Three 5x7 Paintings

Blue Light Night
oil on linen panel

                    Painting on this small size is a challenge.  They take so long because of their small size and my older eyes probably make it harder.  I often paint over things and wipe out things, constantly changing the composition and sometimes the entire color palette.  I have found these little paintings to be frustrating latley, so I did not order any more of this size of linen panel.  I am now painting on 8x10 on up to 20x24 canves, much more freeing!  

Chair Duo
oil on linen panel

Small Duo
oil on linen panel

 

I recently came across THIS video posted by The Netherlands Bach Society and have been obsessively listening to this music while I paint, cook, and wash dishes.  Thomas Bauer's voice is so beautiful. 

I do not always listen to classical, but this slow and mournful cadence speaks something comforting and deep into my soul during these quiet and contemplative weeks in Winter.

Small Paintings and a How the Finding Faith Project is Going

Wendy With a Watering Can
oil on panel 6 x 6 inch
(sold)

 You can probably tell from my color palette that I am excited Spring has arrived.  I've been very busy in the flowerbeds cleaning them out, digging and planting.  Mud on my shoes makes me happy.  I was outside from 10 am to 9 pm yesterday, so obviously the progress on my next Finding Faith painting is moving along VERY slowly.  I did these small paintings over the last three weeks or so.  I am loving oil paints right now and vibrant colors.  I am working on new ways to paint flowers...always a challenge for me.

Flower Pitcher
oil on panel 5 x 7 inch
(sold)

Ella
oil on panel 5 x 7 inch

Striped Pitcher
oil on panel 5 x 7 inch

Here's a little teaser from the next Finding Faith video (the music you hear in this snippet will not be a part of it).  The photos and video turned out great and the 30 x 24 inch painting is coming along.  It might be another couple of weeks before I am done.  If you have no idea what the Finding Faith project is click HERE.

I invite you to follow my other social media sites as that is where I spend most of my online time these days.  Click on the links:
Instagram
Facebook

I wish you all a joyful end of the week!  

♥ Lisa

Commission Work, Small Paintings and What's Next on Finding Faith

Commission painting
mixed media on 9 x 12 inch canvas

A friend of mine has this wonderful and faded photo from 1926 of her grandparents and her grandmother's two sisters jumping rope in the middle of a field in Kansas.  She asked me to paint them in my style and this is how it turned out.  She loved it, which is always a relief!

Bedroom in Gold and Sky Blue
mixed media on wood block 4 x 6 inch

 Last week seven of my tiny paintings (4 x 6 to 6 x 8 inch sizes) sold from Tessera Gallery, so I painted several more to fill the empty spots.  I really enjoyed doing the interior paintings that were inspired by some old decorating books I bought from a used bookstore last year.

Dining with Cobalt and Paisley
mixed media on wood block 4 x 6 inch

And of course my favorite subject...figures.  These are all imagined or from my "sketchbook sweetie" sketchbooks.

Peggy and Patty in Pigtails
mixeed media on wood block
4 x 6 inch

Grace With a Good Luck Cat
mixed media on panel 5 x 7 inch

Liliana and the Sleepy Cat
mixed media on panel 5 x 7 inch

Bike Ride in Spring
mixed media on panel 5 x 7 inch
(SOLD)

 And look what I found!  A red flannel shirt for my next Finding Faith project.  It cost $3.49, so does that make my project low budget?  :)  I am happy to tell you that things are well on the way and we are excited about how the video and photos have turned out.  Time for the painting!  Wish me luck!

A million thanks for all your amazing and uplifting comments on this project.  I was truly overwhelmed with all the kind comments, sweet emails, and encouragement to keep at it.  Faith loved reading all the comments too, and that's important because without her, there would be no Finding Faith.  :)

See you soon.

  

♥ Lisa

Mother Child Paintings

Look at Daddy
acrylic and ink on paper
4 x 6 inch
available here

This week the theme was mother and child and all of these were inspired by a collection of vintage photos that were kindly gifted to me some time ago.  Painting children is a challenge and these small 4 x 6 inch works made it that much harder because the faces are teeny tiny.   I have found that I try to paint with more detail when I am working with photos vs using my imagination, which is a crazy mission for such a small space.  I won't be doing this too often.

Teddy's Picture
acrylic and ink on paper
4 x 6 inch
available here

I used the same colors for all three works.  It always amazes me how many different colors you can come up with.  Lately I've been mixing 2 yellows, 2 reds, 2 blues, with white, paynes gray, brown, and one or two "fun" colors like a magenta or orange of some sort. I also used titan buff in these.  Titan buff and a bright red make the prettiest pinks by the way.

Cradling Chair
acrylic and ink on paper
4 x 6 inch
available here

Thank you for all the feedback on my Picasso studies in the last post.  See you again soon!  

♥ Lisa

Picasso Inspired Works

Amy
acrylic on paper
4 x 6 inch
NFS

This week besides refinishing kitchen cabinets, I painted these small color studies inspired by the works of Picasso that are found in this book.  I love the book and it is one of my very favorites.

  

Late Supper
acrylic on paper
4 x 6 inch
available here

As I painted with a strong focus on color, I tried to pay attention to values more than I usually do. There is also a common theme:  they are all seated at a table and they all have coffee cups.  I love coffee cups as much as I do chairs.

Harmony Brew
acrylic on paper
 4 x 6 inch
available here

I also thought about hands and how they seem to be important somehow in art.  I realized not too long ago that I am very drawn to figurative art with interesting or strong hands.  So I worked on that a little bit.

Companions
acrylic on paper
4 x 6 inch
available here

Besides working on kitchen cabinets and painting Picasso/color studies, I spent time with various companions this week.  I watched movies with my husband, had a wonderful conversation over the phone with a special friend, and attended my very first Golden Globe/fondue/birthday party.

I plan to further my Picasso/color studies, but the next round will be with an emphasis on mother/child.

Wish me luck.

♥ Lisa

First Post in 2016!

Winter Feed
mixed media on paper
6 x 6 inch
available here

I love a new year.  Don't you?  It's like a breath of refreshing winter air.  A chance to make changes inside the heart and mind and even in the mundane things.  We can do this any time of year, but making desired changes seems more epic if you do it at the turn of a new year.  

Winter Seed
mixed media on paper
6 x 6 inch
available here

I spent the last three mornings rising before the sun and hitting the studio once the coffee was brewed.  It felt great to be painting again after all the holiday festivities.  

Winter Sled
mixed media on paper
6 x 6 inch
available here

All three of these were inspired by a series of photos I took last winter while walking around Riverside after a beautiful snow.  I have found I like to work from photos, but then also add bits and pieces from my imagination to them.  

I hope everyone is off to a great start in 2016!

♥ Lisa

Painting Small

Them That Dance
mixed media on paper
6 x 6 inch

I am painting a lot more now that the flower planting is done.  My routine lately has been to work on one or two "major" paintings with small works on paper in between.

Six on Blue Checks
oil on acrylic primed paper
8 x 8 inch

Working on small paper feels the same as working in sketchbooks to me. It is so free and I can just let go and paint with no expectations...no worry of wasting a canvas.

Gail in Gingham and Green
oil on acrylic primed paper
6 x 6 inch

 If I like it, it can be sold for a small price in my Etsy shop...and if I don't...I can chuck it, stomp on it, tear it, burn it, or make paper airplanes for my cat.

The Bohemian Decoy Hiker
mixed media on paper
4 x 6 inch

These did not go to the cat.

Have a great weekend!

It's Riverfest time here in Wichita and we can walk there this year!

♥ Lisa

Three Small Paintings, Ampersand Hardbords and a Missing Cat

"Vienna"
5 x 7 inch oil on paper mounted to hardbord
SOLD

 I have been painting smaller works in between the larger ones, the larger intended mostly for the gallery I am in right now and the smaller ones are stocking the shelves of my Etsy shop.  I honestly love both sizes.  The smaller ones feel intimate and the larger works are a playground for greater things (and sometimes not such great things).  In art, you never know.

Gracie May
4 x 6 inch mixed media on paper...not mounted
available on Etsy

Vienna was straight from the imagination and Gracie May was from one of the gifted vintage photos I recently received.

The Reservoir on a Cloudy Day
6 x 8 inch oil on linen mounted to harbord
available on Etsy

The reservoir painting was from a photo I took while in New York City in December with my sister.  Oh how I love that city.  And once in a while I just have to paint buildings only.  New York City makes a great subject...almost as much as Kansas.  :)

Back of Ampersand Hardbord

I have seen a few artists that mount their works on linen, canvas and paper to these Ampersand Hardbords.   So I bought some small ones for my own art and I really love them.  They are extremely rigid and the art lays so wonderfully flat on surface without any bowing.  I use gel medium to glue it down. Plus you can gesso them and paint directly on them.  They look and feel so professional and I think the cost is reasonable.

Bean

Our cat Bean disappeared over a week ago.  We are now thinking he is lost forever...I have checked the shelter, made flyers and everything...still no sign of him.  He was 12 years old and a really great cat with a ton of personality and he could make anyone fond of him.  Even people that don't like cats liked Bean.  We miss him a lot.  Our other cat and our dog have been hanging around each other a lot, which they normally don't do.  I think they are comforting each other.  

I am sorry to add on a sad note like that. We're okay...just miss our sweet kitty.

 I hope you have a great weekend!!

♥ Lisa