Why

"Strides", Oil on canvas, 14 x 11 inches

Available at FineArtAmerica

Thought I would share my latest painting, and some thoughts about it.  I found some figures that were part of a statue that really caught my attention, enough that I felt the need to try and paint a version of them myself.  I was not until I had finished that painting and was viewing, I could understand the meaning.
     Two female figure reaching and running in different direction.  I saw myself trying to run from myself, something that happens in life.  But the two figures almost form one form.
    With age there is some wisdom, I can not run from myself, I am who I am and can at times accept that.  No mater how far I reach, or how long my stride, I can not run from myself. I am who I am.

    Just sharing my thoughts for the day.

Mary

 

One More

Final painting; "Sunflower in the Wind",  6 x 6 inches, oil on wood panel, (right side up)

Available at DPWs

Well another day another oops to share. 

This one I showed my husband and his comment was your not going to tell anyone you did that?  Ah yep I am!

 I have been working on a series of sunflower paintings while the flowers are blooming.  

Finished up this little oil, painted on a 6 x6 an Ampersand artist panel, and was pretty pleased with it.

 

before I looked at the back!

One problem, the panel has a wonderful hanging slot the back side of the panel, and when I went to hang it today the slot was on the side instead of the top…oops

So when you grab a panel to paint, make sure if it has a hanging hole in the back make sure it is at the top, before you start painting.

I spent some time correcting the painting still really like it so it was a good save.

Mary

Schiros_Art

Learning from the Cosmos

A View of the Cosmos, oil on canvas, 10 x 8 inches

Yep I studied the Cosmos and learned something today.  This is my week to share simple painting mistakes.  I paint a lot so I make a lot of mistakes.  I thought writing about them as soon as they happen would be fun to do, might give you a chuckle or two. 

    While walking around my garden this morning spotted a couple of cosmos flowers that had popped up between my bean plants.  Loved the color and how delicate they looked so I picked one and brought it in to paint.  Being so excited about the new little subject, I put it in a cup and started a painting.  I got one small painting done, went on to do a second painting. As I was painting noticed my flower on the canvas seemed much larger than the actual flower. 

Thought that was strange but kept painting.  Next I noticed the distinctive pointed edges of the flower had just disappeared.  Well, here is my mistake for the day:  if you pick a flower to paint, remember to put it in water!  Yep I stopped and added some water to the cup and what do you know, my flower uncurled and came right back to life. 

 Three done, off to add a 4th.  Using an 18 x 24 canvas pad for these little studies, the ones I like will be cut and matted and listed later on to Daily Paint Works.

Mary

Schiros_Art

Painting Mistakes

Sunflower Stages, Oil on canvas, 14 x 11 inches

     There are tons of rules about painting.  You learn them in classes, from books, but the ones best remembered are from experience.  That is why I say every painting is a learning experience, no matter how long you have painted. 

    I am going to share one of these with you.  Yesterday the sun was shinning, the sky clear and my sunflowers looked great, time to set up the easel outside and paint.  I grabbed 4 canvases, a pile of brushes and paint and went to work.  Each canvas I used a different approach (yes I tend to multi task).  The one I am sharing today had a light green base color already on it and dry.  As I was looking at the sunflowers, I quickly applied some random strokes to the canvas. 

     Mistake #1, Composition, didn’t think about it at all.  Sometimes that works and it is pure luck, but most of the time if that basic foundation is skipped, like a house it comes crumbling down. 

     Mistake #2, rule of odds.  As I was working on it I put two sunflower buds in it, neither one worked as a focal point.  Oh that is right, mistake #3, lacking a focal point.

    Proceeded to try and correct this by adding a flower.  Mistake # 4, perspective, although they overlapped, the painting just looked flat, the clues to foreground and background were just not happening, they just looked bunched up.  So I removed a bud, better, still just not right.  At this point I had to set it aside and work on something else. 

That is why I always work on more than one painting at once. 

   Later I sat and studied my problem child and saw mistake #5, not taking into consideration focus.  In life when you are looking at something only one area will be in true focus, the rest is slightly out of focus.  This error was actually fun to correct, big brush mess up everything that that had too much detail; except for the area I wanted the detail. 

    At the end I am fairly pleased with this one, maybe because it was a great reminder of rules that need to be remembered.  So it doesn’t hurt to keep this things tucked in the back of your mind while painting, just remember to pull them out and use them once in a while.

As Robert Genn said: "I go from move to move--working out the puzzle--until it's either completed or abandoned."

    Next time I will share my other big mistake, from the same day, just another canvas.

 Mary

 Schiros_Art

Four Pears

"Four Pear" Acrylic on canvas 14 x 18 inches

Last post I shared some paintings of single pears, using different cool temperatures.   I had thought about making a collage of the 4 paintings, but thought it would be more of a learning experience to create a painting instead of a collage.
Here is what I came up with.

Mary
Schiros_Art

Color and Temperature

"Warm Pear"  Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 9 inches

I have often admitted I am an art supply junkie, and of course that includes books about art.  So, it is time to start sharing some reviews of painting books.  The latest one in my collections is “Color Theory” by Walter Foster.  This is an easy to read, small book that really covers the subject well. 

   A good way to use a book on painting is to read it then go through and pick some examples and give it a try on your own.  Thought I would share my first practice.

I painted a pear trying to capture the difference in warm light and cool light, just one of the subjects covered in this book.

"Cool Pear" 

 Mary

Schiros_Art

Daily Painting

     As most of you know I post to Daily Paint Works to sell and auction my paintings.   But one of the things I really like about that site is they have challenges for the artists.  This week it was all about sunflowers.  Thought I would share what I posted.  
     Sometimes being part of a web site that has many  artists in it can feel a little like getting lost in a crowd, but this group makes me feel like part of a family:)
Mary
Schiros_Art