Work in Progress

Untitled (for now), Acrylic on Canvas, 16"x20", NFS

This painting isn't done yet so I didn't spend a lot of time getting the colors in the photo exactly right. But I wanted to share a new avenue of experimentation that I am exploring. I am enjoying the visual texture and abstraction of the patches of paint while still keeping a representational foundation.  I still have quite a bit of work to do on this painting - I haven't got the mood I envisioned just yet, and the composition still needs a bit more work - but I have some ideas on how to proceed.

Interestingly, I didn't always enjoy experimenting with new techniques and looks, primarily because I hate all the failures (still do).  But I am getting into trying things out just to see where they might lead.  Of course, that can result in a bunch of odds and ends, work wise.

Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14"x15", $250

I made another pass at this one. I wasn't satisfied with the number and arrangement of the flower heads so I went in and changed them. I think I have more pleasing arrangement now.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will find yourself on my web site which is set up for on-line sales.

Sunflower #28

Sunflower #28, Acrylic on Watercolor paper, 13"x14", $500

Still experimenting.  This is a painting that went horribly wrong during the September 30 Day Challenge.  At the time, I just set it aside figuring I would revisit it some day.  That day came this week. I like the cheeriness that this painting conveys.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will be transported to my website where you can make your purchase.

Note:  I discovered yesterday that some of the links for purchasing on my web site were broken. So if you tried to make a purchase and were unable to, please accept my apologies and I hope you will try again.  I believe the links are all fixed now so you should be able to use my web site to purchase the painting of your choice.

Clearing Skies

Clearing Skies, Acrylic on Canvas, 16"x20", $900

There was some serious experimentation going on here.  I wanted to create a landscape in which the foreground, although large in area, was largely abstracted and darker than the middle and backgrounds.  In order to get the mood right and to get enough interest in the middle and backgrounds (if you lead them there, is there something for them to find?), I did quite a lot of compositional work as I went along.  All in all, I am quite pleased with the results.  In the actual painting, the purples in the foreground are a bit more muted; in fact, they blend in quite well.  Other than that, this photo captures the feeling of sunlight I got and which was one of the goals.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will be transported to my website which is set up to handle on-line transactions.

Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14"x15", $200

Ahhh.  Much better.  It's amazing how much I can miss when I am painting.  After I finished painting the other day, I looked at this painting and immediately saw what was wrong and had a pretty good idea of how to fix it.  So here is the revised version.  I was looking for a largely abstract, loose feel that would capture the sense of wildness and randomness of a field of wildflowers.  This feels right.

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will be transported to my website which is set up to handle sales.  Also, I have decided to use "sneak preview" pricing for my blog posts.  That means the price for a painting hot off the easel will be lower for a week or two after posting. After that it will go up to the gallery price.

Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14"x15", NFS

Wild flowers in a field.  Here in Vermont, they are just a fond memory now.  The frost has pretty much killed off the wild flowers for this year.  In this whimsical study I wanted to explore the use of abstract color and lines to create the feeling of a field.  I think I got that.  I will probably go back in and make a few changes, so it's not for sale for now.  

Maine Spruce

Maine Spruce, Watercolor, 7"x7", $75

This another watercolor sketch from my trip to Maine.  We had a wonderful view of the ocean that was framed by stands of spruces.  Most days the weather was gorgeous.  And, as is usual this time of year, the grasses and shrubs were turning colors.  I did another sketch of the spruces that I did not like as well, although it was a good practice piece - it's always good to study the shapes and colors of the trees. I've posted it below. 

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will find yourself on the Small Paintings page of my web site.

Maine Spruces-2, Watercolor, 7"x7", NFS

Black Spruce

Black Spruce, Watercolor, 7"x7", NFS

This sketch captures the wonderful contorted shape of the black spruces that dot the Maine sea coast. I did this all in shades of blue and gray which is how it looks when the sun in in front of you and everything is back-lit. 

Maine Islands

Maine Islands, Watercolor, 2.5"x7.5", $50

Shades of blue.  This is a small watercolor sketch I did while on my trip to Maine last week.  Across the bay from the house we rented, we could see a long chain of islands.  At low tide, additional rocks and outcroppings emerged from the sea creating a wonderful pattern of dots and dashes in the water.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will find yourself on the Small Paintings page on my web site.

Sunflower #27

Sunflower #27, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10"x9", NFS

Day 30 of the Challenge.  I made it!  This is the last sunflower for a bit although I do plan to go back to some of the ones I did to see what I can do to them to make them better.  There's nothing better than a little time and a fresh look to find ways to improve things.

A big thank you to everyone that followed my journey.  I think I learned a lot and some of what I learned will surely find its way into upcoming work. 

Sunflower #26

Sunflower #26, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10"x9", NFS

Day 29 of the 30 Day Challenge.  Today I tried Julie Ford Oliver's idea for spurring creativity (look for her post here.)  It's a great idea but obviously requires a bit of practice to get to work really well.  This is my second attempt today - the first one went in the trash.  This one worked reasonably well but I think it would have worked better if I had made the value pattern a bit lighter - the one I made overwhelmed the subsequent layers of paint.

Sunflower #25

Sunflower #25, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14.5"x8", $150

Day 28 of the 30 Day Challenge.  I took another shot at this composition but used a palette knife this time. I like this rendition quite a lot. 

Two more days of the challenge and then a short break. I am finding September to be a lot harder than January for a 30 day challenge, although life intervenes in January, too. 

Sunflower #24

Sunflower #24, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14.5"x8", NFS

Day 27 of the 30 Day Challenge.  Almost there.  In this painting I thought that a different aspect ratio might help with the composition, and I think it does. But I clearly haven't thought through all of the parts of the concept.  So I am putting this aside until after the challenge when I will have a bit more time to think about options and how they might affect the overall result.

Sunflower #23

Sunflower #23, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10"x9", NFS

Day 26 of the 30 Day Challenge.  This painting isn't as fresh as the last one but the composition is better. Maybe I can combine the two attributes in the next one. I'm enjoying the looseness of the look of this paintings even as I curse the unforgiving nature of the technique, although I have to admit to using some gesso to give me a little more flexibility.

I've been in crazy mode this week - contractors are coming to install some new windows early next week and since it is too late in the year to paint windows once they're installed, I have been doing them in the cellar. I'm sure you're familiar with the drill - tape, prime, paint the first coat, paint the second coat, remove tape, scrape paint off glass - very time consuming. Then I have to clear out the flower gardens under the windows to give the contractors access to some bare ground for their ladders. The result is great looking windows but no painting yesterday.

Sunflower #22

Sunflower #22, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10"x9", NFS

Day 24 of the Thirty Day Challenge.  I like this painting for its looseness and energy.  Plus it's just plain fun - fun to do and fun to look at. It does have some compositional and execution problems though.  So I plan to revisit this idea again.  To get the color effects I used more of a watercolor approach to applying the color. It's very transparent, so no room for rethinking anything.

Sunflower #21

Sunflower #21, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 7"x14", $100

Day 23 of the 30 Day Challenge. I'm a little low on time and energy today, so I went for something simple and cheery.  Tomorrow I'll go back to experimentation.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will find yourself on the 30 Day Challenge page on my web site.

Sunflower #20

Sunflower #20, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14.5"x7", NFS

Day 22 of the 30 Day Challenge.  Today I started off with the idea of just playing off the center of the sunflower. As I was working this emerged - instead of petals, I got the sepals of the dead flower head.  I will probably revisit this painting after the challenge is over to make some tweaks. Nevertheless, I like what I got and I think I will do some more with the seed heads. Since we got a frost earlier in the week, we have lots of them.

Sunflower #19

Sunflower #19, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10"x9", NFS

Day 21 of the 30 Day Challenge.  Today I decided to try to push the abstraction.  I like how this turned out but I know that I can do better so I plan to try again. I'm still trying to get at the essence of "sunflower" without actually having to draw it out.  For me, this seems to be a really hard thing to capture.

Because this painting isn't quite where I want it to be, it is not for sale. 

Sunflower #18

Sunflower #18, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14.5"x7", $150

Day 20 of the Thirty Day Challenge.  I am still trying to push myself to go more abstract.  The main part of the challenge is over-riding my discomfort with the results I get.  Ironically, a lot of the time I like what I've done when I look at it later. It's during the doing that I have my doubts.  That said, I still think I want to push further to see how much more I can do with the sunflowers as I strip more of the realness from them. I have to say I like what happened in this painting which leads me to think that I have more room to move yet.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will find yourself on the Thirty Day Challenge page of my web site. 

Sunflower #17

Sunflower #17, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10"x9", $100

Day 19 of the Thirty Day Challenge.  Today I went back in for a close-up.  I used a palette knife to apply shades of yellow and orange in an interesting shape, then added the center to make it into a sunflower.  I'd still like to go more abstract; maybe I'll see how far that can go tomorrow.  The only way to find out is to try it.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will be switched to my web site which has all of the Thirty Day Challenge paintings as well as many others.

Sunflower #16

Sunflower #16, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 13.5"x7", $150

Day 18 of the Thirty Day Challenge.  Progress is being made! Yesterday I felt like I was in the third day of a five-day workshop when you are so overwhelmed and frustrated that you sit there berating yourself for having spent all that money to attend when you were so obviously unqualified to be there.  Things looked a lot better this morning. I decided that I was attempting to do too many things at once and it was time to back up a little, take a deep breath, and take a fresh look at what was working and what was not.  I decided I really like what is happening with the sunset, so I took another shot at that.  I also like the idea of the tall sunflowers against the vibrant sky, so I kept that, too. I still need to do more work on the lines and how they are used.  All in all, this is a fun painting.  So I'm declaring victory and moving on.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will be transported to my web site to make your purchase.  You can also find cards and prints and other paintings there.

Sunflower #15

Sunflower #15, Acrylic on Paper, 8.5"x6.5", NFS

OK. Getting a little stressed here.  I am counting this as number 15 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  It is the part of what I did today that can be considered kind of presentable.  I have a concept I am trying to get and elements of it are working, but I got in a pickle and just started applying paint - a very bad idea.  Ordinarily when I get stuck like this, I put the painting away for a few days while I work out the solutions in my head.  Tomorrow I will try again.  And just so you can see what happens, here is the entire piece.

 

Sunflower #14

Sunflower #14, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14"x8", NFS

Continuing on my exploration of the intersection of abstraction and representational painting.  In this painting, I created a sunset using a square brush making sure that the colors extended to all areas of the paper -orange in blue and green, and vice versa.  Then, I added the sunflower design in black lines , filling some of them afterwards.  I like the effect.  I do have to do some more work on this concept - I didn't get the silhouetted flowers quite the way I wanted them, nor the light struck ones.  Overall, though, the concept worked.

Because I am not completely happy with the craftsmanship on this one, this painting is not for sale.

Sunflower #13

Sunflower #13, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14.5"x8", $250

Day 14 of the 30 Day Challenge.  I decided to go for a bunch of flowers this time.  I wanted to give them a loose and kind of wild appearance and I didn't want to get too fussy about the petals and such.  I think I got that.  A happy painting on a gray, gloomy day.

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will find yourself on my web site where you can make your purchase.

Sunflower #11 and Sunflower #12

Sunflower #11, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 8"x8", $100

Day 13 of the Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge. It's been a little crazy around here, so I didn't get a painting done yesterday.  This painting is a little more conventional than the last few (I'm planning to return to pushing the boundaries tomorrow.)  I used a photo of one of our multi-branched wonders growing out in the garden.  We had a lot of wind in the last few days and our nine-footer lost a lot of branches and flowers. They're pretty brittle; it doesn't take much for a large branch or a cluster of flowers to break off.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will be transported to my web site which is set up to handle sales.

The following painting constitutes a catch-up painting for the one I missed yesterday.  Since I don't regard it as one of my better pieces, it is not for sale.

Sunflower #12, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 6"x8", NFS

Sunflower #10

Sunflower #10, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14.5"x14.5", $350

Day 11 of the Thirty Day Challenge.  This painting is all about shape, color and mood.  I wanted to go almost entirely abstract without losing the idea of a sunflower.  Instead of starting with the center, I began by creating the patterns and color around the sides.  Then after adding the yellow sunflower form, I went back in and broke up the edges to integrate the two areas a bit.  Lots of fun.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will be transported to my web site which is set up to handle sales. 

Sunflower #9

Sunflower #9, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14.5"x14.5", NFS

Day 10 of the Thirty Day Challenge.  In this painting, I started with the idea of identifying what exactly says "sunflower" to me. I decided that in my mind's eye a sunflower is large, has a big, brown middle, and has yellow petals.  So I set out to do that.  I will probably revisit this painting after the challenge is over, but this is a good start.

This painting is not for sale at this time, but I may have other paintings you might like.  Please see my web site or Daily Paintworks Gallery for more options.

Sunflower #8

Sunflower #8, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14"x8", $250

Day 9 of the 30 Day Challenge.  Sharp observers will note that I just skipped a day.  I spent the day yesterday helping hang an art exhibit at the Bryan Gallery in Jeffersonville, VT.  A group of volunteers, including yours truly, put up about 100 paintings for the Land and Light and Water and Air Juried Show.  If you are in the area, stop in and see the exhibit. It was definitely worth skipping a day of the challenge for.

This painting is an attempt to capture the deep reds of the Moulin Rouge sunflowers in my garden. I actually started this painting on Sunday in an effort to work ahead a little bit (that would have covered yesterday's trip to the gallery), but it didn't cooperate.  I painted an abstract pattern and started adding the sunflower over it.  I didn't like what I had so I took the squeegee to it and wiped it out.  At that point, I had a great big orange-red smear down the center of the sheet of paper.  I left it overnight and went back to it Monday morning before heading to the gallery. As I was working I realized what I wanted to do with this piece - the center of the flower is what identifies it as a sunflower; the rest can be abstract. This morning I was ready to tackle that realization.  The result is a fairly abstract flower with a well-defined center.  I expect to keep working on this concept as the month progresses.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will be transported to my web site which is set up to handle electronic sales.  Please note that the reds are a little darker and more orange in the original; the camera has a hard time handling some colors.

Sunflower #7

Sunflower #7, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 8"x14", $100

Day seven of the 30 Day Challenge.  In this painting, I just went with the lines. I put a transparent acrylic wash on gessoed watercolor paper and then drew the sunflower with black paint using a round brush. I like the textures and sense of form that can be achieved through lines - I guess it appeals to the engineer in me.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will be transported to my web site.

Sunflower #6

Sunflower #6, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14.5"x8", $100

Day six of the 30 Day Challenge.  A little whimsy today.  I've been wanting to play with lines and dots and flowers and whatever.  It is surprisingly difficult to make a good composition out of something like this. And where do you stop with the dots and lines and stuff?  So, not a bad effort for a first try.  Definitely something to revisit, maybe even tomorrow.

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will find yourself on my web site.

Sunflower #5

Sunflower #5, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14.5"x8", $100

Day five of the 30 Day Challenge.Another experiment using lines and pattern.  I'm not sure I like this one as well as some of my other attempts, although I got some good elements.  That just means more work is needed - and some fresh thinking.  In this painting, I used the squeegee for texture, lines to create the actual objects (leaves and flowers) from the abstract areas of color, and small random elements inspired by the work of Britt Freda (just to see what they would look like.)

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will be transported to my website which is set up to handle sales.

Sunflower #4

Sunflower #4, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14.5"x7", $150

Day four of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  I'm still exploring ways to capture the beauty of the sunflowers in my garden.  In this painting, I used Julie Ford Oliver's fracturing technique.  I made good use of my squeegee and painting knives, creating a broken pattern of color all over before zeroing in on the flower itself.

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will be transported to my website which is set up to handle sales.

Sunflower #3

Sunflower#3, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10"x9", $100

Day three of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  I almost blew it yesterday.  I was working on a new sunflower painting and got myself hopelessly lost in the weeds.  I found myself carefully painting every single petal and sepal of my chosen flower - exactly what I do not want to do.  So I threw that painting in the trash and started over.  I want to explore the boundaries between abstraction and realism.  This is a much better effort in that direction.  I'm trying to find the essence of "Sunflower"; what is needed and what is not.  Once I figure that out, I can go to the next step.

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will be transported to the September 2014 30 Day Challenge page on my website which is set up to do sales transactions.

Sunflower #2

Sunflower #2, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14.5"x6.75", $250

Day two of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  In this painting, I used the drawing that I used yesterday and applied a lot of color to it.  I wanted to see what would happen if I put random patches (OK.  They're not totally random.) of color and then used black lines to pull out the form of the flower.  Pretty cool.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will be transported to my web site which is set up to do sales.  

Sunflower #1

Sunflower #1, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14.5"x6.75", $100

Day one of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.When I am exploring a new subject (or any subject, really), I generally start with drawings and a study or two to familiarize myself with the the shapes and colors of the object(s). I started making drawings of sunflowers a couple of weeks ago in preparation for the challenge.  This study attempts to capture the "real" colors of a sunflower from my garden.

To purchase this painting, please click here - you will be transported to the September 2014 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge page on my web site.

Moonlight and Snow Shadows

Moonlight and Snow Shadows, Acrylic on Canvas, 18"x24", $1000

This is a painting I did a while ago.  I have been fascinated with the effects of moonlight on snow for a long time.  I love the fact that you can see vast stretches of landscape but that all of it has kind of an otherworldly glow.  Also the feeling of quiet and cold is palpable.  Anyway, I thought I would post this before it heads out the door to the Skinny Pancake.  If you happen to be in Burlington, Vermont, stop in to see the exhibit - it will be up from Sept. 3 through 30.

To purchase this painting, please e-mail me at avreman@sover.net or call at (802) 893-1467.

Two Pines

Two Pines, Acrylic on Canvas, 12"x24", $800

This painting is a re-do of a painting I did earlier last year. I liked everything about it except a small spruce that I had added near the center-left.  I took that out and adjusted some of the water colors and voila! - much better.  I am always amazed at the range of color I get from a very limited palette.  In this painting I used alizarin crimson, phthalo blue, and Hansa yellow light plus white.

To purchase this painting, please contact me at avreman@sover.net or call (802) 893-1467.

Sailing at Sunset

Sailing at Sunset, Acrylic on Canvas, 18"x36", $1800

Summer's almost over - at least here in northern Vermont.  In another few weeks, all of the boats will be pulled out of the water and stored for winter.  The lake will be virtually empty of activity until duck hunting season.  This painting seems a fitting finale to a beautiful stretch of summer weather. 

Look for this painting and a bunch of others at the Skinny Pancake in Burlington, VT; they will be on exhibit there from Sept. 3 until Sept 30.  I have selected a bunch of mostly Vermont landscapes for the bar/dancing/ music end of the room and some of my palette knife still lives for the balcony area.  

Also in the month of September, I will be participating in Leslie Saeta's September 2014 30 paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  I will be posting every day during the challenge, so be sure to check in.  As of now, my theme for the month will be sunflowers - that may change if I run out of things to do with them.

To purchase this painting, please contact me at avreman@sover.net or call me at (802) 893-1467.  

Lake Cliff

Lake Cliff, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 6"x6", NFS

Lake Champlain has a variety of shoreline features, one of which is rock cliffs with trees - usually cedars- perched on top of them.  This study was done from memory and a quick look at a closeup photo of cedars on a ledge.  I was playing with color and texture in this painting, as well as trying to capture the sense of the shoreline features.

This painting is not for sale at this time, but I may have other paintings that you might like.  Please see my website for additional works.

Lake Reflections

Lake Reflections, Acrylic on Watercolor paper, 6"x6", NFS

This is a quick study of the lake and its reflections.  I have been away for a while so I thought it would be good to do a warm-up painting or two.  I have been looking at other artists' work and noticed that a lot of palette knife artists fully blend their colors before applying them rather than letting the colors blend on the painting surface.  I usually let the colors mix themselves to some extent which gives them a broken appearance.  In this painting, I have used some of each technique. 

This painting is not for sale at this time, but I may have other works that you might like.  Please check my website for more options.

Overgrown

Overgrown, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10"x9", $100 (unframed)

This is another in my series of landscape paintings.  I am still exploring the use of texture and broken color.  This photo didn't capture the lightness of the foreground as well as I hoped it would. Nevertheless, I think I'm making progress.  This landscape is looser than previous pieces and has more of a sense of place.

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will be transported to the Small Works page on my web site.

Spring Planting-Study

Spring Planting-Study, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10"x9", $100 (unframed)

Another experiment.  I am fascinated by paintings that capture the textures and colors of newly planted fields.  I've been wanting to try one.  This is a small painting which limits the amount of variation that is possible. Nevertheless, I'm pleased with the result.  I'll definitely have to try a larger one at some point.

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will be transported to the Small Works page on my website.

Summer Rain - Study

Summer Rain-Study, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10"x9", $100 (unframed)

This painting is a quick study using painting knives and a rubber squeegee (Julie Ford Oliver's fracturing technique).  I have been working on landscapes and how I want them to look - paint texture, color choices, degree of abstraction, etc.

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will be transported to the Small Works page on my web site.

Listening

Listening, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 9"x10", $100 (unframed)

As I was casting about for something to paint, I remembered a piece I did a couple of years ago with a person talking on the phone (I have included it below). When I went back through my photos, I found another individual that I had captured walking and talking and thought she might make a good subject.  So here she is. 

I'm still experimenting with technique as well as subject matter.  I this painting I rendered the young woman fairly realistically while using an abstract approach to the background.  I think it worked pretty well.

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will be transported to the Small Works page on my web site.

No Bull, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 7"x5", NFS

Lunch Hour

Lunch Hour, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 9"x10", $350 unframed

I had so much fun making the last umbrella painting that I decided to do another.  This one includes a bunch of umbrellas.  The main shopping street in Burlington (Church Street) has clusters of umbrellas outside of many of the eateries.  I am planning on playing with more groups of umbrellas in different colors and at different times of day.

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will be transported to the Small Works page on my website.

Shady River Bank

Shady River Bank, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10"x9", $250 (unframed)

I've been playing with the idea of trying to capture the multitude of greens along the river. Especially in spring, the range of greens is impressive. I also love the reflections and the challenges that shade represent.  So this painting has it all - reflections, shade, and lots of green. 

To purchase this painting, please click here.  You will be transported to my website.