Ruby Lamplight

Ruby Lamplight, 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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This is another comfy corner at the French Legation here in Austin (originally built in 1841 to establish a French presence in the new Republic of Texas.) It was a pretty lavish home for the times, and I love its simple elegance. I was especially intrigued by the warm reflections and dramatic shadows emanating from this glowing ruby lamp. 

Pink Room

Pink Room, 16 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

Interiors... I have been interested in trying to capture the angles and intimacies of private spaces for a long time but I haven't ever gotten around it. Fear? Maybe. After taking the workshop with Colley Whisson a couple of weeks ago (he does gorgeous ones), I was inspired to try a few of my own. I have always collected photos of rooms with interesting light and cool perspectives, so I had some resources to jump right in. This is one of the bedrooms at the French Legation here in Austin. More to come!

Lakside Cafe

Lakeside Cafe, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

Today was plein air day for our local painting group. We met up at Ski Shores Cafe, a local burger joint on the lake. This place has been around f-o-r-e-v-e-r and is a favorite with Austinites. I  have to admit that I had a huge struggle settling in with this painting. My first attempt was a total wipe-down and this second one was a mess when I finally packed it in. However, I hate to let a canvas get the best of me so I brought it home and wrestled it to the ground. Sometimes you just have to keep at it. Even if.

Austin friends - this is on the back side of Ski Shores by the playground. ;)

Daisy Ledge - painting with a master!

Daisy Ledge, 16 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013, NFS

I just finished a four day workshop with the very talented Colley Whisson, who is here on a teaching tour from Australia. If you don't know his work, click this link and visit his web site for some inspiration. Colley is articulate and incredibly generous in his approach to instruction. Three of the days he directed us through exercises in the studio, giving us lots and lots of demos. On the last day, we painted our own subjects using his methods en plein air... these are my efforts. It was an incredible time and I know I will be "processing" the information for a long time!! Thank you, Colley!

Secret Passage, 12 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013, NFS

Pier Breezes and 2 workshop openings!

Pier Breezes, 8 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

Available at Anderson Fine Art Gallery

Due to last minute cancellations, there are now 2 spots available for my upcoming workshop in St. Simons Island, Georgia. If you are available and want to spend some great time outside painting, please come join us!!! Here is the information:

En Plein Air - Composing a Strong Landscape

May 20 - 22, 2013, Monday-Wednesday, 9am-4pm 

Anderson Fine Art Gallery

St. Simons Island, GA

$400

Workshop Description: Focus on good composition and the strategic placement of natural subjects found in the landscape. Learn to design pleasing, dynamic entrances and exits in your paintings, and practice composing "on the fly" in the plein air tradition. We will meet at different sites on the island, and each session will include a demo and a critique. 

To register, please contact Mary Anderson

 Anderson Fine Art Gallery, 912-634-8414

Cottage Light, 9x12, L. Daniel © 2013, SOLD

Country Manor

Country Manor, 16 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

Last week, Plein Air Austin met up to paint at the lovely Barr Mansion just outside of town. This old Victorian home and it's surrounding gardens always have a way of transporting me to a different era. The original house was built in 1898 for a cotton merchant named William Barr and it is still surrounded by working farm and ranch land. Today the property is a popular wedding spot (in very high demand with the Austin brides) and it's booked for months out. 

Field of Wildflowers

Field of Wildflowers, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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A week ago, I took advantage of a bright and sunny morning, and drove out to paint in the fields of McKinney Falls State Park. And they did not disappoint - Bluebonnets and Broomweed covered the ground as far as the eye could see. The blue and yellow combination was simply glorious.

Budding Cactus

Budding Cactus, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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I fully intended to paint a creek bed on this particular day. However, when I got there the shadows were already washed out by the rising sun. Luckily I had spotted this jaunty cactus on the path. Sometimes you just have to punt. :) It was beautifully backlit and I even had some shade to stand in. The cactus buds were barely beginning to open, a lovely promise of bright, golden flowers. I am sure it's in full bloom now. 

Garden Palm - Plein Air Demo

Garden Palm, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel ©2013

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This is another demo piece that I did for my plein air class a couple of weeks ago... I was able to edit the process down to six logical stopping points for explanatory purposes, but there are hundreds of incremental decisions in each stage that I had to leave out. Time and space just don't permit, but I hope you can get the gist. So, for students, painter friends, and art aficionados of all persuasions... 

Block-in the Scene 

 Using a mix of ultramarine blue and burnt sienna, I sketch/paint the scene, adjusting values in the upright planes as they recede into the distance. Keep the paint dry and thin.

Mass-in the Upright Planes

Begin to add color, working dark to light. The darkest darks are in the upright planes, so I usually start there. Remember that as elements recede, values come together with diminished contrast, colors become muted, detail lessens, and edges become softer. Organize values accordingly and keep the masses simple.   

Mass-in the Ground Plane 

The ground plane reflects the sky, so it will be lighter than the upright planes. It also changes as it recedes, becoming cooler, more muted and less detailed. 

Mass-in another, elevated, Ground Plane

The top of the hedge reflects the sky the same way the grass does, even though it is elevated. Consequently, the values of grass and hedge-top must "agree" about what the light is doing. 

Mass-in the Sky Plane

The sky is lightest because the sun lives there. Adding the sky plane eliminates the final white space on the canvas and allows a comparison of all the value planes. Notice that the masses are still very simple at this stage. Now is the time to adjust values BEFORE adding details and highlights. 

Break up Masses with Subtle Shifts

Once I get all the values "working" together, I move to the final stage of breaking up the masses. I use subtle color and temperature shifts within each value plane to suggest details. At the very end, I beef up lowlights and add the highest highlights. Deferred gratification is hard, but waiting pays off. 

Winter Haze - No Place Like Home

Winter Haze - Mopac Bridge, 12 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

Available at the Davis Gallery

The effects of a morning mist can be so tantalizing! It settles hazily on the lake and quietly softens all the hard edges of the city. These are mornings that make me glad I got up early (and wonder why I don't do it more often!)

No Place Like Home
Davis Gallery Group Show - 837 W. 12th St. Austin, TX
Opening reception - Saturday, April 20, 7-9pm 

Morning Train - No Place Like Home

Morning Train - Mopac Bridge, 12 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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Can't you just hear Arlo Guthrie now... "Good morning, America, how are you?... I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done."

We have a pedestrian bridge in Austin that crosses Lady Bird Lake, and it's a perfect spot to watch the sun rise on the city. On this particular morning, a train happened to be crossing the Mopac Bridge in the distance (named for Missouri-Pacific Railroad). Trains are always fuel for the imagination and I loved the boxy silhouette this one made. 

No Place Like Home 

Davis Gallery Group Show - 837 W. 12th, Austin

Opening reception - Saturday, April 20, 2013, 7-9pm

Bright Lights - No Place Like Home

Bright Lights - Congress Avenue, 18 x 18, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

Available at the Davis Gallery 

These are the bright lights of downtown Austin on a drippy wet evening. Our Texas State Capitol building is stunning in any weather (you know it's taller than the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC, don't you?) This piece is one of several that I painted for the upcoming "No Place Like Home" exhibit at the Davis Gallery. The opening reception is this Saturday... please come by if you are in town!

No Place Like Home

Davis Gallery Artists Group Show

Davis Gallery, 837 W. 12th, Street, Austin, TX

April 20 through May 25, 2013

Opening reception: Saturday, April 20, 7 to 9 pm

Salon International 2013 - Exhibit in San Antonio!

Enchanted River Canyon, 20 x 24, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2013

Available at the Greenhouse Gallery

This weekend, the Salon International Show opens at the Greenhouse Gallery. I am pleased to share that this piece was accepted into the show, along with incredible work by artists I admire greatly. I will be at the opening tomorrow evening and hope you will stop by if you are in the area. The art is always a feast for the eyes - you will not be disappointed. 

Salon International 2013 - Juried Show

Greenhouse Gallery

6496 North New Braunfels Road, San Antonio 

April 13 through May 3

Reception April 13, 5 to 8 pm

Spring Returns

Spring Returns, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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We have been experiencing the return of color to our landscape as spring brings everything back to life. Trees are leafing out, wildflowers are blooming and, of course, temperatures are warming up. We have even gotten some rain and rain is always welcome in these parts! 

Quick Draw and an Honorable Mention in the Plein Air Southwest Show!

Pots of Delphinium, 12 x 9, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

Plein Air Southwest - Quick Draw Painting 

Available at the Southwest Gallery in Dallas

The opening of the Plein Air Southwest Show in Dallas was fabulous... great people, incredible paintings. My big news is that my painting "Summer Morning" won an Honorable Mention! The show was judged by distinguished painter George Strickland, and receiving his affirmation is a great honor indeed. My heart is full and grateful! 

This was the annual show of the Outdoor Painters Society, so of course we painted too! On Saturday morning we met up at the Dallas Arboretum for a "Quick Draw"- a timed, 2 hour painting session (and friendly competition). I found these Delphinium beauties in a little courtyard called the Poetry Garden. As the name would suggest, it was off the beaten path a bit... much to my liking. 

It was a great weekend all around!

A grinning, happy me with my Honorable Mention ribbon for "Summer Morning". 

Plein Air Southwest Salon 2013 - Exhibit in Dallas!

Spring Bloom, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013, $725

All paintings shown here are available at the Southwest Gallery

This weekend the annual Outdoor Painters Society exhibit opens in Dallas, Texas. I am pleased to be showing these four paintings and to be participating in the Quick Draw on Saturday morning. If you are  in the area, please come by for the activities. It will be an exciting weekend!

Plein Air Southwest Salon 2013

Juried Outdoor Painters Society Exhibit

Southwest Gallery

4500 Sigma Road, Dallas

April 6 through May 4

Reception April 6, 3 to 7 pm

Quick Draw - April 6, 10 to 12 am - Dallas Arboretum

Summer Morning, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013, $725

Tasting Room, 8 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013, $775

Glowing Pavilion, 12 x 9, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013, $725

Sunny Bluebonnet Patch - Plein Air Demo

Sunny Bluebonnet Patch, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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The day before my plein air class started this week, I went to the Art School at Laguna Gloria to scout out a good place for my first demo. These lovely bluebonnets were WAY too far from our meet up location, but they were so compelling that I abandoned my scouting expedition and painted them anyway. (We must follow our hearts, mustn't we?) I took photos with my iPhone to document my process and demo'd a different scene the next day. (I can never take pictures while I am doing an actual demo.) 

All to say... here are process notes for my students and for any other painting friends who might enjoy seeing how I "get there".

Blocking in - use a dark neutral mix of French Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna. Look for "layers" in the landscape, and break down passages in the painting accordingly. 

Massing in - begin to add large masses of color. Remember that the "layers" will change as they recede in the distance... (elements get cooler, lighter, softer, muted, smaller.)

Continue with massing - pay attention to light and shadow families. Correct/adjust values while bringing colors together and closing the composition.

Break up masses - add form and detail with subtle value and temperature shifts within the masses. Adjust composition and add final finessing of edges and highlights. 

Final painting... Sunny Bluebonnet Patch

Arbor Wisteria

Arbor Wisteria, 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

NFS

On Saturday, Plein Air Austin gathered at West Lake Beach for a paintout and spring BBQ. It was one of those perfect days... the sun came out right on time, the winds were calm, the food was delicious, and friendships were deepened. To top it off, in the middle of the picnic area an old arbor was completely covered with wildly, blooming wisteria. The scent in the air was like sweet perfume. 

Many thanks to D.D. and his family for having us out!! We loved being there.

Redbud Path

Redbud Path, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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I had to take a little break from my Hawaiian painting adventure and get outside to paint a Redbud tree here in Austin. Yes, a little dose of "be here now" is a good thing, especially when there are pink buds bursting out of bare branches in every direction. It's a sure sign that spring is here in Texas. 

Morning Sky

Morning Sky, 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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Another beautiful morning on the Kaneohe Bay... A wild cloud coverage masked the morning light in a moment of true drama. To stop everything and simply watch was the only proper response. I never cease to wonder and be amazed.

Chinaman's Hat

Chinaman's Hat, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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This little island is actually named Mokolii but it is called Chinaman's Hat because of it's shape. Apparently, it's possible to swim or paddle over there at low tide; and there are some sea caves and a couple of beaches to explore. (However, the brave explorer would not want to get stuck there if the tide begins to come back in!) The trade winds were blowing fiercely the day we were there, so viewing it from the beach park was good enough for me. 

Daybreak

Daybreak, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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This is the view from my daughter and son-in-law's condo. Every day we woke up in Hawaii to a new sky with amazing colors and clouds. It was not hard to rise and shine! 

Tropical Moon

Tropical Moon, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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Palm trees are so seductive. The angles, the liveliness, the whimsicality... everything about them is interesting to me. But silhouetted against the full moon, it is all about the shapes - so unique and so recognizable. 

Rocky Inlet

Rocky Inlet, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013 

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Here is another "postcard" from Hawaii from me to you - sent from my home of course! On a trip up to the north shore of Oahu we discovered many beautiful beaches. Some are famous for great surfing (Sunset and Pipeline) but this rocky inlet is a favorite spot for sea turtles to hang out. Unfortunately, we missed the turtles but we did get a dose of that gorgeous, warm afternoon light!

Bending with the Wind

Bending with the Wind, 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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It has been exactly one month since my last post. Time flies! I never meant to be away so long, but February flew by with a big celebration for my parent's 60th wedding anniversary followed by... a two week vacation in Hawaii!!! Our daughter and son-in-law moved to Oahu in September and we finally got over to visit them. 

Time and scheduling didn't allow me to paint while I was there, but does it count that I dragged my easel all the way to two islands and back? I was planning paintings in my mind the whole time. Every view is a painting in Hawaii. Over the next few days I will be posting some of my favorite scenes. These are my postcards to you. Aloha, my friends!!

Healing Fruit

Healing Fruit, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

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Okay, just one more pomegranate... for now. You can say it. I am obsessed. This is for everyone who wanted me to open one up and paint the insides. I didn't want to cut into my little crop, and mine are all gone now. However, my good friend brought me this lovely specimen from her tree and it had burst open on it's own. So, as you can see... I had to paint one more!!

Abundant Harvest (study) and a commission piece

Abundant Harvest (Study), 8 x 6, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

SOLD

Back to my pomegranate obsession!!! This small study was a warm-up for a Christmas Promise commission piece (otherwise known as a gift that would be delivered in January.) I was thrilled to revisit the glorious fruit of my recent passions; and even more thrilled when my clients loved their new painting. JOY! 

Below is the larger commissioned piece. Thank you M and K - may your kitchen, hearth, and home be ever blessed!!! :)

Abundant Harvest, 16 x 12, oil on canvas, L. Daniel 

COMMISSION - SOLD

Winter Grasses

Winter Grasses, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

Today started out chilly but ended up warm and sunny; and perfect for painting outside. A few of us met up to paint together at a favorite spot along Bull Creek here in Austin. These golden winter grasses growing in the limestone creek bed had a glow that was simply irresistible.

Garden Gazebo

Garden Gazebo, 16 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

We have had some deliciously warm days here and the botanical garden has been a great place to enjoy them. As I was painting this scene, a little family came by with their grandma who was visiting from Chicago. As her sweet granddaughters led the way through the park, grandma was just so happy to be outside, taking in the warmth and sun before heading back to the northern climes. Summer in January... it's hard not to love. 

Misty Watering Hole

Misty Watering Hole, 8 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

Yesterday, Plein Air Austin painted together at a gorgeous ranch outside of Johnson City (the home town of LBJ). The land out there is beautiful, but on this foggy morning, it had a quiet enchantment about it. The muted colors and atmospheric layers were very soulful and inspiring. It was magical.