Spring Time Tea {Bountiful Observations no. 18}

Spring Time Tea

{8" x 8" (20.3 x 20.3 cm) – oil on canvas panel}

SOLD
Framed painting: $300.00 + S&H

Some of the daffodils in this still life are from a friend, the grape hyacinths are from a neighbor, the green china plate is from my mom, and the silver spoon is from my husband's grandmother.

{14" x 14" (35.6 x 35.6 cm) with frame}

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This is a painting from my Bountiful Observations series, with 25% of the net proceeds of each sale being donated to the American Horticultural Society.

Still Life with Pitcher and Pomegranates

 

Still Life with Pitcher and Pomegranates

11" x 14" (27.9 x 35.6 cm) - Oil on Linen

In a Private Collection

Hello,

This is a painting I finished in January, it falls into a category of painting I call "studio painting" which means the painting technique employed involves more than just direct painting, completed all in one go.

Typically for me, a studio painting will be completed over a series of sessions, sometimes days, other times weeks, and a few paintings have been known to take months {here is one example}. I utilize all sorts of painting methods during these sessions, wet-into-wet, glazing, and scumbling. Varying the paint handling throughout the canvas to provide interest and movement. However what makes this type of painting so wonderful is the result of having layers of paint applied to the canvas.  Each new layer building and complementing the previous layers.

With this painting I worked on it over a series of weeks {luckily pomegranates keep for a LONG time} scraping edges down at the end of each painting session initially and slowly building layers of paint to present the effect I was striving for. In some places the pitcher has over eight layers of oil paint, and this is where the true beauty of oil paint is actualized. By varying the opacities of each layer, a visual depth can be acheived in a manner that is only possible with oil paint.

The reason why I love this medium so much!

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This painting and other still-life paintings were discussed in a recent article on the Empty Easel website.  I feel so honored by how my work is described, and the amazing thing is that after reading the article, I realized that the author was able to articulate aspects that motivate me to paint in ways I have never been able to express verbally. 

If you have a moment today, please take a moment to read this article.

Thanks for visiting,

Liz

Sunflowers {Bountiful Observations no. 17} - SOLD

Sunflowers

{8" x 8" (20.3 x 20.3 cm) – oil on canvas panel}
SOLD

Framed painting: $300.00 

These sunflowers were a gift, and the moment I held them, I knew they would "star" in a painting.

I had been reading a section on Velasquez in Harold Speed's book on oil painting techniqueon the morning I began this painting. And this passage inspired my approach to this painting.

"it is instructive to notice the different stges of Velasquez's development. The early portrait is an interesting example of his 'prentice manner, painted before he went to Madrid. You will observe his preoccupation with lost and found edges. The little sharp accents contrasting with lost edges... ...and the infinite variety of play onthe edges he has found. He has not yet arrived at the largeness of perception, which could subordinate the accents on such edges... ... to an all-embracing focus of the whole of the whole head." pg. 164-165

It was this idea of an all-embracing focus of the whole head that got me thinking about how to paint a bunch of flowers and try to do the same thing, create an all-embracing focus on one flower and let the others slide into supporting roles with lost and found edges and less specific treatment.

This is a design concept that has a lot of possiblities, and I will try to revisit it again in other compositions, and for this piece I think it worked out well. I feel as if the forward facing flower is looking out as well as being looked at.

{14" x 14" (35.6 x 35.6 cm) with frame}

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This is a painting from my Bountiful Observations series, with 25% of the net proceeds of each sale being donated to the American Horticultural Society.

Another Cloud Study

Clouds 3

{approx. 5" x 9" (12.7 x 22.9 cm) – oil on gessoed paper}

Another cloud sketch

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And here are some recent photos of Naomi.  She is really growing and developing her own personality and interests... 

...so when she is more interested in other items, she does not bother to look up and smile for the camera...

...except when she is really pleased with herself, or eating some dirt, or both...



...and she is really moving!

{all these lovely photos were taken at River Farm, headquarters to the American Horticultural Society}

Cloud Studies

Clouds 1
{approx. 5" x 9" (12.7 x 22.9 cm) – oil on gessoed paper}

Hello,

After a dark and cold winter, spring is here and I am now drawn back into painting landscapes. To start the season out I have decided to tackle clouds, so in the next few weeks I will be posting a series of cloud sketches here.

The goal with this series is to learn to get comfortable with the different shapes and forms of clouds. I am inspired by what Carlson suggests in his book on Landscape painting.

I recommend that he [the student] make repeated and "tight" studies of the many skies that attract him. Even if these studies are mere maps, he will learn, while doing them, much that will be useful in his future pictures. pg. 107.

So this is what I am trying with this series, I have a stack of 70+ photos with clouds/skies and I am going to go through this stack and make a painting from each one. Some of the photos are not great, but I am going to try to make something out of each photo and learn along the way.


Clouds 2
{approx. 5" x 9" (12.7 x 22.9 cm) – oil on gessoed paper}

I am also using a limited paint palette with these sketches, the same I use when I am outdoors painting, it consists of: alizern crimson, cad. red, burnt sienna, cad yellow pale, sap green, winsor green, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, ivory black, and titatium white.

Dandelions {Bountiful Observations no. 16} SOLD

Dandelions

{8" x 8" (20.3 x 20.3 cm) – oil on canvas panel}

SOLD

Framed painting: $300.00 starting bid + S&H

After painting the smaller composition of dandelions, I immediately wanted to try a bigger version, with more flowers and variation. So over two days I worked on this painting, fighting against time and the flowers because dandelions are constantly changing! I have learned that the life of one flower exists for about 48 hours from bud to puff.

This painting will also be framed in silver.

{14" x 14" (35.6 x 35.6 cm) with frame}

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This is a painting from my Bountiful Observations series, with 25% of the net proceeds of each sale being donated to the American Horticultural Society.

Friday Inspiration: Fellowship of Female Artists

This evening an exceptional exhibition opens at Principle Gallery here in Old Town Alexandria, Women Painting Women: the Expedition and Beyond. {The show runs from April 13 thru May 14, 2012.}

Thirteen female artists gathered for a week long retreat in November 2010 to paint and commune, and the paintings in this show were either created during the retreat or inspired by the retreat. What I find so captivating about this show is how this fellowship of female artists has came together and has continued to support each other in their careers.

And how did it begin? With a blog, Women Painting Women, created in 2009 by three artists, Sadie Valeri,Alia El-Bermani and Diane Feissel.

Amazing things can happen when the internet collides with the creativity of women!

Participating artists:
.Alexandra Tyng
.Alia El-Bermani
.Catherine Prescott
.Cindy Procious
.Diane Feissel
.Linda Tracey Brandon
.Mia Bergeron
.Rachel Constantine
.Sadie Valeri
.Stefani Tewes
.Terry Strickland
.Katherine Stone
.Shannon Runquist

Dandelions {a new small floral painting} SOLD

Dandelions

{7" x 5" (17.8 x 12.7 cm) – oil on linen panel}

SOLD

Unframed painting

I truly love dandelions.

I think allowing myself to acknowledge this piece of information, is allowing myself to connect with my child-self, because as a kid I loved seeing the bright yellow flowers, yellow dots on a field of green. I also loved sitting in the grass and blowing dandelion puffs. And whenever an adult would see me doing this they would admonish me for spreading those "terrible" weeds, which my mind at the time could not see as being anything but wonderful.

Stargazer Lilies {Bountiful Observations no. 15}

Still Life with Stargazer Lilies & Ginger Jar

{8" x 8" (20.3 x 20.3 cm) – oil on canvas panel}

In a Private Collection

Framed painting: $300.00 + S&H

Hello,

Did you have awonderful Easter weekend? We did, though it was also laid back with some time spent outside enjoying the wonderful weather!

For this painting I am trying out a new style of frame. Initially I had this painting in the gold trimed dark frame, however I thought it was too dark. This silver frame brightens the whole painting, bringing out the white edges of the petals. I hope you like it as well.

Liz

{14" x 14" (35.6 x 35.6 cm) with frame}

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This is a painting from my Bountiful Observations series, with 25% of the net proceeds of each sale being donated to the American Horticultural Society.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! 

Pansies in a Cobalt Blue Bottle {a new small floral painting}

Pansies

{7" x 5" (17.8 x 12.7 cm) – oil on linen panel}

Sold>

Unframed painting: $100.00 starting bid + S&H

I was on a roll with painting pansies, it helps that they are the most abundent flower in my garden right now...

Pansies with Saucer {a new small floral painting} SOLD

Pansies with Saucer

{7" x 5" (17.8 x 12.7 cm) – oil on linen panel}

SOLD

This painting is a compositional homage to this painting created a few months ago... It uses flowers that are currently in season, a different saucer, and bottle... however it was an investigation on how to create a new painting with different items and to see how it would change or stay the same.

I think going back and revisiting a lot of the previous daily painting compositions will be a fun activity, so expect to see more in the future.

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Also, I want to thank everyone who has signed up for my monthly newsletter. I so appreciate your support and interest in my work.

If you have not signed up, here is more information about signing up for email updates, and here is the March 2012 edition, my first newsletter.

Thanks for stopping by and reading,

Liz

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P.S. Here is how this painting would look framed...

(available framed upon request after auction)

Forsythia {Bountiful Observations no. 14} SOLD

Forsythia

{8" x 8" (20.3 x 20.3 cm) – oil on canvas panel}

SOLD

These little yellow flowers are one of the indicators I rely on for anticipating warmer days. Here in DC, forsythias are at their best on cold, damp, and grays days, the yellow flowers seem to glow with a promise of sunny days are just around the corner.

Though once the days begin to warm, drying out and staying sunny the blooms begin to fade and green leaves begin to sprout. And when the leaves begin to come out on forsythia bushes it means that the soil is staying at a pretty consistent temperature of 55 degrees F, which is a good point to begin other springtime plantings… So now that our forsythia bushes have dropped all the flowers and are in full leaf, I have been spending time prepping my beds and expanding a few of them in anticipation of future things to come…

Do you like to garden? If so this wonderful gardening blog I recently came across may be of interest to you, A Way to Garden, from Margaret Roach where she has these handy monthly gardening chore blogposts. I am finding them to be VERY helpful! Also if you are in the DC region, the American Horticultural Society will be holding their annual Spring Garden Market, APRIL 12-14. A great sale with fantastic seedlings and specimens to choose from and the 12th is the AHS members-only preview sale, so if you are not a member think about becoming one so you can get an early jump on your plantings…

{14" x 14" (35.6 x 35.6 cm) with frame}

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This is a painting from my Bountiful Observations series, with 25% of the net proceeds of each sale being donated to the American Horticultural Society.