one is just outside The Braeburn Cafe. The morning sun on that turquoise wall nearly makes we want to lick it. It makes a great background for this delicious, sunny garden. I guess I am starting a series. A Sweet Langley Suite of paintings. The Ray for the Day is "Sun Garden".

#104 "Morning in Langley", oil, 12" x 16"

2010-10-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

Can't seem to stay away from painting Langley. Today was like opening day of school for me. My on going Monday painting group began today with our generous and most helpful leader, Liana Bennett. I had already drawn this composition before I went. I feel so at home in a room full of painters with music playing and occasional conversations (but not too many, and always about what we are doing). The afternoon flew by and I had a wonderful time painting another Langley corner. No cars on this corner on this day. I started by massing in the lights and the shadows and after that it just sort of fell together. The Ray for the Day is "Morning in Langley".

#103 "Saturday on First Street", oil, 16"x20"

2010-09-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

This was a very complex painting to make, and that made it very fun to do. I concentrated on shapes and values and tried to ignore subject matter. I also tried to be really loose and let just a stroke tell the story. Not say too much. I think I still said more than I needed to, but the result is, I think, a lively cheery, portrait of the town of Langley. I am falling more and more in love with Langley. Studio 106 is just a few feet from this view of First St. I have done some work on the studio and moved in some studio furniture and brought some paintings in. It is slowly becoming mine. I also talked with a very talented gardener who will be installing the gardens around my space. (I'm responsible for caring for the gardens around Studio 106). I'm so excited to see them take shape. The gardens in Langley simply bring me to tears. I want to add my little corner of that community to the garden treasures of the city. The Ray for the Day is "Saturday on First Street".

#102 "On the Edge", oil, 12" x 16"

2010-09-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Joanne and Chris came to my studio and we all painted for a couple of hours, had a lunch break and talk, and more painting. Afterwards Chris and I went for a nice walk along the lake. Painting, time with women friends, and some exercise! A great day. This painting makes a nice companion for #101. Again, I really like the color combination, the yellow, green and peach against the lavendar and the deep blue against the pale yellow. These two paintings were inspired by the table setting Chris made for Joanne's birthday garden party last Spring, so it was fitting that I painted them with the two of them here. The Ray for the Day is "On the Edge".

#101 "Blaaack Cawfee..." oil, 12" x 16"

2010-09-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

Guess what? No painting is easy. I thought I would just do an easy little painting after struggling with the complexities of portraits. This simple seeming composition went through some very interesting stages along the way. The background color has been difficult to photograph. In reality it is a very lime green. I like the lime against the purple and the purple against the peach. I find the various circles and their placement quite interesting. This little coffee cup turned out to be quite an abstract painting. The Ray for the Day is "Blaaack Cawfee....".

#100 The Final Four

2010-09-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

These are the last four stages of the painting of Rachel. Even though I checked, rechecked, and thought I had everything in the right place.....her left eye migrated from it's appropriate place. I really treasure this painting because it is a great learning. I got so mesmerized painting that left eye that I didn't pay attention to where I was putting it. Hopefully I will be more and more mindful and alert with my paintings. Perhaps I should name it Rachel With the Wandering Eye? What a great 4 days that was! I do know, also, that should I get really serious about painting portraits of people I will want to paint much more expressionistically than these paintings. However, now matter how or what I paint....I want things to be in the right place. I just got the keys to my new Studio 106 and am going to Langley tomorrow morning, so I will spend some time there planning, measuring, thinking about how I will be using it. So that's it for portrait workshops for awhile. The Ray for the Day is The Final Four.

#99 Day Four of Portrait Workshop

2010-09-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

The last day of the workshop Liana did a masterful 4 hour demo in the morning. For the last 4 hours we had one model for one pose. I took photos of my piece every 20 minutes so I could look back and see the steps and the development. I have chosen 8 of those photos, and will post 4 today and the final 4 tomorrow. During this process the task was to check and re check the position of each facial feature in relation to all other parts of the face shape, and to keep in mind the shape of the negative spaces as well. I did not know how to get these images in the right order....they are exactly backwards, so read from the bottom to the top. These four stages took her to "the guy in drag" stage. She is, in fact, a very feminine woman with a very square jaw, big wideset eyes and a wide mouth. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to figure out how to get the images in the right order. The Ray for the Day is Day Four of Portrait Workshop (or the beginning of Rachel).

#98 Day Three of Portrait Workshop

2010-09-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

By Day Three our heads are full of what to do, what not to do, and a complex mix of eagerness and frustration and some mental fatigue and excitement all rolled into one. It's a great group of painters and the comraderie, support and encouragement is high. This day we had two models, and had two hours with each model. There was a sigh of relief to know we had two hours to stare, correct, paint, stare and correct again. We are all beginning to see the subtleties of skin tone, shape, etc. a bit better. Most everyone in the group is an accomplished painter in their own right, yet we confessed we had totally forgotten anything we knew before and are concentrating only on the principles Liana is truly trying to transmit to us. In my opinion this is the best way to be at a workshop....with an empty and open mind. This day turned out to be really fun. I enjoyed the process immensely. What a woderful way to spend a day! The Ray for the day is Day Three of Portrait Workshop (or Jess and Garrett).

#97 Day Two of Portrait Class

2010-08-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

On Day Two Liana talked to us about bone structure, planes, shadow patterns and skin tones. Furthermore she talked about composition, lighting, warm and cool tones and value. Of course this is not new information. It is just that It will take a lifetime for it all to really sink in. And that still won't be enough time. That is part of what makes painting so fascinating. I never expect to master it. I only expect to keep learning. In the afternoon we had two models and we moved around the room so we got different views. We did 20 minute drawings and then added color and shadow patterns. Our task is to see the shapes and paint what we see. The task is not to paint a nose, but to paint the shapes, values and temperatures on the face and if we get those right the nose will appear. And the lips. And the eyes. And......the same works for landscapes or architecture or even old trucks. (These women were both actually very attractive.....my concentration on all of these elements seems to have translated into these quickly painted images). Remember...you are looking at "process", not "product". The Ray for the Day is Day Two of Portrait Class.

#96 Day One in Portrait Class

2010-08-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

For Four days we listened, watched, and painted for 6 hours each day. Hear, see, do. I came home totally exhausted each evening. Liana Bennett is a wonderful, generous teacher. She really wants her students to get the information and improve their painting skills. This workshop was about portraits in oil. I keep saying I am not interested in painting portraits....but all painting is painting. If you get the shapes right and put them in the right place it doesn't matter what you are painting. Faces are the hardest thing there is to paint. Liana told us to quit saying we don't paint portraits. If we are painters....we are painters. If we can see, really see, we can paint anything. Intense seeing was a major part of the weekend. We worked on seeing the face and putting the shapes where they belong. We made a lot of drawings and paintings. I selected a few to show here. The first day we drew from photos, first with vine charcoal and then with paint. I have included three of those drawings. In the next few days I will record the steps we took throughout the 4 days. The Ray for the Day is "Day One in Portrait Class".

#95 STUDIO 106

2010-08-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it's been a long time since I've posted a painting. I must confess it is hard for me to paint in the Summer. So much going on. And this Summer I am preparing our home in Kirkland to put it on the market. Slowly we are inching our way toward making Langley our home. It may be a bit premature, but I found the perfect studio space for me in downtown Langley. Though I don't imagine I'll be working there much during these next few months, I will begin to move my studio there and start establishing myself. It is right downtown Langley and is also a commercial space. I'm imagining something like "If the artist is in the studio is open". At least for starters. When I saw the space (peering through the window) I just knew it was meant for me. On Wednesday I signed a two year lease beginning this September. The address is 106 McLeod Alley (I just love alleys) and when asked to produce a name for my business the words "Studio 106" popped into my mind. So Studio 106 it is. It is 400 square feet with 12' ceilings and an entrance on the alley. Meanwhile I am attending a portrait painting class with teacher Liana Bennett. Yesterday was so much fun. I feel so completely in my element in studio settings with easels, paint, brushes and other artists around. We arent' supposed to be working toward a product.....just learning. I will, however, post a few of my "learning experiences" when all is said and done.

#94 "Number 201", oil, 14" x 11"

2010-07-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

Today was so much fun. The weather was perfect and I went to the Snoqualmie Railroad Station with the Eastside Association of Fine Arts. During the Summer they post a plein air painting location for each Tuesday. This location was right up my alley. I had a great time painting this train. There was a guy sitting on a picnic bench nearby playing guitar and harmonica and it gave a haunting atmosphere to that old train yard. The Ray for the Day is "Number 201".

#93 "Dog House Tav", oil, 11" x 14"

2010-07-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I spent a blissful day standing on a street corner in Langley on Whidbey Island painting this street scene. The Dog House Tavern, a beloved hang out, has been painted many times. This is my take on that corner. I'm sure I will paint it again. Lots of people stopped to look, chat, watch, and comment. The weather was perfect and I couldn't have had a better time. I look forward to many more such days in that sweet, sweet town. When I started the painting the shadows were in entirely different places from when I finished. The photo at the top of the page is the street when the original shadows were gone. I noted all the darks and lights when I began the painting and tried to hold that in my mind as I completed....and as the sun did it's moving thing throughout the day. The Ray for the Day is "The Dog House Tav".

#92 "My Backyard", oil, 14" x 11"

2010-07-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

After spending most of June in Mexico, and returning to multiple crises with my 92 year old Dad, I finally painted yesterday for the first time in nearly two months. Joanne called and suggested we paint in my backyard. It was a struggle. My palette was all dry and crusty. I had to scrape all the old paint away and squirt out new. I had to remember where to begin. I made many trips back to my studio to get stuff. And it felt good to stand in the shade with Joanne across the yard, painting away. At one point I was ready to wipe it off and call it a good try, but I just hate to get skunked. I persevered. It is not a perfect painting. I may have to fix some parts of it after it is dry, but at least it is not a "wipe off". I feel I captured the feeling of the mid day sun spilling across the yard and illuminating the red umbrella, and the cool shade. That's good enough for my first plein air oil painting of the season. My Dad's okay, by the way.
SOLD

#91 "Proud to be Irish", oil, 14" x 11"

2010-05-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

The two day portrait painting workshop with Michelle Usibelli was fun and productive. The first day we had a model and the second day we worked from photos. I promised I would publish the good, the bad and the ugly (not being a portrait painter), but the painting from the first day was both bad and ugly. I may work on it and publish it later. However, I am pleased with this portrait I did of my Dad who is 92 and proud of his Irish blood. (I think I may give it to him for Father's Day). The two days simply flew by. Painting is definitely my flow time. We had lunches in the sun in Michelle's fabulous garden, feeding our senses and our soul. A delightful two days. The Ray for the Day is "Proud to be Irish".

#90 "Good Old Gal", oil, 24" x 18"

2010-05-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

At first glance this may look like the last posting I made, #89 "Study for Truck". This is, in fact, the enlarged and, hopefully, improved version of this subject. I meant to post the underpainting, but ran out of time. So here she is. It was very helpful to make a small, quick study in which I worked out some of the problems. I know this is a time-honored way of going about things....but I rarely do it. I was somewhat intimidated by the forest in the back ground. All that green!!! I did my best to vary the temperature, hue and value of the greens and indicate some trunks and stems. The Ray for the Day is: "Good Old Gal".

#89 "Study of Truck", 12" x9", oil

2010-05-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

After a very busy and fun weekend out of town, arriving home late last night, I arrived in painting class this morning tired and without a clue about what I wanted to paint. As I left my studio I grabbed a couple of interesting photos I took last Summer of this wonderful old truck. I have done a couple of watercolors of it and knew I would oil paint it sometime. Liana saw the photo and said "make a small study of that, and prepare to make a major painting from it". What a great idea! I thoroughly enjoyed designing and painting this little study. It will be interesting to use this study to help me paint a larger (20" x 16"0 painting. The Ray for the Day is "Study of Truck".

#88 "Boss Bucket", 12" x 9"

2010-04-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Today I am beginning to seriously clean out my studio to prepare it for the Kirkland Artist Studio Tour in which takes place in just over a week, May 8 and 9. While cleaning I noticed this little painting up on my easel which I have forgotten to post. I enjoy painting everyday objects. I found this little boss bucket in the back room of Liana's teaching space. As soon as I saw it I knew I would paint it. I'm finished with the food subject for now, and am thinking of every day items like tools and tape dispensers, all those little things we really need and take for granted. We'll see what else I find lying about the studio that will become paintings. I don't imagine I'll be posting many painting for awhile as the KAST is rather all consuming. The Ray for the Day is "Boss Bucket".

#87 "Study of Momo", 20" x 15", oil

2010-04-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

On day 3 of the workshop we had just 3 hours to paint this pose, so I consider this a study rather than a finished painting. Since the workshop leader would not allow us to take photos I have nothing to work from other than my imagination. I have worked on it some pumping up the colors. I love the face, the skin color, and the glasses in this painting. I also really like my color mixes and choices. One of the most important things I left the workshop with was the importance of paint mixing. I am now mixing many of the colors I anticipate using before I start to paint. I mix warm and cool versions of the hues I choose. Painting is decision making every moment. The tricky part is engaging the decision making brain as well as the intuitive brain at the same time. Or at least in rapid succession. Painting is definitely good brain exercise. The Ray for the Day is "Study of Momo".

#86 "Rachel's Back", 20" x 16", oil

2010-04-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

For her afternoon poses Rachel took off her top, donned a long skirt, and gave us her lovely back to paint. Again, this was two sittings of 3 hours each over two days. Trying to paint what I see. See clearly. And still keep looking at the painting so that I give the painting what it needs. These are my tasks. Among others. I tried to keep telling myself painting Rachel's back was no different than painting a tea pot or an old rusty truck. It's a matter of painting the shapes. Just the shapes. Not a back. Not a skirt. Just shapes. No wonder making art can keep a person occupied and obsessed for an entire lifetime. The Ray for the Day is "Rachel's Back".

#85 "Rachel", 20" x 16"

2010-04-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

Figures have not been my thing, but I heard that Henry Stinson was teaching a week long class in Langley and I wanted to learn from him. I was undecided about whether or not to go when Barb told me she was going and I decided to join her. We stayed at our Tree House condo in Langley and had a wonderful time painting from 10:00 to 5:00 each day and enjoying the pleasures of Langley in the evening. This portrait was done in two 3 hour sessions over 2 days. Lovely Rachel. Henry's words ring in my head "Cool light-warm shadows, warm light-cool shadows", "Squint to see value, eyes wide open to see color". I know these things, but practicing them is another matter. One of my challenges is to learn to really see the color in flesh. The Ray for the Day is "Rachel".

#84 "Cat Nap", 11" x 14"

2010-04-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

Barb's home is old and full of character, beautiful things, and interesting crannies. Yesterday Joanne and I painted interiors at Barb's house. Happily it was sunny all day so we got these wonderful splashes of sunlight spilling on the walls and surfaces. We painted all day, Joanne in the living room and Barb in the bathroom painting a claw footed tub. I chose this nook in the master bedroom, and so did Pablo the cat. Miraculously he stayed all day as well. He did change his position every hour or so, but I captured the pose I liked the most. My favorite part of this painting is the sunlight coming through Pablo's ears. The Ray for the Day is "Cat Nap".
SOLD

#83 "Hats Off to the Ladies", 12" x 9"

2010-04-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

Wayne Thiebaud, along with Richard Diebenkorn, have always been favorite painters of mine. They were friends, and their work informed one another. Today in class, while I was painting these doughnuts, Liana came around and said "Theibaud it!". I looked at a book she had and discovered some of the ways he treats edges that give life and sparkle to a painting. I feel I have found the beginning of a way to borrow from Thiebaud that will also become part of my own voice in oils. I'm thrilled!! The Ray for the Day is "Hats Off to the Ladies".

#82 "Spring!", 24" x 12", oil

2010-04-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

Today was a typical Seattle Spring day.....sun, cold, warm, hail and sun again. But the tulips are up! A sure sign of Spring. They are always fun to paint. We were in Joanne's studio. We painted, we listened to music, we had a lovely lunch and then a break for awesome lemon cake. All the while painting these harbingers of Spring. For me the glass vase is the diva. I enjoyed painting the colors and shapes I saw without thinking "vase"........and voila! a glass vase appeared. Such fun. The Ray for the Day is "Spring!"
SOLD

#81 "Bountiful", 12"x9", oil

2010-03-31T16:46:00.000-07:00

Barbara was the hostess today. She brought this bountiful bowl of fruit, a bottle of wine, lunch and chocolate! Talk about bountiful! She is still working on her painting as I post this. It was another joyful day of painting. Joanne, Barb and I gave each other feedback, talked about the basic principles of painting, and about what each of us brings to our work on any given day. We might be tired, rested, getting a cold, totally well, have personal issues on our mind. Somehow it all goes into the painting. It just can't be helped. You can't hide in your painting. The Ray for the Day is "Bountiful".

#80 "She'll Be Right Back",oil, 20" x16"

2010-03-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

When I walked into Joanne's studio and saw the set up she had made, a weathered adirondack chair with some items on the arm, my heart sank. It looked so plain. So gray. So, well, uninspiring to me. I had been so excited to paint, and now felt a little less so. However, once I got into the painting I was nearly swooning at all the glorious grays and neutrals I was mixing. The challenge for me, as always lately, was to keep the paint interesting by varying the strokes , temperature and value. I know that if I keep the value the same in any given passage I can use any color I want, varying the temperature and will get a much more painterly and interesting painting. Yet the rapture of the brush stroking away on the support gets me. I want to smooth everything out and do what we call "house painting". These are the kinds of challenges that keep me wanting to paint these days. When I think about it I do it perfectly! When I get the brush in my hand something comes over me. I understand this is quite common. The Ray for the Day is "She'll Be Right Back".
SOLD

#79 "Sunflower and Cinnamon Roll 2" oil, 14" x 11"

2010-03-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

Even though I have a terrible cold and feel quite awful today, I could not resist going to my oil painting class to finish this painting. I was so curious to see what I would do, and to hear what Liana thought I should do. We were both on the same beam. I thought the cup, roll, and flower all looked somehow unrelated. (Refer to # 77 to compare) The solution was to punch up some of the color, make sure that some color from each item is reflected somehow in each of the other items as well as the background and warm things up in general. Also, I need to practice leaving color notes alone after I have put them down. There is such a desire to smooth everything out. I paid special attention to warms and cools, attempting to have warms and cools throughout the painting. Also, my original intention was to include the crossword puzzle, but chickened out the first time around. This time I decided I would like to try to include it. I like it. I do a crossword puzzle every morning. The Ray for the Day is "Sunflower and Cinnamon Roll 2".
SOLD

#78 "In a Stew", oil, 15" x 20"

2010-03-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a choice to make. I could go to a Women Painters of WA meeting, which I always enjoy, or I could paint with Barb and Joanne. I chose to paint and had a wonderful time. I had that feeling I haven't had for awhile....the pure joy of painting! It was a wonderful day. My turn to make the still life, I had no idea of what to paint other than it should include food. When I saw these peppers at the grocery store I simply could not resist them. The color! The sheen! The fabulously lumpy shapes! I assembled things from my kitchen and came up with the Ray for the Day: "In a Stew".

#77 "Sunflowers and Cinnamon Roll" oil, 14" x 11"

2010-03-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

This morning I went to my first oil painting class taught by Liana Bennett. I am thrilled. I think I have found my oil painting community. I know a number of people in the group, and there are many very good painters. Liana is a knowledgeable, tough, and kind teacher. I look forward to working with her. I am continuing my food paintings, so bought a cinnamon roll from the shop next door and made this set up. The class is just 3 hours long, so making the set up, getting my stuff out, and painting this little painting felt like a big rush. Today Liana and I were getting to know one another she needed to see how I go about making a painting. I needed to know how she teaches. She made some great suggestions. This painting is not really finished. I will take it back next monday and learn how she goes about finishing a painting that has gotten to this point. To me it looks like 3 separate objects. I look forward to making them work together better, and to seeing how Liana would go about teaching me how to do that. Stay tuned for the finished product. The Ray for the Day is "Sunflowers and Cinnamon Rolls".

#76 "Paint Your Cake and Eat it Too", oil, 12" x 16"

2010-03-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

Today Barb brought the lunch and the still life to Joanne's studio. She was going to bake a lemon meringue pie, but ran out of time so she bought this beauty. What are these things called anyway? I don't think it's a torte. The oranges, grapes, strawberries and blueberries made for a delightful subject. And of course the tulips remind us that Spring is near. We enjoyed painting together and had a lovely visit late in the afternoon while we ate the cake. It was a great reward after a day of painting. The Ray for the Day is: "Paint Your Cake and Eat it Too".

#75 "Cupcake", oil, 16" x 12"

2010-02-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

Barb gave me these amazing amaryllis bulbs for Christmas. It has been total joy watching the green stalks grow and grow, then the buds begin to bulge, finally these amazing sensual velvety blossoms bursting forth. They sit on our dining room table, and I have watched them day by day since Christmas! When I went to Mexico for 3 weeks I hated to leave the amaryllis. Amazingly it was in full glorious blossom when I returned. Barb came to paint with me. When I told her we were going to paint the amaryllis she stopped at Starbuck's and got us coffee and also this lovely little red velvet cupcake, a perfect complement to the still life. We spent a delightful day together in my studio painting. The Ray for the Day is "Cupcake".

#74 "Can She Bake a Cherry Pie....", oil, 14"x11"

2010-01-29T15:58:00.000-08:00

We painted at Joanne's studio yesterday. She had made this luscious cherry-licious set up. We had a very short time to paint (about 3 1/2 hours including setting up, cleaning up and a lunch break) and since it is in my nature to paint all prima (all in one go, wet into wet), I put this cherry pie on the canvas board very quickly. It tells me that I am gaining some confidence with oil paints. In a couple of days I will leave for Mexico for 3 weeks. Since I am in a bit of a flow with these oil paintings I sort of hate to break my stride. But. Hey. Sunshine, sea breezes, swimming pool. I think it will be okay. I won't be taking oil paints with me, but will take watercolors. If I do any painting I will stay with my food theme and.....I'll post it. The Ray for the Day is "Can She Bake a Cherry Pie.....".
SOLD

#73 "Silver Tea" oil, 14" x 11"

2010-01-27T16:37:00.000-08:00

The second day of our workshop Pam started out by showing a video of Sergei Bongardt talking and painting. The artist spoke so clearly from his heart that the video was very moving. I felt inspired by his talk and by his work. My painting this day feels looser and juicier that the one the day before. This is my goal.....loosy and juicy. I was worried that all that lavender would make the painting too sweet. I think I avoided that. The Ray for the Day is "Silver Tea".
SOLD

#72 "Morning Reflection", oil, 14"x11"

2010-01-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful weekend we had! An old friend from grad school loaned us his house on Vashon for the oil painting workshop while he is in Ecuador. Barbara Barry, Joanne Shellan and I had a cozy time in his sweet home, talking art and life, when we were not at the Barn Works Studio painting with our teacher Pam Ingalls. Pam turned out to be charming, extremely well organized, and very generous. We worked hard, learned a lot and went home exhausted and turned on. The four stages of an oil painting plus value and temperature are the lessons I hope to hold onto. We had delicious dinners at the Hardware Store Restaurant (where Pam Ingalls had a large show, so we feasted on her paintings as well as the food), great lunches from the Thriftway, a glass of wine here and there and very satisfying painting, learning, and woman time. As I dropped each woman off at her home with her gear and new paintings I felt a little sadness at the dissolving of our life and work together. The Ray for the Day is "Morning Reflection".

#71 "A Slice of Life", oil, 16"x12"

2010-01-25T15:53:00.000-08:00

Tulips in the store herald the possibility of Spring, and oranges make me think of sunshine. I made this set up for our painting session at my studio last Thursday. I am happy to be painting on a regular basis again, even though it is once a week. Since this painting I have been to a weekend workshop and have learned some more great stuff about oil painting. Those will be posted in the next couple of days. The Ray for the Day is "A Slice of Life".

#70 "Eggs on My Brain" , oil, 9"x14"

2010-01-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

So yesterday we painted at Joanne's studio. We just weren't finished painting eggs. This time we wanted raw eggs and broken shells. This is a small painting, only 9"x14". It appears to be a very simple little painting, but took as long as larger, more complicated ones. How can that be? Every painting seems to have a very fresh, fun beginning, then a kind of chaotic middle and then the finish which involves pulling it all together. Each stage has it's own joys and frustrations. Pulling it all together sometimes seems like magic.....to make a bunch of colored shapes look like raw eggs and eggshells. How does that happen? I really couldn't exactly tell you. I wonder how we will have our eggs next week. Scrambled? The Ray for the Day is "Eggs on My Brain".
SOLD

#69 "Fried Eggs", oil, 20" x 16"

2010-01-07T16:49:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like food is the subject matter that compels me at this time. Perhaps after my Holiday eating it will be better to paint food for awhile rather than be eating it! Joanne and I painted today at my studio. Two Tartes Bakery called yesterday and asked me to do a show there this year. Synchronistically (funny how often than works) my new food series will fit in there very nicely. I can't wait to go photograph their pastry case and others I can think of too. The Ray for the Day is "Fried Eggs".

#68 "The Staff of Life", oil, 18" x 20"

2009-12-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

When I entered Joanne's house I was greeted with the fragrance of warm bread. My mouth watered. However, this loaf was not for lunch. It was part of our still life for the day. I didn't particularly like this set up when I began. It seemed so plain and so monochromatic. As I worked along I really got into both of those qualities. I feel the result to be quite warm and comforting. Perhaps that aroma of baking bread crept into the painting. This is my last painting for the year of 2009, and is my New Years painting. While making this painting I decided I would like to make paintings of food for awhile. I think this is the beginning of a new series. May the New Year sustain you like this warm loaf of bread, and may there also be sweetness in your life. The Ray for the Day is "The Staff of Life".

#67 "Fall Leaves and Fruit", oil, 20" x 16"

2009-12-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

Three weeks ago, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my friend Joanne Shellan and I decided to start a weekly painting date. We are taking turns going to one another's studios to do oil paintings. For the time being we are focusing on still life paintings. I made this set up of Fall leaves and fruit and we each went into our personal painting zones. While I'm painting I am in the non- verbal part of my brain and it is a delicious place to be. It is not always comfortable, or blissful as some people think. At least not for me. A painting is a series of problems to solve and each stage of the painting presents a different set of problems. Along with the regular decisions to make regarding composition, color, line, and all the rest, I am learning to use the tools of oil painting. Though there are times of frustration and even anger it is, all in all, a very satisfying experience. The Ray for the Day is "Fall Leaves and Fruit".

#66 "Taylor Street", 12"x9", oil

2009-09-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

During the afternoon of the second day we moved all of our gear to the pier at the end of Tayor St. in downtown Port Townsend. It was hard to find parking and it was hot. We finally all arrived there and watched Ken do a demo. By the time I got my gear all set up again I was, quite frankly, ready to be done. There wasn't much time left but I wanted to get whatever I could get from the workshop. In this painting I learned that if you don't get your darks in right away in oil painting it is very hard to establish them later. Therefore I don't have as much value contrast in this study as I would like. Now I know better. On the third day of the workshop we watched Ken show us how he uses his plein air study and some photo references to create a larger more finished work. In the afternoon he critiqued paintings. Those who oil paint a lot and live in Port Townsend (most of them) brought lots of paintings. Watching the critique was also a good learning. The Ray for the Day is "Taylor Street".

#65 "The Commodore's Doorway", 9"x12", oil

2009-09-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

On the morning of the second day of the workshop we met at Port Hudson. Ken did a demo using the Commodore's House B&B as his subject. I liked the subject and felt I could learn a lot by following Ken's lead. Also there was a picnic table to put my stuff on and it was in the shade of a wonderful large tree. Finding comfort while plein aire oil painting seems to be a theme here, eh?So this is not an original composition. I enjoyed making the painting and had plenty of decisions to make on my own. By this time I am getting a bit more comfortable with the way the paint and the brushes behave. The shadow on the doorway moved fast, and I worked hard to capture it when it was at a pleasing angle. The Ray for the Day is "The Commodore's Doorway".

#64 "Ajax Again", 9"x12" oil

2009-09-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

Still day one of the oil painting workshop with Ken Spencer. Our assignment was to make at least two oil studies during the day. It was hot and the thought of packing up all my equipment and moving to a new location seemed onerous to me. Since I am new to this medium my equipment is not yet streamlined. What I have is heavy and awkward. If I stick with this I will be getting more manageable gear. I love buying new art supplies. All of that being said, I decided to stay right where I was a do a different take on the same subject. BTW besides learning things about oil painting itself I also learned a great deal about gear and supplies. And so the Ray for Day is "Ajax Again".

#63 "Ajax Doorway", 9"x12" oil

2009-08-31T15:42:00.000-07:00

Last week I spent 3 days in Port Townsend taking an oil painting class from Ken Spencer, a terrific painter and really good teacher. He paints all prima, meaning the first strokes are still wet when he puts on the last. My kind of painting. This was my first class in oil painting and I learned a great deal. The medium, of course, feels foreign to me. The feel of the paint is delicious, the brushes seem a bit like blunt instruments. I feel certain, with time, I will learn the properties of the paint and how to use the brushes. We painted outdoors for all three days. The weather was delicious. This is the Ajax Cafe in Port Hudson, a charming cafe with delicious food. It was hard being a beginner. I'm sure it was very good for me. I worked hard. The Ray for the Day is "Ajax Doorway".

#62 "Sweet Spot in the Shade", 11" x 15" plein air watercolor

2009-07-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

On the afternoon of day 2 I was sitting in the shade close to the ranch house talking painting with one of my painter friends. I kept looking at these trees, the golden hills behind them that roll on and on, the clear sky and the wonderful varieties of texture in the grass between me and the trees. Once again, the contrast of the hot hills and the cool shade and the colors of that landscape were working their way into my bones. The Ray for the Day is "Sweet Spot in the Shade".

#61 "Red Door to the Barn", 15" x 20", plein air watercolor painting

2009-07-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

When I had finished The Rusted Relic there was still one hour left before lunch. I had energy for painting and decided to do a "quickie" of the red door slightly ajar. Again I was captured by the stark contrasts. It was nearly noon and the yard was hot and the light was flat. The neutral grays of the barn boards were washed out in the sunlight. The red door popped out, and the cool, dark interior seen through the slight opening in the door seemed very inviting to me. It was, in fact, very cool inside that barn. I went in there to the sink to get water and to wet my paper. I started this painting with the red door and went out from there. Using a two inch wide brush (I lay in all the local color with that brush) to splash on that rectangle of red was quite thrilling. The Ray for the Day is "Red Door to the Barn".

#60 "Rusted Relic", 15" x 20", plein air watercolor painting

2009-07-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

On the morning of day two I could not resist this wonderful rusting relic. I was grateful that it was situated in a shady grove. It was hard to find a flat spot to set up on, though my easel has adjustable legs, so I could get that set up securely. I prefer to stand when I am painting. It gives me more freedom of movement. I always carry a folding back pack chair though, so I can sit back, view the painting and rest my back for a bit. This subject was a no brainer for me, as I am so attracted to old rusting stuff. I was especially attracted to the seat on this piece of machinery. I loved the holes with the light coming through. The bugs were out en force on this morning. Fortunately a fellow painter and friend, Barb, had heard that Avon's Skin So Soft was a good bug repellant. It also makes your skin so soft. It smells good and it really worked. So I was able to paint in relative comfort. The bugs stayed away and I smelled good. One of the challenges of painting in hot weather is that the paint dries very rapidly. I generally paint wet paint on wet paper. I had a squirt bottle handy, and regularly squirted the paper, my palette and myself! We all had to adapt to the circumstances and found ways to accomodate to the quickly drying paint, and to the heat. Some were wearing wet head rags and wet t-shirts to keep themselves comfortable. The Ray for the Day is "Rusted Relic".

#59 "Early Morning at the Hay Barn", 15" x 20", plein air watercolor

2009-07-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

Over the 4th of July weekend 20 of us (most of us watercolorists, some spouses) convened at the Ranch of a friend's family in Golendale, WA. Some of us were in the large comfortable ranch house, some were in tents on the lawn under oak trees. We hired a cook (the food was divine and plentiful), rented a portapotty, and had a phenomenally good time. We spread out over the 240 acres, some on foot, some in the wonderful all terrain Gator vehicle, some stayed close to the house. Mostly we sought shade. It was well into the 90's every day. All of the views were fabulous and fun to paint. We gathered for lunch and dinner and evening critiques of the work done during the day. Other than that we were on our own to explore, paint, nap, read, visit. It was a heavenly 4 days. I painted 8 paintings during our stay. 1 I gave to our hostess and 1 is not worth posting. The rest will be posted here over the next few days in the order in which I painted them. Of course each has a story. The posting for today is the one I did the first morning. The sun was coming up and back lighting this outbuilding known as The Hay Barn or The Goat Barn. I was especially entranced with the sunlight coming through the hay bales, and the the contrast between the very bright morning sun and the deep cool shadows in the barn. The Ray for the Day is "Early Morning at the Hay Barn".

#58 "Mexican Street Scene", watercolor, 15" x 18"

2009-06-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I returned from 2 weeks in Mexico. When the Wednesday night painters met I was still mostly in Mexico and could only paint a Mexican scene. While I was in Mexico I sold all the paintings I had painted there during my last trip. Once again I paid for my trip in paintings! It must be that I am meant to be going there. I didn't have time to paint while there this time though. We were busy doing business about our house and hanging paintings, masks and other artwork. Our casa looks more cozy with each visit. The Ray for this Day is "Mexican Street Scene".

#57 "Sweet Green Machine", watercolor, 13" x 14"

2009-06-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so yesterday I had a watercolor student here for a session. I made this little painting to demonstrate some of the techniques I was teaching her. I find this little painting quite enchanting. We all know how much I love old stuff, especially trucks. Sometimes when I'm not trying too hard I like what I get. The Ray for the Day is "Sweet Green Machine".

#56 "Big Red Ship", 20" x 15" watercolor

2009-06-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

Not much painting going on around here lately. Traveling has been using my time lately. And I'm off to Mexico for another couple of weeks leaving Saturday. However, I did make it to Wednesday Night Group. We met at the Wooden Boat Center on Lake Union. It was sunny and fine for the first hour, and then started getting windy and cold. We were so eager to get outside to paint that we sort of jumped the gun. I threw this painting together so I could get back to where it was warm. I like the slap-dash of it and that it is kind of wacky-woo and fanciful. It was fun flinging paint. The Ray for the Day is "Big Red Ship" (on a cold Spring evening).

#55 "Stack o' Tape", watercolor, 15" x 20"

2009-05-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago a woman contacted me who had seen my work a couple of years ago and felt I might be able to help her further her painting goals. Yesterday we met to paint together, and I was gratified to realize how much I have learned and discovered during my 9 years doing watercolor painting. It was fun to pass it on. We talked about composition and how to use a view finder and a camera as tools for composing a painting. I also showed her how to use a grid to assist with drawing and composition. We painted wet on wet and talked about using warms and cools, varieties of brush strokes and other methods to enliven a painting. As I think of it now, we covered quite a bit in our 4 hours together. She had particularly liked a small painting I did of a pile of rolls of tape, so we decided to stack up some tape for a still life for our paintings. The Ray for the Day is "Stack o' Tape".

#54 "Wagon Tale", mixed media, 20" x 15"

2009-05-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of weeks I have been spending my time cleaning my studio, preparing my work, cleaning the yard, in preparation for the annual Artist Studio Tour. The last few days have been for recovery. No time for painting. The tour was a good success, many people turned out, lots of compliments on my work, and good enough sales (considering the state of the economy). Last night I went to the Wednesday Night Watercolor Group and, once again, used the Mike Svob method of laying in the darks with acrylic, throwing in the middle values and then re-finding the lights using thick white paint. I don't know how long I will use this method. for now it is a fun new way to approach a painting. The Ray for Today is "Wagon Tale".

#53 "Can Cart", watercolor, 22" x 15"

2009-04-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

Tuesday evening, at the NW Watercolor Society meeting, I saw Mike Svob demonstrate his method for acrylic painting. He laid in all his darks with black gesso. Then he threw on a riot of color in what seemed like a random way. In so doing he had established his darks and his mid-tones. Then we went into the painting with paint mixed with white to introduce the lights and high lights. It looked like fun, and seemed logical. He said he does this also with watercolor by laying in the darks with acrylics and then proceeding with watercolor. So last night I decided to use his method with watercolor. It was a really enjoyable process, and I am happy with the result. I think I will do some more paintings in this way. The Ray for the Day is "Can Cart".

#52 "All Geared Up" watercolor. And the Studio Sink.

2009-04-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

So here's the famous sink, all hooked up. I really am so pleased. It is not only useful for cleaning up art tools, it is also useful for cleaning and preparing my studio for the Kirkland Artist Studio Tour which is happening 1 1/2 short weeks from now. And because I think a photo of a sink can't be too entertaining here is my Wednesday Night Watercolor, the Ray for the Day is "All Geared Up". (in more ways than one, I guess)

Studio reconstruction

2009-04-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

The Closet as it was
And now!

No painting going on in my studio this past week because I am doing a little remodeling. I've needed a utility sink in here for 3 years. At last it is here. Now that I am oil painting I really need an "art sink" for clean up. Just doesn't seem right to clean oil brushes in the kitchen sink. But to put in the sink I had to figure out where to put my desk. I had an "aha" about an under utilized closet, and decided to build my desk into the closet to make way for the sink. I am pleased with results. Since the Kirkland Art Studio Tour is just two weeks away, I am also in my annual clean up the studio frenzy. The Ray for the Day is the before and after of the studio reconstruction.

#51 "The Slice", oil, 12" x 12"

2009-04-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

So cherry pie has been on my brain lately. It could be that I have put myself on a weight loss program. More likely it is that some dear friends of mine are on a quest to find the best piece of cherry pie in New Jersey. This is a serious quest, and my friend is a serious writer. She has a blog called Jersey Pie and it is wonderful to read. www.jerseypie.blogspot.com, in case you are interested. My pie quest friend's mother is also a good friend of mine, and at a dinner party recently she read parts of Jersey Pie and then produced, for our enjoyment, a succulent and beautiful cherry pie. The crust was flaky and tender, the cherries plump and plentiful, the tang/sweetness ratio just right. I went off my diet. I also could not resist taking a picture of my slice, and I have been dying to paint it. The Ray for the Day is "The Slice."
SOLD

#50 "Olde Wheelie Dealie", watercolor, 15" x 19"

2009-04-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago my Dad took me to visit a friend of his who lived out in the country near Battleground WA. He wanted me to see his old farm equipment collection. And what a collection it was! These wonderful old, rusty, who knows what they were used for pieces of equipment were arranged nicely in his front yard. Each item was an art piece in and of itself, and the whole collection was quite awesome. The sun was out and the shadows were great and I had a wonderful time taking photos. For several years I have thought of painting these objects. Last night at my watercolor group I did the first one. The Ray for the Day is "Olde Wheelie Dealie".

#49 "Contented Chef", oil on linen panel, 16" x 12"

2009-04-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I attended a Women Painter's of WA meeting in Edmonds, a small town north of Seattle. After the meeting I was very hungry, and remembered a restaurant there that has really fabulous French onion soup. So, of course, I went there. After eating my delicious soup I was on my way to the rest room when I noticed the chef in the kitchen. He looked like a painting wanting to happen. I felt very nervous to ask him if I could take his photo, but asked a waitress who made a scared face and then pointed to another waitress and said "she is his daughter.....ask her." The daughter also made a little grimace, and I was about to leave when she said, "Wait! you could not take it while he was cooking, but there is a little lull right now. I'll ask him." I waited nervously, but then was summoned to the kitchen where the very interesting looking chef was most gracious. They all told me they want me to return and show them the painting when it is finished. So, the Ray for the Day is "Contented Chef".

#48 "Me and My Shadow", watercolor, 22" x 15"

2009-04-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

Several months ago a woman contacted me by email telling me she had seen my work and liked it very much. She wondered if I would make a watercolor painting of her son. You know by now that I find commissions very hard. How can I depict these people in a way that feels like them to them, and still make my own painting? I told this woman I could not promise a likeness, but would work for the feeling of the moment, this special place in their lives, the atmosphere of the day, and something about the relationship between the mother and son. I like my paintings to evoke emotion rather than to be factually correct. I hope this painting works for her. As in all my commissions she is under no obligation to purchase the painting. So it has been a dip back into watercolor. I'm now planning my next oil painting. The Ray for the Day is "Me and My Shadow."

SOLD

#47 "Lunch Date", oil on panel, 20" x 16"

2009-04-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

While waiting in a Seattle restaurant for a friend to show up for lunch the other day I (as usual) began to see painting compositions around me. Since I always have my camera with me, I took a few photos. Before going to the restaurant I had gone to Utrecht Art Supply Store to buy oil paints (Gamblin) and supports for oil painting. I bought both linen and canvas covered panels. This painting was done on a linen covered panel. So far (in my short history as an oil painter) I prefer the firmness of a panel to the "give" of stretched canvas. I absolutely love the feeling of the brush gliding the oil paint onto the panel, and the lushness of the pigments. The Ray for the Day is "Lunch Date".

#46 "Church Lady", oil, 20" x 16"

2009-03-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

And so...it is finished....at least for now. My first portrait in oil paint. I have never felt particularly interested in either portraits or oil paint! Never say never. So my friend and colleague, Joanne, and I have decided to set up some more sittings and keep practicing with oil paints. I find myself wondering what I really want to paint with oil. Trucks? Boats? Interiors? Chairs? All familiar subject matter for me. While I'm figuring that out I will learn more by reading, looking and doing more portraits. At least you won't have to see this one again for awhile. The Ray for the Day is "Church Lady."

#45 Not there yet....but close

2009-03-26T21:38:00.001-07:00

So today I worked on this portrait some more. Now I have gotten the hand, intensified the colors, and lost the face. Soon I will have it. Since I have not been a portrait painter, or an oil painter it's all learning curve. Oil paint is so much fun to use. I am having fun. Am obsessed. Can't wait to work on this some more. The Ray for the Day is .... not there yet, but close.

#44 "Grand Old Girl", watercolor, 20" x 15"

2009-03-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

I met this wonderful old truck this past weekend up near Duvall. My husband and I were checking out a retreat center for our annual Summer family gathering. We found our place at Mosswood Hollow, and also this grand old girl. I couldn't wait to paint it. I'm sure I'll paint it again. I did this last evening in my Wednesday Night Watercolor Consortium, a group that has been meeting for nearly 20 years. Today I will work on the oil portrait that I started. The Ray for the Day is "Grand Old Girl".

#43 Not done yet, but having fun.

2009-03-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

So I'm obsessed with learning to oil paint. I went back to Joanne's today and worked awhile more on this portrait. Tonight I'm going to see Ned Mueller do an oil painting demonstration at Parklane Gallery. It will be interesting to see what this painting becomes. The Ray for today is that I am not done yet, but having fun.

#42 Another new beginning, oil, 21" x 16"

2009-03-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

Today I went to my friend, Joanne's, studio to try my hand at oil painting. I have painted in many media, and made monoprints and worked with photos, yet this is my very first time to paint with oil paint and brushes! It was so much fun. Oil paint is so creamy and delicious to work with. Joanne hired a beautiful friend to model, set up an easel for me and squeezed out these gorgeous oil colors and we worked side by side. Joanne made a really gorgeous painting. I made a pretty good start, but need to work more on this. I can hardly wait 'til I can go back and try to improve this painting. When I feel it's a better painting I will post it again.I have no idea how far I will go with oils, but I'm not ready to stop yet. Tomorrow night I will go to an oil painting demonstration and learn some more. The Ray for the day is another new beginning.

#41 "Adrift", oil bar, 11" x 14"

2009-03-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

Remember last Friday when I started a small oil bar painting of a row boat as a demonstration for a 2 day oil bar workshop? Today was the last day of the workshop and I completed the painting. My student nearly completed hers, and was very happy with her painting and with what she learned. I'm thinking of offering further workshops in oil bar and watercolor. The Ray for the Day is "Adrift."

SOLD

#40 "Jason's Birthday Present", watercolor, 12" x 9"

2009-03-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile someone wants me to paint a picture of them or of their child. This is the most difficult sort of painting I ever do. I find myself dreading and being afraid of starting the painting. I feel it is a "can't win" situation. Especially since my favorite subject matter lately is close ups of stuff......preferably old worn out stuff. Anyhow, I could not turn down this woman who I have known since she was 4. She and her man are both very attractive people, inside and out, but one of the "dreaded" assignments. Somewhere along the line after I had written her that she should not expect a likeness and I don't do portraits and all the other caveats I could come up with, she wrote me an email saying "we know what we look like.....we just like the way you paint and would like you to paint it." How lovely is that? Her confidence in my work freed me to make this painting. I hope she will be happy with it. The Ray for the Day is "Jason's Birthday Present."

SOLD

#39 "Back to Boquita Beach", watercolor, 22" x 15"

2009-03-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

On this snowy, cold day in March (yet) I desire to return to Mexico. Boquita Beach is the beach very near our casa where we walk and sit and nap and swim and order goodies from the palapa beach bars. You can rent an umbrella with table and chairs for 60 pesos (around $4.00 these days....or a little less) and spend the day surrounded by Mexican families. Many bring coolers full of food and drink, and maybe a boom box playing the ever present musica of Mexico. Many aunts and uncles and grandmas and kids and grandkids gather around to laugh and talk and play the day away. Lots of talking and laughing. Do we do that with our families? The Ray for the Day is "Back to Boquita Beach."
SOLD

#38 a new beginning in oil bar

2009-03-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of years since I have painted with oilbars, because I have been concentrating on watercolor. A woman who has seen my oilbar work has been asking me for some time if I would be willing to give her instruction in the use of them. Finally yesterday we got together for the morning and we each started a painting using this very interesting medium. At some point in the making of an oilbar painting the piece becomes too oily to continue to work on. At that point you need to leave it for a few days to allow the oil to form a skin, then you can begin to layer color on top of color. This little rowboat painting now has it's first layers of color. Next friday we will work on our paintings to begin to develop them further. Tune in next friday or saturday to see where this little rowboat painting is headed. The Ray for the Day is the beginning of an oilbar painting.

#37 "Hot Wheels", watercolor, 6" x 8"

2009-03-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

The artist reception at TPN last night was a wonderful success! Thanks to those of you who showed up (you were many), and if you couldn't make it but would still like to see the show you can view it on work days during work hours anytime until the end of May.

While in Mexico we do much of our shopping and business in the small village of Santiago near our casa. The scenes on the street are always colorful and enjoyable for a visual person like myself. This motorciclete parked in front of a tienda selling rugs, serapes, hats and other things caught my eye. It is just the kind of subject I love to paint. Just looking at this painting reminds me of how wonderful it feels to be in hot weather! What is it about vehicles that turns my crank? Anyway, the Ray for the Day is "Hot Wheels."
SOLD

An Announcement and an Invitation

2009-03-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

This coming Wednesday, from 5:30 til 7:30 there will be an artist's reception for this 4 person show at TPN Walls (The Production Network) at 1000 N. Northlake Way. I am proud to be in this show and think the venue is terrific. The best way I can tell you to get there is to go south on Stone Way as far as you can go and then turn right (west). You will be in Industrial Fremont, between the Burke-Gilman Trail and Lake Union. TPN is on the right and well marked. I have 14 paintings in the show, all inspired by my love of all things old, used and rusty and my 3 years of hitch-hiking on sailboats. My book, Sea Stories, will also be available at this reception. There will be snacks and libations. My posting for the day is my invitation to you to join me at TPN.