Painting in Progress - Purple Flower

 

My painting, Purple Flower, took a turn today. I’ve been resisting putting lime-green on it. Today I gave in.

I saw a painting, Hibiscus, by Georgia O’Keefe, which has its main color scheme of yellow and purple in the Facebook group Georgia O’Keefe (Official). I thought I should introduce yellow into the painting as the complementary color to purple. I wasn’t sure how to go about it or what shade of yellow to use. When I saw her painting, I had to try it. I have put an orange-yellow shape on it, which I wasn’t sure was working. 

Turns out the lime green energized it as I thought it would. But, then I added a slice of blue for the sky modeling O’Keefe’s painting, Hibiscus. I wonder if it works or if it pushed too much into a nature scene.

I added yellow to the lower section. Then, I decided it was too bright and covered it with lime green (Green Gold). It toned the yellow down. But it could be overkill. The background might overshadow the star of the painting, the flower. I’ll have to see what happens after it dries overnight. Many times, the colors lighten as they soak into the raw canvas.

Please Comment

What do you think of the color combination of the detail I've added here? 

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.
• Buy art.
• Make art.

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.

Websites

• Igniting Your Intentions (INTENTivity)
• Art website

To follow my work, catch me on social media:

• Instagram-my art
• Instagram-INTENTivity
• Facebook: My Art Biz page
• Facebook: INTENTivity Biz page
• Facebook: INTENTivity Intro Group

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.

I want to hear from you! Leave a comment below.

5-day FREE Challenge: Light the Creative Fire Within – June 3
Join us... Sign up now.