Fogust Heat Wave

 August has been a month of extremes as far as weather goes - starting with fog everyday, hanging thick and wet - to a recording breaking heat-wave and massive fires due to lightening strikes. All this on the back of an ongoing pandemic.

As an artist I can divert my worry, anxiety and fear onto a different path. This allows me to see the beauty of nature, and the beauty in the ordinary and creatively develop myself.

Besides our usual Monday Painting sessions, and getting into the studio - I've also started meeting (socially distanced with masks) with 3 other friends for painting flowers on Fridays. This has been great on many levels: social contact, challenge of painting flowers (again!) and time outside in a different environment. It's been lovely.

I've also watched several online demos by artists I admire, taken a zoom figure painting class, participated in online shows and attended lectures and talks online. Different world.

Catching up with painting - landscape. After working at Devereux Open Space for several sessions, we painted at the beach when it warmed up in the afternoons. 

Devereux, oil on panel 8"x10"

Devereux, the other side. oil on panel 6"x8"

Haskells, oil on panel 8"x10"

This is my set-up looking at the creek that flows into the beach.

Goleta beach slough, oil on panel, 6"x8" 

We started Monday painting at a new location: The Music Academy of the West. Beautiful grounds and many shady spots. It makes you feel like you are someplace in Europe, with formal gardens and fountains.

  

Lily Pond, oil on panel, 8"x10"

Morning begonias, oil on panel, 8"x10"

 Geranium Urn, oil on panel, 8"x6"

the backlit urn really shined

Working on flowers and experimenting with different surfaces and techniques. The cactus blooms are outside and the picked flowers done in the studio or outside.

Epiphyllum bloom, oil on Yupo, 9"x12"

Queen of the Night, oil on Yupo, 9"x12"

Flame rose, oil on Yupo, 9"x12"

Daylily, oil on Yupo, 9"x12"

Naked Lady Lilies, oil on Cartón paper, 8"x10"

Livia's roses, oil on Cartón paper, 8"x10"

So that catches me up to now, end of August. More of the same in September, I'm sure. Painting keeps me hopeful and sane.

July whatever

Hard to track the days and months - everything has taken on a new rhythm. The only real day I know is Monday because that is our plein-air painting day.
The rest can be called whatever.

Here's the last month or so group of paintings:

lake los carneros mountain view, oil on panel, 6"x12"

This was a day we got 'fogged out' at Devereux and decided to come a bit more inland.

devereux slough, oil on panel, 9"x12"

...then a beautiful day slipped in and we went back.

Santa Ynez River, pink cliffs,  oil on panel, 8"x10"

after a week of local fog, we headed up to the River for some sunshine and water.

Santa Ynez River,  oil on panel, 8"x10"

so lovely to stand by the water and paint - listening to the local bullfrog, quail, hawks, etc.

open space, devereux, oil on panel, 6"x12"

hiked out to the other side of the lagoon for a different view

roses, oil on panel, 6"x8"

took a day to paint in a friends back yard, catching the late light

Old Barn and stables, oil on panel, 12"x16"

this was a study done on site and then developed as a larger painting in the studio. I liked the shadow side of the barn in contrast to the bright green sunlit grass.

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Summer Covid Season

July is more than halfway gone. Pandemic is still with us (so much for 'warmer weather' stopping it.) We are still sliding down a slippery slope and have no idea what the future will bring. It's constantly in the back of your mind and adds an unpleasant layer to virtually everything you do.
But life goes on, I still get outside to paint, do my 'Zoom' figure painting class, paint whatever is blooming around the yard and keep at it. I started experimenting with oil paint on Yupo paper - a plasticized surface that is very slick. A couple of late bloomers in the Epiphyllum plants:

 epi-bloom 2, oil on yupo paper, 9"x12"

epi-bloom 1, oil on Yupo paper, 9"x12"

Then I started painting produce from our garden - a lot growing right now!

 last artichoke, oil on panel, 6"x8"

cabbage, oil on panel, 6"x6"

onion, oil on wc panel, 5"x7"

artichoke blossoms, oil on panel, 8"x10"

Next post will be landscapes. In the mean time, check my Instagram Nwarner13 for more up-to-date postings and email or DM if you're interested in purchasing.

June Gloom - some kind of normal

Weather is always more unpredictable in June - so it's luck to have a clear morning. Monday painting at the Mission was nice. I had never painted the actual Mission before - too much of an icon - but I have painted all around there - the park and rose garden, the ruins, the gardens and pond. I had a nice view for a small painting.

 

mission from across the road, 8"x6" oil on panel

I'm also a bit hooked on painting Flowers now too -

An open rose, 8"x6" oil on gessoed paper

cactus blossom, oil on yupo, 9"x12"

An experiment with the secondary triad colors of orange, green and violet.

Landscape is good for the soul

The last few Monday painting days have ended up on Thursday or Friday - due to weather, mainly fog on the coast. It hasn't kept us from going out and making the effort, whatever day it ends up being. The landscape is always a place to find calm, quiet, beauty and solace. These days, that is no small thing.
I am fortunate and blessed and grateful that I can do what I do: paint. I believe it is a healthy escape and a positive activity as it is both contemplative and challenging.
So here is May's work as we stumble forward into June, more Covid19, social unrest and scary times for many people.

Devereux Slough, oil on panel, 8"x8"

Field at Los Carneros, oil on panel, 6"x12"

Morning Sky, Devereux, oil on panel, 9"x12"

studio painting

This 'sheltering in place' time has been interesting for me and my artist friends. We've all found projects to work on, challenges, and time to look and support other artists (for me, via Instagram). I've found so many amazing artists working so many different ways - each having their own approach to making and sharing their work. My own studio time has changed - I've worked on more paintings in my little controlled environment than ever before. I much prefer working outside, plein air, maybe doing a little finishing in the studio. Now I took on the challenge of working from a photo reference entirely - as many of the artists I admire do. 

The photo was taken last January in Carmel Valley. We had gone there for the memorial service for a dear aunt who passed away at 95. I'd often looked at this tree, even sketched it before - but the late afternoon light the day we arrived was really lovely. It was interesting too, that since our last visit here, the tree had lost a big lower limb - something about that scar was catching my interest. The missing limb. It was difficult for me - especially working larger than usual - but I think in the end I got a nice painting.

monterey pine, carmel valley (for Ona) oil on panel, 18"x24"

Tried to keep the brushwork loose, have less detail and good design, as well as use a fairly limited palette.

Monday painting normalcy

So in this time of 'sheltering in place', social distancing, mask wearing, isolation and closings, the only 'normal' part of my week and reminder of what day it actually is, has been keeping up on our Monday plein-air painting schedule.

After getting a sense of what we could or couldn't do, Libby, Karen and I figured we could meet up someplace out of the way, drive separately, park at a distance, talk from 6' apart, and paint for a few hours. As outdoor painters, we always have distance between us - we choose our own spots, set up and work.
We text each other to know where we are and when to pack up, we meet back at the cars and take a few minutes standing apart to look at each others work. 

We found a great spot to do this - less traveled, off the beaten path but accessible and full of interesting things to look at: buildings, landscape, water, animals. It really feels normal - like not much has changed. It's been a great morale booster, creative and productive.

Old studio and shed, oil on panel, 8"x10"

Open space, oil on panel, 8"x10"

Old Stables I, oil on panel, 8"x10"

Old Stables II, oil on panel, 8"x10

Horse trail, oil on panel, 10"x8"

Old Barn, oil on panel, 9"x12"