Stone and Iron Gates

Stone and Iron Gates, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Today I decided to create a slightly frightening image for October 31. This image began with a color photo that a took a few weeks ago. We found an entrance to Bradley Palmer State Park that I had never seen before, and it has this amazing stone and iron gate. Just beautiful, and mysterious but not really scary in broad daylight with fall colors. (I will post the original photo tomorrow.) But for today, I had some fun trying out scary digital effects. In the end, I settled for a black and white version with a dark vignette to try to make the gate and the path look ominous.

Row of Trees (Mini-Painting as of October 20, 2013)

Row of Trees (Mini-Painting as of October 20, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is another of my miniature paintings as it looked on October 20. I worked on sharpening up the lines and making the grass a darker green. This is oil bar on a canvas that is 3 inches by 3 inches. This is a good exercise in trying to paint detail while working on a very small scale. Almost done. . . .

Golden Sunrise (Mini-Oil Bar Painting)

Golden Sunrise (Mini-Oil Bar Painting), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is my miniature painting, finished on October 20, 2013, when I added a few touches to it, including using a straight edge to get that horizon line to behave. This is oil bar on a canvas that is 3 inches square, painted from imagination and memory. Today I found out that this little painting was accepted into the Small Works Show at Porter Mill.

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 20, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 20, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is my painting in progress as it looked on October 20, 2013. This is oil bar on a canvas that is 8 x 10 inches. At this point, I was repainting the branches, straightening out lines, and adding light and dark to the leaves. This is loosely based on one of my photos, posted here September 25. To be continued. . . .

Row of Trees (Mini-Painting as of October 19, 2013)

Row of Trees (Mini-Painting as of October 19, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here's another of my miniature paintings. This is oil bar on a canvas that is 3 inches x 3 inches. I have been creating these tiny paintings at the end of my painting sessions. On the 19th, I was working on my painting of red leaves,* and used some of the leftover paint to add more color to these little trees.
*Posted here October 23.

Colorado (Mini-Painting as of October 19, 2013)

Colorado (Mini-Painting as of October 19, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This little work-in-progress is another miniature painting that I started at the end of a recent painting session. This is oil bar on a canvas that is just 3 x 3 inches. I painted this from imagination, but inspired by memories of my home state. I was using these colors in my painting of red leaves (see post for October 23), but I had some left over and I thought they would look good in a mountain scene.

Golden Sunrise (Mini-Painting as of October 19, 2013)

Golden Sunrise (Mini-Painting as of October 19, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is another one of my miniature paintings as it looked on October 19, 2013, when I added some touches of yellow to suggest sunlight (in the sky and on the water). This mini-paintings are 3 inches by 3 inches, and I work on them at the end of a painting session when I am finished working on my main project (which for the past several weeks has been my painting of red leaves). This is still a work in progress, but of my little mini-paintings, so far I am happiest with this one.

Another Heart Shaped Box as of October 24, 2013

Another Heart Shaped Box as of October 24, 2013, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This afternoon, I spent some time at the studio at Porter Mill, where I worked for a while on this project. This heart-shaped box once held Valentine's candy (Turtles, to be specific). Now I am covering it with collaged designs made from printed metallic ribbon. I have been working on the lid of the box, creating orange and purple stripes, which are just beginning to appear. This project is called "Another Heart-Shaped Box" because it is not the first. If you want to see my first heart-shaped box project, follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420/

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 19, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 19, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is my oil bar painting in progress as it looked on the 19th. I was working on adding detail to suggest light. The changes I made on the 18th included adding yellow tones to some of the leaves to, as well as some green on a couple of the leaves. This is loosely based on one of my photos (posted here September 25).

Golden Sunrise (Mini-Painting as of October 18, 2013)

Golden Sunrise (Mini-Painting as of October 18, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is another miniature painting I have been working on, a little bit at a time, just as I am finishing up my painting sessions. This is oil bar on a canvas that is 3 inches x 3 inches. With these tiny paintings, I am working from my imagination (and memory). On the eighteenth, I used a straight edge and dark red paint to (finally) straighten out the horizon line. And I added some pale pink to the sun, sky, and water.

Row of Trees (Mini-Painting as of October 18, 2013)

Row of Trees (Mini-Painting as of October 18, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is a work-in-progress, a miniature painting that I have been working on. This is oil bar on a canvas that is only 3 inches x 3 inches. I have been working on these little canvases at the end of my painting sessions. On the 18th, I added some lights and darks to the tree trunks and branches.

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 18, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 18, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is my oil bar painting as of October 18. What I worked on that day was mostly adding light and dark to the leaves. This is loosely based on one of my photos (posted here September 25). At this point, I am happy with the composition and the colors, but I need to work on the leaves, sharpen the lines of the branches, and clean up the background. To be continued. . . .

Golden Sunrise (Mini-Painting as of October 16, 2013)

Golden Sunrise (Mini-Painting as of October 16, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is another of my miniature paintings in progress. The canvas is only 3 inches square. I have been working on this little paintings as I am finishing up a painting session. It's really fun. This one is of a sunrise, and this is how it looked on October 16. I added some blue to the water and used some dark red to accentuate the horizon line.

Row of Trees (Mini-Painting as of October 16, 2013)

Row of Trees (Mini-Painting as of October 16, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I have several miniature paintings in progress (canvas size is 3 inches x 3 inches) and I have been working on them at the end of each painting session. I tend to use whatever colors are already out, on the brushes, on mixed on the palette. On October 16th, I was using some blue, white, and purple to paint branches on my painting of red leaves (see yesterday's post). So I used some blue to add definition to tree trunks and branches in this mini-painting. Although I am working from imagination, I have in mind rows of flowering trees along the road at Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, MA.

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 16, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 16, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is my oil bar painting in progress as it looked after I finished working on it yesterday. This close-in view of red leaves is loosely based on one of my photos (posted here on September 25.) I had been considering what to do about the background, which I had simplified while working out the basic composition so as to focus on the main branches in the foreground. But even though I didn't want to include each of the tangled branches visible in the photo, I didn't want to leave them out altogether. So I thought maybe I could just suggest a few branches in the background, without losing the emphasis on those main branches. I decided to do a trial run on the computer before making changes on canvas. So first thing yesterday morning, I opened up a jpg of my painting in Painter and drew some more branches with digital pastel. I felt more confident after the trial run, so then I made the same changes on the actual canvas with oil bar, using lower saturation and less contrast so the main branches would still stand out. This is still a work in progress, but I think I am getting somewhere.

Golden Sunrise (Mini-painting as of October 15, 2013)

Golden Sunrise (Mini-painting as of October 15, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is my miniature oil bar painting in progress. (It is only 3 inches square.) This is how it looked as of yesterday. I worked on it after I finished my painting session, using some blues and purples to suggest water. I used paint that was left after I worked on my painting of red leaves. (See yesterday's post.)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 15, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 15, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I worked on this painting again this morning. This is oil bar on a small (8 x 10 inch) canvas. I am using one of my photos as a reference (posted here September 25), though I am not trying for 'exact resemblance'. Today I used some smaller brushes to define and straighten out some lines. I also modified the composition, changing the position of some of the leaves. Then I added red to the leaf veins, and that is about all I had time to do. I am still thinking about the background. . . .

Golden Sunrise (Mini-Painting as of October 13, 2013)

Golden Sunrise (Mini-Painting as of October 13, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is another mini-painting that I started after I finished working on my painting of red leaves (posted here yesterday). A few months ago, I bought a bunch of miniature canvases that are 3 inches square. At the end of a painting session, I spend a few minutes on one of these tiny paintings. It's fun, relaxing, and a good way to use leftover paint that would otherwise go to waste. Yesterday I was adding yellow and orange tones to my painting of red leaves, so I decided to do a little painting of a sunrise. I started with the sky, and then used a few strokes to suggest reflections in the water. To be continued. . . .

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 13, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 13, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is a painting in progress, oil bar on canvas (8 x 10 inches). I worked on it this morning, and here is how it looked when I finished. I added some yellow, orange, and red-orange to the leaves. This is loosely based on one of my photos, posted here September 25.

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 11, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 11, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is my oil bar painting in progress as it looked after yesterday's painting session. I put down some gray-green color as background. I don't know if this is the final color, but putting in the background color helped me to define some of the shapes. I also modified a few of the lines. I am using one of my photos as a reference (posted here September 25).

Row of Trees (Mini-painting as of October 9, 2013)

Row of Trees (Mini-painting as of October 9, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is my mini-painting in progress, as it looked on October 9th. This is oil bar on a canvas that is only 3 inches square. I am also painting larger pictures, but it is fun to finish a painting session by working on a tiny canvas for a few minutes. On Wednesday, I added some blue to the sky and used some darker blue to define the tree trunks.

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 9, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 9, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is the oil bar painting I have been working on lately. This is how it looked when I finished working on it yesterday (October 9). I didn't have a lot of time to paint yesterday, so I concentrated on figure out where the light hits the branches. (I am using one of my photos as a reference, and it is posted here September 25.) To be continued. . . .

Row of Trees (Mini-Painting as of October 7, 2013)

Row of Trees (Mini-Painting as of October 7, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Here is my mini-painting as it looked on October 7, 2013. This is oil bar on a canvas that is only 3 inches square, and still a work-in-progress. I have started working on these miniature paintings at the end of each painting session. It isn't easy to work this small, but it is good practice for painting detail. It's a nice way to finish up, and also practical because sometimes I can use some leftover paint if its the right color.

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 8, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 8), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This is my little oil bar painting in progress. I worked on it again this morning, concentrating on added some light and dark variation to the leaves. I am using one of my photos as a reference (posted here September 25).

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 7, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of October 7, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I finally got a chance to get back to this painting today, oil bars on a small (8 x 10 inch) canvas. I am using one of my photos as a reference (posted here September 25). Today my goal was to turn the leaves red. To begin, though, I added green to the veins in the leaves so I would be able to see them. Then I started painting with alizarin crimson. For now, I am not worrying about varying the color, just trying to figure out where things are. Once I had the red down, it was still hard to see the veins in the leaves, so I mixed in some white and used some dark pink, and the contrast started to work. Then I went back and added more of the crimson to the veins, and it began to work. That was all I had time to do today. I was happy to see that adding the red made the yellow leaves fade into the background, as I had hoped. To be continued. . . .

Three Grandmas and Me

Three Grandmas and Me, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I painted this back in 1992. At the time, I was doing a series of water-media acrylic paintings based on 1940s photographs. Almost all the photographs that I worked from were taken by my Uncle, Ike Fitterman, who was a professional photographer (AKA Jay Phillips of Jay Phillips Studio, in Pueblo, Colorado). He took so many wonderful photographs of our family, and these paintings are collaborations with him. This painting is based on a photo that he took of me as a little kid, at a birthday party, surrounded by "Three Grandmas": Grandma Katz (standing), Grandma Zagon (holding me on her lap); and next to her is Mrs. Fitterman (Goldie), the grandma of my first cousins, and the photographer's mother.) What I loved about the original photo was the wild mix of floral patterns. The photo was in black and white, so I had a lot of fun here inventing the colors, but the bright red wallpaper and the chartreuse drapes are drawn from memory. About a week ago, my daughter posted the photo on Facebook and I mentioned this painting. I thought that I had posted it here before, but apparently not. So yesterday I went through some of my portfolios and found it, so I am posting this today.

Another Heart Shaped Box as of October 5, 2013

Another Heart Shaped Box as of October 5, 2013, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

Today I spent some time up at the studio at Porter Mill and worked on this project, a heart-shaped box that I am covering with collaged designs made from printed metallic ribbon. This was once a candy box (and if you look closely, you can still see some of the Turtles logo). I am still and forever working on the top of the box, which is going to have orange and purple stripes, with at gold border. Today I concentrated on the orange stripes because I have less of the orange ribbon. Progress is slow, but the stripes are beginning to appear. I call this "Another Heart-Shaped Box" because it isn't the first one I have made. If you want to see my first heart-shaped box project, follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/sets/72157632769935420/

Eastern Peaches (Posterized)

Eastern Peaches (Posterized), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I used Painter to add a posterized effect to the image I posted yesterday, a photo of peaches that I took recently on pick-up day for our CSA (The Food Project). I think this might make a good illustration for a recipe, so it might turn up on our food blog (seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com).

Eastern Peaches

Eastern Peaches, a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I had to take a break from painting for a few days (installing a heater in home studio), so I decided to catch up with some of my photos. This image began with a photo that I took back on Sept. 26. Every week we go to Long Hill to pick up our farm share from our CSA ('The Food Project'). There are always a lot of vegetables set out in bins, but on the 26th, there was a big table full of Eastern peaches. They looked amazing in the sunlight, filtered by the tent, so I took some pictures. Tonight I edited the best of them. I cropped the image in iPhoto and did some basic retouching. Then I opened the image in Painter and did a bit more cleanup with digital pastel. Then I adjusted the color just a little bit. Now these peaches are perfect! I also created a posterized version which I plan to post tomorrow.

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting as of Sept. 29, 2013)

Red Leaves (Oil Bar Painting in Progress as of Sept. 29, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

I have been working on a small (8 x 10") oil bar painting of red leaves, roughly based on one of photos. (The reference photo is posted here September 25.) So this is my painting in progress as it looked a few days ago (September 29), when I added some touches of yellow, using my reference photo as a guide for placement. At this point, the yellow seems quite prominent, but that is because I really haven't put a lot of red paint down on those red leaves. But at this point, I am using the little touches of yellow to help me see where I am in the composition. I will dial the yellow back a bit later. . . .

Row of Trees (Mini-Painting as of Sept. 28, 2013)

Row of Trees (Mini-Painting as of Sept. 28, 2013), a photo by randubnick on Flickr.

This a mini-painting, oil bar on a canvas that is 3 x 3 inches. This is also a work in progress, and this is how it looked on Sept. 28. I have a little stack of these mini-canvases, and have been trying to work on a mini-painting at the end of each painting session, using whatever paint is left.