Rose Frantzen has released a portrait book which has 180 color photos of paintings she has done within 365 days. Her subjects were locals from her hometown of Maquoketa and the exhibit is being shown at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC this fall. What a great accomplishment for this woman! She studied under Richard Schmid several years ago.

Mahl Stick

I've been searching for a mahl stick, many times I see other artists use canes which hang over the top of their canvas to easily grab and swing over for a steady wrist. I found this little beauty on ebay, it's a womans walking stick. I really love it and think it's kind of funny being it's a womans leg, but there is a fair amount of weight at the top and I hope it doesn't slip off and nail me on the forehead.

 

 

Working outside today...

 

 

Pansy

36" x 36" Oil

 

 

 

Rake Brush

This great little brush from PLAID, softens your edges nicely.

 

Experimenting

Playing with a background where I'm drizzling diluted paint down the face of the canvas. I have 3 different layers of muted colors on here, so far base is a grayed beige, next 2 layers are green tones for the drizzles. I'll start blocking my shapes next. I have 2 other projects I'm working on a sign for my fathers saloon and some swing seats covered in sunflower's for my mother's yard. I read alot about other painters working on several peices at once, I'm enjoying it, it forces me to put things down for a day or two and come back to it with a fresh eye.

 

My Favorite Tool

Richard Schmid is the most masterful living painter in my opinion with a wealth knowledge and a kind poetic generous soul in his deliverance. I have enjoyed his writings and instructional video's and learned so much from him. He has a new Landscape book coming out in November, I told my husband I already know what I'd like for Christmas! You can find his books & educational video's here: "Everything I Know About Painting"
His wife Nancy Guzik is also a great artist.

Some Things Have to be Believed to be Seen...

quote by: Ralph Hodges

 

 

Colors I always have available on my palette are:

Ultramarine Blue Cadmium Yellow Medium
Cobalt Blue Lemon Yellow
Viridian Yellow Ochre
Cadmium Red Medium Transparent Oxide Red (Rembrandt)
Terra Rosa Ultramarine Red- violet hue
Alizarin Crimson Titanium White
Ivory Black Payne's Gray
Burnt Umber Cadmium Orange
Cerulean Blue Venetian Red
Burnt Sienna


The final color is a light lavender mixture:( White- Ultramarine Blue- Alizarin Crimson) it helps to cool
the colors without changing the values, great tip from J. Lipking.

I use an array of the Langnickle #5590 Series, they are heaven on earth. Nothing performs the magic that these brushes
do. They wear out fairly quickly so you have to take care and clean them well and wrap them to form & dry. I will post a
pic on how I do that, it's a great tip.

I also use an bristle brushes, in all different sizes most are filberts with a semi rounded edge. I few
liner brushes very small for detailed work and a hake brush for blending along with several fan brushes. I will post
a pic of a cool little brush I found recently will funny long hairs on it for pulling color around. I use several
different sized palette knives to add large areas of color and a very flexible mid-size one to mix colors on my palette.
I also use a recycled mini flag pole as a mahl stick, I'm looking for a light weight cane to replace it so it will hang ready off to the side of the canvas for a quick grab and steady hand. :-)

Materials to Make a Color Chart

 

The oil paints handled fine on this paper product. I put 2 coats of each color on and then sprayed it with a fixative after I was certain it was dry. The tape works great, keeps the edges neat and clean, just be sure to remove it right after adding the color squares so it doesn't stick and tear the board.

Color Charts

A few of the color charts I've made for reference to hue & 5 values mixed with small amounts of white to adjust the values.

1. Virdian - from left to right: V&W, V&CYM, V&YO, V&LY, V&CR, V&TOR,V&A,V&CB

2. Cad Red- CR&W, CR&CYM, Cr&YO, CR&TOR, CR&A, CR&Terra Rosa, CR&V, CR&CO

3. Yellow Ochre- YO&W, YO&CYM, YO&LY, YO&CR, YO&A, YO&V, YO&CO, YO&UB

 

 

 

Mediums

I use odorless turptine, Liquin, and a concocted mixture I put together famed by the old masters:

5 parts turp
1 part stand oil
1 part damar varnish

I'm interested in using clove oil as a medium, I've read the drying time is very slow on it but it has a nice aroma and it makes the paint very buttery so it glides
across the canvas. I've read that Malcolm T. Liepke uses it in his work.

What to do next... I love that feeling.

The weather in the desert has been so lovely, I've been painting outside in the mornings, it's nice to be out in the fresh air the turpentine doesn't reach my lungs as quickly... Contemplating my next painting. The hibiscus has a few small details I will add after it dries more. I'm thinking about another flower or cactus.

Hibiscus 2009

Oil on canvas 36 x 36
I'm going to let it hang on the wall for a while and add minor adjustments, you can see things differently with a fresh eye.

On the home stretch....

 

It's coming along and oh how I love to be painting outside, the temps in the desert are no longer in the 110 range, it is really beautiful now averaging in the 70-80's. The birds and the plants are throwing a party !

Orange Hibiscus

It's coming along.... 36 x 36 oil on canvas

Heart of an Azalea

This is an 18 x 24 oil on canvas reminescent of the Georgia O'keeffe style painting that I love so much.

Oil on canvas 18 x 24 http://www.cindyleejones.com/