Paintings Find New Homes!

I'm very pleased that four of my recent paintings were purchased last week! There's lots of new ones underway as well which should soon reach fruition!

Plein Air, Thunder Brewing

I went out sketching this morning, scribbling quick graphite sketches as the sky darkened, and a bit of wind picked up. I was hoping to work on a pastel on location at a nearby farm, where I love the layered recession of fields and hedgerows in morning mist. However, with the sky rumbling with distant thunder, I figured that it wouldn't be possible to get my easel set up and finish a pastel, and there was a risk of lightening, so I adapted to scampering around with just a pencil, small sketchbook, and colors registering in my memory.  After eight quick sketches, sure enough, along came rain, and closer thunder chasing me back to the car.

Even though I didn't harvest what I sought, I felt the stirrings of nature itself, and felt connected, and found some other views I'd never noticed. One of these little sketches may later grow in to a painting... too early to know. Even if it doesn't, the bonding with the land renews me. And I'm glad for the rain which we really needed!

Been to the Woods

I went out on a walk early yesterday morning, and found sunlight streaking through the woods, gently lighting up tree trunks and ferns. I did a a quick pastel sketch on the spot, and may give it a go on a larger oil since I keep thinking about the scene and the colors. I felt grateful for being there, and maybe I can capture some of that sense and that special light on canvas.

Been Backpacking

I've been out backpacking with my family, and enjoyed being out in the woods, and exploring new places. We hiked a section of the Loyalsock Trail, and traveled through beech and hemlock, reaching waterfalls and a few vistas. Some off-trail exploring also revealed a secluded mountain stream pool, just right for getting wet and cool! Now I'm back in the studio, working on oils developing from the sketches of water lilies and pond,  trying to get those rich colors and the wonders of water reflections!

Going Exploring!

I've completed a series of seven oil sketches of water lilies and the pond, and while these images are 'sifting' and germinating within, I'm going outside for something completely new and different- backpacking! I've learned that I often need to allow images from plein air (on location) sketches to 'rest' a while, to process within me, so that something with a sense of wholeness and depth can emerge in new works which derive from the sketches. It's kind of mysterious, and something that I can't force, but know that I need to allow. I'm excited by the images which are underway, and am looking forward to seeing how they come together.

Meanwhile, I'm going out to explore woods and streams where Ive never been, looking forward to the physical challenges of up and down miles, and discovering what I don't yet know to look for! I'm taking a little sketchbook along too.

Water Lilies

I've made several excursions to a nearby spring-fed pond appreciating and studying water lilies. On site, I'm struck by so many aspects that appeal to me- color, rhythm, reflections, and shapes (from the details of each lily to the pond as a whole). Most of all, I'm enthralled with the way these elements inter-relate in a very fulfilling whole, and am searching for ways to express this rich and complex balance. I started with pencil sketches on site, and am now working on oil sketches in the studio, searching out ways of expressing these patterns and connections. I'll post images as they come along.

With and Without Wash

No Wash

With Wash

O.k.- so here they are- both paintings are photographed in the same light so that they are directly comparable. I'd love to hear from viewers about impressions and observations about the look and feel, similarities and differences, between the two paintings. If the 'comments' button doesn't work, you can send your comments to my email (alice@alicekelsey.com) and I'll post them. What do you see?

By the way, the difficulty which I experienced in comparing the images the first time that I posted them (see June 2 blog entry) in the end was a helpful reminder about how lighting affects the colors in photograph of a painting- comparing the Wash painting in this entry (photographed with halogen 'daylight' bulbs) and the previous entry (studio sunlight and daylight florescent lighting) shows profoundly different colors. The real painting looks like the photo above.