Happy Thanksgiving

I finished up my fall art classes with a fun painting of the November sunrise from my back yard.  I may add some birds to it and a bit more texture.  I am also taking a series of 4 classes in December from the same artist, Kevin McCain.   He is a good teacher and I am learning a lot.

I think this version of Hopewell Rocks (New Brunswick, Canada) is done. I'll let it dry for a while in case I decide I need to change anything else.  12" X 16" canvas panel. on my website

My old house in fall. 9" X 12".  Just a little study I made for myself.  I had difficulty with painting shadows and need to practice that more.  This was my house in New Hampshire. We are living in Idaho now, but plan on visiting family in NH next summer. We'll take a drive by of the house and see if the buyers have changed anything.

All of these paintings were done in my class. I used Winsor & Newson Artisan oil paints (water soluble).

Happy Thanksgiving to all.  We keep being asked "Why did you move to Idaho?".  Our answer is always the same "family".  We are having 18 here for Thanksgiving this week, mostly family and a few friends of family. I don't have to cook much (which is good since I can't stand on my feet too long yet). Everyone is bringing something and I'm providing tables, chairs, plates, silverware, and an appetizer.  Looking forward to it. I'll have plenty of help cleaning up too.

So I'm thankful we managed the big move this summer and I'm thankful for my wonderful husband who has been a great caregiver while I have been healing from knee replacement surgery.  I have two more sessions of physical therapy, then I'm done with that.  I am able to walk somewhat and will keep going to the gym and working out that new knee. I'm hopeful that I will be able to hike and dance again in the spring.  Healing takes time and I am a bit impatient.  Winter won't be as severe here in Idaho (as it was in NH), but we have already had frost. I'm ready for it.

Fall musings

It's a beautiful cold crisp clear day in Idaho today. My knee is slowly healing after knee replacement surgery. The stitches come out tomorrow and I have a very ugly scar. I'm going to physical therapy twice a week.  Having surgery, prescription drug negative reactions, pains and aches reminds me of my aging and also my earlier years when I was in a bad marriage and struggling with depression.

I have had little motivation to paint, but started a new painting of Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick anyway.  I need to get help with color mixtures next week when I go back to class. As I start feeling better and get back to doing things myself, I hope I will paint more.  As it is, my wonderful husband has to drive me everywhere since I can't drive for a few more weeks.  I do try to wake up each day with positive energy, but it has been hard.

Hopewell Rocks is really interesting. The tides change on the Bay of Fundy with great force and an alarm sounds so the tourists go up the ladder before the tide comes in.  It is also possible to boat around the big rocks when the tide is in.  When we went there years ago, we were in time to walk around the rocks at low tide. You are actually walking on the ocean floor, not just a beach there.

After looking at hundreds of photos on my computer, I decided I wanted to paint a picture with people in it, something that kind of tells a story.  I had done a acrylic painting on paper of this area many years ago, but decided to try this in oil paints as I am in an oil painting class now. There are many interesting rock formations there and I could make a whole series if I felt like it.

I had done a sketch of this scene in pencil at one point, but the puppy ate a good part of it. Luckily, I had already made a photo before he chomped it. I used a projector to enlarge my original photo for my canvas. That was easier than doing a grid.

I also had a good start on a painting of my old house in NH in the fall (I'm only a little homesick as I'm enjoying our new house in Idaho).  I still need help with shadows and some details to finish this one.

I noticed that the oranges and reds in New Hampshire are much brighter than the leaf colors in Idaho, but it's still pretty here too and the sky is clear now.  We had many days during the summer with hazy, smoky skies from the wildfires in Montana and Idaho. That seems to be finished now.

I have a list of easy hikes nearby so once I can walk better, you will start seeing more photos, sketches and paintings from Idaho.  I'm looking forward to exploring my new home state.

Studies

I have been playing with oils and acrylics on canvas paper. Rather than wasting good canvas, I am trying to teach myself a little more about painting.  In the image above, I reversed the image from a photo and added sunset colors to make it more interesting. I had to reverse the shadows as well.  That was from a photo taken on a walk on the Audubon trails at Lake Massabesic.  I didn't like the image enough to make a larger painting.

This creek study was done from a book "Brilliant Color" by Julie Gilbert Pollard.  I found it very difficult to follow the directions so I just wound up painting some interesting colors using her color palette.  I do like the brighter colors instead of my usual natural palette.

This rock study is also along the same theme of brighter colors. I'll probably work on it a bit more, but again, I don't feel like making a larger painting.  This one is acrylic paint only (no oil) on canvas paper, 8" X 10". Again, I love to take photos of rocks when we are out on the trails.  This trail was in Hooksett, NH, in back of Dube's Pond.

Now that I'm not in an actual class, I am finding it difficult to stay motivated to paint.  However, I'm looking forward to our vacation in March and I will be bringing some painting supplies with me.  I think part of my problem is the lack of sunlight now.  I like snow (and cold weather), but we haven't had enough to go out and play (cross country skiing) and the days are too dark.

Meanwhile I prepared a 16" X 20" hard board with gesso and I hope to find something to paint on it soon.  Happy winter!

Fall in New Hampshire

The beautiful fall weather has been very distracting and I haven't thought much about writing. I've been enjoying walking on some of the trails I usually go cross country skiing on and I'm looking forward to snow.

 

This scene is one I had painted with a snowmobile in the winter.

The sled dogs need their exercise even without the snow. They were happy to be out on the trail too.

We took a long drive (over 2 hours) to the southwestern corner of New Hampshire, Chesterfield, NH, to see the Madame Sherri Forest. I'm not sure if I'll try painting this, but it was certainly interesting.

The trails were not well marked to we didn't walk there too long. That corner of the state also has Pisgah State Park which has well marked trails that we have enjoyed in the past.

And home sweet home. This is the view of my yard. Most of these leaves are down today and I'll be raking them up for a while.

I'm still working on some of my paintings in my class. I'm not happy with them yet. I'll post them when they are closer to being finished.

New oil painting class

"Crossing the Tracks" 

I'm back in school, taking another continuing ed oil painting class at New Hampshire Institute of Art. Last year I took Intermediate Oil Painting, this time I'm taking a class called "Explore, Exploit, Express" with Patrick McCay. Everyone is working on a their own project, in various media. It is quite interesting. The students are all on different learning levels too.

The painting above is from a scene in the millyard of Manchester, New Hampshire.  Almost all of the old millyard buildings have been rehabbed now and have a variety of businesses in them. In the past, they were used for manufacturing, using the waters of the Merrimack River to create electricity for the machinery.

This is a 9" X 12" oil painting on canvas board. I hope to finish it this week.

Since it is an exploratory class, I played with a scene from the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada and created a sci-fi image. I'm calling this one "Many Moons". This one is also 9" X 12" on canvas board.

I have leftover canvas from another project, so I decided to glue it onto a board (using gesso) and following some directions I found in a book.

Eventually there will be a waterfall on this painting. This is Gibbs Falls on the Crawford Path in Crawford Notch, New Hampshire.  The painting is 16" X 20" and I'll be working on it this week in class.  The upper left will have trees too. I'll post the painting as I progress with it.

I've been enjoying the beautiful fall weather and colors here. I've been walking, both with friends and on my own. Yesterday I went back to the Audubon trails by Lake Massabesic. I hadn't been there for a quite a while. It was quiet and peaceful. The leaves are not quite at peak color yet. I even saw a very small snake (maybe a brown snake). I'm not sure of what it was, but it's not a dangerous one. I love all the changing seasons in New Hampshire, but I think autumn is probably my favorite one.

Fall bike ride

No words needed!

Arethusa Falls

I am still working on this piece.  If you click on it, you will get the enlarged picture and it will be easier to see it.  I added a few people to give a sense of scale.  Arethusa Falls is the highest waterfall in New Hampshire.  It is a good hike from Route 302 in Crawford Notch. I'm setting this aside for a little while to think about. It's hard for me to decide when a piece is actually finished. This is the companion piece to my Frankenstein Cliffs one as we did this hike on one day (which I do not recommend) in the fall of 2013. This is a 16" X 20" acrylic painting on stretched canvas.

As a break from the complicated painting above, I did something a bit easier.  I felt like playing with cumulus clouds and found a photo I had taken of the mountains along the Kancamagus Highway. This one is 11" X 14" and I had a prepared canvas board from an earlier class.  It was a dark and overcast day.  Our first hike (to Greeley Ponds) did not work out for us as there was too much water to cross (and I do not enjoy water crossings as I have fallen several times).  Then we went to Sabbaday Falls which is very enjoyable and an easy hike. We stopped at several overlooks and I took lots of photos.  I painted this scene from one of my photos.  I think it would also work well for an inspirational saying on one of my cards.

I have only set a few goals for the new year as I think they will take me a long time to achieve.  I'm thinking about learning how to convert my poetry books to e-readers.  I also have many poems that were not in those books (which are out of print now). Of course I plan on continuing with my painting. I'm hoping to learn how to do plein air painting (on site outdoor painting) in the spring or summer.

Happy new year to all. May 2014 be filled with blessings and good health for everyone.

To purchase a card or print of the falls painting: Arethusa Falls or one of the cliffs:
Frankenstein Cliffs

Cottonwoods at Arches

Finally finished this painting. It is acrylic on stretched canvas, 16" X 20".  I loved hiking at Arches National Park, seeing the massive rock formations and spending time with my daughter in Utah. This was really the first time I paid attention to the cottonwood trees and the aspens.  Their fall colors are different from the fall colors I see in New Hampshire. I took lots of photos and had a hard time choosing which ones to paint. I may do some more in the future.  Meanwhile, I have started on a painting of Arethusa Falls in Crawford Notch, New Hampshire.  Maybe I'll have that done to post in a few weeks.

Just for play, I wanted to work with some bright colors.  I remembered how pretty the butterflies were in Costa Rica last year on my trip.  I decided to paint some in a less detailed way.  Usually I paint from my photos, but this one was just from my imagination. This is acrylic on canvas board, 8" X 10".

I am glad that the craft fairs are over for the season.  I sold a couple of originals, several prints and lots of cards.  It is hard work setting up, being there for many hours, then breaking everything down.  I didn't do as many this year as last year.  I do enjoy talking to everybody who stops by my table. There are lots of interesting people in New Hampshire.

We have about 10" or so of snow on the ground now from two storms. The winter sunsets are beautiful and so are the sunrises. I'm not so enthusiastic about the snow shoveling as I get older, but it is good exercise and I'm grateful that I can still do this.

To purchase a card or print of this image: Cottonwoods at Arches National Park

Sketching and WIP

I realized that I haven't posted anything this week, but I don't have any finished work. My husband and I enjoyed a free lunchtime concert downtown (classical music). I sketched while listening and I know I need a lot more practice drawing people. Of course, it didn't help that they kept moving. :)

Delicate Arch, Utah (Arches National Park). This small oil painting, 8 X 10, is getting close to finished. I'm letting it dry for a while and then I'll decide if I want to put any people in to show scale.  I'm still not as comfortable working with the water mixable oil paints (Winsor Artisan) as I am with acrylics, but I'll keep trying. I like challenges.

This was a fall sunset as seen from my window.  I'll probably work on this one a little more too.  I only have one painting class left and I hope to finish my larger acrylic 16 X 20 painting from Arches National Park during that one.  I think I can finish these two smaller oil ones on my own. I don't plan on taking painting classes during the winter, but I'll probably keep painting.

My winter project is to learn how to make e-books so I can put my poetry online.  All my printed copies have been sold and I don't want to make any more. Since I taught myself how to do this blog as well as many other computer subjects, I expect I will be able to learn to convert my files to e-book format without too much difficulty. Anyway, I'll stay optimistic even if I get frustrated at it.

Work in Progress

I did not get much accomplished this last week in painting. We had a new furnace installed (natural gas) and the oil tank removed.  The contractors were very nice, but I didn't feel comfortable painting with all the work going on.  I also had a craft fair on Saturday and did well with my cards, even sold one print. Still have lots of leaves to rake (fall here).

The canvas above is based on my photo at Arches National Park taken a few weeks ago.  I loved the colors of the cottonwoods and the massive rock formations.  I am trying to get a sense of the majesty of the place. This canvas  is 16" X 20" and  painted with acrylics on stretched wrap canvas.  I hope to have more time to work on it during the next few weeks. I only have two more painting classes this fall. I don't expect to take any painting classes during the winter, but I have lots of projects and ideas to keep me busy.

This painting is a small one, 8" X 10" on canvas board.  I am still learning to use oils and have a long way to go.  I worked on getting some of the dark rock formation backgrounds painted yesterday in my class.  This is the famous "Delicate Arch" at Arches National Park.  I will put some people in the painting at the end so that viewers can get an idea of scale.  It was a long hike up to the arch for my senior legs, but I was glad my daughter pushed me to go.  Links to my Utah photos are in an earlier post.

Arches National Park

I had a wonderful vacation last week in Utah. I spent 5 days with my daughter. We hiked in Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park (in Moab, Utah). We also walked to the Liberty (?) park and visited the Tracy Aviary near her house in Salt Lake City.  I posted the Arches photos and will do the others soon. You can click on that link to see the rest of the photos.  I loved the fall colors of the cottonwoods and aspens.

Frankenstein Cliffs WIP

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I wanted to try painting the cliffs (see last photo on last post for better photo of actual cliffs).  I'm enjoying painting again in acrylics. I have been trying to learn oil paints (water mixable) and I am a bit frustrated. So I decided to take a break and do another acrylic landscape (my favorite).  While this painting still has a long way to go to completion, I am enjoying the process and thinking back on the hike we took.

When I have some of the other small oil paintings closer to completion, I will post them here.

Fall Hiking to Arethusa Falls & Frankenstein Cliffs

We hiked over the weekend in the Crawford Notch area of New Hampshire. The view from the parking lot shows the Frankenstein Cliffs and we were up there, about 2500'.  The trail in that area was poorly marked on the way down and we felt that the trail signs lied, this was much more than 3 miles. At the end, we bushwhacked to the railroad bed and followed the rails back to the beginning of the hike, then back down to our car.  Total hike for the oldsters, 6 hours. We would not recommend the cliff trail, but were glad we did it.

These are the highest falls in New Hampshire, about 200 feet high. You can't really feel the scale and majesty of the falls from the photo.  Beautiful fall colors on the trees now too. The hike to the falls was definitely worthwhile and that trail was clearly marked.

I think I will make a new painting of this cliff (glacier).  It will remind me how much I ached going downhill, but how proud I am of myself that I can still do it! The views from the cliff are of the presidential range of mountains.

Crawford Notch State Park (link)