Expressionist Landscape: "Still Mist; Fir Trees"

Acrylic on cradled masonite, 7" x 5"x 7/8", no frame required, $95. To purchase please e-mail.

There was a stillness in the mist this morning. I have always liked the fog even when I was a child living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Expressionist Landscape: "First Light; Fir Trees"

Acrylic on cradled masonite board, 7" x 5", no frame required, $125. To purchase please e-mail me.

"First Light; Fir Trees" was painted before my husband made me pancakes for breakfast, just as the first light in the east was lighting up the frosty morning. When I went outside in the cold the song birds were perched on our apple trees and singing to me. I could also here the neighbors chickens and of course a dog barking as well. A fine day to think of new beginnings in the new year!

Expressionist Landscape: "December Sunset"

Acrylic on cradled masonite board, 7" x 5" x 7/8", no frame required, $95. To purchase please e-mail me.

This morning I painted "December Sunset" mostly outdoors in front of the trees. The painting became farther away from what I saw last night as I worked. I remembered the redness of the sky. I remembered the wind moving the clouds. Then I intuitively responded to what the painting said it needed. At first there were blues in the top fifth of the painting and I thought that it took away from the drama. So the sky became even warmer and I was surprised to compare the painting to the photographs that I took last night. This is a painting more about what I was feeling today than the sunset last night.

Lanscape Painting: " Winter Fir Trees"

Acrylic on cradled masonite board, no frame required, 7" x 5" x 7/8", $95. To purchase please e-mail me.

Today the sun did not break through the fog until noon. " Winter Fir Trees" just painted itself. I liked it too much to continue to make further abstractions. The colors were so wintery with the frost but no snow. Yesterday I saw a few flakes being blown about in the air never to find a landing.

Abstract Landscape: "Hidden Players"

Acrylic on cradled masonite board, 12" square 7/8" deep, no frame required, $145. To purchase please e-mail me.

In January I am looking forward to painting more outdoors. I will continue to work intuitively not knowing what the result will be when I begin each work. But I expect to be painting the same clouds, trees, and bird houses in more abstracted forms to pursue expressing my feelings. "Hidden Players" is a preview of what I expect to come.

Landscape: "Purple Bird House"

Acrylic on cradled masonite board, 7" x 5" x 7/8", no frame required, $95. To purchase please e-mail me.

"Purple Bird House" is one of many bird houses my husband made and placed along our fence. We used to call it the purple cow because of a spot painted on one side. Now the spot is weathered and pealing and moss is growing on the roof.
These one a day paintings are teaching me lessons. I am more aware. I am enjoying every change in the weather as seen from our pasture. Every day we still own the pasture is a gift. It is still our pasture but may soon be sold. I am also more aware of my own work habits and am thinking I need time limits. If I have all day I paint all day with diminishing satisfaction. These quick paintings were intended to be warm ups for larger paintings. Next year, in a few days, I will finish working on my paintings for a group of four artists at the Benton County Museum in April. Plus prepare for a June exhibition at a convention center on the Oregon State University Campus. So my new challenge will be doing both small paintings at the same time as larger exhibition work.

Figurative Painting: "Out in Oregon Rain"

Acrylic on masonite cradled board, 7" x 5" x 7/8", frame not required, $95. To purchase please e-mail me.


"Out in Oregon Rain", was painted after a morning walk along the road in back of our pasture. The heavy rain looked like a string veil against the bowing trees. The deer were feeding as usual. Today I painting indoors. This was the heaviest rain of the season.

Expressionist Abstract Landscape:" Misty Pasture"

Acrylic on a masonite, cradled board, no frame required, 7" x 5" x 7/8", $95. To purchase please e-mail me.


"Misty Pasture" was painted a few days ago after a day of rain. I am enjoying painting with cooled acrylics and mixing color on the painting itself.
Thank you for visiting my blog. I appreciate the interest and support. Happy New Year.

Expressionist, Abstract Landscape: "Doughnut Hole Cloud"

Acrylic on masonite board box, 8" x 6"x 7/8", frame not required, for sale $100. To purchase please e-mail me.
"Doughnut Hole Cloud" was started yesterday afternoon outdoors and was fairly realistic. After working on it this morning and some this afternoon my energy went into abstracting. I wanted to express the essence of my excitement. I love the movements of clouds and tree.

Abstract Painting, "In Tune"

Mixed media with acrylic, oil bar, and oil paints, on an Ampersand board box, 14" x 11" x 7/8", no frame required, $150. To purchase please e-mail me.
Some bright color feels good when there are so few hours of light. Must run now because the clouds are getting interesting for tomorrow's painting.

Expressionist Painting, "Two Fir Trees"

Acrylic on masonite board box, 8" x 6" x 7/8", no frame required, $100. To purchase please e-mail me.After trying to paint over to improve yesterday's paintings, I went out to the pasture. I saw deer and a wintering over pairs of blue birds and some doves. These birds are new to this region - usually just here during the summer. I painted in beautiful relatively warm sunshine. Things went considerably better than what I was doing indoors all day yesterday when I tried to paint a memory of the early sunrise before the ice storm. Over and over I painted. I do not feel the failure of these paintings because I learned much about layering and scraping acrylics. So today what a delight it was to paint this one that pleased me from the start.

Abstract Painting, "December Boggie Woggie"

Mixed media, the acrylics include metalics and interference colors plus oil paints, on a masonite wood box, frame not frequired, 7" x 5" x 7/8", $125. To purchase e-mail me. This painting was started in 2002 and just now going through some of my old small paintings I had the inspiration that the colors and lines could suggest my path in preparing for the holidays. I just lean one way until I almost fall then I change directions in the nick of time to get all the food and gifts ready.

Abstract Painting #4, "Frost on Wish Bone"

Acrylic on masonite board box, 7" x 5" x 7/8", no frame necessary, ready to hang, $90. To purchase please e-mail me. "Wish Bone Tree" is one of three started yesterday after going for a walk around our pasture. In the freezing weather outdoors I cooled my paints and board before painting indoors. I believe that the cold paint reduced the paint fumes that give me headaches. In these paintings I want the abstract quality of frosty textures to be seen before the tree subject.

Abstract Painting #4, Intertwined Winter Frosted

Acrylic on a masonite board box, ready to hang, no frame necessary, 7" x 5" x 7/8", $285. Today I tried a new direction in my work. While cooling my paints and board in the freezing Oregon weather, I took a walk in our pasture and observed the trees. Then I painted indoors with the cold paints. I did not get the same feeling of oil paint viscosity like I did outdoors yesterday. Nevertheless I was happy in my work. It is rewarding to be able to rely on memory of painting this month outdoors to abstract my essence of birch trees.

Abstract Painting #4, "Twenty Degrees"

Acrylic on 16" x 12" Ampersand board, $175. To purchase please e-mail me.
"Twenty Degrees" was painted outdoors this morning while enjoying the effects of the cold on the acrylic paint. The viscosity became like oil paint. When I felt my freezing fingers, I thought about trying to stay warm and achieving the same effect. I could cool down my board and paints in the freezer. But then I wouldn't have the excitement of the adventure working on my painting?

Figurative Painting: "Storm Clean Up"

Acrylic painting on wood panel box, ready to hang, no frame necessary, 7" x 5" x 7/8", $95. To purchase please e-mail me. "Storm Clean Up" is painted after the hurricane force storm that hit the Northwest. A couple of our neighbors lost half a dozen trees mostly along their fence. When the tree cutting was going on I was photographing and helping a little. This was started the morning after, outside looking at the landscape plus a photograph I took yesterday was by my side.

Dream Painting, "Self-Portrait Wearing Pearls"

"Self-Portrait Wearing Pearls" is acrylic on a wood panel box, ready to hang, no frame necessary, 7"x 5" x 7/8", $125. To purchase e-mail me. Last night I dreamt I was wise wearing strands upon strands of pearls. I was surrounded by a luminous sea shell sky. this dream came from days at marveling how much the sky colors were like delicate sea shells. It was a happy dream where I was fulfilled after unremembered episodes of frustration. I think the pearls were my paintings that I symbolically created around plain rocks. Each was a significant pearl of wisdom.

Expressionist Painting, "Walking Dog"

"Walking Dog," is acrylic on a wood panel box, ready to hang, no frame necessary, 7" x 5"x 7/8", $95. To purchase, e-mail me. Today there are puddles everywhere. The drainage ditch that I dug around the pump house keeps the water level just below flooding the cement floor. The pump house, originally dug by the homesteader for watering his livestock, I now use it for shelter. I do not have a painting umbrella as such, I paint outside until the painting is wet enough for juicy painting then seek shelter under a tree or in the pump house. This painting is inspired by a daily dog walker. When the neighbor walks by with her dog every morning, I want to paint her determination. "Walking Dog" is the beginning of a series with people and our pasture on high ground giving an Olympian view of the surrounding landscape.

Expressionist Painting, "Clouds Come Dancing"

"Clouds Come Dancing" is acrylic on stretched canvas, 7" x 5", $95, to purchase please e-mail me. Since I started this one at 8:30 AM, the cold front has blown in and the sky now is a flat gray. I kept painting the dramatic clouds from memory because they moved on so quickly. Another artist friend noticed that I like this wave shape and frequently repeat it in my work. Could this symbolize a wave in my own life? The wave of receiving inspiration from right where I live or could it be the wave of passing of time?

Expressionist Painting, "Blue Bird House"

"Blue Bird House" is acrylic on wood panel box, ready to hang, no frame necessary, 7" x 5" x 7/8", $125. It has been a number of years since we put up this house among others distributed around our field. Time to renevate these houses that have brought us the joy of watching blue birds in season. We haven't seen them for months until four blue birds passed by our place a few days ago. They took a dip in our bird bath before flying away until springtime.

Expressionist Painting, "Last Birch Tree Leaves Holding On"

"Last Birch Tree Leave Holding On" is acrylic on stretched canvas, 7" x 5", $95, to purchase e-mail me. It is very stormy today and I strated painting outside only to seek shelter in our pump house where I could still see the birch trees. When I finished a few drops of rain fell as I took it back to our house.

Expressionist Painting, "Birch Tree, Wet and Shining"

"Birch Tree, Wet and Shining," an acrylic painting on a wood box 12" x 12" x 1" ready to hang, no frame necessary, $125, to purchase e-mail me as I am in process of setting up Pay Pal. Yesterday and today this painting went through many phases. When I went out yesterday there was a rainbow. The arc shape was feeling to me like folk art in a square patch for a quilt. It was fun but I saw another beauty in the rain drops sticking to the branches of the birch tree. After painting over and over time and many times over I could finally say that the painting reflects my feelings for the day. A new challenge will be to do another painting with the rainbow.

Abstract Painting # 3, "Moon Setting Before Dawn"

"Moon Setting Before Dawn" is a mixed media painting on a hardboard Ampersand box ready to hang, no frame needed, 8"x 10", $185, can be purchased by e-mailing me. (I am in the process of setting up a Pay Pal account.) This abstract has long been in my almost complete pile. Today I brought it out because the colors were like what I saw the morning of December 5th. I was inspired to complete it. It is acrylic with a few brush strokes of oil paint and lines of oil bar.

Abstract Painting #2, "Fir Tree Dances With Sky"

"Fir Tree Dances With Sky" is an acrylic painting, museum wrapped canvas painted around the edges ready to hang, no frame needed, 18" x 14", availabe for sale for $350, inquire by e-mail, will set up Pay Pal. While painting "Fir Trees..." I enjoyed being on high ground looking up between the branches at the sky and down to the wetlands now built up with houses. I felt I was really painting the emotion I had responding to the light clouds passing by in the late afternoon. I did not think that it was going to be the last painting I could do while the pasture was still our property. Today the sale is final. To me happiness is the memory of experiences of painting and keeping sheep here - not the ownership of property, for I can sell both.

Abstract Painting:"Full Moon on Yule Tide Sunset"

"Full Moon Rises on Yule Tide Sunset" is a 14" x 18" acrylic painting on stretched canvas priced at $350. To purchase the painting please e-mail me and I will set up a Pay Pal transaction. This abstract is inspired by a series of paintings of my field that we are in the process of selling for development. Of all the years we have lived here, I do not remember walking in our pasture to look at the moon rise. But the evening of December 5th I was treated to the last time I will see the moon rise here. I am excited to paint from the memory of this sunset just deepening in the sky as the moon came up in the East. I find it easier to work into a fully expressive abstraction just after seeing it in the studio. When I am outside I first feel the need to record what I see and then as I work I feel the emotions well up so I can get to the core of expression, minimalizing detail and creating my own energy. It is my work to interpret - not record. It is my pleasure to enjoy what I have. I add colors to suit my mood and more memories like the star which used to be hung in the climbing tree to be seen all the way down the road.

Apple Tree Expressionist Painting:"After Apple Picking"

"After Apple Picking" is inspired by Robert Frost's poem by the same name. The painting is acrylic on stretched canvas, larger than the 5"x 7" that I will be posting. This one is 18" x 14" and $350.













My long two pointed ladder's sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.

The Moon Set Half an Hour After Sun Rise

I am excited to have been accepted at the Daily Painters Gallery. I anticipate that I will be growing, trying new challenges while my work has a market on the internet. Remaining open to new ideas is healthy. I will be happy because some gallery will not be telling me to do more of the same. Freedom is very good for my personal development. From this day on all my paintings posted here will be for sale as soon as I get Paypal set up. Today's painting "The Moon Set.." is an acrylic on a 10" x 8" x 7/8" Ambersand box. It is for sale for $100.

Celebrating My Trees

This painting is for sale. Oil on masonite hard board. 10" x 8" $200
Painting outdoors is bringing the best out of me. I am so happy I painted my way out of a little slump the past two days.

One More Try

for sale. It is Acrylic on 10" x 8" deep cradled board box. $200

















This afternoon I painted a new one of the trees and liked the mode I was in so I painted over the Standing Trees Shining. Now I am pleased.

Burning Logging Slash

Fourty years ago I helped plant some trees in Oregon. Then moved away from the state: The trees were neglected. Many did not live but a few did grow to fourteen inches in diameter. Most of the surviving trees were felled this year. I had not seen the place since we planted the trees, and today I went back. It felt like a historic occasion. The snow covered the sore ground covered with debree by the loggers. Steam rose above the snow and burning piles. Taking a break from feeding the fires, I painted in my moleskin.

Sky

For sale. Acrylic on Masonite board. 16" x 12" $150



















Interesting, I never seem to learn that acrylics dry darker making any additions difficult for me to match. Here I have gone back into the painting the next day. Furthermore the mood of the day changed. Both this one and the " No Freezing Rain After All" were started on a dark day, completed on a much lighter day.

No Freezing Rain After All

Not for sale

Four O'Clock Wood Chopper

For sale Acrylic on cradled board box 14" x 11". $250



















With the threats of an ice storm, my husband took up the ax. Maybe I should have warned him that he would be sore, but instead I found symbols of our changes in life as we are growing older.

Slow Beginnings of the Cloud Series

"What use are all the paints, canvases, and brushes in the world if we don't allow ourselves to fantasize." author unknown

For sale. Acrylic on hard board cradled box, 8" x 10", $290

Abstracting from nature has always been a tug at my thinking and takes many trials. On this one I think i hit a jack pot.

Sky With Emotion

Today I brought out all of my nineteen small oil paintings that were put away for ten days. I am pleased with the changes that took place over the weeks during which I painted once a day. I am going to do more oil paintings when the weather is warmer. Next Spring they can dry in our unheated pump house. In the meantime, today, I am back to painting with acrylics outdoors in the 26 degree weather until my fingers feel cold. I'll finish two this afternoon. The painting I post here is an earlier one that I just glazed today. The thick blue mixed with white is not as vibrant as a thin glaze is over dried paint.

In the past I kept working on a painting over and over. I am changing my ways for small paintings.

Today I noticed the gray sky all over and found little changes in hue and luminosity. It is difficult to photograph these light paintings but will work on the photography so I can post them tomorrow.

The Wind and The Clouds

It is a challenge to do the clouds. I am looking forward to doing a series of clouds as seen from our place. The clouds will become more abstract as I express my feelings about selling country side property and then becoming a good neighbor.

The Beginning Of Winter

The sunsets behind our plumb tree and field. I am anticipating doing more paintings of the field we have given up. The papers are signed and the sale is in process. The old Pulver homestead is changing with the times.

Thanksgiving Thanks for a Beautiful Year in Oregon

"Heron" from the Poem Series

Inspiration from Sorley Maclean's "Heron"
"She Folded her wings close in to her sides and took stock of all around her."

Lens Eye Views

I like the camera as a tool for interpretation of the landscape. I like to paint what the camera can not reveal. I find my feelings flow also with small oil paintings. While I am painting though sometimes I get to looking mostly at my picture trying to fix a moments impression and then more views want to enter than the picture can hold. So then it is nice to get the camera out.

Leaning Towards the Abstract

Painting over yesterday's painting, a new beginning about interpreting rather than reproducing. I was feeling the breeze turn to gusts of wind as the storm approached. The bird house painting was from a particular place focusing on bird houses. The painting on top of the post was a general impression while being outside in the storm as the rain started blowing at me.

Will continue oil series in December?

The time has come to have quality family time with grandchildren for the Thanksgiving holiday. After Thanksgiving I'll decide if I should do more oil paintings. I have been enjoying painting very much the past few weeks. I have learned that I can develop a flow by making myself conclude paintings while the initial intention is still strongly felt. In contrast to painting one a day outdoors, working in the studio I attempt to make the paintings look as though they are done all at once. I am forcing them. The nice thing about oil is that it stays wet longer than acrylic facilitating working all over the surface keeping it a unit. I was happiest when I had two of each primary color, white and a few earth colors. I was painting smoothly until I ran out of most of my max watersoluble oil colors. Yesterday I squeezed on to my palette what remained. I only have some burnt sienna, burnt umber and white left in tubes. Should do for some winter landscape or deer. In addition to running out of paint, on Friday we will sign over to the new owner the lot. This will not be as final an ending as I thought:I may yet be able to paint there through December. Building will probably start in January. I have thought that this series might well include the drama of a house being built.

Bird Houses

To attract birds we have surrounded our place with bird houses. The fields about our place are great for the swallows to glide and swoop up insects. Our large patches of freshly turned dirt has many tasty insects. The blue birds see their meal from several high perches. While I was painting today I saw many more subjects like the four point buck following a reluctant doe. I put in and took out of my painting a squirrel. The squirrel came down from the climbing tree and stood just three feet away watching me while covering herself with a large fuzzy tail as though she thought she was hidden.

The Fence by the Climbing Tree

Years and years ago our lamb put her head through the fence to reach a tender leaf but she was trapped unable to get her haed out by herself. I notice the fence was never replaced and it is stretched out of shape. Soon the field will be sold. The fence will be pulled out to make way for a new home. So I continue to paint for a couple of more days. Some times for pure feeling without words and other days for memories. Everyday I see the field as though I never really noticed it before. How could I have missed such a wonderful inspiration? Well I did try to paint in the field with animals like sheep, cows, horses and once a goat. Only the animals wanted to get into the paint. But still there were many times like now when the field could have been my place to paint. I was busy with life and now I am so fortunate that I do have time to paint.