Afternoon

24x18

oil on 2" cradled panel

Ask Gardner Colby Galleries about this painting

I am so clever with titles. Not. Anyway - this is a larger bird's eye scene than I have ever done before. I love to paint these scenes as they are so simple and almost abstract. Its always fun to play with shadows. I think though that they have taught me how to fill in large empty spaces in interesting ways. With subtle shifts in temperature and color and by varying brushwork, the empty fields are not boring. Its also taught me to make interesting greys.

This week is spring break in central Texas and I sure wish I was able to visit Naples, FL for the opening this week. If you are in the area, go and tell me how this show is. I'd love to see all these artists work in person, and see their subjects. Would be very inspirational.

Moses Botkin Monthly Challenge

Really? Something in or on our car?
Ok - I looked around, even staged a Starbucks cup in my cupholder which would be pretty authentic, but the angles were all wrong. Then I see the beautiful lines of my husband's car. He has had sexy, beautiful cars since I've known him and he races them. They aren't just pretty faces, he goes to the track regularly for high performance driving. Hence the special after-market wing on the back. Can you guess what the car is? And no, I do not drive it.


Aerodynamics
5x7 oil on panel
©2011 Robin Cheers



Just Working
6x6 oil on canvas
©2011 Ruth Andre

Rocket Girl
7x5 oil on hardboard

©2011 Diana Moses Botkin

Cherry
5x5 oil on panel
©2011 Vicki Ross



Old Mobile
6x6 oil on panel
©2011 Sharman Owings

Our challenge was Sharman's brainchild. I can't wait to see what is on for next month! My schedule is about to return to more regular programming as school starts in 8 days!

South Street

I decided today to not go to the gym. Best Decision! I've just been running around so much that I am not getting the extended time in my studio that I've craved. I had the best day painting. I haven't had this kind of surge in a couple of weeks so I am really glad I decided to focus on ONE thing for once. PAINTING!

Among some horses, figures in the city and a museum patron or two, I worked on these "vignettes" as an exercise. The subject was a rather nicely composed scene of South Street near the Brooklyn Bridge. This photo really lent itself to breaking it up into big blocks of values. This first one I intended to be a vignette, but it turned out rather mundane and typical. I got into too many details and lost focus. Imagine that.


6x8 oil on panel

So I did the scene again in just 4 values using mars black.


6x8 oil on panel

I liked that so well, I thought I'd lighten up and do it in a "high key" and really liked that. It taught me so much about cityscapes. Street scenes are so busy and colorful that it can be hard to avoid details and making a patchwork quilt (see above!) By reducing my values to large masses I was able to leave out all non-essentials and create an impression that conveys the mood of the city without belaboring it with tons of signage and competing facades.


6x8 oil on panel


le image

Note to self: Start looser from the beginning!

Stormy Commute

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + $11 s/h

This morning I had to head out early to take my doggie for her haircut and caught sight of 183 South backed up on a rise with the clearing storm clouds giving way to sunshine.
I sketched it while I was stopped at a traffic light and tried to commit it to memory. I liked being able to witness something and then come home and interpret it from memory. Its really good practice. And it was definitely practice in being loose and suggestive.