Plus 19 - Water Lily

Water Lily, 8x6, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

Painted 7/23/14

Plus 18 - Woman on a Beach with Umbrella

Woman on a Beach with Umbrella, 10x8, Oil on Canvas Panel

Painted 7/19/14

Plus 17 - Lake Shore Abstract #2

Lake Shore Abstract #2, 8x6, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

Painted 7/18/14

Plus 16 - Lake Marshes

Lake Marshes, 8x8, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

Painted 7/9/14

I like the effect I got on the trees with the pallet knife. It almost looks as if the leaves are blowing in a breeze with the sun reflecting on them...

-- SMK

Plus 15 - Mountain Lake

Mountain Lake, 8x6, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

Painted 7/1/14

I got together with a friend, Karen, and we painted in oils together. We settled on a mountain scene with a lake in the foreground. I'd show you her's, but I haven't asked permission to post it and, besides, it looks just like mine!  ;-)

Anyway, we had a lot of fun and will definitely have to do it again soon!

-- SMK

Plus 14 - Flags

Flags, 8x8, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

Painted 7/1/14

For the Fourth of July, I decided to do another 'master study' of Childe Hassam - this time his painting, The Avenue in the Rain. This is the painting that hangs in the Oval Office of the White House. Childe Hassam's painting, not mine...

The Avenue in the Rain is a very abstract and gestural style of painting. The thing that got my attention immediately were the flag in the foreground and simply hints of flags moving back to the background.

The Avenue in the Rain, Childe Hassam, 1917

Now, looking at the painting and the composition, I totally understand the upper half of the painting. The bottom half, however, had me trying to figure out why he painted four pillars above a flag lying on the ground... I thought there might be some type of possible political statement in the bottom half, so I recomped my study to just the top half, which presents no questions nor assumptions.

I have since found out that Mr. Hassam was perhaps one of the most patriotic artists of the time, having painted a whole series of flag-themed paintings - most of which are owned and displayed in some of the most well known galleries in the U.S., in addition to the White House. I also found out that the pillars are people under umbrellas and the flag appearing on the ground is merely a reflection of the main subject above in the wetness of The Avenue in the Rain.

A beautifully simple painting, albeit a little too much mixed abstract and representational.

-- SMK

Plus 13 - Canyon

Canyon, 8x6, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

Painted 6/22/14

Plus 12 - Canyonside

Canyonside, 8x6, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

Painted 6/20/14

Plus 11 - Canyon Pillar

Canyon Pillar, 8x8, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

Painted 6/19/14

Plus 10 - Fire & Ice

Fire & Ice, 6x8, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

Painted 6/17/14

I watched this really cool demonstration on how to paint roses with a pallet knife and thought I'd give it a shot. She made it look so easy, but I'm going to stick to my own style of painting and maybe revisit this one another day...

-- SMK