sharon webster works

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T10:59:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone has a happy and (sweet;-) Halloween!

Pumpkin Head

2011-10-29T16:58:00.000-05:00

Austin Rowing Club's Pumpkin Head Regatta is this weekend. This is one of my shots from the venue last year. Just a gorgeous day in a really fun city.

Nuts to Squirrels

2011-10-16T15:17:00.000-05:00

Must be fall in my yard; you can NOT walk barefoot!

Thundering Herd

2011-10-15T10:57:00.000-05:00

I think I am having withdrawal from the wildlife preserve. I am afraid to go down there to see the damage from the fires this summer. Until then, this is one from an earlier trip.

Free Range

2011-10-10T19:33:00.000-05:00

Such a cutie, hard to believe he will grow up to be a longhorn. One of the free range herd in The Wichita Wildlife Preserve, one of my favorite photo haunts.

Play Misty for Me

2011-10-09T09:47:00.000-05:00

October is my favorite month at the beach. Usually there are beautiful deep blue skies, but there are also days with nighttime storms leaving a misty cloudy morning, lovely for early morning walks. Today's cloudy Oklahoma weather puts me in mind of just such a day a few years ago in Destin.

Here Comes the Sun

2011-10-08T13:56:00.000-05:00

I love sunflower backs. I grew these in the yard this summer. One of the few things that enjoyed temps over 100!

Red Dirt Field

2011-10-06T13:21:00.000-05:00

Fall is all about lighting and shadows. My friends and I started our plein air day on the side of the road near my house at this freshly plowed field. When the farmer showed up to plant his winter wheat he looked a more than a little chagrined to see three women with easels blocking his entry. He became more sociable when he wound his way back on his tractor, explaining to us how difficult this year has been for the farmers in Oklahoma.

Inspiration

2011-10-04T14:36:00.000-05:00

This inspires me, shot in Albuquerque at sunset.
- Attitude is a choice. You can either make excuses or get results, you can't do both.

Returning to Work

2011-10-03T08:27:00.000-05:00

It was about this time last year that I began working toward my refresher course in nursing. Having completed that, I am ready to move forward in nursing, but I do not want to stop creating art. To that end, I will try to post more on my blog. I have a lot of photos that I want to share. This is one I took at sunrise down at the river just before the Head of the Oklahoma. It was a beautiful weekend for rowing and the facility looks striking.

Roadside Gold

2010-11-01T16:58:00.000-05:00

These jewels are almost gone now, but they have the ability to make me want to stop my car when they are in bloom.

Road Shot

2010-10-27T17:19:00.001-05:00

Another shot from the side of the road in Southern Utah. The colors changed constantly with the play of sunshine and shadow.

Hoo Doos

2010-10-25T15:30:00.000-05:00

The scale of this park, the sheer amount of these geological statuary is staggering. We also saw one of the most bizarre animal behaviors ever while there. Cliff swallows, who were engaged in a most delightful display of flight held on to each others legs (at least I guess that is what they were doing) and started spinning. The first two were joined by a third and just as another joined on they broke apart before hitting the earth. If I hadn't seen it, I would not have believed it.

Roadside Shot

2010-10-24T20:45:00.000-05:00

This was taken from the side of the road (I am the queen of the shoulder shot), technically not the million dollar highway, but just west of there near Bryce.

Million Dollar View

2010-10-23T13:06:00.000-05:00

This is another view from the million dollar highway in southern Utah. I think it is undervalued...

Head of the Charles

2010-10-22T10:06:00.000-05:00

In honor of the Head of the Charles this weekend, this is a shot taken last June when my daughter was at the Charles River Rowing Camp. It had been cloudy most of the day, but the clouds began breaking up and I was able to take some shots with nice light. My daughter is back on the Charles, this time racing for her junior team. Go OKC Riversport!!!

Million Dollar Highway

2010-10-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

A view from the million dollar highway in southern Utah. You drive along this highway and you think, okay, well it's nice, but the vistas are just as good along any other stretch...and then you see it. The road takes a hairpin curve and you look out onto a scene which somehow combines Zion and Bryce and even the Grand Canyon. The winding road continues for another 20 miles or so with small towns dotting the way. It is off the beaten path, but well worth the effort.

The Canyon

2010-10-19T16:18:00.000-05:00

Looking at my Grand Canyon photos, it is hard to decide which ones to include. Each vista is unique and each beautiful. I do think that there is more variation to the terrain on the North Rim. It is by far my favorite, and not just because it is less crowded. There is definitely more vegetation on the Northern side.

Grandest of Canyons

2010-10-16T22:54:00.000-05:00

I have not been adding to my blog and I miss it, so I am going to begin again and try to get caught up. It is the case that I can probably put on a photo a day for the rest of my life and still not have all my photos up, ...but I'll give it a try.

Portrait of the Grand Canyon

2010-05-31T18:51:00.000-05:00

The Grand Canyon is so imposing a place that I have trouble taking it all in. I prefer to photograph it in smaller "chunks". This was a beautiful clear day, but very cold and very windy (even for Oklahoma standards).

Southern Utah

2010-05-29T21:31:00.000-05:00

I recently returned from a trip to Southern Utah with my mom. I love that area of the country. You could visit there for a month and still not see everything the area has to offer. We started off in Zion, so that is where I will begin my photos. This is the canyon with the Virgin River in the foreground.

Pretty in Pink

2010-05-20T18:24:00.000-05:00

My carpet roses are just beginning to open. These are from last year's bounty.

Local Color

2010-05-19T11:51:00.000-05:00

Butterflies were out in abundance this weekend following the storms last week. We are due for more storms today, so I may not see them for a couple of days. These wildflowers were on the side of the road about a half mile from the house.

Oklahoma Weather

2010-05-17T07:04:00.001-05:00

The sky has been pretty gray lately, but yesterday there was a break between storms with glorious skies and lush greens. There really is nothing like the Oklahoma sky.

Reaching for the Sun II

2010-05-15T08:31:00.001-05:00

Since Monday's tornadoes, we've had a week of storms and rain. I need a dose of sunshine, so it's time to break out another wildflower shot. I know all this rain will make the flowers bloom. I just need a day of sun (is it too much to ask for no wind as well) to shoot the new blooms.

Chesapeake Rowing

2010-05-09T22:50:00.000-05:00

One of the images from this weekend's regatta. Saturday was sunny and I finally found a couple of spots close to the water to shoot. Now if I could just get on one of the launches...

Reaching for the Sun

2010-05-06T16:01:00.000-05:00

This just makes me happy. The coreopsis are blooming near my house, so I think they must be blooming at Mt. Scott where these were taken last season. I may have to make the drive next week to get my dose of happiness.

Bleeding Hearts

2010-05-05T08:34:00.000-05:00

I grew bleeding hearts in Maryland and loved their delicate blooms; they remind me of pantaloons hung out to dry.

This is an image I took in Colorado last year. If you love flowers you should definitely visit Colorado in the summer. I don't know how they do it, but the flowers are especially beautifl there. Maybe because their growing season is shortened, everything blooms near the same time?

May Day

2010-05-03T16:53:00.000-05:00

My computer was out on May Day, but I didn't want that stop my posting of this floral from the preserve.

Paintbrush

2010-04-30T09:20:00.001-05:00

The flowers were just beginnning to bloom at Mt. Scott last weekend. They will start to open in abundance in the coming weeks. I could see coreopsis stalks throughout the fields. After this rainy weekend, the flowers should be in full show.

It was a good time for the Indian Paintbrush last weekend. I am planning on printing a series of blooms from the wildlife preserve. I will just have to find a place to show them.

Poet's Shooting Star

2010-04-25T20:12:00.000-05:00

My daughter and I were hiking up a bit of marshy hillside in the wildlife reserve in southwestern Oklahoma yesterday when we came upon these gems. They are little jewels tucked away like hidden treasure.

Spring Laden

2010-04-20T14:23:00.000-05:00

I seem to have a theme going here. I am drawn to pink blooms; give me a pink branch over a dozen long stem roses...although pink shrub roses are another story...

Pink Tipped

2010-04-18T12:40:00.000-05:00

Another shot from my yard. Dogwood blooms have always been one of my favorites. I nursed this small pink dogwood the last couple of years and was rewarded this year with a lovely show.

Sweet Blooms

2010-04-14T17:43:00.000-05:00

Despite the challenge of the wind, I took this shot in my garden this week. The flowers are stunning right now. This time of year always makes me yearn to create.

Redbud Blue

2010-04-12T12:05:00.000-05:00

Nothing like redbuds in Oklahoma in the spring. It almost matches dogwoods in April in Tennessee. The blue skies and greens of every value make for a stunning contrast.

Easter Eggs

2010-04-01T20:55:00.000-05:00

These were the most beautiful light naturally pastel eggs; I couldn't resist taking photos of them before I made them into omelets. Hope everyone has a Happy Easter weekend.

California Greenin'

2010-03-31T13:44:00.000-05:00

Last week I traveled to San Diego with my daughter's crew. California is lovely this time of year; everything was still green and even the weeds are beautiful.

Spring Colors

2010-03-19T23:15:00.000-05:00

I thought it was nice for the bridge to be awash in spring colors for the girls' dawn spring break practice.

Think Green

2010-03-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

Wearin' of the green in honor of the day!

Great Basin

2010-03-12T13:55:00.000-06:00

Nevada has many unexpected landscapes and this is loosely based on a photograph I took when we lived there. It was good to get the oils out again.

Portrait of Spring

2010-03-10T09:08:00.000-06:00

I am definitely ready for spring. I love spring bulbs and daffodils are my favorites. As a child I remember seeing an old deserted farmhouse where someone in the past planted a few daffodils. It became an island home surrounded by a sea of daffodils. It is one of my favorite visual memories. I wish I had a photo, but I am sure it would not do it justice.

Early Spring

2010-03-09T21:27:00.000-06:00

The fields are just beginning to turn the most vibrant green and the earth is a stark red. It is especially noticeable this time of year with the farmers beginning to work their wet fields; it's a beautiful study in contrasts.

March Sentinels

2010-03-01T16:46:00.001-06:00

I wish I could say that I took these today, but that's just wishful thinking! I know they will be here before you know it. Right, right...

Be my Valentine

2010-02-11T11:17:00.000-06:00

A message for Valentine's Day. The hardest part is to photograph and not eat the candies!

Snow Farm

2010-01-29T14:57:00.000-06:00

It has been a peaceful snowy day today, with snow falling and little wind. I will take snow over ice any day, although we do have a coating of ice over everything. The woods are beautiful a confectionary dream.

Frisco Trail

2010-01-26T10:15:00.001-06:00

My daughter and I hiked one of the paths in Frisco, Colorado a couple of days after Christmas. I love trail photos and paintings and I also love these lowcountry shrubs. They are such a wide variety of colors and really "pop" against the white backdrop.

Poppy Fields

2010-01-21T08:48:00.000-06:00

Since we have had a series of gray days recently, I thought a reminder of the spring was in order. My neighbor has a beautiful garden along the edge of his property which he constantly tends. I stopped by the side of the road and took this photo on a warm sunny day last year.

Snow Passage

2009-12-18T04:44:00.001-06:00

Snow Passage was recently accepted into the smArt Show in the Paseo during the month of January. The pieces must be 10 inches or less and be reasonably priced. This image is in my backyard during one of our few real snows. It was one of the beautiful ones, the snow rests gently on each branch and twig like powdered sugar, but is just as easily disturbed.

On the Water

2009-12-13T21:42:00.000-06:00

This is my first solar print. I would like to pursue this avenue in the future. The rower is one of our great junior rowers who has since moved on to row at MIT.

Hope Written on my Heart

2009-12-12T21:05:00.000-06:00

I love the heart form and have been working on a series of hearts, inspired by my family in Tennessee. I am enjoying working with texture and acrylic paint.

...and now for something completely different...

2009-12-11T22:29:00.000-06:00

This is Frost on Winter. I did this last month in anticipation of a show in Tulsa. Unfortunately, I was unable to enter the show as I was called out of town, but I really like the image and the poem. It is a great way to work. This is a textured canvas with a photograph printed on rice paper and the poem transferred onto the image and finished with a glaze of light golden color.

Toward Home

2009-12-10T23:46:00.001-06:00

Last light in the afternoon, the boat heading for the dock.

Olympic Boathouse

2009-12-10T23:43:00.000-06:00

The boathouse lends itself to graphic images and especially with all the extra colors and shapes present during the Olympic trials.

River in Winter

2009-12-10T23:40:00.000-06:00

I enjoy playing with some of my images. I love the graphic quality of this image of the river in winter. Last winter the river was drained to allow for work to proceed on the foundations of the new buildings

Reflections

2009-12-10T23:38:00.001-06:00

A clean boat makes for beautiful reflections, as these will attest. I know the boathouse is celebrating the passage of MAPS 3. There will soon be more beautiful buildings to enjoy at the river.

Eight at Sunset

2009-12-07T22:05:00.000-06:00

I will be posting more of the works from the Art of the River show this week. This was taken in the afternoon when the water on the river looks like liquid gold.

Practice

2009-11-23T08:16:00.000-06:00

One of the junior boats during early morning practice. They are doing a drill, so they are not all rowing. I am looking for good composition and my daughter looks at the technique.

The Sculler

2009-11-18T23:27:00.000-06:00

I have finally learned the differnce in the sweeper and the sculler.

One of the images from my recently completed show. I hope to have the images up again in a different venue.

Native Crew

2009-10-27T10:45:00.001-05:00

One of a family of ducks that populates the area, especially in the spring. The group was very somnambulant and allowed me to approach- must have had full bellies.

Chesapeake Boathouse

2009-10-26T12:48:00.002-05:00

An image of the boathouse, that I have manipulated, I love the graphic look of the boathouse. The architect did a fabulous job of evoking the prow of a boat in a structure.

Vespoli Racked

2009-10-12T20:50:00.004-05:00

One of the altered images from my River show. I love the look of the reflections with the yellow grass, red Oklahoma dirt and complementary bright blue sky.

River Show in Paseo

2009-09-29T23:00:00.003-05:00

I am getting ready for my opening on Friday for the Art of the River Show. I will post some of the images that I will have in the show here the next few days. I am hoping to sell some things so that I can make a nice donation to the Oklahoma City Junior Crew. Some of the images are printed on aluminum which gives a glow to the pieces.

Art of the River

2009-08-31T10:51:00.002-05:00

Photography on Paseo

2009-08-19T21:04:00.003-05:00

The Paseo Arts Association is planning their annual photography show next month and this is one of the two entries that were juried into the show. The curator told me that there were over 260 entries for 60 spaces; a high level of competition this year. I will post another of my entries in a future post. The title of this image is Oklahoma Outpost.

Colorado Kid

2009-08-14T19:37:00.002-05:00

Summer, as we know it, is over. The girls are both going back to school next week, one to high school and the other to college. The summer has not been easy and I have not been creating in the studio, but I did do some photography in Colorado when I was there for the Boulder Festival of the Arts. This little kid was on the edge of the Mt. Evans trail.
I decided that the perfect caption for my card with this image was "Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it." (Bill Cosby).
I will hopefully have more time in the studio for the rest of the month and will try to post more.

Sunrise on the River

2009-06-04T21:04:00.003-05:00

I went to the river this morning and was there to see the sun rise. I do love that time of day, even if I am not really a morning person. The rowers have a beautiful setting; so peaceful despite the noise from I-40 and I-35.

Wichita Plein Air

2009-06-03T22:20:00.003-05:00

This is the first plein air painting I have done. It is daunting, facing the great outdoors and forcing yourself to paint only a small block of that space. It is hard to decide what to leave out!
The wildlife refuge was beautiful this weekend, although it warmed up quickly.

Strut

2009-05-29T07:51:00.002-05:00

This is one of my most popular paintings. I sold the original almost immediately, but I continue to sell prints, both on paper and giclee on canvas. It frequently catches the eye of browsers to my booth. This time I added tiles, which I made with Lazertran. I am going to be using a lot of Lazertran in the future! With it I should be able to combine painting and photography.

Curious

2009-05-27T22:42:00.002-05:00

The "Curious Scissortail" generated a lot of comments this weekend, including one man who said that he had lived in Oklahoma for 10 years and had only recently seen his first scissortail. When I leave my house in the morning, I usually see a scissortail within 10 minutes. Very curious!

Paseo Arts Festival

2009-05-25T22:01:00.001-05:00

I had a great time at the Paseo Festival and met lots of wonderful people. I had a good show and was able to make and sell my own prints in a variety of forms as well as originals. I can't wait to get back to the studio, being around all the great art (and artists!) has really inspired me. Thanks everyone!

Quail Creek Show

2009-05-11T21:52:00.003-05:00

My work is to be included in a show at Quail Creek Country Club, a benefit for OVAC. The show is on June 12th. I am very excited to be included and I will give you more information later. I have seen a list of the artists participating and I am very excited to be included!

OVAC Blog

2009-05-06T10:39:00.002-05:00

Another shameless plug...OVAC is a great arts organization (dare I say best) in Oklahoma. If you aren't a member, you should be. Their member's gallery is the place to be. I have been included in two shows because of their website. I have a link on my sidebar to their website which will link you to their blog.

This blog post is part of Zemanta's Blogging For a Cause Campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.

OAG Smaller Works Show

2009-05-06T10:22:00.002-05:00

Hopefully, I will soon be able to direct you to the OAG blog. I am co-chair of this event occurring in August and we want to give information to the members about this show on this venue. Check back for more information soon.

Texas and Neighbors show

2009-05-05T12:48:00.005-05:00

This is the painting that was accepted into the Texas and Friends show in Irving, Texas. I went to Dallas for the opening and was amazed by the quality of the show. The organization did a wonderful job with the opening and the work is remarkable. I would urge you to attend the show, at the IrvingArts Center, if possible.

Orange Slices at Paseo

2009-02-13T12:50:00.003-06:00

The opening at Dean Lively was last night and I am so appreciative of all the friends who stopped by to view the show. Elaine and Scott did a wonderful job with the opening; the art was well lit and displayed very professionally, the food was excellent and there was even music by a gentleman who said he had not played for an audience in 25 years! He played a mean jazz guitar.
The painting today is one of my still life series that is on display at the Paseo Art Association Gallery at 3022 Paseo, OKC. This is a 12x12 oil on wrapped canvas. I sold several of my still life paintngs last night so I will be doing some more of these small canvases. I love working with those colorful subjects.

Four Woman Show

2009-02-05T22:51:00.002-06:00

I am being included in a four woman show at Dean Lively Gallery in downtown Edmond. The opening is next Thursday evening from 5-8 pm.
It is a new venue for me and I am excited to have the opportunity to show my work. I am will have a variety of work including some of my rowing pieces.
Over the next few entries I plan on sharing some of the paintings that I have included in a few upcoming shows. There is a lot going on in my art right now. I better get busy.

Inauguration Morn

2009-01-21T09:29:00.004-06:00

This was taken from a photograph from the Different Strokes Blog of Karin Jurick. It is an oil painting on black gessoed watercolor paper.

I was very excited to paint it yesterday morning as I listened to the folks gathering on the mall for the inauguration. Watching all of the inauguration festivities reminds me of my time in DC as an adult and as a child. I can not visit the mall without crying somewhere, usually the Lincoln Memorial. I wish I could have taken the girls there yesterday to witness history.

The Cox

2009-01-08T10:44:00.001-06:00

This one is oil on paper and features the coxswain on the junior varsity crew. The light was just spectacular that afternoon. Everything was coated with the most glorious golden light.

River at Sunset

2009-01-07T10:30:00.002-06:00

I finished this painting before the holidays but did not have time to post before the holiday vacation. This is another of the regatta series which I will be working on in the coming year. This is a small 5X7 oil painting on board.

Oar at Sunset

2008-12-11T07:48:00.000-06:00

I finally got back to painting this week. This is another of my small crew paintings, again taken from a photo of my trip on the launch. This is a 5X7 on board.

Oklahoma City Rowers

2008-11-25T11:57:00.001-06:00

This small (4X4) oil is painted from one of the photos I took while on the launch the other day. I will probably enter it in the Paseo small works show in January. I have also been working on some fun Christmas paintings in acrylic that I plan to give as gifts. Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

Bonaire beach

2008-11-25T11:53:00.001-06:00

I am going to post a couple today. The first is loosely based on the beaches in Bonaire. I was cleaning up and saving some of my photos and maybe spent a little too long looking at the photos from Bonaire. I think I have a bad case of dive withdrawals. The only antidote is very expensive at the moment, plane tickets to the island!

Afternoon Crew

2008-11-19T12:22:00.000-06:00

I was able to go on the launch to take photos yesterday. I managed some nice shots, although I started to lose light on the rowers too soon. The light was stunning. Almost makes me want to start rowing.

A Quad

2008-11-17T15:06:00.002-06:00

I have been working on my large regatta painting today and did this quick 8X10 this afternoon. It is amazing how much more complicated it becomes when you add more rowers. They are still fun to do and I still have a lot to learn.

The Pull

2008-11-14T20:54:00.000-06:00

This is the largest of my regatta series so far. It is 18X24. I decided to focus on the location of most of the action. I am still working on the painting. There are still a few things to fix, but I don't want to overwork it. It is amazing how taking a photo of the painting allows you to see the flaws.

Walking in Sunshine

2008-11-13T14:22:00.001-06:00

I got right to work on the weekly challenge this week. I wanted to start on another regatta painting and I thought this would be a good way to warm up. I like starting a painting upside down. I forget about that sometimes. It is especially useful when the painting is very linear, like this one. I also used the technique for my regatta painting. Can't wait to finish it, I hope to show it to my critique group soon. I am really enjoying this series.

Misstroke

2008-11-12T14:51:00.000-06:00

This is the second painting of the new regatta series. Both of these paintings are 8X10 and are oil paintings. I showed this painting to the coaches and they both noticed the technique problem caught in the painting. Maybe I should check my subjects for technique problems before I immortalize them in oil!

To the Line

2008-11-12T14:44:00.000-06:00

I have been working on a series of regatta paintings over the past few days. I hope to complete 10-15 paintings on this subject. Today I will post the first two that are almost finished. They are in the "sitting on a shelf to decide what they need" stage. I did take a break to work on the weekly challenge, but I am going to start a new regatta painting later today. I love the reflections in these photos, not to mention the complementary colors from the water and orange boats.

Remanants

2008-11-06T20:15:00.000-06:00

Another of the paintings that was returned from the Town and Country Show. This is an oil painting of a scene less than a mile from my house. I do a lot of driving around looking for photo ops, especially in the morning when the light is soft and luminous. I think it is easier for me to appreciate the landscape since I am new to the area. Of course, I also feel that I can appreciate, really see things better, now that I am painting again no matter where I am.

Fall Creek

2008-11-05T11:05:00.000-06:00

This is taken from a creek near my house. I recently had this painting return from a show in downtown Oklahoma City and I will be featuring the others in my blog the next few days. They are all done from Oklahoma landscapes, usually found within a few miles from my house. They are larger oils; this one being 11X14.

Regatta

2008-10-31T15:20:00.000-05:00

A larger painting that I recently finished. I hope to do more from regattas. I take lots of photos at Chesapeake Jr Crew regattas and there is one this weekend in Wichita. I am going to focus on the reflections and the "puddles".

Capitol City

2008-10-30T14:40:00.001-05:00

My interpretationof this week's challenge. I have spent time today working on photography and am still trying to decide what to start on next, so I thought I would do this to help me get back into painting. I need to keep my hands in painting or I lose that muscle memory. This is on paper coated with black gesso, something I love to do. I am really trying to use these challenges as warm-ups and to learn soemthing. I do think it stretches to have someone else pick your subject matter.

Garden of the Gods

2008-10-30T11:25:00.001-05:00

This painting is a 36 X 36 oil on canvas painting taken from a photograph from our Colorado vacation this summer. It is an absolutely magnificent place. I was able to spend most of a morning there shooting photos while Nick was biking. I am planning to paint 3 more of these canvases. This painting has a lot of texture that may not transfer to the screen.

Bama bovine

2008-10-29T14:10:00.000-05:00

It has been too long...I started back with the weekly different strokes challenge from Karin Jurick. I enjoy cows having grown up with cows on my grandfather's farm. My cousin and I used to name and pet all the calves in the spring. Little did we know what they were doing with all the calves in the little pens.

I have also been working on the Garden of the Gods large painting and plan to post that tomorrow. It is very close to finished.

Acorn SQ

2008-09-26T08:19:00.001-05:00

The next in my series of simple fall squares. These look really good sitting on my shelf together. I am going to take these to Tennessee for the Jr League Market. I am also making jewelry for the show, so I am very busy with demands for the show and family demands. I feel likely Gumby, pulled in many different directions. Good thing I'm flexible!

White Pumpkin

2008-09-25T09:15:00.001-05:00

This is my interpretation of Karin Jurick's Different Strokes Challenge for the week. I am doing my small series and I was going to buy a white pumpkin today. Instead, I used her photo for inspiration. I may do the three pumpkins later. I love her interpretation. Check out the link to her blog on the side bar.

Fall Square I

2008-09-24T08:42:00.000-05:00

This is the first of a series I am doing of small (5"x5") square paintings for a series. These are on deep canvas panels that can sit on a mantel or counter. They will be painted in oil on black gesso for more punch. They really lend themselves to the daily painting theme since they are quick sketches. I really like to have paintings sitting on my kitchen counter.

I went to a demo with Dennis Johnson, a very dynamic Oklahoma City artist, last night. He does wonderful abstractions, but I loved most what he said about painting in general; basically, paint profusely and edit deeply. I am a firm believer that in order to improve, you have to paint a lot. Some are keepers, some are not. Hopefully the more you paint, the more you keep!

Hefner Sails

2008-09-22T12:57:00.001-05:00

I saw a story in the Saturday paper about a race at Lake Hefner this weekend with an accompanying photograph. I drove by Saturday night and saw the boats and was sparked to paint sails, an unlikely subject in Oklahoma. I am beginning to learn that there is not an unlikely subject that can not be found in Oklahoma. (Now that's an unwieldy sentence!) This little loose painting is done with oils on watercolor paper with a black gesso ground. I love doing quick sketches on black gesso; it makes for instant drama.

Waiting for the Bus

2008-09-18T09:07:00.001-05:00

Karin Jurick's weekly photo challenge was a figure photograph today. Check out the challenge at http://differentstrokesfromdifferentfolks.blogspot.com/
Outside of my current comfort zone, although I have done my share of portraits in the past. I also tried to challenge myself to limit my strokes. Difficult because I wanted to put a lot of the beautiful highlights from the photo into the painting. I will continue to work on this aspect of my painting going forward. Always striving...

God's Garden View

2008-09-17T16:15:00.001-05:00

I am working on a large painting from Garden of the Gods, but this is a small one of the panorama, a very quick, loose painting on a 5"X7" panel in oil.