Plein Air Artists International

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Monday, July 29, 2013

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

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

Monday, July 22, 2013

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

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.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Day 33 and 34, Project 125 Painting the Desert Colors | BECKY JOY

Well, I am having a hard time getting to all the posting as I said. Consistent posting was also a goal of mine in this project. I figured it would be a long enough project to get some habits going here. Maybe. This is another painting playing with color. I'm also trying to simplify the brush strokes, which is much easier to do with small paintings than large.

This is actually from an old painting that I did about 3 years ago. I no longer have the painting, but I do have a photograph. The colors aren't a lot different, but I have loosened up a lot. I would say that my strokes are much more confident. It is hard to get those loose strong brushstrokes without putting some miles behind the brush and feel confident in what you're doing. I remember hearing "paint with confidence". Easy said, when there is so little that you know.

It has been very hot here in Phoenix now, Of course, it's summer. Surprise! We had a good monsoon storm last night, wine, rain, lightening, the works. It's exciting with the weather change like that. I didn't even have to water the lawn today. Yay!

I just got my flyer for the Tuscany workshop. If you sign up before Sept 1, 2013, you will save a substantial amount on the trip. If you are interested in more details, email me at beckyjoy@beckyjoy.com. My workshops are either full or very close to being filled, so make sure to sign up if you are thinking about signing up. workshops

Talk to you all tomorrow.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

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

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.

Friday, July 5, 2013

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

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.

oak tree field canyon plein air oil painting

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

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

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

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

Day 20, Project 125 Yamhill Oregon Farm plein air oil painting

This morning I went out in the Yamhill area and painted two paintings. First was a 10"x8" on linen, which is posted below. I liked, of course, the group of trees and the road, but also the lay of the land. It was quite sunny and nice this morning. The only real shadow was the group of trees. The dirt road and the field were in sunlight. It was a nice quiet road again, a pattern here on those quiet roads.

After driving around and taking some photos of more farms, hills and trees, I found a spot to pull over and paint my 6"x6" today, the Yamhill Oregon Farm Field. There was a variety of colors in the field with the flowers and different grasses and weeds. It made an interesting pattern.

Still spaces available in the one day plein air workshop in Hood River, OR Sept 4

Check out my other workshops including Italy and Croatia.

Talk to you all tomorrow. Who will I be painting with tomorrow?

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Day 18, Project 125 Meadow Lake Rd, Oregon plein air painting by BECKY JOY

Day 18 now. I went out early this morning to beat the heat, but instead I spent most of the day out painting, not too surprising! I started the morning driving out in the country. I just turned on a road that looked interesting. I drove down several roads, finding one that had several old farm homes and barns. I spent an hour or more photographing, some while driving. Thank goodness they weren't busy roads. The problem with country roads is that there aren't many places to pull off and park. I then turned down a road with a familiar name, Panther Creek. I knew it was by my sister's old farm.

As I drove I got deeper into forest and I could tell I was heading toward the coast. I stopped when I saw an old abandoned farm house with some big trees and the remnants of an orchard and the plus, there was a place to park. (The painting is below) I almost finished the painting when a man and his high school age daughter stopped to see what I was painting. We talked and he gave me some history on the house. It was his grandmother's house and had been vacant for about 20 years. He lived across the street on part of the family farm. The farm had been in the family for generations and was the old stagecoach stop on Panther Creek from McMinville to the coast.

We also got to talking when I told him that I stopped on Panther Creek, because it was near my sister's old farm. I told them she was a teacher in Carlton and said her name. The daughter asked if she was the one with 3 Chinese daughters in high school. Yep, that's her and with two older kids that are grown. The girl had been a student of her's and she now was in high school with the younger girls. The father then said, "You know there are some Henry's around here." I said both he and his brother lived here, so there are others in the family. I said I knew I was close to there place.

When I left and went out to the next cross street I could see the name of the road, Meadow Lake, the road my sister lived on. I drove about a mile down the road and there was their house up on the hill with the field and oak trees. It has been a good 15 to 20 years since she moved. Strange, I was driving all these roads I didn't know and landed up right there. Anyway, I had to stop along Meadow Lake and paint on the road. The result is the top painting. It was HOT by then!

Talk to you tomorrow,

Saturday, June 29, 2013

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

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.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Day 16, Project 125 Oregon Barn Painting by BECKY JOY

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.

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.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Day 13, Project 125 Painting Oregon farms

I finally made it to my destination in Oregon late last night. It was a light, typical rain almost all through my drive in Oregon. I slept in this morning, but did get out for a short time later in the day. In this scene I was attracted to the clouds that enveloped the top of the mountain and of course, the green field.

Everything is pretty green right now, and a nice, pleasant temperature. It will be heating up by the end of the week, sounds like record temps to me. I visited with family today and will be seeing friends and more family while I'm here. I'm a fourth generation born in Oregon City (my son was a fifth). You can imagine that I have a lot of relatives here. It's funny every time I come up here, I'm struck by how green it is, certainly compared to the desert. Summers are perfect in the Northwest.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to start getting out and doing a little more plein air, hopefully early in the morning. You'll see what I see tomorrow.

I still have space in my one day workshop in Hood River, OR on Sept 4 during the plein air event that I will be judging. Check out the details here.

I'll be here tomorrow.

Day 12, Project 125 Susanville, CA Barn plein air painting

I didn't get out of Lake Tahoe until almost 11:00. (I had to stop by the post office to get something in the mail that was overdue, oops!) Anyway, got my work done and posted my painting from the night before.

I remember Susanville from years ago going through there on the way to Reno from Oregon. I don't know why it has always stuck in my mind, but I do love those old barns and farms. In this barn I got a great shot of an old truck, which is below. I'll have to paint that later.

It was afternoon by the time I got in Susanville. I was struck by the beautiful blues of the mountains. That blue always seems indescribable in paint. It's kind of an ultramarine & colbalt combination. In this painting I placed the light of the sky against the dark of the barn, adding a little yellow and cad red to the white, just a tiny, tiny bit. I very seldom use a pure white in a painting and only sparingly.

Upcoming Workshops:

Hood River, OR 1 day plein air Sept 4, click here for info

Carmel, IN 3 day plein air Sept 24 - 27, click here for info

Tuscany, Italy June 7 - 17, 2014, click here for info

Korkula Island, Croatia Sept 14 - 23, 2014, click here for info

Talk to you all later,

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Twin Lakes, the Lake Tahoe Day 10, Project 125 BECKY JOY

I started at Twin Lakes and ended at Lake Tahoe, what a difference. Actually, I was in Tahoe all day getting here last night at my friend, Michele de Braganca's house. We went out painting today at Obexer's Boat Yard. I've heard there are several artists that have painted there, a lot of material. I intended on painting a small one after the larger painting that I painted, but I was wiped out and layed down in the camper after the painting below. I had this one painting from the day before that I thought I would add today for #10.

I was drawn to the shapes in this scene first thing and then all the color in and around the boats. I kept my hard edges for the boats and around them.

I'm hurrying to get this post done so that we can all go to a soltice party on the lake. It should be great with the BIG moon tonight. Have a great weekend everyone. Talk to you tomorrow.

Becky Joy

website

Friday, June 21, 2013

Day #9, Project 125 Twin Lakes, CA Cabin, BECKY JOY

Day #9, a long time camping and up at dawn, not the norm for me, but I do get up at dawn for painting. This was painted at about 8 am after starting another at dawn that I wasn't able to finish. I liked the shadow shapes, but also the contrast of the red-orange of the cabin with the greens in the scene. The topography was also interesting to paint the flat field and the hillside with the cabin. It was a nice calm morning with the wind picking up in the afternoon.

By the time I painted this painting, it was windy, which is probably the norm in this region. I saw this scene the first day I arrived in Bridgeport, CA. Today I stopped across the street to see if I could park in a motel parking lot to paint. I was told "NO". So I went across the street and found a better view anyway. It was fun painting all the shades of green and white. I had to play down some of the whites to get a brighter white up on the peak of the background house. I also used a thicker brushstroke there and brightened the red roof next to the white bringing the viewer to that area. Below are photos of the above scenes.

Now, it's on the road to my next destination, Lake Tahoe, to my friends house. Nothing like stopping at a friends for a hot shower. Nice!
Talk to you all tomorrow.
Becky Joy
website

workshops

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Day #8, Project 125 Balancing Act , CA Sierras, BECKY JOY

Balancing act, that's what it feels like trying to keep up on my posts without having regular internet access. I found an old Inn and Bar in the town of Bridgeport, CA. Cool place and old (at least in the west) 1887. The town is really interesting and very small. I've walked around town, maybe 5 blocks ( a long walk, lol) Below is a photo of the courthouse. I'll have to take a photo of the Inn when I leave.

I've been camping nearby. This morning I intended to get up at dawn to paint the mountains, they were really a warm pink color. I was about 20 minutes too late. I wasn't able to finish the painting, so it's up at dawn to finish it tomorrow.

I loved all the tumbled rocks at the higher elevations. There were plenty I passed, but there weren't good areas to pull over when I did see something. Finally, a place to park and paint both."Balancing Act" is the results. One more night camping and then onto my friends house and a real bed. Nice!

Talk to you all tomorrow.

Becky