Art Tells a Story - Seeing Red

It’s amazing how a color can make a difference in the mood of a painting. In my painting “Seeing Red”, the entire mood would change if I had put this still life onto a light background and it would tell an entirely different story. It would also send a different vibe if the glass in the lantern were clear and the rose was pink or yellow. It might still send a bit of a moody feel with the dark background but it wouldn’t have as much drama as the red presents it with. Do you read a story when you look at artwork? You may not always sense the same thing that the artist did when they created the piece, but each painting will still begin to tell you a story when you view it. In still life I like to imagine who would be the owner of the objects and what was taking place when they were all put together. In my painting “Seeing Red” one could wonder where the items are and why are they placed there? Are they preparing to light the lantern or has the event that was to take place been abandoned? What story comes to mind for you?

Acrylic - a Versatile Paint

Lately, I have been asked quite a bit to create a class that beginners can come and accomplish in one sitting. I find that very hard because I’m so into detail, and short amounts of time don’t allow for too much detail. But I recently revamped one of my simpler paintings into a beginner class and it took about 2 1/2 hours for the students to paint it. I prepped the canvases ahead of time so we started with measuring out the door panels and then began painting. The first painting below is the more complicated one that I painted, and the photo below that is the one I painted with the beginner class that I taught to students in one sitting. Acrylic is a great medium, I can create a lot of layers of depth with it and yet it can be used in a more simplified form for quicker less fussy paintings.

Winter Wreath 16 x 20 Acrylic on Canvas

Winter Wreath for Beginners 16 x 20 Acrylic on Canvas

Tomato Rain Inspiration

As an artist you never know where your inspiration will come from or where you will be when something strikes you that you suddenly feel like painting. One of those moments happened right inside my own home when it was pouring outside. The last tomatoes from the garden were sitting on the window sill ripening and the rain was running down the window outside and the inspiration hit. This was a quick painting, done just to capture the moment. :)

Coffee at Panera

I was sitting in Panera having coffee with two friends and kept glancing back at the bagels. There was such a great variety (the vanilla cherry are just delicious) and with their bumps and toppings I couldn’t resist. Once the time to leave came, I went to the counter and ordered a half dozen to take home. I know its odd but everything is about painting for me. I bought the bagels not because I wanted to eat them but because I wanted to paint them. I can’t come home from a store or a flea market or a restaurant without something that I want to use in a painting. It’s amazing how being an artist makes me so aware of everything in a different way. Although, honestly, eating my still life subjects is a bonus of buying food for painting. So before I ate them, I arranged the bagels in a basket with a dish towel and this was the result.

Christmas in July

Vintage ornaments are perfect specimens for my kind of still life. They have shine, reflection, texture and color! So once again I created a grouping of these beautiful bobbles. Since I painted this in the middle of summer it had to be Christmas in July.

This painting is 9 x 12 acrylic on panel.

Pink Gerbera Realism Painting

This painting took me a while to finish. I had started it before I left for vacation and then when I finally got back into the studio I worked on it for almost a week. Every time I thought it was done, I could see more and more to work on. It was one of those that I could probably work on forever. Don’t you love the way glass looks against black backgrounds? and especially the way it reflects on a black surface.

Turquoise Sheer Scarf

I love this scarf because it was my mothers. She passed away six years ago and this was one of the things that I kept from her closet. Apparently I got my love for turquoise from her.

She was a great supporter of my art. She provided me with everything that I needed as I grew through all my stages of art supplies. She took me to craft classes and was the one that encouraged me to go to Art College. She was so happy when I brought art back into my life after taking some time away.

In honor of my Mom :) Tracy

“Sheer Stripes” 11 x 14 Acrylic on Panel