Road to Marconi by Impressionist Carol Smith Myer

Painted with the California Art Club all last weekend at Marconi Center, it was a blast. This is my favorite of the six paintings I did. 11x14, oil on linen panel.

Sea and the Shore by Carol Smith Myer

This is technically the bay and Tiburon, but I was singing Robby Hecht's "Sea and the Shore" while I was painting, so that is how I will remember it. Great love song between the elements. 9x12, oil on linen panel.

Garapata California plein air oil landscape paintings

Garapata Strength   5" x 7" oil on canvas panel   $100.

I tried to take some photos of work in progress, but like usual I missed a few steps. For this painting I used a cotton canvas for the support, not my favorite. I used some of Gamblin's solvent free get to help move the paint when I first layed in the paint. It helped to spread over the rougher canvas weave.

The second painting was a small barn with a patch of wild mustard.

Wild Mustard  5"x7" oil on canvas panel   $100.

On to a new location tomorrow. I will be staying and painting with a friend in Redwood City, CA for a couple of days.

Talk to you all later.

Becky

http://beckyjoy.com

End of the Day—Painting, Workshop and Project 125 BECKY JOY

"End of the Day"   11"x14" oil

As some of you may know, I just got back a couple of days ago from teaching a workshop Ohio. I had a great group of students and the class was a resounding success thanks to the organization of Donna Pierce-Clark who put it together. Thank you Donna!

I started each morning with a quick demo and lecture, then everyone went back to their easel to paint. Everyone brought in their own photos which gave a lot of different paintings for everyone to learn from during the critique. Of course, one of the paintings that painted was a sunset. What I hear from most artists is that they want to learn how to paint sunsets and create light in their paintings. Each student was also given my book, Create Better Paintings Using Foundational Concepts which helps to reinforce what I taught and is a good reminder. I was so busy teaching and helping 16 students that I didn't get around to taking a group shot. Below are some of the photos that I do have of the workshop and student work.

Thank you to all my students in Ohio for making a great three days for me. I appreciate each of you and keep up the good work.

I've had plenty to catch up on since I've been gone. One is to get a few studio paintings done. 

Next up, I have decided that I will have to suspend the Project 125. I have had so much happen with family lately and too many commitments that I need to follow through with that are more important. I will continue to paint some small paintings pricing them at $125. each until the end of October. I was beginning to feel too much pressure to do some other work that I need to get done, so......

While I was in Rocky Mountain National Park, I video taped a demo. I will be putting it together for my second video workshop by next week. I'll let you know and I will continue to be posting big and small works both, almost everyday.

Next workshop up is Hood River, OR where I will be judging the plein air show and teaching a one day workshop. Then Sept 27 -29 will be the Carmel, Indiana workshop. Hope to see some of you there.

Becky Joy

website

Cottonwoods and High Desert paintings, painting workshops BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy         Day 47, Silver and Purple       oil      6 inches x 6 inches        $125.

Janet Anderson and I went out close to home today to a small pond by her house. Of course, I went for the trees, not the water. This was the second painting today. I was attracted to the silvery sage color against the purples and rusts of the shack. I don't know what kind of tree or bush this is, but they are very typical of the high desert in the west. There were beautiful blues, violets and grays in the bush. I think the trick with this painting was to not have the contrast between the building and the sky on the right take over the composition. InB reality that was the greatest contrast, so I had to make some soft edges, play the contrast down and pump it up more between the bush and the darks of the shed. I painted another tree, a cottonwood, earlier. As I said yesterday, I love the cottonwoods. Below is the first painting.

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© 2013 Becky Joy     Cottonwood Tree    oil    10 inches x 8 inches    $800.

Click here to purchase. There are still some openings in my Carmel, Indiana workshop if you are in that area. Sept 27-29

More workshops:

Phoenix, AZ  Oct  3-5

Fredericksburg, TX  Oct 24 - 26

Dahlonega, GA  Oct 31 - Nov 2

ONLINE  Workshops

E Book

talk to you all later, Becky Joy

http://beckyjoy.com

Day 46 Road View Painting and new online workshop BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy    Day 46, Road Vista      oil      6 inches x 6 inches    $125.

            

I'm getting into the swing here of painting in Colorado, but then there is that afternoon rain to contend with. I got up early to go to Rocky Mtn National Park to paint some mountains. I finished an 8x10, started another, then the rain came.  So, after driving around a bit, I went down to Lyon and Longmont and painted trees. I finished this painting, started another and had to pack it up when the rain came again. I think Janet Anderson and I will stick close to home tomorrow so we don't have to get up so early and to also avoid some of the afternoon rains in the mountains.

I got some great photos of clouds today. The 8x10 painting is mostly clouds with a little mountains. I video taped the painting process for my next online workshop which will be released in about a week. The unfinished tree that I started has enough color notes so that I can continue it from a photo. The big ol' cottonwoods are just wonderful to paint, love em.

The response to my online workshop video that I released last work has been great. I've gotten several emails of thanks. But, I want to thank all of the artists that purchased from me. It started a little rocky with me uploading a video in the wrong format, not everyone was able to download it. But, I did get a new copy to everyone and remade the video in a different format. So, all is well now and thank you everyone for your patience. I also made a change at the suggestion of a viewer. She said she would like a copy of the reference photo to download. I now have the reference photo that I used in the video and the supply list as pdf's for all to download. That should make the experience even easier.

I plan on having 2 videos uploaded each month. For several months I have been organizing an online workshop with several videos of concepts to package together as a more complete workshop. Once I have finished videoing all of the segments, I will offer the package workshop for sale. But, I need to be home more to make the videos.

I'll talk to you all tomorrow,

Becky Joy

Aspen Trees Painting and New Online Painting Workshop BECKY JOY

OK, the project has been gathering dust. I do have an excuse or a few of them.

• We have had some ongoing family problems here, but they are getting resolved, sort of.....
• My computer broke down.
• I didn't have internet access.
• I had to go shopping for a new computer.
• I had to set up the computer
• I'm packing for a trip to Colorado for the Plein Air Artists of Colorado Show
• I'm getting ready for my workshop I will be teaching in Ohio.
• I had to put together a full page ad for a studio tour in Nov.

Are those good enough? I survived, although a little harried as I write this. The good thing is I did get something done that I've been intending to do and hoped to get online in the fall. I filmed an online workshop and have it ready for sale. The response from my book has been very good and I have had artists asking for a long time if I had dvd's for sale. Well, I've got one for sale now. The video is a 15 minute lesson with me painting a grove of aspen trees, you watching and me teaching you about my process, my color choices, my brushwork and much more. For more info on the workshop click the excerpt below. The full video is available on my online workshop page at http://beckyjoy.com/online-workshops.
 The workshop is packed with information for only $15. I will have many videos as time goes on. (I have plans). I hope that you can join me. If you would like to receive an email whenever I post a new video workshop, fill out the form here. The painting below is the finished painting I created in this workshop.

 

© 2013 Becky Joy     Aspen Grove    oil    6 inches x 6 inches    $125.

To purchase click here.

Off tomorrow traveling, but I'll post as soon as I can.

Becky Joy
workshops

Day 44, Project 125 Ranch House, plein air paintings BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy      Day 44, Ranch House    oil    6 inches x 6 inches    $125.

This composition is reminiscent of yesterday's. I've been using the small paintings painted in the studio as a way to experiment, but also trying to find ones that I want to paint larger. What struck me about this scene was the grasses and the fence posts. I may do something similar to this painting, creating more foreground with the fence posts. I'll have to play with this one some more.

After painting this one, I worked on a couple of plein air paintings that have been hanging around the studio. The first one was painting in Zion last fall during the plein air festival. I liked the overall scene, but felt that it just didn't have the wow factor to it. I painted some shadow in the foreground which helped to bring out the background light. I also softened the mountains and clouds on the left side to help bring out the bright yellows on the right side. I think the painting is much more successful now.

© 2013 Becky Joy     High Desert Dance     oil   11 inches x 14 inches

Next up was a painting that had just literally five strokes on paint added to it. I painted this a couple of years ago in Escalante, Utah. I was attracted to the afternoon light and all the junk in and around this little shed. The pile of light colored "stuff" on the right is where I added a little more light. I wanted the attention there and it needed to be lighter to bring the viewer there.

© 2013 Becky Joy      Utah Storage    oil     8 inches x 10 inches

Tomorrow I need to get down to some serious painting. I spent too much time working on my facebook page this morning. Unfortunately, I find the computer and photoshop too much fun.

Create Better Paintings Using Foundational Concepts E-Book 

Talk to you tomorrow,

Becky Joy

Workshops

Day 43, Project 125 Yamhill, Oregon Red Barn oil landscape painting BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy   Nightfall       oil    6 inches x 6 inches      $125.

Today I played with color after finishing my large barn painting, Yamhill Barn, 30"x40" oil. I felt like a nocturne. I had had this one in my mind for a couple of weeks. It was one that I was going to paint larger, but I thought I would try it first in a small size. I'm not sure if I will go larger with it or move on. I need to get some sunsets going in larger sizes. That may be next on the agenda.

In this painting I used a small range of colors keeping them grayed with subtle differences between them. It is always tricky to get enough light in the painting, but dark enough to tell the viewer it is nighttime. Without enough light it is just a dark painting. I like to have some definite light hitting an object to create more interest in a nocturne. In this one the moon is outside the field of vision.

Here is the painting, Yamhill Barn

E-Book: How to Create Better Paintings Using Foundational Concepts

Preview the book, click here.

I'll talk to you all tomorrow.

Becky Joy

workshops

Day 40, project 125 Lone tree and rock wash painterly painting BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy    Day 40, Lone Tree   oil    6 inches x 6 inches    $125.

Today is another difficult day with my daughter. I painted this morning and also started my next book or most probably a dvd about color. I've been going through notes that I have gathered together over several months and organizing my thoughts. Right now, it is an outline and where I will start. A couple more days and I can start video taping some. I've had so many people ask me about dvd's and especially about color. It's time to start working on it. It will be more intensive than the last book that I put together, because it is a complicated and sometimes difficult subject to understand.

Today, while I was painting this painting I was think more about color itself and how I use it. The range of colors in this painting is in the blues and greens with a little bit of orange and red, which is a split complementary. The complementary colors red and orange are just used as an accent. The painting seems colorful, but it is a small range of colors, but it does harmonize very well.  I softened the background with my brush to knock it back, giving more aerial perspective.

I will be taking off real soon to go back to my daughter's house to make dinner for everyone and to have dinner myself for tonight. Back to the painting tomorrow.

How to Create Better Paintings E-Book $14.95.

Becky Joy

Workshops

Day 39, Drifting white clouds plein air oil landscape painting by BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy     Day 39, Clouds      oil    6 inches x 6 inches    $125.

 Hi everyone,
I didn't paint yesterday. I had a family situation come up and went to my daughter's late on Thursday night. Yesterday I spent the whole day there. She has been having a difficult time lately. She has three children, has been going to school full time, 4 years and now starting her last year. This summer she has been going through a divorce which, like a lot of cases, hasn't been easy. She needed my help yesterday, so I put the paints and computer away and went over there to help. Everything is better, but we are all tired. My oldest grandson is off to football camp in CA now (his second year of varsity as a sophmore and a great kid). The next one, a young teenage girl has been off doing girl things with a friend, each staying overnight at each other's houses (and last night I took them to the movies). The youngest girl who will be in the third grade has just been playing with her neighborhood friend, back and forth to each others homes. All is well there and now all is well with my daughter. I cleaned, made dinner and took some pressure off of her for the day.

So, on to my painting today. I took it easy today, went out on my back patio and painted the passing clouds, a peaceful scene. I also gathered four paintings and frames that I will be shipping off to the Good Art Company Gallery in Fredericksburg, TX. That was the extent of my day and I don't think I'll be making up the painting I missed yesterday. In the scheme of things, big deal. I may have one or two less paintings.

Join me for an exciting experience in

TUSCANY, ITALY PAINTING WORKSHOP

June 7 - 14, 2014

Book before Aug 31 for a discount. Click here for details.

Have a good weekend and I'll talk to you all tomorrow.
Becky   Joy
workshops

How to Create Better Paintings

Using Foundational Concepts

Day 38, Project 125 Peaceful and Restful oil landscape painting BECKY JOY

© 2014 Becky Joy    Peaceful Respite    oil     6 inches x 6 inches      $125.

Click here to purchase.

Today (I always start out that way, don't I).   Hmmm.... gotta mix it up a bit.  Anyway, on with the day. I shipped off my paintings for the Plein Air Artists Colorado Annual Show at Abend Gallery in Denver. The show runs Aug 10 - 31.

Then, it was off to the art store in Scottsdale. I needed some smaller new tubes of paint for traveling on the plane. Some of my tubes were no longer readable, so much better to be safe and have labels clearly marked and full tubes. Then a couple more errand and lunch with my daughter. The afternoon was finally spent painting. This was painted in the studio, a kind of restful, peaceful scene. I think I needed that.

I hope some of you can join me painting in Italy at the Posara Watermill June 7 -14, 2014. Booking from now until Aug 31, 2013 there is a special discount where you can save on the rates. For more information on the workshop click here.

Now, a quiet evening!

Becky Joy

Workshops

Create Better Paintings Using  Foundational Concepts

Day 35, Abandoned Turn-of-the-Century Home oil Painting BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy    Abandoned House    oil     6 inches x 6 inches     $125.

Today was a day of errands. I woke up late, finally got on the treadmill after an hour and a half or so on the computer. While I was on the treadmill, I remembered that I was meeting a bunch of artists today at 11:30. After a quick shower, it was on the road. It was a great lunch-meeting with some good networking. I learned all kinds of things that were going on locally here. Anyway, ideas are forming now. I then stopped at my daughter's house, talked a while with her and the grandkids, went to the store with her and borrowed her camera.

I came home a took some photos of a bunch of paintings. (Her camera is a better one than mine. I use it for special photos here and there.)  After that, I finally got down to some painting this afternoon. I intended to work on a large one today, but it didn't happen. This was it! This painting is similar to a plein air that I painted in Oregon. This time, I played with the edges a little more and tried to loosen up with all but the white of the house. The field is looser with a pathway of a couple of strong strokes.

Tomorrow, there's always tomorrow for the big painting and to get that one more little painting caught up. I am behind one now. This weekend I spent most of my time rebuilding my webite, Easel Notes. I opened a website on the computer while I had my webpage open. It attacked my website before I knew it. I had to go into the html to remove it and while I was at it, I was putting in a new header, then a new menu......... Well, it was a big job. I'm not quite done, but it's looking a lot better. Some little changes and additions and it will be in pretty good shape. Then, I'll try to start posting on it more.

Talk to you all later.

Becky Joy

Workshops

Day 31, Oregon Country Road oil landscape painting | BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy    Oregon Country Road     oil     6 inches x 6 inches      $125.

Back in the studio today blocking in a couple of large paintings. This small one is one that I painted in the studio starting with a photo from Oregon. I blocked-in the 24"x30" using this small painting as a way to work out the colors and composition. It is always a challenge to go from small to large and still have that fresh look. It also takes a big brush.

Today we finally had some rain in Phoenix. It's about time. Not only do we need the moisture, but it does give a reprieve from the incessant heat, even if it is for just a short time. Tomorrow I will be back in the studio continuing on a larger painting and working out another. I've always found the small paintings a good way to experiment.

Talk to you all later.

Becky Joy

workshops

Day 25, Project 125 Baker City Oregon plein air oil landscape painting BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy     Baker City Oregon Clouds   oil on panel     6 inches x 6 inches   $125.

It is been a challenge with the computer the last couple of days. I left my family in Oregon 2 days ago and have been on the road. I stayed the night in Baker City, Oregon which is in Eastern Oregon. The internet access that I had was verrrrry slow, but I did manage to get some work done. And, that was the problem, some but not all the work. I uploaded my new e-book, but was not able to finish the job. So, those that paid were not getting the e-book. Once I got to my friend, Shanna Kunz' house in Utah I finally got a good connection. This morning I was able to finish everything with the e-book and now trying to catch up with the blogging, emails, etc, etc.

Anyway, back on the job here. My e-book, Create Beautiful Paintings Using Foundational Concepts, is now on my website and for sale 

I've got some more photography to take to catch up. But for now, I'm painting with my friend Shanna!

Talk to you all tomorrow.

Becky Joy

Workshops

Day 24, Leaving Willamette Valley Oregon BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy   Willamette Valley Farm   oil on panel  6 inches x 6 inches   $125.

OK, I'm falling down on the blogging job, not the painting job. The blogging is much harder!

I'm on the road again. I was busy yesterday working on and finishing my ebook. I now have a pdf ebook, How to Create Beautiful Paintings Using Foundational Concepts. I went through the formatting for Amazon and have wasted some time there uploading it 3 times. I've read the directions, but I'm still having trouble with images....later.

I had an eventful day yesterday or maybe it was Friday. I found out that my painting, Strength and Serenity was accepted to the American Impressionist Society Show. I painted this painting while I was in Yosemite. Nothing like working on a deadline, 2 days to spare! I knew when I left that I didn't have anything to enter and was kind of sweating it. Made it, Yay! Below is the painting Strength and Serenity.

I painted another painting here in Eastern Oregon where I am now, but it was too dark to photograph. So, it will probably be two images tomorrow.

© 2013 Becky Joy  Strength and Serenity   oil   11 inches x 14 inches

Time to log off and get to bed. Talk to you all tomorrow.

Becky Joy

workshops

Day 23 Rural Austin Texas Dusk, plein air to studio mood painting BECKY JOY

   

© 2013 Becky Joy    Rural Austin Texas Dusk      oil on panel     6 inches x 6 inshes     $125.

Click here to purchase.

This may be Texas, but I'm still in Oregon. I was itching to paint some mood paintings. This is one of them. I used a small 6x6 plein air that I painted in Austin, TX in May while at the OPA Show. Even though I invent the color of my mood paintings, the plein air paintings are very useful to me. The plein air will show me the relationship of colors to each other, which is something that I am still concerned about in paintings that I invent colors. I did change the lighting direction of this painting. I don't always do that, but I felt to balance the painting it was best to have the light come from the right rather than the left. This also left more sky open to put the lightest warmest color in this space. This painting is a little later in the day than the one that I painted yesterday, thus making the sky a cooler color. The ground colors reflect that sky color becoming cooler also.

The original plein air from Austin, TX

I'm excited and humbled to have my painting Strength and Serenity accepted the the American Impressionist Society National Exhibition and Show. It was a good day painting Strength and Serenity in Yosemite at the beginning of my trip.

© 2013 Becky Joy Strength and Serenity oil 11"x14"

I'll be off and on the road tomorrow, on my way to Salt Lake City to stop and visit and paint with my friend Shanna Kunz. Can't wait to paint with her. I'll be posting something on the drive there when I take a break. The next part of my adventure, Salt Lake City, UT.

Workshops:

Hood River, OR, Sep 4, 1 day plein air

Carmel, IN Sept 27 - 29, 3 day studio

Phoenix, AZ Oct 3 - 5, 3 day plein air

More workshops........click here.

Becky Joy

Project 125

Art Tips: Easel Notes Blog

Day 19, Project 125 Gaston, Oregon Farm House plein air oil painting BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy   Day 19, Gaston, Oregon Farm House    oil on panel     6 inches x 6 inches     $125.

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Hi everyone, Another great day here in Oregon. I didn't post yesterday, although I did paint in the morning. It was a busy day! This painting was painted along a small quiet gravel country road near Gaston, Oregon in the Willamette Valley. Another place not too far from my parents and sister.

This house was abandoned and it was obvious that no one had lived there for quite some time. In fact, a neighbor who watches the property, came out to check on me, what was I doing there in front of the house. It turned out just fine and she went back into her house up the hill. I love some of the big old farm trees. This one was a maple tree. It towered over the house and such bulk to it.

After painting, I came back home and my sister picked me up just before noon with her 3 Chinese daughters. The oldest was celebrating her 18th birthday. She picked the activities and off we went to Portland. We spent the day there going through a few meager shops in Chinatown in Portland, which is pretty small. A lot of restaurants, but not many shops. After that we went to Voodoo Donuts, interesting shop and a waiting line, but overkill on the sugar. Below is the lineup for the shop. We also went down to Portland State, where she will be going to school in the fall and met my older niece who works there. After starbucks and time to kill before dinner, we walked up to Powell Books. Powell's has always been a stop of mine when I come up. It is the largest bookstore in the US. It's at least 5 stories high and takes up a city block. Over the years different stores were added to it, so it is a maze and each subject has it's own room. Guess where I went! Yes, the art room. I didn't have enough time to really look at a lot and sadly, left with nothing but memories.

At dinner time we met up with my older niece again and went to a Chinese Hot Pot Restaurant. It was a small little restaurant, but the interesting part of this is that the place looked really familiar. The longer I sat there the more I realized I've been here. I asked the owner how old the building was. It was built in the late 60's. That was when the waterfront area was starting to be developed and rebuilt. I realized that this was the same building and space that I worked at for my first job out of beauty school (I was a hairdresser for 19 years). When I walked outside to the parking lot and surveyed the scene, yep, it was the same place. A few changes in 40 years, including apartment buildings in the back of the commercial space, but it was all there. Strange coincidence. Now that brought back memories.

I was too tired and hot to post when I got home, so a day late on that end.

Talk to you later,

Becky

Workshops

Day 17, Project 125 Oregon, Home Grown by BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy    Oregon, Home Grown     oil 6 inches x 6 inches     $125.

Today, I spent a lot of time at home, cleaning my car (that was a job), on the computer, and doing nothing. I went out painting late in the day. I had seen this little overgrown place along the highway. I always like those unkept places with more character. I was drawn to the variety of color in the foliage and the house peeking out from the bushes. It had an old rusted tin roof which certainly adds to the character. In the foreground their were some  ferns and all kinds of weeds growing. Some of the colors in the foreground were picked up in piles with the brush and layed on like a palette knife.

Tomorrow I think I will get out early. It is hot for this area in the afternoons.

I would like to find out from some of you what you would want me to teach you if you were taking a workshop from me.

Talk to you all tomorrow.

Becky Joy

Workshops

Day 16, Project 125 Oregon Barn Painting by BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy    Oregon Barn 1908     oil     6 inches x 6 inches   $125.

This morning I met with Ramona Youngquist, an Oregon painter just living down the road from my family, to go painting. I followed her to an old abandoned farm that she has been painting at since last spring. There were so many paintings there. The views were fantastic and the old house was great. I told her it looked like a "Romona" house. This painting is about texture and shapes. The composition, obviously is simple. I loved the bright yellow-green moss and the peeling paint.

Below are a couple more painting from today. The view, a lot of wineries around this area. In fact, this piece of property was bought by one of the wineries.

© 2013 Becky Joy   Turn of the Century House    oil 8 inches x 10 inches

© 2013 Becky Joy     Farm Tree      oil     11 inches x 14 inches

Workshops:

Hood River, OR 1 day plein air  Sept 4 I just had a cancellation for my Mississippi workshop Nov 3 - 5

Tuscany, Italy   June 7 - 14, 2014

Talk to you tomorrow.

Becky Joy