Hidden Egret, 8 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2023
SOLD
If you like Egrets, here is another...
Waiting, 6x8, oil, L. Daniel © 2023
SOLD
Showing posts with label marsh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marsh. Show all posts
Friday, June 9, 2023
Hidden Egret
Thursday, April 6, 2023
Evening Silhouettes and Process Shots!
Evening Silhouettes Study, 8x8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2023
SOLD
Wishing you all the happiest Easter. He is Risen! He is risen indeed!
Here are process shots of this piece. It's always fun to see how they come together, and this one had a little bit different start.
Paper towel wipe out to establish shapes and get rid of the white canvas.
Outlined the silhouette before going in heavy.
Painted silhouette and orange base for sky.
Pulled dying sky color down into the orange base, defined shapes.
Modified sky and added distant horizon. Popped the lights in attempt to capture the glory of the sky. Always trying...
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Just for fun... here is a large one I did from the "study". The darks gave me fits with photographing, but I thought you might be interested in changes from small to large. I took out the side tree and moved the sun (it felt trapped in the branches on the small one.) And I kept more of the orange. I kind of love this one, and am keeping it... sometimes a girl wants one for herself! ;)
Evening Silhouettes, 24x24, oil on canvas, L. Daniel ©2023
Painted from the small study above - SOLD.
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
Marsh's Edge and Small Works Holiday Sale!
Marsh's Edge, 8x10, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020
20% off with discount code MERRY2022 at checkout.
Unframed. Online (shop at home). Free shipping.
Through December 15 only.
MANY, many thanks to all who have purchased a painting (or paintings) in this holiday season! I love sending these small gems off to new owners and there are still a few left to choose from. Sooooo... Click the sale title above and check it out!!! Great for gift giving!
2023 SPRING WORKSHOPS (click here and join me):April 14-15 - The Contemporary Austin Art School in Austin, TX
May 4-6 - Anderson Fine Art Gallery in St. Simons Island, GA
Monday, February 28, 2022
Creek Reflections
Creek Reflections, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel
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The marshlands of St. Simons have a particular draw for me... but when deep reflections are involved, I am unable to resist! The stillness, the soft ripples, the warm winter grasses... Mmmm Mmm... so delish! I am looking forward to getting back!
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
Winter Marsh
Winter Marsh, 8 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2022
Even in the Golden Isles, some days are cold, wet, and wintery, especially in January. But if it's a painting day, well, one can not be deterred! Fingerless gloves help (if you remember them) and it's always an adventure! The colors are subdued and the soft light offers an overall tonal quality I so love. Even in the cold, the joy of being out makes it worth the effort.
The view from my easel. You can see that the tide went out while I was painting! :)
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Dappled Path
Dappled Path, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2022
(Note: image on website has been updated
in a 2026 Fix-It Friday session.)
This is another plein air piece from the Georgia coast at the end of last year. I am always enthralled with the huge, beautiful oak trees and the climbing vines that boldly climb everywhere there! These are on the barrier island of Jekyll.
This view from shade into distant light was a bit tricky, because those warm colors of the marsh wanted to come forward. One way to solve that problem is to mute down the distant color. Another solution is to make the foreground much stronger in contrast and value. Doing BOTH helps, too! ;)
Monday, January 10, 2022
Call of the Marsh, and Happy New Year!
Call of the Marsh, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2022
SOLD
Happily, we planned an extra week for ourselves and I was able to get in some painting time as well! It felt so good to dip those brushes and focus back in after a few weeks away from the easel! ;) Inspiration is everywhere at the beach, and I can never get enough!
Wishing you all a happy and inspired new year!
Monday, November 22, 2021
Come Follow - Happy Thanksgiving!
Come Follow, 8 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2021
And so the holidays begin...
Wishing you a peaceful and bountiful Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Summer Flight
Summer Flight, 8x10, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2021
Oh, the glad freedom of summer! Don't we all look forward to those lazy days? (It's not just the kids.) Here in Texas, school started back up this week and it feels like summer is over.... even though it will be hot for months. There is always something about that first day of school that signals an end, AND a new beginning. I like the new beginning idea better... may it be a good one!!
Join me at a workshop in GA! Click for info:
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
Hidden Turn and a Feedburner replacement!
Hidden Turn, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2021
This piece is a plein air study from the spring... I was in Georgia after teaching a workshop and found this dramatic tree, in full curtsy mode! What a lovely dance to capture!
You may have noticed that your email delivery with this post looks a little different today. Here's why... I've been blogging since February 2008, and my emails have always been delivered to my followers by Feedburner. Sadly, Google has announced that they are dropping Feedburner! After much research, I found what I hope will be a great Feedburner Alternative. Today is my first run with it... If you see anything totally off, please be patient. I am having to learn a whole new process. :)
For my blogger friends out there who are also worried about a Feedburner Replacement , I recommend you take a look at Follow.it. It has more features and options, and I think it's going to work great!
Thursday, February 25, 2021
The Perch and the crazy month of February!
The Perch, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2021
What a weird few weeks I have just lived through!!! Had COVID (mild case, all good), came home to broken water heater (wood floors ruined), endured the Texas Snowpocolypse (78 hours without power and survived!) I happy to be back and thinking about art again! :)
So, let me tell you about this painting from St. Simons Island in November... These Wood Storks showed up at my workshop, and I KNEW I had to go back and paint them!!! I just loved their long, pointed beaks and ancient looking bodies! They are known for building nests in trees hanging over or next to water (like a marsh). They also seem to find large dead branches for perching on and keeping watch over their surroundings. I don't think they miss much!
Upcoming workshops:
St. Simons Island, GA - April 8-10
Austin, TX - May 14-15 (full w/wait list)
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Flying High - Fix It Friday #21
Flying High, 16 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020
SOLD
TGIF!! Or, should I say, TGIF-I-F!!! I do love fix it Friday.
This is a painting from last fall that kept catching my attention. I liked it, but something was off and I didn't know what it was. That "nudge" became crystal clear after my last post about finding depth in a painting. (Be careful what you preach... it may come back to haunt you!) ;)
Here's why...
BEFORE
AFTER
CHANGES
Problem - The sky plane was... flat! The cloud layers all had the same treatment of light, shadow, shape, and color.
Fix - Created scale shift between foreground clouds (made bigger) and background clouds (made smaller).
Fix - Removed contrast from background clouds (made them more muted, less highlights).
Fix - Added contrast to foreground clouds (gave more color, stronger highlights).
Fix - Increased gradation of blue sky from muted at the horizon to more intense at top.
Problem - Ground plane was also a bit flat.
Fix - Added marsh creek into layers to create a sense of space and depth. (It breaks up the marsh grass and reflects the sky.)
OBSERVATIONS
I remember this day, I was in the moment, responding and having fun. It is so easy to forget principles when we are in the thick of things. And, sometimes it takes awhile for awareness to catch up. Now, I can relax into the scene when I look at it! Ah...
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Leaning Tree - Fix It Friday #16
Leaning Tree, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020
It was a hot, hot day on the Georgia coast. The light was drenching this tree, adding sparkle to its already dramatic pose. To paint it, I found the only shade around, but it was too close to the subject (no umbrella that day.) I could not see my whole subject without scanning it with my head. TOTAL mistake. I "thought" I could pull it off, and I knew better... but no. The brain can not put the parts together very easily (at least my brain can't).
If you have taken a class with me, you know how bossy I am about this. I pester my students to 1) be in the shade, and 2) be far enough away to see the subject with one glance. Why do I pester? Because I care... :)
BEFORE
AFTER
CHANGES:
Problem 1 - The tree ended up looking dissected and flat.
Fix - Added the foreground side of tree canopy, giving it volume.
Problem 2 - The tree looked emaciated.
Fix - Gave the tree its full summer foliage and added the drenching light.
Problem 3 - Background tidal creek sat "on top" of the marsh as if at high tide.
(Note: the tide came in as I was painting and that creek did appear... the problem was that I had already painted the rest of the scene at a lower tide level.)
Fix - Removed the distant tidal creek.
OBSERVATIONS:
I struggled with not being able to "see" my subject. I struggled with not anticipating nature's changes. In fact, I did much better working from my memory on my fixes than I did from my obstructed view. Analyzing visual information is a very important part of direct painting. When that ability is blocked, it's a hard challenge to overcome.
Huh! Just as with most things in life, it turns out we do better when we understand the "Big Picture". I'm keeping that in mind.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020
Last week, I was able to get outside and do some plein air painting in Georgia. Things are beginning to open up there (with lots of caution of course), and it felt mighty good to be out and about. As I drove over to Jekyll Island for the day, this view on the causeway stopped me in my tracks. We had a lovely breeze, and a morning with drifting clouds and calling birds. DELISH!
I'm sure you share my longing for the day COVID is in our rearview... let it be soon!
Thursday, May 14, 2020
Bait Shop Morning - Fix-It Friday #11
Bait Shop Morning, 8 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020
SOLD
This plein air painting has been sitting in my studio for a couple of years... just waiting for some attention. It depicts a long-standing bait shop out in the middle of a marsh in the Golden Isles of Georgia. I love the dancing trees along the road that leads to it, and I have painted it several times from various angles and in different lighting. When I painted this one on location, I just didn't quite "get" the light and ambience of the day...
So, years later, here are some fixes...
BEFORE
AFTER
CHANGES
Problem 1 - The horizon line and row of trees was smack-dab in the middle of the picture plane and divides the painting into halves.
Fix 1 - Dropped the horizon line, the base of bait shop, and the roots of the tree trunks.
Problem 2 - The light lacked commitment and its source was undefined.
Fix 1 - Added color to morning sky.
Fix 2 - Darkened cloud bank.
Fix 3 - Added highlights to bait shop and trees to indicate light source.
Fix 4 - Darkened foreground marsh to focus light on the subject (the bait shop and road).
Fix 5 - Darkened distance uprights to help highlights in subject to pop.
OBSERVATIONS:
When painting the landscape, it's important to leave some of the details out. That can be hard because there is so much going on, and everything seems important. But we have to choose what is MOST important. It helps to keep asking myself, "what is the painting about?" I always do better when I stay "on message".
Notice everything, and then choose.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Flying High
Flying High, 16 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019
SOLD
This painting represents pure summertime joy... birds flying high in a playful sky and shimmering colors on the marsh... island time, my fave! I can never get enough! Is it a coincidence that I am dreaming of warm sea breezes on this freezing day in November? I think not! ;)
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Start planning now...
2020 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:
March 30-April 2, 2020 - Wimberley, Texas
April 16-18, 2020 - St. Simons Island, Georgia
May 8-9, 2020 - Austin, Texas
Sunday, October 20, 2019
The Gathering Spot
The Gathering Spot, 9 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019
SOLD
This was another plein air excursion in the Golden Isles of Georgia. I never get enough of the birds and marsh it seems, and I especially love when the birds hang out while I paint. They don't necessarily stand still, but I do get to watch their connection to the marsh and observe the gestures of their hunting. They are definitely influenced by their peers... when one takes off, the rest are right behind him! Those three guys in the water are definitely fixin' to fly... no question!
I'm counting the days until I can go back.
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2019 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:
November 8-9, 2019 - Austin, Texas
2020 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:
March 30-April 2, 2020 - Wimberley, Texas
Contact Helena Hauk, Wimberley Artists Workshops, 800-327-1913
Date is firm - details coming soon!
April 16-18, 2020 - St. Simons Island, Georgia
Contact Mary Anderson, Anderson Fine Art Gallery, 912-634-8414
May 8-9, 2020 - Austin, Texas
Contemporary Austin Art School, Registration opens in December
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Dockside Line Up
Dockside Line Up, 12 x 16, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2019
SOLD
Shrimp boats in the low country make such a beautiful sight... whether they are hard at work out in the ocean (with millions of birds circling them), or resting quietly at the dock. I love painting them because it's such a challenge. They are incredibly complicated with booms and nets and lines going everywhere. But for me, it's all about the overall scene... the light, the setting, the colors, and the feeling. Too much hard detail will distract from that. My strategy is to get the basic positions, shapes, and angles as accurate as possible, and simply suggest all the rigging. Then I let the eye fill in the rest.
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2019 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:
November 8-9, 2019 - Austin, Texas
2020 PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP INFO:
March 30-April 2, 2020 - Wimberley, Texas
Contact Helena Hauk, Wimberley Artists Workshops, 800-327-1913
Date is firm - details coming soon!
April 16-18, 2020 - St. Simons Island, Georgia
Contact Mary Anderson, Anderson Fine Art Gallery, 912-634-8414
May 8-9, 2020 - Austin, Texas
Contemporary Austin Art School, Registration opens in December
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
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
Friday, August 16, 2019
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
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