Not Your Granny's Europe

                                      16x16; contact me if interested
This is the reworked lower portion of the painting I cut in two. It's a comment on the contrast you see in the "old country"- very very old buildings juxtaposed with modern technology. The one I don't get is high heeled shoes on cobblestone streets. The women seem to manage just fine, but I can't imagine trying it! The high heeled shoes alone are challenging enough.
We're leaving early tomorrow for points south. We'll get no further than Portland tomorrow as we have people to visit. There's no hurry though; this is a road trip and road trips are meant to be savored. I'm taking paint supplies to Arizona, but no light box, so I doubt there will be many still lifes. Don't know just what I'll paint, but I'll find something!

Everywhere a Crow Crow

                                           12x21; contact me if interested

Here's another of the Spain/Portugal series which, by the way for any locals who are reading this, will be on exhibit at the Meyer Wells showroom in the Seattle Design Center by the second week in November-at least January. There is an art event planned there for 11/11/11 that promises to be a lot of fun. Click on this link if you want to know more: www.communityartistsprogram.com

This painting actually part of a larger painting at one time, and I wasn't liking the way the whole thing came together, so I cut the panel and worked it into 2 separate paintings. That's the beauty of panels; you can "crop" as needed.

Sunday we're leaving for Arizona, taking our time and detouring into Colorado and New Mexico- making a road trip out of it. Usually we go more directly. I've been busy preparing to leave, so I haven't had time to paint (I miss it!) but I am taking paint supplies with me. There's a fabulous clay studio near our house down there, though, so I split my time between paint and clay- and hiking and tennis and pickle ball and biking.....what a life! Am I lucky or what?

Lunch Date

                                                  8x6 Bid on this Painting
Painting #2 of the DPW Challenge. It's been a delightful experience seeing all the paintings that evolved form the reference photo. I look forward to more this week.

Watching and Waiting

                                                 8x6 Bid on this Painting
This is a conceptual composition for a larger painting that I am doing as a commission. As I was looking at the photograph supplied by the customer (a wonderful photo taken in Rome) and pondering the possibilities, it occurred to me that some of my fellow daily painters might enjoy this challenge. I submitted my idea to the Daily Paintworks team, and it was selected for this week's challenge. I find it very fun to see what other artists come up with, given the same material to work from. It's exciting and inspiring!

House on the Hill

                                      24x30; contact me if interested
I posted a version of this a couple months ago, but it has been through may renditions since then. With these larger paintings I find that I can't get the depth and complexity  that I am looking for without several painting sessions and paint layers. The challenge is to retain spontaneity at the same time.

Pedestrian View of Alki Point

                                 16x20; contact me if interested
Leaving Europe momentarily and returning to Seattle, I painted this view of the Alki Point Lighthouse. Usually it's photographed from the water, but I walked down a side street and got this view. This is a pretty good example of the weather we can expect this fall-maybe minus the blue sky. That's why Jed and I are headed to Arizona in a couple weeks. We have a nice getaway there just south of Tucson where we can hike, play tennis and pickleball, golf and bicycle, as well as take in the charms of Tubac and Tucson. BTW, we do rent the house out in the winter at very reasonable rates. There are still time slots open. Check out www.arizonazen.blogspot.com if you're interested.

Morning Stroll

                                             30x24 Contact me if interested

I've wrapped up my Spain and Portugal series with a total of 13 paintings- 2 of which have sold. The rest will be on display at the Seattle Design Center in the Meyer Wells Showroom for an undefined period starting sometime at the end of October. There will be a big event on November 11th, featuring 11 artists in the Community Artists Program- and food and wine. I will have more information on that very soon.
Relevant to the subject of Spain, I heard today from a young Dutch woman we met on the Camino de Santiago. She said that we (my husband Jed and I) are "featured" in a Dutch TV show about the Camino (http://www.rkk.nl/kruispunt/; click on the first of the 3 shows- the one on the left depicting walkers). On our first day in St. Jean Pied de Port there was a Dutch film crew. They filmed us at breakfast (OMG I looked bad!) and then later on the walk. The Dutch man I was talking to at breakfast later died in Pamplona of a heart attack. We heard that a Dutch man had died there, but we didn't know until today that he was the one. Pretty shocking because he was about our age.
Watching the film brought back a lot of good memories. It was a special experience and I would definitely do it again. I highly recommend it to anybody who wants an inexpensive, somewhat challenging, and personally enriching experience.

Tomato in Hand

                                     5x7 Bid on this Painting


This week's DPW Challenge is to paint your hand. Not easy doing it from life, so after a couple attempts I took a photo. It was a challenge to think in terms of shapes and only include enough detail to ensure that it reads as a hand.
It just started to rain HARD. Guess fall is really here. This is the first really hard rain we've seen in Seattle this season. More is sure to come.

Portugal Rooftops

                                           16x16 Contact me if interested

More of the Spain/Portugal series. I have wrapped it up with 11 paintings (I created 13, but 2 have sold) and this week I will be framing them and preparing them for a show at the Seattle Design Center. In the past few days I have been working on color. My husband says my paintings have become dull and unexciting. I had been trying to work with neutrals and spots of color, but when I took stock of what I had done recently I saw that he was right. My neutrals were "blah" . I needed to move toward more neutralized color rather than flat beiges and greys. I went back to what I learned from Robert Moore's workshop and mixed up a big batch of good neutral using complements (cad orange and ultramarine ) and used that to unify the painting by mixing just a bit of that with all my colors. I use just a bit of pure color for "pops" in selected places. I often pooh pooh my husbands critiques at first (he's not an artist) but end up deciding they have merit.

Waitress by the Window

                                  6x6 Bid on this Painting

I found out about Lee Brown's "A Day Not Wasted" website from Dana Cooper's post. What a great challenge! I tried to think of shapes and composition rather than what I actually saw in the photo. My goal is to paint more abstractly while still being representational.

Alley View

                                     24x24

This is part of my Spain/Portugal series- a view of some colorful houses seen through a narrow street.

Red Galoshes

                                       6x6
The DPW Challenge this week is to paint something pertaining to the arrival of autumn. Where I come from (Seattle) fall means rain. Thus the red galoshes.....

Sporty Little Number

                                    6x6 Bid on this Painting
I'm still working on larger paintings, but felt the need to do a fast and loose little piece before resuming my work. This little sports car was just what I needed. I'm awaiting the new DPW Challenge, as I enjoy doing those as well.

Limited Strokes Challenge

The purpose of this challenge is to prevent you from overworking your painting by limiting the number of strokes you can put down. You identify the shapes and then try to fill the shapes with a color in as few strokes as possible- with lots of juicy paint. You are supposed to estimate the number of strokes you can allow yourself (I estimated 24) and then count each stroke (I did 36!) I used up all my 24 before I painted the background! Then at the very end I cheated a bit by adding a few quick strokes; I just couldn't resist.

I'll be out of town all week at a women's hiking (and eating and drinking) retreat, so I won't be painting. Hope to get back to it on Saturday.

Night on the Town

                                      16x16 Contact me if interested; laynecook@comcast.net
This is another of the Spain/Portugal series I'm working on. It is based very loosely on a photo I took in Obidos, Portugal

Street Performer

                                               14x18
This is a larger version of the Street Performer. I like this girl so much that I think I'll paint her at least once more. She'll be included in the Spain/Portugal series- even though she's in France. she fits with the rest of the paintings and there are many like her to be seen all over Europe.

Car Show

                                 6x8  Bid On This Painting
The DPW Challenge this week is about values. As most painters know, value is more important than color in the structure of a painting. I used a photo taken at a car show that I attended last weekend, and executed the painting over an old one that provided some texture and a bit of color beneath the burn umber tones. After I finish my Spain/Portugal series I may just do one based on car shows.

Small Packages

                                         6x6
This is another painting that got reworked. I'm eager to do the DPW Challenge this week because it's all about value in composition. We have to produce an interesting painting in 4 values, thinking about creating interesting shapes rather than thinking about the subject. And of course, color is out of the equation. Also, there should no be equal shares of the individual values. Dark, medium or light should dominate and one of the three should play the smallest role. A lot to think about!

Street Performer

                                  6x6 Bid on this Painting
A friend was showing us some pictures of his recent trip to Europe when I spotted this young woman in one of the photos. I changed the setting but I tried to stay true to her character. Her body language suggests that she is lightly dancing along with her music.

Surrounded by Green

                                         6x6 Bid on This Painting
In my continuing "Can this Painting be Saved?" project, this one got a complete overhaul. It's all about "linking values" and creating interesting shapes. Also, knowing when to use neutrals and when to use color. I find it so hard to get all this right on the first try!

A Mother's Love

                            6x6  Bid on this Painting
The DPW Challenge this week is "Paint Your Pig". I have a "pig", but I chose instead to use the photo that was provided. The expressions on the faces occurred purely by chance, giving me the idea for the title, "A Mother's Love". I think the little pig looks contrite and she (Mom) looks concerned and slightly disapproving.

On the Green

                                    6x6 Bid on this Painting   

I separated my older daily paintings into 3 piles. One pile is "fine as is" (I could change my mind about any of those). Another pile is "project for improvement" . The third pile is for "paint-overs". I think I've learned a few things about composition lately. Took me long enough! I'm starting to really "get" the concept of linking my shapes, both in color and value. This painting is an example of one that I painted over using what i know now. I think it's a much stronger painting. The painting I posted yesterday I decided doesn't work. I ended up with ambiguous focal points- the bright green lawn and the sunlit corner of the house. Because I'm trying to feature the house, I am working on toning down the lawn and increasing the interest on the corner of the house. Will post the "new and improved" version soon.

Island Retreat

                                         6x8 Not for sale

A friend's home away from home.......

Green and Gold

                                      Bid on this painting
It seems I only paint the little ones any more when the DPW Challenges occur. I am working on my Spain/Portugal series whenever I have the opportunity to paint. I know I'll get back to the dailies later. This challenge was to paint rectangles of color based on what you are observing. I quite like the effect, and it renews my resolve to be more careful about making color fields interesting with the application of a variety of related colors.

On the Edge

                                  Bid on this painting

This is another reworked painting. I always liked the composition and I tried reworking it a coupe times with the original colors. Somehow it never made me happy. I am quite happy with this rendition- at least for now. I especially like the shape of the white cloth.

Tempting Fate

                                  5x7 Bid on this painting
The DPW Challenge this week invites us to paint something inspired by superstition. I painted 2 pieces- this one from the photo provided and another of my own creation. Tomorrow I will post the other one. This one is about the folly of opening one's umbrella indoors. The cat came out looking somewhat like a raccoon, which , in my mind, is even more unsettling than the open umbrella. The little buggers are cute, but they're mean!

Egg On Stage

                                         5x7 $90

I've been going through my older paintings and choosing to (a) put them in a pile to be painted over or (b) get reworked. This is one painting I always liked, but the values needed to be strengthened to make it stronger. It's an interesting exercise to analyze what works and doesn't work in a painting and make the attempt to rescue it. Sometimes they still end up in the scrap heap.

Workhorse Willy

                                    18x24 Contact me if interested
A few weeks ago my husband and I were in Idaho and we found lots of great cars and trucks to photograph. I was drawn to this one not only because of the interesting lines of the truck itself, but also because of the reflection in the metal building.

Aging With Attitude

                                      6x6 Contact me if interested
 I show some of my paintings at a gallery called Alki Arts in West Seattle. The owner, Diane, does an excellent job of display and marketing. In addition, she's an exceptionally nice person. She seems to do well with my cars and trucks, and I like painting them- so it's a "win-win".

Morning Cup

                                 6x6 Bid on this painting
No time to paint these days! I squeezed in a couple hours this morning to paint this my mug for this week's DPW Challenge.

Parked by the Park

                   11.75x17.75 oil on hardwood cabinet door
This has just been listed on the DPW auction site with a starting bid of $150. You can go to http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/8014 if you would like to place a bid.                     

Bright Spot

                                

                                        8x6 oil on 1/4" panel $120; email me if interested

                                       

This is my second entry to the DPW Challenge, which if you aren't aware of, is a weekly opportunity to try painting something in a way you might not have considered. Saturday I painted the subject using my instincts at the time, which resulted in my last post on this blog. Today I used more color and interpreted the picture even more loosely. I had a lot of fun with this one.

Windowsill

8.75x5.75 $120; e-mail me at www.laynecook@comcast.net

This weeks DPW Challenge is to paint from a specific black and white photo, making sure the values remain the same as in the photo. I took the easy route, staying with a fairly monochromatic color scheme. It's much harder to determine the relative values when you have to contend with multiple colors. I think I may try that later this week.

Bocce Players

                                14x18 Contact me if interested
I cheated a little on this one. I took a photo of the bocce players in Lyon, Spain, but it wasn't a great painting reference. So I made a composite of several photos i found on the internet and painted from that.

Tapas Stop

                                     18x24

This is another painting for my Spain/Portugal series, based on a photo I took in the late afternoon in Leon. Spain. I'm finding it immensely helpful to post these; for some strange reason I can spot things I don't like- and things I do- in the photo better than in the actual painting. For example, I think that there is too much definition between the walls and the sidewalk in this painting. I would like to see more of the wall color in the sidewalk and more of the sidewalk color in the wall. They should still read as separate surfaces, but more unified. I also take note when I receive many or few comments on a piece. I know it's not an absolute science, but it gives me a feel for the appeal of the painting.

Summer Days

                          SOLD        
                                                                                                                                                                   
This week's DPW Challenge is to paint while listening to a selected song and to identify that song. I chose Bob Dylan's "Summer Days" and I listened to the whole Dylan album "Love and Theft" while painting. I find Dylan to be bold and creative, and that's what I was looking for as inspiration for my paint application.

So Cool-Revised

                              6x6 $90
I was unhappy with the intensity of the color in this painting, so I glazed over the whole thing with burnt sienna and then painted into it again with more neutralized colors. It's more pleasing to my eye now; I hope to get some reaction from other artists. You can scroll down to the original version "2 paintings ago". Thanks!

Wine Country

18x24 oil on canvas

This is another of my Spain/Portugal series. While on the Camino de Santiago, we walked through miles of vineyard with the leaves, some with the leaves just beginning to appear and some with grapes already forming. The pattern of the vines and the red soil were more apparent than they will be later in the season when the lushness of the greenery will take over.

So Cool

                   

This is my second entry to the DPW Challenge. I used a lower perspective, added color and changed the apples around a bit.

Three That Made the Cut

6x6 $90  

This week's challenge is "reflections". I couldn't decide whether to paint it from a higher or lower perspective- so I did both.As long as I was changing the view, I decided to change the color scheme as well. I've been leaning toward neutrals lately- maybe the grey weather????- so I went for color on the second painting, which I'll post tomorrow.

Kissed by the Sun

                     24x24 $850; contact me at laynecook@comcast.net if interested

This old truck has been put out to pasture, but still enjoys the warm rays of the sun.

Watching Bocce

 

24x24; contact me at laynecook@comcast.net if interested in purchasing

Here's the latest in my new Spain/Portugal series. These old guys were so fun to see with their various postures. We came upon them as we explored the streets of Astorga, Spain in the late afternoon. 

Still Pumping

Oil on wood cabinet door 18x11.75 $550 including shipping
E-mail me at laynecook@comcast.net if interested

                                            

I've had these cabinet doors for years (I used to be kitchen designer) and couldn't decide how to use them effectively. I thought this subject matter lent itself to a novel presentation, so it was selected. Now I have to come up with companion pieces for the 2 other doors I have.
We went to the airport late last night to pick up a young Danish couple who will be visiting us for a week  (and then moving on to San Fran, Vegas, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Yosemite). We didn't get to bed until after 2 am. So why was I up at 7:30???? Just can't sleep these days, and it's really frustrating! Hope I don't crash today when everybody else is rarin' to go.

Outside the Cafe

                                         16x16; contact me if interested in purchasing
This is the larger version of one 6x6 I painted a few weeks ago. I just love this lady; I think I will paint her a few more times. I decided for this larger version that her sweater needed to be a bit more varied in color and her skirt needed some pattern.

Let the Fun Begin

SOLD

This is my entry tor this weeks Daily Painter Originals Challenge: "Paint Something in your Studio".

Most of my paint tubes are downright unpresentable, but this one didn't look too bad. I'm trying out the auction format on the DPW site; click on the link above to take you to the site. Bidding starts at $75.

House On the Hill

This is one of the Spain/Portugal series I've been working on. It's 24"x30". Thus far, I've done 3 landscapes and 2 figurative. My goal is to have 12-15 paintings including landscapes, figurative and city scenes- rooftops, street scenes, etc. Oh yes, and one with cows in the street. I have an idea that it could be interesting to display them along with the photographs that inspired the images and perhaps a little narrative about them. At this time, I don't have a venue for the exhibit, but I have some ideas for that as well. Right now, it's just fun re-living the trip through these paintings.

Retired

                                 
Expect to see of old cars from me for awhile. I have lots of reference photos!

Good Old Gal

                                  SOLD
We spent a few days bicycling in eastern Washington. We had a great time, and the rolling hills, wheat fields, silos and big skies are gorgeous. Unfortunately, I took a bad spill in loose gravel and got a big laceration on my forearm requiring 9 stitches. The good news is it's not my painting arm. The other good news is that I came home with lots of photo references for old cars and trucks, farm buildings and skies.