Still Life-White on White

Oil on stretched canvas

16 x 20

Pink Rose and Bud

Oil on panel 8" x 8"

$400

Still Life-WIP continued

It may not appear so, but spent a lot of time on the eggs, the shells and the tablecloth. The changes are very delicate and subtle. I think I may have over warmed the bowl and it will need more work yet as well as the teapot and background. This will be the last post of this one before the finished painting, even this one may be a bit boring at this point. I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday as well.

Pink Rose

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Oil on panel 5 x 7

Still Life-WIP #3

This is about one week into this painting, now working on the subtle changes in the whites. It is important that the painting is dry as I work on these values. It is a slow process and demands a lot of patience, but hopefully in the end it will be rewarding. Using a lot of lead white, small amounts of azurite and malachite mixed into some of the shadows.

New Still Life-WIP #2

Been laying in color. since this is essentially all white on white the value transitions are very subtle, as a result it is a painstakingly slow process. I tweaked the composition a bit by adding the broken egg shells to give the composition a little more balance. So far I have worked on this for five days including the initial drawing. I also have a second painting started as well. I have been using all hand ground pigments with the exception of cobalt violet, the rest of my palette is make up of pretty traditional colors. I am using lead white mixed with poppyseed oil because it really gives a close to pure white pigment.

New Still Life-WIP

This is a new painting started yesterday on a good 16 x 20 canvas. Spent a good deal of time on the arrangement and finished the initial drawing. Still did some tweaking of it this morning as I was laying in color. Now I am simply trying to get the canvas covered. I will post more from this as I progress. Have made a commitment for now to paint only from life, tired of working from sketches, memory and photographs, time to get real.

Dunes- Stinson Beach

Oil on linen on board 5 x 7 Plein Air

Still Life-Bowl and Egg Shells

11 x 14 oil on 3/8" Artboard panel

Rose #1

9 x 12 oil on board

Finally back in the studio after 10 day visit with family in San Francisco. I had started this still life before leaving and finished it today.

Day 2 Still Life WIP

Covered the complete canvas with color notes that are quite close to the subject. Made an adjustment on the size relationship between the bowl and the egg shells. After yesterday's painting session my lab ate the egg shells, so had to improvise a bit with two new ones. Hard to get mad at him when he looks at me with those sad eyes, he is too adorable.

Still Life-WIP

This is a new still life painting that is a work in progress, it is 11 x 14 on an Artboard panel. I began laying in paint today after doing a drawing on a grid and using the grid to lay it on the panel. I found an old tube of cobalt violet which is working wonders in the shadows of the cloth. I will post more of this work in the coming days. This painting leans more toward realism as opposed to impressionistic. I find it pleasing to word in this way since I am really drawn more toward art that has a realistic interpretation.

Lost at Sea

2 1/2" x 3 1/2" oil on gessoed board

This is from my continuing series of miniature paintings, quite a departure

from my recent painting of the Maine Seacoast.

Early Sunset Mid-Coast Maine

18 x 24 oil on 3/8" board

Done from sketches from one our family camping

trips to Maine.

Sunset the Dalmatian Coast

2" x 3" oil on 3/8" Artboard panel

This is the first in a new challenging series of miniature oil paintings. That assumes that both my nerves and my eyes can withstand the challenge.

Old Friends

9 x 12 oil on linen panel

Another of my continuing series of paintings from my Route 66 trip. These two sit in an open field next to the Route 66 Motel in Grooms, Texas. They seem to be smiling and telling us "we have some real stories to tell about this ole road."

Lavandia-Sicily

16 x 20 oil on 3/8" artist panel

available please e-mail for purchase information

A young woman doing the weekly laundry at the well in the village of Balata, Sicily, very near to my hometown.

Villaggio

16 x 20 oil on stretched canvas

Decided to take a break from my Route 66 series to do something a bit bigger and a subject near and dear to my heart.

Phillip 66, McLean, Texas

6 x 8 oil on gessoed panel

This is another in my continuing series documenting my trip along Route 66. The Phillip 66 station remains as a historic site and a remembrance of the past.

U-Drop-Inn Cafe, Shamrock, Texas

9 x 12 oil on 3/8" gessoed board

The U-Drop-Inn was built in 1936 in art deco or period architecture. In Shamrock, Texas, it stands as a monument to a time past but not forgotten. This painting has been reworked and some refinements added, it is now offered framed.

The Pony Bridge

6 x 12 oil on 3/8" gessoed panel

The Pony Bridge in Oklahoma, also known as The Canadian Bridge, built in 1933, spans the South Canadian River. The bridge used 38 Pony trusses in it's construction and made possible the continued alignment of Route 66. In the filming of "The Grapes of Wrath," the scene of Grandpas death and burial was shot near the west end of the bridge.

Lucille's-Hydro, Oklahoma

4 x 6 oil on 3/8" gessoed panel

Lucille's Gas Station and Auto Court was built in 1927 and purchased in 1941 by Carl and Lucille Harmon. When Carl passed Lucille continued to manage the business, even after the arrival of the Interstate. Because of her devotion to Route 66, she was dubbed "Mother of the Mother Road." In 1997 Lucille's was named to the National Historic Register and she received the Oklahoma 66 Hall of Fame Award. Today Lucille's has new owners and has been nicely restored as a historic symbol of the old Route.

The Round Barn-Route 66

5 x 10 oil on 3/8" gessoed panel

The Round Barn in Arcadia, Oklahoma was built in 1898 and was restored by the "Over the Hill Gang." This is the ninth painting in my Route 66 series.

The Rock Cafe

The Rock Cafe in Stroud, Oklahoma was built in 1936 with rocks unearthed from the construction of Route 66. The sign and awning were originally green, the sign is now red. John Lesseter, founder of Pixar Studios drew and created Buzz Lightyear the "Toy Story" character, while he was eating at the Rock Cafe. The owner Dawn Welch was also Lesseter's inspiration for the character Sally , the Porche, in the movie "Cars." Unfortunately the inside was partly destroyed by a fire in 2008, but I believe it has been rebuilt.

The Mother Road

18 x 24 oil on 3/8" gessoed board

available at $1500

This is the large painting of a section of Route 66 that is no longer in use and now shows the passage of time. The growing prairie grasses and weeds have created a new sense of beauty, but one of a loss of history.

Rock Creek Bridge

9 x 12 oil on 3/8" gessoed panel

The Rock Creek Bridge, on Route 66, is in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. It was built in 1921 and is the only red brick paved bridge in America. The bridge is 12' long.

The Pink Sink-Room 66

5 x 10 oil on 3/8" gessoed board

Now, why paint a sink? Well, this sink is in room 66 in the Monger Moss motel in Lebanon, Missouri.

The Monger Moss is a motel original to Route 66. I could have painted the more recognizable sign, but this pink sink against the aqua colored tiles just had such an aura of the fifties, I could not resist it.

Bob and Ramona, the owners of the Monger Moss are two delightful people who work very hard to stay original to the Route, there is a room dedicated to Route 66 memorabilia.

If ever in that area, stay at the Monger Moss, you will not regret it, and also hope you get to see the Starlight Lanes (bowling alley) lit up at night, for a brief moment you will be in the fifties.

Lunch at the Cozy Dog

8 x 10 oil on 3/8" high quality gessoed panel

On the third day of our trip, after visiting the Lincons’ residence and memorial, we headed for lunch at the Cozy Dog, in Springfield, Illinois, a favorite and original stop for 66 travelers.

The Cozy Dog is home to the corn dog on a stick, invented by Ed Waldmire in 1949, today it is run by third generation Waldmire.

When we were there Buzz Waldmire was on duty in the kitchen, when we told him of our trip on the route, the food and the stories kept coming.

Bob Waldmire was also there, he is the artist who does the highly detailed maps of 66, the maps are truly a collection item, the history and information in them is amazing. Bob is an avid supporter on the preservation of the Route,

The restaurant is loaded with Route 66 memorabilia.

The corn dogs, the fries and the home made doughnuts were great, but the stories were unforgettable. We left the restaurant 3-1/2 hours later, our heads spinning with all we had heard and looking forward to what else the Route had in store for us.

The Mother Road

5 x 7 monotype, oil painted on copper

and than created on an etching press.

This is a sketch of a section of old Rte 66 that is no longer in use

and is beginning to erode as weeds grow in the cracks of the asphalt.

I will be doing a large oil painting of this in the coming days.

The Pig Hip Restaurant, Route 66

8 x 10 oil on 3/8" gessoed high quality panel

The Pig Hip was opened by Ernie Edwards in 1937 in Broadwell, Illinois. Rather than paint the big sign in front of the eatery, I opted to paint this arrangement that I found on the sid of the building, it just spoke of the down home hopitality of this place. I was very fortunate to have been able to visit The Pig Hip, since much of it was lost in a fire a couple of years back.

Funk's Grove General Store

9 x 12 oil on linen on masonite panel

Four miles south of Shirley, Illinois is Funk's Grove Maple Sirip Farm, founded by Isack Funk in 1824. It is now in it's seventh generation of family ownership. In the 1920's Route 66 was built along the grove. There is a lot to see in Funk's Grove, it is one of the prettiest areas along Route 66. The day we visited the Grove we drove 145 miles and only advanced 45 miles along the Rte., but we soon found that it was just a typical day along the way.

Rte. 66, Hitting The Road

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9 x 12 oil on linen on masonite board

Some time ago during an evening of conversation, a friend of mine and I tossed around the idea of how fun it would be to do a, just girls, road trip. But where to? Route 66 spilled out of my mouth, we looked at each other, wickedly laughed, and the wheels were set in motion, Route 66, the Mother Road, from Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier, 2448 miles of history, our Appian Way.

We decided, we needed a third partner in crime so Mary Jane asked her friend Nancy, she was excited on the idea. We decided to take this trip the following May, a year to map it out, to stay true to the road and all that is still in existence from that era.

Mary Jane, the ultimate planner, subscribed to Route 66 magazine, we bought books on the subject, read and compared notes and mapped it all out, while our husbands just laughed and shook their heads.

Late the following April, we gathered in Michigan at Mary Jane’s ready to start our adventure form Chicago to LA, one month to do it.

We packed our car, not the idolized Corvette which none of us had, but the more comfortable, moderate SUV, after all, we needed room for our favorite pillows.

On May 1^st, set to go we said our goodbyes, Mary Jane turned left out of the driveway, the expressway was to the right, this provided much laughter for our husband for months to come.

Our plan was to start the trip at Michigan Avenue and Jackson Blvd in Chicago, head the car west and drive, but first a stop at “Hit The Road” store in Chicago, slighty north of the famous intersection. The store is loaded with Route 66 memorabilia, information and maps, especially the fascinating maps by Bob Waldmire.

I have decided to do a body of work about this trip, I won’t promise to stay in geographical order with the paintings, but it will be a great trip.

So come with me on Route 66……………

High Desert Back Road

5 x 10 oil on gessoed masonite board

Took a day trip yesterday and did this painting plein air

off the beaten path in Peeples Valley.

Blue Bottle

6 x 6 oil on linen on panel

The last of the series of glass bottles.

Green Bottle

6 x 6 oil on linen on panel

This is the second in a series of three or four bottles

that I am working on.

Red Bottle

6 x 6 oil on linen on masonite board.

After doing this painting I now understand why Georgio Morandi

painted all his bottles opaque.

Sun Flower Garden

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30 x 36 oil on canvas

First Light

4" x4" oil on gessoed masonite board

Red Hot Chili Pepper

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4 x 6 oil on gessoed masonite panel

Del Bano Finished Master Copy

Finished the copy project today, it was such a wonderful learning experience. I had previously said that the orighingal was in the Prado, but later found out that is actually in the Sorolla Museum. One obervation and thought about his work is that I believe that the richness of color and the brightness of his paintings are a direct result of painting under the Mediteranean sun. I definately will do more master copies in the future, but for now back to daily painting.

Master Copy Part 2

The project is nearing completion and it has been both tedious and rewarding. I hand ground my pigments in order to have the best possible control over the strength of the colors. Mixing the colors to achieve the colors of the painting was very painstaking, but as a result I have added many beautiful colors and hues to my pallette, which alone has made this all worth while. I worked from a high resolution image that I found at the Art Renewal Center which was helpful in getting colors similar to the original, but matching the subtle hues was painstaking. By zooming in on the reproduction I was able to work on small areas of the painting as well as study the brush strokes used by Sorolla, which I also attempted to copy. I should complete the painting in the next day or so and will post the finished result, if anyone has questions about the process, please feel free to contact me.

Master Copy in Progress

I have fallen a bit behind on my painting a day, I finished the large sunflower commission and than started another large painting. I have become very interested in and excited by the works of Joaquin Sorolla. The wonderful lightness of his paintings and the subtle changes within the colors is amazing. I decided to do a copy of his painting "Del Bano," in about half the original size of 70x44. I have undertaken this project in hopes of learning more about color range and to expand my own pallette by trying to achieve the same colors and values as tha Sorolla used in his painting. I am using an internet copy of the original which hangs in the Prado in Madrid. I hope to one day see the original, but in the mean time I thank Sorrolla for his wonderful and beautiful works. I will update my progress in the next few days and share some of what I hope to learn from this undertaking.

The Yellow Cliffs at Bartlet Lake

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11 x 14 oil on gessoed board

This was done Saturday afternoon at Bartlet Lake. Finally had a break from the summer heat and was able to do some Plein Air painting.

Streets of San Francisco

9 x 12 oil on linen on board by Raymar

This painting was done from a photograph provided by Karin Jurick on her blog "Different Srokes from Different Folks," where artists are encouraged to paint or draw their own interpretations. I enjoyed doing this painting since it is similar to my series of charcoal drawings of San Francisco street scenes.

Sun Flower Study #2

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12 x 9 oil on canvas

Iris #2

25 x 25 charcoal and color pencil on watercolor paper

the last from my floral drawing series

Stargazer

25 x 25 charcoal and colored pencil on Reeves BFK

Another from my floral drawing series

White Orchids

40 x 28 charcoal and color pencil on Reeves BFK

Boulevard-San Francisco

16 x 20 charcoal on Arches hot press

From a San Francisco streets series.