Palm Tree Promenade - painting in Laguna Beach!

Palm Tree Promenade, 8 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD

This parklike setting overlooks the ocean in Laguna Beach, and has a constant breeze off the water. It was particularly stunning when the sun came out and made everything sparkle! 

A few of you have asked what took me to California... well, lucky girl that I am, I was invited along to an annual conference with my husband. This was our 5th year and it's always fabulous! He did have meetings, but don't worry that he missed out. His afternoons included wonderful golfing opportunities, which he very much enjoyed! Everyone got to do what they wanted! :)

2019 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

Nov. 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

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

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

Rock Passage - painting in Laguna Beach!!

Rock Passage, 12 x 10, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD

Last week I had a wonderful opportunity to do some painting in Laguna Beach, CA! SUCH fun!! It's a beautiful place and there is a compelling view in every direction. The hard part, as always, was choosing what to paint and how much to include. This iconic rock formation is probably the most painted spot there, but I couldn't resist giving it a go. 

Here is my set up from the overlooking cliff...

2019 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:

Nov. 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

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

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

Local Harvest

Local Harvest, 8 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

Painted for solo show "Beaches, Birds and Botanicals"

SOLD at Anderson Fine Art Gallery

When my neighbors' orange tree was producing so much fruit they couldn't eat it all, they graciously let me come in and do a little harvesting of my own. I love to paint fruit that has just been picked, especially when the leaves are still on it! I also love this color combination... orange and turquoise - delish! Thank you, HC!!

Golden Beach Path

Golden Beach Path, 30 x 40, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD

At this time of year, grasses in the landscape begin to differentiate. This is when we get to see the golds and reds pop out, offering a beautiful contrast to all the greens. I absolutely LOVE the opportunity to work that glow into my work!!! 

Just for fun, here is the block in for this piece. I know I am like a broken record on this, but finding the composition and values before tackling color really helps hold the scene. For me, it's a road map.

Block in using Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna...

a good way to start! 

Ever Expanding

Ever Expanding, 18x24, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD

This scene is classic Texas Hill Country. Cactus families here are very prolific and once they get established, they just take off (or they take over, however you want to look at it!) I spotted this meadow from my car, and something about the light, and the fence, the the sunlit grasses made me stop the car and go back. I was actually heading home at the end of a painting day, so I couldn't set up my easel. BUT... I do believe this is what that iPhone camera is for! ;)

WORKSHOP INFO:

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

FULL - Register for waitlist Here 

Ever Surrounded - Big Pink Blanket of Love

Ever Surrounded, 36 x 24, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD at the Davis Gallery, Austin, Texas

in the Big Pink Blanket of Love exhibit

Saturday night brought out a great crowd of friends and supporters for the opening of the Davis Gallery "Big Pink Blanket of Love" show, honoring Jan Heaton and the memory of her daughter Kristin Peabody. It was truly an evening of love all around. Thanks to all who came out!

10% of all sales goes to cancer research through the Peabody Fund. 

Jan Heaton (facing camera) with friends at 

Big Pink Blanket of Love Exhibit

DETAIL OF THE BIG PINK BLANKET OF LOVE

Collaboration of over 60 artists, 

154 four inch hand-painted squares,

Hand-stitched together and framed by the Davis Gallery,

A beautiful and amazing piece!!! 

This piece will ultimately be donated to The Art of Giving fundraiser, benefitting the Dell Children's Hospital in Austin. I am so proud to be a part of it!

Ever Brilliant - and a special group show

Ever Brilliant, 24 x 24, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD at the Davis Gallery - Big Pink Blanket of Love show

BIG PINK BLANKET OF LOVE

Davis Gallery Group Show 

837 West 12th Street, Austin, Texas

September 14 - October 12

Reception September 14, 7-9 pm

I am honored to be a part of this unique group show in support of Davis Gallery's own Jan Heaton, a dear friend and one of Austin's premier watercolorists. In February of 2019 Jan's daughter, Kristin Peabody, was taken by an aggressive cancer she had battled for 10 years. In place of the solo exhibition that was scheduled for Jan, Davis Gallery and Austin's artistic community are banding together in solidarity to fight cancer and find strength. 

What is the Big Pink Blanket of Love?

Over 60 artists have contributed 4x4 inch squares of their own original artwork, in an overall pink palette. These squares have been hand-stitched together to create a pink quilt, symbolizing the community's compassion, strength, and friendship. The idea is derived directly from Kristin's own feeling that the love she received over the course of her treatments felt like a "big, warm, pink blanket of love". Here is a sneak peek... 

In addition to this collaborative quilt, an extended group show focused on love, gratitude, and family will feature original artwork by Jan Heaton and over twenty other artists.

How are we fighting cancer with this show?

Ten percent of all proceeds from this exhibit will be donated to the Peabody Fund, a project set up in direct response to Kristin Peabody's ambition to help develop innovative work in cancer research through the San Diego Center for Personalized Immunotherapy. The "big pink blanket of love" collaborative quilt will be donated to the Dell Children's Medical Center's annual fundraiser, "The Art of Giving" which benefits thousands of young cancer patients.

I am so excited for the unveiling of the BIG PINK BLANKET OF LOVE, and I hope you will join us at the reception. Art heals.

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"

SOLD

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

Crossing The Causeway and a prayer for the Golden Isles

Crossing the Causeway, 24x 30, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

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

Anderson Fine Art Gallery

This marsh scene is part of my daily travels when I am in St. Simons Island, GA... very familiar and greatly beloved. Today this quiet creek faces the wrath of Hurricane Dorian. It could be completely changed by flooding rains, devastating high winds and the predicted storm surge. One weather person described Dorian as an "80 mile wide bowling ball of 100 mph winds, rolling up the eastern seaboard". That is quite an image to think about. We are waiting and watching, and praying for the safety of all in its path. 

Join me for an upcoming workshop...

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

Distant Shore

Distant Shore, 30 x 40, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

from solo show "Beaches, Birds, and Botanicals"

SOLD

Here is another beach walking memory... and it was all about that little pop of light on the distant shore. Or, maybe it was about the distant shore on beyond that pop of light. This wide expanse seems to go on forever, and there is always something new in the distance to catch my attention and follow! Just a little farther...

Click HERE to see larger version.

Join me for an upcoming workshop...
Fall Plein Air Workshop at Contemporary Austin Art School, Nov. 8-9, 2019 - Register Here

Drifting Dunes

Drifting Dunes, 30 x 40, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

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

Anderson Fine Art Gallery

I love the beach, especially when it glows in the early morning sunlight. It has a nourishing quietness that can sustain the rest of the day... one of those things that elicits the phrase, "if only we could bottle that up!" Painting is one way for me to do just that. It's my own private bottling factory that allows me to revisit some of my favorite moments.

Join me for an upcoming workshop...
Fall Plein Air Workshop at Contemporary Austin Art School, Nov. 8-9, 2019 - Register Here

Seaside Blossoms - Getting Started with a Strong Underpainting

Seaside Blossoms, 36 x 18, Oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

Painted for solo show, "Beaches, Birds and Botanicals"

SOLD

I receive many inquiries from budding artists about how to get started on a painting. My answer is always the same, "Invest in your block-in and under painting." What does that mean exactly? For me, it begins with a loose, painterly sketch using ultramarine and burnt sienna... 

My first concern is for placement of the subject and establishing my composition. I establish linear boundaries to contain the various areas of the painting. This helps prevent elements from growing.

Next I consider placement of values (meaning lights and darks of the overall painting), and begin to develop the shapes. This is also the best time to make any needed adjustments to the drawing and overall composition. 

Ultimately, I want my block-in to be a road map to my finished painting. If I take the time to invest in this stage of a painting, it usually tells me exactly where to go next.

Seaside Blossoms, 36x18, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

Join me for an upcoming workshop...
Fall Plein Air Workshop at Contemporary Austin Art School, Nov. 8-9, 2019 - Register Here

Beach Reflections

Beach Reflections, 15 x 30, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

Painted for solo show, "Beaches, Birds, and Botanicals"

SOLD at the Anderson Fine Art Gallery

Another title for this might have been, "Breakfast on the Beach" as this is another great hunting ground for egrets and other shore birds. When the tide comes in, they gather around larger tide pools and forage for trapped fish and insects. Mornings seem the best time... they are intent on their work until something startles them, sending them up and away.

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

Silent Silhouettes

Silent Silhouettes, 20 x 20, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

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

Anderson Fine Art Gallery

I caught this egret just as the day was ending, and everything was in silhouette. I love how simple shapes can tell the whole story. As a painter, I try to let this happen whenever I can, and fight every temptation to add extraneous detail. 

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

Life In The Layers

Life In The Layers, 36 x 18, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

Sold in solo show "Beaches, Birds and Botanicals" 

Anderson Fine Art Gallery

When I visit the Georgia coast, I love to stalk the birds on the marsh. I stop and take pictures, try to sneak up on them... you get the picture. It slows down our morning walks (greatly vexing my husband who wants to keep the pace up), but it's always so entertaining. They hunker down in the many layers of the marsh; sometimes on the hunt, sometimes feasting, sometimes in flight...  always so graceful!

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

Bunched - Loquat study with Process Shots!

Bunched, 8 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

Davis Gallery Group Show

Circadian Buzz (through August 31)

SOLD

One of the focuses of the Davis Gallery group show, Circadian Buzz, was to consider how our daily practices fall into certain rhythms. I am an artist who thrives on disciplined patterns. I paint exclusively in the daylight hours, and sleep at night (call me crazy). I stick to a limited palette to keep things simple (only 9 pigments). I work best when I have goals (for the day, for the week, for the month, and for the year). When it comes to painting it's all an experiment, but I find freedom in a consistent approach and the cadence that brings.

The most important daily practice for any artist is to PRACTICE! For me, much of that practice takes place in the form of studies, both in the studio and outside, en plein air. These studies help me study a subject from different perspectives and experiment with composition. The process shots below were taken in as I painted "Bunched" in my back yard garden this spring.

1) I blocked in the composition and basic values,

using a combination of ultramarine and burnt sienna.

2) Working dark to light, I painted the shadow 

family of each element first.

3) Moving to the light family, I was

careful to preserve the values.

4) As I covered the canvas, my focus was on 

establishing large, simple masses.

5) Final steps include breaking up the large masses. 

I use subtle value shifts to add detail 

and save highlights till the very end.

"Bunched" en plein air at completion.

Nature's Patterns

Nature's Patterns, 24 x 24, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD

This is another piece in the group show, Circadian Buzz. I know the word circadian typically refers to 24 hour cycles, but all of nature's cycles have an affect on us. With this painting, I chose to celebrate the longer, seasonal cycle of spring awakening. When our loquat trees burst forth with fruit each April, it's always new. I am transfixed by their color and fragrance, and must paint them. Something about the giant leaves and clustered golden orbs is endlessly compelling. I particularly loved the challenge of this unusual angle... separating the light on the tree limb from the dappled light on the ground was tricky! 

This piece is on display through August 31...

Circadian Buzz, Davis Gallery Group Show, Austin, TX

The small pieces below allowed me to study different angles before painting the big one. They are also in the show... of course, I wanted to paint all of them larger, but I had to choose! 

Dangled, 8x8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD

Dappled, 8 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD

Bunched, 8 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD

Spring Return (and a blogger returns!)

Spring Return, 15 x 30, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD at the Davis Gallery

Dear friends... I have been on a bit of a blogging hiatus and I'm not really sure why. I got interrupted, and suddenly I just found myself out of the habit. But I love blogging, so I am back. It completes the cycle of creation for me... Thanks for waiting! :)

Jumping right in... I am thrilled to have 6 paintings on display in the Davis Gallery summer group show here in Austin, TX...

Circadian Buzz 

Davis Gallery Group Show

Through August 31st

For this exhibit, we were asked to think about rhythm and repetition. To my way of thinking, this two-pronged theme applies both to subject matter (rhythm as a design element) and daily practices (repetition as personal discipline.) The scene in "Spring Return" has an obvious repeating pattern of waddling geese bodies. That swaying rhythm propels them through the scene, and it takes us right along. (Where ARE they going?)

Below is a preliminary study I did from another angle (part of my daily practice and personal discipline)...

Waddlers, 8 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD

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.

Marsh Hunter - upcoming solo show!

Marsh Hunter, 20 x 20, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

SOLD at the Anderson Fine Art Gallery, St. Simons Island, GA

Solo Show: Beaches, Birds & Botanicals

I was transfixed by the architecture of this Egret (love that curvy neck), especially as he stalked his prey. These birds are fun to watch, because they stand completely still as they wait for a fish or an insect. Then, when a tidbit of food shimmies by, they pounce! I also loved the reflections... I always love reflections!

Show update: Paintings are at the framer in GA, being fitted right now. Opening reception: April 12, 2019 from 6-7:30 pm. SOOOO EXCITED!

Morning Flight, 40 x 30, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2019

Available in upcoming solo show at the Anderson Fine Art Gallery

SOLD

I have been radio silent for a few months now, I know. BUT, in order to get ready for my upcoming solo show, I needed to step away from technology, social media, and distractions of all kinds. Sometimes you just have to do that. I do anyway. And here is the Good News... the new pieces (including the one above) are complete and drying. Woo Hoo! 

More to come about the show, but here are the main details: 

Beaches, Birds, and Botanicals - New Work by Laurel Daniel

Anderson Fine Art Gallery, St. Simon's Island, GA

April 12 - May 11,  2019

Reception April 12, 6-7:30 pm

ALSO - WORKSHOP OPENINGS...

We have had some last minute cancellations, so if you were thinking about coming out to paint this spring, sign up now! I would love to see you. 

March 25-28, 2019 - Wimberley, Texas

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

April 11-13, 2019 - St. Simons Island, Georgia

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

This one coincides with my solo show! :)

Click HERE for workshop details and descriptions on my website.