The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #45

   The end of a month and the end of a year. Excuse me? It just happens to be the last day in April 2015. The painting I'm featuring today was created after a year of practicing in watercolors. This work actually encompasses a number of features - not only the paint, but also a technical pencil.

   I was also finally getting the hang of a background wash where the colors (and shadows) blend together better and they aren't as jarring. The vase, even with the details of the swans and related shadows, blended smoother. The flowers show a variety of light and dark spaces and are well thought out in arrangement. Is it perfect? No, it's not meant to be. But, with any art medium, it is progress not perfection.

   In the end, I was pleased in how the painting turned out. That is also key - you, as an artist, like your work. In that respect, you can be more passionate about it. And even if another professional artist offers constructive criticism (at your request) regarding your work, you can use it to possibly see things you hadn't noticed, or did better than you thought you did. Or, you can even throw the advise away. Why? Because it's your work - your art.

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #44

   If you've ever seen a certain now-famous children's movie, there is one line that defines the main character - "We have layers... like an onion." In other words, there is more to the main character than what he seems or what is visible at first glance.

   This painting progressed from a very light under painting with darker paint being added on to it in layers. Once again, I had to allow for drying time in between the layers so I wouldn't muddy the color blends. I also couldn't use too much paint, as it would bury the original or base color.

   Here the interchange of violets among the flowers and the greens in the vase lend itself to an overall exciting painting. The vase actually had its colors blended like what is in the painting - almost like large individual brush strokes.

Until next time,
The Happy Painter
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #43

  
   I just realized something as I hit the "new post" button on my blogging dashboard - this marks my 101st post. While this may seem to be yawn city to some, for me it's quite an accomplishment. And I'd like to thank you for being part of it.

   I've had the following mantra on several of my business cards over the years - "Dedicated to Beauty". To me, beauty is the essence of many things, especially flowers. This is one of the main reason why I have painted so many floral works over the years. I must admit, however, that beauty is the most difficult aspect to relay in a painting. One flower may be at its peak bloom, another past its prime, and yet another has yet to open.

   This peculiarity of nature has never phased me. I realize if I wait until the "perfect moment" to paint a flower, I probably will never get the chance to paint it at all. Each flower is beautiful no matter what phase of life it is currently in.

   In today's painting, even though the majority of the flowers are in full bloom, the dropped flower (in the lower right) is beautiful as well. It still adds character to the composition.

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #42

  
   Sometimes art can contain some confusing concepts. While looking at a particular still-life painting, which is the category that a floral technically falls under, many people can identify with color and light. But did you know there was also movement? Excuse me - Movement in a still life?

   The "movement" part does not refer to the subject moving. It is the movement or flow of the painting itself. Does the painting capture your attention at the main focal point, then does it "lead" your viewing in a certain direction to see other details?
In the case of today's painting, the first place you look at is the big lily in the center. Then your eyes may follow left and right, following a line axis to the other lilies. Next, you follow the lines downward on the vase to the brown table, where the left and right shading leads you to the blue wall, where the shading is now upwards. This leads you back to the center lily again.

   Capturing the light, color, and movement was the easier part in the creation of this work. The glass vase reflections proved to be the challenge as did using watercolor paint as a medium. Regardless of the challenge, and whether I pulled things together or not, beauty needs a voice.

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

  

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #41

   Remember yesterday's blog where I mentioned about finding inspiration and how sometimes it can right in front of you or right (or left) around the corner? In today's post, the inspiration for the flowers in this art work were mid-summer "picks" from my garden.

   Learning how to create texture while still creating a resemblance of beauty that was in front of me posed a challenge, especially using watercolors. Believe it or not, I find working in this medium to be a refreshing break from oil painting. I have to utilize a different skill set to render each one and at times the problem solving can be mind bending.

   However, if you've been itching to do some painting in watercolors, don't let what I just wrote stop you - even if you are a beginner. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has to start somewhere. No one throughout history woke up one day and said, "Hey... I think I'll try painting today", and churned out a masterpiece. Art, regardless of medium is a practicing hobby or profession. Always remember - progress not perfection.

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #40

   Everyone has heard of writers block. Did you know that artists / painters can suffer from the same thing? Except in our profession it's called inspiration block. Like writers or musicians, when the creative muse hits, you have to go with it - other times it just won't be there.

   There are times when inspiration can be delayed because I'm stuck in my own head. I think too hard, or try to imagine this painting or scene in some grandeur fashion as if this "one" will be my magnum opus. All I end up doing is sitting and spinning. Sometimes you just have to create something because the inspiration is right in front of you.

   This watercolor was the result of seeing a beautiful sight and rendering it. I just happen to take a left turn off a main road and... there it was. No need to think, or ponder, or wonder. It's not going to get any better than this - no excuses.

   The one thing I did learn from this work was I needed smaller brushes in order to do smaller paintings. This work was done on watercolor paper and is only 8"x10" in size. It was still a great "seize the moment" exercise!

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #39

   When I was teaching watercolor painting classes a few years back, I followed a series of paintings that allowed for learning in a methodical order. My students were a little confused, as the primary purpose of the paintings was not to create something that was "stunning" or "beautiful" - although in my opinion, any art work contains these elements on their own.

   One color painting taught them how to get the different values of light to dark. Two color painting taught temperature; where is the light coming from and it's cooler in shady areas. Three color painting taught blending. Each painting built on the lessons learned from the previous art work. These paintings also taught students that inspiration can come from anywhere. The inspiration for these exercises came from:
 - A picture from a magazine,
 - A picture I took off of Waterman's Beach in South Thomaston,
 - My imagination.

   The painting with the fishing vessel "Bounty" was the summation of all the lessons. Students were now capable of putting a basic painting together, and with practice, the tools became easier to apply. My classes usually consisted of meeting once a week for eight weeks. The first four weeks covered basic color wheel concepts, materials, values, as well as the techniques described above. The last four weeks were used to teach brush strokes, knife techniques, and how to "fix mistakes", depending on the artists perspective.

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

  

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #38

   Experimentation is the spice of life. While others may call it "artistic license", I prefer to use the term "freedom to explore" - especially when it involves my own work. I can try new ideas or concepts; I can make mistakes; or I can come to different conclusions.

   The painting I'm focusing on today I like to call Purple Beach. I tried painting an unusual take on a typical ocean scene. First, I used watercolors, not oils. I also wanted to incorporate contrasting colors, hence the reason for using purple (violet) and orange.

   I find watercolor paints interesting while challenging to work with. I find they require quite a bit of patience for drying time. If a section isn't totally dry and I attempt to add more detail to that section, I may end up with a colorful bloom or a puddle of muddy colors.

   For an "experiment"... I was quite pleased with the outcome.

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #37

   We're going to take a massive detour on today's work - unlike all the other Gallery Wall Talk blogs to date, this piece is not a painting. This sunflower print was carved out of a block of wood. The creation was part of an art class I was teaching while at the old A.D. Gray Middle School in Waldoboro Maine.

   The kids in the class were free to design anything they wished. I, being the forever lover of beauty as well as sunflowers, chose to proceed in that direction. The procedure was to draw out the design before we were allowed to cut the design, as there were only enough blocks for one attempt at this.

   I began carving from the center and worked my way out toward the edges. I discovered that I have a gentle hand when it comes to carving as I didn't make really deep grooves. I wish I could say the same for when I tried pottery...

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #36

   A few years ago when I lived in Thomaston Maine, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who purchased a large Victorian house on Main Street. Thomaston is still mostly a bedroom community with all its commercial properties on the east end of town. The original, historic downtown section still has a select number of businesses, all housed in brick buildings that were constructed and preserved from the 1800's.

   My friend relocated from California. In the general conversation, I asked what brought her and her family to Maine. She said she loved New England and coastal Maine in particular. She loved the old houses, whether sea captains houses or old farm homesteads. She loved the sense of history.

   Unfortunately, there aren't many actual working farms left in the midcoast Maine area. Primarily due to the expense of running such an operation, from animal and property upkeep to taxes, as well as other state and federal laws, make farming a venture not for the faint of heart.

   Today's painting is of a sheep farm that used to be in neighboring Cushing Maine. I captured the workings of it in its last year of operation. Like many farms before it, the owners were retiring, wanted to live closer to town, and no one wanted to take over the operation. All the livestock were sold, then the farmhouse was rented out. Approximately two years later, the property was sold. The house and out-buildings still stand, but much of the acreage has been sold off with the plan to build more plain-jane housing.

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #35

   Many of you know that I reside in coastal Maine. Most of the time, the weather can be pretty temporal, considering the state is part of northern New England, thanks to the help of the ocean that's just over a quarter-mile away from my home. Normally, the winters are less harsh, cold, and snowy than other parts of New England or even the Midwest, as well as cooler in the summer. This past winter was quite the test of character with a way-above average snowfall amount within a short span of time. As I write this, however, the snow is gone save for the snowbanks. Some people are saying they can't wait for summer, while others are predicting we will be complaining in two months about how hot it will be.

   Today's Wall Talk painting was actually an experiment performed in the heat of summer back in 2008 to elicit the "cool" feeling of winter. I remember working on it over the course of two days in early August when the temperatures soared into the upper 80's... and it was humid to boot. I kept the color scheme very simple as well as the design. Due to the humidity (and no air conditioning - we don't need it here in Maine), I didn't want the paint to take triple its normal drying time.

   This was another painting where the scene was mentally inspired - it didn't come from a picture I took the previous winter or from any other source. I painted the entire canvas blue, then added the white to represent snow. The only other colors were the green and brown for the tree.

   The finished piece measures 18"x24" on canvas and is in the procession of my oldest daughter. She too, liked the concept of a winter scene "cooling things off" during the heat of summer. This is despite the fact that my husband commented after the work was finished; "You know - we'll just be complaining how cold it will be four months from now..."

   Everybody's a comedian...

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

 

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #34

   This was one of those moments I wished I had my camera with me. Several years ago, I was on my way to work. The fog was lifting as the sun was rising as I drove down my usual route. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a quick glimpse of a red maple as I passed by it. I had a few minutes to spare, so I turned around to get a better view of it. I parked my car and took in as many details as I could - the colors of the tree as well as the surroundings. The way the sun lit the maple. How the fog still danced and blocked some of the details.

   Once the painting was finished, it was one of my favorites for quite some time. One particular aspect about the piece was the beauty of that moment as I remembered it. To this day, I call that painting my "drive-by tree"!

   The painting measures 16"x20" and was done on Masonite board. I sold the work to a woman who shared my passion for color and beauty. It's hard to believe it was sold almost three summers ago to help finance our trip south.

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #33

   Whomever came up with the expression, "Grace under pressure" should have their head examined. This is just my opinion, as I have close friends who absolutely revel in last minute deadlines or the occasional "pressure cooker" situation. I've never been one to frequently work in stress. However, the painting I'm blogging about today was created under pressure. I was teaching an oil painting class at an area high school and did a "live demonstration".

   I began with the sky, layering on colors until one-third of the canvas was covered. I then put in the reflection of the water. Next, I painted in the tree line as well as the shore. The rocks and outcropping followed with the egret being painted last.

   I will be honest - I do not like painting in front of people. So the fact that this painting came about in the first place means there is more to this story. My students came to this first class with whatever they had for supplies. The schools' secretary forgot to pass out the supply list when these people signed up. Mistakes happen - it was a slight oversight. "No big deal...", I thought. "I'll just do a demonstration. My students don't have the proper materials to work with and I don't have enough for everybody."

   As it turned out, it became a big deal. Multiple students dropped out and the class ended up getting cancelled. Did I intimidate people? Make things look too easy? What did I do wrong? When people were asked why they were not continuing the class, they pretty much all said, "I can't do this class. The instructor is great, but I can't paint like she did! She did an 18"x24" painting in under an hour! I'm not that good!"

Live and learn. I learned never to do another demonstration...

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #32

   The painting I'm writing about today is called... hold your breath... "Ocean". I hope I didn't keep you in suspense for too long! In all seriousness, when I painted this piece back in 2000, it was my first "large canvas" painting that was done 100% from my imagination. Many people who view the painting ask, "Where did you paint that?" I usually reply, "In my head... then in the studio."

   I did this painting in layers - I began with a dark blue sky, then filled in the moon, then added the swirls around the moon. The creative process was quite a bit like the movement of the ocean. The blue water went in horizontal wavy movements, same with the waves, as well as the moonlight.

   Ironically, this painting actually changes hues, especially the moon, depending on how the light hits it. It can even be the same type of light - be it natural or artificial. To this day, I'm unsure if it was the unique paint I used for a while during that year, or if it's just the way the painting "flows"...

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Gallery Wall Talks #31

  
   Remember in my last blog I touched briefly on something called "artist liberty"? In yesterday's post, I mentioned how I took liberty with the clouds in that painting to give the work, what I felt, was the right feel for the scene. Today's highlighted painting has quite a bit more of that liberty.

   I started with a snapshot of the Camden Hills that rise about 800 feet just west of the towns' harbor. I deleted all the buildings from the waterfront area. I was primarily after nature and all of her glory - including the wind in the sails of the boats.

   The original is in California with my dear friend Cindy. It was a going-away present several years ago as she was moving from mid-coast Maine to (at that time) the southern United States. Even though it was created 15 years ago, and I still see this same area frequently, the piece still has a soft place in my soul.

Until next time,
The Happy Painter,
Jill