Happy Fall, Y'all

Yellow Medley, 12x12, oil

The Fan, Richmond, VA

A little bit of all my favorite things.

1. House portrait

2. Tree portrait

2. Long Shadows

3. Light through the trees

4. Yellow galore

(Indian Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Cad Yellow Medium, Lemon Yellow. I used 'em all.)

4. Fall foliage

Happy fall! 

Follow me on instagram (@amyhrdonahue) to see almost daily autumn paintings.

Painting in Ashland, VA

These paintings will be part of a 4-man/woman show at Gallery Flux opening May 7th, 5:30-8.

The show is up May 7-June 27, 2015.

More info here: Close to Home

Would love to see you at the opening!

Ashland Station in the Snow

9x12, oil

Feed and Seed

6x8, oil

 

DeJarnette Park Study

6x8, oil

 

Frozen Over at DeJarnette Park

16x20, oil

Who Can Resist a Blue Sky

30x40, oil

Backdrop of Blue

8x8, oil

 

Ashland Presbyterian Church

6x8, oil

 

Byrd Mill

6x8, oil

Crossing

6x6, oil

(Needs a Title)

10x11, oil

How to title a painting and Paintings of Bellevue, Richmond, VA

If you were to paint a scene on Chevy Chase Street, what would YOU title it?

I decided to look up titles of films starring Mr. Chase as I was brainstorming for a title. Sure beats something like, "Yellow House" or "Tree Lined Road". I tend toward Capt. Obvious when it comes to titling my work.

"Seems Like Old Times"

9x12, oil

Available at Stir Crazy Cafe November 2014

4015 MacArthur Ave, Richmond, VA 23227

I haven't actually seen this film. But I wasn't about to name the painting "Christmas Vacation" or "Three Amigos".

Have you seen "Seems Like Old Times"? Worth a watch?

"Cindy's Garden"

20x10, oil
Available at Stir Crazy Cafe November 2014
4015 MacArthur Ave, Richmond, VA 23227

Leaning toward Capt Obvi in this title. Hey, it sure beats "Blue House" or "Red Chair and Wheel Barrow". Cindy was the lovely lady who welcomed us (artists from the VPAP group) into her backyard. I actually painted a different painting while on location that morning. It was June and it was hot and muggy. The painting didn't turn out so great. Win some lose some. Right after I finished I wanted to paint this direct shot of the back of Cindy's house. Unfortunately the sun had risen and there was no shaded spot to set up and paint this angle. Took a few photos and composed this painting in my air conditioned studio.

27 (30 in 30 Challenge) Of Bellevue

Trees of Bellevue

6x8, oil

22 (30 in 30 Challenge) "Azaleas in Bloom" 18x24

You may remember this post from the end of May. Well, several more hours (most of which were spent on those windows) and it's complete. I dropped it off at it's new home and the couple was thrilled. (And it made the artist feel great.)

I began the painting before the start of the 30 in 30, but it was completed during the challenge, so I'm counting it! Hope that's ok with you.

Azaleas in Bloom

18x24, oil

If you're interested in the last few step-by-step photos of the creation of this house portrait, here ya go:

(See Part #1 here)

 

How does the saying go? "Happy collector, happy artist"? Eh, not quite. Nor does it rhyme, but that's ok. It's true.

21 (30 in 30 Challenge) - How about the cutest house ever

 

Cutest House Ever

6x8, oil

This one was another commission.

Love these little house portraits.

A Commission in the works

Hope you all are having a good holiday. I missed some time painting last week, so I spent the majority of the day in the studio with this one:

 Below is a  18x24" painting I've been working on for the last few weeks. I'm enjoying the intense spring colors. Those blues, yellows and reds are so delicious.

The biggest challenge with this house portrait is the perspective of the garage. It looked awkward even in the photos. I've spend I don't know how many hours moving the angles of the roof, shutters, siding a millimeter over and a millimeter back again and again. 

So many lessons I should have learned already. Don't attempt to paint something that looks wrong before you even begin.

I'm still not happy with the angles, but it will have to wait for another day.

To be continued.

Bach House in the Snow, 8x10

I wouldn't normally post a snow scene when spring is blooming so beautifully, but I believe this is the last painting of "AROUND TOWN" that hadn't made it to the blog.

Speaking of AROUND TOWN, this is the last week to view the show. I'll be taking down the artwork on April 30, one week from today. Thanks to everyone who did take the time to see the artwork and enjoy the sunny space at Urban Farmhouse.

13872 Coalfield Commons Place, Suite 102

Midlothian, Virginia 23114

"Bach House in the Snow"
Midlothian Turnpike
8×10, oil

See info.

This house, located across from the Middle School, served many purposes over the years. It was a tavern prior to the Civil War. In the 19th Century Jacob Bach purchased the house and operated a general store from the first floor. Later it became a boarding house, family home and finally business offices.

"The Evening Rush" 11x14 (Another little painting grows up)

 

"As They Go By"

6x8, oil

sold

Another small painting grows up! And one of my favorites.

I've discussed in the past how I usually paint a small painting before I ever attempt a larger work ("larger" is relative. Some still consider my "larger" pieces as small, but we're still calling them "larger" :) ) Some of these smaller pieces turn out well and I end up selling the smalls before I make it to painting the large. This was the case for "As They Go By", which sold last year to a long-time Midlothian resident. 

Almost a year later, here is the "big brother" of As They Go By.

 

"The Evening Rush"

11x14, oil

email for purchase information.

For the larger painting I borrowed the caption title chosen by writers at the Chesterfield Monthly in March. See the painting/caption online HERE.

This painting will potentially be a part of "AROUND TOWN", an exhibit of my Midlothain paintings at Urban Farmhouse at the Millworks April 1-30, 2014.

Click image below to see more paintings to be on display:

"Burning the Midnight Oil at Packard's", 6x6

"Burning the Midnight Oil at Packard's"
Packard's Stamps and Rocks, Midlothian Turnpike and Woolridge Road
6x6, oil

Packard's, a 50 year old establishment, started with an inventory of stamps half the size of a shoe box. Now the show cases and book shelves are crammed with  rocks and gems, books, boxes and folders of collectable stamps. The marquee regularly announces the arrival of new inventory.

"Spring Clean" 6x8

"Spring Clean"

6x8, oil

Sadly this building was torn down shortly after I photographed it last spring. It was the old Midlothian Cleaners, next to Swim World on Midlothian Turnpike.

15 Paintings in 15 Days (Round 2) - Day Fifteen

Winter Light on Trabue's Tavern

On Old Buckingham Road, Midlothian, VA

6x8, oil

 The last painting of the 15 Paintings in 15 Days Challenge! It might have turned into 15 paintings in 18 days... but I'm not upset. The challenge served its purpose in giving me a jumpstart to the year, building some painting inventory and giving me some ideas for larger paintings in the near future.

Above is a painting of Trabue's Tavern, deemed a historic landmark in 1975. The Historic Marker's inscription reads as follows: 

This was the home of Lt. John Trabue, Revolutionary War soldier and patriot, and of his descendants well into the 20th century. Trabue witnessed the surrender of the British forces at Yorktown in 1781 and later became an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati in Virginia. The Trabues were among the principal coal-mine proprietors in the Midlothian area and here maintained a tavern that was patronized both by travelers and by workers from mines in the vicinity.

(Source) 

15 Paintings in 15 Days (Round 2) - Thirteen and Fourteen

A Window to the Past

6x8
Midlothian, VA

Bygone

6x8, oil

Midlothian, VA

15 Paintings in 15 Days (Round 2) - Day Ten

Mill House

6x8, oil on birch

Around 1950 the Lea Company built a sawmill near the location of this house, on Winterfield Lane in Midlothian. One of my books on the history of Midlothian said the home in this painting was probably build by the company to house mill workers.

15 Paintings in 15 Days (Round 2) - Day Eight

Carter Mountain Trail

4x4, oil

This little piece captures the best of all worlds: 

Beautiful expanse, blue mountains, distinct shadows, a bit of architecture and the fall foliage.

15 Paintings in 15 Days (Round 2) - Day Five

"The Mint House"

6x8, oil on linen

I really rushed with this one. There were quite a few distractions while painting it. I want to revisit this these elements in a painting -- the road, the mint house, the combination of trees and the sun setting behind the trees. I didn't capture that dusky blue I was aiming for in the patches of grass. Lesson learned again (and again): you aren't always going to be happy with a painting. I did, however, enjoy attempting an a-typical composition... with that pretty mint colored house almost in the center of the painting, but not quite. It gives you this feeling of "stop" while moving along that road. Hope that makes sense.

Day Five complete. I wonder what I'll paint on day six....

15 Paintings in 15 Days (Round 2) - Day Four

For Day Four I'm posting a commissioned painting that I started a few days before the 15 in 15 began, but the majority of the work was completed during the last 3 days, so it'll have to count for one of my 15 paintings. 

 "Gunny's Lookout"

9x12, oil

(It's not 100% finished -- still need to work on the lettering of the sign on the side of the house.)

As I mentioned this was a commissioned work, so here's an opportunity to explain my process for creating a painting for a client. 

5x7" study of "Gunny's Lookout"

1. After discussing the concept or location the client wishes to capture I paint a loose study of the scene and ask for feedback. We settled on this vertical orientation to capture his puppy, Gunny, standing with front paws on the railing, looking out over the beach.

2. Next a size is chosen and the underpainting is begun. In this case I spent a lot of time getting those architectural angles correct and adequate spacing of the railings to "let" Gunny peak through.

3. I don't usually paint one section to completion before adding color to the rest of the canvas, but I did in this case because of the amount of detail necessary in such a small almost 1" squared area.

4. I ended up painting almost this entire painting section by section. As I said I don't usually do this but I had my previous study by which to assess my colors and values. In the above photo I painted in the color of the house and the beach chairs/fishing rods/Adirondack chairs that would be behind the railing. I let this section dry overnight.

5. Next step was the railing & posts/pillars. For some reason getting the right gray with the correct amount of color in it was pretty difficult. I'm very happy with the result, but this portion of the painting was quite time consuming.

6. After several hours the paint was starting to get tacky so I sealed it in a large palette saver (plastic air tight box) and placed it in the "freezer" (the back porch) over night. Above is after working on it a bit more. I made a "swipe" of the sky color next to the house which really helped to asses values and hues. Wish I had done that the day before.

 

7. And then the fun dabs of color to make up the beach, bathers, tents, sea gulls, kite, sand and sea grass. The client asked for an oval OBX sign to commemorate the trip. I still need to work on the letter for the warm wood colored sign on the side of the house, but the rest is complete.

Below are a few detail shots of the painting.

 Definitely counts as another fun one! I'll update this post when the sign is added... but I had to get a painting posted before I head out to the in-laws' house tonight. Have a great weekend!