Every now and then, it's nice to take a break from larger, detailed projects and have a little fun putting paint on the canvas with a goal towards painting a happy little scene and not much else. I wish I could say I had been here in person (Provence), but maybe one of these days.
A couple of people heard that I was doing another adaptation of a master painting and expressed hope that I would post my progress on this blog as I did with my daughter's version of Fragonard's "Young Girl Reading." I hadn't really thought of doing this, so I'm a little later in the game with this study of Vermeer's "Girl With a Pearl Earring."
ter comes in handy and my early excitement gets a reality check. Putting mine next to Vermeer's (Egad!) reveals a whole new list of things I need to be mindful of when I pick up the brush to continue on. Notice how warm Vermeer's background is even though it is dark. Vermeer's girl literally glows, mine is just beginning to glow. Vermeer's hard and soft edges work together magically...that's a little intimidating for a novice like me! Vermeer has completely captured the moment with the expression on his model's face. (Do you think he loved her? Have you read the book by Tracy Chevalier? It's really good. I think Vermeer was more taken with her youth and innocence. I hope that with the last stroke of my brush I can say I've captured some of my niece's personality and my love for her too). 
As nice as it is to have a portable GPS system in your car, it can get pretty interesting sometimes. We found this out on a recent road trip while using it.
This commission is actually 4 separate 18"x18" gallery wrapped canvases which were painted to hang horizontally on a dining room wall that needed a little color. I fooled myself into thinking that they would be easier to execute because they were more design-like than realistic - not so! But boy, were these little angels fun. 
When I cut this rose blossom from my garden, it's petals were already loosening and falling out. I hated to toss it, because it was so full and delicate. I decided to do an impromptu still life with a pear from the kitchen and laid it on its side so more petals wouldn't fall out.
Petey was nowhere to be found when it was time for him to go to his yard and his owner had about given up finding him on their ranch. It wasn't until she decided to go ahead and leave that she walked out to her truck and found Petey, ready and waiting. Petey obviously had other ideas.
My boys are always asking me to paint something for their room and it was this quote that finally inspired me:"You can't steal second if your foot is still on first base." ~Author Unknown
Taking that first step away from a place that feels safe and risking failure applies in a lot more places than just the ball field!
This was a different painting for me, not only in subject matter, but also because I really tried hard to stick with a looser style. I did this by forcing myself to use large brushes and not obsessing over detail like I usually do. What a blast I had doing it.
"Stealing Second," 18"x24" oil on canvas, not for sale
I have one of my dear friends to thank for this image. We worked together a long time ago in a creative environment and when she sent me this photograph, I knew I would paint it eventually. I like the fact that it came from her because I see her eye for creativity in it and it reminds me how much fun we used to have when we worked together. She was one of the first people to ever believe in me as a bona-fide artist, not just a hobbyist. We had a discussion about filling out paperwork and I always cringed at the occupation part (I was home with kids) and she said, "You're an artist, of course!"
I've always enjoyed cropping photos a little differently and placing them on a dark background. I hope I didn't do this one a disservice by doing so. I think it will look nice in a black frame and will almost give it a matted effect. Here's an adorable close-up of their feet.In Step, On a Stroll 12"x12" oil on canvas, will be available on my website at www.artbymj.com
Last week, I had my first experience painting "en plein aire," French for "in the open air." For those of you who have never heard of that, it means that the artist paints outside, exposed to all the elements, straight from life. Let me tell you, it's very different from painting from a photo...mainly in that there's no cropping feature when you've got a wide panorama in front of you. I rely on my computer far more than I realize. I loved experimenting with the much looser style than I am used to painting indoors. You also have to paint quickly enough that you don't lose track of your lighting from when you started the painting. 
I finally finished my version of Fragonard's "Young Girl Reading" with J. as my model. I was nervous to show her after I finished the face, but when I pulled it out of the car to show her, she said, "Mom, it looks just like me!" Whew! As one of my best and most honest critics, I knew she wouldn't let me get by with less. I think I solved the problem of the hand by staying true to Fragonard's version, but trying to make it a little more realistic. 
Another "Study For My Study," Andre Derain's Southern France, was also found in my copy of "Thousand Masterpieces" by Sister Wendy and inspired me to see what I could learn from doing a study of it (The colors also go well with my decor!) These are great learning experiences for me. I really wanted to see what it would be like to do a landscape without getting all stressed by the details as I am prone to do. This was thoroughly enjoyable and I had a much greater appreciation for the artist as I tried to understand why he made the decisions he did in painting it. When I first saw it, I didn't really like the white, blossoming trees; but as I progressed, I understood why they needed to be that color for the interest of the overall composition. I'm hoping that this study helped me loosen up a little so that when I do my own landscape in the future I can apply what I've learned.24"x36" oil on canvas, collection the artist
I thought some of you might like to see how I progress with a portrait. This one is a little different since I am painting it after a master painting by Fragonard that has already been done (see earlier posting). I'm very happy with the first layer of color, but there is still a long way to go. I'm not sure why Fragonard decided to do such a "cartoon-y" looking hand holding the book(at least from my point of view). I'm not sure if I will leave it or paint it in my own style. The other issue I'm debating about is whether I will settle for it being a representation of J. with her as the model for the girl or whether I will go ahead and try to make it look like her (it really doesn't yet). If I decide on the latter, it will likely mean 6-7 more layers in trying to achieve that likeness. Next time you see it, it will be done!
I have a spot in my study that was really begging for a painting so I pulled out my "Sister Wendy's 1,000 Masterpieces" in search of inspiration. When an artist paints a copy of an old master, it's called "a study." Fragonard's "A Young Girl Reading," c. 1776, caught my eye (perfect for a study!), but I wasn't satisfied with simply duplicating the original. I persuaded my teenage daughter to pose for me and I used my computer skills to stick her head on top of the original. Here you can see (l to r) the original, the computer revised version, and my first go around with paint as a value study 
Calla lilies are another one of my special favorites when it comes to flowers. I snapped a photo of this one in my sister's garden on my last trip to California. As a youth, we had six or seven very large calla lily plants and it was not unusual to cut a bouquet of 20-30 to place in a vase for the house. I was always impressed by their fragile beauty.
No, I'm not actually in Santa Fe, but I feel like I've been on an extended vacation as far as painting is concerned. A bad cold after the holidays left me without much energy for creativity. I have several things in the works right now, but nothing ready to show so I decided to share this with you. I painted it for Mother from a postcard or card (can't quite recall) when I was SIXTEEN years old. I can only imagine what my paintings would look like now if I had stuck with painting instead of giving it up. Alas, no point in looking back...I'm glad for all I've learned in just the last year. I had a wonderful discussion with a lady this week who has taught art for 25 years and told me she didn't start until she was 49! Isn't that great?? We are NEVER too old to learn something new. What is it that YOU may have always wished you'd learned but haven't done yet? It's not too late!!
