Marla Laubisch - Paintings

Lunchtime

2012-01-30T11:14:00.004-05:00

6" x 8", oil on hardboard

I love this little barbecue shack in western North Carolina. The perfect place for lunch after a morning of fishing. Or, as it usually goes for me, a morning of feeding expensive bait to the fish.

For sale.

Reading in the Park

2012-01-25T17:00:00.003-05:00

5"x7" oil on hardboard

This week's Daily Paintworks Challenge.

There's a few areas I'm not entirely happy with, but sometimes you have to know when to stop. When you're poised with a paintbrush in your hand, thinking "there must be something I can do to improve this painting..." that's a good time. Wait until you actually know what you're going to do.

Email me for price.

A little hiatus

2012-01-15T10:44:00.003-05:00

I know it's been forever since I posted. I had intended to take a break over the holidays, and that turned into a month+ of sinus infection, bronchitis, and plain old rotten cold. Twelve nights in a row sleeping upright on the sofa — couldn't even lie down without a coughing fit. Not the most enjoyable holiday I've had…

So I'm playing catch-up with everything; I'm four or five weeks behind in all aspects of my life. I hope to return soon with new Painting of the Week newsletters, and I'm planning a BYOB painting workshop for this spring — details to come.

Wishing everyone a belated Happy New Year!

Snowy Field

2011-12-12T09:04:00.002-05:00

Oil on hardboard
8" x 10"

Brrr. The temperatures have finally dropped into the fifties, so I'm feeling wintry :) Really I'm hoping I won't see any of that frozen white stuff this year.

This is for sale on my Etsy shop

Airy

2011-12-05T10:21:00.002-05:00

Oil on hardboard
5" x 7"

A very well-ventilated barn.

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

Super duper end of year sale

2011-12-04T10:23:00.002-05:00

Rock bottom prices on paintings - 50% to 75% off! This is a great opportunity to acquire original artwork inexpensively, for yourself or as a gift. Prices are good through December 31, 2011.

Visit the sale here.

Dappled

2011-12-01T17:05:00.004-05:00

The challenge on Daily Paintworks this week was: paint in the style of your favorite artist. Well, I don't have "a" favorite artist, but I adore Jackson Pollock. Our styles couldn't be more different, but I love his work. There is such an energy and verve!

I've never tried to paint in his style before, and I discovered it's very difficult. I'm not displeased with it, but I never quite achieved what I was looking for. For one thing, I worked on a 9x12 inch canvas, and his were more like 9x12 FEET. It makes a difference—the physicality of laying the paint is entirely different. I've seen film of him working, and he moves around the canvas, approaching it from different sides and different altitudes, whereas I worked from the same position on a drawing board. He created a whole body piece; mine was all in the wrist :) Pollock is an artist whose work inspires people to say "My kid could paint that!" I can tell you, "No they can't." You may not like Pollock's art, but there is no question he is working deliberately and intently.

This painting is based on a landscape I've been working on recently. I can't find quite the approach I want, and I've tried a couple different things. This one might be my favorite.

Vista

2011-11-29T11:33:00.003-05:00

Oil on hardboard
5" x 7"

Another scene from Nags Head Woods. I've been experimenting with a light touch on these landscapes, and I like the almost watercolor-y effect.

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

Ready to Burst

2011-11-21T08:46:00.003-05:00

Oil on canvas panel
8" x 10"

The colors have been unbelievable this year!

SOLD

Cotton Candy

2011-11-14T07:05:00.002-05:00

Oil on hardboard
5" x 7"

I'll return to the Nags Head Woods paintings next week, but in the meantime as we get closer to winter it's nice to remember the beachy part.

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

Glade

2011-11-06T07:09:00.002-05:00

Oil on hardboard
5" x 7"

I'm working on a series of paintings from photos I took at Nags Head Woods a couple years ago. We spend a week at Nags Head every summer (in NC, mid-September is still summer, believe me), and it's usually a beach thing. Then I saw a piece about Nags Head Woods on the local PBS station, and we spent a day there instead of at the beach. I did my first plein air painting there, so it was very exciting.

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

Pears

2011-10-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

5" x 7"
Oil on canvas panel
Sold

This still life is from a couple years ago, one of my first attempts.

Enter to WIN THIS PAINTING

2011-10-17T07:48:00.001-04:00

Splash
6" x 6"
oil on hardboard

ENTER A DRAWING TO WIN THIS PAINTING!

1. Sign up for my Painting of the Week email if you haven't already (send me a message with "subscribe" in the subject or body)

2. Anytime before FRIDAY NOVEMBER 4, send me an email telling me you want to enter the drawing for the painting.

I'll choose randomly from all the entrants and announce the winner on Monday November 7, 2011.

Privacy policy: I won't share your email address or other information with anyone else for any reason.

Parkway

2011-10-10T07:59:00.005-04:00

6"x8" oil on hardboard

I'm still working with palette knife and liking the results - big thick paint.

50 Starts - Start 15

2011-09-30T13:42:00.004-04:00

7x7", water-soluble oils

I painted this in response to the Limited Stroke challenge. It was terribly difficult for me to make myself do this, but a very good practice. The result is an awful mess of sludgy paint, but I did come away with a much stronger painting than I usually achieve. Somewhere or other I saw a motto that said "Move toward discomfort" and apparently there's much truth in it.

And speaking of discomfort, that jar in the back turned out a lot more phallic-shaped than in real life! Oh well, I'll only sell this one in the adult section of the art gallery :D

Gold in the Green

2011-09-26T09:00:00.004-04:00

Gold in the Green
6" x 8"
oil on hardboard

It's not quite autumn yet here in North Carolina, but there are a few leaves turning. This is at Tailrace on Neuse reservoir.

I started this painting plein air back in May. It was a study I did during Mike Rooney's workshop. I decided to finish it in the studio yesterday, using a palette knife, for the latest DPW challenge. I like the result, somehow using the knife lets me loosen up more.

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

50 Starts - Start 14

2011-09-08T09:56:00.003-04:00

This photo was all about the warm and cool contrasts - one boat was in the sun (very low sun) and the others back in the shadows. Obviously it's a very loose sketch, but I can see a lot of potential for a full painting—so the study served its purpose.

DPW Help the Children of African challenge -SOLD

2011-09-05T08:06:00.006-04:00

Beatnik Peppers
5" x 7"
Oil on canvas board.

100% of the proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated to Doctors Without Borders, as part of the Help The Children of Africa campaign, to aid victims of the devastating drought. Visit the Daily Paintworks page to read more, view artwork, or enter a bid for this or other paintings.

Thanks to the purchaser for her contribution - a check with matching funds has been sent to Doctors Without Borders.

50 Starts - Start 13

2011-09-04T10:01:00.004-04:00

I started this painting immediately after finishing the previous rectangle Challenge. That's unusual for me, to paint twice in one day, but I was all fired up.

Wasn't sure exactly what my boundaries were at first. The rectangle painting was a great out-of-the-box exercise for me, so I started with that in mind (that's why the small trees look like green fudgesicles), but then switched to no restrictions on shape, just the number of them.

I felt like I got too detailed with the first rectangle painting, and it's such a struggle for me to simplify, so I thought "I'll only allow myself 12 distinct shapes in this one," whether they are rectangles, ovals, or amorphous.

Obviously there's a few more than 12, but overall I think I kept true to the spirit of it. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out — feel like I'm on a better, clearer track now.

A little contretemps with the greens: I had phthalo blue on my palette, and I think I have to ban myself from that hue. I've seen Qiang Huang use it to great effect, but it's too wild for me to control right now. I had to rework the trees on the right a couple times; at first they were the exact color of Gumby.

50 Starts - Start 12

2011-09-02T15:29:00.003-04:00

This painting was SO fun to do. And also incredibly difficult; I could feel my brain cells burning up as I worked. It's only 5 inches square, but still took me two sessions. It's part of the Daily Paintworks weekly challenge: you can see the description here.

As always, I got in too tight, but it was amazing how many different colors and values I began to see as I studied it. I limited myself to only horizontal and vertical rectangles, which I don't think was part of the original challenge, but it was a good experience to do it that way.

50 Starts - Start 11

2011-09-01T08:21:00.004-04:00

The underpainting for this was gorgeous, and I'm a little disappointed with how it turned out. The reflections can only be described as stupid. Ugh. Will be trying a new direction on the next start, I have a couple tricks up my sleeve that I hope will break me out of the recent rut. But - I kind of like the building on the left, way in the back. See, there's always something good even in the worst painting.

50 Starts - Start 10

2011-09-01T08:19:00.002-04:00

I'm having a bad run, here. I think I'm jumping into too-complicated a scene - for now I've had best results working on a close composition. But I can find something I like in everything I've painted.

By the way, the scan was crooked—the buildings aren't really leaning over that much!

50 Starts - Start 9

2011-08-12T07:07:00.002-04:00

Back on track here. I really enjoyed this one, it's a great scene with all kinds of reflected colors on all the surfaces, and more going on outside the window than I showed here. I might attempt it again as a larger painting.

50 Starts - Start 8

2011-08-11T07:02:00.001-04:00

I'm not in love with this one, but I'm going to blame it on working from a bad photo. Yeah, that's it.

Really it was a lack of focus; it was a busy day and I was painting in brief bits in between other work. I decided it was "done" when I ran out of time, not when it was really done.

50 Starts - Start 7

2011-08-09T08:33:00.002-04:00

This is my new favorite. I couldn't get that orange umbrella color as intense as it is in real life, but I'm happy with the balance of everything.

Flag Day

2011-08-08T11:44:00.003-04:00

Flag Day
6" x 8"
oil on hardboard

I used the same reference photo from Start #3 to do this small painting of a cottage.

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

50 Starts - Start 6

2011-08-08T11:39:00.003-04:00

I did the original sketch with a magenta Sharpie - which contributed to the illustrative, rather than painterly, look. A fun technique.

50 Starts - Start 5

2011-08-07T16:16:00.002-04:00

Much better. Still too much purple, but the relative values/temps are better.

50 Starts - Start 4

2011-08-06T16:13:00.003-04:00

I definitely got a little lost in the lavender color: it's not quite right but I wanted to move on. Someone wise once told me: "Fix your mistakes on the next painting." But I do like the background.

50 Starts - Start 3

2011-08-04T07:47:00.004-04:00

This is my favorite! I felt like I was starting to catch on and make some sense of what I'm doing. And I really like the tight composition. My purpose in that close framing was just to keep the painting manageable - it's only five inches square - but I like the composition for itself.

I'm not showing steps now, because I've moved on to oil, and the block-in wouldn't be dry enough for me to scan. But it's the same steps. I'm sketching with acrylic paint - magenta - so I don't have to wait for that part to dry.

50 Starts - Start 2

2011-08-04T06:43:00.001-04:00

This was very experimental - I used colored pencils, which are not a familiar medium for me at all. I have no technique with them, but as a color exercise it was great.

The same three steps: initial sketch; value/temperature; color correction and detail.

50 starts

2011-08-03T07:06:00.006-04:00

I'm going back to basics and working on quick studies this summer. I remember reading in one of Kevin McPherson's books that an artist should do "100 starts" - to learn the habits of composition and value, without spending the time on a finished painting.

Of course I'm not that energetic, so I cut it in half to 50 Starts. I've got 50 pieces of heavy sketch paper cut into 5"x5" pieces, and am working my way through. To keep myself from becoming too detailed, I'm working in three stages: 1) the sketch, just a loose positioning of the scene; 2) a blocking in of value and temperature; 3) color adjustment and a few details.

Here's the first one I did - I used acrylic for the drying time, which had its good and bad points. My stock of acrylic paints is limited, so it took too much effort to mix the color I wanted. On the other hand, good practice in working from a limited palette.

Initial sketch in magenta using a round brush. Very loose.

Blocking in. I'm attempting a sort of modified Cape Cod School approach that I learned from Mike Rooney's workshops. Still struggling with that, but as you'll see when I post more of the Starts, I'm slowly making progress.

Color correction and just a little more detail. Have to practically tie my hand down to keep myself from futzing with it and adding little branches and stones and such.

Path by the Brook

2011-06-27T08:03:00.001-04:00

Path by the Brook

5" x 7"
oil on hardboard panel

There is a wonderful walking trail through the park at the Art Museum in Raleigh. You pass by sculptures and outdoor installations, open fields, wooded trails, and a pretty little brook tucked away at the bottom of the hill.

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

Bridge at Tailrace

2011-06-06T10:24:00.003-04:00

Bridge at Tailrace

6" x 8"
oil on canvas panel

I spent a gorgeous Saturday at Tailrace fishing area on Falls Lake, at Mike Rooney's all-day plein air painting workshop. He teaches a sort of modified Cape Code school style of underpainting, and it really clicked for me. This is one of the scenes I painted, the bridge over the river.

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

Red Skiff

2011-05-23T09:37:00.004-04:00

Oil on hardboard
9" x 12"

A scene at the Southport marina, NC.

This was one of those overcast days where everything seem to just blend into everything else, and there are no edges.

SOLD

Barn Road

2011-05-17T07:17:00.001-04:00

Oil on hardboard
9" x 12"

A farm in Granville County, NC.

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

Spring Crape Myrtle

2011-04-18T17:25:00.003-04:00

Oil on canvas
14" x 18"

A crape myrtle at the arboretum.

I'm pretty happy with this one. That tree at the arboretum is fabulous, and you could paint it every day with entirely different results. And I love the color contrast between the red crape myrtle and the cool green background trees. Struggled a lot with those mid-ground trees, though—couldn't seem to get them quite how I wanted, and by then I had so much paint on the canvas it was getting mucky. Sometimes it's better to quit when you're ahead, or at least before you make it worse :)

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

RFD

2011-04-10T18:51:00.004-04:00

Oil on hardboard
8" x 10"

Rural mailboxes in a valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I had a lot of fun and struggle with this one - I started it over entirely once, and several times scraped the paint off and repainted an area. Trying to loosen up, as always, and use a bolder brushstroke than usual. The white newspaper boxes are my favorite part, and the foreground around them - I managed a sort of Gauguin thing I really like.

SOLD

Azalea River Sky

2011-04-04T07:09:00.004-04:00

Oil on canvas
24" x 30"

This is just upstream of the Battleship NC. The sunsets in Wilmington are always beautiful, but this one was extraordinary. The colors reminded me of azaleas - pink, fuchsia, magenta, lavender...

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

Landing

2011-04-02T06:00:00.001-04:00

6" x 6" oil on gessoed hardboard

I'm very excited to announce that Landing has been selected to be displayed and offered for sale at the North Carolina Museum of Art's inaugural Art of the Auction, Saturday May 21. Proceeds go to the NCMA Foundation.

On the Roof

2011-03-21T07:22:00.005-04:00

Oil on hardboard
5" x 7"

At the Raulston arboretum in Raleigh. I painted this after seeing Laurel Daniel's demo on her blog, and it was really helpful.

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

R/V Dan Moore in Pink

2011-03-14T09:07:00.003-04:00

Oil on hardboard
8" x 10"

The Research Vessel Dan Moore on the Cape Fear River.

SOLD

Price's Creek

2011-03-06T20:31:00.002-05:00

Oil on hardboard
5" x 7"

Near Southport NC

SOLD

Before the Party

2011-02-28T07:30:00.002-05:00

Oil on hardboard
8" x 10"

I was in Wilmington in November, and took a lot of reference shots. It was unusually warm and sunny for that time of year, but there wasn't much foliage or flowers - so it's a less colorful painting than a previous version of the same scene from the other side of the restaurant.

This is for sale on my Etsy shop.

Boatyard

2011-02-08T07:32:00.006-05:00

Oil on hardboard
8" x 10"

I finally had the chance to finish a painting I began in November at a workshop given by Mike Rooney. I think that sets the record for Longest Painting to Complete. I'm really happy with it though; usually revisiting a painting doesn't turn out well.

This will be for sale on my Etsy shop; I need to wait until it's drier to get a better scan.

Morning Field

2010-11-14T20:00:00.003-05:00

Acrylic on Pastelbord®
11" x 14"

I attended an excellent workshop on Acrylic Landscapes taught by Ken Muenzenmayer. I usually paint with oils, so it was a change of pace for me. His technique is fantastic, a combination of washes and dry-brushing that renders wonderful results.

SOLD

News

2010-10-27T08:12:00.002-04:00

It's been pretty crazy around here since the end of September. Almost no time to paint, but plenty of good news:

I've got four paintings in the new Arts Council of Wilson gallery store. It's a really nice gallery in downtown Wilson, go check it out.

In November I'm teaching two drawing classes for Department of Cultural Resources employees. We'll be learning right-brain techniques for improving accuracy as well as creativity. I'm really looking forward to that.

Also in November I'm attending two workshops at Art of the Carolinas: Acrylic Landscapes and Learn To Simplify.

Just a Touch

2010-09-27T07:46:00.005-04:00

5" x 7" oil on gessoed hardboard

SOLD

On the third day of Fall, there was just a touch of yellow on the leaves (and we broke heat records, as we've done all summer).

This was my first chance to try out my new French easel. It's fantastic - very lightweight and compact, but sturdy. You don't have to use a fancy easel (Tom Brown shows how to use a pizza box and a yardstick), but it's convenient to use one so well-designed.

As always there's a huge difference between painting from life and painting in the studio. It's difficult to frame the scene, there's just so much MORE than in a photo reference.

Arts Council of Wilson gallery

2010-09-19T14:25:00.003-04:00

I'm very excited to say that I have four paintings on exhibit/for sale at the new Arts Council of Wilson. The opening date is October 1, with a Kick Off planned for October 15.

Clockwise from upper left: Sherandoh; Landing; Nags Head Wood; Path Through a Field. All are 6x6", oil on hardboard, framed.

Hayfield

2010-08-30T08:07:00.003-04:00

8" x 10" oil on gessoed hardboard

A hayfield in North Carolina. It was tricky painting an overcast day, because I have a tendency to want my colors very bright and saturated. At least there were some cast shadows despite the clouds.

Sold.

Loading Dock

2010-08-23T11:02:00.002-04:00

8" x 10" oil paint on gessoed hardboard

A loading dock on the grounds of the art museum in Raleigh, NC. This is another painting done with palette knife.

sold.

Farm Road

2010-08-16T08:39:00.003-04:00

5" x 7" oil on gessoed hardboard

Farm road in Granville County, NC.

I painted this with a palette knife. It really helped me block in colors and shapes instead of getting hung up on details - you can only get so detailed with a knife on 5x7.

SOLD

Party at the River

2010-08-02T07:44:00.002-04:00

8" x 10" oil paint on gessoed hardboard

On the Cape Fear River in Wilmington, NC.

For sale at the Arts Council of Wilson museum shop.

Sherando

2010-07-13T06:33:00.001-04:00

6" x 6" oil on gessoed hardboard

Sherando, Virginia.

For sale on my Etsy shop.

Granville County Farm

2010-06-20T13:02:00.003-04:00

7" x 7" oil on gessoed hardboard

Farm buildings in North Carolina.

SOLD

Crepe Myrtles

2010-06-14T08:25:00.002-04:00

8" x 10" oil on gessoed hardboard

Crepe myrtle tree near the Japanese Garden in Raulston Arboretum.

For sale on my Etsy shop.

Cottonwoods

2010-06-02T16:36:00.002-04:00

5" x 7" oil on gessoed hardboard

One more study of a painting by artist Tom Brown, then next week something of my own showing what I've learned.

Not for sale

Morning in the Field

2010-05-26T11:24:00.003-04:00

5" x 7" oil on gessoed hardboard

This is another study of a painting by artist Tom Brown, whose landscapes I greatly admire.

Not for sale.

Bend in the Road

2010-05-17T06:52:00.002-04:00

6" x 6" oil on gessoed hardboard

This is my study of a painting by artist Tom Brown, whose landscapes I greatly admire.

Not for sale

Landing

2010-05-10T06:22:00.002-04:00

5" x 7" oil on gessoed hardboard

For sale on my Etsy shop.

NC Museum of Art's new building

2010-04-15T06:54:00.002-04:00

I was able to see a preview of the new NCMA last weekend. It's just breathtaking! We have such very good collections, it's wonderful to see them housed in this environment. I saw artwork that hasn't been on display for several years, including the museum's three Aaron Douglas illustrations, as well as many new pieces recently donated—a Picasso, for one. And the Rodin sculptures are fantastic. Many of them are placed outside in the gardens.

The grand opening is this April 24-25. Admission to the museum is always free, but I know there will be specific, ticketed events for the opening, so check their website before you go, to make sure you'll be able to see everything you want to.

Howard's Channel

2010-03-29T07:29:00.001-04:00

Howard's Channel, NC.

8" x 10" ink on hardboard.

Please email me to purchase.

Shady Creek

2010-03-21T15:15:00.001-04:00

I decided to try something a little different to break out of my patterns - I painted most of this with a sponge. Not the big sea sponges people use for painting walls, but a small makeup sponge with very dense foam.

5" x 7" oil paint on hardboard,

Please email me to purchase.

Rich Inlet

2010-03-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

Rich Inlet, NC.

11" x 14" acrylic paint on canvas.

Please email me to purchase.

Spring on Topsail Island

2010-03-07T18:18:00.000-05:00

Spring on Topsail Island.

11" x 14" acrylic paint on canvas.

Please email me to purchase.

Johnson Creek

2010-03-01T06:47:00.001-05:00

Johnson Creek at Cape Lookout.

Each panel 8" x 10" acrylic paint on masonite.

Please email me to purchase.

Orange Day

2010-02-22T08:41:00.001-05:00

Each panel 12" x 16" acrylic paint on stretched canvas.

[sold]

Mist

2010-02-08T07:55:00.001-05:00

8" x 10" oil on masonite

For sale at the Resale Marketplace.

Afternoon in the Park

2010-01-25T08:18:00.003-05:00

11" x 14" oil on stretched canvas

sold.

Rescue

2010-01-18T15:05:00.002-05:00

5" x 7" oil on masonite

email me to purchase

Midnight Pool

2010-01-11T07:24:00.000-05:00

11" x 14", acrylic on stretched canvas.

For sale at the Resale Marketplace.

First painting of 2010

2010-01-07T11:09:00.002-05:00

8" x 10" oil on gessoed masonite

Winter at Falls Lake

For sale on my Etsy shop.

Schenck Forest

2010-01-04T20:36:00.004-05:00

6" x 6" oil on gessoed masonite.

This was the last painting of 2009. I found a great place to paint, Schenck Memorial Forest. I spent the whole day there - first painting, then a hike, then a picnic. It was pretty cold by the time we got to the picnic, but still a nice day. The sun was very low when I did the painting, even though it was about noon. The winter light is still clear when it's that low, and everything was sparkly.

For sale on my Etsy shop.

My typical plein air experience

2010-01-01T16:20:00.001-05:00

marriedtothesea.com

River Garden triptych

2009-12-15T17:10:00.004-05:00

each panel 6" x 12"
Acrylic paint on canvas board

I painted this at least a year ago, and sold it recently. Thinking about developing this style further...

Pond

2009-12-13T20:50:00.003-05:00

18" x 24" acrylic paint on stretched canvas.

For sale at my Etsy shop.

Mug Shot

2009-12-08T12:01:00.002-05:00

8" x 10", oil on gessoed masonite

Contrast and compare

2009-12-08T09:17:00.003-05:00

Two scenes of Topsail Island
6" x 6" oil on gessoed masonite

I followed Laurel Daniel's excellent tutorial, and was really pleased with the results. I did the painting on the left in mid-September, the one on the right last week. Of course there's a difference in the hues, as they are different times of the year, but I got a lot more depth and a more solid foundation after studying her work.

Outburst

2009-12-07T08:04:00.003-05:00

5" x 7", oil on gessoed masonite.

For sale at the Resale Marketplace.

Walking Home

2009-12-04T10:39:00.004-05:00

12" x 16", acrylic on stretched canvas.

I liked the previous painting so much, I did another version.

Sold

There is an Eminence

2009-11-30T08:44:00.003-05:00

8" x 15.5" acrylic paint on gessoed masonite

"There is an Eminence,--of these our hills
The last that parleys with the setting sun;
We can behold it from our orchard-seat;
And, when at evening we pursue our walk"
—William Wordsworth

Sold

Experiment

2009-11-29T10:14:00.004-05:00

5"x7", mixed media

This was a good loosening up exercise. I made up the technique as I went along, incorporating all sorts of media. First I painted the sky with opalescent inks and an opalescent glaze. The landscape is torn paper glued to the board, then painted over with oil pastel crayons. Finally a wash of black ink vignetting the edges. I like the dreamy quality.

Pool in the White Garden

2009-11-23T07:30:00.004-05:00

18" x 24" acrylic paint on stretched canvas.

A view of the lily pond in the Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh.

This painting will be for sale at the Festival of Trees to benefit the ARC of Orange County, on December 5th. More information at their website: http://www.arcoforangefot.org/

Open House tomorrow night

2009-11-18T07:00:00.003-05:00

Thursday November 19, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Resale Marketplace. It's a great place to shop for gifts, furniture, and clothing. There will be food and drinks, and door prizes contributed by the vendors. I'm offering this little pepper painting. Hope to see you all there!

All Fired Up
6" x 6", oil on masonite

Blue Morning - sold!

2009-11-16T18:12:00.005-05:00

11 x 14" oil on canvas

Many thanks to the purchaser of this painting. 75% of the sales price went to benefit the Raleigh Rescue Mission - a win/win for all of us!

Challenge - Airport Travelers

2009-11-13T09:22:00.005-05:00

Airport Travelers challenge from Different Strokes From Different Folks
7" x 7" acrylic on masonite panel

I did this one in two stages. First, I painted the scene in 5 values only: black, white, light gray, medium gray, dark gray. However, I used green instead of gray—Hookers Green with some Burnt Sienna to tone it down. I was going for a graphic approach, in fact at first I was leaving a little white space between the areas. It looked quite a bit like a paint-by-numbers :)

I scanned that step, as I wasn't sure whether to leave it as-is or add color. Then I used watercolor pencils to put just a slight warm or cool cast on different areas, and a few denser areas of color, such as the red bag and the yellow hair.

It's such a dark photo, with high contrast. I found the five values were quite extreme: the two lightest were very far away from the three darkest, and the middle value was still very dark. I cheated a little bit on the floor—really it was the same value as the darkest shadows, but I wanted it to separate from the suits, so I mixed up a half-step value for it, somewhere between 4 and 5. I think adding the cool and warm colors helped bring out some definition from the dark areas, although I like the monotone of the all-green version.

Grove of Trees - sold!

2009-11-11T07:24:00.001-05:00

Grove of Trees
24"x30" oil on canvas

I am very excited to announce that this painting will be part of the 19th annual Works of Heart Art Auction Against AIDS. The proceeds from the sales go to the Alliance of AIDS Services Carolina.

You can see the painting by clicking the View the 2009 Artwork link and choosing "L". More information about the auction, how to bid on artwork, and other info about the organization can be found on the website.

Update November 11: Many many thanks to the buyer of this painting - you're supporting a very important cause!

p.s. look for an upcoming post about a benefit for the ARC of Orange.

Three Onions

2009-11-09T07:26:00.003-05:00

6" x 6", oil on masonite

For sale at the Resale Marketplace.

New Deal exhibit opens October 29

2009-10-27T08:23:00.006-04:00

In Search of a New Deal: Images of North Carolina, 1935-1941 opens this Thursday at the NC Museum of History in Raleigh. I'm the graphic designer for the exhibit—I created the artwork for the signs, posters, etc. Hope all the local folks will get a chance to see it!

More info about the exhibit.

Country Lane

2009-10-26T07:57:00.002-04:00

8"x10", oil on masonite panel

For sale on Etsy.

Beatnik Peppers

2009-10-26T07:54:00.002-04:00

5" x 7", oil on canvas panel

For sale at the Resale Marketplace.

Challenge - City Rooftops

2009-10-23T07:35:00.004-04:00

6"x6", oil on masonite

I'm a big fan of the website Different Strokes from Different Folks. Every 2 to 3 weeks Karin Jurick posts a reference photo, and anyone who cares to is invited to paint the image (or use whatever medium), then the paintings are posted on the website. It's fantastic seeing the different interpretations of the same photo.

This is the first one I've tried. I was really smitten with the subtle warm and cool grays in the reference photo, the linearity of the buildings, and the textures of metal and stone. I tried an experimental technique - first I drafted the shapes fairly precisely on the canvas, using pencil and drafting tools. I covered that with a thin layer of gesso - the lines were still visible, but muted (and would not bleed into the paint). Then I used oil paints in a very thin wash, almost as though they were watercolors. The texture of the board really came through.

This is the orientation I liked best. It's rotated 90° from the original. I meant the painting to be a collection of abstract shapes and this is how it looks best to me.

Justin's Grove

2009-10-13T16:53:00.001-04:00

16" x 20" oil on canvas

(sold)

CHARITY BENEFIT - Slow Stream

2009-10-12T07:23:00.000-04:00

8"x10", oil on masonite panel

100% of the proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated to the Durham (NC) Rescue Mission to provide Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless - your help can make a big difference in someone's life! Click here to purchase.

"Through grass, through amber'd cornfields, our slow Stream--
Fringed with its flags and reeds and rushes tall,
And Meadowsweet, the chosen of them all"
--William Allingham

For sale on Etsy.

Riverbank

2009-10-08T07:49:00.006-04:00

6" x 6", oil on masonite

For sale at the Resale Marketplace.

Three Limes

2009-10-06T08:05:00.003-04:00

8"x10", oil on masonite

For sale at the Resale Marketplace.

Dorothea's Bowl

2009-10-06T08:01:00.004-04:00

8"x10", oil on masonite

Three Pink Lady apples in a bowl that belonged to my great aunt.

For sale at the Resale Marketplace.

Two Apples

2009-09-29T09:43:00.010-04:00

8x10, oil on masonite

A little different direction for me - I've only painted a couple other still lifes, both of pears.

I didn't like these apples until I set it aside to dry and stepped back a few feet - then it all came together. I think the fruits are not large enough on the canvas, but when framed it's less apparent. And by the way they were very delicious apples.

The great thing about painting food is that the items are a tax-deductible business expense. I'm thinking next time I will paint a large pizza and a pitcher of beer.

For sale at the Resale Marketplace.

Summer Field

2009-09-25T11:34:00.005-04:00

6" x 6" oil on masonite

A scene from the grounds of the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh.

For sale on Etsy.

Nag's Head Woods

2009-09-24T07:12:00.016-04:00

6"x6" oil on Masonite
My first plein air painting.

I've been putting this off, because I'm terrified of painting outdoors - it's so difficult to frame the scene. I decided to bite the bullet while we were in Kill Devil Hills last week. I visited the Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve. It's a gorgeous area with several trails. The one I chose was very steep and difficult and never resolved into a view of anything. So I picked a spot where I could at least stand on flat ground and painted the backlit trees - that's a scene I'm familiar with, given the several renditions of Grove of Trees I painted recently.

The result wasn't the best painting I've ever done; it was a little flat. One mistake is that I used Sap Green as a shortcut—no more greens from the tube ever again, they never look right. But my setup worked great, and now I've broken the ice with plein air painting. Later I touched up the painting in my studio (below), and I'm pretty happy with it now. It looks like I completely repainted the scene, but really I only spent about five minutes improving the contrast and adding a few more tree trunks.

p.s. If you visit the Woods, I highly recommend the Roanoke trail, which we walked a few days later, sans painting equipment. Gorgeous scenery; a smooth, flat trail; and it ends at a little beach on the sound. It's marked as "moderate" on the trail guide, the same as the tortuous Sweetgum trail. It has to be a typo; there is a world of difference in difficulty between the two.

For sale on Etsy.