Happy Colorful Friday!

"Colorful Cadence" dressage horse painting 8x10 oil on Ampersand Panel

Are you online shopping for “black Friday” art supply deals like I am? (As a color sensitive artist I feel like Black Friday should be more positive like Fuschia Friday!) Color name aside, so far I've  stocked up on basics like Centurion linen and Ampersand panels as well as a Silver brand Bristlon brush to try since this is the one that Carol Marine says she uses.)

Today, while frosty cold am very relieved to see the sun's return after a rather gray Thanksgiving. In addition to running some errands (need more Fitbit steps after pie!) I’m heading out to take photos. Speaking of photos, if you're looking for painting subjects and art inspiration this is a good time to review and revisit your photo files. 

As you grow and evolve as a painter you may discover a photo gem that catches your eye on second go round. That was the case with this painting of a lovely silvery horse I’d taken a picture of at a dressage show in late summer.  As a casual rider I’ve always admired the movement and precision of dressage—both on the part of the horse and rider.  It’s like horse ballet! Also there's something energizing about painting a warm sunny day when the actual weather conditions are less than ideal.

Before I get back to surfing for bargains, just wanted to remind everyone of my winter 2016 painting classes. Starting first week of January, I'm offering three affordable weekly Denver painting group classes on Tues, Weds, and Thurs. (And my Tues. class is ongoing in December.)

So if you’re looking for a way to add color to your life and stay inspired during the long winter months be sure visit my classes/workshops page. In the meantime, happy painting and holiday shopping! 

Let's Paint--It's Blossom Week!

"Peaceful Paint" 8x10 oil on Gesso Panel (SOLD-Thank you!)

To me, horses and freedom are synonymous. 
Equine sculpture Veryl Goodnight

This is one of my favorite weeks in Denver.  It’s the week my four ancient crab apple trees come to life turning cotton candy pink. I always look forward to "blossom week" and this year it’s even about a week earlier than usual.

April apple blossoms in my yard

If you’ve been following my last few posts, you saw I was working my way around the color wheel with some fun mixed media work but today I woke up in an oil mood.

Pink blossoms are also tasty!

I have thousands of reference photos (I take photos at least a few times a week) so I look through them quickly to see what grabs my attention. What am I looking for? Typically 2 things: Intriguing shapes and bold value changes. Note that as much as I love color it’s not the main factor.  

I selected this photo because a bold dark/light design supports allows for more personal color interpretation—and for me that’s the best part of painting. 

For more information about my upcoming May color art class (for oil and acrylic painters) please email me or visit the Curtis Art Center website. Wishing you week full of creative blooming!