Margarita

Designing in a Grid: Carrie Burns Brown mentioned in her recent collage workshop that she often designs in a grid.  Other artists I admire do this, too.  (George James is a master.) I realized that my women-at-the-bar paintings were somewhat painted in a grid.   So I continue to riff on the dining and quaffing at the beach, and am focusing on a grid-based design.  It's really interesting to work this way.

Margarita is 8x8" acrylic media and collage on panel.

Cuba Libre

Layers: Another thing we did in our collage workshop was to make an "underpainting"  of collage papers, and then collage even more on top.  Layers add mystery.  Many of the papers used were papers we made by painting tissue paper and then texturing with even more paint.  Layers made of layers!

Cuba Libre is 8x8" acrylic media and collage on panel.

Path to the Dock

Path to the Dock: Toward the end of the day, the sunset slants so beautifully onto the path from the dock.  I painted outside in the Adirondacks every day I was there.  I also used oil, which  I haven't done  since December of 2010.  I changed to acrylic and collage in January 2011 for the Daily Painters Project challenge.  But oil is so luscious when you're painting en plein air.  Design-wise, I took a mosaic approach.

Path to the Dock is 12x16", oil on canvas.

Lakeside Rhythm

Lakeside Rhythm : I wanted to focus on design, even en plein air.  This is always tricky, because time is limited.  So I tried to  simplify.  A strip of sunset across the path becomes  a strip of yellow.  The riot of trees through which the water sparkles becomes  one or two shapes.   To do this in limited time, it is so important to get your value sketch working before you get into the paint. 

Lakeside Rhythm is 12x16", oil on canvas.

Shoreline Rhythm

Shoreline Rhythm : Again, I'm trying to focus more on the "rhythm" than on the "shoreline".  Don't paint stuff.  Paint shapes and values.  For fun, I've posted the photo of this scene here, too.  Did I simplify enough?

Shoreline Rhythm is 12x16", oil on canvas.

Photo of Shoreline

Shoreline Photo:  For fun, here is where I was standing when I painted the two "rhythm" paintings.  

Near Green Bridge

Near Green Bridge: I paint here every year.  I think it might be the most gorgeous place in the Adirondacks.  

Near Green Bridge is 12x12", oil on canvas.

Shoreline, Noon

Shoreline Noon is 9x12", oil on canvas.

Opposite Shore

Opposite Shore is 8x10", oil on canvas.

Summer at Moose River

Summer at Moose River: The day was hot, humid and glorious.  It was almost too hot to paint outside.  But my daughter and I set up near the bridge and painted the river valley anyway.  I think the intense heat nearly splintered the light!   I was painting here one summer when my friend in her tomato-soup-colored  VW Bug stopped mid-span, and shouted out her window: "Betsy, look who's watching you!"  I turned, and gazing thoughtfully over my shoulder at my canvas  was a deer.  She pondered my work for a while, then ambled away.

Summer at Moose River is 9x12" oil on canvas.

Reflections

Reflections is 12x16", oil on canvas.

Interlude

Try, try again: This is another reborn painting.  Again, my disappointment in the first attempt was gradually replaced by delight as I incorporated the under layer  into this composition!  I'm still focused on geometry.  I think  this woman has some history, like the piece itself.  Perhaps the destiny of some paintings is to be the fertile soil from which a new painting bursts to life!  I get to be the gardener.  What fun!

Interlude is 8x8" acrylic media and collage on panel.

Scotch on the Rocks

Lots of Starts II :  Further to this topic, I recently read an article about a man named Scott Kim who is a "puzzle master".  He actually makes a living by designing logical mazes and brain teasers.  The way he describes it, creating a puzzle is a lot like solving one.  His creative process is helped by taking walks and changing where he sits.  But in the end, he says, "I often find that the amount of progress I make is proportional to the number of times I start."  Timeless advice.  This painting is yet another rebirth.

Scotch on the Rocks is 8x8" acrylic media and collage on panel.   

Sultry

 Lots of Starts:  I once heard an audio tape of Charles Hawthorne's advice to his painting students.  One thing he counseled  was "Make many starts."  I took that advice this week.  Days of painting were going by and nothing was really clicking.  So I made some new starts by  painting over a few old pieces.  This turned out to be great!  The previous paint and collage made very  intricate surfaces, and I adapted some of the old shapes into the new pictures.  It was great fun!

Sultry is 8x8" acrylic media and collage on panel.

Enchantment

The pictures I found of Marie Antoinette have her in  magnificent millinery.  In one version, she wears a silk turban with feathers cascading down one side of her face.  So, this is my attempt to capture her, elaborately mid-flourish.

Enchantment is 6x6" acrylic on gessoboard.

Bewitched

Bewitched is 6x6" acrylic on gessoboard.

Chapeau

Another picture I found of Marie Antoinette shows her in a wide-brimmed hat, possibly setting out for  a garden party with all her courtiers.  Something new I tried on this series was painting on gessoboard.  It's very absorbent, and has a completely different feel from painting on canvas.  It takes some getting used to, but I like it.

Chapeau is 6x6" acrylic on gessoboard.   

A la Mode

A la Mode is 6x6" acrylic on gessoboard.

Bedazzled

Bedazzled: For our show this Friday at Detour Salon, we are exploring the themes of Marie Antionette!, big hair, hats, and confection. Yum.

Bedazzled is 6x6" acrylic on panel.

Ringlets

Ringlets is 6x6" acrylic on panel.