My Art Notes: 2018

Monday, June 25, 2018

New Painting: A Visitation to Middle Earth

A new oil painting has just been released sitting in my studio. "Strange seduction", said she, while the painting stares back at her. Certainly, there is a story in that composition somewhere. Characters come off the canvas, while others recede.

A young girl, an old woman, Pan himself, a pig, and an extraterrestrial co-exist on this oil painting on canvas. Bold blues play the background role while bright green yells out for attention. The extraterrestrial begs for a conversation. He insists on being lifted off the canvas to realize real life on this planet right in my living room. He wants to chat and have tea. He comes as a friend, he tells me.

Painting Process

The painting began years ago. It's been traveling with me to my various locations and addresses. It was a painting that never quite made the grade. So, finally, I decided to just paint over it and begin anew. But, some of the areas are left. I lovingly blended those colors. I couldn't get myself to paint over those spots. I painted Ultramarine blue and Prussian blue over the places I wanted to hide.

The whole painting was intuitively painted over a slow two month period. Lots of time sitting, staring, and contemplating was spent while trying to figure out what to do with the dark blue space I had created. Slowly, colors called, paint danced across the canvas. A new oil painting revealed itself. The final abstract painting is a little strange, I admit. It's a mix of abstract with surrealism.

The strokes are all made with a palette knife. I adore not having to clean brushes after having fun with paint. Just wipe off the paint and voila, done until next time.

Begin the Conversation

What do you think? I'd love to hear your reaction. Please comment below. Feel free to share this post with your friends and art lovers.

Until Next Week

Appreciate art.
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About the Author, Artist Mary Rae Rush

Mary Rae lives in Camp Verde, Arizona with her loyal assistant, Sir Kitty. Visit her websites for more information.

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Monday, May 28, 2018

The Tale of the House on the Hill & My Whispering Pines Oil Painting

Whispering Pines is an oil painting that measures 12 x 24 inches. I wanted to paint a loose abstract painting with my palette knife, having fun with color and paint moving across the board. The house on the hill had another idea. It required me to draw in perspective. Uh oh. Both my drawing and perspective skills had gotten little use over the years. I watched Youtube videos to learn these skills before returning to the painting.

In process photo
Whispering Pines
12 x 24 inches
Oil on MDF

The view out my living room window in Camp Verde, Arizona is captivating. All my window views are spectacular. They offer me a 360-degree mountain view. It's an artist's paradise.

I have painted many scenes from those window views while living here since January 2017. The featured painting is one of them.

While painting the house, I wondered about its inhabitants. Who were they? What did they do? Did they know I was making a painting of their home?

Whispering Pines Oil Painting
12 x 24 inches

My answer to who lived in that house came last month while walking past it one day. I've walked past their home many times, but nothing. Then one day it happened! On that day, a man whizzed out of the driveway, passing me on his bike. I noticed a rolled up paper on the back of it. He kept bicycling which gave me no time to say, "excuse me, who are you?"

As luck would have it, on my return walk, he was coming from the opposite direction, slow enough where I could get his attention. The rolled up paper was my conversation starter. He was an ex-mayor of Camp Verde. The document was a legal document having to do with ensuring Camp Verde's water rights.

I whipped out my phone to show him a photo of the painting of his home I had done. He was impressed. He told me that he loved it. He asked if I could send him a link that he could show his wife. I did, explaining that I would be glad to show it to them in person someday, and that was that. I haven't seen or heard from him since. But, it was fun to meet and chat with the owner of the house on the hill I see every day and now have captured in paint.

This painting was a joy to paint. I did have fun with color, abstraction, and moving the paint-loaded palette knife across the board with pleasure. It asked more of me as a painter. I've got my work cut out ahead of me to hone the craft of drawing and perspective. It's a challenge I welcome. I know my painting will be better for it.

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Monday, May 21, 2018

Four Oil Paintings 12 x 24

Four Oil Paintings Completed 12 x 24

O
il paintings drying

Needing painting boards one day, I walked into Home Depot in Cottonwood, Arizona. Perusing the wood section, I walked past 1/2 inch, 1/4, inch, and 1/8 inch sheets of oak and birch, which I have loved using in the past. I might be getting lazy since I looked at them, thought about the frame I would need to build around them for strength, and kept walking.

Oil paintings drying

I landed in front of MDF. Hmmm... ??? I've used MDF before. I kind of liked the smooth surface. I decided I would buy that. It wouldn't need to be built into a painting panel. I figured I would buy decorative frames after I finished the paintings. I bought a sheet and had them cut it into 12 x 24 inch sized surfaces to paint on. I've discovered over the years that I like this size, as it's well suited for landscape paintings.

Since switching from acrylics to oils, I researched how to prepare the boards for painting with oil. The easiest method I ran across was to paint a thin layer of oil paint and let it dry. Easy enough.

I enjoy the freedom of painting with a palette knife. So, I that's what I used with each of these abstract oil paintings. They are freestyle paintings, each one is unique.

Which one do you like best?

Emerald City, 12 x 24 inches, Oil on MDF.

Desert Landscape, 12 x 24 inches, Oil on MDF

Fire Mountain, 12 x 24 inches, Oil on MDF

Emergence, 12 x 24 inches
Oil on MDF

Until Next Time

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