Craft Fair

 My husband and I are sharing a table at this craft fair. It is a fundraiser for Women's and Children's Alliance in Boise at the Riverside Hotel.  We have not done any fairs for several years. We stopped when Covid started. I'm looking forward to it even though it is a long day for us. I will have cards and a few prints for sale. Joe has 8 or 9 books that he published. Some non-fiction, but most are thrillers (fiction). He will sign the books for buyers too.

3 more abstracts

 

Swimming in circles, Oil on canvas board, 10" X 10". Not totally abstract, but I decided my blobs of paint looked like koi fish. I remember seeing them in the ponds at Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael in Israel along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. They raise them for sale at that kibbutz. They also feed the wild birds in some of their ponds too.

Tied up in knots. Oil on canvas board 8" X 10". Sometimes I feel like this as I grow older. I thought those emotions would be resolved when I finished my adolescence, but I guess I deal with them better in my senior age.

Soul afire. 8' X 10" on gessoed hardboard. This was a fun exercise today playing with my free acrylic  samples from the Golden company.  The yellow paint reminded me of the flames from the Chanukah candles.  I see some other images in the abstractions too. 

Happy Holidays.

Happy Chanukah

 

Chanukah starts at sunset on Sunday, December 18th this year (25th of Kislev). The Jewish calendar is a lunar one, following the traditions of the Babylonians when the Israelites were in exile in Babylon many centuries ago.

I decided to use my recent abstract as an image this year instead of the traditional Chanukiah (8 branched candelabra/menorah).  I liked the quote I saw today. I think it is from the Talmud.  Anyway, may we all be blessed with light at this dark time of the year.

City of Rocks revised

 

City of Rocks, Climbing area. Oil painting 10" X 20" on stretched canvas. 

City of Rocks. 8" X 10"

I had intended to paint these plein air with the Plein Air Painters of Idaho, but it was so windy that day that I just took photos.  We stayed overnight at the Almo Inn, but the wind conditions were just as bad the second day.  The park is on the southern border of Idaho (border with Utah). It has interesting rocks and an interesting history.

Winter Wonderland

 

I'm happy to have three paintings in this show.  Although I now live in Boise, Idaho, I submitted paintings from NH. That was my happy place for winter before I became a senior citizen (euphemism for "old lady").

Here are the three that will be up in the gallery.

This is a very small painting, 5" X 5" of Clark's Pond in Hooksett, NH. Sold today at the reception. 

This is a snowmobile trail in Auburn, NH. We shared it with the sled dogs, cross county skiiers and snow shoers.  It was a great trail to walk on in any season.

A winter marsh in Hooksett, NH near Dube's Pond. Also a good trail in any season

All of these images are also available as prints, cards or other printed items through my Fine Art America website.

Happy winter to all. (Winter is mild in Boise, Idaho. Not much of a challenge, but it works well for me now that I am older. I can walk my dog almost every day without any problems.)

Gallery acceptance

 Three of my paintings have been accepted to this gallery show. They are fall images with fall colors.

I submitted 5 images (the maximum allowed) and I'm happy three were chosen. One oil painting and two acrylic paintings. The Hebrew in the middle one may have a grammatical error. I created this one quite a few years ago and I think I may have missed a word that precedes a direct object. Anyway, the thought is there and I still like the image.

Abstract on brushed aluminum

 

Playing with limited colors on brushed aluminum. This was fun. I might try the other side for another project too. The panels come with 2 sides of aluminum.

This is the panel before painting. A great surface to experiment on. I can also wash off the oil paint and do it over again, but I was just experimenting so it didn't matter what I painted on it.

City of Rocks painting

 

City of Rocks, 8 X 10 on canvas board. Since I didn't get to paint plein air, I chose one of my photos to practice on. These rocks were across from "Camp Rock" in the City of Rocks reserve, Almo, Idaho. I don't like painting in the open in the wind. Although I do like plein air painting since it is so challenging and I enjoy the company of the other artists.

I need a better title for this. I was thinking of "Uprising" since the rocks seems to come up from the ground.

Just for Fun

Just for fun I took an acrylic painting class on Learning from the Masters. This one was on Van Gogh. I had fun and did not attempt to make an exact re-creation of Van Gogh's irises. Learned a few new techniques and enjoyed the group class. There is another one in a few months on Georgia O'Keeffe. I might try that one too. This was at the same gallery where I have 2 artworks on exhibit. Avianne Gallery of Fine Art in Boise, Idaho.

Gallery show

 I'm in my first gallery show in Idaho and happy to report that one art piece sold already. Even though the calligraphy is in Hebrew, the buyer liked it and bought it (for his wife). They cannot read the words, but liked my concept of writing the words as the ladder.

It is easier to read in the unframed view. 

Prints and printed items are still available at my website. Jacob's Ladder  This is the translation: And Jacob awoke from his sleep and said "Surely God is in the place, and I did not know it! Shaken, he said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

Around the corner

 Around the corner from the conservation area near my son's house in Exeter, NH was this nice view of a barn.  11" X 14" oil on canvas. I may work on it some more. I found that my hands are no longer steady enough with a brush to do a good job on straight lines (architecture for example). We were visiting NH and MA for Passover this year and I enjoyed the ocean as well as the early spring scenery.

Atlantic Ocean in Rye, NH. Windy day.

Piscassic River, Wildlife Management Area, Epping, Exeter, Newfields, NH.

I'm not sure the painting is done so I'm not posting it yet to my website. I will think about it for a few more days. Meanwhile, I have signed up for more plein air painting. Still struggling with that, but enjoying the challenge. I only bring very small canvases with me to experiment with.

Looking forward to our synagogue's annual retreat in McCall (Idaho) soon. We missed that the last 2 years because of the pandemic. 

Jenny Lake

 I think this one is finally done. Jenny Lake in the Tetons, 11" X 14", oil on canvas. I kept it on my easel for a while and kept fiddling. 

Spring is finally here and I'll be going out to do more paintings. Meanwhile, I am recovering from getting a Pacemaker and hope to have more energy this year. I'm looking forward to our trip back east for Passover next month. I love the NH scenery and enjoy seeing my northeast family.  I have lots of family in the northwest too so it is hard being so divided.  

More winter plein air

 

 I enjoyed sketching (in oil) with the other artists, but I'm looking forward to the warmer weather when we can be outside again. I miss trying to paint the landscapes.

Meanwhile I put together a puzzle that I had contributed a photo to. "Delightful Idaho". My puzzle is in the middle and has my name on it. The puzzle was difficult but fun.

Two of my landscapes have been accepted to the next Treasure Valley Artist Alliance show in Meridian for March at the Initial Point Gallery in Meridian City Hall.   I will post a link when the show is online.  The theme was "Verdant Discourse".  I did not pick paintings with bright green, but more natural greens of the northwest.

This is the Little Dell Reservoir in Salt Lake City in the fall. Greens were quite dull then. Oil paintings.

Robie Creek (Idaho) in the early spring. Just starting to see better greens. Still had some snow in places. 

More experiments

 

I bought a downloaded video lesson on palette knife painting. I found it difficult and very messy, but I enjoyed the lesson. The lesson was $14.95 and it was definitely worthwhile. This is the 2nd one I have tried from Kevin Hill painting.  He is a good instructor.  I have done some lessons with a palette knife in the past, but those were in acrylic paint. This was oil paint. Very thick paint and it takes a long time to dry. (11 X 14" oil on canvas)

Hikers at Arches National Park, Another experiment, this time on gesso'd board.  I think I prefer to paint on regular artist's canvas. Even though I sanded between coats of gesso, the surface was still strange to me.  This one is also oil paint from one of my photos at Arches National Park in Utah several years ago. (12 X 16" oil on board)

And finally a small (5 X 7) study of sunset from my daughter's photo in Salt Lake City of the sunset over the golf course near her apartment. I think I like this enough to finish it and maybe make a larger version.

Playing with Gesso Part 2

 

I went to the art store and bought the proper materials for this exercise. I am much happier with the result. Now I have to figure out how to use this technique on my own composition.  The link to the Bob Ross episode is in the previous blog post.

I tinkered with it a little more and I like this version better:

Playing with Gesso

 

I decided to have some fun with painting instead of trying to be serious. I found this instructional video online, Bob Ross, Season 28, Episode 4. I didn't have all the right materials, but I had most of them. I bought some black gesso so I could start the experiment.  If you are familiar with Bob Ross, you know that this is not his usual teaching technique. Anyway, I started with black gesso, paper towels and a foam brush. It looks interesting so far.  I used a leftover piece of canvas from another project rather than wastinng a good canvas.  Fun so far.

Here is part 2. I had to repaint the bottom of the canvas because I did not like my path the first time I tried it.  The gesso has to dry before putting color on it.

I didn't have the right materials or colors for this part so I was a bit disappointed, but I still enjoyed this process.  I did go out and buy what I need so I can try it again.

Lake Louise

 

Lake Louise, Oil, 20" X 24". I think this is finished now, but I will wait a few weeks to post it to my website until I am sure and happy with it.  I had a large (for me) canvas that I picked up 2 years ago at a sidewalk sale and kept thinking about what I would paint on it. Finally I took the plunge.  I loved the colors of the lakes in Alberta, Canada, colors from the glacial silt.  We took a trip there several years ago and I enjoy looking at my old photos.

Meanwhile, I submitted three other paintings for a "monochrome" show at the Meridian library and two were selected. They will go up at the end of the month.  One that I posted last time (Monochrome etude #1) although I personally liked #2 better and my older acrylic 8" X 10" painting of Rabbi Y'Shia.

Studies

 

The Treasure Valley Artist Alliance has an exhibit later this month for monochrome paintings so I did two small studies.  This one is a winter creek at a retreat center in Connecticut. I tried using manganese blue for it and wasn't happy with the result. oil painting 8 X 10" on stretched canvas.

I tried Prussian blue for my next study and liked the result better. From a photo of a bird on bushes (probably bamboo) in Ein Hod Israel. oil painting 8 X 10" on stretched canvas.

These are drying now and I don't know if I will submit them or not.  My painting of the Pelicans from Laguna Beach is on exhibit now in Meridian, Idaho.  There is a gallery on the 3rd floor of City Hall there.  Here is a link to the online exhibit.

I also painted (again) the Athabasca River in Alberta from my old photos.

These are all oil paintings today.  This one is 11" X 14" on canvas board.  I was looking down at the river from a high point.  I need to practice more. I didn't quite get that in my painting.

I've enjoyed doing these studies in the past. I even sold one many years ago. Here is a link to that monochome of Edna Creek (Idaho).

Winter again

Before the Rain, 16" X 20" oil on stretched canvas

This is my first painting with really thick oil paint (not water mixable oils).  I had a canvas painting I did not like and decided to recycle. I found that I still had a container of Alexander Magic White and Alexander oil paints from an online class I took several years ago. Bill Alexander was the precursor of Bob Ross painting style, wet into wet.  I did not continue with that painting style, but it kind of worked for this image. I had permission from Sean Bunce Photography of Boise to paint his image of Before the Rain (which I saw on Facebook). I used the photo as an inspirational one and did not make a copy, just played with the really thick paint, abstracting the image a bit.  I don't know how long it will take to dry, but I assume it will be quite a while. I liked the colors, but I couldn't match up as well since I only had a limited set of Alexander oil paint tubes.

Robie Creek, 10" X 20",  water mixable oil on stretched canvas

I worked on this painting for several weeks and I'm not quite happy with it.  I need to take more lessons on painting shadows.  This painting seems too flat to me. Not sure if I can fix it or not. Anyway, this is from my own photo of early spring at Robie Creek (which is off Route 21 on the way to Idaho City in Idaho). We have gone swimming there in the spring time with our dog, but not at this location.  The water was running very fast in the spring so we just took photos.

Yesterday was a holiday in the U.S. (Martin Luther King Day) and I was having a bit of cabin fever. I do get tired of just being in the city even as nice as it is.  We took a drive up to Idaho City and I took some photos. We had a good lunch at Trudy's Kitchen and brought home desserts for later.

I took some photos on the way back from the moving car. I was surprised that they came out and showed the nice scenery in this part of Idaho. Winter is mild in Boise where we live and I don't miss the extreme winters of New Hampshire, but I needed to see a little snow and more trees. Morning in Boise started out foggy, but cleared by noon time. Nice blue skies on the trip.