Receding Tide

Here is another one that ​was incomplete for a few weeks until I decided to get things done! Again, it was a problem with the sky which I have now finished. I love how rocks reflect in the shallow water as the tide recedes. It is certainly fun to paint!

The Dune

I painted 98% of this painting a few weeks ago and had been meaning to fix a portion of the sky. I finally got around to it and it only took two minutes. I have no idea why I procrastinated so long, but I am glad that I finally finished it as I am happy with the result.

Clouds over Kiawah

A high school buddy of mine has a place on Kiawah Island and said I could use her photo of a marsh as a reference. I toned the paper with orange and allowed some of that to peek through. Still using the oil paper but I computer it down to 8 1/2 x 11. I know that isn't a standard size for paintings, but I accidentally bought some diploma frames (nonreturnable at this stage) and thought the oil paper paintings would fit in them perfectly. I am still using a palette knife, too.

8 1/2 x 11

Oil on Arches Oil Paper

 

 

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Through Here

I have discovered a new product that I like, and this painting is the first result after using it. I'll try to get a better picture after it dries: a skill I still haven't mastered.

I have always enjoyed painting oils on paper, but never liked having to do the three layers of gesso (and having to wait for them to dry) before painting on the paper. I did quite a few ACEOs that were oil on paper. Plus I have so much watercolor paper around that I needed to do something with it!
Arches now makes a lovely oil paper that looks and feels like their watercolor paper. Let me tell you: it is great! It feels great, it holds heavier applications of paint, and can take some abuse. The only drawbacks for some folks may be (1) the absorbency, and (2) the inability to completely get back to the white if the paper. If these are issues for you, then it is likely not for you. These are not issues for me though.

I watched a promotional video about it, and the paper is durable enough to roll like loose canvas. Though I haven't painted en plein air with this paper, I can definitely see the potential. It is lightweight and easy to carry, and it isn't expensive at all. One 9x12 pad of 12 sheets is $7.98 at Blick Art. One 22x30 sheet is only $6.44 as you can see here. Arches Oil Paper - BLICK art materials
Now what am I going to do with all that watercolor paper lying around!?
Oil on Arches Oil Paper
9x12

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Temescal Canyon Slope

A couple of years ago, I was riding around on my lunch hour looking for photo opps.  Temescal Canyon is a recreational park off Sunset Boulevard with barbecue pits, childrens play area, picnic tables, hiking trails, etc.  I snapped a photo (which is actually pretty horrible) through my windshield because the bougainvillea was so beautiful.  Sometimes terrible photos can make painting fun!

The Foot of Notre Dame de la Garde

Last year I visited Marseille and Provence.  They have these little tourist trains (as they do just about everywhere in Europe) that will take you around town so that you can look at stuff.  At first, I was embarrassed to do this, but my friend Sheila and I realized it was the best way to get to see Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille at the top of the hill.  I snapped a random picture of a tree at the bottom of the hill, because I liked the intense shadows.  This tree could've been anywhere, but I know it was in Marseille at the foot of Notre Dame de la Garde! That is one of the reasons I prefer painting from my own pictures.

6x6
Oil on Board

Santa Monica Sunset

I've never had that much success with sunsets. I always end up wiping them down, so I went a little semi-abstract with this one. Block in was done with a large brush, and the rest was structured with a palette knife. This is also bigger than usual and I really enjoyed it.
Oil on Board
18x24

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"The Barrier"

I played with my pastels recently and used a homemade surface with last weekend which was Art Spectrum pastel primer on Gatorboard.  I haven't found the best way to cut the gatorboard though.  It's more heavy duty than regular foam board.

"Tree on Right"

I have to do something about these titles.  Semi-abstract tree.  This is just a study of a portion of a future large painting I intend to paint ... eventually.

I am a fan of this French artist Alexandre Monestier.  You can see his work here: http://www.atelier-monestier.sitew.com/.  His father, Pascal Etchenic, is also a painter, and some of his work can be seen here:  http://www.galeriedecannes.com/gallery/artist_detail.php?artisteID=3.

When I first started painting (and not knowing anything about working with oil paints), I made some attempts to mimic their style.  It didn't work out very well.  Trust me.  However, I like this little semi-abstract tree.  I intend to paint a large landscape or seascape with flattened out colors as Monestier paints.

I think I had to learn to "construct" before I learned how to "deconstruct".

"Sunny Forest Floor"

I've never painted a scene anything remotely like this.  Initially I was intimidated, but it wasn't that difficult, actually.  Partially painted with a palette knife and partially with a brush.  Partially painted yesterday and partially painted today.  I'm partial to this painting.  :-)
6x6
Oil on Board

"Brewing Storm"

I wasn't sure whether or not to consider this painting "finished" or not.  I suppose it could just be a semi-abstract landscape.  I did, however, like the color scheme which was a pretty limited palette of: Cadmium Red Dark (Classic Artists Oils), Quinacridone Red (Classic Artists Oils), Hansa Yellow Orange (Classic Artists Oils), Cadmium Yellow Medium (Utrecht), French Ultramarine Blue (Winsor & Newton) and Titanium White (Winsor & Newton).

Normally, I would have used Gamblin Galkyd as a medium, but this was a lunch hour painting and all I had were my paints, the board and a palette knife.

I started out with a very thin underpainting (on the land and rock area only) with the Quin. Red and the Hansa Yellow Orange.  Hansa Yellow Orange is like Indian Yellow in other brands, but I particularly like Classic Artists Oils' Hansa Yellow Orange better.  In the dark areas, I used a combination of the Cad. Red. Dark and Fr. Ult. Blue.

The gray in the painting was made from all the colors in the palette scraped together with a bit of white added to get the right value.  I rather like it.

"Fitting In"

Fitting In is the finished product of a painting I apparently started a couple of years ago and set aside. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of how it was before. Because the apples are so small on this 6x6 painting, I only used the palette knife a little bit. The apples were then shaped with the brush. The drapery was largely done with the palette knife and polished with a brush.

I also made a change to the name of my blog. For marketing purposes, I think it is best to be consistent, so the name is donnaweathers.blogspot.com as opposed to mosaichippo.blogspot.com. It isn't as clever, but it's less for potential collectors/buyers to remember.

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SOLD - "Baby Blue"

98% of this was done with the palette knife. Since it's a small painting, I had to break out the brush for his beak and eye.

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Repainting Painting

I revisit paintings a lot.  Maybe it's a comfort thing.  Maybe it's a lazy thing.  I painted these pears from a reference photo from Wetcanvas in pastels (and sold them to a friend).  Thank you, Sandy.  There's a big difference between the oil version and the pastel version though.  Here I was very bold with the colors, and the use of the palette knife brings about quite a different painting.
The pastel version first, and the oil version second:

Tomapples

​I've actually painted this scene before, but it was in pastels.  I thought I would give it a shot in oils with the palette knife, because, hey, I must love a challenge.  Boy was it a challenge.  So much of a challenge that my tomatoes look more like apples, so I titled the painting Tomapples.

SOLD Zakynthos Cave

I've painted this once before, but it was in pastels and sold it to a repeat customer in Georgia.  Still playing with the palette knives and oils.  The palette knives are so much easier to clean!

6x6
Oil on Cradled Board

The Most Beautiful Village in Provence

Oops!  I forgot the picture when I first posted this!  Roussillon was one of the most beautiful villages in Provence. On our tour through Provence, our lovely guide, Virginia explained that there were quite a few villages boasting to be "The Most Beautiful Village in Provence". I, for one, could not choose. They are all beautiful in so many different ways. Roussillon is very unique with its ochre cliffs. I painted this scene before in pastels, and thought I would give it a shot in oils and with a palette knife. I'm pretty happy with this ... well ... except for that stupid shadow from my easel that I didn't edit out!  Doh!  

I titled this one Ochre Naturel (spelled the French way since this is from Provence)

Ochre Naturel
5x7
Oil on Board

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Pacific Spray - SOLD

It has been many years since I've played with palette knives, and it was quite fun to embark on this journey!
I used Galkyd product by Gamblin to speed up the drying. Hopefully it won't take too long.
8x10
Oil on Board

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Oil Revisit

I've recently been playing with my oils, due to a pet portrait commission I did. I can't post that one until it has been given to the intended. Meanwhile, I did this nude preggers. I feel as those she's probably pooped from the load. Potential names: "Pooped", "A Load Off" ... Not sure.

I enjoyed doing this painting. It is on loose canvas, but I will be mounting it to a board.

 

 

 

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Figurative Experiment

I'm getting ready to take a figure drawing class on Saturdays, so I thought I would try my hand at a figure in pastels. I used the same technique that I used in Pynki, the elephant painting I did awhile back. The model is from website that provides virtual models called posespace.

 

 

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Sedona Peaks

I've been going back through my studies and I have been slacking on the posting! From my photo reference.

 

 

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Animals from Last week

Baby burro and colorful lion

 

 

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SOLD Atlantic Dunes

I don't think I posted this one yet.  I'm a little bit behind due to the group exhibit I participated in.

The Feather King

Well, it has been more than a week since I've painted anything, and my first attempt was a seascape with waves and cliffs and the whole shebang. Didn't work so I put it aside. I felt a little more comfortable with an animal today. Meet the Feather King. Male peacocks are so majestic, how can they not be called the feather king!

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Wave Study: Pacific Storm

Yesterday I decided to do a wave study while on my lunch hour. Armed with a box of Unison Landscape pastels, and a tiny turquoise Sennelier, I used several photo references and my imagination. This is 5x7 on white Wallis paper, and took about 20 minutes for 90% of it which I finished off at home.

 

 

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Windy Calanque Journey

This may look familiar to you.  You haven't lost your mind.  Yes, you have seen it before.
I repainted the same scene for my Week 4 assignment in Karen Margulis' online class.
It's bigger this time around.
9x12
Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord
We did a watercolor under painting.  I used blue watercolor underneath where the orange-ish cliff would be, and orange underneath where the blue water would be.  Fun exercise!

The new painting is immediately below (9x12), and the old painting (8x10) (sold) is underneath it.

Electric Marsh

I wish the vibrant colors would show up in the photo, darn it.

Kissing Cousins

To me, it looks as though this "pear" of cousins want to kiss one another but fear the taboo.

Zig Zag

Here is another 5x7 study. I call him Zig Zag because of the dark mark above his wing. We saw this blue heron (I think) walking around Volendam in The Netherlands so I snapped his photo. He was so friendly and not even remotely afraid if people.

 

 

 

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Pynki on the Move - Week 3 assignment

For my assignment for Week 3 of Karen Margulis' class, I painted an animal.  This was a bit bigger than I am accustomed to painting.  I wanted to punch up the colors quite a notch, so I made sure the VALUES were correct regardless of the color.  That's why Pynki is pink (... and turquoise ... and green ... etc.)

He was fun.  He wasn't supposed to look like a baby elephant, but that's a flaw that I don't mind.  It was an adult elephant in the reference photo.

The name is made up, and I went with a "creative" spelling just for the fun of it.

Lavender of Gordes - Week Three - SOLD

I had a lot of "wipers" from my "dailies" this weekend that didn't come out the way I had hoped so I went back to something familiar.  I painted this in oils over Thanksgiving weekend, but took some liberties with both. In the pastel painting, I omitted the cypress trees.  In the oil painting, I kind of straitened out the curvature of the rows as shown in the original photo.

The photo, the oil and the pastel (in that order).  I'm sure this isn't the last you've seen of Lavender of Gordes!