Pennsylvania Farmland

This is my submission for the DSDF challenge. We were to take a black and white photo of a farm scene in Pennsylvania and give our own color take on it.

La Bonne Franquette

Susan turned me on to a new challenge! The Virtual Paintout! This month’s challenge was of Paris. We were to peruse the Google street views of Paris and choose a scene and paint that. I chose a tavern in the Montmartre district. This is a very cool challenge. I spent a week in Paris with my sister Barbara and my son Daniel in September 2003. This brought back really nice memories!

Moon and Stars

Well since the last painting ala Vincent didn’t go quite so well, Susan and I decided to try again, this time of moon and stars with clouds. I did manage to get the paint on really thick. I tried using a pallet knife, and I have never used a pallet knife like this before. The color combinations are better this time, and I feel that the brush strokes were better. The stars are a bit out of proportion to the moon, but this is a learning experience after all.

Grand Canyon

Susan and I had a challenge to paint the Grand Canyon ala Vincent Van Gogh. This is my attempt. I think I need to study Van Gogh more carefully. I have a really hard time putting paint on the canvas really thick. I got the paint on there but I am not sure of the color combinations or the brush strokes. But hey, I did give it a good try!

New York City Street

This is my attempt at the current DSDF challenge. I cannot remember doing a street scene before this. I have only been to NYC once and that was way back in the summer of 1981, when I went to visit my sister Barbara who lived in Manhattan. To help get a feeling of tall buildings I chose a 6x12 canvas. Then just started sketching and found that getting the perspective right was really hard for me. Then the photo was just too busy so I simplified. I am pleased with the outcome though.

Cathie visits Boise Idaho!

I made my annual pilgrimage to Boise Idaho April 16-26. Susan and I have been friends since elementary school and “Brownies”. I know I am one of the lucky ones in life to have a long and fast friendship, like the one that Susan and I share, that has lasted through getting married, having kids and moving to different states. This friendship is a true treasure and a blessing.

This vacation we hiked the foothills around Boise, picked out roses for the garden, Cooked, painted and a real treat for me, camping! In Florida, camping reeks of bug spray and bugs, heat, humidity, sand, and did I mention Bugs! So camping in cool, dry and a new place for me was great! We camped in the Craters of the Moon National Preserve.
Susan is a great art teacher, or as affectionately call her, Oh Art Guru! I got to try a new technique for me, glazing. We set up a still life of a green cast iron tea pot and cup, carefully marking where the cup and tea pot were situated as to be able to drink the tea as we worked. The first painting in each pair is mine, then Susan’.

Next we drew from an image from Wet Canvas of a flower pot on a shelf. This time we started with black gessoed canvas and the goal was to save some of the black to define the image. This was great fun. I really liked this style.

The last set of paintings is from a photo I took of a very happy Susan resting after great hiking in front of her new trailer.