Clamp It

                                   6x6  No longer available
Much as I like dark values and high contrast, I want to be able to paint in a lighter key as well. I decided to study Wayne Thiebaud's paintings for ideas and inspiration. I referred to my book of Thiebaud paintings as I painted this entry for the DPW Challenge. Tor be more "Thiebaud-like" I would paint the blue ground lighter to heighten the contrast with the shadows, and I may try another version with that goal, but I like this one as is.

Fillet of the Day

                                 6x6   No longer available
This was created for the DPW Challenge: Paint Raw Meat. I went with fish instead. Not my favorite subject matter, I will say- the meat or the fish. Yet it was a challenge and I'm glad I did it. I went with a lighter palette that usual in keeping with the delicate nature of the fish. I relied on the darks of the shadows and the onion to give the composition some structure.

Sun Stream

                                  No longer available

I was feeling the need to use some warm and bright colors. Do you suppose it has anything to do with the Seattle weather? Rain forecast all week.....

Back Me Up, Baby

                                   6x6 No longer available

This jazz series is way fun to paint! I dive into These with little rough sketches and see what develops. The guy at the keyboard wasn't even supposed to be singing, and look what happened! He opened his mouth and gave me the title.

Simpatico

                                     6x6 No longer available

Painting #2 of my Jazz series. The plan is to create maybe a dozen of these small paintings and then follow up with some larger canvases. I love the possibilities for abstractions, as the light plays off the people and the instruments. I think the lively paint reflects the energy of the music, and I hope I can maintain that on a larger scale.

Enjoy the Show

                                    6x6 SOLD
I'm thinking about doing a series of music based paintings, and this is a study for one of them. I also am working on a series of restaurant/cafe paintings, and completed a 24x30" one yesterday. Well, maybe it's not quite complete- I tend to tinker for a few days. It's close, anyway.

Workhorse Willy Reworked

                                       18x24
I painted the original Workhorse Willy from a photo I took in eastern Washington. I was intrigued by the reflection of the truck in the metal building alongside it." Where's the metal building ?"you ask? Well, I painted it out yesterday. The painting has been in a gallery for 6 months and hasn't sold, and I decided it was too dark and gloomy. It needed a punch of warmth. The original version is below. I would love to get your feedback as to whether you think the change is an improvement.



I have been in frame making mode lately with no time to paint. I have 7 new paintings to rotate into display venues and they all need frames. The "Sunny Side Up" painting is going to the Edward Montgomery Gallery in Carmel. He is looking for a "sophisticated subtle idealized ambiance" to appeal to his market niche, and I have had a hard time coming up with something that fits. I think I sort of "get it" now, and have some more ideas in mind.
Saw the Gauguin exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum yesterday. Talk about idealized ambiance! It is a great exhibit and I'll definitely go back to see it again.

Sunny Side Up

                                          36x48
This is the big canvas I mentioned I'd been working on. I love the perspective and the poses of the people in the restaurant. I tried to be very cognizant of values as I selected colors so that I'd maintain a strong composition. My husband is always saying that my paintings are too dark, and I deliberately worked toward more lights in this one. The darks are still pretty dark though; I like the contrast.

Around Town

                                       6x6 $40 Click to Buy 

I photographed this young woman in Telluride, Colorado last fall. She was wearing just sandals and had no helmet, so I assumed she was just riding around town.

Tables and Chairs

                                       6x8 $60 Click to Buy
This is a study for a larger painting. I liked the the disparity in the chair styles and the black reflective wall in the foreground. I hope it works well in a larger size-maybe 18x24. It still needs to feel somewhat intimate, I think. Right now I'm working on a 36x48" canvas. I think that's the largest I've ever done. Man, does it eat up the paint!

The Morning News

                              6x6; Bid on This Painting

Wow! I can't believe I last posted over  month ago! I think that's the longest "dry spell" since I started this blog. We were in Arizona and I did do some painting there, but my improvised studio is not as compelling as my studio here in Seattle. The biggest reason, however, is that I have access to an AWESOME clay studio, and I was busy making totems and tiles. I made tiles for our bathroom backsplashes, and then barely finished the kitchen splash tiles before we left. I did a mosaic over the stove, and I'm pretty happy with it; all it needs is grout....

So....the first painting upon returning is my submission to the DPW Challenge. I like figurative, so this was a good one to start me off. I also did some revisions to the larger pieces I painted in Arizona. I'm working on ideas for more larger paintings, but hope to get back to doing frequent (if not daily) smaller paintings. It's good to be back!

Lunch Counter

                                      30x24 oil on canvas
This was a fun one to paint. I tried to concentrate on the abstract shapes, trusting that the total effect would look convincing. So often I think I'm abstracting, only to end up with more realism than I wanted.
This is the first year we will be spending Christmas here in Arizona, away from family. We do have plans with extended family here though- some of my husband's cousins. After Christmas we will have house guests for much of the time until we leave in mid January. I have been spending time at the fabulous clay studio here rather than painting, as anything I make there will need time to dry and then to fire and glaze and fire again. Painting may have to wait until I return to my studio in Seattle.

Lucky Duck

                                  6x6 Bid on this Painting

This is the DPW Challenge of the week: Reflections on Water. I submitted the idea inspired by a photo I took in Bend, Oregon this fall when the yellow leaves were everywhere. This duck and his buddies were enjoying the beautiful autumn day on a golden pond.

The Daily News

                                             16x20 oil on canvas
This is another of the paintings derived from photos I took in Telluride. I usually take photos of people sneakily and discreetly, but this time I told the gentleman I was a painter and would he mind if I took his picture. I think I'll try that more often; it's probably more considerate and i bet most people wouldn't mind at all. BTW, has anybody received a message that their Google profile is not allowed to comment on various blogs? I used to get it occassionally, but now I get it whenever I try to comment on anybody's blog. I don't know how to fix that!

Red Wall

                                  24x24 oil on canvas
Thi painting is based on a photo I took in Telluride, Colorado this fall. I was taken by the way the red wall reflected pink on the man's shirt as he walked by.
I've been neglecting the daily paintings in favor of working on some larger ones. More to follow. I do hope to return to the dailies, though- such great exercise!

Havin' A Look

                                   16x20 oil on canvas Bid on this painting
This is the last (for the moment) of my car show paintings. I am still interested in doing more of them; just have to find the right venue for showing and selling. In the meantime, I thought I'd try offering this one on the DPW auction site. I haven't had enough time to paint lately and I'm getting really itchy. Hope I can grab some hours tomorrow and over the weekend.

Ryan; 6 Months

Meet my new grandson, Ryan Andrew Sandberg. Currently he's fascinated with his "jumpy seat". I hope to paint him at least every year as he grows up. I envision a row of these paintings in his room. They will probably cause him extreme embarrassment in his teens and be relegated to a closet. In the meantime I hope they provide some pleasure to him, his parents and others.

A Break in the ACTION

                                   24X24; contact me if interested

Another of my new car show series.....a vendor watches the people passing in the street.

Purposeful Stride

                                   6x6 Bid on this Painting

We went to a bike swap event in Tucson last Saturday and I snapped a bunch of photos. I was especially drawn to this young woman with her coffee cup and her jaunty blue skirt.

Cadillac Yack

                                     20x24
I'm excited about my new series-people at vintage car shows(and possibly other public venues). I took a bunch of photos at the Edmonds car show this summer. I love the way the guys stand around with their hands in their pockets.

Today I painted the Santa Rita mountains on an 18x36 canvas. I've been wanting to do that for a long time. The painting will live here at out house in Green Valley, AZ.

His and Hers

                                 6x6 Bid on this Painting

This week's DPW Challenge was "paint your shoes". I was going to just paint my own "hikers" but then I thought it might be fun to tie mine and my husband's together. How's that for romantic?
I've been madly painting the last few days, starting my new series based on people at vintage car shows. It may expand into people at other public venues, as we went to a bike swap in Tucson yesterday and I snapped some reference photos. This weekend there is a vintage car show and chili cook-off in Amado, a town just south of us. My camera and I will be there!

Snowy Commute

                                        6x6 SOLD
I painted this in the Santa Rita Art League studio on a 70 degree day. How charming snow can be when you're not having to slog your way through it!

Indecision

                                 6x6

The DPW Challenge this week is another of my favorite type; "find the painting" in the photograph. Although the photo depicted a lively cafe scene, I was drawn to the girl with the hand raised to her hair. I also liked the way the backs of the chairs "framed" her in the space.
I joined the "Santa Rita Art League" so that I would have a place to paint. Today was the first day I took advantage of it, and I think I'll like it. My frames arrived today too, so I'll be shipping off my little paintings to the Edward Montgomery Fine Art gallery in Carmel. I hope they sell quickly and the demand will be there for larger paintings. Cross your fingers for me! Also, this weekend is the 11/11/11 event at the Seattle Design Center. Ticket Sales are looking good and I hear the exhibition looks awesome. Heavy art week for me!

I'm So Happy

                                   6x6 Bid at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/21952

I'm finally back to painting after a several week hiatus and it feels GOOD! Here's my entry for this week's Daily Paintworks Challenge.
I have numerous items of good news on the art front. One is the upcoming 11/11/11 event at Seattle Design Center is gathering steam as tickets are being sold at a respectable rate. I hear the show looks great and enthusiasm is high. If you are in the Seattle and interested in attending a fun event, check it out at http://www.communityartistsprogram.com/. There's even a video about the CAP program.
The second item of note is that Alki Arts in West Seattle had a record month in October. Alki Arts opened its doors during possibly the worst art market in recent history, but Diane and Tom, the owners, are doing such a good job and gaining such favor in the community that they just might make it. We all- artists and community members alike- are rooting for their continuing success.
The third item is about a tremendous opportunity that has come my way. My husband and I had just arrived in Ouray, Colorado when I got a phone call from the Edward Montgomery Fine Art Gallery in Carmel, California. He had seen my work online and wanted to talk about possible representation in his gallery. I checked out the gallery and it is very established and well located. The current situation is that I am sending him 6 small paintings and we'll see how they do. If all goes well, we'll try some larger paintings. What an opportunity! I'm very excited about the possibilities!
So- I'm motivated and challenged and excited and all those good things. Life is good....I'll keep you posted.

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.