Blessing & Joy!

With Blessings, Peace & Joy to you and yours

this sacred season and always.

Two paintings join private collections in Germany . . .

Luisa and Maya share paintings over dinner.

Each chose a painting posted in September. 

Just Hangin' Around and The Old Man in Bamboo are now on the way to their new homes in Germany. It was delightful to be with the girls here in the Pacific Northwest.

A Favorite Tree

Day 30  #stradaeasel
I love gazing into this tree. It looks like it grew out of a children's storybook. Actually it is growing in the woods.

Friends

 Day 29  #stradaeasel
Spending time with friends today.

Early Morning Moonlinght

Day 28  #stradaeasel
I took a cup of hot chai outside and sat in the back yard watching the stars. The moon was resting in the trees on the other side of the house. It was far to dark to see my painting panel, so painted this inside the house with the lights on.

Early Evening

Day 27  #stradaeasel
This oil sketch was an attempt to capture why I am drawn to gazing into the part of our garden every day, every evening, every season, all year. I will keep trying until I make it, and probably after—with great joy.

Like Silk

Day 26  #stradaeasel
Loved painting these flowers!

Evening notes

Day 25  #stradaeasel
Sketching people on TV, things on the coffee table, toys on the floor near the fireplace, and my man watching TV.

Into the Silent Woods

 8 x 6  |  oil sketch on panel

Day 24  #stradaeasel
I hope to capture the wonderful light in the woods some day. The colors were simply magical this afternoon.

Two for Tea

Day 23  #stradaeasel
I think these "models" would be fun to paint. Love the way they are sitting. They were so focused on each other, didn't even see me sketching.

Coffee Stop

Day 22  #stradaeasel
Students often stop by this coffee house for a hot drink, snack and study time.

Corner Coffee House

Day 21  #stradaeasel
An 8 x 6 inch oil sketch for today's posting. Had fun but seems my small brushes are shot. Need to go shopping.

Together Alone

Day 20  #stradaeasel
An oil sketch on a 6 x 8 panel 

Sketching Patterns in Nature

Day19  #stradaeasel
A beautiful sunny day for sketching patterns outdoors.

Peaches and Tea

Day18  #stradaeasel
Today's oil sketch did not survive so adding a sketch of a favorite tea pot.

The Old Man in Bamboo

8 x 6  |  oil sketch on panel

Day17 #stradaeasel
This Old Man became my model after dinner today. His face was carved into the root of a bamboo. His hair and beard are simply the root itself. The smooth stock, only suggested here, became his body.
This piece has joined a private collection in Germany.

More Lilies

Day 16  #stradaeasel
So many lilies were open this morning! They look much better in life than in the oil sketch.
Below shows the work in progress.

 

The setup for today's STRADA Challenge 

Lilies

Day 15 #stradaeasel
Something bright for a rainy day.

Pacific Northwest Indian Basket II

Day14 #stradaeasel
This little woven grass basket with lid was also a gift many years ago. It has the same woven pattern, two in a canoe, repeated on the other side.

Pacific Northwest Indian Basket

Day 13 #stradaeasel
Oil sketch of a small Pacific Northwest Indian Basket, a gift many years ago.

Along the Road Again

Day 12 #stradaeasel
Another sketch of interesting shapes along the road.

Windowsill Tea Tray

Day 11 #stradaeasel
Today's painting was another scraper. I decided to add a sketch instead.

Along the Road

Day 10 #stradaeasel
A pencil sketch of interesting shapes along the road.

Handmade

Day 9 #stradaeasel
An oil sketch with blue and purple

Just Hangin' Around

Day 8 #stradaeasel
Game time—watching Saturday Husky football in the living room.
This piece has joined a private collection in Germany. 

Sketching the News

Day 7 #stradaeasel

Scraped off two oil sketches today and decided to go for the news.

Afternoon Biscotti

oil on panel  |  6 x 8 inches

Day 6 #stradaeasel

The tea was cold by the time I finished the painting. Made fresh tea and ate the biscotti after dinner.

Lawn Chair

oil sketch on panel  |  8 x 6

Day 5 #stradaeasel

Another beautiful day — painting in the late afternoon.

September Maple

oil on panel |  8 x 6

Day 4 #stradaeasel

From one of my favorite trees, painted in the garden this afternoon. The leaves seem to change color every few weeks—from pale gray-purple to rose, light chartreuse, green, yellow, orange and are deep red just before they fall.

Into the Woods

oil on panel  |  6 x 8 inches

Day 3 #stradaeasel

The plan was to paint an abstract of the light coming through the woods in front of our house. The painting ended up a bit looser than intended, but it gives the general feel I was hoping for.

Day 2 of the STRADA September 30-Day Challenge

Coffee Shop Sketch

Day 2 #stradaeasel 

Coffee shops are fun places to sketch, since the folks almost never pay any attention to anything but their books, laptops, or newspapers. That makes them great models.

Today's painting was an attempt to catch the reflections in the water on top of the garden rain drum. However, the attempt truly missed the mark and became an excellent scraper. I photographed the palette just before I scraped it off as well. The coffee shop made the mark instead.

My palette at the end of today's painting.

September Afternoon Shadows

 

6 x 8  |  oil on panel

This is the first day of the STRADA September 30-Day Challenge!
I have joined the challenge and I will be creating and posting a painting, sketch or drawing from life each day this month. My first day's piece was painted this afternoon.

I love the bright colors in these flowers. They seemed to glow. Also enjoyed trying to capture the dark shadows that fell over some of them.

Day 1 #stradaeasel

In Celebration of Mother's Day . . .

 

Martin, Kristin and Kara long ago. Our fourth child, Gala, was sleeping under a tree beside me. They all grew up and had children of their own. 

My daughters and some of their children are below. 

 

Courtney and Mitch in Goin' Places

 

 Modern Madonna I
Gala and Dante
 

Antonio

 

Modern Madonna II
Kara and Ambika

Indira Sketching

Modern Madonna III

Kristin and Mitch  

Courtney

Happy Mother's Day!

Crackers, Pico and Wine

8 x 8  |  oil on panel

I bought the cheese because I wanted to paint the little box. Turns out the cheese is very good. Pomegranate juice, my "wine" in the painting, also good. Nether contents of plate or glass survived until the painting was finished. I enjoyed all three.

Ready!

153 new panels — dry and ready for paintings!

Finished adding the three coats of gesso yesterday.

So far today we have had glorious sunshine, rain, and big wind causing all the trees to dance. Now, at this moment, the sun is shining again and I am going for a walk. I'll be painting when I return.

Almost ready . . .

As the STRADA January 31-Day Challenge was nearing an end, I ran out of panels. Today I finished sanding a new batch of them. Tomorrow they will receive three coats of gesso. When the panels are dry, I will be painting again!

Stradaeasel January-31 Day Challenge — Day1-31

#stradaeasle Day-1-31

These were posted individually in January, one for each day of the month. You can find them below in this posting and on my Fine Art Facebook page.

Major Grey's Chutney with Crackers and Cheese

8 x 7.75  |  oil on panel

In celebration of Day-31 in the STRADA January 31-Day Challenge, creating and posting a painting, sketch or drawing from life each day this month. I have enjoyed the process and will continue painting from life every day. 

#stradaeasel Day-31

Thinking of Spring

 

7 5/8 x 5 7/8  | oil on panel

Today began as a gray day, followed by sunshine that soon became heavy rain. Next hail turned the ground white like snow and when the sun came again, I went out and picked this early andromeda. It usually opens in early March.

#stradaeasel Day-30