on ice

Ice Out; casein on panel; 8" x 10"

Another plein air today - done completely outside.  I just added the signature inside when I got back to the studio.

This was on Holland Lake in Eagan, Minnesota.  There is a year-round dock there jutting out into the lake with a railed deck at the end of it.  So while it may look like I was on thin ice, I was actually quite safe and dry.

This was one of those paintings that was a complete mystery to me until I got it to the studio and could look at it under indoor lights.  The snow blindness was a danger today.  It was very disorienting and difficult to paint.  Much to my surprise, I'm very happy with the results.  But next time, I'll bring sunscreen.

out about

March Thaw; casein on panel; 8" x 10"

It was finally time to brave the cold and paint outside today.  The high was a little above freezing around 3:30pm - that's when this painting was done.  This is the bike path by my studio - sans the huge-high-tension tower that was actually in the upper right of this view.  That's the lovely thing about painting - you can take what you see and make it your own.

This is a true plein aire painting - the only alteration I made after coming home was to sign it.  What you see is what I was able to capture with my mitten-ed hands and eyes peeking between hat and scarf.  I'm very pleased with it - if for nothing else than having gotten out and broken the ice on painting outside - no pun intended.

In one week I'll be painting out in Cincinnati with the American Impressionist Society.  What I paint then will go into a special "Wet Wall" exhibition.  I'm excited to participate - and honored to be in such talented company.

mad city

From James Madison Park towards the Capitol; oil on unstretched linen; 6.5" x 10.5"; 2003

Facebook has some amazing groups.  I'm in a contemporary still life group, a group dedicated to paintings from the garden and several other artists groups.  I'm also in a couple of groups devoted to the nostalgia of my hometown, Madison, Wisconsin USA.  One's called Historic Madison Wi. Photo Group and the other is Madison in the Sixties.  They're both delightful trips back in time - both in the photos and through the many comments. 

The painting above is of my hometown done in oils with a palette knife.  It's only 15 years old but it still brings back fond memories. I remember setting up my field easel in the park on a golden-sunny-fall day.  The colors were fantastic - especially the orange leaves side-lit by full sun.  It's done on a piece of linen that I taped off so that a thin strip of gesso shows around the edge.  I'm not sure why I never signed it - and now I've given all of my oils away.  It was laying in an archival storage box until I unearthed it tonight. 

cold creek

The Creek in Winter; casein tempera on panel; 10" x 8"

Minnehaha Creek is frozen now.  There are tracks of many kinds along its way - including those of cross country skis, critters and human folk.  I'm a cautious hiker though and won't venture out on water ways in winter - especially those that usually flow - or might be flowing still.

from minnesota

Arboretum Pond; casein on Fabriano paper; 2013; 4.25" X 6.5"

 

Here's the little painting that's depicted in "The Postcard." It's my first outdoor painting done in casein.  If you look closely, you'll see a little tear in the paper in the upper left.  The tape I used to mask the edges was too strong and tore the paper when it was removed.  The tear is mended with archival glue but is still visible. 

Nonetheless, I really love this little painting.  I'm not sure I could sell it with that tear.  I'll always treasure it but will certainly part with it if anyone really wants it -just as long as they understand its history.

I've learned a lot about supports since then.  I now use Ampersand's Claybord - no need for taping or framing under glass.

There's a Claybord on the easel right now with a new painting in progress.  I'll post the image later tomorrow.  For now, though, I thought I'd send you all a postcard from Minnesota.

new year

SOLD; Morning Moon; oil on linen; 9.75" x 6"; 2003

Happy New Year - wishing you all peace and prosperity in 2018!

The studio is still quiet here.  The palette needs to be cleaned (from busy grandsons making pictures) and the furniture needs to be rearranged (with the inflatable bed soon to be deflated.)  But most of all, I need to get some rest.  Today I mostly slept - putting my PJs back on at 5am (after returning from the airport.)  My voice is gone and my cold is doing quite well but I'm determined to paint tomorrow.  I'm also determined to get out to take some winter reference photos.  The high is supposed to be 3 degrees F tomorrow but the next day it will be 15 degrees F.  So tomorrow: paint inside - and Tuesday: tromp through the snow bundled as well as I can.  If you're on Facebook you can see what that looks like.  My avatar there shows me clad in a parka, mittens and boots in a snowy scene. 

P.S. The painting above was done outside - with my easel set up in a church parking lot - with snow plows working all around me.  The plows came after I had set up and had gotten a good start.  Otherwise, I don't think the scene would have looked so tranquil.

unexpected milestones

progress images of "The Postcard"

Milestones are an interesting idea.  There seem to be two types: the ones preordained - like turning 30 or having your first child - and the ones that you look back on and realize a major shift happened without your being aware of it at the time. 

The little painting in the painting above was done outside at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.  I used a Fabriano notecard and taped off the edges to preserve the white of the card.  It was my first time painting outside with casein - and it was before I thought of myself as a casein painter.  I was just playing around. 

It turns out, I love that little painting.  It represents a shift that was barely perceptible at the time.  A shift to a freer, cleaner more expressive way of painting.  It's a milestone unexpected whereas the painting of that little painting represents a milestone preordained - the last of my 100 challenge paintings.

Step by step, milestone by milestone - wishing you all the gift of the present - wherein no steps are required - and milestones are realized only after the fact.

from 2005

s a l e . p e n d i n g - January at the Marsh; oil on panel; 10" x 16"; 2005

This is an older piece of mine - a plein air done in oils.  I've done a lot of painting outside in the winter and have gone through a lot of those little packets that warm up when you unwrap them and that fit in your boots and/or mittens.  It's cold business winter-plein-air painting - but oh so rewarding.  Unfortunately, with casein paint, you can't paint out when it's below freezing.  Casein is a water medium and will freeze - unlike oil paint which may get a little more viscous but will still be pliable enough to paint with in extreme conditions. 

Now that there's snow outside, I'm hoping to get out and take some photo references to make winter-casein paintings back in the warmth of the studio.  In the meantime, I thought I'd put this one up for you all to see - and to remind myself of how amazing and varied are the colors of snow.

caught up

The Marsh Pool; casein on board; 10" x 8"

 

Are you caught up?  Do you think it's possible to be so?

 

When I think of those questions, two meanings of 'caught up' come to mind.  Am I up-to-date on the tasks I need to accomplish - or - am I involved in doing something I'm passionate about.  As for the latter - I definitely get caught up in scenes like the one above.  The brighter-than-bright-distant-illuminated patch of marsh along with the complex-tangle-of-branches-and reflections create an amazing dynamic when paired with the dusky-dark-wind-blown leaves, grasses and distant trees.

 

As far as being at a sense of completion with my task list - I doubt that will ever happen.  But as long as I get in episodes of being caught up in nature, I can handle that.

 

lone lake

High Water; casein on board; 10" x 8"

There is an incredible amount of activity and life at the edge of a body of water.  Bugs, birds and unknown splashing things were my companions today - as well as walkers, both 2 and 4-legged, on the path nearby.  With a scene like this - where there are seemingly infinite amounts of twigs, branches and stalks - you really have to edit things down to what you most need in order to tell your story.  It also helps to keep your feet out of the muck.

Today's painting is number 76 of the 100-painting Reboot - 24 more to go.

no fish

Yellow Leaves in Silhouette; casein on board; 10" x 8"

The day was one of those magnificent crisp October days when the last of the leaves are putting on their final display. 

There were a lot of passersby at the easel - taking peeks - and offering kind comments.  One little boy in particular stands out.  He was sweetly impressed with my progress and told me so.  I thanked him and remarked at what a gorgeous day we had and how lucky we were.  He looked at me and said, "But there were no fish today."  I felt for him - he seemed truly disappointed.  Not really knowing what to say I told him that it was too bad there were no fish.  He shrugged - and left - taking it all in stride.

decision tree

October's Way; casein on board; 10" x 8"

 

Have you ever been caught in a decision loop?  Where you keep circling around with seemingly no way out?  That was my day yesterday.  The painting above, that I made today, is my attempt to move beyond the loop and make a decision.  It may not be the final one - but at least I'm moving forward again and feeling a lot less dizzy.

 

There are all sorts of exotic tools out there to help you make your decision tree.  And depending on your problem's complexity, you may want to access some of them.  But yesterday, all it took was a large piece of drawing paper and my trusty fountain pen.  If you want help getting started, here are the basics at WikiHow.

 



that frog

Late September; casein on board; 11" x 6.75"

Mark Twain once said, "Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”  A few people have applied that saying to personal time management - encouraging us to get our nastiest-most-undesirable task done first thing in the day - freeing up the rest of our time for higher productivity.

When you're trying to get out in the fresh air and capture the early morning shadows, it's hard to "swallow frogs" first thing in the day.  That's why my personal frog is scheduled for consumption tonight - after dinner.  It's my storage room.  I tried to find a specific painting last night.  It would be perfect for a call for art about dreams and sleep.  But try as I might, I couldn't locate it.  So I'm bringing in back-up tonight and attacking that room head-on.  Wish me luck.

my town

Library Pond; casein on board; 11" x 6.75"

 

Minnetonka is a truly magical place.  I got up before the sun this morning and had no idea where I'd be painting.  My town is like that.  You can wander around on any day or time of the year and you'll undoubtedly find a beautiful spot to paint - or think - or just be.  Feeling blessed.

slug fest

Early Autumn Yellows; casein on board; 9.75" x 6"

 

The red cabbage patch has become a refuge for slugs.  They're quite crafty at working themselves into the tight wrappings of the cabbage heads. 

 

I like to use them in my slaws and smoothies - the cabbages - not the slugs.  So every time I pick a head of cabbage - or pull one out of the frig - I check it as carefully as I can for slugs.  When I find them (notice I use the word 'when' and not 'if') I toss them into my compost bucket to haul out later to the bin.  I'm no Buddha but I do like to be as kind as I can be to animals. 

 

Mosquitoes aren't animals.



dominating thoughts

From the Park Bench; casein on board; 7" x 11.25"

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about thinking.

Specifically, about how our thoughts manifest themselves into physical reality.

Senator Al Franken played a character on SNL years ago who would rail against "Stinkin' Thinkin'."

All kidding aside, we need to talk kindly to ourselves if we wish to talk kindly to others - and if we wish to fulfill our destinies.

over looked

From the Park Bench; casein on board; 7" x 11.25"

There's a group on Facebook called 'Plein Air Purists' of which I'm a member.  The requirements of belonging to the group are that you post your outdoor painting alongside a photo of your the same painting on your field easel in situ.  So here's the 'in situ' pic. 

I'll have to wait until tomorrow to post a good photo of the painting alone.  Usually I scan my paintings but this one is too big for that.  Tomorrow there'll be enough ambient light to take a good photo with a camera.  My husband and business partner, Bob, is my photographer.  He's also the amazing drone driver/photographer :)

back home

Dusk; casein on board; 9.75" x 6"

It was a wonderful 5 days in Boston visiting my son and his family there.  Two little boys, 2 and 4 years old, kept us hopping the whole time.  We got back yesterday evening and were reunited with our dog, Gumby, who literally jumped with joy.  We are definitely feeling blessed here.

Today was a day for laundry and grocery shopping and unpacking. But in the evening it was pure pleasure.  I met with 3 other outdoor painters on a paint-out to Eden Prairie, Minnesota.  We went to the Richard Anderson Conservation Area where an expansive vista greets the viewer with miles of scenery.  I'll go back to paint that vista another day.  For today, I was content to paint a scene nearby. I was captivated by the back-lit path with its angling shadows and so turned my easel to face the setting sun.

fleeting impressions

Morning Haze; casein on board; 9.75" x 6"

Jidana Park in Minnetonka, Minnesota is vast but has only five parking spots.  There are no picnic tables, no play equipment and no bathrooms.  The only things man-made there are the paths and a bridge or two.  It's a park intended, no doubt, for the nearest locals to use.  Today, Labor Day, there were lots of walkers and quite a few dogs on the trails.  No runners and no bicyclists - but there was a painter near the path - working to capture the feeling of the morning haze with the sun struggling to shine through. 

photo of me painting Morning Haze

- after the sun came out

pumpkin patch

The Pumpkin Patch; casein on board; 9.75" x 6"

These aren't really pumpkins.  They're Kabocha 'Sunshine' squash.  But I'm being picky.  Most people walking past my house would look over and think, "Oh - a pumpkin patch!"

Neighbors walking by can easily see my vegetable garden because it's in the front yard.  In the 18 years we've lived here I've carved away at least 2/3 of the turf.  Some has become wooded - with saplings of juniper, maple, oak, ash and poplar.  Some of it has given way to native plants - mostly little bluestem and brown-eyed Susans.  The rest is the veggie patch - complete with very pumpkin-like Kabocha 'Sunshine' squash.