Sage and Gold

"Sage and Gold" 5x7 oil on board, ©Laura Gable

In late September, the cottonwoods and poplars are the first to dress their canopy in brilliant gold. It's as though they catch all the rays from the sun and hold it in every molecule of their being. They add brightness to any overcast day. But once the winds return—making their presence known with howls and gusts—these golden leaves struggle to hang on. Until finally, the last blast of coldness leaves them fluttering from their branches. And skirted about these lofty sentinels is a ruddy field of amber.

Russet Trio (SOLD)

67 "Russet Trio" 4x4 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable

​Sometimes the most successful pieces are the small studies. And this is quite small ... merely 4inches by 4inches. This one especially appeals to me, painted recently in oils. It was inspired by my cornucopia display of autumnal fruit. If fruit could talk, I wonder what conversations this sweet arrangement would be having.

SOLD!

Trio of grape themed paintings (SOLD)

A dear friend of mine thrilled me recently with a purchase of this triptych of grape themed paintings. The center painting is a re-painted revision of a larger painting I did titled Visionary. They make a lovely statement hung together in a grouping and measure 24 inches tall. She purchased it as a surprise gift for her husband for their 30+ year anniversary. Congratulations my friends.

Living in a prolific grape growing region of southeastern Washington, one is apt to paint a few images of grapes, close views of the foliage, and more distant representations of the rows of vineyards that cover these lovely hillsides. We are blessed with fairly mild growing conditions and long seasons. The amount of wineries and their artful tasting rooms has grown immensely since we've lived here these past 15 years.

Concord Cluster, Visionary Reprised, Golden Cluster ~ oil paintings on cradled masonite panels, ©Laura Gable

I always enjoy modifying a painting online, and was recently pleased with the way this one turned out. Perhaps the next time I approach a grape themed painting, I might just lean it towards the opposite of the "local" color and abstract it in that way. Sort of like what happens when you digitally alter the image by using the inverse command in Photoshop.

same as above, digitally altered in Photoshop.
Interesting that the blueish purple grapes turn golden and the golden grapes go blue.

Summer's Flower (sold)

"Summer's Flower" 8x8 oil on board (with an underpainting in acrylic), ©Laura Gable

If this painting has a similar feel to the last one, then you have a good eye. It was painted in acrylics (see previous post) and had such a dismal dull finish that I decided to brighten it up with a gloss varnish. But later decided that since the birch panel it was painted on was so porous, that the varnish would likely disappear into the surface and I'd be back where I started with a very dull lifeless painting.

So I gave it a coating of clear gesso and then went about to "touch up" the surface with oil paints to give it a bit more luminosity. After about an hour of this fiddling about, I discovered that very little of the original painting was left. Oh well, sometimes fiddling has good results. I'm much happier with this and it has a deeper color range than the previous piece. Edges ended being a bit more crisp than I'd intended but I'm calling it finished.

Hope you enjoy this depiction of my favorite summer flower.

This painting was just sold at auction at the dailypaintworks.com website. Here's the LINK!

Mandarin With Leaves

"Mandarin With Leaves" 5.75 x 5.75 art panel, oil painting, ©Laura Gable

This hearkens back to cooler weather again today. I guess it's because the weather here of late has been a bit autumn-like with it's rainy days and cloudy skies. I'm not complaining, as I love cooler moody days especially after we have a string of really hot ones in this almost Summer season.

"Nestled on a shelves and tucked into nooks, these mandarins add elegant pops of color throughout the studio. I love it that you can tell the holidays are approaching when these arrive at the stores with their lush green waxy leaves and stem type branches attached."

Enjoy this walk back in time to our pre-holiday days.

And another quote for the day:

"If you keep a green bough in your heart, the singing bird will come." 

-Chinese Proverb

A Friendly Nod

"A Friendly Nod" 12x12 oil on board, ©Laura Gable, $350 + s&h

The head dips low as I pass by -- it seems as though this friendly flower has something to say. Beyond just embracing it's cheerful beauty with the full yellow petals and wide open faces, I feel these flowers display a level of personality like the endearing faces of loved ones. Can't you just hear the sweet dialog beginning?

Like this painting? You can buy it online at the Daily Paintworks website:
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/laura-gable/a-friendly-nod/148429

Pristine Vista (SOLD)

"Pristine Vista" 5x7 oil on board, ©Laura Gable

A look back in time to a lovely unspoiled vista in the Grand Tetons of Wyoming. I have a hankering to return to these pure and pristine parts of the world that are so close to the natural state they've been in since the dawn of time. This was painted on board, from a photograph I took a few years back when we went to the parks in and around majestic Yellowstone.

Quote of the day:

If you keep a green bough in your heart,

the singing bird will come.

-Chinese Proverb

Late Bloom and Harvest (SOLD)

"Late Bloom and Harvest" 8x8 oil on board, ©Laura Gable

It certainly feels like the unofficial start of summer. June 1st always does that to me. So why am I posting pumpkins and late harvest roses? Well this is a painting on my shelf here that's in need of some love. SO... I thought I would share it so that "you" could send it some love. It's got some little issues all it's own, but then that's what makes it unique. 

What I do like about it ... is the way the periwinkle reflection on the cup shimmers, the reddish shadows cast on the punkin grab at my heart and attention, and the limey greens on the cup's brighter side have a luminous, playful feel to them. Don't we all feel better about ourselves if we focus on the positive aspects rather than what is "wrong" with us (and our work ;-). Afterall, we are only human and so fraught with shortcomings.

For today I also thought I'd share a lovely quote that so speaks to my heart. While cleaning out cupboards in my art room, I found this lovely quote I had scrawled on a torn piece of paper. I love revisiting it. Hope you enjoy.

"To love a person is to learn the song that is in their heart ~ 

and to sing it to them when they have forgotten." 

-Thomas Chandler

Emergent Growth

Emergent Growth, ©Laura Gable, 16x20 watercolor on paper

Reaching from within the vines, I find an abundance of flavorful fruit at my fingertips. I reach forth as though my hands and arms were growing on the same stalks and vines as this abundant plant. The hand melds with the growth and makes a plentiful offering.

Painted in watercolor on a gold gessoed paper. The paint has a brighter tone than it would if painted traditionally on absorbent paper.

On a Blue Day (SOLD)

"On a Blue Day" ©Laura Gable, 8x8 oil on board, $110

A jaunty sunflower tucked away in a tea cup with a brilliant blue background. Very fun and exciting color combos. A little playful for a Friday. I have a number of tea cups and have chosen recently to use them. It is fun to have a little tea party with these lovely little beauties.

Batterbowl and Figs

still life,oil on board,8x8,price $110
copyright Laura Gable

Reprising a previous entry, this was painted on a cool day in May -- a studio still life with the antique spouted mixing bowl in the most delicious shade of turquoise. The figs were cut and ready to be eaten, and they were juicy and yet very mild. A fig examined, is quite a little treasure.

CLICK TO BUY

A compilation of paintings in the chunkier style

Here's a quick sampling of some of my brighter florals and a landscape of Red Mountain.

Devotion, 8x8 oil on board, ©Laura Gable
This painting is available for sale on dailypaintworks
CLICK TO BUY

Dalliance, 8x8 oil on board, ©Laura Gable (SOLD)

The Lookouts, 8x8 oil on board, ©Laura Gable, SOLD

Red Mountain, 8x8 oil on board, ©Laura Gable, SOLD

Siblings, 8x8 oil on board, ©Laura Gable, SOLD

Recently I took a workshop from Dreama Tolle Perry. Actually it was a year ago. I loved the concept she uses of doing a loose underpainting in transparent oil mixed with medium. Then while the paint is still wet, float saturated thick color over top with loose painterly brushstrokes. Some of the underpainting comes through, and it's quite luminous. These are all painted in that style, using the brighter color palette I picked up from her class.




- visit my website: http://LauraGable.com

Forward Motion

"Forward Motion" 12x12 oil pastel and oil paint on board, ©Laura Gable

Today I wasn't able to connect with the studio, so I painted a bit at home with the materials I have here. Or actually, I felt like I had an opportunity to play at "coloring" with my old friends -- Sennelier metallic super creamy oil pastels. They are so fun to work with--a step up from the crayons I used when I was young.  The surface is an Ampersand aqua board, which I like because it has a lot of tooth. In a few places the color was thinned and spread a bit using mineral spirits; plus I added layers of oil paint and oil glazes in places. I wanted the lines to have a lot of dynamic tension, with pleasing color, and a definite focal point. Also focused and spreading the light, middle, and darkest values around the painting.
title: "Forward Motion"
size: 12" x 12"
medium: oil pastel and oil paint
surface: aquaboard (formerly called clayboard textured)
CLICK TO BUY

In a Crowd (sold)

Ever feel invisible in the midst of a crowd of people, or lost in a world of your own imagination? Gives the mind pause to think how visible or invisible we can seem at times. When I was little I had recurring dreams of being invisible. Wonder if that's normal for shy children? I also dreamed that I could fly a lot. I'd go running and my feet were really springy, and then I'd bound up really high with each step.

"In a Crowd" 6x6 oil on board, ©Laura Gable, available for sale

At the Seashore, revised (SOLD)

This is one of the paintings that I did during my 100 day challenge last fall. I had a few artist friends critique it recently, and they gave me some suggestions to help with the boy's physique, and skyline. He was holding a bag of sand, which I removed because it was confusing. I added a cast shadow, and with that connected the two figures making for a stronger composition (and with that I'm recognizing the difference between a cast shadow and a reflection). His back side was adjusted so his pants had more droop fixing the butt area. I added shadows under his arm, and highlights along the top. The skyline and background colors were softened a bit to let the figures spring forward. I realize that if I were to put them on a different plane the painting would be more powerful, so perhaps I'll do a mini-series of this seashore scene. Here's the original post of this painting.

Revision of "At the Seashore" 8x8 oil on board, ©Laura Gable

Mandarin with Leaves

"Mandarin with Leaves" 5x5 oil on art panel, ©Laura Gable

Paintings are just more fun when you have something to observe. I try the imaginary one, but my mind can't quite recall all the details. As my artist friend says, "I'm just intrigued by realism." Though I do enjoy a good abstract, or a swirl of paint on a page, there is something to be said for doing a true study of an object. These little mandarins are so sweet this time of year, and if they sit still long enough without being eaten, they make nice little subjects.

Commission

I'm working with a client to create a nice long painting to fit in a specific spot in her family room. We're going for stylized garden which will bring the outdoors into the inside living space. She has the nicest garden and yard, so I have a lot to work with for inspiration. The initial sketch focused on the garden in the foreground with the fence-line in the background. As I sketched it in colored pencils, I decided that it needed an entry point to come into the painting, so I placed the walkway in there and an opening in the front for the eye to enter the painting. I'll keep you posted on the painting's progress.

black and white sketch for client

colorized sketch for client

December 12th Challenge with my Book Arts Group

The Tri-City book arts group had a great deal of fun on December 12, 2012 sharing our creations with each other. It was an exchange challenge, where we created 17 pieces for 17 participants, all sized 12x12 inches. Some artists did 17 versions of the same image, while others had variations on a theme, and others created samplers of their work. The results were very fun and amazing. I hope others will post what they created on our book arts blog. I did variations on the same theme, using my pink poinsettia as inspiration. Though the technique was the same, each piece became a unique expression of this single theme. It was done on Velin arches paper, using acrylic inks, waterproof markers, white gel pens and colored pencils.

Laura Gable, 12x12 challenge for our exchange on December 12, 2012