Jewel in the Woods

Jewel in the Woods   6 x 8 oil on panel
Back to our paint-away last fall. Outside our window among the heavy foliage and trees the sun caught the side of the rock like a mountain among the green. A surprise as much of our weather was over-cast and cloudy but when the sun came out it was like a jewel on the forest floor.
A personal challenge for me to paint. I love trees and overwhelmed the rock on the first try. Then tried a larger version and it lost everything I wanted in my translation.  Back to the easel with a goal of making this what I wanted to show. You just never know what shows up when the sunlight is your spotlight.

Ablaze oil on panel 6x8 in
Ever have one of those paintings that keeps calling you back because it isn't quite done or quite the way you want it. This painting was begun on my annual paintaway last Oct. Plein air but missed the mark. I reworked it once and that is just what it looked like,'reworked'. so I put it away again and today was able to capture what the scene looked like. Most of the color in the area where we were was gone but this one tree stood alone, ablaze in color. Wonderful memories of starting this outdoors on a soft ,fall day.
I haven't posted for awhile. I have been preparing for my One woman show at the Bismarck Art and Gallery Assoc. in Bismarck, ND. . A real joy, it is where I began showing my work many years ago when I was just getting out of my own little area.