New Year, New Work

January is often a time for new goals and looking ahead.  I am not an exception to this.  I do, however, tend to keep my goals and plans for paintings on the quiet side.  For me, talking about my intentions and inspiration for upcoming paintings has the effect of deflating the energy and momentum behind it.  I'd rather keep my ideas brewing, just between me and my sketchbook.  I want the work to be as exciting and fresh for you as it was for me in dreaming it up. 

That said, I'm excited about the new year in art-making.  I've been busy in the studio and have prepped, primed and sanded at least 40+ canvases and panels.  Time to get to work!




And currently in the studio... one of a few works in progress.... 

Stay tuned!  

Why I can't paint Yosemite

Question for you artists out there:  What imagery are you drawn towards?  For me, I tend to love the landscape... but usually specific elements of the landscape really get me going.  The light at midday or big grand vistas don't usually do it for me.  Late afternoon is my favorite, when the colors deepen, shadows get long and the play of lights and darks offers plenty of contrast.  I have a soft spot for trees, particularly singular trees, in the landscape.  I am drawn to water, fog and where sea and sky meet.  To me, these moments are full of drama, but I tend to think of them as more intimate moments. 

Don't get me wrong...  big dramatic places like Big Sur are really beautiful, but I'm not as compelled to paint them.  I think perhaps if I found a little cove and if the light was just right... well, I'd paint that.  
I found myself thinking about this over Thanksgiving weekend when my family and I took a trip to Yosemite National Park.  I really enjoyed it all and took lots of photos. The Sierras are gorgeous and we visited Yosemite Valley, taking in the towering waterfalls and immense granite cliffs.  We also visited Mariposa Grove to see the ancient Sequoia trees.  All in all, breathtaking. 



What I will most likely end up doing a painting of is this one tree that I spotted on our road trip.  We came across a large reservoir in the Central Valley where we stopped to stretch our legs.  The light was gorgeous and I found myself drawn to this one wonderful tree down in the water.  



The closer I got to this beauty, the better it got:


Don't be surprised if you see this image come back in the form of a painting in the near future.

My husband snapped a photo of me at work, doing research for paintings.  You can see it on his blog here:

House on Bear Mountain 


This is me in Yosemite, at Tunnel View.




Be Still


8x8"

Oil and wax on a cradled birch panel

SOLD

This painting involves oil mixed with a cold wax medium.  The surface is soft & luminous.  This painting does not have spackle under the painting, unlike the recent paintings that I've talked about, so it does not have as textured of a surface.  It's also on a cradled wood backing, so it hangs off the wall and does not need framing.   I'm excited about these new landscapes, and I really like working with wax and wood.  


Whaler's Cove


Whaler's Cove

8x8" 

Oil and wax on spackle over an un-cradled panel

SOLD

This painting continues along in the same spirit as the piece below.  This particular image is inspired by a tucked-away beach along California's Pacific Coast Highway.  Whaler's Cove is up near Pigeon Point, about 25 miles north of Santa Cruz.   


I'm continuing my exploration of encaustic paint on a small scale.  In this painting, I'm working on creating a landscape that feels similar in spirit to those that I create in oil paints.  The wax lends itself to a depth and luminosity that adds to the ephemeral or fairytale-like essence of this piece. 



At Forest's Edge

4x4" (on a 2" deep panel)

Encaustic paint



My vintage computer & scanner that I use in my studio is on the fritz this week, so I'm going with pics uploaded from my phone.  

October was a crazy busy over-scheduled kind of month and somehow it flew by with very little studio time.  As we head deep into November, I jump at any carved-out time that becomes available to run to the studio.   Pictured here is my glass palette where I take quite a bit of time mixing up colors before I even begin to paint.  I'm playing with wax medium combined with a bit of alkyd medium to get certain effects that are unique to using this combination.  



Because my studio is not heated, I'm thrilled if it's a warm enough day that I can work with my doors open to the outside.   Not pictured here is my ever-present dog Bella, who considers it her job to accompany me to the studio. 



I'm working on these panels that have been prepped first with spackle & artist's gesso to create a surface that's reminiscent of an old frescoed wall.  My reference photos & colors are mostly from iPhone photos that I've taken.  I'm using the wax & oil combination described above, going for a very seductive and beautiful surface.  As always, I'm after a particular sense of light, mood and atmosphere. 


Hopefully I'll get that scanner back up & running soon and will post detailed images of these newest works.  In the meantime, be sure to check out my available paintings page.  There are a few small scale paintings that would an excellent option for upcoming holiday wish lists!  

For available paintings, click here. 


Golden Bee

Oil on canvas

2x2"

This is one of my smallest canvasses yet.  At 2" square, I think it qualifies as a mini. 

SOLD

Blackbird Bramble



Blackbird Bramble
8x8", Oil on panel

Sold

This image seems fitting, as we head into the last week of October.  Something about this images reminds me of old fairy tales.  Like something out of Grimm.
I've been interested in birds lately, keeping an eye out for them.  I've been taking photos of birds gathering on power lines and tree tops.  I'm sure that the images will find their way into my paintings.   

When I began this painting, I wanted the surface to feel like an old fresco.  Instead of my usual smooth surface over canvas or panel, I began by adding a layer of spackle, which then was coated with a layer of gesso.  The surface was exactly what I wanted:  textured and highly absorbent.  My oil glazes played off of the surface that gave me that old world and mysterious look that I was after. 


October Update

October began with a party.  We had our big fundraiser for our local school, where I had donated one of my paintings.  I'm happy to say that bidding was lively and it looks like we raised some much needed funds.  My painting went to a great new home that night.  



Bidding closing on the art portion of the auction.  My painting is on the easel. 





My work is currently in a couple of venues here for you local folks in the Bay area.  If you go to Los Gatos Framing, I have a couple of paintings there, including one of my mini bee paintings.

My work is also at Many Hands Gallery, in Capitola.  It's right near Gayle's Bakery, in case you need an excuse for a little field trip.  I have a lot of work in there, including one large painting of Moss Landing, several medium sized paintings, and a lot of my small-scale paintings.  These include some of my encaustic paintings as well my paintings of birds and bees.  This work should be up through the month of October.





I also have one painting up at Saffron and Genevieve, in Santa Cruz.  If you haven't been to this shop yet, it is well worth the visit.  Scarlett, the owner, has an amazing eye for one-of-a-kind pieces and I hear tell that she just got back from a buying trip to Texas. I'm not sure how much longer this painting will be up, but it's there in the shop now.



Keep checking back as I am back in the studio working on the next round of paintings.  I can tell you that I have one large painting on the easel, several small-scale paintings in the works, and I've had a few days of playing with encaustics.  I'll be sure to share new work here.


Why This Place Is Full of Awesome

Four years ago, we made the crazy leap across country, moving from Virginia to the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.  My son was 3, my daughter 6.  We landed in the mountains, which felt a little wild & untamed & exciting.  We also set out to explore our newly adopted state. 


 Ben, at 3, at the Golden Gate Bridge


 Bear Creek House, crazy driveway


 Skyler, with freshly picked lemons.


 Beautiful red moss on madrone trees, Santa Cruz Mountains.


 View of Monterey Bay, as seen from the Santa Cruz Mountains.


 Ben amongst the redwoods, at Big Basin Park.



 Coastal drive down to Big Sur. 


 Miss S. with Snow.

What we didn't expect was how important the local mountain school is to this area. What we found was a very tight knit and welcoming community, and that has made us feel very much at home.  We also came to realize that California is in a terrible fiscal mess, and the schools are struggling.  It's up to the schools to raise their own funds to keep teachers & programs.  Our little community has stepped up by fundraising throughout the year.  I have to say that one of the most heartwarming events is the Jogathon  that's held in the Spring, because it's the kids who are working the hardest.  The kids all run (kindergarteners, running an average of 2 miles!) to raise money.  It's an incredible event with everyone involved: the teachers, kids, parents and community members coming out to cheer on and run with our kids. 

 Rallying to save our teachers.
 School spirit at the Jogathon.
 Jogathon, 2011

With this in mind, I was asked to create a painting for another great fundraiser, our annual Gala which is held in October.  I couldn't help but think of this unique California landscape, so different from the East Coast that I know so well.  One view that never fails to make me feel like I'm in a unique and beautiful place is whenever I drive north toward San Francisco.  Driving up 280, you go through a gorgeous area where the highway is flanked by the foothills of the Diablo Range.  These foothills are covered in a golden grass that much of the year is bone dry and is the color of lion's fur.  Interspersed are these gorgeous oaks and shrubs. Every time I drive through I try and take a few photos.  The photo below doesn't quite do it justice.   Instead, I made a painting that captures the essence of the hills with some of the color that I catch a glimpse of from time to time. 

 View of the foothills of the Diablo Range

Painting of the same view of the Diablo Range.
Oil on canvas, 30x48"  

This painting will be available for bidding at this Friday's Gala event.  100% of the proceeds goes directly to the school.