Sunday, June 30, 2013

Artist Studios Online Tour!

Here's a chance to visit the studios of some wonderful artists. Click the links below to go behind the scenes and see the spaces where these artists create!

Marla LaubischCarol SchiffKaethe BealerJo MacKenzie
Michael ChamberlainCharleen MartinSally BinardJacklyn Karabaich
Sharon GravesSea DeanJohnna SchellingTaryn Day
Julie Ford OliverSarah SedwickKim RempelCindy Michaud
Joanne GrantCarmen BeecherCindy WilliamsCathy Engberg


Below are a few pictures of my kitchen/studio. I have a cottage out back where I paint larger work but most of my painting days are spent right here in the kitchen. There are north facing windows so there's plenty of indirect light. 



The floor is an old speckled linoleum that hides the paint splatters pretty well. Even though I try to be good about cleaning up, every few months I have to get down on my hands and knees and scrub it clean. I just cleaned it a few weeks ago so it's looking pretty good in these photos! I use the same easel set up that I use when I paint outdoors. I leave it up and just drag it into the dining room when I'm not painting. It's a Julian half box so it's easy to move around. 




As you can see, my palette isn't too pretty. It's just a 12x16 piece of masonite. I made a brush holder out of canvas which I attach to the easel drawer with a binder clip. 



When the paintings are done they're moved to the dining room for drying. I usually set them on music stands or the middle shelf of the corner cabinet. The photo above is the view you get when walking in the front door of my house. 

Hope you enjoyed seeing my workspace, be sure to visit the other artists listed above!

"Narrow Street, Telegraph Hill"


6x6" oil on Gessobord
Sanchez Art Center, "50/50" #11

Thursday, June 27, 2013

"Crossing Grant"


6x6" oil on Gessobord
Sanchez Art Center, "50/50" #8

Every painting is an act of faith. I'm finding that especially true with these little cityscapes. You have to have faith that if you keep going and trust your instincts the painting will probably work out. I think it was Richard Schmid who said you should be able to stop at any point during the painting and it would look good. Interesting idea, but that certainly isn't how it works for me.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

"Mission Alley"


6x6" oil on Gessobord
Sanchez Art Center, "50/50" #6

The alleys in San Francisco are interesting in that they allow you to see the backs of the houses. Many houses have unusual additions which make for inspiring shapes to paint. This particular house had lavender colored garage doors, what more could you want?

Saturday, June 22, 2013

"Tree Lined Street"


6x6" oil on Gessobord
Sanchez Art Center, "50/50" #3

Some city scenes are easier than others to break down into simple shapes. I think there are less than ten in this one. The idea is to get the shapes in place and then add just a bit of detail.


Friday, June 21, 2013

"Alley Shadows"


6x6" oil on Gessobord
Sanchez Art Center, "50/50" #2

One of the nice thing about doing small panels is that it encourages experimentation. There was something about this scene that appealed to me but I wasn't sure I wanted to try it on a larger canvas.

I bought some small brushes for this project (size 4 and 6 princeton 6300 brights) but I'm finding them frustrating to use. I'm mostly using a large brush, size 8. The smaller brushes don't hold enough paint! The 4 is good for windows though, so I guess it's good to have.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

"Corner Market"


6x6" oil on Gessobord
Sanchez Art Center, "50/50" #1

This is the first of my paintings for the "50/50" show at the Sanchez Art Center. This corner store is located in the Russian Hill area of San Francisco. I remember seeing a Tim Horn painting of this building many years ago and thought it would be a fun subject to paint. I knew it was in San Francisco but had no idea where. I stumbled upon it by accident and quickly pulled over to snap a few photos. I wonder if the owners know that their aqua sign is attracting painters.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

"Bus on Polk"


12x12" oil on masonite
Studio Gallery, San Francisco

I'm participating in this year's "50/50" show at the Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica. The idea is to paint 50 6x6 inch paintings in 50 days. I pick up the panels today and the first painting day is Monday. I haven't painted that small in a while so it will be interesting to see how it works out.

We were asked to choose a theme for our paintings, I chose "Street Views". That seems like a broad enough theme. I'm still motivated to explore painting possibilities in San Francisco but thought I could do some rural street scenes as well.