The Grass Is Always Greener

The Grass Is Always Greener

6 x 8 in., oil on panel

sold

The weather has been overcast and much cooler over the past few days in Austin--loving it, but as one who is known to light a fire in the summer :), I really have to acclimate before getting outside on these cold mornings!  The afternoons have been gorgeous, and we are thankful for a taste of fall.  

The grasses around here always lighten this time of year.  For the image above, I took my value study from late September and worked it into a more fall look than the "Study 3" I did that was a summer scene.

-julie davis

New Book!

j u l i e d a v i s - landscapes -

I'm happy to announce that my most recent book is in!  It's a 32-page collection of some of my favorite paintings from the last (almost) two years.  Preview and purchase it by clicking the image at the top right of my blog, or visit my book page on my website.  Blurb makes it so easy--you can choose soft or hard cover, image wrap or not, so there are a variety of prices.  They'll ship it directly to you.  Enjoy!

-julie davis

*p.s. - the preview only shows you a few images

Cut-Through

Cut-Through

sold

The Guadalupe River runs through the Kerrville area, and it's north fork runs through nearby Hunt, Texas.  On the last day of KOPE, I painted along the banks of the Guadalupe on our own property in Hunt.  This partially shaded passage through the fence is where the whitetail and axis deer cut through on their way along the banks.

-julie davis

Old Smokehouse

Old Smokehouse

sold

This week I've played around with some of the scenes I came across at the Kerrville event.  I loved this one, and felt like exploring it again, though there is something so special about the energy of painting a scene for the first time, problem-solving and all.  Anyone know what I mean by that?  I could be crazy.....or just very tired.....:)

-julie davis

Quick Draw and Reception photos

And my wrap-up of the Kerrville Outdoor Painters' Event...

The Hill Country Camera Club was on hand at the Quick Draw to document our fun:)  They were seriously some of the nicest people!  I don't know which member took this photo, but it ended up on the  Kerr Arts and Cultural Center e - newsletter this week.  I'm painting in front of the beautiful KACC building.

my Quick Draw piece

Me with two of my three paintings....credit to Laurel Daniel for the lovely photo...:)

-julie davis

Evening Shadows

Evening Shadows

12 x 9 in., oil on panel

sold

Some of the most fun I had painting last week at KOPE came while doing this piece.  I realize not everyone gets as excited as I do about trees.....but I really get a little geeked up on painting them. :)

I loved playing up the verticals (diagonals here, really) in the shadows and then up into the tree foliage. The shadows provided more entertainment for me, and I love an excuse to use darks in a painting.  So it was a virtual trifecta of fun.....and it sold during the Saturday night reception!  

-julie davis

Guadalupe Tree Line

Guadalupe Tree Line

9 x 12 in., oil on panel

I was lucky enough to get access to paint on the beautiful grounds of Camp La Junta in Hunt last Friday during the Kerrville Outdoor Painters' Event. The Guadalupe River runs through the property, and provided endless opportunities to compose a painting.  Laurel Daniel and I spent the day there.  Here's my set up as I finished:

In the Shadows

In the Shadows

12 x 9 in., oil on panel

nfs

The beautiful weather of the past week made for a near perfect first experience of a plein air painting competition for me.  I participated in the three-day Kerrville Outdoor Painters' Event (KOPE) in Kerrville, Texas.  The organizers arranged access to exceptionally paintable properties for the artists--I thoroughly enjoyed each minute, and finished with some strong paintings and some new artist friends, and reconnected with others I don't see often enough.  

This painting was my first of the event.  We painted on a ranch a few minutes from Kerrville that had numerous old structures--this was the old smokehouse.  

-julie davis

October, Red Bud Isle

October, Red Bud Isle

9 x 12 in., oil on panel

donation to Trinity Episcopal School auction

Fall is such an exciting time to be outdoors painting.  Not only is the weather completely perfect, but the deviation in color from the usual expanse of green is just plain fun.  I spent several days over the past week outdoors, and this piece is from Monday morning.  

The remainder of this week I'll be in Kerrville, Texas participating in the Kerrville Outdoor Painters' Event.  To say I'm looking forward to it is an understatement; I'll post from there as I can with updates. 

-julie davis

Fall Color at Red Bud Isle

Fall Color at Red Bud Isle

6 x 8 in., oil on panel

sold

Every day for the past two weeks, I've driven over the bridge near Tom Miller Dam in Austin and watched the trees turn from green to gold.  A last-minute appointment cancellation allowed me the chance to paint them this morning.  And as a double bonus, I arrived at my painting spot to find my dear friend, Laurel Daniel, with the same idea.  As Laurel said, "great minds think alike."  

-julie davis

View Across the Valley

View Across the Valley

This summer I visited family in southern Oregon and managed to paint a couple of times.  This is from that trip--looking across the valley from Weisinger's Winery.  It's a beautiful view of homes scattered through the trees and fields, and as the sun sets, the hills are just magnificent.  It's one of my favorite places!

-julie davis

Third of Three

Study 3, Field

6 x 8 in., oil on panel

sold

This is the third and final of the last three posts on the same scene.  The others were different approaches at studying value and composition.  In this one, I relaxed and just painted.  Again, I really shouldn't post with photos that aren't up to par, but it's been a nutty week, and this is the best I'm going to get right now, so my apologies for the overexposure on the left side.  :)

-julie davis

Paper Towels and Value Studies

This is the study I promised from yesterday (same scene--but you see more detail in this one).  I apologize for the poor photograph.  It's the strangest thing, but I really like "blocking in" / doing studies like this. Using my dark mix of alizarin, raw umber, and ultramarine blue, and wrapping my finger inside a Viva paper towel, I basically draw/paint with my finger.  Just another fine way to do a value study, or even to block in for a painting:)  

-julie davis

10 Shapes, 50 Strokes

No, I haven't regressed since my last post in late June....it may appear so from this study, but it's actually a study done (or an attempt at) using no more than 10 shapes and 50 strokes or fewer.  That's it.  Simplifies things, doesn't it?  No fussing, no decorating, just simple shapes and values.  This was my first try at this type of thing, and I am positive I could have done a better job.  I'm planning to do many of these--to retrain myself to see simply and take care with each stroke.  Liz Wiltzen gets the credit for inspiring me to do this--her post on the topic was back on August 16.  

Tomorrow I'll post my own version of the same scene in a value study done in a dark neutral and using a paper towel:)

And last, I've spent the last few weeks reformatting my blog and overhauling my website...the website transition is not quite complete--I'll let you know when it's finalized, but the blog is finished....for now.  Let me know what you think!

-julie davis

Old Vineyard Barn

6 x 8 in., oil on linen panel

nfs

Summer vacation arrived at the end of May (yippee!) and our family moved into the busy, but carefree mode of summer trips, camp preparation, and general rest.  With the changes in our schedule, my blog posts have gone to nil, but that doesn't mean I've been still!  We visited family in Ashland, Oregon earlier this month, and I managed to paint a few small pieces at the winery my step-father owns.  This is  one of my favorite subjects there--the old barn.  

-julie davis

Rural Sunset

Rural Sunset

9 x 12 in., oil on panel

sold

I've wanted to paint this since my last trip to Houston.  On the highway between here and there, I stopped and snapped some photos--the sky was beautiful and it was that time of day when everyone gets home from work and school, and families are together.  I loved all the "man-mades" in this--so descriptive of many homes around here and I'm sure, the country.

-julie davis

Path Through the Creek Bed

Path Through the Creek Bed

8 x 6 in., oil on panel

I can't believe I'm still making it out to paint at this point in May.  Seemingly every time I answer the phone or check an email another "to do" wrestles its way onto my list.  I did, happily, make it to a local park today, where I found a limestone creek bed with a few puddles of water from last weekend's rains still lingering in the rock crevices.  This one got a little spotty on me, but there's something about it I love--the movement? and I want to work it up a little larger and see what I can do.

-julie davis

Convergent Paths

Convergent Paths

9 x 12 in., oil on panel

This morning I went out again to a local park--the sun was shining as I set up and did my thumbnail sketches.  As soon as I began painting, however, it hid behind cloud cover and peeked out maybe twice the whole time.  I felt so misled!

I ended up snapping a photo or two when the sun was out; it was the light, after all, that drew me to this scene, and I packed up and went home to the studio to finish up.  Did I mention it was muggy and buggy?  I was able to focus pretty well inside and really like what I ended up with.

-julie davis

Sendero

Sendero

16 x 20 in.. oil on panel

donation to Wildflower Center Art Auction

sold

I said I'd post this yesterday, and I'm a day behind--my apologies.  The Wildflower Center hosted a reception Thursday evening for all participating artists, an event I always enjoy.  I get to explore the walls of donated art, but more importantly, get to connect with artist friends I've come to know over the four years I've participated as a donor.  Local artists Chris DeDier, Lisa Beaman, Laurel Daniel, and Valerie Walden were all participating.  As much as painting has added to my life, the bigger bonus is the wonderful people I've come to have something in common with all over the country--and world, for whom I am so grateful.

-julie davis

Shady Spot

Shady Spot

9 x 12, oil on panel

sold

Wednesday was another beautiful day, and I took advantage by heading out to the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center to paint.  I always love the clusters of oaks typically seen here....they're not only like small families, they pretty much are small families.  

The Wildflower Center is having it's annual gala tomorrow evening; I've donated a painting to the art auction again--such a favorite cause of mine.  It's a larger version of Sendero, posted earlier this year.  I'll post the donation tomorrow.

-julie davis

Rising Above

Rising Above, 8 x 6 in.

sold

Monday I painted at another old haunt, Mayfield Park, which, since we moved in the fall, is fabulously close to our house.   Instead of painting in the gardens, as I have in the past, I walked around to one of the trails and found a beautifully tall tree to paint.  :)  I know, you're shocked.  The funny thing was, in order to stand in the shade and to get the view I wanted, I had to stand near a port-a-potty.  No, I wouldn't have stayed had it smelled!  But I did get some quizzical looks, and one man even asked, jokingly, if I was painting the port-a-potty (since I had my easel turned toward it to avoid sun on my panel!)

-julie davis

Through the Trees

Through the Trees

9 x 12 in., oil on panel

Thursday I met up with PAA and painted at a ranch in Dripping Springs....a beautiful spot with long views and a quiet peacefulness.  The wind whipped up occasionally Thursday, but I found a spot under some oaks and protected from the wind, and painted what I saw ahead of me.  The spindly trunks of these young oaks reached and twisted so playfully up to each tree's canopy, I couldn't help but be intrigued.  My apologies for the poor photo quality here... darker colors give me fits with reflection, and I admittedly rushed myself for this one....

-julie davis

Morning Rolls In, Ladybird Lake

Morning Rolls In, Ladybird Lake, 9 x 12 in.

Yesterday I made my way to Red Bud Isle after dropping the kids at school, and set up to paint this view. Red Bud Isle is a leash-free dog park, so during my time there, I made friends with a few happy, wet dogs, one in particular was a golden retriever named Buttercup. (She's a good swimmer, and managed to get me pretty wet at one point post-swim).

The sky was filled with light pink and purple--the clouds were seemingly on their way somewhere west, and floated magnificently along as I tried to pin them down in paint. I tried to capture that lightness and movement. Admittedly, clouds are something I need to study more, and the more I do, the more I find them analogous to trees. (Trees are not a solid mass, though they appear to be, and we can easily make the mistake of representing them that way). There is always more to learn. :)

-julie davis

View to the South

View to the South, 8 x 10 in.

sold

Yesterday was another gorgeous day here. I painted out near my church--there are some lovely views on the west side of Austin. The wildflowers are dying away in many areas now, so the colors of the grasses are more subdued, and the yellows and grays of summer are starting to take hold.

-julie davis

Quiet Cove, Spring

Quiet Cove, Spring, 11 x 14 in.

Austin's weather this time of year is fantastic, and today was no exception. It did begin a little bit overcast, and this painting reflects that. I went back to an old haunt today--the little inlet behind our art school at Laguna Gloria. It's actually very close to my house--and it was nice to be back. I pulled out an old painting tonight for comparison (my first plein air painting from 4 1/2 years ago) -- it was the same scene -- truly, stuff like that will keep one humble. And no, don't ask me to post it. Not happening.

-julie davis

Heaven in Texas

my painting companion today

Heaven in Texas....redundant statement

Heaven in Texas, 11 x 14 in.
sold

I'll start by explaining my post title. It really was sunny most of the morning (despite the overcast sky in the second photo); a sunny, 80 degree April day in Texas where the wildflowers are in full bloom--how can it get any better? Did I mention I was surrounded by bluebonnets?

Several of us in Plein Air Austin met at McKinney Falls Park in Austin today to paint. The water was flowing, but the flowers were impossible to pass up. They'll be gone soon, and I'm hoping the water will be there a little longer than the flowers, though after last summer one never knows. The butterfly above kept me company for half and hour or more today--brave little guy.

-julie davis

Sketch-y

untitled sketch, 6 x 4 in.

I didn't begin painting until I was 37, five years ago. Prior to that, my only real "art" experience involved a ton of sketching and drawing as a girl. I love pencil and paper--the sound the graphite makes on the surface of the paper, the mess it can make on your hands, the ability to erase!

I don't do much drawing anymore--simple thumbnails before I paint are as far as I tend to get. But just sketching this brief piece brought back tactile memories, and a renewed fondness for the line....(something that doesn't truly exist in nature, but sure works when you're drawing). Working a little more drawing into my life might not be such a bad thing. :)

-julie davis

Arthouse Five x Seven event donations

Neighboring Field, 5 x 7 in.

sold

Abundant Field, 5 x 7 in.

sold

Each spring in Austin, AMOA-Arthouse on Congress Avenue has an annual fundraiser called the Five x Seven. It's an art sale and exhibition that benefits AMOA exhibitions and educational programs. The big "Splurge" (art grab) was last Wednesday, and I donated two pieces to the cause, both of which, happily, sold right at the buzzer to some good soul(s). All the art stays on view through April 22, then those not sold immediately travel to Houston and Dallas.

The big excitement of this event is that all artists must sign their pieces on the back, so no one knows which artist created the pieces until they purchase it by plucking its tag when the buzzer sounds. All work is $100. It's a fun event, and a great way to get lots of people excited about art. The best part this year was that two of my daughters decided to participate by donating their photography to the cause--talk about a proud mom!

-julie davis

Leading Edge of Spring, study

Leading Edge of Spring,

6 x 8 in., oil on panel

Last week, I met up with Plein Air Austin at a member's ranch outside of Austin to paint in the gorgeous spring weather. Picasso's "if only we could pull out our brain and use only our eyes," came to mind as I fought with myself over the vibrancy of the greens this time of year. It's truly hard to believe just how "spring green" everything around here is right now. The shock of it is twofold after the drought we experienced last spring, summer, and fall. Fortunately, the skies were generous with the rain this winter, and we are enjoying the fruits now.

I did notice (as happens when painting outside), that my greens seemed brighter outside....things can tend to "darken" when you bring them in, which simply means my eyes lost the battle to my brain.....maybe next time...

-julie davis

Red Barn

Red Barn, 10 x 8 in., oil on panel

donation, Trinity Episcopal School Auction
sold

So I've violated at least a big rule here--placing the center of interest in the center (ish) of the painting. A fail? I do think there is enough interest in the rest of this painting to keep the eye moving, but also know the composition would've been stronger if I'd avoided this misstep. Should've worked that out before I got too deep into the painting.

On a happier note, I was fortunate to hear from Helen Moreda recently that she'd named me for a Liebster Award, an award based on inspiration. A big thank you to Helen--much appreciated, and I'll list a few folks who have done the same for me. (here are the criteria for the award:)

As part of the tradition it is passed along to 5 bloggers that have
motivated and inspired you.

To accept the award you must:
1. Link back to the person who gave it to you and thank them
2. Post the award to your blog
3. Give the award to3- 5 bloggers with fewer than 200 followers
that you appreciate and value.
4. Leave a comment on the blogs to let them know that they have been offered this award.

Here are my five under 200 who at various times along the journey definitely motivated and inspired me. Thanks, y'all!

1. David Boyd

2. Melanie Nogawski

3. Stephen Parker

4. Ann Rogers

5. Lorraine Shirkus

-julie davis