3 Red Paintings

 

Flora
Vibrant swaths of red, purple, and gold dominate the scene, with what appears to be a chaotic and expressive application of paint. Dabs of green and sporadic gold circles add contrast to the bold colors, suggesting an abstract and dynamic composition.
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Bold Move
Vivid colors and dynamic brush strokes create an abstract composition that is energetic and chaotic. Dark purple and black areas contrast with bright red, green, and gold hues, while splatters and dabs of paint add to the sense of movement.
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Spring Shoots
A red and bronze abstract painting with gold burst and bright green accents. Dark green shoots sprout up through the bright green mounds.
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What do you think?

Let me know in the comments.

Salt Mine in Red, Orange, and Yellow - New Plein Air Painting

 

Salt Mine in Red, Orange, and Yellow
11 x 14 x 0.5 inches
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas

Passionate red, orange, and yellow warm up this canvas and set the dull desert landscape aglow.

Using my new process of painting a colorful abstract base coat, these colors are warm as opposed to the cool colors of the previous painting.

I was so excited and jazzed to get outside and paint, I forgot to pack my palette paper. So, for this painting, the paint was squeezed directly from the tube onto the canvas. I mixed it as I painted. The result is a higher saturated color.

The dark blue mountains add high contrast to the undulating sandy hills and mountains in front of it. The heat of red and orange seem to blaze through the neutral colors of the landscape. Yellow suggests sunny skies.

Let me know what you think of this painting in the comments below. Thank you for reading this far.

Me, Mary Rush, with my painting.

Salt Mine in Blue, Purple, and Green - New Painting

Salt Mine in Blue, Purple, and Green
11 x 14 x 0.5 inches
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas

Since last week's plein air painting in monochrome hues of silver, bronze, gold, and beige, it was time to add color.

I decided on a blue, purple, and green color scheme. The new process of painting an abstract painting as the base coat for my Plein air paintings is so exciting to me. It adds a spring in my step and I can't wait to begin the process.

This one took the shape of the landscape naturally without trying. When I had the painting in front of me on the land, the mountains seems to line up with what I had randomly painted abstractly. Woohoo! So much fun!

I grabbed the palette knife and mixed the paint to the sandy color of the desert floor. Slabs of the creamy beige appeared on top of the colorful abstract below it. I laid the paint down in the direction of the mountains. I let the color show through in strategic places to add surprise and wonder to the landscape scene. Two gold dots peek out boldly.

The salt mine is a wonderful place to paint. I could paint hundreds of paintings there and never tire of it. Remnants of the past salt mine stick out the ground as if they are part of the flora.

Let me know what you think in the comments. Thanks for reading this far.

Me, Mary Rush, with my painting - Salt Mine in Blue, Purple, and Green.

The Throne of God Painting - 11 x 14 - Mixed Media on Canvas

 

The Throne of God painting and me, Mary Rush.

The Throne of God

• Mixed media on Canvas
• 14 x 11 x 0.5 in
• Still wet, will be available in 2-6 months

Now that the weather is warming up, it’s time to hit the painting Plein air trail again. I’m changing up my process. I hope you like the new look of my landscapes.

 

A land formation at the salt mine conjures my imagination of being an enormously large chair where God sits. It is in a direct line with my driveway. So, I always feel like I live at God’s feet. He (yes, my God is he) sits on his throne and watches over me.

 

The photo on the left is a scanned version of the center of the painting. I stand next to the full painting in the photo to the right. The metallic gold and silver, white, and beige color scheme is subtle except for the high contrasting lines.

 

It’s always a thrill to hit the hiking trail with paints and an easel in tow. As much as I love painting abstract, I love being in nature too. The new process marries both the abstract and the landscape. I have the best of both worlds now. It feels great.

Collage Exploration on 9 x 12 Canvas - #4: Village Boardwalk
9 x 12 x 0.5 inches
Acrylic and Paper on Canvas
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Collage Exploration on 9 x 12 Canvas #4 - Village Boardwalk

9 x 12 x 0.5 inches

Acrylic and Paper on Canvas

#4 of 4 in the Series: Village Boardwalk

When I walk down the boardwalk, people stop me and say, 'Oh, your house is the one that glows.'–Mary Matalin

This fourth and final piece of this series is similiar to the third in color, design, and composition. The foreground wanted to be a lighter color than #3. But the same oranges, reds, and pinks are also part of the main color story of this painting.

The composition is asymmetrical with curvilinear lines. There is high contrast of darks and lights and warm colors and cool colors. The shapes seem to move to the right. The three triangles in the foreground anchor the composition.

All in all, I think it's a pleasing and colorful image filled with good cheer. What do you think? I'd love to hear, leave a comment below.

It takes a few to make war, but it takes a village and a nation to build peace.

–Abiy Ahmed 

 

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Insitu

Back Story on the Series

I have been working on a four-painting series for the past month. All four paintings are now complete. This post features the third in the series.

The Series

This series consists of four small paintings on gallery-wrapped canvas measuring 9 x 12 x 0.5 inches. The media used was acrylic paint and paper. I did two series on 9 x 12 inch paper of three paintings each and wanted to try it with gallery-wrapped canvas.

Process

The first step was to paint a white acrylic base coat on each painting. Then, I adhered colored paper shapes onto each of the four canvases, each receiving a unique approach. I painted all four canvases with the underlayer, which helped determine the design direction of each painting. 

After the initial sessions of working on all four at once, I considered each one and worked consecutively, finishing each piece as I progressed to the next. 

I wanted to make a series of small paintings that would hang well together. After the first painting, the color scheme took a different route. Numbers two, three, and four share a similar color story. Numbers three and four follow an almost identical design style along with the color story. 

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“Composition is the art of arranging in a decorative manner the diverse elements at the painter’s command to express his feelings.”
–Henri Matisse

Me, Mary Rush, with my painting, Village Boardwalk

 

Collage Exploration Series on 9 x 12 Canvas - Painting #3 of 4 - Fishermans Wharf

Collage Exploration on 9 x 12 Canvas #3 - Fishermans Wharf

9 x 12 x 0.5 inches

Acrylic and Paper on Canvas

I have been working on a four-painting series for the past month. All four paintings are now complete. This post features the third in the series.

The Series

This series consists of four small paintings on gallery-wrapped canvas measuring 9 x 12 x 0.5 inches. The media used was acrylic paint and paper. I did two series on 9 x 12 inch paper of three paintings each and wanted to try it with gallery-wrapped canvas.

Process

The first step was to paint a white acrylic base coat on each painting. Then, I adhered colored paper shapes onto each of the four canvases, each receiving a unique approach. I painted all four canvases with the underlayer, which helped determine the design direction of each painting. 

After the initial sessions of working on all four at once, I considered each one and worked consecutively, finishing each piece as I progressed to the next. 

I wanted to make a series of small paintings that would hang well together. After the first painting, the color scheme took a different route. Numbers two, three, and four share a similar color story. Numbers three and four follow an almost identical design style along with the color story. 

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Fishermans Wharf - Coming to a wall near you.
Purchase information.

#3 of 4 in the Series: Fishermans Wharf

The third piece took a cue from the previous piece in its color story. It differentiated itself from numbers one and two with its design, shifting the color story to include a dark foreground. The spiral theme did not carry through with this painting.

At one point, the painting looked rather dull. I made a bold move, and grabbed a nearby torn piece of paper and ran a magenta paint stroke over the edge. That was just what it needed to breath life back into it. But, the painting was not done yet. I worked a lot with the mid ground and foreground to add contrast. The upper pink section around the gold circular shape took a bit coaxing to bring itself into form. 

The dark foreground received several different shades of blue-green leaning at times toward blue, then toward green, and in the end somewhere in between.

Summary of #3

All in all, I think it's lively and entertaining image. What do you think? I'd love to hear, leave a comment below.

Purchase information - Buy it Now!

Painting Series of Four Works - Collage Exploration on 9 x 12 Canvas

Slivers of the paintings as I worked on them.

I have been working on a four-painting series and running a contest. I hope you voted to win a set of art notecards or mini posters. Below is information on the series. The schedule for revealing the finished paintings is also below. 

The Series

This series consists of four small paintings on gallery-wrapped canvas measuring 9 x 12 x 0.5 inches. The media used was acrylic paint and paper. 

Process

The first step was to paint a white acrylic base coat on each painting. Then, I adhered colored paper shapes onto each of the four canvases, each receiving a unique approach. I painted all four canvases with the underlayer, which helped determine the design direction of each painting. After the initial sessions of working on all four at once, I considered each one and worked consecutively, finishing each piece as I progressed to the next. I wanted to make a series of small paintings that would hang well together. After the first painting, the color scheme took a different route. Numbers two, three, and four share a similar color story. Numbers three and four follow an almost identical design style along with the color story. 

Paintings Reveal Schedule

 My newsletter subscribers will be the first to see these paintings. They will have the first right to own them. Below is the schedule for revealing the finished paintings: 

Subscribe now to my newsletter to see the paintings first. 

Newsletter Subscribers

Thu, Jan 19: 1st painting 

Fri, Jan 20: 2nd painting 

Sat, Jan 21: 3rd painting 

Sun Jan 22: 4th, the final painting 

Social Media Reveal Schedule

Social media followers of my art will see the paintings two days after my newsletter subscribers. The two-day lag will give subscribers a chance to make their purchases. 

Sat, Jan 21: 1st painting 

Sun, Jan 22: 2nd painting 

Mon, Jan 23: 3rd painting 

Tue, Jan 24: the final painting 

Subscribe now to my newsletter to see the paintings first.

Final Vote - Final Slivers of Paintings

Vote for you favorite sliver for a chance to win a 4-pack of art notecards.
Vote in the comments - #1, #2, #3, or #4

FINAL VOTE - FINAL SLIVERS!!! Vote for your favorite sliver of a painting in the comments for a chance to win a set of four art notecards. I wonder if you'll love the one you voted for? 

The full paintings will be revealed first in my newsletter from Thu - Mon. They'll be rolled out a day later to you guys, so Fri - Tue. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you'll see them first and have first rights to own them.

SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter. See them first! Own them before anyone else sees them!

CONTEST - FUN!!! ANOTHER CHANCE TO ENTER

Vote your favorite to enter a chance to win a set of four art notecards. Choose from these four final paintings or others that are available on my website.

Vote for your favorite - #1, #2, #3, or #4 every time I post for multiple chances to win a 4-pack of notecards. Vote in the comments below.

These are slivers from a series of four 9 x 12 paintings I'm working on right now. I'm hiding them until I finish so I can show the final results. In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to show you the slivers as I complete each one. #1 and #2 are now complete. #3 and #4 are in progress. 

If you vote in the comments, I'll enter your name in a drawing to win a set of 4 mini prints, small 4.25 x 5.5 inch postcard prints of the final paintings (or your choice from my other cards). You can frame them or mail them to friends. Vote now! Every time you vote, you get another chance to win! So vote each time I update the progress.