John Deere

I've stared at this for a month now and I knew what it needed. I lightened the grass area around the tractor to bring out more of a contrast with the shadows. It doesn't scream GREEN so much now. I'm calling it done.

Cumberland Falls

One thing I love about oils is their forgiving nature. I can see a lot of rework needed on the trees. I'm really having trouble with my greens. I'm having trouble on the trees period. One problem with this location is the trees are on a solid mountain. No relief with sky holes. I can see that I need to bring the intensity of the greens way down.
The rock formation looks like a walrus in my painting. I'm not sure how I will fix that. I didn't see the walrus at the scene or in the photo, but there it is in the painting. It's just laying there. Funny how once you spot something out of place, that's all you see. For now this is a painting of a walrus under bright green trees. Did anybody notice the waterfall? That was the intended center of interest. I'll put this one on the shelf for a few days. Maybe if it stares at me long enough, It will tell me how to fix it.

Little Solitude

5" x 7", Oil on canvas panel.

This is a little practice piece. My main focus was to get an airy feeling to the trees. This is the kind of quiet place I like to go to and just enjoy nature.
These little panels are great for practice but the finished piece looks so grainy. The texture of the canvas really shows. I can't wait until it is warm enough to paint outside.

The lesson I learned here is, don't put a green tractor in a green landscape. I painted this to learn how to put a landscape background around larger center of interest. I think this would have worked if it had been a fall scene. Someday I just might do that to see the comparison.
I've got a long way to go on trees. I've watched the William Powell DVD, "How to Paint Trees" a couple of times. He gives some good advice and I highly recommend any of his DVDs . You can get it at http://www.williampowell-artist.com/ His best advice, "Practice, Practice, Practice"

Original photo for "Rolling In"

Since I live in Kentucky, I have to rely on photos for my seascapes. I took this photo at Ormond Beach, Fl a few years ago. The first thing I did was hit the photo editing software on the computer. The horizon was straightened, the surf was foreshortened, and the main wave was enlarged. I brought the main wave up over the horizon to break up the very long strait horizon. Because the vast expanse of the wave, I decided a horizontal format. I felt the photo had way too much foreground. I took many photos and videos that day so I will have a lot to work with for a while.
I am planning a trip to Big Sur, Ca this year. I am after all a California girl and nothing compares to the Pacific shoreline. I will take many many photos and videos. My dream is to paint Plein Air on the beach but I'm trying to figure out how to get the paints through security at the airport. I guess I'll have to use dried watercolor.

I have spent the last two years wondering why I have had such a block. I had been a watercolor floral artist. I finally realized that defining myself as a "watercolor artist" or a "floral artist" was the main reason for my block. I limited myself to the point that I wasn't trying anything new and I was board! I've gone into an entirely different direction. I am working in other mediums, water-soluble oils being my recent favorite. My subject matter is now landscapes and seascapes. For the first time in two years I am excited about painting. I am teaching myself something new. I am learning with each painting. I will discuss here the progress of my paintings, as they evolve. Each painting is an exercise in learning not only how to handle the medium, but all the aspects of composition. I hope my improvement will be evident as I go along.