Pear

Pear 12X10 Oil on Panel Sold

Sometimes I need to do something totally different to give my mind a break.  Marion and I did a lot of pears years ago and I thought it would be fun to give it a whirl again.

Cheers

Bente

Value of Plein Air Painting

More accurate view

                                                              "Plein Air View"

I don't do a lot of "Plein Air Painting" for quite a few reasons.  The first is that I am not very good at it.  Some of the other reasons are that there is a lot of equipment to put together to get outside to paint and then the environment takes over - the wind, the bugs, the dogs, the people who all have a relative that paints OR the ultimate question -"Are you an artist"  I don't really mind the later because it adds to the experience.  It really boils down to the first part.

The value comes in doing it anyways.  The reason is that when I am out there looking at the real thing  
I see what no camera would ever see and the part that has attracted me in the first place gets implanted in my mind.  This attraction often shows up later in an abstract or intuitive painting because I took the time to try and record it.

With the two images you see above, the lower one was done outside and the upper one was a more accurate depiction.  I am not too sure that I am keen on either one but I know I learned a lot so I will keep doing this exercise this summer and see if I get any better at it.  If not then I do know that I will of learned a lot.  The questions after the painting may be - "what was the attraction?"  "did you capture it?"  what do you like?  "what don't you like?" why? "how might someone you admire of done the same thing?"

Cheers

Bente

Summertime 2015

Summertime 2015  12X12 Oil on Canvas  $150

Myrtle Rocks is becoming my favorite subject.  Come for a visit and you will understand.

There is a definite shift in the cloud formation, wind action and water action.  It may be hard to believe but the water was calmer this winter than it is now. The trick in the painting is to try to capture this.

I've been out on my kayak this month and almost been swamped.  Myrtle Rocks is usually the destination.

Blessings.

Bente

Gull a day

Gull a day  12X12 Oil on Canvas  $150

I couldn't resist.  These two were on their own holiday, basking in the sun and even though I don't usually paint subjects like this I just had to.

I wish you a happy day.

Bente

Light

Light 12X12X 1 1/2 Oil  $150

Painted on the sides so that no framing is required.

This is what happens when I have been painting for a long time on one piece and there is a lot of paint left over.  I grab a canvas and see what the paint tells me.  There is no plan, no vision.

It only seems to work after I have worked for a long time on something else.

Islet

Islet 15X30 Oil on Canvas $450

This painting is really a mixed media painting with a lot of background texture.  I then added clear gesso to the texture so that the oil paint would adhere to it.

There is a lot of serenity and peace to it.  I didn't intend for it to be that way.  The painting simply took over and led me in that direction.  I always find it interesting how I start out in one direction
and then the painting takes over.

Earth Force

Earth Force 12X12 Oil on Canvas  $150

My influences are very obvious.  We go kayaking.  The sky is incredible.  The rock formations to me are an intrigue and there are logs jutting straight into the air.

Inge, my sister, went with us last time and from a distance she wanted to know why they had put a flag poles on the island.  "They are logs!"  Its hard to believe from a distance but logs they are. Often we will see Eagles perched on top of either the rock formations or the logs.

We are in paradise.

Meeting Place

Meeting Place 11X14 Oil on Canvas  Sold

This is one of two paintings that was accepted into the Federation Gallery Show "Small, Smaller, Smallest"

I had posted it before but added the darker blue at the bottom left side which made it a better composition.

I don't really think of this as being a small painting yet I was happy to be accepted to the show.