Dec 25 - On Location with Christmas Lights

Merry Christmas!! To share the joy of the Season, here's an original acrylic painting full of holiday lights done on location at the Mission Inn in downtown Riverside a few weeks ago. I've been with the Plein Air Artists of Riverside who have been painting on location to capture the merriment and holiday lighting displays for which the Inn is famous.

When the moon was full this month, I set up with Sparky (yes, he came along and played "announce dog" to anyone who came close) in a planter bed diagonally across the street from the arches and buildings of the Inn. They decorate the palm trunks with huge snowflake lights, too. This is a 16 x 12 acrylic, done with those open acrylics, and I'm quite pleased with it for having captured not only the lights and the holiday feel of the building, but also the natural world of the night sky and full moon. The open acrylics allowed a longer working time, yet the Color System make the choices for this piece easy, even though I was working with a flash light in my hand! When I go out again on Dec. 29th, I'll have some nice LED lights that will shine both on my painting and palette.

If you've ever been to the Mission Inn (opens in a new window) it is quite a famous landmark for its architecture and holiday lights. I'm pleased with this painting of it, and hope you enjoy it as a sharing of the holiday spirit with us! It doesn't have a show schedule, so it is for sale, $300 to add to your collection. I can ship priority mail to have it in your hands before the Holiday lights are gone.

This day hubby Ron and I are traveling to my brother's house to share dinner with family and friends, so I'm posting this a bit early. I'm going armed with home-baked deep dish apple pies, punpkin pie, New York cheesecake and cherry cobbler. May your holiday be as you would wish it--quiet or noisy, reflective or boisterous, and may you get what you desire throughout this winter season and into the coming year.

Tomorrow I continue with my husband's painting of aikido. If you have any questions about how this "Mission Inn Lights" painting evolved, just email me.

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Dec 24 - Aikido Commission for A Present

On the next pass for this 30 x 40 inch oil, I've placed the midtone greens on the tatami mats and the deeper shadows behind the row of figures. I'm working out just how many people will be behind the two figures, and as I figure it out, more and more of the burnt umber/ultramarine blue shadows are cut in, leaving the seated figures in place.

As I mentioned yesterday, the fun in this work is that the people behind O Sensei will be my friends--Ace Atkinson, Steve Barbosa, Ron, Katz, me and of course Rowdy, who passed away this last year. She'll be on the far right, sitting slightly out of line with the rest of us, signifying her not being "with" us, except in spirit. The fellow receiving the art is none other than Alberto, who is still working on his master's in Spanish Literature and doing aikido, even teaching their kid's classes. Alberto just passed a major test on his way to his black belt last weekend.

On Alberto's hakama (the traditional black leggings/skirt aikidoists wear), I've depicted the speed and motion by lost edges. This gives life to the image, and creates a passing moment in time. Losing edges helps to create the feeling that this is an unfolding moment of action, rather than a static, freeze-frame moment.

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Dec 23 - An Aikido Christmas Present

My spouse asked me to do a special painting for his office as a combined Christmas/Birthday present, and how better to share with him what I love by painting something he loves?

Here is the first design for the 30 x 40 inch canvas. The subject is the martial art of Aikido, with O Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, the founder, performing the art. The fun will be that the other people in the painting are all ones we both know, including the man receiving the art from O Sensei.

The design is one of a top-weighted dark area with the lower area of the mats illuminated by natural light. At this stage the painting only shows the value structure (small light, large dark in midtones). I plan to share this with you through Christmas, with a break of one painting done on location, and continue with it after Thursday.

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Dec 22 - 2008 Christmas Card for My Friends

To all my friends, collectors and Color System followers, may this holiday season bring you joy, peace and happiness that extends into 2009 and beyond.

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