The world needs a happy place to meet, share and create making art!! I am excited to share the artist experience with one another on my new Facebook group Making Art You Love Sisterhood. If you are interested in art or curious about learning new techniques or maybe you painted in the past and want to get started making again.... This group if for you!!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/makingartyoulovesisterhood
I spent the summer at the Springfield Bog Metro Park in Akron, Oh painting the prairie in preparation for the juried OPAS show "Ohio Prairies: A year in the life" at the Springfield Museum of Art at Springfield, Ohio. This show is unique in that we were permitted to enter studio paintings that were inspired by our plein air painting. Four of my paintings were selected for the show.
The opening is December 6 from 5:30-7:00 pm.
I am interested in the panoramic view. It wanted to try a different approach to landscape painting.
Springfield Bog Panoramic From East to West Field Notes
12"x16"
Oil
This is the studio painting that I made from my plein air piece.
Springfield Bog Panoramic From East to West Studio
14"x120"
Oil
While I was searching for a different view of the prairie, I saw these Black-Eyed Susans layered over the moody sky.
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3"x5" quick study |
Lazy Black Eyed Susan
11"x 17"
Oil
I was painting next to my friend Nancy Hawkins when I painted this view of the prairie.
Blue Skies Over the Springfield Bog Prairie
8"x 8"
Oil
The following painting was not accepted into the show. It is an abstract view of the prairie grasses.
Springfield Bog Prairie Grasses
6"x 8"
Oil
I didn't enter these two pieces...but I love the single flower in the field of green.
11"x14"
Oil
10"x20"
Oil
11x14 Oil
12x16 Oil
I had a busy weekend at the Art at the Arnold event in Columbus. I didn't win anything but I had fun and met some awesome artists!
9x12 Oil
This is my all time favorite painting..I love the structure and color but more importantly I loved painting it with my still life group.
6x8 Oil
What is it? It's and old electric connector on an abandoned barn that I had taken a pic of a couple of years ago. I love the orange and turquoise and the compostition. Unfortunately the picture kills the turquoise in this painting...but the best part is it makes people stop and question what they are looking at :)
5x7 Oil
This is my entry for the Utrecht paint Columbus contest. There are prizes and and opportunity to swap your painting with another artist during the opening sometime in April.I believe there a 100 artists participating...If you happen to be at Utrechts make sure you vote for my painting ;) It's a fun idea.
11x14 Oil
We had a figure painting session at the Riverside Art Center and a high school student sat for us...I tried to be more painterly this time..It was only an 1.5 hour sitting but I am please with the outcome.
9x12 Oil
Now I know what happens when you tape a carrot to a board and add dramatic lighting!
8x10 oil
I'm not a baseball fan, but I really enjoyed painting this painting. It just speaks hot summer days in America.
9x12 Oil
I painted with Barb in her studio...She wanted to paint these lovely pears...They have so much personality. Make you wonder what the 2 in the middle are saying )
8x8 oil
I struggled with this painting...not sure why other then I has a serios case of Art Brain Freeze. I think I'll like the painting better a couple of days from now :)
8x10 oil
This is my Lauren. I thought I'd try a BW painting from a pic I took of her. I need to do one of Morgan now!
9x12 oil
I think this painting has a folk art feel to it. An art friend says it is "Life imitating art imitating art" Love creative people!
9x12 oil
Barb come over to my studio and we combined some of our stuff to create this still life. I usually shy away from figures. I enjoyed painting this one.
6x6 oil
I wanted to try to paint the radishes one more time...I enjoy painting them so much that I think I'll paitn them again!
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Michelle's beets
Great day today...Julie came over and helped me clean my studio and then we painted and then ate the shish-ka-bobs that Mark grilled for us. |
This is Julie's painting. She started painting in my Still Life class last October. She has a great eye for design and color!
I like how the light becames the path into the paitning. I had to throw these away when I was done painting them...somehow I got red paint on them..:(
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Original Aleigha |
Danny and I are figure painting his high school students to
hopefully prepare us for the Art at the Arnold. I wasn't happy with this painting.
So I took the photo and re-worked the painting. I am a lot
happier with the result.
9x12 oil
Love painting red beets...well I love paintng big leafy vegies. I painted this with Julie during my still life class...and I love painting with friends.
8x10 oil
I went outside with the focus to "block it in"....I ususally go straight for color and detail. So I kept it simple and painted the road in front of my studio.
9x12 oil
I'm standing at the fridge with an arm load of vegies and crazy paint eyes and my daughter Lauren asked "Why don't you mix it up and paint fruit mom?"...she just doesn't understand.
8x10 oil
Today I had a new student in my still life class to I wasn't very sensitive to the composition. I really liked painting the mustard leaves....I think I'm going to paint this again with a lot more of the leaves showing.
8x8 oil
Barb and Julie came to my studio to paint still life....I had found these adorable tomatoes at Wal Mart...I was intrigued with the stems. The tea towel was there but I took some liberties with the stripes. When it was finished, I saw America.....Rich, ripe, and Red, White and Blue!
9x12 oil
I went to the IPAPA paint retreat at Waycross in Nashville, IN. I painted a total of 5 paintings....this is my favorite. I had so much fun at the retreat. Everyone was so kind and fun. They are all very talented artists....very positive energy!!!
6x8 oil
Today I had to get ready for the retreat with IPAPA so i did a quick 1 hour painting.
12x12 oil
Day 26
I pulled another painting from the bone pile to finish:) I started this painting at a workshop I took with Ian Roberts in Canada. I had finished the onions but the bowl and fabric needed a lot of work. I still love the onion. Excellent workshop too. I still use the principles that I had learned.
7x12 oil
Back to the Cincinnati Art Museum. I actually wanted to work on skin tones but I got distracted by this view....That's easy to do when you are in a museum!
9x12 oil
Julie and I worked on still life...we worked till 10pm! I doodled and noodled the whites in the cup. She's great to paint with....I have wonderful students.
9x12 oil
I painted these sheep from a pic I took on my trip to Ireland. The herd gave me some troubles (in the painting) I had added and wiped about 5 sheep....notice their frighten looks on the remaining sheep :)
Oil
I braved the ice and went to the Cincinnati Art Museum to paint with a group of artists. I chose to copy Aston Mauve's Shepherd and Sheep. I love to copy master work's, it's a great way to learn.
Pastel
This a monochromatic pastel of Mike Elsass....
9x9 oil
I painted this during the still life class that I teach...The comments on facebook are a hoot. Kay commented how the cherries are giving their full attention to the onion :) It's silly but it was fun to paint.
9x12 oil
I painted this from a photo I took on my trip to Ireland with my friend
Cindy Bonfini-Hotlosz. I'm afraid this painting doesn't do justice to the actual greens in Ireland. The climate changes so fast that at one moment you are looking at a green field and the next moment it is purple. I plan to play with this painting later...
5x7 oil
Day 17 of 90
I wasn't going to do another still life with food but they looked so cute on the table that I had to paint them...
8x8 oil
I went to Jeanette's house and painted these lovely snow-covered rocks...
8x10 oil
Brrrr it was cold out today. I met Jody and Carol at the High Banks Metro Park in Columbus today. Next snow painting adventure I plan to use toe warmers!!
8x8 oil
Day 13
I was going to paint another still life painting but I couldn't get inspired and I kept eating the cherries :) So I picked through my photo file and found these fall trees.
8x8 oil
I wanted to try to paint with black...maybe try to add a bit of drama to my fruit >)
8x8 oil
Today I went to Wal Mart and bought something light-hearted and fun to paint...for something so small there sure are a lot of color variations!
9x12 oil
I took advantage of this beautiful Ohio weather...50 degrees!!... and went to paint the Auglaize River in Wapak. My drawing student wanted to come along and learn the basic set up and how to's of plein air. Her painting hit the ground about 5 times but she was a good sport and I believe she'll go out again.
Day 90
I have a deep sence of success. I did it. I painted 90 paintings + in 90 days. Today we painted 2 paintings. This one we hunted in the sun and painted in the snow. The color of the water in the sun was fabulous!! In clouds? eh
Day 88
I took this pic when I stopped by Danny's mom's house...I loved the way the light hit the barn doors and the shadows that it created.
Day 87
I thought this is nancy's road...but Nancy said she doesn't have yellow lines on her road. hmmmm. I know it's in her neck of the woods though....My part of Ohio doesn't have these wonderful hills. I was drawn to the shadows on the road.
Day 86
I had taken this photo on my visit to Nancy's last fall. This barn is on Route 7 close to her house. It was just before a quick storm...I love the way the dark sky pushes the light down.
Day 85
I had taken this photo on the way to the amish farm...in fact this farm is just across the road where we painted yesterday. I had to crop and edit a little bit, but this is how it looked and felt. I love the speed limit sign beside the buggy....I also painted the horses hoves so they look like they are moving...
Day 84
We drove to New Willmington, PA to another amish farm. I really wanted to paint something that said "amish farm" I liked the orange buggy and the blue door color contrast. Of course I had to paint the 2 chickens....the amish farmer said there were more chickens but the hawks carried them away...and well hawks are protected....I stood in front of their greenhouse...so when I got cold I just stepped in and warmed up!! I got to meet the whole family....really sweet people.
Day 79
I met Doug in Celina and we painted this street scene.
Day 78
Jody came to paint with me today!! wee hoo. We went downtown Botkins and painted at Provico...the feed grainery. I love the muted greyed colors.
We only had to dodge one train...iThankfully Sundays are slow train transport days.
Day 77
This is a photo I had taken in Bolder, Co while visiting my friend Elenie. Cindy and I prowled through the farmer's market armed with our cameras.I still need to add more flowers and implied stuff, but the painting is too wet right now.....so I'm going to revisit this painting in a couple of days.
Day 76
Have you ever had a day that painting was the last thing you wanted to do....taking a nap was the number one activity on the list. Then to top it off, the painting you did the day before was IT...I guess what I'm learning with daily painting is how to push through all of the obsticles. At the end of the day I can say I painted.
Day 75
Today is St Patrick's Day and I didn't wear green....so I painted green. Anyone who knows me and how I paint, knows that I am now wearing green :)
Day 74
It was beautiful today so outside I went. This is a view of Botkins....I pulled off alongside the road on Lock-Two Road. I think it is neat how you can tell you are coming up on a town in Ohio by the water towers and church steeples.
Day 73
I had taken this pic at the Art at the Arnold. I really like the strength of the man's legs and the subtle line of the woman's feet.
Day 72
This is the DPW challenge. You had to pick something white and sit it on a pattered fabric. I found that painting a patterned fabric isn't that difficult....a bunny's rear end? That is difficult.
Day 71
I redid yesterday's plein air piece in the studio. It was a bit of a challenge because I kept trying to paint from memory and ignore my photo. I'd like to try this again.
Day 70
I went to the OPAS annual meeting with Barb and Jody. It was great watching Chris Leeper's demo. We did bolt after lunch to paint in the German Village. It is so much easier painting from photos but it is so much more rewarding to paint from life!
Day 69
I had taken this photo of a home in downtown Botkins....I loved how the snow sat on the tree branches.
Day 68
I painted this still life with Barb today...now I'm making soup!! I used birch primed with a thin solution of shelak/turp. I hope i still have a painting tomorrow!
Day 66
I went to Fort Wayne to visit my parents today. It was beautiful outside. My mother and I went to a variety of fun places...Salvation Army to buy still life stuff, camera store, art gallery, lunch and gracery to buy exotic vegies to paint. Somehow I painted my brush washer....I liked the color. Vegies tomorrow
Day 63
This is the piece that I entered at the Art at the Arnold competition in Columbus, Oh. I had taken pictures of the senior ballroom dacncers the night before. I love movement in this painting. I also got Arnold S's signature on the thumbnail that I had done for the painting. I felt like one the dancers when I got to shake his hand.
Day 61
Jody took this pic.
Day 60
This is another Sidney street scene.
Day 58
Now I wanted to try using the challenge on a portrait. I had taken this pic at a workshop that I took in 2009 in Canada with Ian Roberts.
Day 57
Didn't have much time today so I decided to try the challeng again. I had to go south to see Morgan then North to see Lauren.
Day 56
I have found with this adventure that Sundays are my worse paint day. So I found a weekly art challenge on the internet..now I don't have to think I just have to do. The challange was to use as few brush strokes as possible.
Day 55
Today was so busy...We went to see Chelsea's paintings at an art show in Bowling Green then we went out to dinner with Cindy and her family. I had a 2 hour window to paint and get ready to go out to eat. I had taken this photo on my cell phone in Daytona Beach last summer....I had an extended vacation with Morgan..neither one of us wanted to go home so we took our time coming up the east coast. Great memories.
Day 54
Jody and I bussed around German Village taking pics after the Urban Blight event. She drove and I shot!! It was a Saturday so there was a lot of activity and a lot of sun!
Day 53
I took this pic on my cell phone. Lauren was helping Morgan with her dance for the Botkins pageant.
Day 54
Wanted to try something different. I wanted to see if I could get the alligator to blend yet stand out from the surroundings...it was fun to do! My friend Becky gave me the photo she took in Florida.
Day 50
In preparation of the Arnold competition, I decided to try to paint someone...I picked a photo I took yesterday that had a stron light/shadow. I'm not a portrait painter and I'm limited on skin tones and how to apply them so i am going to stay in my comfort zone of implied detail. I really like how you can recognize Jon but there is limited brushwork in his face.
Day 48
I went to Jody's house...we started on our paintings at 11 pm!! I told Jody that I wish I had a long format panel and she had one left over from college!!! This painting literally painted itself...I just had to stay out of it's way.
Day 47
I had a wonderful day with the Muses but when I got home I was so adgitated that I hadn't painted yet that...well this is what happened. Took the pic in Chicago last spring....It's a tarp not a sail :)
Day 46
I met Cindy in Armagh, Ireland in August 2009 for a 10 day travel, paint and hang out trip. Elenie and were walking through an allwy when, as my friend Barb would say, I saw this little piece of heaven.
Day 45
It was beautiful out today so I went back to the Cemetery on Fryburg Rd and did a palette knife painting.
Day 44
This is painted from a pic I took when I visited Nancy last fall. I went to visit and tag along on her plein air class. We were running a bit late (too many photos) so we were saying prayers that we would make to loaction before it rained and before the other students :) I really enjoy painting implied Americana.
Day 42
I took this pic late last fall in downtown Sidney, Oh. I love how the traffic signs paint in different directions.
Day 39
I love the colors in the apples. I had so much applying what I learned in my workshop with Chuck. Playing with color within a value....
Day 37
I am so grateful for Jody's photo adventures around Columbus. I love the power pole and the steeple and the array of power lines.
Day 35a
I painted this from a pic Morgan had taken on her trip to Chicago last summer. I used cool lights and hot lights to direct the eye along the city scape. I love to do implied detail!
Day 35
I couldn't resist going out again today...I did stand under the cover of my studio porch...too much snow. I didn't clean my palette from yesterday so I had some great mixes for a palette knife painting...Who needs spring?!
Day 34
The hardest part about painting outside during the winter is the cold..which I suppose is an understatement..but it is the urgent feeling to paint and get a good painting that can be a major artistic block. So today I decided to go outside and paint 4 small paintings. I didn't worry about getting a "good" painting...I tried different styles and paint mixes. It was a non-committal art day....a free flow of energy.
Day 32
My friend Becky sent this to me from Florida...I couldn't resist the whites. It was difficult trying to make the bird stand out from the water...I actually scraped the background, in fact I almost scraped the bird too but caught myself just in time. A little warm brights and cools and ta-da water...
Day 31
Jody had taken this little gem of a pic. I love the way the evening light kisses the side of the barns. This setting is so Ohio.
Day 29
Back to the ditch. Bigger canvas and more color.
Day 27
I've been so busy this week that I thought I would do somethng "easy" which is a bit funny because value studies are not easy for me :)
Day 26
I decided to try a monochromatic painting. I only used burnt umber mixed with black for the darks and white for the lights. I want to try to repaint this study with color
Day 25
I had to go back to German Village and try again! I think I was more cautios this time....so I believe I'll go back to the Village tomorrow!!
Day 24
I decided to put my new found skills to use on this pic Jody had taken at German Village in Columbus, Oh. I love the way the snow looks!!!
Day 23
I spent the day with Chuck Marshall to improve my skills as an artist. We painted the Little Miami River. My brain is swimming with new stuff!!
Day 21
The Ohio Plein Air Society went to the Dayton Art Institute for a paint "in". I chose a Robert Brackman because of the way he painted skin tones. This is a small detail from Life About Me.
Day 19
I was told today to try something different. I'm up for different!! It is a gestural painting using thinned oil paint. The view is of my backyard when the sun goes down behind the trees. I'm not sure which is worse the leaves in the fall or the squirrells eating our house!!
Day 17
This is an archway in Armagh, Ireland. I had taken the picture when I visited in August 2009 with Cindy. I love the shadow play! and the strong shapes of the shadows!!
Day 16
This is the view from Nancy's studio windows. I love to go and visit Nancy and her sister. We paint, eat and drink homemade hot chocolate mochas.
Day 15
I spent the night at Nancy's house after the paint-in at the Butler. Jody and I stayed up till 5:15am talking...my body is just now recovering. How did we manage when we were younger? The next day we went to a wonderful park near Columbiana, Oh and painted thes scene by a creek. The funniest thing was when some man showed up out of nowhere, in total disbelief, yelling...I can't believe you are painting outside!!!
Day 14
After the Butler museum painting event, we went back to Nancy's studio and painted a still life until 11:30 pm. Nancy had a hand beater that drove me crazy..so I left it out of my painting :) I used a 1" brush to paint this painting..
Day 13
I wanted to try to paint with thicker paint and try to get closer to the subtle white values in the raddishes. Not a fun day but neccessary in growing as an artist.
Day 12
I took this picture at the Bolder, Co farmer's market last November...I followed my friend Cindy (who is an excellent photographer) around the market and took a picture of everything she photographed. We had a similar incident in Ireland...she still complains that I "left her in the van" to get the perfect shots of the sheep. Which didn't happen because of her yelling "Let me out of the van Michelle"
Day 11
I wanted to paint a "white" painting today...today was the perfect day to drive about getting pics. The sky and ground were so close in value and color. The most difficult part of this painting was taking a picture of the painting! I can't get the blue-ness in the photo that I have on canvas. So close your eyes and imagine cold thoughts :)
Day 9
The sun was out today so I went out to play! I am so intrigued with the shadows in the snow.
Day 8
This is what happens when you let your non-artist husband set up your still life :)
Day 7
I woke this morning not feeling well so I decided to try to studio paint a scene (from a pic that Jody took) that had the same pallette and feel as yesterday's painting. I wanted to experiment with the different colors in the snow and in the trees.
Day 6
I spent all day quilting with my Japanese friends so I only had about an hour to paint today...I really liked the muted light on the fields and the color of the sky so I drove to the next cemetery on north on my road.....I'm a bit chicken today and I didn't want to stand in the cold so i did the next best thing....a plastic lined car interior and a cup of hot mocha!!!
Day 5
I thought the front orange was way past it's due date....until I cut it open. It was so juicy that I had a hard time using it as my subject!
Day 4
I went to my friend Barb's studio to paint today. We set up this still life... the challenge is how do you make an orange not look like an apple or some "indiscriminate" fruit. We googled Cezanne to look at his oranges...hmmmm the only way to tell they are oranges is by the color!
Day 3
Today was deceivingly sunny and beautiful. However, I had to sit beside my car to block the wind! Goodness is it cold! We live on Cemetery Rd so of course there are a number of cemeteries on our road. I sat in one of them to get a good view of these barns.
Day 2
I'm taking this opportunity to paint snow shadows. I've been out twice with Jody and haven't been able to paint snow shadows!!..why? snowing, chased off Clifton Mills "property", frozen fingers, and the sun disappeared just as we set up to paint!!
Day 1
Wee hoo. I'm doing it! Here is my first painting. If it wasn't for this personal challenge, this painting would not exsist...Both Morgan and Lauren went back to school today. We had to drive to Dayton and drop Morgan off at Wright State. There is such a bitter sweet feeling for me as a mom to leave my little girl...oh dear I'm going to cry. I better get my paints out and get going with the next day.
oil painting, plein air, landscape artist, portraits, barns, fruit, watercolor, pochade, oil painter, color, value, daily painter, daily paintings