Joined Three Rivers Artist Guild - TRAG

Well, went to my second TRAG meeting last night and decided to join.  Pretty exciting to see such an active artist community right here in my own backyard.  Looks like they have some cool stuff coming up this year with lot's of opportunity to get my work out in front of some people.  Ahhh, now I just need more pieces...need to learn about framing my OPs...need to paint, paint, paint. 

You can learn more about TRAG by going to there website - Three Rivers Artist Guild.

Been working on another OP from a photo I took in our garden.  A nice bright shot of a pumpkin bloom with a honeybee workin' it.  Still to early to show, but I'll get something up here soon.

Small landscape - WIP

Made a little a time for painting tonight, yea!  Just a little 6x8 oil based on a demo out of Elizabeth Tolley's Oil Painter's Solutions Book Landscapes.  What a great little book loaded with all kinds of great information and tips.

I think I'm gonna' try a number of these little 6x8's just to get in the practice sketching the paintings out quicker. 

Finally, some Christmas vacaton painting!

I usually take vacation the week between Christmas and New Years, but I always miss out on all the fun leading up to Christmas.  So this year I took the week before Christmas off!  Been havin' lot's of fun with my wife and girls.

Also, visited a few local galleries here in Oregon City.  Even found out about a local organization called the Three Rivers Guild which I'm going have to check out on their next meeting.  Looks like a great way to meet some other artists in this area.

So here's a few things I did today.  Continued work on an existing piece and sketched out a quick sketch for a new 6"x8" piece.  I'm going to try and knock out some smaller paintings and work on painting a little looser and simplify, simplify, simplify!

Back to the oils...

I actually got a chance to return to my oil paints this evening!!  Did some refinement to the house and roofs.  Also began dialing in the bridge a bit.  This one's still got a long ways to go and it's stretch for my skills at this point :-O

I'll be anxious to see how this one progresses...or digresses, whatever the case may be!!

Pristine Rose - Final

Okay, I'm going to call this one done.  Darkened the background with some deep blues and a little black.  I like the results!!  I'll probably post one more picture once I get this one matted and framed, but that'll be awhile.  I haven't actually framed any of my work yet, so that'll be fun. 

Now it's back to my oils again.  I'm going to try and finish up the Reflections at Flatford Bridge study.  I've gotta' figure out how refine the bridge so that it...well...looks like a bridge.

Layin' in the background...

Spent about 2 1/2 hours goin' after the background tonight.  I think a little more work on the leaves and I think I may increase the gradient from lighter towards the top and darker towards the bottom.  I've cropped this in my editor (haven't actually physically done any cropping).

I've learned alot on this one.  I've also learned just how much OP that Art Spectrum paper eats up too!!

More work on the Pristine...

Finally, got a chance to spend some more time on the Pristine. Finished out the petals and tested some backgrounds along the top which will be cropped. There's basically four color swatches up top. I'm thinking the two greens to the right, and I think I favor the greens on the far right.

Also, plan to add a faint hint of the stem and leaves below the rose.