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.

Golden Hour, 12x16, oil

"Golden Hour"

 12x16, oil

This painting was based on photos I took on the banks of the James River, Richmond, VA, after our first big snow in February. The evening light through the trees and the twilight shadows on the fresh snow... it was just remarkable. Nothing I can paint could do justice to the beauty of that moment. Oh, but I try. And it's all I can do to try, and point your eyes back to the creation and Creator who makes such beauty all around us.

29 (30 in 30 Challenge)

9x12, oil

Day Two (30 in 30 Challenge) - One from the yard

Our Magnolia

8x10, oil

This might sound strange. I've never really had a dream house. Never really had a dream car. But I have dream trees. Yes. trees. Trees I hoped to have in my yard one day. Here they are:

1. Japanese Maple

2. Weeping Willow

3. Magnolia

Guess what trees happen to be planted in our new yard. 

Yes, not one but three Japanese Maples.

Yes, a Magnolia. A baby, but a magnolia nonetheless.

My sweet husband did some research on Weeping Willows and found that their roots can be damaging to pipes, foundations, concrete ditches, etc. He came up with a beautiful Weeping Cherry as an alternative and planted one next to our pond. 

All my dream trees. What more could a girl want? :)

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

"A Delicate Melody"

9x12, oil

Maymont Park, Richmond, VA

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 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.

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

A Winter Dream

6x8, oil

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

"Harmony"

6x8, oil

A good snow scene is in order! I started this one yesterday and took a few step by step pictures:

I started the underpainting with yellow instead of my typical burnt umber with alizerin or burnt sienna.

 

One of the most beautiful things about snowy mornings is those gorgeous blue shadows on the snow.

 

I wanted to emphasize the three primary colors in the color wheel in this piece -- red, yellow and blue.

 

Sometimes I reach a point where there is too much paint "sloshing" around on the surface and reach a point that I wipe quite a bit off. 

 

 

I gave this piece a break over night (put it out in the below-freezing temps on the back porch) and started in on it again this afternoon.

And a few unphotographed phases later:

Finished for now.

Watkins Willows, 8x10

Wakins Willows

8x10, oil

Another scene from the beautiful Watkins Nursery property in Amelia, VA.

Cloud Break Over Watkins Field, 9x12

 

Just gotta mention how much I enjoy mornings at the "office". :)

 

Cloud Break Over Watkins Field

9x12, oil on board

The trees are not green...

"Art education changes the way our brain perceives everything."

Carolyn Anderson

 Tree on the Bend, 6x8, oil

The trees are no longer just green and the sky is no longer blue.

You realize there are no rules to how something is made.

You realize more than ever the vast gulf of creative ability between yourself and the Creator of the Universe, who simply spoke these intricate forms and exquisite colors into existence.

Take an art class this summer, read an art book, watch an art demo, observe what you really see, create something from the beauty you see around you...

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?

Light to My Path 12x24

 

1. Underpainting in burnt sienna.

 

  

2. Painting in the "distance" (the sky & land behind the trees) and starting to add color to the leaves of the trees.

 

3. Next the tree leaves, establishing the darkest areas. I tried to use primarily "transparent" colors to make them appear as if they're glowing.

 

 

4. Next painting the light green leaves.

 

5. Finishing the leaves & starting with the foreground. Again I used a burnt sienna for the underpainting of the foreground.

 

 

6. More color application of the foreground.

 

 

7. Adding the dusting of snow 

 

 

8. I continued to use a process of applying paint and removing it until I got that feel of the morning sun on the snow-dusted grass.

9. Last bit was painting the tree trunks, dead leaves on the ground and retouching the trees on the far left.... and finished!

"Light to my Path"

12x24, oil on canvas

 

I had the piece framed in a "blond" wood floater frame. Here it is on my window sill prior to delivery at For Art's Sake at the end of April

Tools of the Trade: Expressive Brush Strokes

Several weeks ago I wrote a post about one of the tools of the trade -- the pallet knife.
Today I want to introduce you to two more tools, ones that I myself only recently discovered the brilliance of...

1. The soft bristle brush.

All brushes are not created equal, just like all products. The qualities vary, the sizes vary, the shape of the bristles vary and the rigidity of the bristle vary (just a few of the many facets of what makes a great brush).
I'm hear to talk about the bristles today.
The bristles of the brush can be synthetic  or natural. They can by "fine" or "course". They can be rigid or soft and supple.

I tend to be all over the map with the types of brushes I use. However, I recently purchase this wonderful tool:

A very soft natural bristle brush. It's about one inch wide and filbert shaped. Makes beautiful, poetic strokes as well as rugged and abrupt. I'm loving it.

If you paint, you must uses a variety of brushes. Using the same brush, your canvas and strokes start getting monotonous. Anyway, on to tool number 2.

2. Music. Namely classical flamenco guitar.

 I was not prepared for how much it would effect my painting. I'm telling you folks, it was fun. And I didn't even realize what was happening. My tree tops were having a fiesta. Take a look:

Tool #1 (soft bristle brush) is especially useful when combined with tool #2 (flamenco music).

I can't show you the final outcome of the painting on the internet until after the "Pathways" opening. You'll either have to (a) come see the painting in real life (info here) or (b) wait till after May 3. Hope you pick option (a)!

Pathways Facebook Event

Painting in Progress: "Light to my Path"

My April newsletter was sent last week. Those of you who received it (who opened it and read it) know that Carter Stuart & I are collaborating to present "Pathways", a two-woman show at For Art's Sake Gallery during the month of May.

There will also be a party/opening night which we want to invite you to attend!

It will be on Friday May 3 from 5-8pm 

at For Art's Sake Gallery

9770 Gayton Road

Henrico, VA 23238

(Gayton Crossing Shopping Center)

The new space is nice and big. Let's just say I have been painting like a mad-woman to get ready.

I am very excited about some of the pieces that will be at the show. 

Here is a sneak peak:

To see the finished painting you will have to stop by For Art's Sake during the month of May.

Eight New Paintings at Cafe Caturra

Over the past week I hung 8 new paintings at Cafe Caturra.

If you're still hoping to see the display (while enjoying a bite to eat or a glass of wine) the paintings will be up through April 21st. 

Below are the 8 new pieces: 

(click the images to see full size)

The Morrissette House

12x9, oil on canvas

sold

This is a bit larger version of the previously posted painting "Morrissette House 6x6".

      

Deliver at the Apothecary  // Midlothian Apothecary  // Lucky and the Girls sold

    

Summer's Glow sold// Quiet River sold// Winter Light on the Reservoir sold

    

The Morrissette House (small) sold // Turn at the Tree sold

Turn at the Tree 6x6

Turn at the Tree 

6x6, oil on board

sold

This is the same tree as painted in "Last Standing". In days gone by this tree marked the turn to Stanley Owen’s house. A friend of Stanley's described his home as "a modest wooden home with a million dollar view of the sunset over the village of Midlothian". The tree is located in the median in front of the Midlothian BMW dealership and near Walmart.