36 Solemn Moonrise (SOLD)

36 "Solemn Moonrise" 1x2.5 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable

Artist Duane Kaiser, who paints on a very regular basis and was the originator of "A Painting A Day", is known to paint on leftover canvas or board pieces. He titles his little gems "Oddments" and they are barely over 3 inches in size. I just love that term, and love his paintings. They are quite detailed little studies of the objects he paints from life - just on a much smaller scale.

I think I'd have to get a few more small brushes to get any more detailed or intricate in these small studies. So for today, this is about all the effort I was able to expend towards this daily painting challenge. It was a day that didn't afford much time for painting due to cleaning and organizing the studio and then hosting Art Walk from 5-9 p.m.

34 Pear and Quail Eggs

34  "Pear and Quail Eggs" 8x8 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable

These eggs were a gift from a friend, which she got in a gift shop. They had been hollowed out with a small drill bit and have managed to retain their beautiful shape and patina. The pear is actually a studio prop -- the best kind made of plastic which doesn't rot when the artist takes way to long to finish the project. The cloth was sort of an ecru color, and was interesting to see the cooler areas as it turned away from the light. Painting from life does afford a more complete view of things. I'm hoping to get over to the local figure drawing sessions with my paints so I can do the same sort of thing with faces and bodies. They are more telling than fruit as to whether the artist can convey what she truly sees there without it's distortions that come from our perceptions.

33 Shell Study

33 "Shell Study" 12x12 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable

My friend and longtime painter, Deanne Lemley, suggests the student will see more progress if painting from a still life. So heeding her time honored advice, I set up a nice little still life in the studio. I quickly learned how difficult it is to paint these white objects on a very dark background. It was actually black, though in places it resembles chocolate brown and eggplant in other areas. The shadows were a bit cool. The eggshells were in my still-life stash. An excellent subject matter to help see the color of these shadows. And the shell was picked up along the beaches in northern Florida. I heard another artist recently say that he doesn't paint sea shells because they are "cute". I guess I've never thought that way, as I see a myriad of artistic fodder there -- much to paint and see. Amazing really, that these little creatures build their own homes with all their ridges and whorls which become these shells that wash to sea shores so that wandering nature enthusiasts can bend and select the ones they find the most interesting.

32 Regal View

32 "Regal View" 12x16 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable

I joined my friend for a fun outing to paint the courthouse in Pasco on a lovely cooler day here in one of our neighboring tri-cities. The shadows were sneaking around to the backside, but the front facade in full shade still provided an excellent opportunity to capture this majestic, historic essence. The bluish shadows on the front sidewalk were luminous against the new concrete around the rose garden. Even though I stood in a flowerbed (that had weeds, but no flowers), it was right up there as one of my favorite plein air experiences. Superior Tree Service was quite close by, removing old dead trees in the park. The loud vibrating saws actually created an interesting melody which managed to drown out the inner critic. I was glad that the critic took the day off -- it is always more fun when that sound is silenced or muted.

31 Domicile of Color

Here's the fourth little painting I've done recently of bird nests. This one has some fun movement in the background and the little eggs got so big that they look like chicken eggs. I'm not too sure that some of the technical aspects are totally accurate here, and so "fun" won out.

Also, my little challenge is coming along nicely. I'm excited to say I'm moving into my second month and so I'm getting pretty close to 1/3 completed on this challenge of painting 100 paintings in 100 days. I've got a bit more to do, but by keeping the sizes small I've been able to produce on a very regular basis. The best aspect is that you learn to let them "be" and not fuss over them too much. Since tomorrow will dawn like any perfect day, and a new challenge will be placed onto the easel. Take good care and hope to see you visiting here often. Let me know your comments too, as they are always welcomed. That way I can rest assured that I am not singing in an empty hall, or talking to myself as I do so well. ;-)

31  "Domicile of Color" 8x8 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable

30 Rolling Hills with Yellow Sky (SOLD)

30 "Rolling Hills with Yellow Sky" 2x8 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable SOLD

Today I did a demo for a friend using some of the transparent Winsor Newton oil paints that I got in the Dreama Tolle Perry oil painting workshop. I wanted to show her how nicely they go onto the board surface as an underpainting, using the medium of Gamsol, linseed oil and stand oil. Then over the top of these luscious, pure, bright colors, I floated the landscape's "true" colors to develop the painting...letting some of these under painted colors peek through in places. It's an imaginary landscape based on our Rattlesnake Mountain (the tallest mountain in North America with no trees on it).

29 Nested Quintet

29 "Nested Quintet" 8x8 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable

I love the symmetry of the nests built by these little industrious birds. Can you believe the whorls and spirals they achieve by laying down one little bit of weed or twig at a time. Nature's little builders are so amazing. Then to nestle their little bodies down into the downy depths of this pillow of natural materials, making just enough room for the eggs and babies that are soon born.

I had a little fun here with the play of colors, and of course a quartet of eggs nestled inside was just what it needed. The oil paint was loose and creamy today, and the brushes had a delightful time moving it around.

28 Hidden Trio

28  "Hidden Trio" 8x8 oil on board, Laura Gable (copyright)

Nestled among the brambly branches of this rough nest, are 3 small blue eggs. They are hidden for a moment as the attentive parent goes on the hunt for a bite to eat. Hopefully they are safe for this tiny span of time, and won't grow too cold as they await her return.

27 At Home

27  "At Home", 12x12 watercolor on board, copyright Laura Gable

One late night I got around to painting this in my kitchen. I didn't feel like going into the studio today, so had to find some fodder here at home. I'm loving the way this crockery looks next to the plump ripe tomatoes. Again, a fun study from life. And the aquabord behaved itself this time. A fun new product from Ampersand.

26 Open House

26  "Open House" 8x8 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable

I love the freedom of working with birds nests. The rattan and twigs structure makes for some fun movement and color. The addition of eggs, or in this case, the remnant of eggs, is always a pleasing addition which gives a sense of the feathered family that lived there. Having had a family of young robins in our backyard this year, makes this subject matter all the more appealing to me. They nested at the top of the pergola support which made a wonderful vantage point to view them from our back window. From fledgelings to juvenile, we watched them craning their neck, sometimes multiple times a day, as they sought out the ants, worms and blueberries they were continually fed. But eventually as all the healthy wildlife does, they stepped off one by one and flew off to other realms ... never to be seen again.

25 Outstanding Fields

25  "Outstanding Fields" 8x8 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable

Sorry but my computer with Photoshop is having difficulty, and may be totally fried. I'll get it checked out soon. So I can't straighten out the corners on this one or crop out the background. It's was a fun little study of a lavender field over in Lowden, WA near Walla Walla (blue mountain lavender farms). This young woman was standing there looking wistfully off into the distance. I thought it had a nice romantic feel. And of course, working with this variety of purples and lavenders was a lot of fun.

24 Blossom and Shell

24 "Blossom and Shell" 8x8 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable

A nice study of shadows on white objects, with a dark background. You can always learn so much studying from life, as photos have a tendency to lie to us a bit -- shadows are darkened, and highlights are completely blown out. Have you ever noticed that when you look at photos? Often in landscape photos, the back hills have similar values to the front hills. More sophisticated photography fixes a lot, but not always these basic elements.

23 Double Clusters

23 "Double Clusters" 8x10 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable

Nestled amid the cool leaves, these clusters are ready for picking. Their juicy goodness beckons. Don't you just want a taste?

22 Happy

22  "Happy" 8x8 oil on board, copyright Laura Gable 2012

Wandering among the flowers and vines in my front yard, my heart goes all aflutter when I note that the Rose of Sharon bush is in full bloom. I love this little bush, which came to us in a bare-root state with little inkling as to what it would become. And it had become a beauty with it's pink blossoms that go seem to last forever, and reminds me of the hibiscus bush with it's dinner sized blooms nearby. Perhaps that's how it is with people. We're born all cute and wiggly with mounds of flesh and happy eyes, so much promise as to what we'll become but definitely a mystery after all. To see the child blossom as they seek out their own special interests is truly a string of magical moments indeed.