Head and Shoulders Portrait

Oliver Dixon 14 x 20 Oil on Canvas

I just finished this portrait of Oliver this week. It is a head and shoulders size portrait and is 14 x 20 inches. (unframed) I worked from photo references for most of this painting, however, I did get him to pose for me for some of the finish work. He can sit surprisingly still for a 4 year old even if it is only for a short while!

Wonderland Revisited

Wonderland oil on wood panel 20 x24

This is my first multi-figure, portrait painting. I painted Avery, Clara and Oliver playing make-believe in their Alice in Wonderland costumes. I used photo references from our photo shoot at Chandler park. This time I painted the grisaille under painting in the background red. In the story there is a baby that inexplicably turns into a pig so I painted Clara (Alice) holding a little pig. I added poppies in the field to both bring more of the reddish orange color into the composition and because it seemed like an obvious choice of flowers to appear in a Wonderland scene.

Clara's Portrait

Clara Oil on panel 11x14

Here is my second finished portrait. I worked from a photo reference for this one. It was meant to be a study for another painting. I wanted to try starting with an under painting (grisaille) in terra verte (green) like painters from the baroque period and more specifically like Manet used in Luncheon in the grass where he painted the females in green and the scenery and men in red. my grisaille is pictured below. A grissaille is essentially a value study in a single color that helps not only determine value but also composition.

Salt and Pepper

My summer oil painting class is almost over. I did these paintings yesterday. We were asked to paint a few, quick, small, still life paintings of simple objects. I had a lot of fun with the salt and pepper shaker trying to achieve the metallic look on the lids.

The rose and pear was a class painting I did a few weeks ago. I still do not enjoy painting flowers - probably because I find them so difficult to paint.

This final landscape painting of Boulder Park was another class assignment. It was daytime but the moon was visible (day moon!) I love day moons! I gave this painting to my husband, Dave, for our 15th anniversary.

I am trying to decide whether I am going to enroll for oil painting again in the fall or take a drawing class. I love to paint but I have had three classes in a row and I think a change would be nice.

Waterworks Oil Painting Class

I am back in oil painting class at Waterworks Art Studio! Here are my first three paintings. I have always enjoyed painting landscapes more then still lifes, but now I am starting to appreciate still lifes. I am learning a considerable amount by painting subjects that are slightly out of my comfort zone - this bowl of fruit included.

The shed painting is an 8x10. I enjoyed painting on a smaller scale! I particularly like the propane tanks - very quaint! I might have to paint more landscapes with propane tanks. A landscape can't take itself too seriously if it includes a propane tank in the subject matter.

The oil painting that began this blog

I had not considered starting my own blog until I painted this painting! What does a painting have to do with blogging? It began when I decided to take an oil painting class through the local parks department this fall with Jill, a childhood friend of mine. All though I graduated with a BFA from the University of Oklahoma over a decade ago I had never painted in oils. My degree was in studio arts with an emphasis on printmaking and a minor in art history. The once a week class was a perfect excuse to study fine arts once again and it also afforded me the opportunity to get out of the house and do something just for me. I am a mother of three children ages six and under - need I say more! After a few weeks of classes the instructor, local artist Gill Adams http://www.giladamspaintings.blogsot.com, began instructing us in landscape painting. This is my resulting painting! He then proceeded to ask me if I had a blog where I could post my paintings. I did not! After a week of consideration I have decided to start such a blog. For posterity's sake I wish to record not only paintings but my other creative pursuits. Perhaps this new venture will create a dialogue about all things creative and all things mom!