Having Fun With Palette Knives

Well, I wanted to go in a different direction with my paintings, and I certainly have. I'm working mostly with painting knives instead of brushes, laying down spots or notes of color next to one another instead of blending. I like the concept of letting the viewers eyes blend the colors, and its a much more spontaneous way for me to paint.

This is so much fun to do, and I really like my first attempts.





"Summers Last Lavender"
24" x 30"





"Abandoned Beauty"
24" x 30"


The painting I'm currently working on, shown below, demonstrates a closeup of the color notes I lay next to each other:








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New Direction

Now that I've finished my 120 Paintings Project, I feel like going in a totally different direction. The Project was fun, but something new and different is now in order. So, I've decided to go more towards the Impressionist direction, concerning myself first and foremost with color, the juxtaposition of colors next to one another--color vibrancy and the effect it gives to the painting. I also want to experiment more with using a painting knife instead of just brushes. The knife seems more immediate and clean, easy to wipe and switch colors.





My first attempt--

18" x 24"
Oil on Canvas



http://www.barbarasryan.com
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120 Paintings Challenge 50% Complete

As of today, I have finished half of the 120 paintings in this Challenge that I've undertaken! Yay--that's a big accomplishment.

The biggest thing that I believe I've accomplished is the ability to execute more pleasing compositions of the objects I've chosen to paint. I also have discovered that I really enjoy the whole "Still Life" genre a lot more than I thought I did. I just had never spent much time exploring it until now.

Here are a few examples of some finished paintings: they are all 6" x 8" oil on panel.














http://www.barbarasryan.com
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120 Paintings Challenge Update

Here's a few that I've painted recently. I've finished 50--and am still going strong. These are all 6" x 8" on a panel.















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120 Paintings Challenge Update

Here are a few of my paintings I've done for this Challenge I've undertaken.

I've been finding that the hardest part of this is finding the time to get in my studio and paint. So that hasn't changed:-) I have managed to paint 33 6" x 8" though. Time has always been an issue for me, with "life" often taking up more than painting. Another difficulty for me is not allowing myself to continue working on a piece for more than a couple hours. So many times I stop, thinking how much better the final piece could be if I continued to work on it. But, I take it off my easel anyway, and put up another blank panel--starting the process all over again. I've been posting every completed painting as I finish them on my website.















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120 Paintings Challenge Taken

Artist/Painter, Larry Seiler, from Wisconsin, whose work and advice I admire once said, "It takes 120 bad paintings to know something about painting," and he challenges artists to try it and see how much they grow. Since I believe this is true, and have seen other artists confirm it, I've decided to take on the challenge.

It consists of painting small, approximately 6" x 8", either landscape scenes or just small objects from life. The goal is to learn more about composition, color, and especially light, from direct observation and the simple act of putting down the paint on a consistent basis. These are not finished paintings, working on each for approximately 1-2 hours, but quick studies.

I've been working on this challenge for four weeks now, and below are a few of the studies I've done.











I"ll continue posting these Challenge paintings from time to time on this blog, and all are on the designated Page on my website.



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Sunflowers and Black Eyed Susan's

8" x 10"
Oil on Panel


Fall flowers have taken over my gardens, so of course I have to paint them.





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Plein Air--"Chasing Dolphins"

Painting here with the glaring sun was just about impossible without sunglasses! I had to peer above them constantly to get the colors/values like I wanted them, but that was OK. It's so gorgeous, with the constantly changing turquoise colors on the water, I felt compelled to try and capture some of it.

My husband and daughter had gone out kayaking in front of me, and I had already put that in before they had come back in. But when my daughter saw what I had painted, she told me about the dolphins they had seen and said "Oh Mom, you have to put the dolphins in--they were so cool". So, with her guiding me, I painted them in:-)



Chasing Dolphins
8" x 10"
Oil on linen board



http://www.barbarasryan.com
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Plein Air from the Beach House

From the porch from our beach house on Atlantic Beach, NC.




8" x 10"
Oil on linen board




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Calla Lilies

Out in my garden again today--this time concentrating on my red calla lilies!




Calla Lilies
8" x 10"
Oil on Canvas



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Lakeside Garden

Finally--painting weather! Beautiful actually-couldn't have picked a more beautiful day to sit out on the dock and paint this. Someone's yard with lakeside azaleas and rhododendrons blooming--couldn't resist the flowers, even when I'm by the water:-)



"Lakeside Garden"
8" x 10"
Oil on Canvas

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Phlox Garden

Phlox Garden
5" x 5"
Oil on Panel

Another beautiful day out in my garden. Since I've painted this particular phlox garden several times, I thought I'd change it a bit by putting a little garden bunny statue that I had in another garden in it. Cute touch!





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First "Plein Air" of the Spring

Plein Air Study 4/22/13
8" x 10"
Oil on Panel


I haven't had it in me, up to this point, to get out there and paint in the open. Even today was a bit chilly, but I couldn't resist any longer. So I set up my easel right outside from my studio, and this is what I captured. I am looking forward to a productive plein air season, seeing and painting some new places, and growing with my painting skills.



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Plein Air in Albemarle County, VA

Albemarle County, VA is a beautiful place any time of the year, but October has to be my very favorite. The trees, and consequently, the mountains turn all the colors of the rainbow--a feast for any painter!

This past weekend the Miller School, a sprawling acreage at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains in Albemarle County hosted a Plein Air Event, which I attended. I painted at the top of a hill overlooking a beautiful golden and rose colored meadow -of course with the Blue Ridge mountains as the backdrop!





Miller's Meadow
8" x 10"
Oil on canvas



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"Guarding the Vinyard". 24" x 30" Oil on Canvas

For this second painting of Virginia vineyards, I chose to work with a different palette. I was reading about the Hudson River School landscape painters, and decided to give the palette they often used a try. This is burnt sienna, Venetian Red, yellow ochre, Naples yellow, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, flake white, and lamp black.




"Guarding the Vineyard"
24" x 30"
Oil on Canvas

http://www.barbarasryan.com

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"From the Boat" -- 9" x 12" Painting From Our Boat!

Since we have a boat on the lake we live near, and my husband wanted some "company" fishing, I decided to see what it would be like to paint a plein air painting while he fished! I have to say first off that it was fun and relaxing, but also quite a challenge. Of course, the boat kept floating into different directions, but I'd adjust and keep going.




I worked on a couple of small paintings and came home with a painting of the scene that was in front if me--but needing some adjustments, which I made in the studio.

I'd definitely like to get good at this--painting from the boat, and will try again.

From the Boat
9" x 12"
Oil on Canvas




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"Sunset on the Sound" --24" x 30"

I painted this from my last trip that I took to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. One of my favorite places to visit, and paint.




"Sunset on the Sound"
24" x 30"
Oil on Canvas



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8" x 8" oil Painting on the Beach

Another Plein Air painting that I did this morning on the beach. After painting this, I conquered my fears and went out onto the ocean in the kayak. Pretty awesome!





"Waiting For Riders"
8" x 8"
Oil on Panel


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8" x 10"--Painting From the Sand

This morning I painted this from the sand down closer to the water instead of staying on the porch. A whole lot of fun for a person who, everything she looks at, is envisioned as a painting! I can't remember when I started looking at life around me like this, but I do. Anyway, I hope I get another chance to do it again.





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http://www.barbarasryan.com

Cloudy Morning Near the Ocean

I painted this on a cloudy morning using just my pallette knife. I really like the freedom this gives me--no brushes to clean!




Cloudy Morning
8" x 10"
Oil on Panel


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http://www.barbarasryan.com