Lasting Impressions

White

2012-03-03T18:02:00.000-08:00

"Winter Moon" 8 x 10 oil on panel
www.dailypaintworks.com

We've finally had a few days that have really felt like winter. Everywhere I look, the land and trees are heavily blanketed in their chilly coats. White is the new color of March. I know they say that if March comes in "like a Lion" she leaves like a Lamb, we''ll see!
Right before the snow falls, the atmosphere takes on a heavy feeling. The sky darkens and a sort of stillness fills the air. I really love transient, quick moments like these. My studio windows overlook the broad and wind swept fields. We don't have many tall trees, but our neighbors do and the pines and maples circle our property like pearls on a string.
Today I was a sky watcher, trying to see the colors and values that subtly changed from minute to minute. Whistler kept me company today. I can't begin to match his elegant and spare sky-scape's but I tried.
"Winter Moon is a much quieter painting than the last I posted.I thought of the the quote, "Speak softly but carry a big stick!"while I painted this one. It's good to remember that sometimes less is more and soft is loud.
The whites in this piece are far from white. The value of the snow must be dark to let the little light of the moon shine.

Home is where my heart is.

2012-03-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

"Valentine's Day" private collection

It's very easy to get restless this time of year. Maybe I have an early case of spring fever or cabin fever. Whatever the cause, lately the grass has been looking greener on the "other side " !
It is inspiring to travel and to discover new people, places and ideas. No doubt every trip we've taken has resulted in great memories and new paintings.
Recently, I requested information about the collectors who have purchased my work over the years at Edgewood Orchard Galleries. I need collector information if I have a retrospective and for publication purposes. It's a long list!
The most interesting thing I discovered in reviewing the paintings was this common link: most of the pieces I've sold are from my life at "home". I have always been drawn to things, places and people that have been a part of day to day living. My work is often inspired by familiar things that I love.
Today on face book, I posted a birthday greeting for our very old and sweet cocker spaniel, Coco. And a few hours ago ,in my list of "sold" paintings, I found one I had forgotten. "Valentines Day" was painted on a chilly February day shortly after Valentines day. Vern had brought home a beautiful bouquet of flowers as a gift. I remember noticing the bouquet in our living room. It was just a quick glance from one room into another but it became the idea for a painting. I set up my "stuff"', easel and all, on drop cloth in the den. Shortly after, Coco came to keep me company, she and her ball.
I discovered that a couple in Texas own this painting. Somehow we made a connection and my experience and life found a place in theirs. Perhaps the sweetest connection is the most common.
While I may wish for that trip to France to paint in Monet's garden, it is a good thing to note that his best work was never far from home.
Home is where my heart is. Happy 22nd birthday Coco!

Learning from the "masters"

2012-02-29T16:15:00.000-08:00

When we travel, I'm always on the lookout for used book stores. My only really treasured "souvenirs" of trips can be found in our bookcase. I keep a mental list of the artists and publishers I'm interested in but I usually leave with a surprise. The hunt for a great book is so appealing to me (love that old bookstore smell) that I remember locations we've explored by the bookstores we've discovered. My husband on the other hand, remembers the same places by the meals we've savored at local haunts. We've always been diners, drive-ins and dives kinda of folks!
This afternoon I spent some time looking at some of my books and I pulled out a black and white exhibition catalogue published in 1986 by the West Bend Gallery of Fine Art. The artist Karel Viteslav Masek, a Chechoslavakian artist, lived from 1865-1927. The sketches and black and white reproductions are lovely and one piece in particular had an intriguing composition and a very stippled, impressionistic application of paint. While I listened to the sleet and freezing rain hit the metal roof of my studio...I had thoughts of summer, inspired by the Mr Masek!
Using his composition as a guide I imaged a sunny day in early summer at a whitewashed farm house I've admired. The resulting painting is mostly imaginary. I'm often struck by the fact that many representational artists only paint from life or photographs. Imagination is a profound tool for growing a creative "muscle".
Early in my development as an artist I struggled with composing still-life objects. A good friend and great artist said " Just look to the masters you admire and copy their arrangements, don't copy the subject or approach, just the design." By looking at great art I've learned much about "How" to paint. The "Why" - well that comes from within.

Summer Splendor 9 x 12 oil on panel

www.dailypaintworks.com

Pick a challenge and have some fun!

2012-02-27T17:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I posted my traditional little pear trio. Today, the subject is still pears but I challenged myself to paint them in a very Van Gogh - ish manner. I love to experiment with the ideas that our great historic artists introduced. I think that study of art history has been my greatest, constant teacher.
Looking back is a wonderful way to build an art vocabulary; of color, brushwork and themes. The inspiration I find in the work of artists who've come before me sometimes provides just the right "push" to try something new.
Last week we bought a beautiful bag of Bosc pears. They sat on our counter for a while, jostling each other for space in my old green enamel colander. One night, while we slept, they must have played "king of the hill". I had to paint them. As they had an energy that made me think of Van Gogh's amazingly active paintings. So, I asked myself, how would he have painted them?

I really don't know how his would have turned out - but the idea to explore his work pushed me to spread paint like frosting. The thick and swirling brushstrokes, like the pears , just wouldn't sit still. I played with my food! Have fun.
"The King of the Hill" 10 x 10 oil on linen panel
www.dailypaintworks.com

Make it Personal

2012-02-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

"Three of a Kind" www.dailypaintworks.com

For the past three days I've been painting pears.
I've looked at them so much that they all seem to have developed personalities. There is the anti-social one who won't play with the others, the late bloomers and my favorite, a not-so-perfect middle-aged, lumpy bumpy one! When did still-life painting become a self portrait?
For fun, I decided to make two paintings, each one demonstrating a different "take" on the subject of pears in art. Today's painting is a traditional approach emphasizing value changes and a quiet restrained mood. Tomorrow's painting is more playful in tone and gives a nod to one of my favorite artists Van Gogh.
I find that I need the freedom to explore when I paint. Painting the same image over and over wouldn't do it for me. However, exploring the same subject within new themes and formats is a challenge that can create excitement and aid in the process of discovery. (More tomorrow!)

"Three of a Kind" 6 x 8 oil on panel
www.dailypaintworks.com

Emotion

2012-02-23T12:34:00.000-08:00

"Thoughts of Home" oil

private collection

I remember having a conversation about the emotional aspects of painting with a fellow artist. He was adamant that a painting is a record of facts and that emotion can't be painted and rarely factors in to a piece. We disagreed. Each of us experience and express our emotions in personal and unique ways. I believe that music, literature, dance and all the arts are designed to communicate emotion and perhaps to tell a story.
Often my emotional state and the experiences I'm going through will filter through the painting process. Sometimes that emotion is one I'd rather conceal, but the human condition is universal, and love, sadness, loss, joy are the themes that can make a painting "more".
When I received my signature membership in the Pastel Society of America, we made a trip to New York City to attend the PSA show at the National Arts Club. One of my most profound experience's of the trip happened at the Frick Museum. There, in one grand room, Rembrandt's eyes looked out at me from his youth to his old age. As tears filled my eyes, a gentleman came into the same room and began to audibly weep. Rembrandt's joy, youthful cockiness and aching old age were present in his paintings...emotion is a part of painting.
My parents were failing when I painted this portrait of a young woman. She was lovely, bright and cheerful. My painting of her came from my emotions. It is about my life story not truly hers.
Tapping into an honest emotion can make the art experience richer and deeper for both the artist and the viewer.
"Thoughts of Home" oil private collection
www.bonnieparuchfineart.con
www.dailypaintworks.com

Edit, Crop and Zoom!

2012-02-22T14:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I enjoyed a studio visit from a collector who has recently begun to follow my work here and on the daily paint works site. She looked around the studio and asked , "Do you know what you're going to paint today? That question relates to the idea of inspiration. I think that non-artists often think that inspiration, the A-Ha! moment descends like a bolt from above. There are times when I see, feel, read or react to something so personally compelling that the inspiration almost creates itself. But more often, the desire to "make something" generates a question, image or idea that needs to be mined and explored and worked at. Creative pursuits are no more or less work than any other endeavor.
We used to live in another city, and regularly shopped at a local Pick N Save. I often was waited on at the check out by a woman who made the experience a pleasure. She genuinely cared about the individuals she served and she did her job with such dignity and grace that she still serves as a reminder to me that I "get to work at my craft". I try to follow her example to do my work with gratitude.
When my studio visitor left I looked through some of the photos I keep to get me through some of the uninspired moments. I found a photo of a jumble of old farm buildings near Newburg, Wisconsin. A limestone pump house caught my attention and I developed a little painting exploring the character of that small building. I cropped, edited and zoomed in...without a computer or camera...but with my design of the relevant dark and light shapes on the canvas.
The new tech toys we have at our disposal are only useful if the person behind the device runs the show. Being human and letting "flesh" show in the painting process creates an approachable warmth that will reach out to the viewer. Work that is fabulous, honest, but perhaps flawed will resonate more than an overworked facsimile of a photograph.
The Old Pump House (plus a chicken or two) 6 x 8 oil on panel
www.dailypaintworks.com

The mystery of gray

2012-02-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

The sky had a leaden cast and the warm tones of the last grasses of summer created the only color in the scene. As the day progressed, a soft snowfall began to drift down. It was silent, windless and serene. The snow blocked most of the light and a hazey envelope of soft and warm grays became the palette of the day. As edges faded, shapes softened and I found myself thinking about a great painter of atmosphere, John Twachtman. His softly rendered, amorpheous paintings are perfect portraits of natures quiet moods.

I've always admired his work. His approach to painting atmosphere was an influence in this painting of a gray and peaceful marshy area slightly off of Q near Baileys Harbor. Fresh, falling snow and lake shore moisture had created a gray envelope which held mysterious shapes in muted tones of ochre, red-brown, gray-violet and soft green. I wanted to paint the mystery of the breaking light in this tonal landscape. To find beauty in a day which speaks softly is a gift achieved only by those who take the time to see.
"North Bay Grays" 11 x 14 oil on panel
www.bonnieparuchfineart.com

Tell me a story

2012-02-18T14:31:00.000-08:00

One day last fall I stopped by my friend's orchard to find her outside tending to her garden and trees. While we visited, discussing our kids, the neighbors and the weather, I noticed that she had on a pair of very, very big worn slippers. When I asked her about her "shoes", an odd choice for her work outside, she answered: "Sometimes I walk in my husband's shoes."
The large orchard she cares for was her husband's pride and joy. Since he died, the long rows of apple and cherry trees seem to be a living memorial to a life they shared and to her determination to go on.
Her simple and beautiful words have stayed with me.
This little painting is partly her story and it is also partly mine. When I was a kid my parents always bought produce from the local farmers. One of the special places I remember was an orchard in Waldo. When the first hint of fall began we would head to the Waldo Orchard to stock up on fresh cider and apples. I can still taste the first Carmel apple of the season!

My mom would look for the baking apples she wanted, while dad and I would sample the "eating" ones. The apple varieties had great names: Wealthy, Wolf River, Spartan, Jonathon, and Empire , to name a few. When our kids came along, we continued the tradition of the trips to the orchards and pumpkin farms. Today, each red apple and farm market reminds me of those family experiences. I treasure the memories of these simple times.
"In the Orchard" 6 x 8 oil on panel
at auction www.dailypaintworks.com

Refresh in nature's special places

2012-02-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

"Three Springs Light" 6 x 8 oil on panel

On Sunday, Vern and I noticed that the sun was shining and that long cool shadows were sweeping across the fields. You've probably heard artists discussing the "golden hour", they are simply referring to the times of day when the light is low and warm. The yellow and red tones of the sunrise or sunset will cover everything with a golden glow. At the same time, beautiful color notes of blue and violet will fill in the shadows and the whole landscape comes to life with complementary colors.
We decided to follow our muse and took Ricky (the dog!) out for a leisurely walk in the woods at Three Springs Nature Conservancy.There small springs have created streams and a pristine lake in the midst of an old farm which nature has reclaimed for her own. I am amazed how quickly the Cedars and birches have filled in the old pastures. A few remnants of an old farm remain; a grand old barn, a small rundown house and seemingly endless rows of stone fences. I can sense the hardships of life long ago in these stout stone walls.While we walked, Ricky found lots to sniff and our pace was slow enough to take in the scent of the cedars and the small patches of light lacing the forest floor.
The recent fresh snow made it delightful. Here is a small study of one of natures valentines. Happy Valentines Day!
" Three Springs Light" 6 x 8 oil on panel
at auction www.dailypaintworks.com

The Power of suggestion

2012-02-13T11:53:00.000-08:00

One of my very first art instructors was Phil Austin. He was a much loved Chicago "transplant" to the rural life of Door county. While here, he engaged in his passion for watercolor and shared his time and talents with many budding and established artists throughout the state.
I remember going out to paint plein air watercolors with him as a part of a three day workshop. His dramatic contribution to my education was to carefully observe my overworked attempts to paint a barnyard scene and then to take my precious painting and cut it in half! He handed a piece back to me and said " Now, here's your painting."
That moment I began to understand what a singleness of purpose, a point of view, can bring to the table. He taught me to stick to my first impression and to express that idea in the design, composition and details put into the painting. Later, I framed that "good part" of the painting and made one of my first sales with that piece!
On a recent trip home from town, I drove past my neighbor Jonathan's cattle peacefully grazing in the new snow. That image stuck in my head and when I arrived in my studio I created a memory piece. I think that my fondness for farm life gives me a point of view that helps me to define and single out my subject. In this painting it's all about the cattle, but like a good mystery, the subject is suggested and the viewer is encouraged to reach their own conclusions. The roughly rendered dark shapes become cattle by inference . I've learned to simplify and leave the rest up to the viewer. The story in this painting is refined by working from memory; only the cattle stood out becoming the single purpose of "Feeding Time".

"Feeding Time" 6 x 8 oil on panel
www.dailypaintworks.com

Movement and mood

2012-02-10T14:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was one more brown day. It seems that we've been stuck in a perpetual state of November, the landscape a palette of quiet, dull ochres and grays. Winter has been playing tricks on us in the cold and snowy (?) north land! Maybe that's why I've had a bad case of studio - itis and I find myself longing for painting time outdoors. To perk up my spirits and to get some creative juices flowing, I turned on my studio computer and browsed through some late fall photos of Toft Point. This nature conservancy is one of my favorite places to experience the shore of Lake Michigan.The trails all lead to the lake shore where dark, strong rocks meet the brisk wind and waves. I love to sit on the rocky ledges above the water to listen to the sound of the waves and the cries of the shorebirds that wheel above.
The photos I took, like most photographs, only hinted at the majestic scene and looked dull and flat. But the pictures did allow me to travel back to my time on the rocks and more importantly reminded me of how I felt when I took them. I then used one of the photos as a reference to recreate a mood verses copying the picture in hand.
One challenge I gave myself was to use thalo blue. If you've ever used this strong color you probably have fought to keep it under control. Like my studio companion Ricky (the dog), this color can get into everything! I like to gray this strong and transparent blue- green with a bit of red- orange. Then subdued, the color will sing in harmony with the rest of my palette instead of doing a solo.
Because my palette was restricted by the soft tones I remembered, I let my brushwork take the spot light. The broken color you see in the painting is done by "double dipping": loading the brush with a variety of colors in the same value range and letting them mix optically on the painting surface. The trick here is to mix clean colors and to avoid over mixing on the palette.
I hope I captured a meditative mood with this simple painting. My goal was to bring you the wind and the waves - "On the Rocks". 6 x 8 oil on panel

at auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

An occasional surprise.

2012-02-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

"Carl's Place" 16 x 20 oil on canvas
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Once a month I'm going to post an "oldie but goodie" onto the dailypaintworks auction site. I have been enjoying the auction, the (almost) daily painting process and the wonderful new collectors that I've met via the Internet. I've learned that the auctions are great way to advertise and to develope relationships with individuals who may never have the opportunity to visit my studio or representative gallery.
Every artist has a small group of paintings that haven't found their home yet. For some of us who live and exhibit in a seasonal setting, it can be a very short window to display paintings. One short three month season somehow becomes a "year" when I evaluate the the artwork at the end of the season.
A long time ago, a grumpy,wise and out-spoken mentor asked me "Do you want to have the largest collection of Bonnie Paruch's or do you want to sell this stuff!?" My erasible friend Wally was helping me price my very first art show and his advise was rough around the edges. He was right in the sense that like most artists, I simply wanted to paint to paint.
The business aspect of the arts has never been easy. Six months ago, if you had asked me if people purchase work on-line I would have scoffed. Today, I'm a believer. I guess old dogs can learn new tricks!
Today's post is a painting of a rural scene here in Northern Door County. It's one of my favorite spots to watch the seasons change and it's also a tribute to the funky metal sheds that decorate this farmland. Function may be before beauty - but only in the eye of the beholder!
These "surprise" auctions will be for four weeks only, with the bidding beginning at 50% of the retail value.

struggle and change

2012-02-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

"Red Stripes and Yellow roses" 36 x 36 oil on canvas

www.bonnieparuchfineart.com

Several weeks ago I started a large painting of yellow roses and a blue vase. I have struggled with it. My original intention was to do a bright and happy portrait of the flowers and a bright red cloth. If you've been following this blog then you know that the painting somehow transformed into a serious study in white and yellow and blue. Every time I walked into the studio that painting shouted at me, "help!". Frankly, it just didn't meet the goals I established when I started. Back to the drawing board!
I made some radical changes. The beauty of oil paint is the ability to modify it, move it and scrape it off. I often repaint my work if I'm not satisfied with it. I'm surprised to find that this often teaches me more than a painting process that just rolls along smoothly. Bumps in the road can be a good thing if you can drive the car around them.
This version of the painting is inspired by a wonderful group of interior paintings by Matisse. Like Bonnard and Vuilliard, he used patterns to enrich and decorate his interior themes.
When I get in a bind, stuck in a safe zone, I love to browse through my library of favored artists. It can shake loose a blocked painting and result in a surprising freedom of expression.
Initially I hesitated to show this awkward process. My hope is to show that failure is sometimes a gift. It can be one more step toward becoming the artist you want to be. I've learned to embrace the good, the bad and the ugly. It propels me forward.
Now it's really done!
"Red Stripes and Yellow Roses" 36 x 36 oil on canvas

Feeling Sheepish?

2012-02-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

" The Flock" 8 x 8 oil on panel
at auction www.dailypaintworks.com

This past Thursday I spent a wonderful afternoon with a great group of fiber friends. I am always inspired by the camaraderie and joyful sharing that fills our time together. One of my friends, who has been following this blog, asked for "more critters" and I decided to comply!
Sheep are incredibly smart animals. They flock to survive. Their group is as important as the individual and I often think that we might learn a few things from our woolly friends. I've learned to respect the flock for its sense of unity, purpose and its goal to sustain the common good.
To paint my "critters" I used a photograph of a peaceful flock a rest. My goal was to approach the painting with the same feeling and gusto that accompanies painting animals from life. I kept the shapes simple and the details subdued to give you the impression of a quick glance at this pastoral scene. A sheep or two with a head and legs- sheep shapes- gives the impression a group of animals. Less is usually more! I think my sheep re-enforced that idea when I got between them and their feed bunker!
I enjoyed the memories this painting brought back to me, feeling sheepish I guess.

Natural harmony

2012-02-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

I remember sharing a conversation with a wonderful friend and artist mentor about the concept of harmony in painting. At the time we were living in West Bend, building a small art and framing business and I was just beginning to take my oil paints outdoors to paint plein air. Bill Parks was a renowned art instructor in Chicago and he regularly came to town to enjoy a group of friends that gathered at a studio to share a life drawing and painting session.
One day I showed some plein air sketches to Bill. He picked out one, a forest landscape (as green as Kermit the frog) and said something I've never forgotten. "Look at nature to teach you harmony, when you see green in the woods look for the violet." From Bill I learned to look for Nature's wisely placed complements. Her palette is arranged to draw the bees to the flowers, to blend the earth with the sky and to bring fireworks to sunset and sunrise.
When I set up a still-life arrangement I try to remember Bill's advice and I look to the natural harmonies I see in nature every day. My challenge is to slow down, to observe and to really see the color around me. I've found that this study can lead to having a color "sense", a personal way of expression in color.
I was thinking of Bill today when I set up this little still-life - a harmony in violet and green (just like the forest paths I've learned to see). Thanks Bill.

"violets and lemons" oil on panel 8 x 8
at auction www.dailypaintworks.com

The Essence.

2012-01-30T17:38:00.000-08:00

"Last Light" 8 x 10 oil on panel

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

My studio has a way of "getting away from me", sometimes in the midst of teaching or painting or travelling my art stuff gets a bit disorderly! Recently, I started to organize materials from a trip to Northern Wisconsin. I had spent a wonderful week last fall teaching a plein air workshop at Dillman's Sand Lake Lodge near Lac Du Flambeau. One evening , after class , I did a quick plein air of the lake and the opposing shoreline. My main area of interest and motivation was the light of the setting sun and the deep dark water. The study was put aside in my panel storage boxes and was rediscovered this week! When I finished the painting this week I hoped to preserve the essence of the image, the pure and simple motivation to chase the light. Perhaps without my intention , the image began to reflect the great lake shore that is my muse here in Door County.
It seems that a great many lakeshore sunsets are burned into my minds eye, and perhaps into my soul as well. I hope to share the essence of that imagery with you today. Perhaps I should clean my studio more often!
"Last Light" oil on panel 8 x 10
at auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

Returning to a favorite place.

2012-01-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

There is a wonderful, old and "tumble down" farm just down the road from our house. I drive past it almost everyday. The familiar shapes always attract my attention and my imagination. The place hasn't been inhabited for many years and yet the forms of the buildings and the spaces between them create a beautiful patchwork and a place where I can sense a family story and hidden history.
I've often imagined the old buildings in their hey day, bustling with farm activities and life. The history hinted at and concealed in these structures and spaces often inspires the storyteller in me. The painting I'm sharing today is based on the facts of the scene, the old farm near Hockers, but the facts don't make a painting. Artists make paintings, by sharing their point of view, and their search to find meaning in ordinary life. I think that something time worn and even decaying can be a monument to what once was and what could be again.
"Evening Chores near Hockers" 6 x 8 oil on panel
at auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

Egg-cetera!

2012-01-22T14:47:00.000-08:00

I know that it's been a little quiet from me this week. The large painting I've been working on and sharing with you is "resting" on my easel and my husband and I have been wielding brushes of a different sort, house painting brushes! We're painting a few rooms in preparation for some new carpeting coming next week. While the first coat of paint dries, I've been busy in the studio finishing two small paintings for the daily paint works auction. Talk about a shift in gears!
Life happens to us all and I'm so grateful that I have a career that goes with the flow of it. My challenge is to find the right balance in life, work and play. Artists and anyone else who finds inspiration in some degree of solitude may identify with my struggle to juggle! My solution has always been to punch in and punch out, to treat my art as a part of my life not the whole of it.
This week I've been trying to balance a renewed commitment to get fit (our kids harassed us to join the Y til we caved!), a house hold project that has two rooms emptied into the dinning room, a successful run of sales with the DPW auctions, and a big painting that has been sputtering along! I've been in the land of doing too much.
So this week, I'll put my priorities in order and enjoy the time I'm in instead of worrying about what's to come.
The wonderful collectors I've "met" in the last two months have inspired me to continue the "little gems". From now on, when I commit to do a large piece, I am going to give myself an "intermission".
Today's, painting is called "Posies and Eggs" perhaps it should be called the "Balancing Act". I'm mindful of that great question: What came first the chicken or the egg? Knowing how we hens operate, I believe that first chicken probably multi tasked her way to the nest! Till the house paint dries "Egg-cetera"!

"Posies and Eggs" 8 x 8 oil on linen panel
at auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

Re-evaluating.

2012-01-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

"Yellow Roses and Granny Smith Apples" a work in process!

A significant element of my painting process is a period of evaluation. I can be impetuous when I paint, patience is not always one of my virtues! Whenever I work on a large piece I give myself a day or two "off". It's a period of time to rethink and observe the direction that the painting is taking. I do the same thing with smaller pieces but the demands of a large canvas are more strident. With more space to fill, a big swatch of paint in one brushstroke is less evocative in the final result. You do need a bit "more " to make a large composition work.
When I set up this still-life I was really struck by the yellow roses. My main idea was to showcase them to feature their beauty. More than that, the yellow roses reminded me of my mother and the delight she shared with me when I gave her a bouquet.The emotion of that moment is really what remains with me and what I had hoped to share. My choice of a bright red cloth in the background began to dismay me. As I looked at the painting "at rest", I felt that the red overwhelmed the main event of my painting. I definitely had a "what was I thinking" moment !
Stepping back and viewing a piece with a fresh eye is an important element of creating a good work. I wish I had planned this piece with more insight but as my sons say "it is what it is!". Courage is a part of painting, scraping off and re-doing is not easy, but it is a very real and frequent part of the creative process.
Sometimes. when frustration inhibits impulses to make changes, I'll remind myself that it's just paint, not a big deal to anyone but me! Since I could not shake the feeling that the red was competing with the yellow I replaced the bright red fabric with a subtle white cloth and I began the tweaking process by scraping down the excess red paint. I then repainted the cloth in complementary violet and blue grays, I'm happier with the result. The mood, the colors and the shapes are beginning to tell the story I intended.
I plan to add a brass box to introduce a square shape, and a fallen rose blossom or two onto the table. The basic direction for the painting is now established - my challenge is to continue to bring it together with respect for the little artist voice that says ya or nay. Every painting is a journey.

Painting Process.

2012-01-17T13:46:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I started a large floral still life painting with the intention of sharing the process with you. Thus far, I have three sessions in and I'm at that point of refining my goal for the painting. My main idea was the play between the bold striped fabric and the blooms nestled in the dark blue pot. I want the viewer to travel through the painting from left to right, lingering a bit at the two blue and white vessels, straying at the foreground rose, and finishing in the movement of the leaves, roses and the cloth stripes.
In the first photo you can see my usual painting sequence. I like to start with a light, thin warm under painting, followed by a loose drawing in paint right on the canvas, and then I block in the main shapes working dark to light. Once I've covered the canvas with a general application of paint, I like to stop and take note of where I am and where the painting seems to be going! I do feel that a dialogue of sorts begins between me and the painting itself. I guess the best words I can use to describe this is sensitivity to the value, shape and color relationships that are developing.

A little dance begins as well, a back and forth "jig" with a rhythm all its own: mix, push paint, step back and forward again.
Yesterday and today I spent some time refining the roses and filling in the bouquet. I am trying to keep the brushwork suggestive and not tight. One of my challenges in working larger is a tendency to get too careful with my brushwork. I felt that the lower left quarter of the painting needed "some thing more" - hence the addition of a rose (or two) and some directional strokes for the related foliage and stems.
This middle part of the painting is when things can get tricky. I felt the need to modify the tones of the fabric to suggest more warm light and shadow shapes. This is the stage of the game when I try to stay focused on working the whole rather than getting sucked into the details.
This 2/3 done stage is the time when I get impatient. I always take an opportunity to stand back and look more than I paint at this stage. The darks are getting into their place of supporting the lightest lights. Which come next!
These photos are studio lit, not my "good" lighting and photography set up. The Cool North light glares a bit and interferes with color duplication. All photos copyright Bonnie Paruch

Capture a moment and a place!

2012-01-16T17:33:00.000-08:00

Last March we shared the trip of a life time with some very dear friends. We spent a wonderful week exploring the Hawaiian Island of Maui. It was a tropical adventure that had us immersed in native Hawaiian culture and natural treasures from dawn to dusk. One of the places that remains very clear in my memory is the Iao Valley a place of great historic turmoil and great cultural significance. The warriors of Maui fought a great battle here and legend says the rivers leading from the valley ran red with the blood of the fallen.
Today, the lush valley and strange peaks have a mystical quality.
After hiking the trails up and down the valley, I set up my easel on a rather precarious spot, over the railing on a small overhang above the small stream flowing below. The peak rising above me and the mist filled atmosphere broken by fleeting light was all I could see and all I wanted to paint. With my hubby hovering close by - hanging onto my shirt- I quickly laid in a plein air study of the spot. When I finished, a group of young Hawaiians clambered up the cliff to my site and amidst much laughter, smiles and conversation ( in Hawaiian) they left. One young guy held back and grinning told me I " had a great tool painting". It took me a awhile to realize that all the laughs and comments had been directed at the great peak in my painting, the greatest phallic symbol in Maui lore!
"Iao Valley - The Valley of the Kings" oil sketch on panel 9 x 12
at auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

Warm Light Cool Shadows

2012-01-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

Whenever I teach I'm always asked "what are the rules for painting"? One of the few tried and true "rules" I can come up with is the fact that warm hued light produces cool shadows, and conversely, cool light produces warm shadows. Remember, its all relative to the relationships of color and light that are established by the painting and by paying attention to the natural effects of light on objects.
In my workshops I often do a demonstration with a yellow, red, blue and green light . It's a great way to see the effect of light in relationship to the complements we see in the color wheel.
A yellow orange light will produce blue violet shadows. A red light creates shadows with a green cast, blue light will produce Orange/brown shadow notes and Green will accentuate red/violet in the shadows.
Plein air painting is an exceptional way to learn to see color. If you find yourself questioning the color of your outdoor light source, lay a white paper on the ground and cast a shadow on it. The color of the shadow will be revealed and the color of the light source will be its complement.
Every day brings its own unique color harmony to our plate. Learning to see these harmonies can be a challenge but it delivers many rewards.
Last summer, I did this little plein air study of the Weborg Fish House in Gills Rock. The buildings bright warmly lit white walls sparkled in the sun. The gritty old building took on a beautiful warm glow that was accentuated by the cool blue/violet shadows. When one of my plein air paintings reflects the lighting conditions and time of the day, then I feel that I've captured a moment in time and place.
When you learn that color can be observed, when natural harmonies are revealed, then you can use that knowledge to create your own unique color sense. And , as they say, rules are sometimes meant to be broken....for that we need to cover Value! Another time.
"The Old fish House at Weborgs" plein air sketch 9 x 12
at auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

Dominance of color.

2012-01-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

"Copper and Granny Smith Apples" 8 x 8 oil on linen panel
at auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

I really enjoy looking for a "find" at some of our local resale and thrift shops. Last summer I found a lovely, old copper saute pot and fell in love with the beautiful shape and patina of the well-used copper. Thinking about others who have held, cooked with and enjoyed this utensil gives me pleasure as I re-purpose the pot for still-life studies and cooking!
Last week we picked up some great Granny Smith apples at the market in Green Bay. The lime green apples and the red-gold of the copper pot made a marriage made in heaven. I like to assemble a still-life in a natural way, as if you've just stumbled upon it. Overly contrived, and organized arrangements just don't appeal to me. I often set up a grouping that encompasses more object than you the viewer see. That way, I can organize the painting as I would a landscape; picking and choosing a composition as I go.
The green apples are complementary to the red and copper elements of this composition. One color family should dominate and in this case the reds can make the green apples sing. The slight touch of violet further enhances the greens.
Tomorrow the apples will be enjoyed in an apple kuchen, with a Carmel sauce made in the little copper saute pan. I hope you'll enjoy this moment, before the baking and celebrating the colors of life with abandon.

Something old something new!

2012-01-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

Recently a new collector asked "How do you know when you're done?" And, truth be told sometimes I don't. My way of evaluating new paintings is to set them up in my studio and simply "live" with them for awhile. Often a brief walk into my workspace will lead to a quick glance at a painting and suddenly a "fresh eye" will become a better judge. Is it finished, does something stand out as "wrong", should I modify an edge or value, or sign it?

"Before the Rain"
Today I thought I would share two paintings that relate to this topic. One, I repainted , making major changes in color, shapes and values. To my surprise a spring green painting became a winter scene. A few things bugged me about the spring green painting, especially the shape and tangent of the large cedar tree on the right. The more I looked at "Before the Rain" the less pleased I was. So, I decided to throw caution to the wind and respond to the fresh snow falling (the first of the season) outside my windows. The colors of this soft snowfall inspired the new paint applications and mood in the second life of the painting. "First snow at Little Pond" is painting number two. I'm happier with the the final result and as an artist I'm the one I need to please.
"First Snow at Little Pond" 8 x 10 oil sketch on panel
www.dailypaintworks.com

I think that a spirit of adventure, a sort of fearlessness is important. A "bad" painting then becomes an opportunity not a liability. Pushing boundaries can result in some marvelous paintings and some flaming failures. I'd rather go down swinging than hold back when I desire to make a change. Carpe Diem!

The simple things

2012-01-10T17:37:00.000-08:00

Tonight we watched and marvelled at another spectacular sunset. We live in "big sky" country Wisconsin. The very first time we saw this land it was a plowed field, just dirt clumps and sky. And it was the sky that hooked us. I remember my husband Vern saying " isn't it wonderful - no wind. Well that was a fluke! Later, after we'd met our wonderful neighbors, we found that they were taking bets on how far our lawn furniture would blow! We have wind, an abundance of wild grasses and weeds, and awe inspiring sunsets across the prairie.
We designed our little "pizza hut on the prairie" yeah it is a little funny in the roof line department! We wanted a small footprint, with lots of light and windows. Our design worked and every window brings in the fields and sky. I often paint looking west out of our rear facing windows
When I was a kid I remember lying on my back in our backyard and imagining all of the universes beyond my view. It is amazing to me that on some nights the sky and stars come right down to say hello.
.Each time of day here holds it's own fascination for me. Sunset and " the sunset show" remain my favorite simple pleasures.
Balancing the demands of a career and family can be difficult, it's often the small wonders of nature that can help to redirect stress and open my mind to a more relaxed attitude. The beauty of nature reminds me to appreciate the simple things. It teaches me to be more human and more humble in the face of her great gifts. I paint to share the wonder.
The sunset show" 6 x 10 oil on acid free multimedia board mounted to a panel
at auction www.dailypaintworks.com

plein air follies

2012-01-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

One of the more challenging events built into most plein painting competitions is the "quick paint". This usually entails painting in a predetermined area and the completion , framing and delivery of the artwork within a short period of time. It's often a frantic, exhilarating and totally unpredictable experience. One year, a gentleman intently watched me painting and later called his wife over to see what I was doing and said " But honey it's it amazing , you can't even see the numbers! (?!). Last summer in Cedarburg a large family gathered around me and "visited" for almost 15 minutes. I was so engaged with them I didn't realise just what their dog was doing until my feet got wet!
Plein air painting is made up of truly unforgettable experiences, some sublime, and some just hysterically funny. On one painting adventure with close artist friends we all made scrapers and then proceeded to make up almost 30 plein air excuses for bad paintings. Here are a few choice ones: "the sun was in my eyes", "I ate a bug", It's too hot (cold, warm, cool, balmy, tepid, rainy, snowy, damp...), "my easel broke", "my paints sticky", "the dog chased me", "these people just won't leave me alone", "I hate to paint alone", "those cows just keep moving", "the boat sailed away"...the list goes on!
This little painting of guys cooking up brats and burgers at a festival was a scene I just couldn't pass up during one quick paint. Obviously , no-one stood still, but I enjoyed finding their character in the gestures of these brush strokes. When I was finished a lovely little lady patted my arm and said, "What a good start." It always helps to have a good sense of humor. I love bringing art to the street!

"Burgers and Brats" a quick paint plein air sketch 10 x 8
at auction http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Three Miles form the End of the Road!

2012-01-07T17:49:00.000-08:00

" Weborg's Old Dock" 8 x 10 oil on panel
at auction http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

While our son was visiting here with us this Christmas we watched the Door County "classic" Feed The Fish. It's a sweet movie filmed here in and around Ellison Bay, Sister Bay and Jacksonport. The film definitely has the winter vibe of our cold snowy months. One of the lines that stuck in my head was that Ellison Bay was " four miles to the end of the road." We're talking about the end of the line of Highway 42 at the Northport Ferry dock. I guess we were big city folks until we moved up here. To be honest, the small island we call home can get a bit confining - especially during the winter months when we forage like bears for stores and restaurants that keep their doors open over winter. I have always enjoyed returning to a place, to a theme, in my paintings. This intimate place has encouraged me to explore the same sites. I often return again and again to a setting that changes in an instant with the season, weather and light.
Gill's Rock is a special place, three miles or so from the end of the road.It has been a productive fishing port, active dock, home and destination for artists for many, many years. The unique character of a place sometimes takes its own time to come forward. I thought I'd share a few Gill's Rock inspired paintings to share the varied moods of this place not too far from nowhere. ( And not too far from where we live!) I think that the more you know a place, the more you can say about it.

" The Catch of the Day " private collection

"Weborgs Dock" available http://www.bonnieparuchfineart.com/

" Gill's Rock " private collection

Into the woods.

2012-01-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

When ever I need to refresh my spirit and gain a fresh perspective on life, I head to the forest trails that dot this county. I remember doing the same thing in my childhood when I'd pack a lunch, and let the bang of the screen door signal my newest adventure for my mom and dad. I was never fearful in the woods I just loved to tramp down the trails, build forts and imagine long journeys upstream on the little creek. My first plein air paintings and drawings were made in those woods .
I think we all carry childhood memories close to us. I know that my foraging and playing and feeling of freedom in nature"s quiet places gave me an "eye" to draw her.

"Peninsula Park View" 9 x 12 oil sketch

at auction http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Recently someone asked me how I know "what to paint"? The truth is that some subjects seem to want to "paint themselves"! Over the years I've learned to listen to my response to those scenes that stir my imagination and memories.
Peninsula State Park is one of my favorite spots to walk, look and listen. In this painting I was trying to capture the freshness and robust character of brushwork that I enjoy in the work of some Russian Impressionist painters of the past. I also wanted to showcase the idea of a quick glance through the trees. I didn't want to paint a studied painting - just a glimpse of the beauty of a Summer day in the woods.

Hanging out!

2012-01-04T17:51:00.000-08:00

"Blue Jeans" 9 x 12 sketch

at auction at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Last summer I scouted out the back yard views in Ephraim. This little city is one of the "jewels" of Door County, an almost picture perfect town nestled along the shore of Lake Michigan. In the 1970's National Geographic Magazine declared that Door county was the "Cape Cod" of the Midwest and an amazing summer migration of tourists and artists and open minded souls began. We like to think that Cape Cod is the Door county of the Northeast! I enjoy looking behind the scene here, aiming to capture a candid and local snapshot of our beautiful community.
When I was a little girl my neighbors often teased me that if I didn't watch out, my mom would have me hanging out on the line before 8am! My mother loved to hang out her laundry in the early morning. I think that she loved the fresh smell of the wind washed clothes and the bright whites sparkling in the summer sunshine. I can't pass a yard with wash on the line without smiling, and enjoying a sweet memory of mom.
Funny things can happen when you're searching for inspiration. Once in West Bend, I spotted brilliant white clothes flashing in the wind behind a cute bungalow. When I set up to paint I realised that the clothes were huge underpants! The owner of these was not too pleased with my choice of subjects.
It seems that each painting experience and interaction with people on-site brings out more stories to tell.
If you believe that the role of an artist is one of "storytelling , entertainment and magic" ( this is a quotation I heard from the author and artist Charles Movalli) then this little study is pure entertainment with a little story telling thrown in for good measure. Hope you will enjoy it.

Balance; on holding back and letting go.

2012-01-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd spin a yarn for you tonight (I couldn't resist a good metaphor : )) . One of my hobbies is spinning yarn. My specialty seems to be spinning "art yarns", chunky, colorful and full of texture. It seems whatever we do our true voice comes through!
To spin a good yarn one has to perform a balancing act of sorts. The prepared fiber has to be twisted to stick together and form a string shape. A little dance develops between the spinner, the wheel, the hands holding fiber and feet as the rhythm of your foot on the treadle sets everything in motion. If a spinner holds the fibers back too firmly against the drag of the wheel, it becomes a hard twisted and tangled mess. If you let go of the fiber too fast, it will fall apart as it enters the wheel orifice.
When I paint I feel that same need to create a good balanced painting. I weigh warm against cool, hard edges against soft, large and small shapes, dark against light. All of these are elements then take a back seat to my perception of "finish". "Finish" in a painting can result in abstract, loose, tight, surreal, representational, edgy, atmospheric...individual creations.
For myself, I strive for a painting that walks a line. Just when a painting is done, finished , is a personal decision made by each artist. I don't always know when that moment happens and I don't think I'm alone. Many artists rue the loss of a fresh painting which has been destroyed by the unneccessary brushstrokes! We all do it.

Todays painting was a demonstration painting from a plein air class this past summer. I'd taken students to a great Northern Door County farm. I couldn't resist a quick teaching opportunity, how to get the essence of an animal down on the spot. It was intense, fast painting - they move! When these chickens became "chicken enough" for me I quit. I've learned that if my painting matches my initial IDEA I know I'm on track.

So, try to spin a good painting. Let go when you feel the need and hold back when it really matters.

"Chicken Run" private collection
check out my three week auctions at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/
http://www.bonnieparuchfineart.com/

Looking back

2011-12-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

"Sunflowers and a new chapter" 30 x 40 private collection

On the brink of a new year, I find myself thinking about the future and considering the past. Everyone, myself included , makes and breaks those infamous New Years resolutions. My year end review has become a touchstone for me. It gives me a way to move forward while honoring what came before. Each New Year becomes a time of self-critique. Where am I now? Where am I going? How am I going to get there? These are the questions I ask myself every year.
The answers aren't always forthcoming.
I've learned that a tried and true path to the answers to my questions is often found in the honest and loving critiques I receive from trusted friends and family. Art making is by its nature a very solitary path. I seek opportunities to share ideas, hopes and failures to help me gain and or regain perspective. When I teach, I see many people bringing a great deal of frustration to the easel. A certain amount of that type of self criticism is beneficial, but too much can paralyze an artist . I try to remind myself that "It's just paint" when a work doesn't make the mark . My hope is that the next piece will be my best. That philosophy keeps me interested and excited with the very idea that "I get to paint today"!
My youngest son used to work as a "pool guy". His job took him into many affluent homes in our area. I remember him coming home from work one day and saying, " You know mom I've been seeing allot of your older work in some of the houses and you've really improved!!"The miracle is that art truly is in the eye of the beholder and that at every step of the way there are collectors who will grow with you.
I was browsing through the "archives" of older work today and I settled on this painting from about five years ago. A lovely woman added it to her collection while taking one of my workshops. She has since grown from a brand new oil painter to an artist in her own right. The painting she purchased was my first large work (30 x 40) and it was a tremendous learning process for me. It is a very special gift, the link created when a collector also learns and grows from a purchase.
I look at this painting and see myself then, now, and in the future. Each place in this continuum is one of growth. While I value the "doing" , tonight I'll spend some time "being" while I ponder whats ahead. Happy New Year!

Motivation, intention and procrastination!

2011-12-30T14:54:00.000-08:00

"A day at the Beach" 8 x 6 oil on linen panel

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

My plan this morning was to get started early in the studio with the intention to enlarge one of my recent small works into a large 36 x 36 piece. Somehow that large canvas seemed to fill up my whole studio and pointed out how completely disorganized it's gotten over the past few weeks. I began procrastinating - one bit of tidying led to another and another until my day was almost gone!
Sometimes I find that I'm just not ready to start a big project if my head and heart are not in the "right" place. I have some rituals that often clear my head and get me ready to begin a painting process. Often doing simple tasks like cleaning up the studio, pouring a cup of tea, starting a fire in the old wood stove, and scraping down the old colors on the palette can help me begin. As an artist, I seem to be in a constant state of beginning. Each idea, each painting requires a new set of skills. Sometimes its the challenge represented by that big white canvas, that can stall me.
The "big one" got away from me today. But my busy-ness gave me a chance to begin again with a small study of a beach scene from last summer. I tried to keep the feeling of a sketch in my brushwork and limited details. I was influenced by thoughts of Sorrolla. Some of my favorite pieces of his work are small fresh studies that show his process and thoughts about his challenging subjects.
Perhaps my winter mood put me in the frame of mind to recall and share some sunny memories!

Edges and wet-in-wet painting

2011-12-29T17:38:00.000-08:00

We spent the first ten years of our married life on the shore of Lake Superior in Duluth Minnesota. The lake was a "personality" that dominated the news, the weather, my pathetic summer gardening attempts and our free time. Cooler by the lake became a mantra for Northern survivors of both summer and winter. One of my strongest memories of Duluth was marked by the loss of the huge freighter, The Edmund Fitzgerald. Gordon Lightfoot's song captures the mood of that fateful event. I remember the strong November winds and waves crashing over piers as the church bells rang out the number of casualties on the doomed ship.
I respect the power of nature and especially the power of her Great Lakes. In winter the color of the waters of Lake Michigan reflect the flint gray skies characterized by the sweeping northern winds. Our lake shoreline takes on a wild and awesome beauty that always draws me in.
This small painting is a portrait of the shore, as it is, marked by wind and time . I painted it as is my custom wet - in -wet. Pushing, sliding and softening edges to create depth and interest. Edge control is one element of painting design that truly creates form and acts to guide you the viewer throughout the composition. Our eyes can only focus on the specific details we concentrate on. Everything else will become "softer" and more diffuse. When we paint with that knowledge in mind, the control of edges helps us to mimic the way we really see, not the way a camera "sees". Wet -in wet painting enhances edge control while it demands brush control. It can be a challenge!
I hope the feeling I get when I feel the waves and wind in my face at the lake shore comes across in this painting.
"The Wave" 8 x 6 oil on linen panel
at auction at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Make the ordinary extraordinary.

2011-12-28T14:55:00.000-08:00

I have to admit to being a "fair weather" plein air painter. I'm good to around 30 degrees on a sunny winter day but colder than that and I just seize up! Last winter we had some spectacular snowy and sunny days. I was driving home from running errands one afternoon when I glanced down Orchard Road and saw a beautiful pattern of shadows on the snow and on the buildings of an old century farm. I headed to my studio, gathered my plein air gear and parked in front of the farmstead painting from my trusty paint mobile - our van. You can stay quite warm sitting on the floor of the van with the rear side doors open. Where there is a will, there is a way!
I decided to post this painting today because of a comment my son made yesterday. I had grumbled a bit about "what to post" with the holidays and family taking up most of my time. He said, "It's Christmas Mom, it's all about family - post something about that.". And so I will. My grandparents on both sides were farm people. Some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around Holiday visits to relatives who had maintained the family farming tradition. I loved the smell of the barns, the barn cats, the cows placidly chewing and the peaceful sight of well-cared for animals at rest. I loved the drive to Nenno and Cedarburg to see Lena, Joe, Verlyn, Johanna and Wilmer because I knew the visit might have me "helping" in the barn at milking time. The drive was always marked by the passing fields, farms, small towns and grain elevators. I found it all beautiful.

"Winter on Orchard Road"

Paintings of Wisconsin barns have long been viewed as an overdone, common place subject. Right now I think that barns are similar to an endangered species, becoming more and more rare. When I see a beautiful barn I see more than a building , I see a long line of people who have loved and worked the land. I see generations who have come before and now I question who will follow them.
The farm buildings in this small study are a portrait of the men and women and children who have been sustained by them. Sometimes the most ordinary of things can hide something extraordinary. When you paint from your heart , any subject is legitimate.
"Winter on Orchard Road" 8 x 10 (plein air study)
at auction for 3 weeks only www.dailypaintworks.com

The essence.

2011-12-26T14:00:00.000-08:00

"Lahaina Rain" 6 x 8 oil on panel
at auction www.dailypaintworks.com
www.bonnieparuchfineart.com

It seems that the more that I paint the less I'm inclined to put in.
It's happened gradually, that pull that I feel to simplify and to get to the essence of a moment, place or thing.
I'm not impatient or neglectful of details they just don't matter to me. My desire is to communicate my personal viewpoint as broadly as I can. It's a goal that I've been working on.
I've had the great pleasure to become friends with one of my very first art teachers. I was 18 and he was somewhere in the "middle" of life. Later in life we became couple friends and we enjoyed a shared friendship of four. They introduced Vern and I to a crazy wonderful music venue in Milwaukee, Long Wongs (a Chinese restaurant, bowling alley, music hall) where we enjoyed jazz, laughs and Chinese food together!
Tom and Jo have been battling his advancing Alzheimer's disease and this November Jo moved Tom to a care facility. I think of them often when I go into the studio.
Several years ago, Tom told me that I was a "martini painter, that my work was like a good martini, best savored slowly". It's a comment I treasure and I hope to live up to someday.
Today's small painting was inspired by a glance down a rainy street in Lahaina, Maui . The old whaling town is a tourist haven now but the remnants of the Asian influences are still there. You just have to look for them. I hope I caught the essence of Lahaina in this one. Thank you Tom.

connections

2011-12-23T17:05:00.000-08:00

I think that artists are always making connections to our communities, to each other and to the natural world which we try to interpret through our art. Recently, I watched a wonderful PBS program on NOVA about Charles Darwin and his amazing ability to look at plants and animals and to then decipher the connection that links each and every living thing.
It's my Christmas Wish to share a special and fragile place with you. The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor would not be here if not for a few sincere and passionate environmentalists who took a stand to protect this remarkable ecosystem. It is a Cedar forest and wetland which has been shaped over time by the actions of the winds and waves of lake Michigan. Swales and Ridges have formed and in the shelter of ephemeral pools unique and endangered plants and animals find a home. The natural area is very close to the city and to private homes yet it is a haven, a place to connect to silence and self.
Over the years it seems that my cathedral has become the forest and my choir the song of birds.
I'd like to invite you to celebrate the earth as I wish you a blessed Chrismas and a Happy New Year.
Take a moment to rest at this "Quiet Pool" . I hope you find that quiet place where you can be still to wonder about our place in this great universe. Peace.

Painting more (or less) than you can see!

2011-12-22T17:03:00.000-08:00

"A Capital Square" oil on linen panel

When we travel I think that I often suggest that we get off of the Interstate Highway and venture into the downtown area of whatever town we happen to be passing by. The suburbs and areas that circle most large cities are starting to take on a "sameness" that detracts from the road trip adventure. To really get to know a town or city I think that the trip downtown is worth the time spent.
A "Capital City" has a special quality. I love the square and park center that defines each capital. Madison Wisconsin has a beautiful Capital Square, graced by a famous farmers market each Saturday in summer.
Today as I browsed through some photos in search of an inspiration I found a few photos of Austin, Texas. Last winter we spent a crazy, cold and unique camping vacation in Texas. It is a separate universe. Delightful, weird and still fighting for independence!!!
The photos brought back great memories of a special coffee shop, a T-shirt for our Austin from Austin, and a moment when the civil war seemed very present in the statues and memorials around the Capital Building. I love the history and the vibrancy of a busy downtown. Usually, I will find myself looking up, at the dates on the oldest facades to anchor my appreciation of the unique quality of each capital city.
This little painting is a celebration of the independent and fragile status of the downtowns of America. I tried to paint just enough to let you the viewer make this city your own.
"A Capital Square" 8 x 8 oil on linen panel
at auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

Plein Air

2011-12-21T18:05:00.000-08:00

In the summer issue of Plein Air Magazine 2011 the executive director of the Irvine Museum, Jean Stern, wrote an essay titled, "Plein Air Painting: A Vehicle , Not a Destination. In his essay Jean talked about the history of Plein Air painting and his opinions in regard to the current Plein air movement. Originally artists painted the landscape directly to sketch their quick impression of the scene to develop later into more complete works in their studios. With the invention of the collapsible metal paint tube many more artists escaped the studio to savor mother nature "en plein " air.
Today, plein air painting has taken on a commercial cachet that sometimes does an injustice to the true meaning and value of recording the effects of natural light on the landscape.
It is sometimes a means to and end, a finished piece of art, and sometimes a study. The difference it seems lies in "the eye of the beholder".
Jean Stern suggested that , "The plein air sketch confirms its reason for being when it leads to a refined, studio-painted final work."
I agree with some of his statements. I also believe that the plein air sketch can often have a freshness and raw emotional quality that can be very difficult or even impossible to recapture in the studio.
Last summer I participated in the Cedarburg Plein air Competition. One of the events had us painting at the Riveredge Nature Center near Saukville. It was gray, and threatening rain the entire time we were scheduled to be there. I found a lovely little view of the pond near the nature center and immediately after I set up and began painting , the sky let loose, Rain! It was exhilarating to paint and the moment demanded intense and fast painting and concentration. The little sketch that I finished was a very immediate and intuitive response to the atmosphere of the day. Had I not been there , in the moment , I don't think that I could have pulled it off.
When we turn to nature we sometimes find that we can rise up to meet her. One of my facebook friends saw this painting and shared this touching quote with me, "Rain is the marriage of heaven and earth". I don't think that I could have anticipated that type of emotional response to a studio work of the same subject.

Here is "Riveredge Rain" an 8 x 10 study. at auction at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/.

Brushwork.

2011-12-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

Whenever I squeeze out fresh blobs of paint I get the same feeling of excitement and pleasure that I felt the very first time I experienced painting in oil. The beautiful piles of paint sit there with such promise that I can't wait to dip in my brush and feel the smooth flow of the paint onto the canvas. I like how it smells and I love the ritual of placing the colors in a sequence of light to dark and warm to cool . Often my palette includes Titanium white followed by Cadmium yellow light, Cadmium red light, Alizarin Crimson, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue and finally a dark transparent green such as Sap or Thalo Green. I have learned that "less is indeed more" when it comes to paint choices. A limited palette allows me to fully explore the potential of each color.
My personal style of brushwork has been made in part by confidence in color mixing. With this confidence , color can become a natural response and the brush can dance. Its movement is guided by a place deep within - not at the fingertips.
A rhythm can begin between the brush and the canvas. Its an energy that needs to be controlled but that can lead to wonderful marks that skip and push and pull and slide! I try to respect the mark of the brush as a design element in its own right. I remember one of my mentors ( a particularly cantankerous one - bless you Wally!) shouting "One Big Brush. Twenty minutes! Leave it alone!"
I think it was from him that I learned that one stroke can have great meaning. Brushwork is a remarkable tool in the artists box, for defining a form with economy, for stirring an emotion, and for personal expression.

One Afternoon I invited two friends over to paint in my studio. They had a great time and I did a scraper! I was just too distracted by my company to paint well. After they left, I began again and this small study is the result. This time done in a spirit of friendship and fun : "Fast and Loose" 9 x 12
oil on gessoed acid free illustration board
www.dailypaintworks.com

Adding Life to the Landscape.

2011-12-19T18:09:00.000-08:00

Whenever we add a figure or an animal, that element of life "becomes" the focus of the painting. The rest of the composition becomes the supporting cast for the main idea of the piece, the focal areas will center on the "live" parts no matter what is done to the rest.
I love the way the introduction of figures enriches the storytelling aspect of the painting. The trick is to make sure that the figures or animals fit, that they have the proper scale for the rest of the story!

"Go Fly A Kite" 5 x 14 oil on panel http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Creating small paint or pen and pencil sketches on the spot is a great way to strengthen your drawing skills and confidence in rendering figures. The best exercise that I am aware of is to do quick gesture studies. A "gesture" study focuses on the movement and overall form of the figure or animal. The best studies are done with broad arm movements, not cramped and fixed wrist and finger movements.
Once when I was out painting cattle on location another artist critiqued my work and said "you've got all the color spots and values in the right place. Now one of them needs a head and a tail! It was a great lesson; put in enough to suggest your subject and leave out the rest.
The people flying kites in this little painting are merely dots and dashes. You the viewer make them complete.

Capture a Mood.

2011-12-18T18:20:00.001-08:00

Maritime Magic 8 x 8 oil on linen panel
art auction at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

I think that familiarity with a subject gives me the confidence to manipulate a painting to tell a story and capture a mood. I love the old tugs in Sturgeon Bay. They are huge, bulky and in their own way very elegant craft. I have seen them at work and at rest. I've painted them on location in all sorts of weather. When I see them I always get a flutter of emotion, a feeling about the waterfront and the hardy people who work on the lake and docks. To create a mood an artist has to have a singular purpose and a desire to communicate that emotion in their painting. This purpose will often come to me in a glance that leaves an elusive first impression. This first impression defines my composition and helps me stick to my intention - the story presented by the painting.
I hope that the looming presence of this old boat will invite the viewer to explore the mystery and magic of the waterfront.

Anything is paintable!

2011-12-17T14:50:00.000-08:00

I remember reading a story about one of the famous artists who taught at the School of the Art Students League in New York. The article described a situation in which his class complained that there was nothing to paint in their rather drab gray studio. The instructor went in the hall and proceeded to paint a wonderful picture of the coats and hats hanging on the coat racks outside the door! It has been a great lesson for me to consider on those days when it's hard to find a subject or the "muse".
Yesterday, I noticed these old toys on a shelf and I found myself thinking about the many hands that have enjoyed and played with them. As I looked at them a story formed and a painting came to life from a very unexpected source.
It seems especially appropriate to share this one during the week before Christmas. I think we all are children at heart. At least I hope I am.

"The Toy Shelf" 8 x 6 oil on canvas panel.
auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

pathways and passages

2011-12-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

There is something incredibly inviting about a well- worn path or a passageway. I think these images suggest a journey and often lead us to a destination which can be a surprise.
I often feel that there is a point in every painting when the process becomes the destination. Each painting starts with a plan but then begins to take on a life "of it's own". I try to be sensitive to the moments when the painting starts to demand it's own course. A hard edge begins to need a soft companion, a warm light demands it's cooler counterpart and the painting finds its voice. The trick is to listen.
Certainly, I'm directing the brush and the colors but the passages which lead to a completed painting are full of surprises.
This passage way was seen in Sante Fe and leads to a beautiful place of light and warmth.
"The Old Spanish Courtyard" 6 x 8 oil on canvas panel
auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

www.bonnieparuchfineart.com

favorite themes

2011-12-14T17:08:00.000-08:00

I have always loved boats. For some reason they speak to me in a way that other "vehicles" do not. When I was growing up my mother and father and I spent one or two amazing weeks at a housekeeping resort in Northern Wisconsin. Resort is probably not the right word in today's reference - these were simple cabins, on a rustic lake in the middle of northern Wisconsin no-where. Heaven!
I remember my dad's large and strong hands holding the Evinrude motor steady and going (for me) as fast as the wind over the rough waves. My mom would bounce on her seat, zinc oxide on her nose and a big hat -waving madly in the wind.
We were fisherman. Perch, Walleyes, Bluegills and the elusive Musky were our hoped- for catch. It wasn't til I grew up that I realized that those fish in the freezer were a significant part of our winter diet. It was food we caught to enjoy every Friday night during dad's fish fries!
I am a fisherman's daughter. Boats are in my blood.
Door County's vessels are very different from the little Lund boats we bounced around in. Yet, the spirit of each fisherman fills each boat that plies these waters and I enjoy finding that spirit in a painting.
Today was a gray, yellow- brown day, a drizzle of dullness..I appreciate my photo references on a day like today!
Here is "The Old Tug" Sturgeon Bay 8 x 6 oil on panel
at auction at ww.dailypaintworks.com.

View more work at http://www.bonnieparuchfineart.com/

A little Mystery

2011-12-13T17:49:00.000-08:00

I've always enjoyed taking a drive a night. When I was a small child, it seemed that nothing was as safe or cozy as the back seat of my parents car. I would hear their voices murmuring while I watched the colored lights flash by my window, totally secure in that small space.
Night time scenes from the road still effect me that way. I am a vicarious bystander watching the night scape go by, wondering about the lives and actions of the people hidden in the darkness. A warm light in the distance has a glow that invites me to look, to pause and to wonder.
This little painting was influenced by a trip to New York quite some time ago.My husband and I loved the excitement and the mystery of the night lights of the big city. I hope I've suggested some of that feeling in this work, a memory and suggestion of the night.

"Chinatown night" 6 x 8 oil on panel

Each daily painting is posted for a maximum of three weeks. At http://www.dailypaintworks.com/
Then posted on my website at regular pricing at http://www.bonnieparuchfineart.com/

Travels within the frame

2011-12-12T16:38:00.000-08:00

Next November I've been invited to participate in an invitational show, at the Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, called "Travels within the Frame". The idea of "travelling" seems to be in the back of my mind with many of my recent daily paintings. I love to suggest a mysterious place within the context of my images. Will the painting take the viewer on their own trip or mine?
Last March we spent a wonderful week in Maui. It was our first time "over the pond" and our expectations were very high. I wish I could have seen Maui 100 years ago. It is beautiful but so commercial, manicured, and perfect for tourists that I found much of it hard to relate to.
We enjoyed the wild beauty of the oceans, the Rainforest's valleys and the winding, terrifying,and breathtaking road to Hanna.
Despite the rain and dreary cold winds that blew today, I once again travelled the "Road to Hanna" in the spaces within my memory and the confines of my studio.

"The Road to Hanna" 8 x 8 oil on linen panel
at auction at www.dailypaintworks.com
www.bonnieparuchfineart.com

Color my world!

2011-12-11T17:22:00.000-08:00

I've heard it said that if you have your values right in a painting, almost any colors will work. Bonnard and Monet and Chagall, all made their colors dance within the light and dark design of their paintings.
My reference for this painting was a very dull photo, almost black and white and gray. I decided to enhance the colors to fit my mood, influenced by the delightful creatures that inspired us to raise sheep for a time. Contrary to common knowledge sheep are smart, playful, soulful and completely engaging animals. One of my favorite memories is the mad dash the flock would make when a new pasture was opened for them. It was a very peaceful scene as they grazed and played and called to us and to each other. The flock depicted here belonged to another shepherd... I used their black faces are a counter-point to the colors of the field and grasses.
I hope you'll enjoy "In The New Pasture" 8 x 6 oil on panel
at art auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

Play!

2011-12-10T18:03:00.000-08:00

One of the things that I am enjoying the most in this process of daily painting is the element of surprise. Maybe a better word would be play. In my day- to- day life as an artist, there have been times when deadlines and gallery expectations have trumped my desire to explore or to "play" with an idea. The small format of these paintings has allowed me, and pushed me, to explore ideas quickly day by day.
A large painting requires a large time commitment, and often involves preliminary studies, color notes, and repainting. This has not been the case with these "little guys".
As I push around the paint, I'm also aware that words must fit the image. It has been a double creative challenge and quite honestly an unexpected gift.
Today's painting is of a wonderful diner in Austin, Texas. When we travel we bring back memories of the diners and dives we like to check out. Give us a local joint and we're happy.
Here's my tribute to the road...

"The Diner" 8 x6 oil on linen panel

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

paint a painting not a photograph

2011-12-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

In Victorian times ,when the technology for photography became widely available, artists near and far went into mourning. How, they thought, would they keep patrons interested in painting when a camera could record it all?! The Impressionists took to the great outdoors and found their salvation in recording the moment, influenced by light as the "eye sees" not as a camera lens sees.
I often use photos as reference material for paintings that depend on a longer view than the eye can provide. They are useful to record a rapidly changing environment, for wonderful views that happen to be on a busy road, and for shapes that change with movement (animals)... the trick is to remember the motivation for the photo and then get rid of it! I paint the images of my minds eye , enhanced sometimes by photo references, not paintings of photographs.
One afternoon last December , as the sun was moving lower in the sky, I saw my neighbors horse against a gray sky. Flurries were in the air and the road, Wildwood, became natures canvas. The photo I took while walking Ricky waited for me in my studio until today.
"Flurries on Wild wood Road" 8 x 6 oil on linen panel
at auction at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Paint from your heart

2011-12-08T17:30:00.000-08:00

A long time ago a friend and wonderful artist, Dan Gerhartz, gave me two excellent bits of advice. He said " just paint" when I asked him if I should take more workshops and he told me to "be honest". Truth be told, at that time in my development as an artist ,I really wasn't sure what he meant...honest?
Some things take time, and as the years have gone by I now interpret his advice to mean paint from your heart, paint what you love and your passion will come through.
Well, I love chickens! (And all of nature's gifts). For a time, we were the humble students of a lovely flock of twelve chickens and twelve Icelandic sheep. One of our Friends has a delightful daughter who christened our menagerie the sheep's and peeps. This little painting is a remembrance of the fun and hard work involved in "shepherding a flock" . I hope my enjoyment and appreciation for these creatures comes across. Now has any one got any farm fresh eggs...so good...so missed!?

"The Peeps" 8 x 6 oil on linen panel
at auction at www.dailypaintworks.com
www.bonnieparuchfineart.com

You win some you lose some

2011-12-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

This afternoon was frustrating. I had a great idea (or so I thought) and just couldn't get it together on the canvas. It seems neither my head nor my brush were in the "right" place. Perhaps the pressure of a daily paint just didn't work with the disjointed day I ended up with.
The life of an artist is unique but not romantic...work is work and today was really not unusual. I think that my students are always surprised when I tell them that at least 1/3 of the work that I do is unsuccessful. Perhaps expectations rise with more experience in front of the easel- I don't know. I do know that I spent the afternoon painting and then scraped it all off.
My last hour or two, I started something new with a few flowers left from yesterday's bouquet. I wound up painting a very simple still life of white flowers. Maybe my color choice reflects the day and the flurries that have been threatening for the past day or two. It is Winter white, holding a promise of snow. Each time an artist returns to the easel I think it is an act of hope.
" Winter White" 8 x 6 oil on panel
at auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

check out my website for additional work www.bonnieparuchfineart.com

In between abstraction and realism

2011-12-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

I've always enjoyed pushing the boundaries between abstraction and realism. I know that every good composition is based on a solid abstract design. Where does realism end and Abstraction begin? In the eye of the eye of the beholder! We spent most of the day in the "Emerald City" my good friend Suzi's term for Green Bay. A long day away from home and the studio didn't leave me much time for painting today. This morning, while I was enjoying my coffee and peanut butter, I saw turkeys running around in the fields behind our house. It's my favorite view , a place where I always find respite and a sense of peace. This slightly(?) crazy little painting is a reflection on the scene. A quick sketch to remember the view. Too abstract?...I had fun!

sketching time

2011-12-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

For several years I've been a faculty member of the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art, a intensive atelier program located (first) in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, and now in Algoma. My experiences as an instructor have challenged me and have given me a wonderful opportunity to mentor students on a professional level. Recent changes in ownership of the Academy have resulted in some major moves - the school will soon (in March of 2012) relocate to Denmark, Wisconsin which is 1/2 hour south of Green Bay. That would make my drive time 2 hours one way, instead of a little over 1 hour. With regret I've resigned my position and perhaps felt a sense of emotional closure the last evening I drove home from the school.

While driving ,I saw a small intense moon rise over the waters of the lake. That image has stuck with me for several weeks. This painting is a memory sketch of that moment. I hope it captures the softly changing light over the town and lake shore. For me it is a bookmark for an ending of a great experience and for a continuation of my journey as an artist and teacher.

Presenting: " Algoma in the moonlight" oil study 8 x10
www.dailypaintworks.com auction beginning at $100 minimum bid

Memories

2011-12-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday ( the rainy day!) I thought about my mom. She was a beautiful woman who was never found without her special "beauty fluid" or her red lipstick. I've always kept the pink lotion ,Oil of Olay, on hand because the bottle and the slightly sweet fragrance reminds me of her.
Cherries Jubilee, Ravishing Red, Pretty Pink, Rose Red - I remember the names of her lipsticks and I cherish memories of her smile when I look at these cosmetics. I did this small painting in pastel. Remembering my mom, Irene. Olay!

"Memories in Pink." 6 x 6 pastel on archival sanded board

at auction at www.dailypaintworks.com

Rainy day blues (or yellows or violets.)

2011-12-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Rainy days seem to go hand in hand with productive studio time. Today was no exception, but, rainy days are not conducive to carrying wet paintings or pastels from my studio to the house (where we have the photography set-up in place).
So, today's post is from this past Summer. It's a small plein air painting of the Rowleys Bay shore shortly after a rain shower. Yellows and Violets dominated the scene. Unexpected colors can often replace what you know about the landscape, that sky is blue and grass is green, with what you can learn to see.
The exercise of painting "en plein air" has been a wonderful way to train my eye to see color and value. The plein air work that I do gives me the confidence to experiment with color and is vital to those paintings that I do purely from memory.

Sunset at Rowleys Bay 8 x 6 oil on panel

I think that color can convey emotion. I once had a discussion about emotion in painting with an artist who held the belief that artists can only paint reality; things, shapes and edges. My belief is that every painting begins with an artists emotional response to a subject and "ends" when the viewer feels an emotional connection to it. We are storytellers and one of our tools is color. The wonder is in the way that the viewer completes the story.

view art auction at www.dailypaintworks.com
my website: www.bonnieparuchfineart.com

paint!

2011-12-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

Often, when I squeeze paint from my tubes and arrange the big gorgeous blobs of oil paint on my palette, I feel the same excitement that I felt the first time I pushed paint around a canvas. The colors are so full of promise and beauty that I am transported to the days when I thought that the 64 crayola crayon box was IT! I still enjoy paint as paint and I strive to show my respect for this medium with brushwork that remains pure and bold. The tactile quality of oil paint and the way it responds to the pressure of the brush stroke really interests me. This little painting is thick, the paint is the icing on the subject, meant to be enjoyed in and of itself.
"A Rose is a Rose". 6 x 8 oil on panel presented in a custom toned frame.
at DPW's unique and friendly art auction http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Something old - Something new

2011-12-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

Over the years I've spent time reading about the art and lives of artists whose works inspire me. I love the work of the "Ashcan School" of artists and the Cape Ann Artists to name a few. These artists worked many years ago, and bitterly complained about the civilizing quality of modern day life. They hoped that the new buildings and shops and roads wouldn't continue the destruction of the quaint, rural quality of the American landscape. I wonder what they would think of today's mega malls, strip centers, Interstates and deconstructed down towns?!
I love old stuff. I feel that buildings that are frayed and washed by time have so much to say about the people that live with them. Sheds, shacks, gritty small and big towns all have a story to tell. I remember one of my painter friends saying," If they keep sprucing things up we won't have anything to paint!"

Several weeks ago, I stopped at a garge sale south of here. The place was a pickers dream, a tangel of old tools, junk, car parts and sheds brimming with who knows what?. I bought a few treasures, some rusty old hand forged tools, and saw a wonderful old chicken coop behind the scene. The gentleman hosting the sale and I shared a few stories about chickens and fresh eggs. He showed me his prized Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds...I think we'll be neighborly forever now.
Todays painting is to celebrate things handmade and handfed. Everything old is new again.

"The Red Coop" 8 x 8 oil on panel
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/ art auction

Life's a Beach

2011-11-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

I spent this morning and lunch with a fantastic group of creative knitters, weavers, spinners and fiber friends. My friendship with these women has been a complete delight and a surprise for me. We met because of an interest in fiber animals. (Yes , we raised Icelandic Sheep for several years...my mid-life crisis was not a car!) I have been blessed to receive their gentle direction and I've felt very welcome in this group despite being a complete beginner in their field. I love being a beginner! No pressure, just the pure joy of learning something new. When returned to my studio my inspiration was hiding somewhere under the three cups of coffee, bowl of delicious soup, cookies, and much fellowship!
I have a box of photos that I use for times like these, they are my photographs or old family snapshots. Todays painting was inspired by an old polaroid of a beach house in Florida. Since we recently returned from a short vacation in Sarasota, I enjoyed the "old Florida" feel of the image. Letting my imagination guide me, I painted this memory piece, "The Beach House". The late November winds didn't feel quite so cold while I was painting this one. Perhaps the party feeling and friendship helped create the festive feeling of the painting.

"The Beach House" 8 x 6 oil on panel

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/ art auction

The Gift

2011-11-29T17:29:00.000-08:00

My mother Irene and father Alex were children of the Great Depression. I remember mom telling me stories of bartering for food with eggs from their farm for whatever meat the butcher would part with. Their suppers were often meager. They often fed the family, hired hands and transient men looking for food and work. Mom and dad often spoke about their Christmas gifts, all placed in a stocking, and topped with a special treat, an orange. They might find candies, nuts, or new socks, but the orange was a novelty to savor.
This time of year clementines, tangerines and oranges apppear in the super market. These citrus beauties remind me of a time when a simple gift was treasured and shared.
"Clementines and an Orange Slice" is my tribute to the blessings of Christmas past.

warm light cool light

2011-11-28T17:17:00.000-08:00

I remember when I first picked up Richard Schmid's first book, "Alla Prima " , I was confused by his reflections on the beauty of painting on a gray, cool light day. His words that the colors where saturated on a gray steady light day didn't make any sense to me. I was all about painting the warm light of the sun. In the years since I've learned to appreciate the warm shadows and saturated colors of a gray day.
As a plein air painter , the constance of light and shadow on an overcast day is wonderfully appealling. A gray day is great to indicate a mood or to capture an emotion, which is often harder to portray on a warmly lit - purple shadow kind of day. On a sunny day, you're racing to capture the fleeting effects of light verses an analysis of subtle transitions presented by the overcast day.
Darkness comes earlier now, our sunset is before 4:15pm. This afternoon, as I looked out my studio window, the monotony of the quiet sky was broken and a beautiful pink light appeared at the horizon at sunset. Quiet, easy to overlook, the surprising light in the sky changed the yellow- gray field. Yellow ochre, Terre Verte, Raw Umber, Venetian red , Rose Madder : a spectrum of colors came to feast my eye - one only has to learn how to see.
"The Pink Sky" 6 x 8 oil on panel
at auction http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Renewal

2011-11-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

I spent my time in the studio today looking through my "bad box" - it's a collction of almost hits and definitely misses that I use to get jump started on a dry painting day. These paintings can often get me thinking and problem solving and creating...just the thing I needed today. This small painting began as a much larger piece that just didn't hold together. I simply took out the best part, the original focal area , and enhanced the design , colors, and values. Renewal is turning a big problem into a small gem!

Sunflower Party 8 x 8 oil on panel

at auction at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Influences

2011-11-26T17:53:00.000-08:00

When I first began painting I was interested in "how to" books of art instruction. As the years have passed I find myself less interested in how and more interested in why. For me, that question is often answered by browsing through artist biographies and monographs of their work. Sketches, color studies, finished paintings and the artist's own words in regard to their struggles and goals help me to understand my own attempts to grow as an artist. My first attempt to portray our sunroom was drab and gray ( just like the day!). Recently, I paged through a wondeful color catalogue of Eduoard Vuillard's interiors. He was the son of a seamstress and grew up surrounded by her bolts of fabric full of color and patterns. You can see her influence in his wonderfully patterned paintings. I decided to paint the sunroom not as it was, but as I wanted it to be, a place of comfort, activity and sunlight.

The Sunroom 6 x 8 oil on linen panel
http://www.dailpaintworks.com/ auction

Chasing the Light

2011-11-25T18:16:00.000-08:00

There are some evenings when the light races across the fields. The patterns of light and dark will often change in between the moment that I look down to load my brush and then glance up again! Plein air painting is as much about memory as it is about recording the important facts of the viewed scene. A painting's success is found in how it conveys the initial spark or idea that motivated it. Shifting light can change everything! This painting began as a story about grazing cattle, it ended as a story about the sunset and the blazing light illuminating the earth and sky.

" Sunset Pasture" 6 x 8 oil on panel
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/
http://www.bonnieparuchfineart.com/

Gratitude

2011-11-24T15:18:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving it seems very appropriate to to share a painting of beautiful produce, tomatoes and green onions, part of a salad that will grace our table later this evening. Lately, my paintings have added bounty to our daily meals! I'm grateful for the food on our table and very aware that many are not as fortunate as we are. One in five American children are now going to bed hungry. Lets fix that.

Tomatoes!
5 x 7 oil on linen panel
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

The Lesson

2011-11-23T16:59:00.000-08:00

This afternoon my good friend and neighbor Suzi offered me beets and squash from her garden for my Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. As I drove up her drive I spotted her calico barn cat in the pasture with her horses. It gave me such pleasure to see a tiny cat peacefully resting underneath one of suzi's grazing horses.
The animals were both totally at ease, peaceful in each other's company. When I got back to my studio I re-visited an older painting of cats in a barn. I think it is often the least among us that leads the way. Peace and Happy Thanksgiving!

" Barn Cats" 8x8 oil on a panel
placed at auction this evening at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

A Room of One's Own.

2011-11-22T17:16:00.000-08:00

Since the late 90's I've been blessed with a my own space for thinking about and creating art. My first space was in an old factory and my space was literally caution taped off. My little corner took up a tiny part of a block long completely empty floor in an old manufacturing plant. I was in heaven!
My dedicated working space gave me the confidence to think seriously about my work , and for that reason, others began to take me seriously too. I think that everyone needs a place to make things, to write, to read, to reboot from the everyday pressures and demands of life. This little painting is pure fancy, made up, a wish for a quiet space in life. I want to dedicate it to all the women and men I know who "do too much", of necessity. I hope you find your own place.

"A Room of One's Own" 6 x 8 oil on linen panel
http://www.bonnieparuchfineart.com/
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Remembering Spring

2011-11-21T16:01:00.000-08:00

Last spring I painted a small plein air painting of an old abandoned orchard and an apple barn on Cottage Row near Fish Creek. The painting is still in my studio. Today as the sun dipped in the sky, I took a second look at my original piece and decided to paint the subject again. This time I was replaying a scene from memory , influenced by the finished work. Obviously, spring is long gone but the image of a sunset illuminating an orchard is fresh in my mind. Painting from memory and studies allows me to explore the essence of a moment.
I hope I've caught a special place at a magical moment. It's all about the light.
Orchard Light 5 x 7 oil on linen
at auction this evening at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Whats Cooking?

2011-11-20T14:50:00.000-08:00

I don't think we could live without onions, garlic and olive oil ! These pantry items seem to weave their way into most of the dishes I prepare. Cooking is one of my passions and I think that this joy in making good food for my family and friends actually "colors" the work I do - in paint on canvas. One creative pursuit can feed another. Tonight a spicy chili is bubbling on the stove. Vern is going to start a fire and the dogs are just being dogs, completely at ease. The smallest and simplest things in life can bring great contentment.

" Onions and Garlic" 6 x 8. oil on linen
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/ auction begins tonight

Food for Thought.

2011-11-19T14:53:00.000-08:00

Creating this painting brought back memories of the days when the boys were very small and I was desperate to paint. My solution was to raid the refrigerator as soon as they went down for naps. I'd rummage throught the vegetable and fruit bins looking for inspiration. The loose style you see is probably a direct result of short naps! Fruit has personality, especially pears. They are a little fleshy, have their own special shapes and play well with others. This composition has three design elements I often share with my students: rhythm, repitition and rest. The restful spot in this piece is the dark almost hidden tarnished silver piece. My mother-in-law Doris gave it to me long ago. It always reminds me of her quiet elegance.
"Doris's Gift" 5 x 7 oil on linen panel
This painting will be placed at auction at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/ this evening
Day six!

Looking East.

2011-11-18T14:30:00.000-08:00

When we bought this place ten years ago, it was little more that six scrubby acres of dirt. I remember bringing the boys up here to see our purchase and I am pretty sure that they were not impressed. Our neighbor had just turned the field, to them it seemed barren and empty. Vern and I thought it was full of promise. The long views across the fields and the "big" sky drew us in. Over the years we've built and planted and established strong roots in our adopted rural community. It took awhile, but it has become home for all of us. We are perched on a hill between the field and sky. It's a place that howls in the wind and keeps us forever entertained. Ten years ago it was a blank canvas, to bring it to life we had to trust and work and wait. This painting is of our gravel drive, winding with the curves of the land, always leading us home.
Number 5
Looking East , 5x7 oil on linen panel
available at auction at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

Love is in the Roses

2011-11-17T16:39:00.000-08:00

Last year I bought a few hardy "ever bearing" roses. All summer long they bloomed, a pink carpet in the garden. The last few roses are steadfastly standing against the wind and cold. I just had to take one into the studio to celebrate its stubborn resolve. The delicate cup and saucer is a gift from a dear friend who is currently facing a huge and difficult life change. Combining the tea cup and the rose brought to mind a beautiful song by Roseanne Cash; these are her words from the album Black Cadillac: Love is in the Roses and the Thorns.

The Muse

2011-11-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

It was 35 degrees today and the wind seemed especially sharp as the dog and I walked through the fields around our house. Except for the green mowed path everything was a somber palette of soft grays. The grasses have gone stiff and brown, a few spots of color punctuated the yellow and gray weeds.Overhead our Harrier hawk, pale male, scanned for his next meal. He too was a harmony of gray tones. The Snow Buntings are back, migrating here for a few months this winter. They floated above the field ,white and black, harkening to the snow to come. Ricky's nose was down, tail up, finding luscious scents below. He brushed past a milkweed pod and the seeds floated beyond his trail. I pulled up the brittle weed and pods. This treasure from our walk came into the studio. The promise is in the seeds.
"Milkweed Pods" 8x8 oil on linen panel
follow this painting auction at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

A new Chapter

2011-11-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

If I had to pick one month that seemed to be a "page turner" I would pick November. The tourist season here comes to a grinding halt after the last weekend of October. Brisk winds pull the leaves from the trees while the whole county seems to exhale. We're all waiting for that next chapter, winter. While a few fallen leaves still carpet the grass I rush to get in the last cold sensitive plant , cover the roses and Vern attaches the snowplow to the tractor. It's the time to embrace forty degrees and sunny as a great day for a walk! It's the time to open a book to a new chapter and to cherish the ribbon that marks the page.
My painting for today: A New Chapter. 5 x 7.
Follow this painting at auction today at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/

A painting a day!

2011-11-14T11:18:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I think that my good friends know me better than I know myself. I've been enjoying a wonderful book "Postcards from Provence", a gift from a friend that was also an intentional poke to get me to consider entering the daily painting movement. Last year I did a series of 30 small 6 x8 paintings. It was my intention to have them available to show during my summer open studios. In the hustle and bustle of my busy art life I lost track of these little gems. Pam's gift made me aware of the fact that most had sold bit by bit to my students, first time collectors and studio visitors on a mission to get a small painting. Daily painting has been a part of my life for a long time. My hesitation has been the commitment. I'm just Catholic enough to do what I say I'm going to do, and to suffer the ravages of guilt if I don't. So here goes. I'm going to start to post small paintings here and on Daily Paint Works, an art auction site for small "gems". My goal is to share my lasting impressions and emotional responses to beautiful moments in time and place. I believe art is as much about risk taking as it is about communication. This journey begins with this first step. I hope you'll come along with me.

Todays painting: Autumn at Ellison Bay 6x8 image, retail $350 framed.
This painting will be available tomorrow at auction at dailypaintworks.com