Sunflowers - Warming Up in a New Year

Sunflowers, 16 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2023

Available - Click for Information

If you are like me, getting back to your routines after the holidays is a challenge! Whatever it is we are trying to accomplish, this often requires warming up, psyching up, and pushing ourselves into action. It's the same with painting. One thing that works for me is setting up a still life, squeezing out a good deal of paint, and focusing in. The key is to get the brushes wet and keep them moving. 

So... here are some sunflowers for the the new year. They are also the happiest flower created, and they bring great joy into the room with their sunny disposition! 

2023 SPRING WORKSHOPS (click here and join me):
April 14-15 - The Contemporary Austin Art School in Austin, TX
May 4-6 - Anderson Fine Art Gallery in St. Simons Island, GA

Garden Amaryllis - Small Works Holiday Sale!

Garden Amaryllis, 10x8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2022

SOLD - SMALL WORKS HOLIDAY SALE 

20% off with discount code MERRY2022 at checkout.

Unframed. Online (shop at home). Free shipping. 

Through December 15 only.

This piece was a demo for my spring workshop in Austin, TX. We met in the beautiful garden of my dear friend. It's one of those places that is so full of things to paint that it's hard to settle down and pick something. I opted for this simple outdoor still life, and it's delightful pop of color. Here are some shots from the process. (I forgot to photograph, so many thanks to my thoughtful student who sent these!)

2023 SPRING WORKSHOPS (click here):
April 14-15 - The Contemporary Austin Art School in Austin, TX
May 4-6 - Anderson Fine Art Gallery in St. Simons Island, GA

DEMO SHOTS...

Getting started.

Block in sketch.

Adding color, working dark to light.

Garden Fire - Final week of show!

Garden Fire, 18 x 18, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2020

Available at the Davis Gallery

This is the LAST WEEK of my solo show at the Davis Gallery! Sadly. It has been so fun to have it up, and to have friends and collectors visit the work. All of your wonderful comments have been SO encouraging. Thank you. I love seeing it altogether on the walls... sigh. The search will continue... of course it will!

EVIDENCE OF THE SEARCH

Davis Gallery, Austin, TX

On display through Thanksgiving!

View Online 

I love these three pieces together. 

Companions for sure (but can be sold separately.)

In the gallery window on opening night...

Pink Blush - Show Pics!

Pink Blush, 36 x 36, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2020

SOLD in solo show (Click for larger view)

Evidence of the Search - on display through November 25

I am so happy to report that my show opening was WONDERFUL! And... we found a way to gather that was safe in the time of COVID. Visits were staggered through out the night, with only 10 people in the gallery at a time. The upside? Conversations could actually be had, and the paintings could actually be seen! Silver linings! ;)

The young woman who purchased "Pink Blush" saw it online, fell in love with it, and immediately called to claim it (I think she used the word "swoon" which made my heart sing.) When she came by to see it in real life, she squealed, "it's even more beautiful in person!" Of course, I began to apologize and explain how hard it is to get a good photo image of a painting... especially a large one... "Oh no", she said, "I LOVE that it's better in person! That's what makes it art, it needs to be experienced!" 

VERY TRUE! She is so right. Art is meant to be walked up to, engaged with... EXPERIENCED! I wish you could all come and walk right up to each piece! 

Here are some gallery shots from the opening... 

 

And yesterday, I took my parents in for a "private" viewing! 

Aren't I the lucky one?? :)

Hydrangea in Blue - Fix It Friday #18

Hydrangea in Blue, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020

SOLD

This painting needed to be fixed, literally, as in repaired. I was taking it home to finish later, and it rubbed against another wet painting in my carrier. I didn't see the transferred paint until all had dried. It was tempting to just toss the whole thing, but I hate not finishing something! ;)

BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES:
Problem - Painting had unwanted paint transferred from another painting.
Fix - Tackled problem area by building it back up with my dark neutral (ultramarine and burnt siena), as if starting from scratch in that area. But before I began, I oiled out ( with refined linseed oil) and rigorously buffed the entire surface. I often do this when painting back in. It helps the new paint flow on better.

Problem - It needed a background (I wiped out first attempt on location).
Fix - Reworked background colors. I wanted something that would capture the sense of dappled light, and would not fight with the blue of the hydrangea. After a number of attempts, I think I finally got there.

OBSERVATIONS:
Make sure to pack your wet panel carrier properly!
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again... ;)

WISHING YOU A HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!

Garden of the Lion - with Process Shots!

Garden of the Lion, 18 x 18, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2020

Available at the Anderson Fine Art Gallery

Revisiting this handsome lion with bigger brushes and larger canvas was so much fun. I love this guardian of the flowers. This one is fresh off the easel and available now at the Anderson Fine Art Gallery in St. Simons Island, Georgia! 

Here are process shots to show how it came together...

BLOCK IN - SKETCH

I began with an underdrawing (ultramarine and burnt siena). This allows me to check placement and scale of all the elements, and its a good place to make adjustments to the basic design before I get too far along.

BLOCK IN - VALUES

I established a "roadmap" for my values by indicating the shadow areas of the scene. Putting my darks in early and accurately gives me a structure to build on. I also stained the canvas with spots of alizarin crimson as place holders for my geraniums that would be painted last. 

STARTING WITH THE DARKS

Working dark to light allowed me to hold on to values. It is also the best way to build a painting... so much easier to add lighter colors on top of a strong base.  

ADDING THE LIGHTS

The key to keeping clean color is to use a light touch with subsequent layers. With alla prima painting, it can be tricky and "scrubbing" turns everything to mud. Beware.

Final Marks and Highlights

Once all value areas were established, I was able to suggest detail with final marks and highlights using slight value shifts. So important to save these until the very end, when everything else is working. I also painted the geraniums last to keep their marks clean and fresh. 

___________________________________

Click Here to register for PleinAir LIVE!

(I'm honored to be teaching in the Pre-Event Beginner's workshop! Please look for me there!)

Backyard Rest Stop - Fix It Friday #17

Backyard Rest Stop, 16 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020

Todays makeover is one from the archives, and it's a good lesson in composition (on what NOT to do). I was drawn to this cozy scene in my backyard for it's familiarity, good vibes, and simple one-point perspective. I also wanted some practice observing perspective and architecture, so I gave it a go. (It was also raining and this was the only place to paint, and stay dry.)

BEFORE

AFTER

CHANGES:

Problem 1 - All the perspective lines led the viewer's eye right past my subject.

Fix - Added a railing to contain the eye within the porch area.

Fix - Made the coffee table edges curvy, to slow down the "racetrack" effect.

Fix - Lushed up my subject (added more flowers, warmed up color, added more suggested detail.)

Problem 2 - Overall tone was drab and flat.

Fix - Popped some warm light onto bricks.

Fix - Warmed up white window frames and siding.

OBSERVATIONS:

Lines of perspective can have a very strong directional impact. They can be like pointing arrows. In this case, my goal was to create a scene that the viewer would sit down in, and want to stay for awhile. Wouldn't it have been great if all the lines were pointing to my sitting area?? That wasn't happening. 

We want to use built-in lines of perspective (and other elements) to take the viewer TO our focal point... NOT away from it. What I learned from this one is to pay attention to where the "lines" are pointing, and be intentional about how I use them. 

___________________________________

Click Here to register for PleinAir LIVE!

(I'm honored to be teaching in the Pre-Event Beginner's workshop! Look for me there!)

Crane Courtyard and PleinAir Live!

Crane Courtyard, 18 x 18, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2020

Available at the Anderson Fine Art Gallery

This larger work is fashioned after a smaller plein air piece I shared a few weeks ago. Crane's Cottage, at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel in Georgia, is the site of many weddings and special events. This intimate courtyard where lunch is sometimes served, offers a spot to get away, and have a "moment". I enjoyed my moment there immensely and found myself going back to the little scene, wanting to linger at this spot a bit longer. Painting it larger was just the ticket. 

It is newly available at the Anderson Fine Art Gallery in St. Simons Island, Georgia!!

And now for some BIG, BIG NEWS...

I am thrilled to be participating as an instructor in the upcoming PleinAir Live event! I will be presenting in the Pre-Event One-day Beginners Workshop, offering "the basics" to beginners who want to learn to paint outdoors. It will be a lot of fun, hope to see you there!

Click HERE for more info and to register!

Lion Planter (study)

Lion Planter (study), 8 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel

SOLD

This lion fountain at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel completely captured my imagination... They just don't make things with such care and detail any more! Here's what I found out about the meaning of lions in architecture... they depict nobility, power, valor, bravery and prosperity... well, no wonder they wanted this guy!!! Now the fountain is a planter full of beautifully delicate geraniums, and the lion is still there, keeping watch as his garden grows. 

This is a study for a larger painting finished this week... I loved the lion so much, I had to do him again! Sometimes that happens! ;)

Blooming Hydrangeas and Spring Workshop Info

Blooming Hydrangeas, 24 x 48, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2020

Commission for Private Collection - SOLD

"Blooming Hydrangeas" is another commission piece I recently completed. My client had admired some other hydrangea paintings of mine (as you know, they are a favorite subject for me), but she wanted something very specific for her newly redone bedroom. It was such fun working with her, and coming up with that perfect certain "je ne sais quoi". I love it when collaborations take me in inspiring directions. This was a fun one. 

Painting large from a proportionally smaller still life. This is NOT a "sight size" situation (if you know the sight size method)! It REALLY helps to do a smaller sketch first, for placement and composition, and for overall management of the painting.

The small graphite sketch I worked from... foundational to the painting.

The painting, framed and "in situ"! Kind of makes you want to do a room makeover, doesn't it? 

___________________________

2020 SPRING PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

March 30-April 2, 2020 - Wimberley, Texas

April 16-18, 2020 - St. Simons Island, Georgia

May 8-9, 2020 - Austin, Texas (full with wait list)

SEE DETAILS ON MY WEBSITE: laureldaniel.com 

Turquoise Vase - Simple Shapes Before Detail

Turquoise Vase, 24 x 24, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD in solo show "Beaches, Birds and Botanicals"

I do love a vessel full of Hydrangeas, and I was very happy when a sweet young couple shared that love and snapped up this piece! It's fun to see young families picking mutual favorites, imagining a place on their walls, and thoughtfully building their art collections. Well... let's face it, it is fun to see ANYONE building their art collection!

For my painter friends out there, here is a tip I find most helpful...

I often talk about my general painting process, but with this piece I want to emphasize the importance of building your paintings on a foundation of big shapes and simple values. Why? Because working from simple to complex sets you up for a much more satisfying finish than diving straight into the details. AND, hydrangeas are a great subject to illustrate that principle. 

My block-in focuses on large shapes of shadow and light. 

I purposefully avoid the individual petals of the flowers... EVEN THOUGH there are millions of them. My goal at this point: authentic shapes, edges and profile.

Going to color, I hang on tightly to the simple shapes.

I keep the shadow and light families separated, and I am still avoiding individual petals! My goal at this point: a subject that is recognizable by shape before any "detail" is added. I often want to stop at this point because I love the simplicity (and sometimes I do!) ;)

At completion, details emerge but my foundational value shapes remain. 

I loosely suggest petal detail with subtle shifts within the light family, and 

subtle shifts within the shadow family. And never the twain shall meet (meaning, the two value ranges do not overlap much or at all.) In the end, the shadow and light patterns tell the story, not the details! (Click HERE to see the painting "details" in a high res image.)

___________________________

2019 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

November 8-9, 2019 - Austin, Texas

Contemporary Austin Art School, FULL - Register for waitlist Here 

2020 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

March 30-April 2, 2020 - Wimberley, Texas

Contact Helena Hauk, Wimberley Artists Workshops, 800-327-1913

Date is firm - details coming soon!

April 16-18, 2020 - St. Simons Island, Georgia

Contact Mary Anderson, Anderson Fine Art Gallery, 912-634-8414

Tropical Overflow - Starting with a Preliminary Sketch

Tropical Overflow, 24 x 24, Oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

From solo show, "Beaches, Birds, and Botanicals"

Available at Anderson Fine Art Gallery

When I received this gorgeous flower arrangement from my sweet husband, I knew I would HAVE to paint it. I loved how the orchid blossoms bent and wandered freely into the light, while the many plant stems were tightly compressed in the shadow of the jar. As is often my practice, I pulled out a sketchbook to capture the parts that interested me...

Tropical Overflow, graphite sketch, 10x10

Doing a sketch helps me get the shapes and essence of a subject in my eye. Sometimes I'll make several sketches, until I find the composition I like best.

 Moving with wet paint onto the larger canvas, I first try to capture the profile only of the smaller image I want to paint. I keep my first marks light and outline-y (avoiding all detail) until I know I have positioned the whole subject correctly. 

Within that profile "envelope", I build out the values of the various elements of the subject. Having this underpainting as my block-in helps me hold on to the darks and lights as I add in color. 

Final painting, "Tropical Overflow", 24 x 24, L. Daniel

WORKSHOP INFO:

Fall Plein Air Workshop at Contemporary Austin Art School, Nov. 8-9, 2019

FULL - Register for waitlist Here 

Southern Beauties

Southern Beauties, 18 x 18, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

Sold in solo show, "Beaches, Birds and Botanicals"

Anderson Fine Art Gallery

Great news! St. Simons Island was spared by the hurricane. So grateful! However, it did go on to smatter those farther up the coast, so prayers for safekeeping continue. Here are some southern flowers in honor of friends down there who have weathered the storm. Hydrangeas are everywhere in the south... they are such a happy sight! 

Join me for an upcoming workshop...

Fall Plein Air Workshop at Contemporary Austin Art School, Nov. 8-9, 2019 - Register Here

Flowering Shadows - with process shots!

Flowering Shadows, 30 x 24, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD

"Beaches, Birds, and Botanicals"

Solo show opens April 12, 2019

When I am painting a lot in the studio on larger works, I tend to be working from small studies and photographs as my source material. After awhile, I just want to paint from life. When the grocery store offered Agapanthus in the middle of winter, I knew it was time for a still life! It's offers a visual break and change of pace for my painter's brain. 

This is one of 25 new works that will be in the solo show next week.

Below are process shots that reveal how the painting came together. 

The block in.

Painting directly, wet into wet.

Finished piece.

The set up in my studio.