"US Capitol from Pennsylvania Ave Night Scene" (oil on linen; 8" x 10") sold

sold

The US Capitol with its glowing dome against the dark blue sky frames the Pennsylvania Ave with its street lights and busy traffic that cast blurry reflections on a rainy night.

The Collage of My June Paintings

The Collage of My June 2016 Paintings

At the beginning of each month, I share the collage of my work from the previous month.  Here is the one for June 2016.  Rather an odd bunch, I think.  I wasn't as productive as I could have been, thanks to my daughter's high school graduation hoopla--too many events, ceremonies, recitals, and parties! 

I have also been trying to balance my love for oils and watercolors by working on oil paintings in the morning and creating watercolors in the afternoon, in addition to experimental work in my sketchbook and art history reading in the evening.  Yes, it is an ambitious lifestyle, but life is short and as the Romans said, carpe diem is my motto!

"US Capitol Nocturne" (oil on linen; 12" x 9") sold

sold

The US Capitol's dome turns golden against the dark night sky. The seat of the US Congress and the equestrian statue of Ulysses S. Grant and their blurry reflections in the Capitol Reflecting Pond make the image hauntingly beautiful.

Collage of My January Paintings

How do you like the collage of my January paintings?  I was going to take it easy in January, but ended up creating as many paintings as during the previous month.  I guess painting is in my blood!

Off to paint another masterpiece today.  Hahaha.  Have a great month!

"US Capitol from Pennsylvania Ave" (oil on stretched canvas; 10" x 8")

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This is a famous view of the US Capitol from Pennsylvania Ave.  It always looks grand, doesn't it?  The Capitol dome is probably one of the hardest things to draw and paint.  I have painted it several times.  I hope that I am getting better each time!

"Inauguration Day US Capitol" (oil on linen; 8" x 6") sold

sold

A few days before the Inauguration in January, the US Capitol was decked with huge flags.  The sliver of the noon time moon was hung right by the dome.  At that time, I was suffering from the shingles and was in no shape to go downtown to take pictures.  It was my husband who gladly "ran the errand" for me.  Thank you!

Happy Independence Day!

"US Capitol Rose Garden" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold

sold

Last September I went downtown to take pictures of the Capitol.  It was too early for the trees to change colors, but crepe myrtles still in bloom more than compensated for my mild disappointment.  I squatted down to have the pink roses in the foreground.

The new painting looks similar to the one I did last summer--"Capitol Hill in Summertime"--I guess, because of the floral foreground.  It's just that the white architecture of the Capitol alone can be a bit severe without something to soften it and add color interests.  Which painting do you like better?  For me, "US Capitol Rose Garden" seems to have a more feeling of space.

"Capitol Hill in Summertime"
oil, 15" x 8"
sold

"Capitol Nocturne" (oil on linen; 12" x 12") sold

sold

I thought I would create a series of evening scenes of famous Washington landmarks.  "Capitol Nocturne" was actually the third in the series, but it was the first one that turned out right at the get-go.  Painting from the reference photos of nocturnal images that did not give much information about details and colors was not easy. I also wanted these nocturnes to be as evokative and stirring as Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata."

Capturing the drama of the brilliantly-lit US Capitol dome  and lights and their reflections in the pond was my goal in "Capitol Nocturne."  About half of the painting session was spent painting upside down in an effort to get the image and reflections to match up more or less.  I would bring the painting to a mirror to look at it reversed, only to put it back on the easel in the wrong way!  Wait a minute, which way was I painting?

"Iwo Jima Memorial" (oil on linen; 11" x 14")

After
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Before

A photo taken to aid the reworking of the painting

The monument viewed from the east

Have you ever been to the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, VA?  The Marine monument to many American soldiers who died during the terrible battle fought on Iwo Jima in 1945 during World War Two, never fails to touch my heart.  Last summer, a group of friends and I went there to paint this famous monument on location.  It was a noble endeavour, considering how complicated the sculpture was!  Because we set up our easels under trees facing the backlit memorial with the view of the DC skyline as the backdrop, we couldn't see the colors well.

I did my best, and after a few hours of hard work, I came home with the almost finished painting.  "Iwo Jima Memorial" was juried into the highly competitive Art League show in June 2011, which made my heart swell with pride.  Well, that was then.  After a year later, a potential customer discovered the painting on my website through the web search.  She came to my house to see it in person, looked at it, made some polite comments, and left.  The incident made me take a hard look at the painting. 

I wondered why there was so much red in it.  It was obviously due to the original orangy toned ground showing through.  As I said, I couldn't figure out the true colors of the base or sculpture while painting, which must have made me compromise in color decisions.  There was no photo to go with the plein-air painting, so last week, I went back to the site to walk around the monument to truly see the colors. 

As it turned out, the granite base had a lot of red in it.  Aha!  That's what pushed the painting toward the reds.  No matter.  In reworking "Iwo Jima Memorial," I decided to push the base toward blue violet.  I introduced more colors and deeper values to the sliver of the background, made the flag brighter, and above all, translated the shadows on the figures into violets.  The reds that still remained became lively, no longer deadening.  I believe the reworked painting is a big improvement on the original state.  What do think?

"Under a Willow Tree" (oil on linen; 8" x 10") sold

"Under a Willow Tree"
sold

"Morning Garden" (oil, 8" x 10")

"Summer Garden" (the improved version; oil, 10" x 10")
sold

"Capitol Hill in Summertime" (oil, 15" x 8")
sold

"Capitol View from the US Botanic Garden" (oil, 15" x 8")

Paintings are like your children.  You nurture them; you pour your heart out; you even lose sleep over them.  Once you do all you can, you wish them well.  You want them to shine--get into juried shows, receive awards of excellence, and admired by the public.  Whether you keep them in your private collection or sell them to collectors, you want them to be loved.

Alas, paintings do not always turn out well.  Unlike children, however, there are things you can do to improve paintings.  After they sit around in my studio for a while, I seem to gain certain detachment.  I can see things that I didn't see before.  Composition can be tweaked; drawing can be corrected; values can be strengthened; colors can be made richer.  Or, they may be retired so that I can get on with my life. 

In this positive spirit, I am working on a series of old paintings to see if I can make them better. Why not?  After all, all paintings are just a playing ground to grow as an artist, aren't they?  Paints and canvas may be transformed into an exquisite work of beauty that transcends everyday experience.  If it doesn't, well, no harm was done.  Nobody died in the process.  Ha!