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.

Still Here

                                        No longer available

I've been dealing with computer programs and haven't been able to post for awhile. We ended up having to get the whole computer wiped out and programs reloaded- and there's still something wrong. Plus my old Photoshop wouldn't reload, so I've ordered a new version and in the meantime am using an unfamiliar free editing program. So here it is. This is my entry to the Daily Paintworks Challenge. I found that since the shapes in the scene were rather indistinct, the best way to distinguish them was to push the values.

                                       In a gallery; e-mail me if interested
This 30x40 canvas was one I originally painted in 2004. It's quintessential Seattle! I always liked the composition, but it was not very well painted. I have learned a lot since2004, and so I used the original as an under painting and proceeded to paint over the whole thing. I strengthened the values and the edges on the tugboats, especially the smaller one, and kept the edges softer and the values closer together on the more distant buildings.

You Can Call Me Rusty

                                         SOLD
This painting is 24x20, and I used a photo I took in Bisbee, AZ for reference. I ended up blending the sky with a round brush, as all the business of the brushstrokes was driving me nuts. The truck is so busy due to the rust; I thought that called for the rest of the painting to be more subtle.

I plan to make a few changes to the Poster Boy when the red paint gets a little dryer. I love the red, but I think it dominates too much and the shape is too boring. I think it would help both the composition and the narrative to add a few more posters. I'll try it, anyway and post the new version.

Thanks so much to those of you who commented. I didn't realize how much I value the feedback. I really really do!

Poster Boy

                                               7x5 $90
This was taken from a reference photo of a man posting a notice. Somewhere along the line I decided that he was a boy instead. I also updated my photo on yesterdays post. It's funny how you sometimes don't notice errors until you see the photograph. I realized I neglected to paint the bottom portion of the black cup on the top. Thus it sat at an improbable angle in the glass below, and the perspective looked wrong as well.

Do I still have blog readers???? Since I returned from vacation I haven't received hardly any comments. I miss getting feedback! I would love to hear what you respond to- positive and (constructively) critical.

Stacked with Lime

                                          SOLD
This is my entry for the Daily Paintworks challenge. It's challenging just to create one of these stacks; mine kept toppling before I finally got one that worked! I used the lime wedge to tie the greens together.

I've been painting madly. I have completed 3 pieces based on my Spain/Portugal trip and then another of an old truck I photographed in Bisbee, AZ. I also had a large painting that I completed about 5 years ago when I was a "worse" artist and didn't apply enough paint to make it interesting. I liked the composition though, so I used it as an under painting and applied tons more paint. well, maybe not tons. Kind of like people who apply "real" paint to their giclees? Anyway, I think it's a much better painting now.

Spheres and Stripes

             6x6 $90
I've only painted this teapot once before. It's an odd thing, likely handmade. The handle is really lumpy. It occurred to me that it might be interesting to tie in the stripes with objects of the same color.
I've been painting bigger the last couple days, using my Spain and Portugal photos as reference. My goal is to create about a 10-15 painting series and then find a show venue. I also have a request from a gallery for more  "truck and old car" paintings- and anything else that's not still life or figurative. She says that the things that are selling are "comfort paintings"- nostalgia and landscape sort of things. While I don't paint specifically to sell, I enjoy painting all kinds of things, and if they are likely to sell, so much the better. So I'll consider that subject matter in the next few days.
Here's a little tip for you, in case you hadn't thought of it already. I did a painting that I think may have the values too balanced- almost equal quantities of dark, medium and light. What I want is mostly one (in this case medium) some of another (dark) and a little of the last (light). In photoshop I converted it to black and white and then used the cutout filter to further simplify the shapes. Based on that, I decided to darken some of my lights so that they are clearly a middle value. I find this tool really useful in troubleshooting a painting.

Brothers

                                     6x6 $90

Two boys by the fire; even as a girl I have memories of hours spent playing with a stick in the flames. This one may turn into a larger painting. My husband is leaving tomorrow for a one week trip, and that means lots of painting time for yours truly.

A Glassy Gift

                                  6x6  $90
I started with a cool color composition, and then decided it needed some "pop". This little red bowl never fails to thrill me with the impact it has on the surfaces surrounding it.

Springtime Gift

                                     6x6 $9o

This is my (first) submission to the Daily Paintworks Challenge. I couldn't decide whether to use the white or the green ribbon- so I did both. I tried to link the "lights"- the flowers, the table and the ribbon, and the "darks", the background and the shadow surfaces of the box. I did another one with a green ribbon- and colorful. Tune in tomorrow.

Green Door

                                      5x7 $90
This is a very loose interpretation of a landscape seen on or Camino walk. Needless to say, the field wasn't really striped in all those colors- it was plain green- but hey! That's what we get to do as painters. I was drawn to the green door and windows that related to the green in the field. I may try another version finding a way (I don't know yet just how...) to make the green field more interesting.

Beyond the Rooftops

                                       6x6 $90
I took lots of photos of rooftops and city views, and this is derived from a portion of one of those photos. For me, it captures the feeling of those old tile roofed buildings without getting too literal or sentimental. It will be interesting to see what happens when I try some of these on a larger format.I hope I'm not tempted to get too fussy.
I also replaced the photo below with a better one. The light wasn't good on the day I took the first photo. This is more true to the painting.

Outside the Cafe

SOLD

I'm back!!! Today was my first painting day in over 2 months and it felt great! We were scheduled to return from Europe on May 25, but we changed our tickets to fly home early because our grandson was born early on May 21. We are pretty smitten with the little guy- Ryan Andrew Sandberg- and we have been trying to spend some time at least every other day with him and his parents. Then, of course, there's been the mail and other household stuff to attend to. Also, I told myself that i had to edit my photos and finish the Spain blog before i could begin painting. That took so much time!!!!! But it's done, and there is now a slide show of our trip as well as a blog completely outfitted with pictures. You can check it out at www.jedandlayneinspain.blogspot.com if you're so inclined. If you click on the link above the slide show you will get a better viewing version with music. 

So- about this lady. We had lunch at a seafood cafe in this old fishing village called Afurada- near Porto, Portugal. I took numerous photos of the outside of the building, primarily because there were guys frying fish there, but then this great old lady wandered by! I'm wary of photographing people without their permission, so I just proceeded to take more photos of the restaurant- and there she was-none the wiser. 

I painted 4 paintings today!!! I'm pretty sure I will end up doing a series of larger paintings based on my trip. There's something energizing about "re-living" the experiences by painting from them.

Upstaged

                                      No longer available

Usually it's the flower that gets all the attention, but this colored water is a show stealer!

I'm out of town until May 25, so any purchases will have to wait to be shipped.

Floating Homes

                                          No longer available

I don't think this floating home would fare well in a storm; it's a bit top heavy.

I am out of town until May 25. Any purchases will have to wait to be shipped.

Hellebore and Bottles

                                  No longer available
My husband asked if I had any use for this little jar before he threw it away and I said "no"- and then I thought YES! It needs to be painted! I am out of town until May 25, so any purchases will have to wait to be shipped

Right Out There

                                          6x6 $90
This is another of my made-up houses; this one is waterfront! I'm out of town until May 25, so any purchases will have to wait to be shipped.

Hello from the Camino

Did I fool you? Did you think this was a painting? In the late afternoon the light is so gorgeous, and when you also happen to be approaching an ancient Spanish village on foot, the photo opportunities abound. I don´t know yet whether there will be a Camino de Santiago series of paintings forthcoming, but if there isn´t it won´t be for lack of photo reference material. I´m thrilled to finally be at a computer with the capability of uploading my photos, so I thought I´d share this. There are more at http://www.jedandlayneinspain.blogspot.com/.
We´re having a wonderful time, but I am truly eager to return to my studio.

Tippy Tomato

                                 No longer available

I love this bottle- the shape, the color- everything. I think it looks particularly nice with these tomatoes. I'm out of town until May 25, so any purchases will have to wait to be shipped.

Road to Somewhere

                                   SOLD
This is my entry for the Daily Paintworks Challenge. I had some little panels that I cut from a larger painting with some nice texture and color already on them. I applies a thing glaze of transparent yellow oxide and painted into that, leaving some of the underlying color. I am out of town until May 25, so any purchases will have to wait to be shipped.

Cluster

                                   6x6 $90
This may be the last painting I post before we leave on Tuesday. I do have a few that I can pre-post for later viewing, and I intend to check in from Spain occasionally with a photograph or 2, so I hope you will continue to follow my blog. Anybody who is especially interested in the Camino de Santiago, can follow my new blog at http://jedandlayneinspain.blogspot.com
 I'm getting very excited about the trip now. We have our packs weighing only 10% of our body weight (including sleeping bag!) and I gave myself a traveler haircut with the electric cutter set at 3/4". I wasn't going to wear earrings, but I think I'd better so people will know I'm a "girl".
I know I'm going to miss painting, but I will be taking photos and getting lots of ideas.