Saturday, February 25, 2012

                                                                                                        
Title- Summer Poplars

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

                                                  title- towards diamond                                                                                                                                       
I liked this scene because it was a beautiful winter afternoon, the clouds were lovely and the sun was popping out randomly across the landscape. Cattle scattered out and peacefully grazing , in February no less, is always calming.    Clouds, space, light.  
 This painting is the first of several in which I am using a toned, sanded pastel paper . I have always used rag mat board with some texture, or 'tooth'. I had started sanding my boards somewhat to add to the surface the would hold the pigment. The sanding helped but I was still not sold. I am learning that pastelists work on all sorts of surfaces and one artist ,whom I very much admire, creates a ground with acrylic medium and pumice. Baahaahaaahaaa! We'll just have to see where this leads!
This piece is pastel pigment on toned , sand coated pastel paper.  8" x 12".

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Title- 'Jason'
I recently received my yearly Oregon Watercolor Society member information and prospectus for upcoming competitions. I have been primarily focused on pastels these past few weeks but whenever I revisit my watercolors I am reminded why I am drawn to them. They are luminous, and when using heavier paper(as I do), light enters the layers of pigment and then is reflected back to the viewer. Pastels are similar in that they are ground, pure pigment layered on to a surface. If not blended too heavily they  allow the penetration of light among the pigment particles and are also 'luminous'. Now you know why a painting may move you more than a simple photographic image. Perhaps.
Watercolor- I have been a signature member of the Or. Watercolor Society  since 1999. Members are juried into the organization and I was very honored when I was accepted. I am not a active member(workshops, competitions..) because 95% of the activities occur on the west side of our state. Sound familiar? I suppose that is just a lame excuse, but wherein I enjoy being a part of a group of creative people celebrating watercolor works I don't seem to crave the rest of the party. 
It is becoming difficult  to ignore the paintings that come to me in watercolor. Here's to new challenges and `returning to flowing, drifting, glazes of clear pigments loosed onto ,white, deep papers.
'Jason' is created from winsor newton watercolors applied to 280# rag winsor newton paper. 13" x 20".

Friday, February 10, 2012

“Rather [her images] represent a new humanistic strain in landscape photography that regards people and the physical landscape as an integral whole, an approach offering great possibilities to all artists, men and women alike.” referring to Laura Gilpin , photographer of the west, 1891-1979.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

early scratchers


I like these little hens so much I believe they will come to live in my kitchen! I left the mat board background alone on these because they worked great on it. It was a quick painting and I really get the feeling of busy little hens from it.



Friday, February 3, 2012

south to lakeview
Friday- I am posting today's painting and a little amazed that the paintings keep rolling. I am enjoying the process of posting each day. just enough expectation that i get it done, and i feel cheated if i don't get one out. this piece is 8" x 10". soft pastel on sanded, acid free mat board.








 i have my studio up and running. i do enjoy painting at the dining room table, but i don't think ingesting pastel dust with meals is groovy.
i was going to muck out my studio/closet in the north bedroom upstairs. no heat and only one working outlet. this problem was slowly morphing into wes' problem so he did what he does best- solved the issue without having to be involved in the process! we have a small office space downstairs (in proximity to the wood stove), with a north facing window. i had been needing to excavate that space for months and...well, painting space!  moved my worktable out of the storage shed. it is tall enough to allow me to stand and paint. if i don't stand my paint strokes get tinier and tinier, and tighter and tighter. it also reminds me to step away from my work frequently. i do have an easel but i  scrub and smooth with my fingers and feel a lot more stable on a table surface.
happy days all.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

drive to milton-freewater - spring




This piece is a 6" x 6" soft pastel on acid free mat board.

I always enjoy the trip over toll-gate to milton-freewater. the trees and grasses on the west side of the blues are just a little different and always far ahead of us in the spring.














Tuesday, January 31, 2012

the narrow's view- fall.
Today's painting is a skyscape looking east from the narrows. 
These scenes are simply how I feel about this land and sky we inhabit. "The exhilarating freedom of space" in the high desert.
The last three skyscapes I have completed all include a partial appearance of Wright's Point. Of course if you choose a view of this basin- Wright's Point can be a part of it 80% (or so) of the time!
  I love that Wright's Point is a geologic form called 'inverted topography'. Fantastic isn't it! The ridge used to be a river bed and lava flowed down it, cooled, the surrounding soil eroded and wa-lah!
Inverted topography - I think that term describes the hard scrabble inhabitants of this sea of sagebrush and lava rock beaches. We can not live here on a day-to-day, month-to-month, year-to-year basis and not- invert. We have to look inside for what sustains us.  We must seek our soul.  We must nourish it.
the narrow's view- fall.      pastel   7" x14"

Monday, January 30, 2012

CORB
The sun is shining. The wind is hardly blowing. The dogs a re all excited because we are going to start up the tractor and feed the cows! The dog's job is to keep the cows out of the hay yard, keep cows from eating hay that has not been pitched from  the wagon, keep cows from getting 'an attitude'. (these rules written by....the dogs of course)
Corb is my son Mark's dog. He is a stock dog mix. When a Mark started a new job in Wy. a year ago his new little wife was still busting her brain finishing up her degree. Mark's only companion and helper was Corb. It was a rainy wet spring, as you might remember, and the road to and from Mark's new headquarters was washed out many days several different times. His job was to be moving a couple sets of just calved out heifers to new pastures- by himself. Luckily he had his trusty partner and several head of horses! The heifers were snots but 'Corby' tuned them up. The sun came back out. Wife graduated with honors and got moved to the ranch. Life is good- with dogs in it.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

golden
I will now be know as that girl that does all them chicken paintin's!  I have been referred to as a 'back painter'. "You know - she paints them folks with their back to ya. Not their fronts just the backs. She's a back painter."said the erudite hay-broker. Thanks.
So there we go- one of them chicken painters!
Chickens are the greatest shapes and colors. They are a happy place to be on those winter days when we are all just trying to stay out of the wind. 
I am getting my pallete organized. I have read about different pastelists and their carefully laid-out,foam lined tackle boxes. Warm to cool colors, tones of those colors....blah,blah...Well guess who's got a fairly well laid out cardboard box, tackle box and assorted little store boxes at her command-- that's right..I'm on it like stink on a wet dog! PLUS, I need more colors! I am seeing the light!!!
More color baby!!
Keep your seat belt on -- we are going to put some zing out there. 

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

harney county sky - december
I was headed out of town one evening last month- tired, grumpy and wanting Scotty to 'beam me home'. This sky was my reward for making the drive. We are soooo blessed to live in a region where blue skies and cloudscapes are the norm in the winter months!  This piece is 9" x 9 "pastel on acid free mat board. 

Pastels are made up of pure pigment with a minimum of binder - and so can produce light, many dimensional works. These are chalk pastels and thus-- chalky. I have found that fixatives dampen and dull my pastels so I hardly ever use them past the first stages of a painting. Today I am going to pack up two of these little gems to head to new homes and am sort of remembering... about how time consuming it can be......packing pastel works so that they will not be damaged in shipping! Can't just roll them up and stuff them in a shipping tube!
Safe travel little roosters!

Went on a little landscape tour yesterday. Had some good light.  Saw some folks moving cattle closer to home for feeding and pre-calving care.  Got semi-paralyzed by cloud reflections on Dry lake (over by the round barn). I couldn't tell where sky, water and I ended.  Fabulous.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Blustery rooster.

blustery rooster
Been a bit windy around here lately. I am having quite a bit of fun with the chickens. Learning about photographing my work. I am not completely happy with the color representation. the blues in this piece are more turquoise, the yellow-warmer- more yellow. the red in the comb- oranger, warmer again. I guess I am cutting out some yellow in my process. Great, another opportunity for me to learn! Feel free to suggest techniques to me.
I do like Mr. Rooster's attitude today. 
Linda and I did have a great weekend painting and eating nasty, garlicy salad. I have lots of new pieces to post and am going to try to 'transfer a widget'. Really, it sounds more fun than I have found it to actually be.
Thank you for your comments and applause.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Bachelor #2
8x8" pastel 
Bachelor # 2   struttin' his stuff.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

"Looking Down- Riverside"
 This painting has been living in my head for a few months. The 'Daily Paintworks' challenge is getting these out and making me work! This little pastel is 8 x 10 ". I love this little valley in the high desert. It is an oasis in the dry, sandy hills.
  I am headed for Jordan Valley for another "paint till you drop" weekend. The drive last week was fantastic. I had to stop several times to photograph the landscape  as the sun came up. I was a little unprepared last week- just grabbed my chalk and ran. This week I am making my 'dirty greek' salad.   Soooo much garlic...keeps the artists happy and focused. (no one hangs around for a chat!) 
Did I mention these paintings are all for sale? This original is $50. You can contact me directly or view these works on "dailypaintworks.com/artist/mdavies kerns-2519" or go to 'whats new' or 'search all art' and purchase through paypal.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012






Day 1.

Got the little rooster rounded up. In the camera, in the laptop, in the blog..who'd of thought! Pastels have been on the menu this week. Spent the weekend painting with fellow artist Linda Davies Gage. Will have lots of new work to share with you. This little rooster is going to show up a lot. He has lots of personality and likes to sleep in our porch. This piece is titled "Bachelor #1."

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