End of the Day—Painting, Workshop and Project 125 BECKY JOY

"End of the Day"   11"x14" oil

As some of you may know, I just got back a couple of days ago from teaching a workshop Ohio. I had a great group of students and the class was a resounding success thanks to the organization of Donna Pierce-Clark who put it together. Thank you Donna!

I started each morning with a quick demo and lecture, then everyone went back to their easel to paint. Everyone brought in their own photos which gave a lot of different paintings for everyone to learn from during the critique. Of course, one of the paintings that painted was a sunset. What I hear from most artists is that they want to learn how to paint sunsets and create light in their paintings. Each student was also given my book, Create Better Paintings Using Foundational Concepts which helps to reinforce what I taught and is a good reminder. I was so busy teaching and helping 16 students that I didn't get around to taking a group shot. Below are some of the photos that I do have of the workshop and student work.

Thank you to all my students in Ohio for making a great three days for me. I appreciate each of you and keep up the good work.

I've had plenty to catch up on since I've been gone. One is to get a few studio paintings done. 

Next up, I have decided that I will have to suspend the Project 125. I have had so much happen with family lately and too many commitments that I need to follow through with that are more important. I will continue to paint some small paintings pricing them at $125. each until the end of October. I was beginning to feel too much pressure to do some other work that I need to get done, so......

While I was in Rocky Mountain National Park, I video taped a demo. I will be putting it together for my second video workshop by next week. I'll let you know and I will continue to be posting big and small works both, almost everyday.

Next workshop up is Hood River, OR where I will be judging the plein air show and teaching a one day workshop. Then Sept 27 -29 will be the Carmel, Indiana workshop. Hope to see some of you there.

Becky Joy

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Day 46 Road View Painting and new online workshop BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy    Day 46, Road Vista      oil      6 inches x 6 inches   

I'm getting into the swing here of painting in Colorado, but then there is that afternoon rain to contend with. I got up early to go to Rocky Mtn National Park to paint some mountains. I finished an 8x10, started another, then the rain came.  So, after driving around a bit, I went down to Lyon and Longmont and painted trees. I finished this painting, started another and had to pack it up when the rain came again. I think Janet Anderson and I will stick close to home tomorrow so we don't have to get up so early and to also avoid some of the afternoon rains in the mountains.

I got some great photos of clouds today. The 8x10 painting is mostly clouds with a little mountains. I video taped the painting process for my next online workshop which will be released in about a week. The unfinished tree that I started has enough color notes so that I can continue it from a photo. The big ol' cottonwoods are just wonderful to paint, love em.

The response to my online workshop video that I released last work has been great. I've gotten several emails of thanks. But, I want to thank all of the artists that purchased from me. It started a little rocky with me uploading a video in the wrong format, not everyone was able to download it. But, I did get a new copy to everyone and remade the video in a different format. So, all is well now and thank you everyone for your patience. I also made a change at the suggestion of a viewer. She said she would like a copy of the reference photo to download. I now have the reference photo that I used in the video and the supply list as pdf's for all to download. That should make the experience even easier.

I plan on having 2 videos uploaded each month. For several months I have been organizing an online workshop with several videos of concepts to package together as a more complete workshop. Once I have finished videoing all of the segments, I will offer the package workshop for sale. But, I need to be home more to make the videos.

I'll talk to you all tomorrow,

Becky Joy

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

© 2013 Becky Joy    Oregon Country Road     oil     6 inches x 6 inches      $125.

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Back in the studio today blocking in a couple of large paintings. This small one is one that I painted in the studio starting with a photo from Oregon. I blocked-in the 24"x30" using this small painting as a way to work out the colors and composition. It is always a challenge to go from small to large and still have that fresh look. It also takes a big brush.

Today we finally had some rain in Phoenix. It's about time. Not only do we need the moisture, but it does give a reprieve from the incessant heat, even if it is for just a short time. Tomorrow I will be back in the studio continuing on a larger painting and working out another. I've always found the small paintings a good way to experiment.

Talk to you all later.

Becky Joy

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

   

© 2013 Becky Joy    Rural Austin Texas Dusk      oil on panel     6 inches x 6 inshes     $125.

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This may be Texas, but I'm still in Oregon. I was itching to paint some mood paintings. This is one of them. I used a small 6x6 plein air that I painted in Austin, TX in May while at the OPA Show. Even though I invent the color of my mood paintings, the plein air paintings are very useful to me. The plein air will show me the relationship of colors to each other, which is something that I am still concerned about in paintings that I invent colors. I did change the lighting direction of this painting. I don't always do that, but I felt to balance the painting it was best to have the light come from the right rather than the left. This also left more sky open to put the lightest warmest color in this space. This painting is a little later in the day than the one that I painted yesterday, thus making the sky a cooler color. The ground colors reflect that sky color becoming cooler also.

The original plein air from Austin, TX

I'm excited and humbled to have my painting Strength and Serenity accepted the the American Impressionist Society National Exhibition and Show. It was a good day painting Strength and Serenity in Yosemite at the beginning of my trip.

© 2013 Becky Joy Strength and Serenity oil 11"x14"

I'll be off and on the road tomorrow, on my way to Salt Lake City to stop and visit and paint with my friend Shanna Kunz. Can't wait to paint with her. I'll be posting something on the drive there when I take a break. The next part of my adventure, Salt Lake City, UT.

Workshops:

Hood River, OR, Sep 4, 1 day plein air

Carmel, IN Sept 27 - 29, 3 day studio

Phoenix, AZ Oct 3 - 5, 3 day plein air

More workshops........click here.

Becky Joy

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

 

© 2013 Becky Joy    Rural Austin Texas Dusk      oil on panel     6 inches x 6 inshes     $125.

Click here to purchase.

This may be Texas, but I'm still in Oregon. I was itching to paint some mood paintings. This is one of them. I used a small 6x6 plein air that I painted in Austin, TX in May while at the OPA Show. Even though I invent the color of my mood paintings, the plein air paintings are very useful to me. The plein air will show me the relationship of colors to each other, which is something that I am still concerned about in paintings that I invent colors. I did change the lighting direction of this painting. I don't always do that, but I felt to balance the painting it was best to have the light come from the right rather than the left. This also left more sky open to put the lightest warmest color in this space. This painting is a little later in the day than the one that I painted yesterday, thus making the sky a cooler color. The ground colors reflect that sky color becoming cooler also.

I'll be off and on the road tomorrow, on my way to Salt Lake City to stop and visit and paint with my friend Shanna Kunz. Can't wait to paint with her. I'll be posting something on the drive there when I take a break. 

The next part of my adventure, Salt Lake City, UT.

plein air workshop Oct 24 - 26

Becky Joy

Day 22, Project 125 Rural Road Sunset oil landscape painting by BECKY JOY

© 2013 Becky Joy   Sunset Road Painting   oil on panel   6 inches x 6 inches   $125.

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Fourth of July today and I'm off to a family pot luck. I decided today was a good day to paint one of my paintings where I translate an image into a mood painting using my own inventive colors. This was a road that I pass from Portland to Newburg. My plein air painting helps me to translate colors into my own thing. Both in plein air and in fantasy colors there are relationships between the colors. If it was a light bright green in daylight, it will be brighter and greener than some of the other colors. It is all about relationships.

I just wrote a new post for Easel Notes if you want to check it out. "Paints: Hooray for the Red, White and Blue."

Talk to you all tomorrow and enjoy the Fourth of July

Becky Joy

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

© 2013 Becky Joy   Day 19, Gaston, Oregon Farm House    oil on panel     6 inches x 6 inches     $125.

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Hi everyone, Another great day here in Oregon. I didn't post yesterday, although I did paint in the morning. It was a busy day! This painting was painted along a small quiet gravel country road near Gaston, Oregon in the Willamette Valley. Another place not too far from my parents and sister.

This house was abandoned and it was obvious that no one had lived there for quite some time. In fact, a neighbor who watches the property, came out to check on me, what was I doing there in front of the house. It turned out just fine and she went back into her house up the hill. I love some of the big old farm trees. This one was a maple tree. It towered over the house and such bulk to it.

After painting, I came back home and my sister picked me up just before noon with her 3 Chinese daughters. The oldest was celebrating her 18th birthday. She picked the activities and off we went to Portland. We spent the day there going through a few meager shops in Chinatown in Portland, which is pretty small. A lot of restaurants, but not many shops. After that we went to Voodoo Donuts, interesting shop and a waiting line, but overkill on the sugar. Below is the lineup for the shop. We also went down to Portland State, where she will be going to school in the fall and met my older niece who works there. After starbucks and time to kill before dinner, we walked up to Powell Books. Powell's has always been a stop of mine when I come up. It is the largest bookstore in the US. It's at least 5 stories high and takes up a city block. Over the years different stores were added to it, so it is a maze and each subject has it's own room. Guess where I went! Yes, the art room. I didn't have enough time to really look at a lot and sadly, left with nothing but memories.

At dinner time we met up with my older niece again and went to a Chinese Hot Pot Restaurant. It was a small little restaurant, but the interesting part of this is that the place looked really familiar. The longer I sat there the more I realized I've been here. I asked the owner how old the building was. It was built in the late 60's. That was when the waterfront area was starting to be developed and rebuilt. I realized that this was the same building and space that I worked at for my first job out of beauty school (I was a hairdresser for 19 years). When I walked outside to the parking lot and surveyed the scene, yep, it was the same place. A few changes in 40 years, including apartment buildings in the back of the commercial space, but it was all there. Strange coincidence. Now that brought back memories.

I was too tired and hot to post when I got home, so a day late on that end.

Talk to you later,

Becky

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

© 2013 Becky Joy   Yamhill Oregon Farm Field      oil on panel    6 inches x 6 inches      $125.

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

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

© 2013 Becky Joy    Gaston Oregon Drive     oil on linen    10 inches x 8 inches  $800.

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

Check out my other workshops including Italy and Croatia.

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

Becky Joy

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

© 2013 Becky Joy     Meadow Lake Rd, Oregon      oil on panel    6 inches x 6 inches      $125.

Click here to purchase.

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

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

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

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

© 2013 Becky Joy    Panther Creek Stagecoach Stop    oil    14 inches x 11 inches

Talk to you tomorrow,

Becky Joy

ROAD, TREES, SKY AND MORE BY TOM BROWN

Nature tempts the eye with a million bits of information. But I want to express my emotional reaction to the experience.

The invigorating smell of fresh air. The comforting warmth of sun on skin. The feeling of freedom in an open space far from hurry, worry or stress. Things the camera can never record.

“FEELING THE MOMENT” is a 6x6 inch palette knife painting created in the middle of a deserted lane while enjoying the beauty of blue skies and balmy breezes. I welcome your reactions or comments. tombrownstudio@cox.net

For a brief preview of the hardbound collector’s edition of my paintings click here: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1786423