Mini ornaments

Posted on December 16, 2019 by Artwithmycoffee

These are a couple of miniatures that I painted for my kids-to be used as Christmas ornaments. The truck was my Dad’s who passed away several years ago. I did that one for my son to remember him by.

The church was just a picture that I loved, and I did that one for my daughter. I don’t think you can see it in this photo, but I used a gold pen to add a few fancy accents in a couple spots when this was dry. It was a great touch. My kids loved them. I really love to be able to make personalized gifts, it’s the best!

Snowy Trip to Corinth, ME

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Artwithmycoffee

This is from a photo I took of a spot near my best friend. It is pretty farm country in central Maine. Again, I just love this snowy atmosphere where all the lines get blurred. It is challenging and thrilling to paint. I think I like to try to make it feel like I am enveloped in the painting sensing the snow all around me. This is an 8×10

Snowstorm in Maine

Posted on February 5, 2019 by Artwithmycoffee

This type of atmosphere in a picture really interests me. It is challenging because of the lack contrasting lights and darks, but I really find it interesting. I love to be outside on a snowy day like this or a really foggy day. There is just something about it that appeals to me. It seems like I have a lot of photos of fog or really atmospheric scenes. And they always call my name to be painted.

In this one I felt it was very helpful, interest wise, to have that bit of thicker paint to describe the snow in the foreground. It was something I added in later.

Maine White Pine

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Artwithmycoffee

This is from a photo I took at our place in Maine. I love all the trees in Maine! The changing light throughout the day just makes me have to keep my camera very close. I am always ready for a pic ( = I have been a bit afraid to try this scene for some time but have learned quite a bit from Phil Starke’s workshops and decided to go for it. I would like to do it again and do it looser, but was at least somewhat pleased with the outcome.

Winter Woods

Posted on April 15, 2018 by Artwithmycoffee

I love the woods. And I love painting them. I am continuing to challenge myself to paint them more often. I find them challenging but have taken some workshops by Phil Starke and they have been very helpful in many areas, but with trees in particular. I really like his teaching style and would suggest any painter check him out! He has a great way of explaining his thought process while he paints, and I find that very helpful.

Detailed Underpainting

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Artwithmycoffee

This is an example of a two tone Underpainting where it was extremely necessary. I felt like there would be no way for me to keep track of my distant trees without a basic guide layer down first. This gave me a clear idea of my values before I started and also acted like a map for me to keep from having my trees get lost in the forest (so to speak). You can see that an Underpainting can be quite vague or extremely detailed. It is very interesting to play around with.

Snow Practice

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Artwithmycoffee

This is a scene from Corinth, Maine. It is a very farmy town where my friend lives. I love to take photos out there of the farms and countryside. It is open and always has nice lighting effects. This one was interesting to me because of the big old Maple trees and because of the snow. I still need to add a few lines on the poles when it dries, but this was fun.

This one was also an example of that pale orange underpainting bleeding into the snow. I had to do a couple layers. But you can also see areas where it gives an interesting warm glow through the trees. Depending on the subject matter, you can leave more or less of it to show through.

Tree Study

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Artwithmycoffee

I love painted trees! I need to practice them close up because they are very tricky to paint. So in this I combined the tree practice with the strong warm light practice. It is just a small 5×7, but I think it has good impact. When studying a subject close up, the things you learn can be easily applied to a more suggestive painting later on. This is another thing that I need to remember.

Beauty in the Lowly

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Artwithmycoffee

This is some sunlit buildings in Dexter, Maine near my families home. I am just captivated by the way a simple, even lowly subject can take on such beauty when there is the right light affecting it. I am beginning to think that that might be what inspires me to paint. I long to capture beauty in the simple things and share that with others.

Art with my Coffee

art, oil painting, watercolor, landscape, still life, pet portrait

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