an arting life
When I looked out the window this morning, the sky was a mix of pinks, blues, whites and yellows. Snow is on the way. The colors were vivid for a very brief time… maybe four minutes. They faded within seconds. I dashed to my easel and quickly scrubbed in the colors while they were fresh…
Last February (2010), I began this oil painting of a landscape in the White Mountains. Because I had other work to complete first, this painting progressed slowly. For about four months, this painting was on my living room wall. I knew that it needed something… I just couldn’t figure out what. Last week, I read…
Before renewing my love affair with pen & ink illustration, I needed a new rapidograph. Since childhood, I’ve always loved black-and-white illustration, and my drawings are a mix of contour-style line drawings accented with cross-hatch (etc.) shadows. My “people” have always been silly looking things with large noses that often extend directly from the hairline, …
The best view from our home is through the sliding glass doors in our living room. Unfortunately, that’s also the hottest room in the summer, so – without a/c (typical in this part of NH) – it’s no fun to paint there. However, once the cooler weather returns, I’m ready to pick up my paintbrush…
Disneyland is celebrating its 55th anniversary. I grew up surrounded by Disney art, figures, and I watched the Mickey Mouse Club every time it was on. I’m commemorating Disneyland’s anniversary with an artistamp. It features art by my mother, Muriel Joan Bernier (1919 – 2010). Click on the image to download a PDF copy of…
This sunset was nearly as spectacular as Thursday night’s, with the added bonus of showing vivid colors earlier. So, I was able to capture most of the color before the light turned too dark for painting. I may tweak the foreground before I say that this sketch is completed… or I may leave it as-is,…
Generally, sunsets aren’t colorful right now. Last night was an exception. The longer I painted (and the darker the skies became), the more brilliant the colors and contrasts in the sky. In fact, I tried to paint a second sketch after this one, but it was so dark outside, I couldn’t see what I was…
After several days of clouds, rain, and a little sleet, the sun was shining today. That meant great natural light for painting… wonderful! I’ve been itching to get back to this moonlit landscape. It’s at the point where I’m working on details, and that means paint a little, and wait for it to dry. Then…
I’m ambivalent about spring. Oh, I love the warmer weather. New England winters are lovely to look at… through a window! The other three seasons are among the reasons that we live here. Anyway, as an artist, I’ve noticed that winter and summer are when the clouds are most dramatic at sunrise. As spring approaches,…
It was a cloudless morning. The colors were lovely, but I’m most inspired by the startling colors that flash across the clouds when the sun is coming up. So, I decided to try a color study instead of anything as dramatic as my usual morning sketches. It’s a smaller work — 8″ x 10″ —…
Since I didn’t paint at all yesterday — and really missed it — I was hoping that today’s skies would be more inspiring. (Yesterday was one of those flat, gray-looking days.) At sunrise this morning (6:15 a.m.), the sky was not inspiring. However, I sat by my window and kept watching. This process can be…
Never underestimate the speed, grace or brilliance of a sunset. I learned that yesterday. I’d overslept in the morning, and missed the sunrise. So, even if it was raining, I was committed to painting at sunset. I’m eager to maintain a productive painting schedule; I feel as if I missed many opportunities in the past…