time-lapse becomes second nature

This third one was a lot of fun. Anytime I learn something new, it is a struggle to balance all the info, ideas and inspiration. Add in the mistakes that set you back and learning is sometimes tough. But, wait a minute, once the learning becomes second nature, the fun can really begin. Like painting, or dancing or dare I say it….. even “learning to love” has a learning curve. But once you get a grasp of the concepts, it is free flying from there! I was starting to fly on this one.

Click here to see: Painting Hepplewhite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY5nyruegO4

Hepplewhite 10 x 8 oil

I have one more video to share in my next post, however, this time it is a cute little dog named Odie.

Stay Tuned!

time-lapse take two

Did you like that last video? Well, here is my second one. At this point, I was beginning to “learn the ropes.” Tater Tots is a cute little cat. This painting is small too, only 8 x 6. I didn’t realize that clouds were rolling in and out, as I was painting. Thus the color shifts a bit from time to time. That is the interesting thing about North Light. It looks so even, yet when a bright white cloud slips over head, my light in the studio gets brighter and warmer, taking on a bit of the sun. When the storm clouds are above, the light gets dimmer. Under a beautiful blue sky, the light in the studio has a cool velvet tone.

Click here to see how Tater Tots was painted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJcM-8ih_4U


Tater Tots 8 x 6 oil


My next Blog will be video #3 about a cat named Odie. Stay tuned!

Painting Hazel

Okay, can you handle a couple more paintings of cats? (Hope so, cause here they come!).

I have been intrigued with time-lapse photography for years, so a couple weeks ago, putting my curiosity to work. I set out to tackle two learning curves with a new digial D-90 Nicon Camera, and an intrevalometer. My brain cells got quite a work out at first, then like any learning curve, it got easier and easier. The end results have been fun, so I decided to share them on Facebook and on my Blog. Here is my first one. Stay tuned for another one next time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfSQ-uIVKQY

Hazel 6 x 8 oil

My model, Rocky

Rocky 7 x 5 oil

Little critters sure wrap around your heart! Rocky didn’t come home last night. He is our little fluffy long hair cat. Normally he is home before dark and cuddling with us, happy to be combed and loved, but last night, no Rocky. Howard and I spent a fitful night taking turns getting out of bed… calling out the door. This morning, the dogs and I walked the neighborhood, while I was calling out “Rooooocky…. Rooooocky, Boooom Bah" ( his favorite name ) . Nothing. No cat.

Cats can be anywhere and in the summer I particularly worry that he might be trapped in someone’s car that he wondered into, or their garage or shed. Some cats even wander into the back of trucks, U-Hauls, RV’s, or empty houses when someone leaves a door open. He could be unknowingly traveling to some unknown destination…..

But not this time, just as I had resigned my self to settling down and started looking at my e-mails (always a good distraction method), I let out a huge sad sigh and in response I heard a responding soft little churpy meow. Rocky was home again. Whew.

Edge of a Nap 6 x 8 Oil

In the Shadows 8 x 8

Watching Closely 6 x 8 Oil

Among the Trees

Among the Trees
36 x 48 oil

Yesterday, Howard and I, with our two dogs, hiked up to one of our favorite spots in Bozeman called Grotto Falls. Along the way we passed the stately giants of the National Forest, the pines. Through the years I have fallen in love with trees. Each one has such a personality: some lean to the left with lower branches touching the ground; some are straight as an arrow and then twist at the top. They are as varied and individual as snowflakes.

I didn’t always see the trees in this way. In my early years as an artist, drawing and painting people and animals were always easier for me than landscapes. As a child artist, I created each pine tree exactly the same. My little left-brain had found a symbol for the mighty evergreens and I used it over and over. As I artistically matured in my observations, I then saw too much! I looked at the trees, bushes and grasses in the fields as way too much texture! I was over whelmed with how to capture their nature and all those thousands of leaves! I sought advice from instructors and books. Little by little, and painful at first, I learned to observe these dense plants as I would a head of hair. Simplify! Look for form! Leave the texture as accents. Now I love painting landscapes, especially trees!

His Old Olive Tree
10 x 8 Oil

Welcome Arms
10 x 12 oil