What's With the Chairs?

Chair Number 8
oil on 4 x 6 inch paper
available here

I am not sure I can answer that question.  

Chair Number 9
oil on 4 x 6 inch paper
available here

There's just something about them.

These are quite fun to do.  I have been layering on acrylic paint first which acts like gesso that you would use to prep the paper before using oil on it.  It acts as a nice protective barrier for the oil, but it also adds color.  Any color.  Which means the possibilities are so endless.  This series could be endless. We will see.

I have two more chairs drying and a couple of other figurative pieces to show you next.
Until then...

♥Lisa

A Change in Blogging Attitude and How Meridian Fields Finally Dried

Meridian Fields
oil and cold wax
9 x 12 inch panel
purchase here

There is a beautiful farm close to where I live here in Kansas and one day as the sun was setting, the field was all aglow.  I turned my car around, parked, and took a picture and that photo was my guide for this painting.  Of course the red-headed figure was not there, she is just my own added touch to the scene.  Perhaps the farmer's wife?  

I have shared this painting before...seems like many moons ago and it is finally dry.  I think it had something to do with the cold wax to paint ratio?  I am not sure, but the final result made me very happy.

To my fellow blog friends
Life is throwing some curveballs lately which is the reason for my absence from your blogs.  I know we don't owe each other apologies for such things, but I wanted you to know there are reasons. Not to worry, all is okay with me and my family.  However, I am not feeling as free to share personal things on the internet anymore for various reasons.  I have shared much in the past, and I figured many of you that know me through this blog might take notice of this change.  Please know I am the same old Lisa...I care about you and I care that you care about me.  I fear coming across on my blog as cold or as some sort of painting robot, but it seems necessary to just stick to artwork here from now on. I will aim to still be personable...just without the personal...if that makes sense.  Thank you in advance for understanding my change of pace here.

In gratitude for you my friends,

♥Lisa

Couches and Color Palette Studies

acrylic in 5 x 7 inch sketchbook

I get the Pottery Barn catalog in the mail.  I can't afford to buy too many things from there, but their beautiful rooms full of pretty furnishings sure do provide a source of inspiration.

I think couches have their charm just as much as chairs do.  As it turns out, they are just as fun to paint.

The other night I spent an hour and half just mixing colors and then writing them down.  That is how I came up with the colors in this couch sketch.  I have never taken the time to really study color that way and right away I could see the benefits of doing it.  You can see the colors I mixed in the photo below...seven colors in all...kind of an odd combination.  When I painted the couch, I just referred to my chart and it saved a lot of time because I knew ahead of time what colors were going to go where and how to mix them.  

I knew I could do this, but I have been too lazy to spend the time.  However, after the ease of the sketch, I will be making more color charts from now on to help with future paintings.

color study in a sketchbook

A few weeks ago I watched Paul Taggart's video on basic color mixing.  I painted the below painting using the primary colors he uses in the video.  The colors did seem to provide more cohesiveness in the painting.  

Bird painting using Paul Taggart's color mixing lesson
acrylic and oil on 9 x 12 inch paper

Interesting stuff this color mixing business is.

What are you working on?

Pull up a Chair

SOLD

Hello friends!  How have you all been?  It's been a while.

Pull up a chair and let's have a chat.

SOLD

After you tell me what you've been doing...

SOLD

I will tell you what I have been doing...which is celebrating my mother's 80th birthday with lots of family...

...and stocking my Etsy shop with these chairs.

I am looking forward to making more of these...all 4 x 6 inch acrylic and oil on paper. Addiction!

Hope you are all well...see you soon!

This Hat Needs a Flower

This Hat Needs a Flower
11 x 14 inch oil on canvas panel
SOLD

This painting was done almost entirely with palette knives including her face, although I did use a brush here and there.  I used the fracturing technique I learned from Julie Ford Oliver's class.  My overall goal here was to really loosen up, however as you can see, her facial features are still tight with visible lines.  When I leave out the lines or wipe them away it never looks right to me, so back in they go.  This is my favorite thing about working in oils...it is so easy to redraw or blend away areas.  

Here are a couple of close-up photos so you can see the details a little better.  

Thank you so much for looking!  Have a great day!

Chairs

Chair Number 1
4x6 inch acrylic and oil on paper
SOLD

Months ago, I started collecting images of chairs on my Pinterest with the intention of using them as inspiration for paintings.  However, not one of these came from those images.  They are imaginary chairs.

Chair Number 2
4 x 6 inch acrylic and oil on paper
SOLD

 And in these simple chair paintings I discovered how wonderful it is to put down acrylic color first and then paint with oil.  You get a wonderful vibrant color that comes through.  You can draw the chair by scratching into the paint, or just leave bits of color visible.  These are all listed on Etsy.

Chair Number 3
4 x 6 inch acrylic and oil on paper
SOLD

On a side note, recently I discovered Paul Taggart's YouTube channel with video after video on painting in watercolor, acrylic and oil.  If you are self-taught like me, you will really appreciate these videos.  Check them out.

Relevé

 Relevé

acrylic, papers, gel medium, crackle paste, tea bag, 

oil and cold wax and colored pencil

on 16 x 20 inch panel

Relevé is a ballet term that means to lift up or rise up.  To do this one must be strong and have good balance.   

Here's a little Ballet 101 for you...

stand straight up with your toes slightly turned out...

then lift up on your toes as high as you can keeping your balance...

raise your arms up high parallel along side your ears with fingertips towards the ceiling...

keeping a slight curve in your arms...

keep your abdomen tucked in and shoulders back...

now hold this position, but don't forget to breathe. 

   Do you feel the energy moving through you as your muscles are flexed and stretching? 

 That is relevé.  

You can apply this to life too...rise up above circumstances and you get that same surge of energy...

a head-held-high, confident, undefeated sort of state of mind.  

It's a good place to be.  

However keeping this position is the hard part...

it requires strength and balance. 

 detail

 detail

Happy Weekend to ALL.  Spring is here is full force and I don't want to miss it, so if I disappear or appear less often, you will know why.  I am lurking on blogs...commenting when I can.  You are all awesome and as always, I am so grateful that you keep coming here to visit.