Nan

I have been spending time watching and reading about “how to paint like an impressionist painter.” I just love how vibrant the colors look. I really enjoy Malcolm Dewey and the way he teaches. He is from So. Africa and he has a nice slow easy-to-listen-to voice. He explains every step. I created this one painting (above) of two hay stacks following his lead. I liked the results I was getting. My neighbor and long-time friend, Dean, really liked this painting. While at an estate sale, he found, what he thought would be a perfect frame for the haystack painting. Well, the frame was too but in the meantime, I had begun to paint another adding a third haystack to the scene. I thought I would like this one myself. The first painting was too small for Dean’s frame, BUT the second painting fit. It wasn’t finished and Dean said I want that one! It’s perfect for the frame. And it was! So, I sold him the painting below. How exciting. Not even finished and sold! That’s a first for me. Now it is hanging over a fireplace looking grand.

I am really enjoying this style of painting and decided to try another one. This time a bale of hay is the focal point. This one is close to being done. I have a w more “tweaks” before I’m happy with it.

After months of practicing nearly every day, I feel very happy with my progress. This is a 7 x 9″ practice piece I painted a couple of weeks ago. It is painted with acrylics. I challenged myself to a pallet of only 4 colors and Mars black (I don’t use black often) and titanium white. I struggled to paint the reflection of the trees and especially the sky but was very happy with how it turned out.

The reference photo is one my friend, Shelly Shrock, took of the Yachats River here in Yachats, OR, the town I live in.

I am now in the process of painting this same scene but in a 14″ x 16″ size on a Birchwood cradle panel.
Note: the 14″ x 16″ sold at a recent art show we had here in Yachats in May 2023. My husband really loved this painting so am keeping this original study for him. Ahhh.

I have been keeping my promise to myself. I worked from a reference photo I took of the Yachats Beach at sunset in the summer of 2020. I really wanted to add the bonfire and people silhouettes but haven’t tried to add…yet. Not sure if it would be too much at this point. The medium is acrylic and 8″ x 10″ in size. I had fun with this, but the sand in the dark of the evening was a challenge. I am not sure I pulled it off, but I think it is interesting…so I’ll leave it as it is.

I have been practicing (almost) every day. I just know if I practice enough I will become the painter I sincerely want to be. I started by taking some very small paintings I had begun and painting over them. My goal was to paint freer.

This is my first mini image for practice. I actually did this one on September 7th. Its size is about 5 x 7″ but then there is the torn edge, so a little smaller.

I tried another small 5 x 7 again. This is the result. I am thinking…I like painting like this.

These were both done very quickly.

I promised that I would do my best to paint every day and if not every day, every other day if at all possible.