#30 Lone Oak, Manna from Heaven

#30 Lone Oak, Manna from Heaven, 6x6, oil on panel, (click here to bid)

Number 30! Whew, what fun. I have learned so much with this series. It's given me the freedom to try some things that I would never have tried if I had been working on one painting. There is a pressure to paint something that you know will become a finished painting — no matter if it is 6x6 inches or 6x6 feet. I've painted two night scenes in this series, which I have never painted before. I've tried some colors that I would never have thought of putting together. I usually tone my canvas with burnt sienna or raw umber. I've toned some of this series with bright yellow, bright cad. orange, bright blue, red, and pink to name just a few.

The most surprising thing for me was that on some of the paintings I would have a plan in my mind of the colors or mood I wanted to create. Then I would lay down the first stroke of color and everything would change direction and go to a place that I hadn't thought of painting. That was powerful! I guess I needed to learn to trust a bit more.

I don't know if I am finished with this series yet. I feel like there might be more down the road. So, I will leave it open to return to, not as a daily thing but when the Lone Oak calls, I will listen.

Stay tuned.

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#28 Lone Oak, Sunset on Field of Flowers

#28 Lone Oak, Sunset on Field of Flowers, 6x6, oil on panel, Sold, (click here to view)

I love sunsets and flowers — how great is it to paint them together? This is number 28 of the "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge. Only 2 more to go!

#26 Lone Oak, Van Gogh Field

#26 Lone Oak, Van Gogh Field, 6x6, oil on panel, (click here to bid)

After a Hot Tamale Day, I've tried to tone it down a bit. When I was finished I decided that it needed Van Gogh's birds.

#27 Lone Oak, April Path,

 #27 Lone Oak, April Path, 6x6, oil on panel, (click here to bid)

After all that spice, here's a bit of cool spring weather.

#23 Lone Oak, Yellow Road

#23 Lone Oak, Yellow Road, 6x6, oil on panel, (click here to bid)

This "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge has been on opportunity to try out new processes and techniques. This panel was toned a bright yellow — which worked nicely for a yellow road.

#24 Lone Oak, Spring Meadow

#24 Lone Oak, Spring Meadow, 6x6 oil on panel, (click here to bid)

My new process for this painting was toning the panel black before painting on it. I left little bits of black showing through. I was surprised at how bright the painting turned out. I had the opinion that with all the black on the canvas it would make the painting dark. I proved to myself that I was wrong.

#21 Lone Oak, Nocturnal

#21 Lone Oak, Nocturnal, 6x6, landscape, oil on panel, (click here to bid)

Summer's blue velvet sky -- I've seen it a couple of times in my life. I toned this canvas a bright blue before I started painting. This "30 paintings in 30 days" challenge is a good way to try out different techniques and approaches. When I looked at the bright blue it made me think of the velvet blue skies you occasionally see in the summer. It also reminded me of Maxfield Parrish's paintings with the bright blue in the sky. He used the technique of toning the canvas also.

#22 Lone Oak, High Noon

#22 Lone Oak, High Noon, 6x6, oil on panel, (click here to bid)

A bright summer day.

#9 Lone Oak, Early Morning

#9 Lone Oak, Early Morning, 6x6, oil on panel, landscape, (click here to bid)

Both of the paintings I'm posting today had a mind of their own. Painting number 9 was in the drivers seat -- it decided to paint itself. It's a very strange feeling!

#10 Lone Oak, Evening Storm

#10 Lone Oak, Evening Storm, 6x6, oil on panel, landscape, (click here to bid)

This is the first time I've tried to paint a "night" painting. Well, I don't think I was in charge, but I like the way it turned out.

I'm posting 2 paintings so that I can catch up to my challenge to paint 30 painting in 30 days.

#5. Lone Oak, Sunset

#5 Lone Oak, Sunset, 6x6, oil on panel, (click here to bid)

This is the fifth in the series of a lone oak tree in a field. Rich purple and oranges completely reverse the composition. The path is now the lightest area instead of being the darkest.

#4. Lone Oak, Winter

#4 Lone Oak, Winter, 6x6, oil on panel, (click here to bid)

This is the fourth of the lone oak tree series. It's amazing how different this painting feels with all the cool colors in the snow scene.

#3. Lone Oak, Autumn

#3 Lone Oak, Autumn, 6x6, oil on panel, (click here to bid)

This is the third in my series of oak tree paintings. Switching to warm autumn colors really makes a difference in the look and feel of the composition.

#2. Lone Oak, Summer

#2 Lone Oak, Summer, 6x6, oil on panel, (click here to bid)

This is the second in my series of a lone oak tree in a field. This was August — very sunny and stifling hot. I didn't linger long though because I was on my way to Lincoln City on the coast where it was cool and breezy.

#1. Lone Oak, Spring

#1 Lone Oak, Spirng, 6x6, oil on panel, (click here to bid)

I'm joining a large group of artists who have committed to 30 paintings in 30 days! I'm a little late starting, but will make it up soon. I've gotten side tracked from my small paintings—plein air painting and larger studio pieces have called more loudly lately. Now that a new year has started, it's time to get back on track.

For a while now I have been yearning to paint the same scene in different ways. I've tried painting a landscape one way and then the next landscape with a new direction, but that hasn't been satisfactory. I want to see how different colors and effects change a scene. So, now is the time to try it out, at least for some of the paintings this month.

This is a scene from the Mid-Willamette Valley area around Salem, Oregon. There are many farms with flat fields and an occasional large tree here and there. I just love the presence they have, dominating the whole field.

Summer Delights revisited

Summer Delights, pastel floral still life, 16 x 20, NFS

I'm submitting this again. For some reason it did not show up on the main page of my auction. This won a First Place in the pastel floral category at the North Clackamas Arts Guild Annual Show at the end of September. It is the first pastel that I've completed. I really enjoyed painting with pastel which was a big surprise for me. For some reason I have avoided pastels in the past. I plan to do more in the future.

Lavender Field & Farm

Lavender Field & Farm, 8 x 10, oil on panel, starting bid $135

This is the Jackson School Lavender field on Old Jackson School Road in Hillsboro, Oregon. It is just a few miles outside Portland but it seems like a hundred miles. It's such a rural, quiet  setting. This is the second painting I did that day. The first one was posted Oct. 1,  and it won a First Place in oil landscapes at the annual North Clackamas Arts Guild last weekend.

Melody in Purple

Melody in Purple, 6x6, oil on panel, $75

This is the first plein-air painting from the Lavender fields. I thought I'd try just a small one first. There were poppies growing around the edges of the field. It was a really hot day, close to 90-degrees. Luckily, there were a lot of trees lining the road, so, guess where I parked my easel to paint?

Summer Delights!

I hadn't planned on taking a vacation, but I guess I did!

For the first time in a few years I was able to take the time to visit with out-of-town family, travel to the coast and a few other places. While I was plein air painting for the Oregon Lavender Festival I discovered I really enjoyed painting outdoors. I took a couple of plein air classes and a couple of pastel classes too. In between all of that was a few sessions of painting the trim on the studio (has it really been 5 years since I finished building it?), building a fence and catching up on yard work. Whew!

Somehow, I managed to get a few paintings finished in the studio. The North Clackamas Arts Guild had their annual show last weekend and 2 of my painting won awards. The first pastel I have ever finished won First Place in the Pastel Still Life category.

Summer Delights, pastel 16x20, NFS

One of my Lavender Festival plein air paintings won a Third Place for Oil Landscapes. I felt honored to have this little painting receive an award as there were over 100 Landscapes entered in this category.

Talk About Quaint, oil 12x16, $245 unframed

I'll post the rest of my Lavender Festival Paintings over the next few days along with a few of the other paintings I've been working on.

My goal for the next couple of months is to get back to painting more 6x6 daily paintings and some larger works also.

Lost Lake

Lost Lake, 18x24, oil on stretched canvas
auction starts at $395

(click here to view larger or to bid on painting)

Lost Lake is another large painting from last winter. A quiet scene — a lake that is the headwaters for a small stream and a snow covered mountain watching over the valley.

Egg cup and shells

Egg Cup and Shells,  5x5, oil on gessoboard,

SOLD (click here to view this painting)

This little painting managed to hold it's own against many larger still life paintings in the Portland Fine Arts Guild competition earlier this spring. It received Honorable Mention—not bad for a little 5x5!

To Let: English Cottage in Woodland

oil on canvas, 18x24, $395
(Click here to buy this painting)

This is another painting I entered into the Lake Oswego Festival of Arts last weekend. It's based on the small painting I posted on June 8. The little thatched roof birdhouse has been a favorite of mine for a long time. What could say "English" better than a thatched roof birdhouse?

A Nod to BFF

(click here to bid on painting)

$75

These little bobble heads make me smile. I'm sure the three of them have been Best Friends Forever! They are just goofy enough to keep my 'inner child' happy. Don't we all need a little of that in this day and age?

Foxy Glove

(click here to bid on painting)

$75
Don't you wonder who came up with these names? And just what were they thinking? I love foxgloves and always let them go to seed. Then I take the stalks and sprinkle them over my flower beds — kind of like a fairy wand. Then I just sit back and wait for them to bloom next year. The last couple of years we've had such mild winters that some of my plants are 3 or 4 years old and have a half a dozen or more blooming stalks. Talk about heaven!