Keeping It Simple...

Blue Bowls, Red Apples, oil on 8 x 10 canvas

Simple Forms...love them and learn from them every day. They provide familiar shapes that I can refine, push and abstract. I enjoy the freedom and the boundaries.

Keeping with limited palette and brushstrokes, this is my post for Day 5 of Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 challenge. I've also included a charcoal on wood from my studies about the art of dance. Our daughter is a wonderful muse.

Thanks for stopping by. I invite you to visit me at donnashiver.com

Peace and Health all - :)

Dance study, charcoal on wood panel, 12 x 12

Mountain Village, oil on 8 x 8 gallery wrapped canvas

Reliance on my Painting Knife...

The painting portion of a session is always more fun than the clean up. Does anyone
else feel this way?

This is one of many reasons I often choose a painting knife - the ease of clean up. A wipe of my rag, and it's done. :) It also gives me choice concerning the mark I make. I can get movement and unique color combinations. I enjoy the way paint moves with a knife. It's behaves much differently than it does with brush. Hidden somewhere within the blade I may discover grayed down red or blue hues that comes forth with great abandonment. I love that...

Still keeping the economy of paint in mind for this study, I choose it for Day 4 of Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 challenge. Please visit me at donnashiver.com


Below are photos that show some of my process with a Blind Contour Drawing Exercise. These are fun and meant to be super fast. I place a hole through a sheet of paper to block my view of the paper I draw on. I look only at the subject when I draw. The idea is to look at the subject matter and really focus for seconds at a time on the edges of the object, and even the surrounding space. I number these and look at progress in just five minutes time. As I said, they are super fast and great fun. They really work to inform me as I take a closer more refined look at these same objects.

Thanks for stopping by - Peace and Health all...

Placing charcoal pencil through newsprint

Side view

 

Blind Contour Drawing with charcoal - I worked with a skull and oil lamp

Blind Contour Drawing with graphite - drill, apple, travel cup, milk carton

Light and Dark...

Dark Grapes with Lemon, 8 x 10 oil on canvas

Today was a full day of teaching and meeting with a client. I'm pooped...so as I stick to my idea of working pieces with limited palette and brushstrokes, I put together this set up of lemon and grapes. The light and dark nature of this work appeals to me - patterns give me guidance every time and I can always use that. :) It's my pick for Day 3 of Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 challenge.

Thanks for looking and please visit me at donnashiver.com 

Peace and Health all -

 

Limited Palette and Brushstrokes...

Watering Can and Bowl

  This watering can belonged to my grandmother and it seems the perfect object for Day 2 of Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 challenge. I continue my focus of economy in palette and brushstrokes with this fun study.

  I called my grandmother Abby, short for Abigail. She preferred this because, in her words, she was "too young to have a grandchild." I think of her whenever I use this can in a still life or to carry water to plants. I think of pulling weeds alongside her in the garden, or how we'd tie up tomato plants and the conversation in between all that.

  Shape and coloring draw me to this can. I appreciate the deception of this simple vessel, which is anything but easy. It makes me think about perspective, value and how to push color theory. Not unlike moments with my grandmother...all good stuff.

Thanks for stopping in and enjoy the day. I welcome you to visit me at donnashiver.com
Peace and Health - :)

Counting Brushstrokes...

Last of the Toms, oil on 8 x 8 primed paper

One...Two...Three.....and so on... :)


I've been cleaning out the garden the past two days, ten minutes here, twenty minutes there helps me take breaks and enjoy time outside the studio in the afternoon.  Our limited number of tomatoes made me think of restricting the number of brushstrokes in a tomato study.

So I started Day 1 of Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 painting challenge with the idea of using no more than 50 brushstrokes. These are fun and I learn so much. Limiting my palette and the number of times I move brush or knife across the surface of a painting helps me stay mindful of the economy in painting. I work to make the most of the time I have and take in the broader shapes.

Thanks for looking and enjoy the day all. Visit me at donnashiver.com

Peace and Health -  

Summer Finds from the Garden...

 

Wildflowers with Citrus, 11 x 14 oil on canvas

 The garden blooms have been fading the past weeks so I've tried to take advantage of the last of these with set ups in the morning. I enjoy the exploration of color and shape. I'm looking forward to fall of course, but I'll miss these lovelies.

 Included below are progression shots of a nest study in charcoal. I found this one on the ground last fall. We are fortunate to have so many birds - I love them all over the yard. Their nests fall from the trees later in the year and I bring them inside to study. The weaving of these structures amazes and confounds me. 

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Peace and Health...
donnashiver.com

Small Blue Vase with Citrus, 9 x 12 oil on canvas

 

Nest block in with vine charcoal - keeping it loose to get the flow and shape

Pushing charcoal around and lifting with eraser, fingertips, side of my hand

Squinting my eyes to pick out light and dark values - darkening values in areas

Getting closer, adding more detail, lifting with eraser

Finished study -

 

Summer Sketches...

The summer months are almost gone now...school is back in session and I'm looking forward to Fall. Already I'm seeing evidence of leaves on the ground due to a less rainy season these past few months. I walk our dogs before seven each morning and fallen leaves are all over areas of the park grounds. Yesterday evening I cut grass and mulched a bunch of dried leaves. We do seem to be catching up here in Woodstock, Georgia as thunderstorms return to the area in greater frequency these days. Although I would not trade my sketch times out for anything, I'm glad to see the rain - we need it and watercolor has always worked for me. :)

Beach Accessories Study 8 x 8, Make A Splash Series

 I worked on these from the beaches around our area. They are great fun and a real learning experience. In the coming weeks I plan to translate these small works, 8 x 8 and
6 x 6 studies, onto 24 x 24 size canvas. I'll include more sand and water, but am looking forward to playing with abstractions and exploring these color palettes on a larger scale.

The small painting of work men was done on a random outing one day. There was a traffic jam so I pulled off the road and painted from my car under the shade of a tree for a half hour or so. The flow of traffic was better afterward and I had a new small work to show for the time....better than the frustration of stand still traffic any day. :)


Lastly I am posting two still life works with fresh produce. We get weekly veg and such from local farmers - always grateful for this - I also enjoy our own garden and the harvest from family now and then. Yes...I am thankful.  
 
Thanks for looking and enjoy the remainder of the summer. I welcome you to visit me at donnashiver.com 

Happy Fall everyone...

Peace and Health...

Perfect Onesie Study 6 x 6, Make A Splash Series

Active Wear Study, 6 x 6 Make A Splash Series

Red Dress and Cap Study, 8 x 8 Make A Splash Series

Work Men, 8 x 8 oil

Produce Day 8 x 10 oil on canvas
- oranges from my mother in law's tree

Vine Ripe with Salt Keeper, 8 x 8 oil on primed paper