The cookie jar

This is a painting of the Cookie Jar. The cookie jar that sat on the kitchen counter while I was growing up. We didn't have a lot but we did have cookies. My mother was a fabulous baker. The cookie jar was always full. Oatmeal, molasses , wheaties, chocolate chip, sugar, all kinds of wonderful made from scratch cookies.I can see that little knotty pine kitchen with the latch cabinets and covered cake dish. Where there was always a freshly made cake.

Recently I was cleaning out a shed and found it full of a clan of mice living in the at cookie jar. Eggh! I 'washed it out good', popped insome freshly cut Peonies and painted it on a 12 x 9 rough canvas.

A finished sketch really. Just enough to write the story of Ma's cookie jar.

Ma's Cookie Jar with Peonies 12 x 9 oil on canvas 2017

Ma's Cookie Jar with Peonies 12 x 9 oil on canvas 2017

Weaving a winter tale.

Skinners Falls is a river landmark along the Upper Delaware. A quiet pool transitions to a fast run and drop. Slush ice doesn't build up here. Is grows here and collects downstream. This interpretation of Skinners, named after the early log rafting pioneer, is a favorite summer haunt. In winter is is the home of Eagles.

Skinners in Winter  20 x 20 oil on linen

Skinners in Winter  20 x 20 oil on linen

Thank you Judy

My friend Judy Bodman has been urging me to make some Lino cuts. She is a print maker after all. So finally I took her advice. I bought a cheap introductory kit. After a few stumbled starts. I made this small print of my dog Patch.  This is the first proof. 

 

Patch

Patch

Need to clean it up.. Very happy with the result. 

The best laid plans

This painting was intended to be a one session Alla Prima. That was 5 months ago. It turned out to be about 10 sessions. Is it even done now? It's a scene of the of Delaware River where Calkin's Creek spills into it in Milanville, PA. 

Last Burst oil on linen 20 x 26

Last Burst oil on linen 20 x 26

Sometimes you need a hand

It's been a while since i posted here. It's not because I haven't been painting. I haven't been painting in my studio. The last four paintings I've done in the studio I really haven't liked. At all. 2 have been sanded down to the gesso. I have been painting most every week with Johan and Judith. Making some progress there. This is the latest. Not thinning my paint at all. Tomorrow we should be finishing this but I may want one more week.

Catherine Week 2 March 2017

I have found myself being very cheap with my paint. Even washing my oils like watercolors. The frugal New Englander in me or the watercolor artist clawing for recognition. Either way is hasn't been rewarding. Over the past few session of life painting I've made a conscious effort to use mor paint and slow down. I't's working.

Last weekend I  attended Peter Fiore's workshop in Milford, PA. I brought one of the paintings that i was hating, "North of Skinners', for a critical look. Peter is a masterful painter and a great teacher. In about 1 minute he got me on track. I even got another a study done for another piece. I'm pleased with it. It only goes to show that sometimes you need a hand. Check out his site here.

North of Skinner's Milanville PA 20 x 26 oil on linen

North of Skinner's Milanville PA 20 x 26 oil on linen

Skinners Falls Sketch 15 x 20 oil on gessoed illustration bord

Skinners Falls Sketch 15 x 20 oil on gessoed illustration bord

Painting effort on the previous non-pose

This is three weeks of painting effort on the last pose. The pose lasts 1 more week but I 'll be in the city. I'll work on this in the studio over the next week. It is intentionally not a polished realism. It is an exercise in neutrality even exaggeratedly so. When I painted with watercolors I thought of neutrality as earth tone thing. Making grays from colors mixed with various earth toned pigments. These neutrals are created with compliments. The effect is a lot like my acrylics from the 70s, transparent layers that created neutrals achieved unconsciously. 

Our painting group works on.. the pose

This is a continuation of my last post on finding a non-pose pose. The chosen pose. This is week two of over painting efforts. We have a good mix in our group. Johan Sellenraad a long time local artist transplant from NYC. We work in his studio along the Delaware River in Millanville, PA. Johan makes big, Subaru sized, paintings of canvas in a strong confident style full of reference. Judith Reeve paints with a expert feel for the figure and gorgeous approach to color.

Over the past several years this has been a tremendous education for me. The simple length of time that we have painted together has allowed me to observe and absorb knowledge and attitude that has helped me along my journey. Please visit their web pages to find out more about Johan and Judith. 

http://www.johansellenraad.com

https://attentiveequations.com

It's all about gesture. At least for me. This is alive.

At our weekly long pose painting session, every Thursday for 3 hours, it was time to find a new pose. Johan likes to find poses that are interesting and not posey. These are the quick 2 to 5 minute poses I did while we searched for the pose. I used grey pastel on bristle plate. Our model Cathrine strikes poses as naturally as breathing. I like all of these gesture pose sketches.

This is the 'non-pose' that we decided on. Not a real expressive gesture but very strong and complicated. Again in chalks.

This is the first session in paint. I'm working on a 24 x 36 canvas. All the colors are roughed in. The drawing needs some adjustment and the color has to be warmed. More next week.