First Lady of Law

The First Lady of Law

Ohio Northern University Class of 1896

(formerly Ohio Normal University)

 30 x 36, oil on canvas

For anyone stopping by, I would like to apologize for my absence. To my new followers, I would like to say "Welcome and thank you for your interest in my art!"

Larry and I made the trip to Ohio for the dedication of my great-grandmother's painting and were treated like royalty by the University.

The painting above was completed from a faded 1896 black and white photo of my great-grandmother. Because the photo originally came from a group photograph, mostly all you could see of Lena was her head and shoulders so what you see in the painting is what I composed as part of the storyline. You are welcome to read more about Lena and the rest of the painting on my website.

For our trip, we flew in (and out of) the St. Louis airport and feel lucky that we got out of there before the tornado hit the airport! Our hearts and prayers certainly go out to those who have felt the loss from all those tornadoes. We are certainly glad to be home and back in to the swing of things. 

I can't believe it's already time to pick up paintings from the Northwest Pastel Show! I would like to share that the "Symphony of Swans" painting was granted the Director's Award and I am very honored. I would also like to thank Kari Tirrell for her amazingly generous comment about my painting. Please be sure to see her wonderful and heartfelt painting that deservedly won Best of Show. Congratulations, Kari!  

One Show, two pieces

City Beach Sunrise (16 x 20 dry pastel)

more info on my website

AND

Symphony of Swans (18 x 24, dry pastel)

more info on my website

I am happy to share that the two pieces posted above were accepted into the Northwest Pastel Society's show in Seattle that runs April 10th - May 8th.

Just in case you're looking for some fun shows to attend, here are a few I am aware of (yes, yes, they are all about me :) SHOW SCHEDULE

Saratoga Gold

Saratoga Gold (12 x 24, pastel)

click to enlarge

In honor of the windy weather we have been having on Whidbey Island over the past several days, I thought I would post this little piece of the storm just outside my studio.  I love this kind of weather. Well, except for the power outages. That's a bit of a bother.

Waves from the island to all, 

and always, 

cheers,

Sandy 

Heart Stealer

Heart Stealer (5 x 7, oil on panel) sold

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

from Miss Biscuit and Me

Carry Hope

Carry Hope 6" x 12" oil on panel

Six inches tall, nine months to completion....I'm not sure that is going to work well in a production mode but some paintings just won't get off the easel until they are ready. This is one of those. For all that I put in to this piece I am a bit sad that I started it last May before I started making my own panels because I am not thrilled with the texture of this one. I used a Dick Blick 3/8" canvas panel for this oil painting and you can see the texture pretty clearly in the image below (especially so if you click on it).

I am considering using this piece as a study for a larger piece but if I do that math, it will take me 5 years (60 months) to complete a 20 x 24 and I'm not sure I'm up for that. On the subject of birds and girls...take a look at this amazing painting by Karen Martin Sampson (on her blog: http://karenmartinarts.blogspot.com/).

Thanks to all for stopping by. Happy Painting!

Sandy

Red

Red 16 x 20 on Byers panel

Four more days, four more glazes and I am pretty certain I am done with this one. Even though trucks out in fields aren't my usual subject matter, I really enjoyed working on this piece because, just as with most all of my work, I used my own photo reference for this. As you know, I had lots of time at the easel with this piece so that also meant I had lots of time to reminisce about the source of the photo.

I recall my husband (Larry) and I taking a trip to Eastern Washington and, like I often do when we take trips, I had my window rolled down with my camera halfway hanging outside just waiting for something to catch my attention. You can probably imagine after miles and miles of nothing but wheat fields, just how excited I was when we zoomed past old "RED!" I snapped my one-chance picture and that was all I needed. Just that and my sweet memory. I wonder if they ever sold any hey off that old truck. Oh, and by the way, Larry says that's a c. 1970 International.

THE GLAZE: Below is a photo of the next-to-the last step when I thought I was done but I just kept staring at it waiting to find out why I didn't really care for the finished piece as much as I did the washes. That's when I decided to add (yet another) thin glaze of  white, yellow ochre and ivory black to a) give the hill a bit more distance and b) to add a little more sunshine to the hill. I wanted to get more of that golden cast back that was in the inital glazes. I also ended up adding a few more details to Red.

My Palette

For the majority of  the painting, I used:

  Ivory Black

  Cad Red Deep

  Mixed White

  Cad Yellow Medium

for final glazes on the sky I added ultramarine blue

for final glazes on the hey I added yellow ochre

My Panel

All-in-all, I am happy with how my Byer's Board held up to all the glazing and some of the scrubbing I did with this piece. I will certainly be using it again!

Thanks for coming by to see the end result.

May you find peace at your easel.

Cheers,

Sandy

Glaze upon glaze upon glaze

    

Goodness me, that's a lot of glazing! I'm on my 7th coat and still have a way to go.  I decided to use Galkyd Lite for this experiment and I am finding this a real test of patience for me. I enjoy the process of working with a pretty well thought-out value study and building up slowly but alright, already - it seems like I could have actually built the truck by now :). I still have several layers to go and thought you might enjoy seeing the process so far. 

The Galkyd Lite was nice to work with but I must say if I didn't have a full-on VOC (volatile organic compounds) air purifier in my studio, I don't think I could handle the odor. Oh, the things we do for love.

More to come...later.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Happy painting, all!

Cheers,

Sandy

The Value of a Study

Patio Party (oil study on panel, 8 x 10)

While Great-Grandmother is resting in the studio, I am working on several other pieces and working with an entirely new process. Well, new for me. I've been at this oil painting thing for many years but I have never found my personal perfect setup. Whether oils or pastels (or any medium for that matter), the tallest hurdle for me seems to be the substrate. If that's not right, nothing is right. So that is what I have spent the past few years working on with my oils. You name it, I have probably painted on it. I think I have it now and as much as I resisted making my own panels, that's what it has taken for me to get to this next step.

My resistance to making my own panels was mostly about the time it would take away from my easel. That's pretty much how I measure everything but I admit that once I forced myself (out of desperation) to make my own panels, I actually treasure each one more than if I had just picked it off a shelf. I feel more bonded to the art piece as a whole, too, which is an added benefit I had not anticipated. I'm serious. After putting 8 coats of gesso on these puppies and sanding in between each one, I feel like I should name them. Each coat is applied in the opposite direction of the previous coat which, upon close inspection, gives a nice cross-grain affect to the final board. If you click on the image below, you should be able to see what I am referring to.

So, now I am thinking I can get on with the painting part. I have only gotten as far as the value studies because I enjoy them so much I don't really want to go further. But, I will...just not with this one. My next step will be to apply multiple glazes to well-developed value studies. I am equiped with an arsenal of options to try on this new surface; Neo Megilp, Galkyd, Galkyd Lite, Liquin Light and Stand oil and each seems to have its own advantages and disadvantages. Do you have a favorite? If so I would love to know which is your favorite and why.

Cheers,
Sandy

Still working...

Biscuit and I are back from our caroling. Well, actually we got back quite a while ago and now are buried deep (really deep) in the studio. I am working on an oil painting of my great grandmother (24 x 30) that I am doing from a black and white photo from 1896. I'm sure you all can appreciate the challenge this has been and it has taken nearly all the focus I have to keep at it until it is complete. I fear if I stop, I won't have the gumption to start again and there is a timeline for this piece. My great grandmother was the first lady to graduate with a law degree (and science degree) from Ohio Northern University and so has the honorable title of being their "First Lady of the Law." This Spring the University will be doing a dedication in her honor and the painting will be part of that ceremony so I must be done soon to allow ample time for drying. No pressure, of course :). Admittedly, I am honored to do this but admit I would have found the task much easier if she had whiskers.

I am anxious to see what you (all) have been working on and apologize for being absent for so long. As soon as Miss Biscuit gives that approving look for the painting, I'll call her done and come visiting. I could use the break.

In the meantime, I hope everyone is enjoying the new year!
Cheers,
Sandy and my little sidekick

Happy Holidays and Best of the New Year

Miss Biscuit and I are off singing carols and dashing around in our sleigh but I would like to take a moment to thank all my new (and old :)) blog friends for visiting with me throughout the year. I have enjoyed visiting your blogs and sharing art and soooo appreciate your comments on my art.

Next year marks one more year I am excited to see coming - they just seem to get better and better. Cheers all. See you next year!

Howard Mandville Show in Kirkland, WA

Return Ever Safely (pastel 11 x 14)

You can read more about this painting on my website

YOU ARE INVITED

Is there any chance you'll be in KIRKLAND, Washington, soon? If so, I would love to have you visit the Howard/Mandville Gallery where I have been invited to participate in their 20th Annual Small Works Show. I have been visiting the Howard/Mandville Gallery for years as a guest. Now, I am humbled to have my paintings hanging next to the works of many notable artists such as:
       • Robert Bateman
       • Deborah Bays
       • David Gray
       • Andre Kohn
       • Yingzhoa Liu and so many more (show preview is here)

Below is the additional piece I have submitted for the Howard/Mandville Show (another from my Morro obsession series):

Liquid Light (pastel 14 x 11)

You can read more about this painting on my website

SHOW PREVIEW DAYS: November 6th - 13th

RECEPTION & Set Price Sale of Paintings

Saturday, November 13th - 5:30 - 8pm

I will be attending the reception and HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

For gallery hours and directions, click here.

Back to Morro

Back to Morro (dry pastel triptych on La Carte, 24 x 54)

sold

Cathump, cathump, cathump. There goes my heart again while I stand smack dab in the middle of the ocean's spray.

If you imagine standing on this shorline, then turning just to your left, you would see the scene from the painting below ("Return to Morro"). You can see them both, unobstructed, on my website. It is probably apparent by now that I am a bit obsessed with this place. I love the idea of a series because it is the perfect excuse to indulge such an obsession; just coming up long enough for air.

Return to Morro

I simply can't believe how fast time is zooming past. As I'm sure is true for most of you, there are tons of things going on in my little world and I do thank those of you who have continued to check in with me even though I'm not great at posting on a regular basis. Welcome, too, to my new readers.

Return to Morro (dry pastel, 16 x 47)

The only thing even remotely close to being there is this...painting this, standing in front of this, absorbing this. Every inch of this piece is filled with the excitement of the sea as I recalled standing on the shores along the coast of Morro Bay, California, with my heart pounding faster and faster as each wave struck the rocks in front of me.

The great news is I've been painting up a storm. Well, okay not really a storm, a sea. Lots and lots of water and some mighty BIG water, too! Last night was the opening reception for my shared show at the Scott Milo Gallery in Anacortes, Washington. I love that place and it was a delightful event. I always look forward to meeting new folks and talking endlessly about art (no, not just mine :).

For the piece above I prepared a piece of Russian Birch by first applying a coat of latex to both sides (to keep it from warping). Then I prepared a mix of gesso, marble dust and just a touch of water until I got the consistency I thought would work best. I also added some acrylics to tint the mixture - I chose a warm grey. At first, I brushed the mixture on the board but I didn't feel like that gave me enough "tooth" so, for the last coat, I used a small foam roller to get a bit more texture on the surface. It worked perfectly for this large piece and I really enjoyed having the ability to create the exact surface I needed for for what I envisioned.

Cheers all.

Boldbrush Fav 15% Winner

Just Peachy (20 x 16 dry pastel) sold

Hi, and welcome new readers. Thank you all for stopping by!  I just wanted to pop in to do a little braggin' on an older piece that made it in to the FAV 15% of the BoldBrush competition for August.

about the painting...Setting up a fruit bowl just never occurred to me while contemplating my next still life painting. I was headed to my studio to "set something up" when I spotted one of our end tables being drenched in light from the rising sun. I grabbed a peach (yummmm) and my favorite basket and got to work trying out several arrangements before settling on this one. 

I chose this one, not realizing how much work I had set myself up for by including the basket! Now, I think I know where the phrase "basket-case" really comes from. A fun part of this still life is that my husband made the table top from a piece of wood my dad gave him and the table legs are pieces of driftwood from the beach in front of our home (on Whidbey Island). They drifted on to our yard, looking for a new home...

Well, I'm heading back to my seascape. Cheers, all, and happy painting!

Porcelain Cat and His World

Porcelain Cat and His World (oil 16 x 20) sold

I've been away for a bit so I thought I would post an earlier piece until I can get back to the studio.

THE PAINTING The style of this painting is primarily realism; keeping some parts intentionally loose to allow your eyes to rest on the focal points. Bold greens and reds are used to add excitement and to give a contrasting background to the more neutral colors of the main characters. The red peonies would melt in to the background were it not for their strong texture. Textural changes throughout the painting add depth and richness. The light, entering from the left of the viewer, strikes each of the characters boldly, like little treats for your eyes at every point.

THE PIECES The pieces in this still life painting are very near and dear to my heart and I thought you might enjoy knowing a little bit about them...

The porcelain cat is a piece I sculpted in honor of Gravy, our male (golden tabby) cat. It has a cup in the center of it that is generally used for a candle but for this composition I placed a painted wooden ball (yes, I painted that, too :-) to represent Gravy's world. Gravy loved to play with this ball so it seemed fitting to include it in this painting. To strengthen eye movement, I used the same colors in the ball, the wood shelf and the clay pot. The book of "Love Stories" symbolizes the relationship between our two cats; Biscuit and Gravy (they are vaguely painted on the cover of the book). Constantly at my side is the spiral-bound tablet given to me years ago by a dear friend. It contains numerous sketches I have done, over the years, of both our cats. Since my husband and I both enjoy doing pottery, I included a large pot that I drew designs for but which never made it to the potter's wheel. It's so much quicker to paint it.

A HUGE welcome to my new followers and a HUGE thank you to those who continue to follow my blog. I appreciate the comments and your interest in my art world and adventures.