"A Delicate Melody" 9x12, Maymont Park, Richmond

"A Delicate Melody"

9x12, oil

Maymont Park, Richmond, VA

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

Winter Willow

6x8, oil
Japanese garden at Maymont Park.

Below is what happens when I don't plan out the composition of a painting in my sketchbook before beginning -- shapes painted and then completely changed. As you can see the willow tree grew and the background trees shrunk quite a bit.

 (click to enlarge)

 Lesson learned. Next time I'll sketch it out beforehand and save a little time.

Waterfall at Maymont, 6x8

A popular place to be for adults and children alike during the summer months...

Waterfall at Maymont

 Maymont Park, Richmond, VA

oil, 6x8

Boughs of a Cedar, 8x10

Boughs of a Cedar
Maymont Park, Richmond, Virginia

8x10, oil

The Carving Tree, 9x12

The Carving Tree

Maymont Park, Richmond, VA

9x12, oil on board
(email me for purchase info)

Seems like every couple in Richmond has their initials on this particular tree at Maymont. Well, except Mark's & mine. Are yours on this tree?

Contrast

A Pink Coat

8x10 oil on canvas

sold

This tree can be found in front of the Dooley Mansion at Maymont Park, Richmond. I loved the contrast of the little lady in the bright coat next to the giant tree.

picture dump & a quote

A few photos from the week:

Hollow Tree & Richmond Rooftops framed with Dick Blick frames.

(Museo & Concerto frames)

Bit of plein air sketching.

The wooden man.

My toes again. 

Progress.

Wrestling with mixing a natural looking green: 

Ivory black with various blues and yellows.

Progress -- another Maymont tree painting.

"When we start to paint, we talk in terms of the thing we are trying to paint as opposed to the shapes we are trying to make. This inability to conceptualize the world and abstract it holds us back as painters. In the beginning we are convinced that we are drawing or painting trees or buildings or faces when all we are making are shapes on a canvas."

- John Singer Sargent

Beech Tree

A few progress photos:

11x14, oil on canvas

Maymont Park, Richmond

A few shots to show detail & texture:

6th Canvas

Remember this canvas? 

It has turned into this:

(Please pardon the glare.)

11x14, oil

so it usually goes something like this.

1. sit down and slather paint here and there until the colors get muddy and i get frustrated. 

2. put it away for a few days.

3. overcorrect the colors. focus on shapes. get frustrated again.

4. leave it on the window sill for a week or two. consider starting over.

5. decide not to become a quitter. focus on one section at a time, background to foreground (don't have pictures of those steps, sorry), and finally finish.

The Pergola

8x10, oil on canvas

(sold)

I'll be posting more new paintings in the next few days, so come back soon! Thanks!

Giant Update (long overdue) Part 2

And here are some of my personal drawings and paintings from the past several months:

Carter Mountain
16x20, oil on canvas
(SOLD)

Three Birches
10.5x13.75, oil on canvas
(SOLD)

Golden Tree
16x20, oil on canvas

My wonderful husband took me on a hot air balloon ride for my birthday. This was painted from one of the photos I took.

Woolridge Lake
8x10, oil on canvas
(SOLD)

Notice the two little ducks swimming in to shore.

Erin's Pumpkin Patch
sold

Autumn Blaze
16x20, acrylic on canvas

I had this one hanging up in my house during the fall.

Summer Archway
sold

Taken at Maymont Park. The stone fence is part of the Italian Gardens.

details:

Granddad at Great Point

My grandfather passed away this past September. I began this drawing of him preparing his fishing lures for an evening at Great Point, Nantucket back in 2007. After driving up to PA to say goodbye before he passed I began the "mad dash" to finish this drawing in time for the funeral. We'll miss him.