Inspiration

I'm often asked where I get my inspiration from.  The answer is simple - everywhere.  I live in a beautiful mountain valley in northern Utah so just looking out my window can be inspiring but actually inspiration comes from within.  What I mean is we can get inspired by a garbage can or a torn piece of paper if we are in the frame of mind where we see beauty wherever we look.  The opposite is also true.  Our mental frame of mind influences how we react to the world around us and also how it responds to us.  Or better yet, how we think it responds to us.

Portrait studies

This 8x10" life portrait study was done last night with finishing touches put on in my studio today.

8x10" oil on linen

These past few weeks I've also done studies of my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, husband and a friend.

I want to paint it all!!

The past few paintings that I've posted are not done but I'm too impatient to totally finish one painting before beginning another and another and another.  These are not finished yet either but often it helps me to see them on the computer to notice what changes need to be made.  I'm already seeing where I need to deepen some shadows.

I have really been enjoying painting especially portraits.  It blows my mind that in spite of the billions of people on earth, no two people, even identical twins, look exactly alike.

Girl in blue scarf

I love when I have the opportunity to work from a model.  This is a 2 hour study I did the other evening.

"Girl in Blue Scarf"

11x14" oil on linen

My Muse

My muse has been keeping me busy.  I wonder what my muse looks like?  Maybe this?

My two loves - watercolor and oil

I love both watercolor and oil but understand why watercolor doesn't sell in galleries as well as oil does.  It is not the look of watercolor but the glass that is required when framing watercolor paintings.  It is as if there is a barrier between the viewer and the painting viewed.   This is done in oil in the style of watercolor with no glass required!!

I Found My Heart Song

I was asked recently what I liked to paint.  I said that I paint everything.  This is true but that question stayed with me this past week.  What do I really LIKE to paint?  I sat for a long time with that.  I pulled out some paintings and reflected on feelings I had when I painted them.  I realized that there are times when I paint I get an inner joy that is beyond description.  It is a feeling of being high and it is as if my whole body were smiling.  I have it when painting some things and not as much when painting others.  So, I put those paintings next to each other that had memories of feeling like I was "in the zone" when I painted them.  What did they have in common?  They were not all of the same subject.  They were not the same colors.  Some were high key and some not.  Some had a lot of contrast while others not so much.  There had to be something that weaved them all together.  What was it?  Then it hit me.  They all had faces but not necessarily human faces or even animal faces.  It could be the face of a mountain.  It could be facing fears.  I found faces of flowers and faces of people or animals equally exciting.  Ah, I finally found my heart song!  I finally discovered what made me sing inside.

22"x28" oil on canvas

Traveling Artist

This past month has been one of travel.  One way I find inspiration is to look at the work of others.  The Cache Valley has lots of artists but few galleries so Bob and I took off for both warmer weather and art galleries.  We spent time in both Tucson and the Phoenix area taking is as much art as we possibly could.  I came back ready to break open the new canvases that arrived while we were out of town.  This is still a work in progress and seeing it online often helps me see areas I'd like to improve upon.  This painting is 30"x40".

Missing the Desert

I miss the desert.  I miss the dry, heat.  NO, not the HOT heat of summer but the dry heat of the other seasons.  My body really likes dry heat.  Since I can't get to the desert right now, I'm bringing the desert to me via some new paintings.  These are a sample of what Utah has to offer.

Busy painting

I've been busy painting but haven't been very good at blogging lately.  I'll post some of the work I've been doing as soon as I get some photos taken.  In the meantime, here is one I'm working on.

Back in my studio again

When I looked at the date of my previous post, I couldn't believe it.  It has been a little over a month since I've painted or posted anything.  Yes, the holidays are one excuse but this year's holidays have been gloriously laid back.  Maybe it is that I needed a break for awhile.  Whatever the reason, I'm back in the saddle (studio) again.  The colors of the paintings are richer.  There was a lot of sunlight coming through the window when I took these photos.

"Balanced Rock at Sunset"

Oil on Linen 12"x16"

"Window in the Rock"

Oil on Linen  20"x16"