Carol's Cup & Alorro Gold, 6x6 & 36x36"

"Carol's Cup" 6x6" Oil (Sold)

Tea cups continue to grab my attention for subject matter for my small 6x6 series because they fit so well in a square format. I hope to have "Carol's Cup" varnished in time for Caswell Gallery's First Friday opening on Feb 7th. They have also asked me to produce a few larger pieces for them and I have worked and worked on this piece (below) and boy did it have it's challenges, but I think I'm finally done with it...

"Alloro Gold" 36x36" Oil

Because I normally work on a smaller scale, the size difference was certainly new and challenging.  Have you ever sized up and things just didn't go so well?  Yeah, I feel your pain! Figuring out brushstrokes, composition, mixing much larger piles of color were all changed up. Furthermore, I went through the painting without sketching out a composition, and that was the biggest challenge of all. Asking upon my fellow artist friends to help me see through the fog, it became apparent that it was composition. From that, I certainly realized my hard lesson to make a few compositional sketches before I put any paint down. Painted predominantly with a palette knife.

Here is a slide show of it's process by "FlipoGram", an app I found that makes a fun slide show. It was easy to use and fun to see how the painting evolved. Have a peek HERE.

So. Cal Sentry, 6x6

"So. Cal Sentry, 6x6" Pastel on sanded paper ©Brenda Boylan

Have you ever tried Googling '6x6" paintings'? Well I did, and I found this popular size/format has 1,370,000 posts! Could it possibly be because the economy has artists painting the smaller size for a smaller price? Or is it because it's small enough that it only takes a few hours to complete? Maybe because the square format is just, well, different? Regardless, there are plenty out there and now I'm adding #1,370,001....'So. Cal Sentry'. I just love the funky 60's framework that is similar to the Lem on the moon missions. Makes me wish for those days when I'd go with my girlfriends to Santa Cruz for the entire day and just sun-bake, drink wine, eat potato chips...and wish for some good looking lifeguard to resuscitate us! HA! Memories!

Miniature Art Shows

Sauvie Viewpoint, 6x6" Pastel on sanded paper, Randy Higbee Gallery

During the holiday season, many galleries offer miniature works of art at affordable prices for the gift giving season. The Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa, CA. is no exception to this idea and is hosting a show of 6x6" works of art this coming Dec.

6" Squared Show

Dec 4th~23rd, 2010

The Randy Higbee Gallery

102 Kalama

Costa Mesa, CA

Now a collector or would-be collector can have the chance to grab a painting from their favorite artist at a reasonable price because of the miniature format and price.

Evening Reflections, 6x6" Pastel on sanded paper, Randy Higbee Gallery

Perhaps a small painting is a study, as are my entries, and are blessed for the larger format. Two of these, Evening Reflections and Satin Slopes, were eventually painted in a larger format that I have posted before. Regardless of the size, the smaller renditions or studies often show an intimate process and thought than the larger ones do. I myself like the studies better albeit their size. There seems to be a freshness about them that a large work of art doesn't. This is because the time involved often dilutes the artist's first intentions and excitement. The challenge of working large...keeping the freshness and excitement in the work is just that, a challenge.

Satin Slopes, 6x6" Pastel on sanded paper

I will also have small works for sale during the holiday season at:

Caswell Gallery

Little Art ~ Big Music

Nov 5~Dec 31st, 2010

210 W. Columbia River Hwy,

Troutdale, Or.