tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68998473892608168002012-02-16T10:22:36.193-05:00...exploring my world, somewhat randomly, using art and the story behind it as a way to open my eyes. Rules: Have fun with it. Take chances. Try something new. Learn something old. Share. Make friends along the way.Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-83344979544712920412011-11-14T19:23:00.000-05:002011-11-14T19:23:07.957-05:00

I got distracted.  First a loom, then a spindle, then a spinning wheel. Then I decided that I needed to resurrect my skills in natural dyeing.   If I could get sheep, I would (no land), but instead I'm just going to get their fleeces.  And spin and dye and weave.  I started a blog about my misadventures with fibres.  No worry: I'll get back to painting, but right now I am painting with wool and

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-31746425118228090992010-08-20T12:26:00.000-05:002010-08-20T12:26:44.045-05:00

I like Andrya Dorfman's animation video's and Tanya Davis' song poems.  This one especially. 

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-91384663163802340132010-08-18T18:29:00.002-05:002010-08-19T13:15:40.994-05:00

Last winter, I heard of a project called Hand to Hand, a daily record of what happened in Iraq day-by-day as seen through the eyes of artists, all using gloves or other representations of hands in their interpretations.  Begun by Cecilia Kane at the start of the Iraq war in 2003, it expanded to include nearly two hundred other artists, each taking a week or two.  The artists are from all over

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-1663949342391445812010-07-08T11:59:00.000-05:002010-07-08T11:59:54.695-05:00

Doctor's orders: stay off feet as much as possible while broken foot heals.  So I got out some boxes of old papers and photos I've been meaning to go through for ages.  Kind of amazed to find my old report cards from elementary school.  They tell an interesting story.  Here are a few from first and second grade:  First grade, second half:  Second grade, first half: This was the situation:

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-73185366659788311702010-06-09T18:14:00.001-05:002010-06-09T18:20:38.765-05:00

acrylic on cradled birch panelseach 6 x 6 inches My art supplier had some acrylic inks on sale that I'd been wanting to give a try.  So I ordered a few bottles. Ok, I ordered 12 of them.  I played with them for a while on paper, and then decided to give an idea I had for a set on cradled wood panels a go, combining the inks with fluid acrylics.  Some things didn't work out as planned (do they

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-85158437444587684442010-05-19T12:24:00.000-05:002010-05-19T12:24:12.255-05:00

I decided I like the painting below just as it is, and changed the name of it to "Cloudburst". I'll put it in a white frame for an upcoming show in June at the Chaffee Art Center in Rutland, VT.

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-82036074288995228892010-05-13T11:18:00.004-05:002010-05-19T12:23:09.720-05:00

acrylic on stretched canvas with inclusions20 x 24 inches I laid out this painting with my left hand, and am switching hands as I work.  As it took shape, I found myself liking the somewhat unfinished look.  Perhaps because rainy, misty spring days themselves have that look.  I was going to use white paint to give some bright spots, but happened to have some foil laying about. So I

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-36396132697492279592010-04-28T10:15:00.001-05:002010-04-28T10:17:55.063-05:00

textured acrylic on stretched canvas16 x 20 inches As I suspected, "Watching the Wind" was not yet complete.  It did not tell the whole story.  Over the last few weeks, a bit at a time, I modified the existing layers a little, added a layer, and worked in the details that held the story.  This was January 2, 2010, and at dawn that day, as the filtered light gradually illuminated the storm

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-58464785712043373042010-04-22T15:56:00.001-05:002010-04-22T15:58:27.073-05:00

acrylic on stretched canvas20 x24 inches I liked this piece as it was (see it here), but it lacked luster and dimension in all but the brightest light.  So over a period of several weeks, I reworked it until it held its own in ordinary indoor light.  Now I have the strongest urge to add a little mouse tail near the bottom.  I've resisted that urge so far.  But no guarantees.  I still might.

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-1507362416604946112010-04-20T18:08:00.002-05:002010-05-19T12:10:06.792-05:00

Charcoal and graphite pencil on paper5 x 7 inches I've been away from home for a bit over a week, and when I came back, learned that my aunt is ill.  She is nearly 93, and over the last year, her health has been failing bit by bit.  I was able to talk to her this weekend for only a couple of minutes.  I am hoping this is just a temporary bug that she will recover from quickly.  At the same time,

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-91636075647506516362010-04-07T17:18:00.000-05:002010-04-07T17:18:43.776-05:00

This is another from the quick little paintings project.  I like it so much I decided to move it over here.  It is on paper, and I am thinking of mounting it on board and varnishing it to frame. acrylic on archival paper6 x 8 inches Since the 30 days that I originally allotted for this project are long gone, I renamed the project blog "Quick Little Paintings, Having Fun".  I am learning so much

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-66543212748842526762010-03-23T12:36:00.001-05:002010-03-23T12:39:32.718-05:00

Well, I'm over the 30 days, but making progress. I'm now in the 70s.  In my defense, I was gone for a couple of weeks, and there is that little matter of life.  Plus still working on some of my larger paintings.  But this is fun.  No pressure, just play.  And every once in a while I stumble across something that feels like a keeper, or at least something to explore more deeply.  The two I did

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-12046264524796978842010-03-15T17:19:00.001-05:002010-04-07T17:24:47.022-05:00

I had been working on several paintings, and came to the end (or what feels like the end) of a series. Then I took some time off to do some other things.  I was feeling the need to explore but didn't want to jump into another series yet.  I read Robert Genn's newsletter to artists regularly, and it just happened that he posted one with a suggestion that was just what I needed.  Paint 100 small

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-23084116199592788482010-01-14T11:20:00.001-05:002010-03-14T15:27:15.796-05:00

textured acrylic on stretched canvas20 x 24 inches I think this is finished now. Late in the fall, there was a frosty night, and toward morning an ice rain fell briefly, glazing the tops and stems of grasses and weeds along the edge of my garden. This week, I decided to capture the sense of wonder I had that morning when I went out. This is built up with layers of glaze overlaid to develop the

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-13442260663080839472010-01-13T17:21:00.000-05:002010-03-14T15:15:57.933-05:00

Watching the Windtextured acrylic on stretched canvas, 16 x20 inchesI laid down the base for this painting sometime in December, using a base color from another painting. Then I set it aside until the image became clearer in my mind. In early January, while I was at a spiritual retreat in the Catskill foothills, a massive, intensely cold stormfront covered the entire Northeast. We were at the

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-32098232021860449002010-01-11T16:17:00.001-05:002010-03-14T15:22:11.364-05:00

textured acrylic on stretched canvas16 x 20 inches I have two paintings in progress right now. I like working this way.

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-24923528330961356152010-01-07T12:13:00.000-05:002010-03-14T15:15:57.937-05:00

Stinkingwater Pass 116 x 20 inches, oil on stretched canvasYes, that is a real name of a real place, and (of course) it is located in the western mountains I love. Where else would have a name like this? The pass is in central Oregon, about 30 miles east of Burns on Highway 20. a narrow, winding, two-lane highway through the Strawberry Range. Elevation 4848. As I approached the pass near noon

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-7850153714646164092009-12-09T14:20:00.000-05:002010-03-14T15:15:57.938-05:00

acrylic on cradled birch panel, 20 x 24 inchesPaintings often go through a stage where it feels there is no hope for it. I just had one that seemed stuck at ugly. It just wasn't working, even though I could still see my intent in it. I couldn't figure out what it needed. Almost gave up on it, but set it aside for few days. Today decided to give something a try. Suddenly out of the mess the

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-18501080192644512182009-12-09T14:08:00.000-05:002010-03-14T15:15:57.939-05:00

A music doodleback of old envelopeToday is a stay-in and muddle about day-- snow and gusty winds and tending the woodstove. A painting taken off the easel, a pot of soup on the cookstove, some time at the computer. I subscribe to the Research Channel. Today I checked out a recent post with this link about Synesthesia. I found it fascinating. It presents a possible mechanism for synesthesia in

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-52466778665475022342009-11-05T20:59:00.000-05:002010-03-14T15:15:57.941-05:00

acrylic on cradled birch panel18 x 18 inchesThere is quite a back story to this one. The short of it is that recently I made a cross-continent trip by car. The trip was primarily to visit family members and friends, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a 6000 mile paint-out! Worried about the logistics of transporting wet oil paintings, I decided to try acrylics, and outfitted myself with

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-91834038315825417772009-11-05T06:18:00.001-05:002010-03-14T15:24:20.690-05:00

My long awaited website is up at last! Please stop by for a visit: www.DayleAnnStratton.com "Musings" (nee' "Rambling") represents my journey back into visual arts. Now I find myself at the edge of a new phase of my growth as an artist. Over the last few months, I've found that my art is leading me on a journey without a planned itinerary. I just need to pay attention to where it takes me. I'm

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-89556781125552339732009-07-07T13:59:00.003-05:002009-07-07T14:13:47.387-05:00

Summer Alreadyacrylic on matboard, 8x10 inchesYep. Took a while to get here, but here it is, summer. This is the same tree as yesterday's, from a slightly different angle-- and with color! I'd saved the greys I mixed up yesterday (Masterson's palette seal really does work!). I added some quin red, ultramarine, and Hansa yellow, mixed up a range of greens, used the red with some of the green

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-50497178668231350422009-07-05T14:56:00.004-05:002009-07-05T15:37:47.755-05:00

Old Corner Mapleacrylic on matboard, 6x6 in.I decided to just do some casual studies for a while when I am working with acrylics. Today I laid out some black and white, mixed up a series of greytones, and did this small, quick study of the old maple at the corner of my property, using a single largish brush. This was done on a piece of matboard, sealed, gessoed, and lightly toned with a glaze of

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-11511830239907075352009-07-02T12:16:00.006-05:002009-07-03T08:53:20.257-05:00

July Sunsetacrylic on matboard, 5x7 in.This one was from a photo I'd taken of a beautiful volcanic sunset a few evenings ago (one of the few days this summer with an actual sunset instead of a gradual deepening of grey). The first one I tried was a throw-away. Then I did another and this time worked quickly, letting the paint happen. A little progress. At least recognizable.I don't know why I am

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-46655901759357353952009-06-21T19:14:00.003-05:002009-06-21T19:54:46.921-05:00

"Optimism"acrylic on hardboard panel, 12x9 inches It has been a very very long time since I've painted with acrylics. I decided to get a few tubes and give it a try, for location work ("au plein air"), to eliminate the hassle of transporting wet paintings along with gear. Whenever I try new materials, I always like to do something fairly representational, because that gives me an idea of how the

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-74528614990883219062009-06-18T19:09:00.006-05:002009-06-18T19:59:14.841-05:00

Sun and Shadepastel, 10x8 inBusy, busy month. Rainy, rainy month. Busy, busy me. Getting paintings framed for show at a new (to me) gallery, putting in applications for other group shows and scoping out more galleries (hoping to place in several), jumping on the rare sunny days to work long hours in my garden to try to catch up (not there yet). Oh, yeah, and painting something every day, even if

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-63411493028033262072009-05-22T07:48:00.004-05:002009-05-25T11:31:38.913-05:00

pastel on archival sanded paper, 9x12 in.Lately, I've been busy trying to reclaim my neglected garden and ready it for planting, deal with a broken sump pump hose (flooding said garden), and other domestic pursuits. Evenings, I've begun sorting through boxes of old photos in an attempt to organize and label. My love of landscape began long ago, so there are lots of photos of places I spent time

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-51355761575637157522009-05-12T18:28:00.003-05:002009-05-12T18:41:13.438-05:00

oil on stretched linen, 20x16 in. I didn't make any real changes in this one, but I did correct some details, and did another layer of paint along with a bit of glazing and scumbling over the sea to give it some substance. I may go back later along the horizon, but this one is otherwise finished. To see it in its earlier stage, go here (which is actually just two posts down).I've been working

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-64208119583472213342009-05-10T14:51:00.006-05:002009-05-11T20:02:41.727-05:00

blank canvas, 20 x 16 in.What more can I say? Sometimes that's just the way it is.I had gotten several paintings out of holding pattern, and in the drying rack. And made up a CD of paintings to be juried.Then the SUN actually shone, the ground was finally unfroze, and, with help from my family, I spent a week catching up on cleaning up the yard and getting my garden ready to plant. I even

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-87291473247288660462009-03-26T07:00:00.001-05:002009-04-01T17:07:26.263-05:00

oil on stretched canvas, 20x16 inchesThis is either finished or almost finished. I am not sure which yet. I put it away upstairs so I won't be tempted to fiddle with it. I do need to do a little touchup and minor adjustments once the paint dries enough, but I am feeling that I want to leave the composition as it is now.I began this painting with a general sense of its composition (I usually

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-60841250209818897722009-03-25T18:19:00.002-05:002009-03-25T18:45:38.636-05:00

oil on stretched canvas, 20x16 inchesThis is the same canvas I posted on February 8th (you can see it here), now finished with the terra rosa on the branches and the distant vista misted in. I added a little color to the sky, too. While I was showing it to a friend the other day, she mentioned that though the outside is scarred from lightning strikes, the inside is still green and thriving. "

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-41594001972718713532009-03-19T14:17:00.008-05:002009-03-29T14:55:11.144-05:00

Yes, two posts in one day again!Periodically, the issue of Anders Zorn's limited palette comes up in artistic circles. Zorn is famous for his stunning portraits and nudes with very rich skin tones. His paintings are a feast, in color, composition, and form. His palette is said to have consisted of Ivory black, white, scarlet, and yellow ochre, though he probably occasionally used other pigments

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-58525471062016897822009-03-19T13:52:00.015-05:002009-03-20T06:42:51.598-05:00

The Lamp, post performance.The culprit: Jellybean, aka the flying squirrel cat Performance objective: to leap over lamp onto sofa. Somewhat disadvantaged because of lack of skin flaps between extremities. Performance only partially successful.Presently considering possibilities of incorporating embellished origami bird into next performance. Yes, this is a post about art. And life. At least in my

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-28791110796661595112009-03-18T17:36:00.003-05:002009-03-18T17:59:58.585-05:00

oil on linen panel, 12x9 inches Yes, two posted today. These have been upstairs drying until I could photograph them. I think this is the second I started, and did go through a few changes before it said what I think it was trying to say. Another one that led me to a place I didn't know about. There's some personal background in all this. Life has markers that delineate shifts you may or may

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-43173677480163049752009-03-18T17:21:00.003-05:002009-03-18T18:03:36.821-05:00

oil on linen panel, 12x9 inchesThere are a lot of layers on this one. Literally (in terms of paint) and metaphorically. I am enjoying doing this series quite a lot, and am always surprised by what emerges. Sometimes it's pretty close to my original conception, but sometimes a painting chooses what it is going to be itself. That's what this one did. It made me do a lot of scumbling and glazing

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-46222566639330782952009-02-20T09:35:00.003-05:002009-02-20T09:58:20.763-05:00

"Rootless"oil on linen, 20x16 in.I've been working on this one off and on for about two weeks, a layer of glaze or scumble at a time. Nearly done yesterday, but I felt the tree still needed depth and structure. Late last evening, in my nightclothes and ready to go to bed, I visualized something and took a palette knife to the tree, scraping away lines to reveal a skeletal interior. Too late to

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-4460384625780138452009-02-16T16:32:00.006-05:002009-02-20T15:58:19.738-05:00

" Passage"watercolor on hot press, 7 x 9 inI decided to explore this particular spatial arrangement for a while, to see what I could do within its constraints. I'm finding it very freeing, actually. I have a sense of seeking when I am painting them. I know my mind is deriving the forms from my environment, but they are going through some interesting permutations before they emerge into my

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-60135936624778111342009-02-09T14:45:00.007-05:002009-02-09T15:34:19.767-05:00

Yesterday I gessoed a scrap of watercolor paper, about 4 by 8 inches, to try an experiment. I have used soft pastel to add detail to oil paintings in the past, and have also at times used oil medium to give special effects to my pastel paintings. The pigments are soluble in oil mediums (they are, after all, exactly the same pigments used in all fine art paints). I wanted to see how it would work

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-70522545799587161932009-02-09T14:17:00.006-05:002009-02-20T09:57:27.191-05:00

oil on linen panel, 12x9 inches I've been experimenting on bits of paper and having a lot of fun. Gradually incorporating abstraction into my paintings. Now I'm starting to deliberately work in expressionist abstractionism (whatever that really is- I phrase it that way because it is really NOT what some people refer to as abstract expressionism-- whatever THAT is) on some of my linen panels and

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-56077157446604319652009-02-09T14:04:00.004-05:002009-03-25T19:12:53.225-05:00

"Ridgeline" reworkedoil on linen panel, 12x9 in.This is the same painting I posted on December 2nd (you can see it here). I did not like the perspective or the flatness, and so a few days ago I reworked it to introduce a more intimate perspective and stronger contrast. I like it better, but at this point I am moving so quickly into a more expressionist abstract style that I can't say it grabs me

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-16165509208947837732009-02-08T18:21:00.004-05:002009-02-09T15:40:14.350-05:00

Ute Reservation Sentinel Tree (work in progress)oil on canvas, 20x16 inI drove past this tree any number of times, which is probably why I can't remember just exactly where it is now. Except that it is on the Ute Reservation in Colorado, just after coming into it from somewhere else on a rarely traveled back road (which is why it was my preferred route). The only tree on a narrow wedge after the

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-39738799248946408582009-01-11T12:11:00.005-05:002009-02-08T17:53:53.609-05:00

At Short Sand Beachoil on masonite, 6x6 inchesYes, two posts today!That is because I am catching up on photographing some paintings I did in December. I am not even sure just when I painted this one. After one of the larger ones, because I remember looking at my palette and thinking that the leftover paint colors reminded me very much of a coast storm. So I pulled out one of the small gessoed

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-87798280757191405582009-01-11T11:48:00.005-05:002009-01-11T12:10:49.764-05:00

Along the Tietonoil on canvas, 9x12 inchesThe subject is loosely based on several photos I took years ago along a twisting mountain highway through the northern Cascade Mountains, early in the snow season. The name is pronounced "Ty-eh-ton", and is the name of a river that flows down the eastern side of the Washington Cascades. I could spend a lifetime painting along this river, or taking

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-26928376814731823992009-01-10T10:49:00.005-05:002009-01-10T11:49:45.451-05:00

Shadow Mountainoil on linen panel, 9x12 inchesThis one was just plain fun to do. I gave myself permission to play, with no predetermined outcome. Why do my paintings always turn into mountains or water? Good question. I know the answer, and have decided it is irrelevant. It's what I paint right now.I started here with brushes, used a palette knife to clean up an area, and ended up using knives

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-36436429741001708292009-01-05T10:33:00.002-05:002009-03-18T17:21:33.678-05:00

The Bridge20 x 16 inches, oil on canvasI've been working on this off and on for about a month, in between other things. Not sure I'm finished yet. Finished enough to post. There is something about this one that appeals to me, and at the same time leaves me wondering why it feels unfinished. The thing to do is set it aside and wait. Maybe it'll end up in the discards. Maybe it'll feel ok the way

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-20533367853159687642008-12-19T15:47:00.014-05:002008-12-19T17:24:19.739-05:00

Well, I have a couple of new paintings I wanted to post, but the light has been too poor to take decent pics today (I always use natural light). Today, instead, I decided to post a few photos of what it looks like here.Right now we are getting yet another snowstorm, expected to go on through the weekend. It is beautiful out there, and though it means that yet again the townplow will block me in,

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-60302803044224999502008-12-16T17:57:00.004-05:002008-12-16T19:07:40.725-05:00

oil on linen panel12x9 in (30x23 cm)I've been oil painting for at least several hours almost every day recently, experimenting with color mixing on and off the canvas, brushwork, and learning learning learning. A lot of what I paint gets wiped off, and then I try something else. Others get set aside, perhaps to work on later. I'm not sure I've painted anything I feel like framing yet: a lot

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-84418602407935680522008-12-02T16:14:00.010-05:002009-02-09T14:16:51.163-05:00

oil on linen panel12x9 inNOTE: see Feb. 9th posting for revised version of this painting.For the time being, I have set my pastels aside (for the most part--my love of them won't let me stay too far away). I'd started noodling around seriously with my oil paints, trying to get a feel for them. It felt like a battle. Painting is usually almost a meditation for me, but this was a struggle. Dozens

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-7370536499155864882008-11-02T13:01:00.007-05:002008-12-17T11:58:12.715-05:00

"This is What It Feels Like"Fused glass mounted on resin-treated barnboard, old nails added(glass: 5x6.5 in; overall dimensions about 8x14 in)Trying to get some things ready for exhibit and catch up on everything else all at once-- and naturally I am way behind. This is a piece I should have shipped out Friday at the latest. The silicone I used to mount the glass is still not cured (it is

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-31155449455233819312008-10-14T14:46:00.006-05:002008-10-16T17:42:19.835-05:00

soft pastel on sanded matboard, 5x7 in. (13x17 cm)A challenge in pastels: blue, red, yellow, and any two sticks of your choosing. Instead of painting from one of the photos provided, I decided to paint a simple plein air of the view across the street. I wanted to catch the glow from the late afternoon light. I picked out the pastel sticks quickly so that I wouldn't lose the light, and

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-78608079321686741582008-10-07T13:22:00.004-05:002008-10-07T13:50:50.620-05:00

Soft pastel on archival paper, 14x18 in (26x46 cm)A brief explanation: my computer crashed. Right after I fell and badly sprained my ankle. I am just now getting all my software and stuff working and organized. It wasn't quite as high a priority as catching up on all the things needing done before winter once I got back on my feet. So that's where I've been.While laid up (with my ankle in an air

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-56395397463157278342008-06-11T18:15:00.008-05:002008-11-13T01:55:59.178-05:00

I've got to change the header on this blog. "Day by day" works for living, but I sure haven't applied it to my postings. So what have I been doing?Well... recovering from Lyme disease, for one. I've had it for years, do pretty well most of the time. I do routine tick checks because I am PARANOID about them. Last fall, duh, guess I missed a tick and got a whole new Lyme infection. Babesiosis too,

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-29304650085434273342008-06-04T19:12:00.001-05:002009-02-03T17:58:07.635-05:00

pastel on archival paper, pumice ground38x51 cm (15x20 in) Lake Chelan is a narrow 50 mile long lake mysteriously located in the desert mountains of Central Washington. Oh, sure, geologists have figured out why it's there, but that doesn't change the mystery of experiencing it. The place is stunning, and changes character with the seasons and the time of day. It is only partly accessible by road

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-33985281114523827252008-05-06T19:29:00.001-05:002008-11-13T01:55:59.411-05:00

pastel on achival paper, sanded surface30x30 cm (12x12 in)This is my "cobbled-together-old-house", pretty much as it is in real life, but taken down to its most basic form, as if filtered through memory. Perhaps my granddaughter might hold a mind's image like this of grammy's house when she is my age. I carry one of my grandmother's house in the foothills of southern Oregon. The image in my mind

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-75074562740438204552008-04-28T14:58:00.005-05:002009-03-25T22:20:27.079-05:00

pastel on sanded hot press10x8 in (15.5x20 cm) There is a memory here: a child poking around in the exposed flats, looking for special treasures. Happy birthday to my youngest daughter, no longer a small child, but a grownup, still with a sense of wonder and exploration. Thank you for all the delight you have brought to my life. I love you.After a month of doing mostly other things, like

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-87008102378852427832008-04-02T15:51:00.004-05:002008-11-13T01:55:59.615-05:00

Early Spring Bog Meadowoil on linen panel, 9x12 in (23x30.5 cm)So... it's been a whole month since I posted. What in the world have I been doing all that time, anyway?Well, here's part of it. (Get ready, I'm about to embark on another story...)I love doing landscapes. I paint from photos only if it is a photo I have taken, of someplace I know and have a feel for, because photos simply don't

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-15445590402932611182008-03-01T20:23:00.007-05:002008-11-13T01:55:59.966-05:00

Kiln-worked glass, 7x10 in unmounted1/4 to 3/8 thickness Actually, I've been catching up on this weeks' posts all at one go. All week, I've been busy painting, shoveling snow (my PT released me for heavy duty as long as I don't overdo), and trying to figure out which frames to order for which paintings. Oh, yeah, and doing glass.I have a few small sheets of System 96 glass and some boxes of

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-39770698010851568912008-02-29T20:07:00.001-05:002008-11-13T01:56:00.558-05:00

Pastels on Tiziano with pumice ground added30x23 cm (12x9 in) This is another piece of the Tiziano. Happy with the first firing of the glass piece (you'll see that tomorrow, after it comes out of the kiln for the second time), I approached the paper with a feeling of adventure. I've had images of downtown Portland, Oregon, where I used to live, moving around in my head for some time. I decided

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-25607406133674603682008-02-28T19:45:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:00.706-05:00

Pastels on Tiziano with pumice ground added30x23 cm (9x12 in)Remember that oversize piece of blue Tiziano I was supposed to be doing something with? It turned out to be the wrong background for what it was intended for, so I brushed off the pastels and used something else. It's just been sitting around here, bugging the devil out of me. So the other day I used alcohol to set the base, and cut it

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-4900410950072196272008-02-22T16:18:00.004-05:002008-11-13T01:56:00.863-05:00

Float glass, 5.75x9 in, unmountedThis piece came out of the kiln this morning. Looking for a background to photograph it against that would show up the texture, I found that an earth color worked best. It gave me an idea for mounting it- on a piece of weathered or stained wood. I'll see if I can find the right piece of wood for it.In the meantime, going nuts looking at frames for my next batch

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-15298263307035557742008-02-17T17:49:00.006-05:002008-11-13T01:56:01.054-05:00

pastels on Canson Mi-Teintes yellow5x6 in (10 minute sketch)I get it now! Okay, so the shadow isn't quite right, but that's beside the point. I can fix that. Frustrated with false starts and pieces that just didn't work, I took a break and read, cooked, and baked for three days (very good thing to do anyway with the chilly weather we've been having). Then, trying to get myself back in art frame

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-92080720209225558212008-02-13T15:39:00.008-05:002008-11-13T01:56:01.132-05:00

soft pastel on hotpress, pumice ground added41x32 cm (16x12.5 in)Last Saturday, anticipating the series of storms headed our way, I drove to the food coop about 16 miles away to stock up. I like to drive back roads whenever possible to enjoy the scenery without the distraction of traffic. It was about mid-afternoon, and the first of the storms was moving in as I passed through an area of open

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-49380179825496422072008-02-02T15:16:00.004-05:002008-11-13T01:56:01.450-05:00

My first commission... sort of. I asked my granddaughter what she would like me to paint for her as a gift for her eighth birthday. "A painting of my cat!" Aha. No surprise. So here is Sophie, matted and framed, held by my granddaughter for the camera on the grand day: soft pastel on hotpress, unmatted image 20x20 cm (8x8 in)And to share with you the occasion itself, here is a photo of Keely

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-44344463273397569332008-01-28T19:50:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:01.571-05:00

Winter Stream Fused float glass with silver inclusions, 7x10 in, unmountedI have been playing in my glass studio, making some small fused panels using float glass scrap. In this case, basically high end window glass-- the stuff left over from framing my pastel paintings. This is the first time I've tried working with float, and I like what's emerging. This is one of the pieces that came out

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-51708807150024240022008-01-22T12:28:00.001-05:002008-11-13T01:56:01.855-05:00

soft pastel on 300gsm hotpress, pumice ground added30x28 cm (11.5x12 in)The other day, I was standing at my front window watching the snow come down. It reminded me of a night a long time ago, when my eldest was a toddler and her sister still a baby. We lived in a college town in the foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains in southern Oregon. I was going to school in the morning while my husband

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-53054952476135810792008-01-18T09:40:00.001-05:002008-11-13T01:56:01.989-05:00

In the Shelter of Tsé Bit'a'ípastel on 300gsm coldpress with added pumice ground16.5x16.5 cm (6.5x6.5 in)This outcrop in the southwestern United States is a wonderful formation, a worn, jagged line of basalt arising from a miles-long vertical dike cutting across the desert. This little outcrop juts up just to one side of the 1800 foot high volcanic core known to the Navaho as Tsé Bit'a'í, "Rock

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-46850482160737515272008-01-14T15:51:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:02.162-05:00

pastel on 300gpm cold-press, pumice surface added, 20x20cm (8x8 in)Poor magnolia, broken by the plow, which tore off three branches and left the shrub kind of lop-sided. Clearly the town has some problems with the way they plow: the shrub is four feet tall, more than four feet from the sidewalk, and got completely buried the same day they blocked me in before Christmas. The magnolia not only

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-63095142532262793372008-01-13T15:08:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:02.352-05:00

pastel on sanded paper, 27x16.5cm (10.5x6.5 in) Um, yep, I really like wetlands. This one, a series of beaver ponds, is tucked away in the Black Hills of Washington state, just south of where I once lived at the south end of Puget Sound. I actually painted this during the snowed in days last month, using half a dozen reference photos taken one soggy NW winter to jog my memory. But something

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-91775882581402591452008-01-08T14:53:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:02.454-05:00

pastel on sanded paper 13x16.5cm (5x6.5in)Sometimes I miss the west a great deal, and when the homesickness overtakes me, I find myself rummaging through my box of photos, triggering memories. This is an interpretation of one of a series of photographs I took in a small desert canyon in Nevada, where I camped for several days.

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-66072870512505280532008-01-05T14:34:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:02.535-05:00

pastel on sanded paper, 13x16.5cm (5x6.5in)This little American beech is in the same Taconic wildlife refuge as the stream and wetland in the painting I posted on November 11. I came across it in the upland as I meandered through the forest on my snowshoes. They always amaze me: they hang onto their leaves all winter, and seem to shimmer even on overcast days, gold against the snow. I've had

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-79969319874629501662007-12-31T14:00:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:02.694-05:00

I was fascinated by the crows in the scene below. Crows are purposeful creatures, and their movements are not random. They are fascinating in the way they move: almost lumbering but with an unexpected grace that suddenly emerges. So I began trying to capture some of that grace in quick sketches with a graphite pencil. (Very quick: they are constantly changing position.)Though I knew there would

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-31952727210621837162007-12-30T13:32:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:02.861-05:00

After the Thaw: Incoming Storm pastel on paper with pumice ground, 33x23cm (12.5x9 in)Driving home from my daughter's late on Christmas day, I watched a snow storm moving in over the mountains, and a batch of crows feeding on something in an iced over wetland in the Otter Valley. It is amazing to me how many colors ice can have. I stopped and took some photos and did some sketches, and a day or

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-38200421043059130852007-12-26T15:15:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:03.007-05:00

I framed this for my daughter, and hung it behind the Christmas tree for her to find. It is the painting I worked on as her father was dying of cancer a few months ago. When our children were young, we lived in the foothills of the Siskiyou mountains, and there was a special place along the Old Stage Road where we took our kids to picnic. Painting it was an intensely emotional experience, with

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-91484110479131387002007-12-09T15:17:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:03.114-05:00

I've been absent because I've been trying to learn to build a website using javascript to display popup images. My website builder is ancient and does not understand this language. Neither do I, though I do ok with just plain old html. New website builders that a visually inclined artist can use are expensive. So I've been muddling through trying to sort out CSS and javascript in text editors.It

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-38227459733453129982007-11-11T15:58:00.001-05:002009-02-03T18:10:16.670-05:00

Soft pastel on hot-pressed watercolor paper; pumice ground added. 30x23 cm (12x9 in)Winter's coming-- yay. I think. Maybe it will actually snow this year and I'll get to use my snowshoes. The other day, after doing several fall paintings (I do live in New England, and it is almost obligatory to do fall color), I decided I really wanted to paint a winter scene. This is based on a photo I took a

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-10142000242873237012007-10-28T14:54:00.001-05:002009-02-03T18:15:20.431-05:00

When I lived in Colorado, I often drove along the spine of the Rockies on back roads, camping along the way. On one of those trips, off on a trail that led nowhere, I stumbled across a stand of the largest aspens I've ever seen. Some were huge: over 3 feet in diameter, a good size for any tree at that altitude. Entranced, I stayed there for several days, hiking, drawing, taking photos, and

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-75800693109868439892007-10-20T15:08:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:03.499-05:00

Dancing 'til Dawn Soft pastels on UART400, 24x16 cm (9.5x6.25 in)I have no idea what the style I am developing might be called, so I am calling it "abstract realism". I think this is a stylistic trend that has been part of my art in all the media I've used. This is not impressionism, which is realism at its most literal: a rendering of what the artist's senses actually percieve in the most

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-60653994989870587482007-10-16T10:06:00.001-05:002008-11-13T01:56:04.124-05:00

In the light this morning, I decided to add some highlights to the pastel version of the pears. Interesting to compare how this looks compared to the one I posted yesterday. I am really liking this technique, and want to try it on some other paintings. The pears are ripening and changing color, but are not yet soft, so they may get another chance yet at sitting for me before I eat them. Lunch,

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-1847966271510926392007-10-15T18:54:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:04.366-05:00

At least. Hasn't every artist who has ever lived done pears at least once? But hey, pears are fun to paint. No two are shaped alike, they have wonderful shapes, and each variety has its own personality. Plus you get to eat them when you're done. I promised someone a while back that when pears came in, I'd paint some. I got three lovely Bosc pears, so last evening, I used them for my quick

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-48900767712992370232007-10-10T11:54:00.001-05:002008-11-13T01:56:04.600-05:00

For Rod. There is a little creek back in the trees where we used to take the kids to picnic. It is dusk now, time to go home. Farewell.

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-21636238105040412562007-09-07T14:24:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:04.748-05:00

I've been spending time getting some things framed, but today it is just too hot to work in the upstairs room I am using. So, a good day to paint. I decided to try an experimental study to prepare for a portrait I want to do of someone I don't know well. I can paint someone I know from a photo, because I have a visual sense of the whole head and how the face relates to it and to the neck and

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-78753747678242554342007-08-30T17:32:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:05.160-05:00

In the tradition of painting what I eat. Today I peeled two hard-cooked eggs with the intent of making deviled eggs for lunch. I was intrigued by the shadows and highlights of the eggs laying in a white bowl that I decided to try to paint them first. Here they are, quickly done because I was hungry: watercolor on sketch paper, 15x7cm (6x3.5 in)I missed posting a couple of my little watercolors

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-44633600360169116972007-08-27T15:53:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:05.595-05:00

That's such an odd acronym. WIP. Work in progress. It sounds so industrial. Or office hysterical. I'm still working out how to approach the work meant for the sanded indigo paper (the BIG piece of sanded indigo paper!). So I decided to do something in a more familiar zone to kind of loosen myself up. Ha. A nice piece of pearl (in this case, that means pale grey) Fabriano Tiziano, unsanded, about

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-11937485064029400162007-08-22T16:13:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:05.889-05:00

Pastel on indigo Tiziano, sanded ground added, 13.5x13.5 cm (5.3x5.3 in)What was I thinking of? I have been planning a large pastel, and decided to use a dark paper with a sanded ground added. Because the ground will be heavier than I am used to, I decided to do a test piece using colors like those I probably will use in the larger piece, to feel the way the pastels handle on the surface and

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-64861339863446508642007-08-18T19:01:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:06.018-05:00

Yesterday and today were cleaning up and organizing days, cleaning out cat and dog hair from behind and under furniture. Sorting out my paper and deciding which to use for my next pastel, which is taking shape in my mind. Getting one of the rooms upstairs ready to become my framing room. This meant moving the cats out and moving their "paraphernalia" to the utility room downstairs. The cats

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-64863187345843399302007-08-17T18:36:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:06.204-05:00

Here is last evening's little ink and watercolor piece, again 15x9 cm: I've never explained the "rules" I set out for myself in doing these simple sketches. The rules are simply a way to provide a simple structure within which to work, and have no particular significance:I focus on something in my immediate surroundings, and keep it intimate: what I can take in at a glance. I allow myself to

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-27791450984162470842007-08-15T17:27:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:06.306-05:00

India ink and watercolor on heavyweight sketch paper, 9x14.5cm (3.5x5.75 in)Doing these little ink and watercolor sketches are fun. Even if they are simple little things, I learn something from them, and it is a great way to relax in the evening. Especially after realizing that now I will be dedicating yet more space in my house to art: the matting and framing area.I joked to a fellow artist

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-61221468819046485472007-08-13T18:32:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:06.425-05:00

In the past two weeks, in the time I've had, I have been working on a fairly complex large pastel painting, and playing around a bit with little watercolors in my notebook. Most were explorations I don't think I want anyone to look at. This one started as a simple little watercolor sketch of some crabapples on a hot pad. Then it got out of control. At one point I nearly ripped it out of the

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-31575715593270459182007-08-12T18:59:00.000-05:002007-08-22T18:06:52.376-05:00

Ok, figuring out what equipment and supplies I need to do my framing was pretty straight-forward. But then came the hard decisions- the dang little details. I hate those. Regular matboard or archival? Regular foamcore or acid-free? What colors of mat for which painting. Don't want bright white-- warm white, cool white, cream, grey, colored mat? Separate back-mount? Tape-seal edges? What kind of

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-30857934053349490972007-08-09T19:08:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:06.593-05:00

Two years ago, I adopted Misty. I was looking for a small dog, about 4 or 5 years old. Instead, I ended up with an oversize 11 year old beagle with a heart condition. I knew no one would adopt an elderly beagle with a heart condition. So I did. Misty turned out to have an outsize personality to fit her outsize body, and a sweet, gentle disposition, and her presence filled my house. I fell in love

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-55003771455912372562007-08-03T15:36:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:06.806-05:00

Yes, there is such a thing! They start out looking like regular pink coneflowers, and then suddenly they sprout another "flower" on top. The new flower is, of course, simply another set of modified leaves masquerading as petals. The flower often ends up looking like a pompom with a skirt. This one was just getting started when it ended up posing in a glass of water on my table as the subject for

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-75386649192747033782007-07-28T18:05:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:06.928-05:00

And they are. They don't shimmer, but they are a lovely red-gold color, small and well-shaped. Cooked and skinned, they are like little jewels. Here they are in the raw, though. They are much more interesting that way. I'd already cut and cooked the tops, which left the roots exposed for me to enjoy-- so of course I had to make a painting of them in my little sketchbook. This was actually last

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-58790003898451038132007-07-27T13:16:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:07.062-05:00

Pastel on Tiziano with lightly sanded ground, 35x35 cm (c. 14x14 in)I am proud to introduce my barn. A small old carriage house, actually, still outfitted with the horse stall, saddle block, tack hooks, and even a space for chickens to share space with the horse. A loft for hay, still with shreds of hay drooping from the spaces in the floor boards. Sadly, I have no chickens, nor a horse.It

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-49225708925398532812007-07-26T05:54:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:07.183-05:00

I am working on a large (for me) pastel painting, but it is going slowly. For the past two weeks I've been listening to the abrupt whine of a chop saw next door as my neighbor puts new siding on his house. In the meantime, the town is installing new water mains, and it seems that every moment of every day someone is running a loud mowing machine nearby. I have a headache. I am used to living in

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-1464348582903091882007-07-22T10:36:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:07.365-05:00

The other day, a delightful English artist who goes by the name "Pabs" posted a photograph on an artist's forum of a box of fresh beets, taken at a farmer's market. I couldn't resist painting those beets, so here they are, in all their rotund glory. Soft pastel on Tiziano with sanded ground, 15x20 cm (6x8 in.)I am doing a lot of quick small paintings right now, as I work out a larger painting

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-25931841296069966252007-07-21T11:12:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:07.556-05:00

Here's another of those little sketchbook paintings. Now, you didn't think I painted this from life, did you? The bowl was empty when I drew it, which might account for the fact that it is somewhat lopsided. I was making allowance for the space formerly taken up by the shortcake, which I'd already eaten. However, I did have some raspberries handy for reference. I ate those too. The journal is my

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-73943809657062546582007-07-16T10:55:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:07.719-05:00

On my dining room table I keep a little sketch book and my field kit. Often while working on something more involved, or in the evening to relax, I sit down and do one or two quick ink and watercolor sketches of whatever catches my eye. It's fun doing these informal, sometimes whimsical little studies. And fun to share an occasional one, too. Do I label these? Oh, I suppose...Canson

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-28608041327314687742007-07-15T14:04:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:07.891-05:00

The light has been lousy today, changing from bright sun to overcast to dark and stormy within moments. I'd intended to do the setup for a large piece I'd been planning. But I need steady, even light to do that. So I played again at doing little studies. This is actually good for me, besides being fun. Here are two: a small pastel, and an ink and watercolor in my littlest sketchbook. They are

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-78510021728507050522007-07-14T18:46:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:08.084-05:00

Back to pastels. A quick little sketch of me this time, loosely based on a photo taken by a friend. I'm getting ready to do a portrait of my friend and her husband, so this just seemed fair. Just for fun, I decided to mess with the colors to see what would happen. Only four colors, loose strokes, rough edges. Some mistakes along the way, but I found I like working this way. I might use it

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899847389260816800.post-65502756811164001622007-07-11T20:15:00.000-05:002008-11-13T01:56:08.313-05:00

Watercolor on Arches 300 gsm, 16.5x24 cm (6.5x9.5 in.)For the last week the weather here in New England has been hot and horridly humid, with thunderstorms and heavy downpours every day. I sorted through the photos my sister-and-law and I had taken during my visit to the NW in May, and a photo of this rocky outcrop caught my eye. This is at Bayview Park, west of the Anacortes ferry landing. When

Dayle Ann Strattonnoreply@blogger.com0