"Plein Aire Painter"

16"x13" Sketch pencil and Charcoal on Watercolor paper.

So I couldn't help myself to go ahead and do another sketch before going back to my oil painting.  This is a challenge for me to work with charcoal.  AND....especially on the surface of this paper.  When I used to draw, I worked with drafting pencils on bristol paper.  I was so wrapped up in details.

I thought working with the charcoal and slightly rough paper would force me to "sketch" in shapes yet, I still got caught up in wanting to show details.

Personally?......I'd like this picture as a pastel painting.  I've gotta sketch more often.  It really is a different mindset from working on a commissioned painting.

"Breaktime for the Fire Chief" #6 of 30P/30D Challenge

23"x18"  Graphite on Watercolor paper

I decided to do something different today. I guess I felt the need to practice my sketching.
 Digging through my photos, I found this picture I took a few years ago of my neighbor Dean.  He is a Volunteer Fireman in our small community.

The fire station is located across the street from where we live in Pulaski. I had my camera ready on a day   they were doing smoke drills (how to enter a building safely when you can't see, plus more stuff I have no clue about) .  I couldn't pass up this pose of Dean when he decided to take a break.

Now back to my oils!

"Pick Me, Pick Me! " #5 of 30 P/30 D Challenge

6x6 Oil on panel
I love the vibrant red here.  Screams...."am I ripe enough for you?"  We had a couple of Cherry trees along the East side of our property.  There was a lot of stuff growing along there and when trees needed cut down for safety reasons, the Cherry trees went too.

I've taken several photos of fruit trees and flowers when that "Tada" moment hit me (and I remembered my camera).  It's when the light reflects off or shines through things ...sometimes something out of the corner of my eye catches my attention.  At those times, my first reaction is, where's my paint brush or my pastels?  I'm ready!!!!!!!!

I have those moments A LOT......especially when I'm in a hurry to get to a destination driving down the road.  I rarely give myself travel time to pull over (key here ....PULL OVER & STOP) to catch the light and subject with a camera.  Ah......it's a New Year.....a chance for New & Better Habits :D  (notice how I capitalize the first letter of each word?  I'm saying, this is important enough to make it a muntra or put in an affirmation.

"View from Above"....#4 of 30 P/30 D Challenge

6x6 Oil on panel

Yep...back to pears for my subject matter.  I have no idea why I'm drawn to the simplicity of this fruit. There are so many varieties of it too!  Lucky Me!!!!!!!

Anyway.....I'm still working with a limited palette and for some reason my camera shows this as being a bit too rich on the green side.  Close, but no cigar... as the saying goes.  It looked even stranger when I tried adjusting the color, so I left it alone.

Now, off to paint I go!

"Buddy's #2"....#3 of 30 P/30 D Challenge

6"x 6" oil on panel
 Still infatuated with the color Red :D  It may be toned down in the next painting .  As far as the Best Design on this painting,( and the last)......I broke my own rule of not putting a strong straight edge close to a paintings boarder.

If I were to do these paintings over, I might have moved the boards edge up a bit.  Hey!....that's what this challenge is about for me.....taking the time to explore design and color in a way I may not otherwise do.

To check out more challenge painters..go to  www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com

"Buddy's #1"...#2 of 30 D/30P Challenge

6x6 on panel
So here is #2 of Leslie Saeta's 30 Days/30 Paintings challenge.  Still using a limited palette, which is forcing me to mix, Mix, MIX the paints.  I found it particularly challenging to come up with a vibrant green.  That's because most the colors I'm using are on the "cool" side.  Very little "warm". 

(speaking of warm.....it's 5 degrees outside with windchill of -7 Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!) 

The colors I'm using for this challenge are  Naples Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Blue, Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson,  Burnt Sienna, Titanium White, and  Mars Black.  

I was trying to narrow this down to 4 to 5 basic colors (this includes white/black)....but I like this mix.  I'm open to suggestions from fellow painters on color selection for a limited palette.  Either email me ginlammert@yahoo.com or send me a Facebook message.  Click the FB button on the sidebar here :D

Since using this color combination.......I look at some of the Master's  works (John William Waterhouse's "The Soul of the Rose" for one) and see more of the limited palette he used. 

"Three of a kind" #1 of 30 Days/30 Paintings Challenge

6"x6" Oil on board
Here is the first of many 6x6 paintings to come this month.  I'm using a limited palette for this years 30days/30 paintings challenge by Leslie Saeta   http://www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com  I joined this challenge last year and she's challenged us again this January.  The BIG difference between 2013 and 2014 is each work I'm doing will be an individual painting.  (last year I divided 3-18x24 canvases  into small squares for each days work.)

This is a GREAT way to start the New Year.  Happy New Year everybody :D