Preparation

When I am getting ready to paint a "new" subject,  part of the fun is the preparation.   I  go on line and look at photos of the subject.    If I have photos (which I usually do) I look at them and then I start to draw.
I make several drawings of the subject matter and do some watercolor sketches.  Eventually I put the drawing on the paper and get ready to paint.
Several years ago I did a painting of morning glories.    I like it so much it hangs in our house.   It is the only morning glory painting I have done.   Last week I had the sudden desire to paint a vertical (30x10) floral painting.   I did several of these a few years ago.   Four or five of the verical florals hang in Garrett Memorial hospital (2 of them on the 3rd floor across from the elevator.)  I am getting ready to paint a vertical painting of morning glories.    These are 2 of the sketches I have done in preparation.

Hopefully I will have a painting to put on the blog.

New Gallery Hanging

The Gallery Committee re hung the Gallery at the Garrett County Arts Council on Monday.   It is always a very intimitating process.   We walk into the Gallery to see all the walls empty and 50 + painting on the floor leaning against the walls.    I usually come in early and sort out the work according to medium and color.   The committee arrives and we start to hang.   An hour and a half later all the art work is up and it looks wonderful.   This time the "hangers" were Louise Lawrence, Debra McCombs and Madalyn Hoffeditz.   It most rewarding to work with these women.   This is the fun part of the Garrett County Arts Council for me.
These are the 2 pieces I put in the Gallery this time.

In Garrett County the robins return and then we have another snowfall.   The locals call it "the robin snow".

Last spring I watched the poor things scrape the earth to find food and couldn't resist doing a "Robin Snow" painting.

                                                  

Last winter I was in St Thomas, USVI doing a drawing of this scene when someone pointed out the house next to these had been owned by Pissaro.   I came home and did this collage calling it

 "Pissaro's Neighbors".

                         

Winter Ice

Driving to McHenry MD this morning to go to the gym (Community Aquatic Recreation Center) to work out, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the area.   There had been a freezing rain last night which coated the trees in higher elevations with ice.  It was foggy and white and icey and beautiful .    After working out I went home, grabbed my camera and took some photos.   This is of the farm that neighbors ours where Sam and Ellen Housely live.

January in Bittinger

It has been a strange winter in Bittinger MD.   We have had less than 24 inches of snow, lots of rain and some really lovely "spring" like days.   I have been managing to get to the studio almost every day, though I have to confess I haven't done any "significant" work.    I just play around in the studio with paints and stuff and generally have fun.  A few pieces have worked and many have been cut up into cards.    I do like this one, tho.  I don't often use purple, but this time it seemed to work pretty well.

Post Holidays

The holidays are over and it is back to resuming "normal" life.   We had a good snowfall in Garrett County Maryland on Tuesday which kept kids home from school and made the WISP ski resort happy. ( We got about 12 inches at our house. )  I love snow days because I can go to the studio and work uninterrupted.
I didn't do much painting over the holidays, 
 it is my goal was to loosen up and get used to putting pigment on paper.  These pieces are so much fun to do.