"Good Things Small Packages" - Women Artists of the West Small Format Sale

Women Artists of the West is featuring Good Things, Small Packages, an on-line, small format art sale, perfect for the holidays. You will find beautiful art from some of the top artists in the country, so I hope you will take a look.

I am offering three small format paintings for sale as part of this show.

Aspen Study #1, 10" x 8", oil on panel, not framed
$75.00 and includes shipping.

Aspen Study #2, 10" x 8", oil on panel, not framed.
$75.00, includes shipping

Cloud Study #1. 8" x 10", oil on panel, not framed
SOLD

If you are interested in purchasing any of these small paintings, please email me

There are many beautiful and affordable paintings offered for sale during this show, so if my work isn't quite what you want, please take a look at what the other artists have to offer. Most pieces are framed. My paintings will fit into standard frames, leaving you the option of framing that suits your tastes, while keeping the price within your comfort levels.

Please enjoy all the beautiful work and have a joyous holiday season!

Along the Deschutes

Click Here to Bid

Oil landscape on an 8" by 16" RayMar linen panel

This is another painting offered during my studio sale. I hope you'll take a look. It is not framed, but the size of 8 x 16 should not be too expensive for custom framing. Besides you get to pick the framing you want.

Christmas Paintings

Winter Scene, 5 x 7 oil on panel

Christmas Girl, 7 x 5, oil on copper leaf on panel

This year I had the opportunity to create and donate several paintings to Christmas Auctions that benefit local charities. The challenge was to paint a "Christmas Card" image. I haven't heard yet about the opening night but I am hopeful that all the cards sell. The various approaches in different mediums was very inspiring - these could really make great gifts any time of the year.

More from the Copper Leaf Paintings

Ancestor Series
oil on copper leaf on panel
6x6
@2009

I was asked to share more information on my process with these copper leaf paintings. I may have talked about it before, but here is the information again.

I stumbled on this idea a few years ago. I was creating paintings on 3" deep canvases and was unhappy with the way the painted sides looked. I had some copper leaf I'd purchased but never used. So I applied it to the canvases, and now, 3 years later, the sides look as great as when I did them, so I'm confident as to what I'm doing.

Now I start with a gessoed panel. I brush on GAC (an acrylic product) in small areas and then lift and apply small pieces of the copper leaf, available commercially in craft stores. It comes in thin sheets and can be a little frustrating to apply. I either tear or cut small pieces between 1 and 2 inches and gently lay them on the GAC, brushing into place. You will end up with a less than smooth surface, but these wrinkles are what I want for my surface. When the entire panel is covered, I brush it again with a thin, even coat of the GAC and allow to dry.

Next, I use burnt umber acrylic paint and a thick paper towel. I put a bit of thinned paint right onto the paper towel, and using my finger, rub it across the surface. The acrylic paint also lets the oil paint bond to the surface of the copper leaf. When the acrylic layer is dry, the panel is ready to be painted.

I sketch in the "landmarks" for my faces with charcoal, and I use a limited palette of colors. I've also created still life paintings using this process. The copper works with you or against when it comes to values, but if you think of it as a mid-value range and push a lot darker and a lot lighter, it's fine. The small size of the panels I'm using right now means I can finish a painting in about 2 hours - if the faces come. They aren't always cooperative.

When I am happy with the oil painting, I allow that to dry and then coat the entire surface with galkyd. This prevents the copper from tarnishing, although there is no guarantee that some areas won't react to all the materials applied. I have panels I painted more than 3 years ago, where I embedded copper leaf in galkyd. Some copper turned dark, but most of it is as bright as it was when I used it.

Keep in mind that the surface is rough, so fine detail is hard to achieve. I use the beautiful warm color of the copper as a value.

SOLD

This is the painting I donated to the NAWA fundraiser. I went back in and added detail to her eyes with one of my smallest brushes, and I'm pleased with the result. I hope it sells.

Copper Leaf Paintings in Oil

"Sibyl"
oil on copper leaf, 7 x 5
@2009
sold

"Sibyl" - semilegendary women of the ancient world, who possessed prophetic powers.

Where has the time gone? Here it is May and I haven't posted to this blog in over three weeks!

"Sibyl" was a request from a client who had looked at one of my copper leaf ladies over at Etsy, and when she decided to buy, it had already been sold. After several nudges from her I painted another face, showed it to her while it was still wet, and she loved it.

I have a few more panels that are now covered with copper leaf, and I'm trying to fit time in to finish them.

Tangerine Tango (small)

Tangerine Tango (small)
6 x 6, oil on panel

sold

I've added this little painting to the auction at eBay. Most of you have followed along with the creation of this small painting, leading to the larger one. I hope you like it.

Red Mum

Red Mum
oil on panel
6x6
click here to bid

Okay, so maybe this painting says Fall rather than Spring. I've been exploring flowers - which I've discovered can be complex forms - but I'm not of the right temperament to render a photographic image. Rather, I try to communicate the essence of what being a flower is all about. I was particularly happy with this mum - I used a palette knife for the final few strokes to get that element of fresh immediacy into the flower.

Red Onion, Amber Jar

Red Onion, Amber Jar
7 x 5, oil on gessoed bristol

This little painting started out as a real challenge. In fact, half way through I was sure I was going to have to throw it away. The jar looked opaque and not at all transparent, the light reflections looked like smeared fingerprints. The onion wasn't making any visual sense at all. But it's just gessoed bristol, I'm telling myself, no great cost if I throw it away, just keep painting to see what you can do. And then something happened, I'm not sure exactly what, but the jar started to resolve itself. Transparent - yea! highlights looking -- real -- double yea! But that onion...I have a bad habit that whenever I feel that a painting is just boring I pick up the palette knife, load it up with lots of color, and then just go for it. Sometimes...it's like frosting a cake and just adds to my misery, but sometimes it's the perfect ending to a nice little painting. Anyway, I like it a whole lot more than I did half way through painting it.

Clouds Over christmas Valley

"Clouds Over Christmas Valley"
8 x 10, oil on gessoed panel
@Sue Smith 2008
$100, includes shipping to US
Email me if you are interested in purchasing this little landscape and I'll have it to you before Christmas.

Between a Rock and a Blue Plate

"Between a Rock and a Blue Plate"
6" x 6", oil on gessoed panel
@Sue Smith, 2008

There's no reason we can't have a little fun with our current economic situation, is there?

This painting sells for $100. If you are interested in purchasing it, please email me and I will put it on Etsy and send you the link. Hopefully. I'm still trying to figure this all out.
Oh, and the paint is still wet.

Red Onion

Red Onion
6 x 8
oil on canvas board
$60