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.

A Lot of Snow and What I am Working On

I am sitting here on a cold day recovering from some oral surgery I put off way too long.  I am full of pain medications, so I hope whatever I write here makes good sense.

We have had so much snow here in Colorado and the locals tell me it is just getting started.  Most of it occurs in February and March.  I love snow, but the late ones take some getting used to for me because in Kansas it starts to feel like spring in those months.  The birds are starting to show up, the days are longer and warmer and the air smells like spring.  Not that Kansas never gets snow in those months, but the usual is what I just said.  I am pretty sure I will adjust just fine.  It is lovely here.

I am working on a painting containing geese and another surprise in the composition.  The surprise is the fun part and I don't want to give it away.  It's taken a long time because I have been layering the oil paints and glazing quite a bit, so it all needs to dry between the layers otherwise it becomes a muddy mess.

In the meantime, I've been sketching a lot with acrylic paint in my hardback sketchbooks.  The above was done after a neighborhood walk.  The one below was done while cooking dinner.  I love olives and munch on a few while I cook...along with a glass of wine-yum!  The olives on the left were painted with care and the ones on the right were blobbed on with my fingertip.  I think I like the one on the right best.  Friends on my Instagram said the same thing.

I have enjoyed sketching these so much, I decided to try to do this more regularly.  It feels more free to paint in a sketchbook where you know it will not hang in a show or sell online.  

The above photo was taken last year and I just came across it.  The painting is one I did called They Have Come to Bring Us Spring and it's going to be shown at the Art on the Mesa show at Gold Hills Mesa Community Center in Colorado Springs.  The opening reception is February 7,  5-7 pm and the show will be up through May 1st.  This will be my first Colorado show so I am very excited to be participating with two wonderful artists:  Lelia Davis and Phyllis Davis.  I met Phyllis at Julie Ford Oliver's workshop years ago and it was Julie who helped reconnect me to Phyllis so that I could be a part of this.  I am so grateful!  I will share photos of the show after it happens.

This is a view from our backyard deck.  Snow snow snow!

But isn't it beauitful when the sun is shining?  This is a scene on a neighborhood path I take during my daily walks.  Sometimes I just can't believe what I am seeing.  The mountains have such a presence.  So quiet, yet so rugged and wild at the same time.  I am enjoying leaving footprints everywhere I go here. :)

I hope you are having a good month of January.  I am going to close for now and take a nap!  

Until next time!

♥ 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

Around Here Lately

Sketchbook 8.5 x 11"

acrylic

Working in sketchbooks a bit lately to try out some ideas.  I love interior paintings and would like to do a few of them.  

Hurley at home

The above photo was the inspiration.  It sure is difficult to paint light.  

graphite and pastels in 8.5 x 11 inch sketchbook

I have also started some sketches, but left them unfinished.  I became bored with this one.

sketchbook sweetie

graphite and tinted graphite in tiny moleskin

Very few sweetie sketches these days.  I swear I am still pretty worn out from our move in December.  It feels like I am in recovery.  All I really feel like doing is taking walks and watching movies.  Of course that's not all I do, but if I could I would.

sketchbook sweeties

graphite

These are scribbled ideas for paintings inspired by Riverside, the neighborhood we now live in.  I also bought a HUGE canvas to paint a Riverside theme for our house to go above the couch.  I have no clue exactly what I will paint, but the canvas will be waiting for me when I finally decide.  It may take a year to make up my mind though.

acrylic and pastel on 6 x 8 inch linen

Of course it just wouldn't be winter without a girl in a beanie and mittens.
:)

 photo edited with distressedfx
View of trees on the Arkansas River
pronounced Ar-Kansas not Ar-Kan-Saw

I walk every day for at least two miles.  Lately though it's been more like three or four because I don't want it to end.  The sunsets have been so nice to watch from the walking paths and parks nearby.  One night I saw a fox.  I called my husband to ask if they were dangerous because I didn't know.  I wanted to get a picture of him, but by the time I finished my call he had run off.  Beautiful red creature!  I learned they are common in this area.

photo edited with distressedfx
bike path along the Arkansas

This photo was taken on a warmer day and just after I snapped this picture a family of four passed by on their bikes, and I also passed two joggers.  I just love all the activity here!  What's nice is that there are certain times of day when it's very quiet and you see very few people, it goes both ways.

 new palette

I finally broke down and bought a Masterson's Sta-Wet Palette that I saw last year on Gillian Lee Smith's blog.  This photo is day four and my acrylic paints are still wet!  The palette does water them down a bit, but if you blob on a lot of paint, then not so much as you can see in the titanium white pile.  I should have bought one ages ago.  The lid has compartments for watercolors with three mixing areas.

 current state of my art studio

I really should straighten up my work area today, but I don't feel like it so it probably won't get done.

 Hurley

The animals have adjusted nicely to their new surroundings as you can see.  I don't have a photo of our other cat Peet, however he seems to like it here too.

growing Mitsou

Mitsou thinks this blanket is her mommy.  She sucks on it and then curls up and falls asleep.  She cracks us up.  She is quite the mischief right now.  I will be glad when she matures.  I am constantly picking up after her...knocked over plants, spilled water, broken coasters, I even found her dangling from the window shade the other day.  She is an absolute mess, but she's extra sweet when she is calm.

moon glow out the studio window 2 weeks ago

I have also been organizing my photos on the computer.  I take so many pictures with my cell phone these days and there isn't any rhyme or reason to them.  So I simplified and put them into folders labeled family, friends, pets, scenery, artsy, videos, and misc.  That is at least a start, right?

I hope whatever you have been doing lately has been all that you find inspiring and good.  Until next time...

♥ Lisa