Wings Over Winecountry, Colleen's place (1 Viewer)

[phil baber]

thanks Phil.....
any ideas of what kind of bird I might put in something like this?

A bird that uses the updraughts produced by waves, of such magnitude, in your World Zone?

I'll invite further suggestions...:cat:

 

[colleenc]

A bird that uses the updraughts produced by waves, of such magnitude, in your World Zone?

I'll invite further suggestions...:cat:

only one I've seen in this kind of wave is the black oystercatcher, who has absolute radar for big waves coming in way before I can tell it's going to happen, I watched one on a day it walked around the top of the rock looking for food and would walk back from the edge exactly the amount needed to keep from getting hit, and when a big one came before it broke was already in the air...I wonder how it knew...maybe vibrations in the rock? or it was psychic

 

[phil baber]

only one I've seen in this kind of wave is the black oystercatcher, who has absolute radar for big waves coming in way before I can tell it's going to happen, I watched one on a day it walked around the top of the rock looking for food and would walk back from the edge exactly the amount needed to keep from getting hit, and when a big one came before it broke was already in the air...I wonder how it knew...maybe vibrations in the rock? or it was psychic

You sound like you have found your little spirit bird. Please explore this feeling! B

 

[colleenc]

they don't hang in this kind of place mostly on top of big rocks in deeper water, I could see a surf bird here, they hang out on shore. and artistically they are not such a dark spot o

 

[phil baber]

Shearwater, Petrel, or Gull.

 

[colleenc]

have never seen those except for the gull...I put in a little surf bird just for you Phil....the first time I saw these I was staring at the rocks and they were all over it but I didn't see them for the longest time. I never saw them again they don't hang out where I do.

this is #67 6x8 oil on oil primed linen

 

[Andrew H]

Im loving your 'wave' series Colleen, Certainly giving me good ideas, about what I want to try. Im a great fan of Coastal Landscapes, and anything that includes waves is good for me...

 

[colleenc]

thanks Andrew, never knew there was so much to know about waves until I started this.:eek!:

 

[John Richard]

Hi Colleen, Sad to hear about your friend, I've been there. Your paintings are wonderful and I have been enjoying your work. I notice you mentioned Bob Kuhn, one of my favorites. I think it is much more difficult to not put in every feather, hair or leaf. Light, form, color, compostion are the foundation. Looking forward to seeing more from you. God Bless. John

 

[colleenc]

thank you John for your sweet words...
yes I agree, harder than every detail, which you can get from a photo, is to figure out what to leave out and come up with the essence. Lijefors and Khun both discovered that, and IMO it comes from having real knowledge of what you are painting, knowledge from observation, and intimacy with the subject.

So these seascapes are really searches for that, and a step along the way, I need to distill them more eventually, but for now exploring all the little parts and pieces.

I looked up Bemidji, wow you are off the beaten track...looks like a long way to any big city...and close to Canada....

 

[solitaryVSong]

That surfbird has a ringside seat at some real drama!

Real knowledge as you say is the key to doing successful paintings in a more abbreviated style. Too bad most collectors and buyers don't seem to understand how much harder it is! Oh well, they eventually catch on I think. I think Matisse had this. But he also complained about how many ignorant followers he had who seemed to have no understanding of the hard work that is necessary for plausible simplification.

 

[nickderry]

you're making me long for the sea! Can't wait to see it again, will be there next weekend! Beautiful work.

 

[phil baber]

Hey! That's MY Surfbird!
Never had one before! Thanks Colleen!
As always? Truly remarkable work!
Winslow Homer could've learnt a lot from these Seascapes. But he wasn't you, and he wasn't giving away free Surfbirds...

An Honour to receive one and an Honour to the view the painting!:t:

 

[colleenc]

thanks Phil, a larger version of this is in the offing I think, with more bird to join the one in this.

OMG, I took my small studies to a nice local fair today, one with good attendance. I took them un-stretched un-framed, just the raw canvas stuck on pegboard with carpet tape.....They went like hotcakes, I sold 16 paintings today, and all of the really good ones went first...of course I sold them at really low prices, but hey I've got 80 of them so why not, I kept a few of the best for making larger paintings later. I also promoted my new blog brushwiththesea.blogger.com where I laid out my dream of downsizing to an RV next year and painting the entire Pacific Coast for a year, the blog will let them travel with me and follow how my work develops. It was fun to make others a part of my dream.....

What a boost to my confidence and confirmation I'm on the right track. Paintings with the sun colors or warmer tones sold best, but some of the fog pieces went to....I'm so grateful, I will talk more on my blog about this as soon as I can recover. Elation and grief (my friend is maybe a day away from passing on) are strange bedfellows, but I know she'd be so happy, she has supported my endeavors in art for a long time, telling me I'm good enough to go for it...

I have a very grateful heart tonight for all that's been given to me. But it's still amazing that raw canvas stuck on a peg board with carpet tape was so successful.
_
Here is my final exam, I gave myself 20 min on each one, and did it from memory, testing that I knew what colors, kind of light, composition and reflections were done correctly to convey each scene, I gave myself and A...it 's wet but I may take it tomorrow as most of the good later work is all sold. I also sold one of my snowy egret studies that love so to another who knows that area well.

 

[ed keeble]

OMG, I took my small studies to a nice local fair today, one with good attendance. I took them un-stretched un-framed, just the raw canvas stuck on pegboard with carpet tape.....They went like hotcakes, I sold 16 paintings today, and all of the really good ones went first....

I suspect we are not as surprised as you are..but many congratulations

have you liberated this one to the masses yet?

 

[timwootton]

Tsk, tsk, young lady - One does not set one's own exams and then grade them ones-self, very poor form, indeed. Grades are given by the external examiner, in this case ME, and your work has constantly attained the grade of DoubleA plus plus plus - a certificate will be sent in due course.
Terrific news about the sales and it's doubly satisfying to know that there is still a discerning and knowledgeable audience out there for work of this excellent quality. Get that campervan bought and get on the trail, especially as it's red-hot!

 

[colleenc]

have you liberated this one to the masses yet?

Thank you Ed I needed that this AM, and you know I have no idea where this one went, but it's not at the sale...I'll have to look for it.

edit. ED thank you so much for this post, I'd forgotten about the rock studies and this reminded me to look, I need some more for the sale an tho not a good over all as the waves still enough to sell, and I did find that one you posted, but am not taking it as I have plenty of others now.

thank you Tim, very kind, the RV will be next year, first I will have to downsize and then find one, then get the money part worked out then learn how to drive one so it is a step by step, and the first step of going through the death of my friend, in the next day or so is likely to do me in for a while....

 

[solitaryVSong]

But it's still amazing that raw canvas stuck on a peg board with carpet tape was so successful.

I think this really is amazing. The quality must have shown through, even in those adverse circumstances. It's always good to hear of someone selling. So let's hope you sell some more today.

That last test for yourself is a rousing success I think. Very vibrant paintings.

Took a quick look at the new blog and the first thing I'd say is: Add at least one picture. When you are editing the blog there should be an image icon. Click it, choose your image, and upload. Seems only fitting to have at least one image there. Or even today's test of 4.

 

[colleenc]

I think this really is amazing. The quality must have shown through, even in those adverse circumstances. It's always good to hear of someone selling. So let's hope you sell some more today.

That last test for yourself is a rousing success I think. Very vibrant paintings.

Took a quick look at the new blog and the first thing I'd say is: Add at least one picture. When you are editing the blog there should be an image icon. Click it, choose your image, and upload. Seems only fitting to have at least one image there. Or even today's test of 4.

I did sell more today and even some of the framed animal works, 4 of the 8x10 waves, in all 26 paintings sold in two days, something that I'm gobsmacked with, the best part was the great enthusiam for the seascapes from so many, even those who didn't buy took time to encourage me. I feel this is in part because I shared my dream of painting the sea for a year with all by posting a little story they could read of whY the 100 and what my dream was. When someone bought I told them thanks and thanks for being part of my dream, and they could come with me on the blog...so by some dumb luck I managed to market these in a creative way...as for the pegboard and carpet tape, and raw canvas I just told them it was art in the raw, from me to them and no middleman of the framer. People actually had fun pulling off one and rearranging them like we used to do with the old felt boards if you remember that.

so with that success, also came the news a soon as I got home my friend had passed on a couple of hours before I got home... she looked so peaceful and her face had such a lovely smile on it...

I know Ken, I have to do more but only just got it up a day ago and with the show and death haven't gotten it really going yet, appreciate any input you have tho as we go along...right now I feel sort of numb like it hasn't sunk in yet, and I'm so tired from talking so much and being on my feet 8 hours a day...I'm going to take a day off.

 

[colleenc]

here is a photo of the display....someday this is going to make an amazing story...how I sold my first seascape:-O also sold the puppies playing and two other framed works, one of the egret studies I did last winter.