Winding Road

Winding Road, 6 x 6

This is painted from a photo from our recent trip out to Hunt, Texas. The weather was entirely drizzly and gray and cool, but so perfectly appropriate for October. This is a portion of FM 1340, and it runs along the North Fork of the Guadalupe River.

-julie davis

Unexpected Color

Unexpected Color, 8 x 10

sold

The unexpected part was finding wildflowers in bloom this time of year. On a recent trip to the Hill Country of Texas, my family and I found fields literally covered with yellow--and even some blue. Whatever these were, they were a pleasant surprise.

-julie davis

Sweet and Sour

Sweet and Sour, 11 x 14

I just threw it all in today--lemons, pear, clementines. I experimented with a more neutral background--the girls think the darks are depressing.....ah, the family comments! I still find these days I often rush through. This week my intention is to focus more on methodically setting up my composition and really taking time with my painting.

-julie davis

I Take Thee, Clementine....

I Take Thee, Clementine...., 6 x 8

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Clementines are fun to paint. I love their round, squatty form--so relaxed, but so colorful. OK, maybe I've gone off the deep end or inhaled too many paint fumes. Still, they're what I gravitate toward when I want to relax and just paint an uncomplicated still life.

-julie davis

Orange Crush

Orange Crush, 11 x 14

Originally this was "Pied Piper," but my daughters didn't get it--minor failure as a parent. So, "Orange Crush," being that much more familiar to them, was the winner. The crush clearly isn't mutual.

-julie davis

The Lecture

The Lecture, 11 x 14
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No matter whether it's a teacher or parent giving the lecture, the recipient's look is often the same. This pear just looked like it was giving some advice to some not-so-enthused clementines. (And, yes, this is a Taylor's Gold). I'm still enjoying the dark backgrounds, though this time I went with a lighter foreground--I'm finally feeling like I have it (almost) together again. :)

-julie davis

The Interloper

The Interloper, 11 x 14

The pear is the wolf in sheep's clothing--its stem looks ominous having said that. In this painting I was getting the last painting opportunity out of the Star Krimson pear before it became breakfast. My girls definitely preferred the Taylor's Gold over the Star Krimson.....much sweeter. I'll post the last of the Taylor's tomorrow.

Cousins

Cousins, 6 x 6

So many varieties of pears--these are the Star Krimson I posted the other day, and one Taylor's Gold--this morning's breakfast will be a taste test for my girls. As I've really been trying to paint larger even by a little in my daily studies, these 6 x 6's suddenly seem confining. I'm really a creature of habit and whatever I get used to I find comfortable--a good stretching of those boundaries is good for me.

-julie davis

Staying Up Late

Staying Up Late, 11 x 14

This morning was the last day of Laurel Daniel's still life class at AMOA. It's been a great refresher in both values and still life. The challenge today was to create a painting with relationships of 2/3, 1/3, and smidge values--we could choose to do 2/3 of the painting light, 1/3 mid-tone, and a smidge of dark, or 2/3 dark, 1/3 mid, and a smidge of light.....or even 2/3 mid....you get the idea. I went with the 2/3 dark, 1/3 mid, smidge of light (since I've been experimenting at home with dark backgrounds). It's a pretty dramatic result, but I'm liking the drama lately....

-julie davis

Star Krimson

Star Krimson, 6 x 6

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Keeping it simple--a single star krimson pear--you have to love Central Market for the wide variety of fruits and veggies they offer. I'm looking forward to trying this one.

-julie davis

The Lineup

The Lineup, 8 x 16

Who among you has heard of a fruit called quince? I'm certain I'm showing my ignorance, but I picked some up at Central Market today because they looked appealing to paint--hopefully they're just as good to eat. I read that quince is most often used in jams because it can be bitter (the extra sugar masks the bitterness).

I'm still in a funk--struggling to find inspiration and struggling with painting itself. So, I end up doing random things, like this. Odd format, odd fruit, dark.....hopefully it will lead somewhere soon!

-julie davis

Why Me?

Why Me?, 8 x 10

I messed around today with high contrast in the background--this is supposed to be a white napkin on a black table....doesn't it feel a bit like the bowl, napkin, and knife are floating in space?! I didn't think so until I saw it in photograph form. Don't you think it's a perspective issue, rather than the contrast? The downfalls of a fast painting! I at least like the title my 11 year-old came up with...

-julie davis

Outnumbered

Outnumbered, 8 x 10

I'm looking forward to painting and posting again in earnest. We had a tragedy in the neighborhood last weekend, and painting could not be a priority.

This afternoon I thought I'd work at what Laurel was asking us to do in class--studying value shifts in local color. I wasn't after creative color or composition, or accuracy of detail, and admittedly, the tennis and golf ball subject matter was not the biggest challenge I could've set out for myself. However, conveying a sphere in paint is fun for me, and that's what I needed today--straightforward and just happy. So I pulled out some of my daughter's practice golf balls and an old, flat tennis ball, and set them out on my table. I did enjoy this one, and got some practice seeing the value shifts in different variations of white. Since the golf balls were old, some were more yellow, while some leaned blue or gray. It felt great to push some paint around again, and I learned a good bit in the process.

-julie davis

Values Exercise

Values Exercise, 12 x 12

Greatest day--yesterday we started Laurel Daniel's class again--four short weeks, but I love learning, and learning about painting is such a kick for me-even when it's studying value. This is actually the third I did in class yesterday--the first dealt with local color with a light, medium, and dark object. The second was painted with a range of 7-8 grays from black to white, and the third we were allowed to use color, attempting to keep the same accuracy in value shifts. This doesn't look too colorful, but the objects were quite neutral, and I didn't go crazy with the background color. I like the neutrals, even though the subject matter isn't glamorous. I suppose it helps the form stand out more.

-julie davis

Oasis

Oasis, 8 x 10

sold

Have to admit, I feel in a bit of a rut. I went back to an old favorite, and just painted for the sake of painting. I think mentally, I'm distracted right now, so doing something familiar was satisfying.

-julie davis

Water's Edge

Water's Edge, 12 x 12

Trying water again....this from a photo I took in winter. I'm inundated with school and homework demands right now.....am in an in-between period--Laurel Daniel's still life class begins Wednesday (yay!) and it always gets me thinking in a new direction and with a renewed focus.

-julie davis

Still Useful

Still Useful, 10 x 8

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Old barns and country roads appeal to the die-hard Texan in me. I can't help it. I love the blues in the weathered gray wood and the funny ways the abandoned barns lean--the roads often inexplicably curve and bend on their routes. No doubt there was at one time a reason they veered this way or that.

-julie davis

Into the Hills

Into the Hills, 6 x 6

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Paths and roads have me hooked right now. This was from a photo I took last weekend on a day trip to the Hill Country. Plenty of dry grass around, but we've been getting rain--finally!!

-julie davis

Golden Fields

Golden Fields, 10 x 8

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A bit larger version of "Peaceful Grove;" I'm so in love with painting these small paintings--so loose, fresh, and fast, that my patience for anything really large isn't up to speed. I also love the simplicity of a painting with trees and fields alone--such a comforting sight to me.

-julie davis

Canyon Path

Canyon Path 6 x 6

While in CA this summer, my husband and I took a hike along one of the many trails behind the place we were staying in the hills. The path took many turns as it wound up the side of a mountain, and trees cloaked it occasionally, but the sun shone through wherever it had the opportunity.

-julie davis

Breaking Through

Breaking Through, 6 x 8

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I took another shot at some photos I'd taken of the view of the Colorado River from the Smithville area last spring. A light drizzle was coming down and the sun was trying to break through the clouds.

-julie davis

Peaceful Grove

Peaceful Grove, 6 x 6

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This grove of trees had a most unusual shape. I've been longing to try a "mass" approach to a composition, and this offered the opportunity (it's from a photo I took on our trip to CA in July). Fridays are my longer paintings days, and I was able to get two finished in my three hour window. This was the first. On a side note, Austin finally got some rain tonight! Happy Friday.

-julie davis

Two Shy

Two Shy, 8 x 6

The intimidation of Laurel Daniel's fall still life class (starting week after next) is beginning to weigh on me; I hadn't done a still life since January that I can remember.  So I brought out the lights and fruit this afternoon to see if I could still do it.  The original setup here included a peach and some tiny, stacked bowls, but clearly, they did not make the final cut!  Therefore, the composition is a little unorthodox--two--how dull.... However, I kind of like the simplicity of it, and when my youngest daughter came up with "Two Shy," ("and spell it t-w-o, mom") after I told her the clementines looked like they wanted to talk but were too shy, I liked it even more. :)

-julie davis

The Road Home

The Road Home, 12 x 16

A goal I have for this fall is to work larger when I can, and I had the time to do that on this one, so I did a larger version of The Place I Belong--lowering the horizon line a bit to experiment. Here are some photos from the Ashland show, too--I've labeled them below.

-julie davis

The view from the deck of Weisinger's Winery...

Robert (such a nice guy and a huge help) behind the bar, and with of some of my paintings...

Some of the guests....

Talking with guests in the tasting room.

The Place I Belong

The Place I Belong, 6 x 8

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The third in the John Denver series......don't expect Mountain Momma tomorrow. :) Thank goodness it's the end of the week--enjoy your weekend!

-julie davis

Country Road

Country Road, 6 x 8

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I think I'm painting my way through the lines of a John Denver song. Yesterday's post was "Take Me Home", so naturally, today felt like "Country Road." I suppose tomorrow will be (to) "The Place I Belong," though I'm not sure what to do when I get to "West Virginia, Mountain Momma." Hmmm.... This is actually the (country) road behind the barn at Weisinger's Winery in Ashland, Oregon.

I've failed to write about what a fantastic experience the show in Ashland was; just getting back into town and starting school (yesterday) has been enough to keep me pretty occupied. The show at the winery kicked off very well. Two paintings sold before they were even hung, and more sold over the weekend (hanging out at a winery all weekend was quite a lot of fun by itself!) Thank you to John Weisinger, Robert, and Shelby for hosting me with such ease and for the warm hospitality. I'll post some photos tomorrow--it's a school night and I'm overdue for tucking in the girls.

-julie davis

Take Me Home

Take Me Home, 8 x 6

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As exciting and often restful as it is to travel and be without one's usual schedule during the summer, it always feels good to come home. "Take Me Home" felt like an apt title for this one, and reflects my readiness (or so I think) for getting back into the regularity of the school year.

-julie davis

Tucked Away

Tucked Away, 8 x 6

This little red shed stood out from the shadows and foliage this morning just enough to attract me. The temperature was 52 degrees when I went out, and low clouds were obscuring the mountains in the distance. After an hour or so, the curtain lifted just enough to reveal them.

-julie davis

At the Base of the HIll

At the Base of the Hill, 8 x 6

Finally, a chance to paint this barn in person. After months of hundred degree heat, a high today of 70 in Ashland was an amazing treat. I've hung all the paintings for the show--two sold yesterday--and we're headed to the park tonight for a concert and picnic. Going so long between paintings is making me feel really rusty--so I may try the barn again....and again....

-julie davis

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes, 6 x 8

I've been working like a dog preparing for my show next weekend (14th, 15th) in Ashland at Weisinger's Winery (not on painting, but on framing, paperwork, marketing, etc.). It's become so out of the ordinary for me not to paint/post daily, that I feel terribly rusty! Anyway, this was my shot at painting this morning. It's another stab at the barn behind the winery. Painting it in person next week will be a highlight for me.

The show is called "Twenty-Four : Points of View," and is a collection of twenty-four landscapes and still lifes, most of which have starred on my blog at some point. I'll take some photos and post them after the dust has settled. Meanwhile, we get our girls from camp tomorrow (!) and I'm full speed ahead.....

-julie davis