George's birthday

(Here is the finished painting before it was framed, blocked out with notebook paper.)

I knew that I wanted to make a painting for George's 40th birthday, but I wasn't sure what to paint for him. Robb suggested Grace Church, and I thought--of course! That's a great idea because Grace Church is such a huge part of his life. It's practically his second home.



Smartypants that I am, though, I wrapped the framed painting in some of the tattiest, most recycled tissue paper that we had balled up in the bottom of our gift wrap tub, in all colors imaginable. And then I stuffed the whole thing into a big old turquoise shopping bag from this home accent shop on Main Street in Berlin, MD. So it looked like a strange pile of nothing when George began to unwrap his gift. Nice way to build the suspense. I asked Robb if he thought wrapping it ugly was funny, but he just shrugged--he usually goes along with my nonsense.



But when he got the framed painting out of the mess and realized what it was, he got choked up. So I consider this a successful painting! :) Glad you like it, George. Happy Birthday!!!

(Check out photos of the step-by-step work in progress on my blog.)

Around the House Series

This month I've been working on a series of small watercolor paintings from my stay-cation. Each of these studies from around the house are about 3" x 5" and are giving me good practice with my long-neglected watercolor set. Incidentally, it is a Daler-Rowney Georgian Water Colour Box with 12 half pans and pocket brush. I have had this box forever--it was love at first sight.

Mt. Washington Paint Out

What happens when you arrive 20 minutes late for a casual paint-out? All of the other artists have left the rendezvous point for some secluded location within an unfamiliar town, and you never catch up with them. Oh, well. For the record, I was in Mt. Washington, MD, on the morning of June 7th, and I did paint. Maybe it was the solitude talking, but I was really drawn to the Grecian quality of this overpass, all those columns.



I set up camp for a while on the side of the highway. But working alone in a strange town when no one knows exactly where I am--or even that I showed up for the event--kind of gives me the creeps. So I finished up my painting at home.



What do you think? Too Diebenkorn? On the surface it seems like a departure, but it's not so different from this. More abstraction here, but I'm using my same favorite color palette. I am going to put it away and come back to it with fresh eyes in a couple months. (I was working with acrylics and china markers on a masonite panel that measures 24" x 24".)



And although I painted a highway overpass, there were some lovely spots around Mt. Washington, like this old grist mill.

Solomons Paint the Town

I am starting to spend more time making excuses than actually painting. That's probably a bad thing. During the first annual Solomons Paint the Town plein air painting event, I was handicapped by a bad case of poison ivy all over my face and between my fingers. I just wasn't focused, and it shows. Pictured above is the only painting that I completed during the paint out, "Drum Point Light", acrylic and china marker on paper, 4" x 6". It's a very stylized, retro view of the historic lighthouse at the Calvert Marine Museum.



Then I spent a very pleasant day in the dappled shade of Back Creek Inn. Again, the weather and the view were perfect. But I was busy trying to bend the painting to my will instead of opening myself to the universe. Below is the work in progress.



If you're interested, I blogged daily my way through my personal frustration at Solomons. Here are links to my rambling notes about the first day, the second day, and the third day of the event.

Inspiration from the garden

This month we moved into a house that once had fabulous gardens, but they have been neglected for several years. As my husband and I labor to bring the yard back into order, the flowers are a constant source of inspiration to me. I find myself wanting to paint the flowers for the first time ever. And the vintage frames I had at the back of the closet are suddenly just right.



Peony Buds.
Acrylic and china marker on paper canvas, 5" x 3.5", 2009.




Salvia.
Acrylic and china marker on canvas panel, 10" x 8", 2009.




Garden Weeds.
Acrylic and china marker on Gessobord, 7" x 5", 2009.




Azaleas and Azalea Buds.
Each is acrylic and china marker on hardboard, 6" x 6", 2009.