Remembering Beach Trips and Packing for the Beach - Tybee Island

"Sunny Marsh" - Watercolor - 5x7 - 2012

This painting is one of my favorite watercolors.   I painted this small one at a watercolor workshop on Jekyll Island.   We met at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel in February and painting all day and critiqued at night.    My friend Betty Shows is the owner of this small painting.   

"Tybee Island Lights" - Pastel - 9x12 - 2011

In 2011 I took a personal "painting" retreat to Tybee Island.   I had such fun painting from condo that faced the ocean.  I'd take photos on the beach and paint some each day.   I must have renamed this one for a show because I show "Ocean" being owned by my brother Kenneth Price.

 

 

One of the nice things about painting is remembering the times and places that lead to the painting.   It is extra special when you know that a family or friend has the painting to enjoy.    This year for the beach I plan to leave the pastels and watercolors at home and take my sketch pad and color pencils.   I recently took a drawing class with Susan Gardner Gore and loved it.    I've already got the small bag of materials ready.  It will be something I can take to the beach and sketch by the ocean.   Can't wait!!!

Framing Paintings Can Revitilize your Creativity

"Barn Temple" - Pastel - 18x12 - 2014

"Vienna Night" - Pastel - 9x13 - 2010

"Daffodil Morning" - Pastel - 9x13 - 2014

"Mountain Meadow" - Pastel - 9x13 - 2014

Sometimes I get in a slump and just can't even make myself paint.    I start and find I'm having trouble concentrating or I just don't feel inspired.   Sound familiar??    I think we all get there at some point.     What I have found that helps me to "revitalize my creativity" is a trip to the framer.    For me that is also a great art teacher Ann Cockerill.   I schedule a time to take some of my work that has been "hanging around" unfinished.   Well I take that back - they are finished but I've put them on the shelf because I know there is just "something" that is not right.    I schedule a lesson with Ann and have her critique my painting and then I might only add a one stroke or several spots of color or maybe just straighten a line.   Then the painting feels more finished.    I guess we artist are so self critical that nothing is ever really finished we just decide to stop.     Once I stop, I select a frame and or mat and then walk away feeling "yes I can paint".   Sounds crazy but it seems to work for me.    These 4 paintings are examples of some old and some new.   "Vienna Night" has sat in my stack for several years.   I love it but knew the lines were off.   I allowed myself to just make a few corrections and then release it.   Since art is a reflection of time and place, this painting is very special because I remember the night in Vienna walking up this street.   "Daffodil Morning" and "Mountain Meadow" were painting last year and I knew they needed something.   After a few paint strokes on these today, I was ready to release them as well.   I love "Mountain Meadow" which is of a field in Blue Ridge.   The barn is a new painting.   One day I just forced myself to paint this barn.  I had spent hours on a photo shoot with a friend walking fields in Temple GA looking for abandoned barns.   After I took the photos, it took months to get to the easel.  Structures are tough and frequently take time with all the angles, etc.   I decided to just do it free hand so to speak and actually like the first attempt but knew that some of the lines were wrong.   Having Ann look at it and give a couple of suggestions helped complete the process.     Now I feel like and artist again!

Plein Air Convention in Tucson!! 2016

Tucson in 2016 - For several years I've heard about the Plein Air Convention.   Each year by the time I figure out I'd like to go and can go.....it's sold out.   This year I got a jump on it and have registered for the Plein Air Convention in Tucson, AZ which is April 15-19, 2016.   Even signed up for a preworkshop of Basic Plein Air.    It's held at the El Conquistador Resort.  There will be field trips to plein air paint in the area around Tucson.   Looking forward to it!

Old Barns - May 1, 2015

"Temple Barn" - Pastel - 18x12 - 5-2015

"Temple Barn" - This is one of the many barns I photographed last month in Temple, GA.   It was a beauty sitting on the side of the road abandoned.   Like many of you I have memories of playing in our family barn.  Ours was small and not as grand as this one but it offered many hours of play and fantasy.   I was in a free mood today so I just tackled this....no sketch...no wait and think...I just painted.   Sometimes its fun to just get lost in what you are doing and simply "enjoy the moment."

Photography Adventure - 2015

Adding Photography to my art adventure -  Just got a new camera.  I wanted to take better photos so that I have great reference photos for my paintings.   I'm learning some of the same principles of painting and composition apply to photography.   I've joined the Sweetwater Camera Club.   I haven't entered any photos yet but these are some that I've worked with with advise from my niece, Kat and the president of the camera club Janet N.   I'm loving the experience.   The Barn photos were taken on a field trip with my friend Beverly to Temple, GA.   Lots of great of abandoned structures     The butterfly pictures were taken at Callaway Gardens in January 2015 with my iPhone.   The butterfly is a Tree Nymph or Paper Kite.   Very beautiful.  An Asian butterfly mostly found in butterfly houses.