Adventures in Painting

Christmas Lights in Trastevere

2012-01-25T04:25:00.000-05:00

Lights, Trastevere

8x6"

Oil on Panel

Anyone who has visited Rome has most definitely been to the old neighborhood Trastevere. It's such a fabulous little neighborhood nestled in winding cobbled stoned streets just across the river. At night it's always bustling and I couldn't resist stopping in the middle of the street to paint while everyone was getting their shopping done before dinner.

Not being able to exactly see what I'm doing and it being a bit chilly to boot, added to the excitement of making this free little sketch. People didn't hesitate to stop and look over my shoulder, although they undoubtedly saw as little as I did and wondered what on earth I was try to accomplish here.

I do wish that these lights were hanging all year round, they give me a certain excited and nostalgic feel, knowing the differences between Europe and the U.S. You just can't recreate the feeling of this place, so rich, old and layed in it's feel and history. To have the opportunity to take a minute to stop and capture these moments is priceless to me and endless in enjoyment.

If you like this painting, you can bid on it here at my Daily Paintworks site.

Tea Time

2012-01-12T09:46:00.000-05:00

Tea Time

6x8"

Oil on Linen Panel

The title says it all, more tea! I can't seem to get enough, that and sitting next to any heating device (or in the sun) are my major winter activities. I suffer through winter, just holding my breath until it's over. Good thing I live in Rome where the winter is relatively mild.

So, while drinking one of my many cups of tea, I thought to paint this little gem. Easier said than done.. That green, what is that green?! Painting green man made objects, well it was a good challenge for me. I should paint more objects, I like how still they do sit after getting used to hurrying to capture something while landscape painting, still lives give me the chance to breath, relax and enjoy rather than feeling like I'm racing againt time.

In other news, my new easel has arrived along with the return of the sun, so you can expect some more Roman street scenes to come in the next few weeks (along with still man made objects)

I hope winter is treating you well and that you're drinking less tea than me.

If you like this painting, you can bid on it here

Night on the Town

2012-01-10T07:15:00.001-05:00

Winter Lights, Via del Corso

8x6"

Oil on Panel

Winter in Rome has gotten chilly recently, but I couldn't resist going out to paint some of the Christmas time lights. Armed with just a tiny easel that I can rest on one arm while painting with the other, I set out to the center of town.

In one of the main drags, which is the longest straight street in Rome, via del Corso, they have adorned the entire length of the street with lights the colors of the Italian flag in honor of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. It's quite a sight, and a bit overwhelming while standing directly under them, so I went to a sqaure and stood looking towars the steet to paint this.

Now the tricky part of painting at night is of course that it's dark! So this adds an extra element of fun, not being ably to fully see what I'm painting, just knowing which colors are which on my palette from memory and mixing what I think is more or less the right value, more so than the right color.

This is a sketchy sketch, meant to give the sense of the moment in the square and the lights against the sky coming into the street. I liked stalking around with my little thumbox and it's a time of year not to be missed for painting.

If you like this painting, you can bid on it here at my Daily Paintworks site.

An American in Rome

2012-01-03T05:28:00.001-05:00

Morning Nap, Villa Glori

8x10"

Oil on Panel

Recently the Italian coffee company Lavazza wrote to me and asked me to share some of my Rome paintings along with a story about my painting and life experience here in Rome for their ongoing project called The Italian Experience: Italy Behind Italy. It was a fabulous opportunity for me to synthesize some of my thoughts and experiences thus far into a small yet concise story. You can find the story below, or see it on their website (in Italian).

A big hearfelt THANK YOU to Lavazza and for their ongoing efforts to engage and promote the public in Italian life and culture, something much needed during these times in Italy.

Sometimes Ithink I’m old fashioned trapped in a modern time. I stalk the streets of Romeon a bicycle and a French box easel, stopping to paint the differentneighborhoods in their strange, layered beauty.

In theprocess everyone stops to talk and I get to learn about Rome firsthand from itsinhabitants. I paint what I see, as thelight and life unfold in front of me, although my compositions are strangelyabsent of people in such a bustling city. Somehow I wish the city would stopand I could capture just the light casting across the buildings, fountains,ruins and piazzas.

This was myway of getting to know Rome. I moved here a year ago after living 6 years inFlorence where I studied art. After spending many dark days in the studio, oneday I had enough and took my easel outside to paint and never went back. Myeasel on the street has been my induction to Italian life and culture. Paintingthe scenes and places of a city slowly introduce me and let me see all thelayers past and present.

One subjectthat I painted was Rome’s nasone. This is something truly unique to Rome- thepublic water fountains that are placed all over the city and surroundingneighborhoods and used to be the center of life in each neighborhood. Stillpeople stop to drink and fill their bottles. While standing and painting one, Imust have seen 50 people stop to drink and everyone stops from workers tobusiness men who jump off their scooters to housewives coming to fill jugs fortheir homes.

Being anAmerican in Italy, I see my compatriots everywhere, wandering the streets lostwith their maps, drunken college students trudging the streets at night withtheir boisterous voices and their signature sneakers and flip flops. And I amnot one of them, and neither am I Italian. I rather feel myself a timelessobserver suspended in slow moments oftime.

December, 2011

Happy Holidays! In Praise of Abundance

2011-12-23T06:16:00.000-05:00

Winter Clementines

5.5x9"

Oil on Panel

Upon returning to Rome, I was reminded of all that I am thankful for, when the clementine tree was just drooping over the studio shed, loaded with these gorgeous sweet fruits!

It's been a slow transition, as my easel has broken beyond all repair! So while I wait for Santa (aka the post man) to bring me a new shiny one, I've been enjoying cleaning the studio and getting out around town to see what others are up to this time of year.

The weather is beautiful- clear and sunny, but it is cold, especially after getting used to that Florida sun. Well, I'll take the sun and a little break while I wait for my fabulous new easel.

A Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah to all of you and may you spend these days relaxing with friends, family and those that are most important to you, enjoying the opportunity to take a break and be grateful.

I wish you blessings, joy and abundance on this holiday season!

If you like this painting, you can bid on it here on my daily paintworks auction site.

Bye Bye Florida!

2011-12-14T02:26:00.001-05:00

Beachway Avenue, New Smyrna

9x12"

Oil on Panel

I decided to spend my last painting day in a place I really love, New Smyrna Beach. This is such a cool beach town, as someone I met on the road while painting here so eloquently put it, "one of the last Old Florida beaches."

Not being from Florida, I can't really say how true this is or not, but I can say that this place was quiet and beautiful with the soft ocean breeze blowing through the sleepy streets. People seemed relaxed, walking their dogs, talking to the shopkeepers and having coffee. The downtown is pretty active and the bars open early, my kind of town!

In my usual fashion I drove around with no preconcieved idea of what I wanted to paint and then I found this little side street, Beachway Ave and the light looking toward the beach just seemed to sum it up for me.

As always I really enjoyed my time painting in Florida and look forward to future painting opportunities there. For now I'm back to Rome, where my heart is and inpiration of the eternal city is just calling out to be painted!

Sum it Up! Ten Minutes of Life Painting in Rome

2011-12-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

I am absolutely thrilled to share this with you.

Below is a video interview given by Moshe Mikanovsky asking me about what I do, why and how. Not easy to answer, but a lot of fun and a great opportunity.

After giving the interview, I was thinking a lot about one of his questions: "What is success?" Good question!

While I stick by my answer given in the interview, I wanted to elaborate, as it is one of the most important questions an artist can ask themselves.

Success doesn't always have to look like loads of money (although that would be awesome too!), but it's something, an experience that we have of ourselves in relation to our work; a confidence or knowing that I have conveyed what I set out to communicate. And it's compltely personal. One of the hardest parts about answering the question "what is success" is to honestly listen to my voice alone and to not be influenced by other opinions or standards.

One of my ultimate goals is to really move, touch and inspire people with my work; to create paintings that unite us in our common experience of being human visually. A painting can inspire and evoke the entire range of human emotions and leave the viewer more in touch with what it means to be human. It can also express more profoundly what we aren't always able to say with words (well, only because I'm not a poet..)

This is no small feat, there must be a hundred if not a thousand or million baby steps in between before I can reach my goal. In fact I don't know that I ever will, but I'm willing to go for it. The first step though is learning to master my craft so that I can use it to express my idea fully. Then there is having an idea, but an idea that becomes an exploration and a journey, one that will evolve and take us places. I'm still in the first stage, learning my craft, how to paint, so I don't even know when or how I will get to the next stage, but I am looking forward to embracing whatever may come next.

Click here to watch the video on youtube

On the Road: Morning at the Kerouac House

2011-12-02T07:29:00.000-05:00

On the Road, The Kerouac House, Orlando

11x14"

Oil on Panel

That's right, this one's called On the Road, which was only too appropriate as I had to stand in the middle of the road to paint this one. The across the street neighbor has apparently had her fill of the riff raff that hang out at the house and understandably doesn't want people in her yard oogling the Kerouac house.

This really is a house that Jack Kerouac lived in when On the Road was published and wrote part of Dharma Bums while living here. The house is now a foundation and residency for writers, offering one writer a 3-month period to come and work in solitude. At the end of their residency the writer gives a public reading of their work in the house and everyone hangs out drinking, eating and talking afterwards. I attended a reading of the last resident Beth Raymer, an incredible woman and writer, whose last book has now been turned into a film and will be released next year.

In painting that day I wasn't alone. My friend and legendary Orlando sketch artist Thor was there to draw me while painting. He had his stool, sketchbook and watercolors and away we went, eventually forgetting the dangers of passing cars. No one ran over us in this quiet neighborhood and I'm so happy to have had the chance to capture this legendary home.

If you like this painting, it is available here on my website.

Clouds on Lake Dora

2011-11-24T10:08:00.000-05:00

Clouds on Lake Dora

14x8"

Oil on Linen mounted on panel

Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S. and am I thankful! What painter wouldn't be grateful for the abundance of beauty that offers itself up daily to be painted? And then all of you to share it with.

There is no shortage of things to be grateful for in this world.

This is another painting from the lovely Mt. Dora out on the lake. This was an afternoon painting, done in the soft light during the last few hours of the day. After painting and being so partial to that bright Mediterranean light, it's a relief to the eyes to have a softer view sometimes. The clouds were being so dramatic and moving so quickly while painting this, that I had to make a sort of composite design to try and sum of all of the wonderful formations as they passed before my eyes. My brush and hand can't keep up with the constant movements of nature, but that's part of the beauty and challenge of landscape painting: the attempt to capture a fleeting moment and the opportunity to make it my own.

If you like this painting, it is available here on my website.

A Happy day of giving thanks to all of you!

Sun on the Dock, Lake Gertrude

2011-11-18T12:48:00.000-05:00

Sun on the Dock, Lake Gertrude

8x6"

Oil on Panel

Here's a little painting also painted this week in Mt. Dora that was not entered in the exhibition (each artist could only choose 3 paintings to enter). This was a lovely afternoon on a little lake just on the outskirts of town. After painting in town and talking to the passersby, hearing that cross walk signal beep all morning long and the general noise of traffic, this painting was a much welcome moment of afternoon peace.

There must have been a million little paintings in this town, what to choose? This one caught the attention of friend and fellow painter Susie Covert as we got a little lost just driving around looking for our next painting spot. And what a great spot indeed. I wouldn't mind living on this little lake- each person had their own dock, boat and even little sandy plot of beach. A little piece of heaven.

If you like this painting, you can bid on it here at my Daily Paintworks site.

Mt. Dora Mania

2011-11-16T11:47:00.001-05:00

Sunset on the Point, Lake Dora

8x6"

Oil on Panel

This is one of 3 paintings I will enter in Mt. Dora's exhibition coming up this Friday.

To get 3 paintings worthy of exhibiting I had to paint at least double that and it was a great and intense 3 days of painting- this town has so much to offer the plein air painter.

We got off on an awkward note, though. As we arrived Sunday evening and set up at the end of a dock overlooking the lake, we hurried as the sun really goes down fast these days. I turned to go and get my canvas, when SPLAAAASH! my easel leg gave way and took a headlong dive straight into the lake! Luckily the box was still closed and my easel is made of wood so it floated a minute before starting to sink and I was able to grab it. No harm done, it all dried off in the setting sun and we set to work.

Finishing up the painting I heard a bit of commotion and turning to see there was an entire wedding procession having the wedding party photographed with the setting sun, it was a great place for a wedding and hopefully they didn't get any under dressed painters in their picture perfect photographs.

It was a funny start to an intense 3 days. We painted lakeside, roadside and even in an alley way, the town was rich with subject matter and I'm looking forward to Friday's exhibition.

If you're in central Florida, I encourage you to come out and join us. The reception will be at Mt. Dora Center for the Arts on 5th Ave from 6 to 8 p.m. Can't wait to see you there!

White Oak, National Arboretum

2011-11-09T10:47:00.000-05:00

White Oak, National Arboretum

10x8"

Oil on Panel

I've been insanely inspired to paint fall and I hope it shows.

This week I've made several trips to Washington D.C.'s National Arboretum and I just can't seem to get enough. This white oak was such a majestic beauty standing on a hillside and had I had a larger canvas I would have painted the whole rainbow of these standing together along the woods edge.

This day I was particularly lucky, as one of the few staff members and only arborist stopped to watch me paint. He was excited that someone had stopped to paint and was particularly proud because I happened to choose the area that he was responsible for and where he had spent the last year thinning out an exotic invasive Elm. As we talked he told me about the budget cuts at the arboretum allowing them to only maintain 8 full-time staff to keep the grounds, the grounds being approximately 450 acres! I thanked him for their work, they do an amazing job of keeping up the place, it is absolutely gorgeous with a huge variety of gardens, trails and spaces.

I don't think I'd ever even been here, or maybe when I was little, but have no recollection of it. As I was painting I saw something orange moving around and thought it was some fall oak leaves blowing around. But then I heard a noise. I stopped to look a little closer and sure enough there were 4 foxes running through the clearning and then they dissappeared into the woods. I was so awed that I just stood there, hoping they would come back so I could see them again, they were beautiful. I'd never seen a fox before, much less 4 running together. What a marvelous day.

It's days like these that I love my job, my exsistence and know I'm doing what I love, hoping to provide something in return for those who enjoy my work. I'm not sure how I got so lucky, but am I grateful. Having the opportunity to spend my days outside painting is a dream come true, I hope it lasts indefinitely!

If you enjoy this painting, you can bid on it here at my Daily Paintworks auction site.

Fall Colors

2011-11-04T10:56:00.000-04:00

Cypress and Tulip Poplar, Fall at Brookside Gardens

8x10"

Oil on Canvas Panel

I can't tell you how exciting it is to be able to paint the fall colors this year. The choices are almost overwhelming- everywhere I turn it's color, color and more color!

I don't have a lot of experience painting these fall colors, but they do seem to require a bit of reckless abandon, at least that's my way of thinking about it. While the light is always changing outside, the colors seem to be changing as well. There are spots of bright that jump out when I didn't seem them before and it got me all excited while painting.

This is a gorgeous botanical garden in surburban Maryland which I found thanks to a friend's recommendation. It was hard to choose a spot, but I was so attracted to the big reds, yellows and greens, that I went for this tall stand of trees.

Fall this year, at least in Washington, D.C. is truly spectacular and I'm honored to have the chance to try my hand at it.

If you like this painting and want to buy it, you can bid on it here at my Daily Paintworks site.

Join the bidding game, it's fun!

Fall on Asha's Farm

2011-10-27T09:35:00.000-04:00

October Barn, Westtown

8x10"

Oil on Linen mounted on board

Fall, what a painting delight! I had the opportunity to visit with some friends who just bought a farm in upstate New York, and what a fabulous place, they're so lucky to have found this little gem.

I know there's a lot of talk about economic crisis, so it was refreshing to spend time with people who are reevaluating their lifestyle choices in these times and are looking towards the more simple pleasures in life, like growing your own food and enjoying some peace and quiet.

One day we found an old apple tree bearing so much fruit, all we had to do was grab a rake and swing at the branches, instantly collecting a sack full of the best apples I've ever tasted. Now these apples were little gems, but they looked crazy, all twisty and bumpy with spots on the outside- something you would never find in any store or market anywhere, just aesthetically weird. But to bite into one of these and all of it's profumed sweetness and tartness made me envy the country life.

I'm so excited for my friends as they embark on this new adventure, and I can't wait to return when they can put me to work hoeing beans or digging holes or putting up fence. In a moden fast paced world where we can all be connected from anywhere to anywhere, it's nice to remember that sometimes you just need to get your hands dirty to enjoy the simple pleasures and to be reminded that this is really what life is all about: enjoying a little moment of tasty heaven.

Like this painting? You can bid on it! Jump in to play the bidding game here on Daily Paintworks.

PleinAir D.C. 2-Day Upcoming Workshop

2011-10-25T09:12:00.001-04:00

This coming weekend I will be in my hometown offering a 2-day painting workshop in Washington, D.C. I'm pretty excited about it, as D.C. is where I grew up but ironically I haven't painted there much and am really looking forward to it!

There are a few spots left, and would love to have the opportunity to work with painters from the area. If you or anyone you know is interested, you can still jump in. Below are the details along with the link to the course. Looking forward to going home for a few days and painting!

PLEINAIR D.C.

OCTOBER 29 & 30

WITH LANDSCAPE PAINTER KELLY MEDFORD

Learn to paint entirely on location creating and capturing light and sense of place.

Course includes full-time intensive instruction,detailed handouts, demonstrations, step-by-step instruction.

What the course will cover:

Materials, composition, placement, an in-depthunderstanding of value construction and how to use memory to finish a painting.There will also be talks and demonstrations explaining the steps towards makinga successful painting or sketch entirely on location.

About the artist:Kelly Medford was born and raised in Washington, D.C. where she attended EdmundBurke School. She then studied art at Antioch College, UTC and finally inFlorence, Italy. She has lived and worked painting in Italy for the last 6 yearsand has received awards for her plein air work in competitions in Italy.

She has traveled extensively painting throughoutEurope and last year travelled to Alaska for an exhibition of her landscapespainted there in Chattanooga, TN.

She is passionate about painting and being outdoors,her enthusiasm is communicated through her work.

CourseDetails: The cost for the 2-day workshop is $200 withregistration by Oct. 25. Materials are to be provided by the student. You willbe emailed a materials list 1 week prior to the course. Location of where wewill meet will also be announced the week before.

Contact andRegistration: Email me at paintings@kellymedford.com or call me at407.618.3311 to register.

You can see Kelly Medford’s work on her website www.kellymedford.com

PLEIN AIR D.C.

OCTOBER 29 & 30

WITH LANDSCAPE PAINTER KELLY MEDFORD

Learn to paint entirely on location creating and capturing light and sense of place.

Course includes full-time intensive instruction, detailed handouts, demonstrations, step-by-step instruction.

What the course will cover:

Materials, composition, placement, an in-depth understanding of value construction and how to use memory to finish a painting. There will also be talks and demonstrations explaining the steps towards making a successful painting or sketch entirely on location.

About the artist: Kelly Medford was born and raised in Washington, D.C. where she attended Edmund Burke School. She then studied art at Antioch College, UTC and finally in Florence, Italy. She has lived and worked painting in Italy for the last 6 years and has received awards for her plein air work in competitons in Italy.

She has traveled extensively painting throughout Europe and last year travelled to Alaska for an exhibition of her landscapes painted there in Chattanooga, TN.

She is passionate about painting and being outdoors, her enthusiasm is communicated through her work.

Course Details: The cost for the 2-day workshop is $200 with registration by Oct. 25. Materials are to be provided by the student. You will be emailed a materials list 1 week prior to the course. Location of where we will meet will also be announced the week before.

Contact and Registration: Email me at paintings@kellymedford.com or call me at 407.618.3311 to register.

You can see Kelly Medford’s work on her website www.kellymedford.com

Contact Information:

Kelly Medford

paintings@kellymedford.com

407-618-3311

Sunset on Folly Beach, Charleston

2011-10-14T09:58:00.001-04:00

Sunset on Folly Beach

10x14"

Oil on Panel

When I was in Charleston last month I did quite a few paintings that I left unfinished or wrote off as duds, this was one of them. Then, last week after painting almost every day at the beach, I realized that I learned something about the light and colors of the ocean and the beach, so I went ahead and finished this painting in the studio based on what I remembered. I took what I had learned and memorized and put it into this painting to redo the water and beach (I left the sky as it was and how I had painted it at the time) and I was able to finish it.

This is exciting to me, as I was never really able to do this before, this is a kind of new step that I am happy about. I realized that all of those hours of study really do pay off! And my brain just needs some good old fashioned repition of painting the same subject matter over and over (no matter the result) to remember and learn what a place is like (the light on the water at the beach in the afternoon or morning, etc.).

I like the power of memory over the use of a photo because it's all about the artists' interpretation. I can just paint the things that really stick in my memory and emphasize them, whereas a photo is a sterile reproduction including everything. Even though I am painting from life, I want some intepretation, I just want what was important to me in that moment, not a photo. And that is what the memory seems to do naturally (and we're not just talking about painting here!) we remember the things that for whatever reason seemed to be the main idea or theme, the highlights and those little dark places, but we don't necessarily capture every little detail and we certainly do not capture an unbiased and complete picture.

As John Carlson so gracefully said on the subject of painting from memory: "In memory work we relive our experiences and the effect they produced on us. We enthusiastically endeavor to put on canvas what we saw and felt, and in this way also unconsciously employ an original handling. The mind is dealing more with expression of thought than with the clever application of paint, and we now enter into the realm of true art."

(- taken from Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting)

Mayport Tower

2011-10-12T14:23:00.000-04:00

Mayport Tower

8x6"

Oil on Linen mounted on panel

This is such a sweet little gem of a place, a jetty or narrow little piece of sand heading out into some body of water right next to a cargo port. After the paintout was all said and done, I wasn't quite ready to leave, so I stayed an extra day and went here to paint in the morning.

This place is just dotted with locals either fishing or shrimping, wading out into the water with their tall rubber boots and casting their nets. They must do pretty well as it seems to be the hot local fishing spot. I of course did not have my fishing pole (should have though!), so I set up my easel to paint this little tower along the waterway instead.

Since I was next to a port, there was a light stream of immense cargo ships that were going by. I really wish I had caught one of those on canvas, but it was just so out of place and dominating the landscape (not to mention that they move fast). They're incredible, a little bit out of this world. They must be as tall as any skyscraper and they glide by silently, loaded with bright colored boxes like a floating Mondrian.

I had such a full and energizing week of painting, I can't wait for the next paintout. I might just have to organize my own in Rome.

Who wants to join??

If you like this painting you can bid on it here at my Daily Paintworks site.

The Jacksonville Adventure

2011-10-11T13:55:00.000-04:00

Six Mile Landing

9x12"

Oil on Panel

What an amazing time, truly an adventure! Painting this past week to raise money for the North Florida Landtrust was awesome. I never knew that there were so many places to paint here, and so varied too. This painting, a place where locals go to put their boats in, was a real find. You can tell from the thunderhead clouds that a huge storm was approaching, and in fact it got there before I finished the painting.

I waited it out in the car and got the chance to finish up before the afternoon was out. That's the good thing about Florida, the rain usually doesn't last too long.

Empty Morning on Atlantic Beach

14x20"

Oil on Linen

As you'll see I loved painting on Atlantic Beach. I joined a group of painters getting up every morning for sunrise to paint there. That's the beauty of being at the Atlantic Ocean, you get to watch the sun coming up over the horizon each morning, incredible! This was an early morning (after sunrise) painting, one that I've always wanted to paint. Although it's a simple painting, it really took me awhile to get the design of it right and working. I also had to keep moving around to keep the wind from using my canvas as a sail.

Sunrise at Atlantic Beach

8x12"

Oil on Linen mounted on panel

Man, this was probably one of the most fun ones to paint. I was in town (along with about 40 other painters!) and in this town everyone is out walking or biking- going to the beach or walking their dogs. Everyone stopped, wanting to know what I was doing and what was going on with all of these painters around.

I like the interactions I get to have painting on the street. Sometimes it's nice to talk to a person instead of a passing bird! People like to watch and they seem particularly interested in the colors I have on my palette (only 6 or so really) and how someone makes a painting just swirling those color piles around. Sometimes it seems like magic to me too. Lots of people who stopped while I was painting here actually came to our Patron's Party event after the final day of painting, and I was happy to see them.

I hope that this will be the first in many more paintouts for me. The opportunity to paint all day everyday and then get to spend the evening with other artists is a real treat and total joy. I loved every minute of it and can't wait do it all over again.

Cypress and a Palm, Clifton Springs

2011-09-28T20:20:00.000-04:00

A Cypress and a Palm, Clifton Springs

14x11"

Oil on Panel

This is a place that every time I come to Orlando I go to paint but hardly ever find something to paint. Painters know what I'm talking about.

What I mean is I love the feel of this place- it's a little park on a dead end road on Lake Jessup. Hardly anyone is ever there and it's full of cypress trees, spanish moss and birds. The wind always seems to blow here in the afternoons and like hearing it in the trees. With just the quiet, apart from the noisy birds and the breeze it's the perfect place to spend an afternoon.

This time I got lucky and found something to paint. Actually, the whole truth is I've started but never finished many a painting here of the same clump of cypress trees. In the past each time I started a painting here it either got too complicated trying to look up and deal with the drawing of all those branches, the light and shadow and then all that straggly spanish moss hanging everywhere, so I never finished a painting here until today. This time I told myself I was going to pick one tree and see it through. I got into painting this tree and wanted to see it through to the end.

I thought I better get ahold of attempting to paint a cypress with spanish moss and a palm tree, as next week I'm headed up to Jacksonville Beach for the Painting the Region 5-day painting extravaganza and I'm both excited and nervous. All those Floridians will have a lot more experience than me painting these sort of beauties, while I've been trying my hand at Roman ruins and buildings.

I can't wait though. What an opportunity! Painting the Florida landscape all day every day for 5 days, what a treat!

Like this painting and want to buy it?

Click here to buy it from my website.

Sunset on Wild Oak Bay, Sarasota

2011-09-25T17:40:00.000-04:00

Wild Oak Bay, Sarasota

7x11"

Oil on Panel

Sarasota has got to be one of the best places on earth to paint the sunset- at least I think so..

While I wish I was painting the sunset in Sarasota right now, I'm not, I'm just thinking about it.

I painted this last year with a good friend and Florida painter Susie Covert, who has a lot of practice at these since she lives there.

Sunset paintings are the joy and challenge of the landscape painter- I imagine like the love poem to the poet. Tricky, over done and can eaily turn cliché. BUT that's no reason not to go out and paint them, and paint them and paint them again. If I lived in Sarasota I feel sure that I would paint the sunset everyday. They're so unpredictable and each one is different than the last- just enough to keep a painter on her toes and feeling like she never quite has a handle on it.

Here's my moment of Sarasota and it only has good memories attached to it.

If you like this painting and want to make it yours, you can bid on it here at my Daily Paintworks site.

Philadelphia Alley, Charleston

2011-09-21T16:31:00.002-04:00

Philadelphia Alley, Charleston

16x12"

Oil on Panel

How could I possibly sum up Charleston in a blog post?! The main things I've enjoyed in Charleston are great oysters, the best company, lots of high quality art galleries and the beach- this town has everything to offer and I've had a marvelous time.

Although I left Rome a month ago, this week was the first chance I had to paint, and I am so happy to get back to it! It's been pretty overcast and moody here these last few days, so a friend took me to paint this alley and it was the perfect spot and a quiet day.

This was the only cityscape I did, the rest of the time I spent painting (and swimming) at the beach or in the marsh, but maybe after getting excited about all of those cityscapes in Rome, this was the more successful of all the paintings and the one I wanted to share with you. Who would have guessed?

I'm headed down to Orlando and looking forward to painting there. Maybe I'll even get to see some gators!

Like this painting and want to buy it? Bid on it here at my Daily Paintworks gallery.

In the Field, Via di Acqua Bullicante

2011-08-12T03:41:00.001-04:00

In the Field, Via di Acqua Bullicante

Oil on Panel

7.5x10"

SOLD

This is what I look at every day when I leave my building to go painting. It's a view that I love and the look of the field changes constantly with the light of the day and with the seasons.

As I get ready to head back to the U.S. I can't concentrate so much on painting, I'm getting nervous for some reason, even if the states is home.

I've always wanted to paint this, but somehow feel almost silly painting in my street, I prefer to go to a neighborhood where I'm anonymous. Isn't that funny?

I felt like just whipping out a sketch and not being overly careful of the drawing, I wanted to caputure the feel of this place, which is what is important to me.

I have dreams and designs for this wide open field just across the way. I dream of it being an enormous vegetable garden feeding our street where people could meet and work together.

In the meantime I imagine I will paint it again and take a bigger canvas. The afternoon light here is stunning.

Acquedotto Claudio, Tor Fiscale

2011-08-09T03:49:00.000-04:00

Acquedotto Claudio, Tor Fiscale

10x12"

Oil on Panel

The Roman acqueducts have to be one of the most impressive and moving sights in Rome. Not only are they a unique phenomenon, but a powerful presence in the Roman landscape. They jut out and tower over silent fields all across the Roman countryside, still claming what was once a vital part of the Roman empire.

This acqueduct is named after the emperor Claudius who finished building it in 52 a.d., but was already in use before its completion. It is still enormous (and beautiful with its gigantic and solid grey stones) and was 45 miles long, providing water to 14 Roman districts. Now that's impressive.

I'm awed by these giants and love any opportunity to walk next to and under their arches. This was painted in a park where people picnic and there is a children's playground. But because it must have been a 100° out this day, there wasn't a soul around, just me and Claudio.

Summer Ingredients

2011-08-02T06:18:00.000-04:00

Summer Ingredients

Oil on Panel

6x8"

Can you tell that I'm inspired by summer (and that I wish I had a vegetable garden)? Well, I am (and I do). And of course, when living in Italy, the best thing to think about besides ancient Rome and art is food!

Making this little painting was such a joy. I purposely chose these colors to make them vibrate against each other, I just find them exciting and bright like summer.

Why does the Italian tomoato taste so much better than the American tomato? I've asked this question to both Italians and non alike for years and the only answer that most people come up with is either the soil or the variety choice. Personally I like to think it has to do with the sun.

Whatever the case may be I'm certainly not missing any opportunity these days to eat my share (and probably yours too) of fresh, warm, ripe Italian tomatoes. They're divine.

Like this painting and want to buy it?

You can bid on it here at my Daily Paintworks auction site.

Summer Sun

2011-08-01T08:42:00.000-04:00

Summer Sun

Oil on Linen mounted on Panel

8x6"

What better gift for a painter to recieve than flowers? Sunflowers!

I was excited to jump in and get to painting this sunflower this morning, and boy was my enthusiasm needed, as no one told me you either have to be a highly skilled painter or a madman to paint these puppies.

From past experience I knew that flowers move continually while painting them, but this one was really on the go this morning, turning to follow the sun I presume and even dropping a petal along the way.

I learned a lot from this painting, namely that with all of those petals in there the best approach is to really squint and to get the overall tone and value of them and their gradations instead of trying to weedle out each individual one.

The effect of the sunflower on the human soul is undoubtedly uplifiting- it made my morning staring at this little beauty.

Like this painting and want to buy it?
You can bid on it here on the Daily Paintworks site.

A Pepper and Tomato

2011-07-29T02:49:00.003-04:00

A Pepper and Tomato

Oil on Linen mounted on Panel

6x8"

Who can resist the flavors of summer? I can't!

I just had to paint these lovely compliments while dreaming up recipes and thinking about what I would cook today. Even though it was raining cats and dogs outside, summer is still here and the abundance of food this time of year is always something to celebrate.

Just as a side note I noticed (and laughed about) that these are also the colors of the Italian flag: red, white and green. Usually it wouldn't even come to mind, but this is the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy so these colors are all over the place this year.

Maybe I had them unknowingly in mind.

If you like this painting you can bid on it here at my Daily Paintworks auction site.

Go ahead and bid, it's fun!

Morning Espresso

2011-07-28T02:20:00.003-04:00

Good morning folks!

In case you haven't heard, I've assigned myself another little project in addition to my When In Rome paintings: making a small painting a day and put it up for bid on a new website called Daily Paintworks.

Here is one of my new offerings- hope you'll like it and get inspired to play the bidding game!

Morning Espresso

6x8"

Oil on Linen mounted on panel

SOLD

Good morning! This is the only way to start my day in Italy,with a warm, creamy espresso. While having my morning coffee Italian style, I was contemplating what I could set up to paint in my studio this morning, and then it dawned on me, why not my espresso?!

It is such a part of Italian life that it seemed too obvious. I love the little cups, saucers and even mini-spoons that all go together to make this big wake-me-up each morning.

Like this painting?

You can bid on it here at my Daily Paintworks auction page.

Madonna in the Garden, San Marcellino a Torpignattara

2011-07-27T04:50:00.007-04:00

Madonna in the Garden, San Marcellino a Torpignattara

Oil on Linen mounted on Panel

6x8"

This was an unlikely painting as far as I'm concerned. In all my time in Italy (more than 6 years now!) I've never attempted to paint anything religious. In fact it seemed a topic to avoid, even if the some of the most gorgeous treasures are to be found in Italy's infamous churches.

I originally went to this place in my neighborhood here in Rome to paint the remnants of a Roman mausoleum with an odd little 20th-century church built right inside of it- the likes of which could only be found here in Rome.

But when I arrived the light wasn't right and since the mausoleum is fenced off in the middle of a park, I went into this church courtyard to try and get a different view.

The courtyard was eerily silent and has been abondoned for the summer holidays I imagine. Once inside the courtyard I was turning around looking for a good angle and spotted this odd statue in the middle of the little church garden.

I remember when I was learning Italian one of my homework assignments was to read an article on 10 taboos or things not to do in Italian culture. In response I had to write my own 10 taboos for my Italian teacher, telling her 10 things never to do with Americans. This thought came to mind as I sat down to paint this: one of the top 1o things never to do is talk about religion or politics at the table if invited to dine with Americans.

Of course my Italian teacher was shocked by this, as all Italians talk about (besides food!) is politics (less about religion). It was one of the first moments of many in clarifying the differences between myself and Italians which I had never thought about before.

This painting of the madonna was only heightened by the tree branches radiating out from around her head, pointing to the heavens. I didn't mean to add this heavenly significance, it was there waiting to be painted.

I plan to stick to my American protocol and keep the subject of religion at bay, but it did provide me personally with a moment of reflection on my culture and to ask myself why I haven't painted anything like it before.

Like this painting and want to buy it?

Viale del Teatro, Villa Pamphili

2011-07-22T04:08:00.002-04:00

Viale del Teatro, Villa Pamphili

Oil on Panel

8x10"

Heading out to paint Rome's biggest public park with my friend and fabulous mosaic artist Megan Mahan (she's lucky, she actually lives next door to this place!), we walked through the woods, past a lake and to the villa in search of a good composition.

This place has a long history (as everything in Rome) and has changed hands many times after the original owner Girolamo Pamphili died in 1760 with no male heirs. Lucky for us it is now an enormous public park (divided in 2 by a major road) and a paradise for anyone seeking the out of doors right in town.

Spending the morning there with Megan I got to thinking how much tourists must miss when they come to Rome, and what kind of picture they have of the city just visiting the central Roman sites. It's not a complete picture, though it is surely impressive. Rome is just packed with wonders and it has to be the capital city with more open spaces than anywhere in the world. An entire life could be dedicated to exploring all the open green spaces, lost in time in Rome.

We chose this little set of stairs leading to I'm not sure where as our painting spot for the light and solitude. It somehow seemed to represent the time past.

If you can't tell, I'm completely enthralled in all that is Rome and hope to have the opportunity to explore every nook and crannie.

Benzinaio, Porta Portese

2011-07-04T04:40:00.002-04:00

Il Benzinaio, Porta Portese

12x10"

Oil on Panel

A painting of a gas station, an unlikely composition to choose you might say. I thought so too. Porta Portese is one of the most fabulous places in Rome and is most known for its huge flea market on Sunday mornings.

Next to this gas station is the ancient door, an opening in the Janiculum walls running from the hill down to the river here, where this used to be one of Rome's major ports. Although the port was destroyed in the building of the high river bank walls, you still get the sense of the port from the abandoned warehouses running along the river.

I stood on the corner thinking to paint the door, but looking to the gas station with the bouganville climbing the red sign post, I knew that this had to be the painting.

As luck would have it I set up under a tree next to one of Rome's free water fountains or "nasone", where people came in a continuous stream to drink and fill their bottles. I realized what an integral part of life these fountains are for Romans. Workmen walked over to wash their hands, business men in suits jumped off of their scooters to stoop and get a drink and everyone in between, I was truly amazed by this and appreciated once again the unique city that Rome truly is.

No one seemed to take notice of someone doing a painting of the gas station, except one man who stopped to get water and after looking and contemplating for several minutes advised me on painting less modern scenes in the future in order to really capture the true sense of Rome. My sentiments are with him and sometimes I wish that Rome looked like a Corot painting from the 19th century, but alas we are in another time and I like capturing Rome as it is today. In some small way I also like the idea of building on a past tradition.

Sometimes You Get a DUD

2011-06-20T04:37:00.008-04:00

I would never normally post paintings that I consider duds or unworthy of showing, but I've done quite a few lately, and thought why not? In thinking about it, it might be fun to show a few dead end paintings. It's all part of the process..

Along the Acqueduct, Palmiro Togliatti

24x30cm

Oil on Panel

One of the things about painting on site is that sometimes I just don't capture the scene. This happens for lots of reasons, but usually because I didn't block in the composition right and it's a failure and/or the light is just moving too fast and it was a matter of bad timing. Sometimes people stop to chat and I lose my concentration, or even worse is after I'm halfway into a painting I realize I just can't make it work with the size panel I put up on the easel.

Whatever the case may be I produce a lot of duds. I'm not sure of the ratio between dud and successful paintings that turn out, it varies. Of course sometimes I think I've got a keeper and would have been better off left in the dud pile.

Piazza Bernini, San Saba

Oil on Panel

8x10"

I know that a lot of painters go back and use their sketches more as refrence material for later more finished paintings. So far I haven't been able to do much of that. These are more like incomplete thoughts where I haven't fully observed a place in all of its nuances. For me, making finished paintgs or sketches on site is having a complete thought and capturing fully the place in that moment, and sometimes maybe I am unclear about the objective, so I leave these as visual "notes" that I can look back at later and decide whether or not its worth it to go back and try, try again. Really, it's all a work in progress..

The Sky's the Limit!

2011-06-08T11:02:00.007-04:00

Sunset, San Fedele

8x10"

Oil on Paper

I just love painting skies, what landscape painter doesn't? Don't you have a favorite big sky painting by your favorite artist?

They're fleeting, gorgeous and we just have to jump out of our cars sometimes, prepared to "jot" something down and hope to capture the awe-inspiring moment.

I always feel like they're a test of how I'm progressing and what I've learned so far, a pop quiz if you will.

Sunset, Moonrise, San Fedele

5x7"

Oil on Paper

These two were painted while I was with a group in Tuscany. It was so much fun, and a few evenings we had dinner early (homemade local dishes, yum!) and then ran out to the terrace where we had already set up our easels to paint the sunset. This evening in particular we got a special treat: the moonrise. I had never painted the moonrise, what an added challenge to make it seem like a moon!

Thunderstorn, Dievole

7x7"

Oil on Paper

This final one was painted as a storm rolled by and dropped a few big drops on us while painting at a winery. At some point there was too much water on my palette to mix the sticky paint. Thunder rolling and crashing in the distance added to the excitement of the moment.

In the city I don't often get the chance to paint the wide open sky, our sojurn to Tuscany gave me (and the others too I'm sure) a temporary fix.

Other artists out there: I would love to see some of your skies and hear some of your stories and lessons learned in sky painting. Leave me a comment or send me to see some of your work!

See some more of my "skyskapes" here on my website.

Piazza delle Scuole, Radda in Chianti

2011-05-30T04:53:00.005-04:00

Piazza delle Scuole, Radda in Chianti

9x11"

Oil on Linen

I've been away painting in Tuscany with painters Mark Horton and Chris Groves from Charleston, SC who led a group of painters to the most magical monastery in Chianti. I had the opportunity to jump on board and assist in the workshop and paint a little throughout the week.

We had several day trips to small hill towns, my favorite of which was Radda in Chianti where I did this little painting in a square.

We were fabulously lucky to have sunny blue skies most days, and there is nothing like the contrast of light and shadow like here in Italy.

I chose this spot for the composition, the little ape truck in the corner and the colors and play of shadows. I had to battle with the wind, which had its way by tuning my easel over a few times, and humbleded me into remembering that I'm a guest here!

Our group of nearly 30 people invaded this beautiful town and we were all the talk amognst the locals that day.

After being in Rome and then going back to paint in Tuscany, I realize just how picturesque and beautiful Tuscany really is with its color harmonies of blues, greens and pinks. A life of painting in Italy is well spent!

You can see some other paintings from this trip by clicking here to my website

Via Cibele, Quadraro

2011-04-29T04:18:00.004-04:00

Via Cibele, Quadraro

10x12"

Oil on Panel

This neighborhood, quadraro, or better known as "the wasps' nest" is one of my favorites in Rome. It's one of my favorites because of the small, brightly colored houses, each with its own garden. It got its name wasps' nest from the Germans in World War II, who hated this neighborhood becaused it housed many of the partisans fighting a guerilla or popular war against the Nazis and fascist party.

It has a small town feel, a sunny quiet place is what can otherwise be a frenetic and noisy town.

No one seemed to think it strange at all that I was painting on the street corner, and of course I just couldn't resist this gorgeous yellow building with it's awning and vines growing off the terrace: it's unique Italy and a one-of-a-kind litttle haven in the world. I wouldn't mind living there myself.

Under the Bridge, Lungotevere

2011-04-21T04:16:00.002-04:00

Under the Bridge, Lungotevere

Oil on Panel

8x10"

© Kelly Medford, 2011

This turned out to be a Monet inspired painting, without my really having that intention. Of course I love Monet and I have no pretentions of being anywhere the painter that he was.

This landscape though is not exactly that of Monet, it's in a different context.

This bridge, right in the hectic center of town leads to the famous Supreme Court, or as the locals call it, the palazzaccio (meaning the ugly palace).

There is a woman living under this bridge, who is only a dot in my painting. She has built herself a little lean-to house and was cooking lunch with a fire from sticks she had collected. The irony speaks for itself. In the heart of a wealthy city surrounded by hoards of tourists and elaborate palaces, just a five minute walk from the Vatican, there are people living on the streets.

And what does my pretty painting say about all of this? What does it mean to find beauty in a place like this (because it's there)? I don't really have an answer to this question, but I am left asking myself what is the place of making land or cityscapes in all of this? What am I contributing to society?

I think it's an important question to ask no matter what we do. And I was pertinently reminded of this today in reading a post by a fellow artist Leslie G. Nutting posing the question are artists indispensable.?

Reality check, always timely.

Il Manicomio

2011-04-18T10:08:00.005-04:00

Il Manicomio della Provincia, Padiglione XVIII

Oil on Panel

10x12"

While this place may be well known to Romans, I happened upon it by chance, or luck as the case may be. Intending to go somewhere else to paint, but unable to find the correct bus, I ended up jumping on a bus going to Rome's highest spot, Monte Mario.

I never mind not having a plan, but fate helped me out this day. An old woman got on the bus and sat right next to me and began to ask me a series of questions about where I was going with my big easel. When she discovered that I didn't really know where to go to paint, she took the lead and told me to follow her. We changed buses and made our way up the mountain.

We got off and walked into what is now a large public park along with public health services. The painting is titled after the place: the mental hospital for the entire region. The place is comprised of one large main building and then several smaller ones dotted throughout the property. The grounds overlook the city, and while there are fantastic views, the place itself is what I focused on, as it was both quiet, beautiful and yet unsettling. The unsettling part came from the abondened buildings, like the one I painted. Left in their original state, but now with vines sneaking up along the walls and into the broken windows slowly covering their subjects, these buildings could not be mistaked for anything but old hospitals for mental patients.

Everyone else seemed to be enjoying the place, as if there were nothing strange or eerie at all, while jogging, visiting with friends or walking their dogs, but it left quite an impression on me. Rome is a hauntingly beautiful place, full of the past meeting the present, where one can almost hear their whispers.

Morning Nap, Villa Glori

2011-04-07T03:03:00.005-04:00

Morning Nap, Villa Glori. 8x10", oil on panel

The name can be misleading here, as there really is no villa to be found in the park of Villa Glori. There is however an enormous and wild park, lined with trees and dotted with columns, monuments and contemporary sculpture.

Wandering the park, I was captured by the dappled morning light and the bright new acid green of spring.

Stumbling upon this scene of a man napping on the bench in the late morning, I immediately wanted to set up and paint, but hestiated feeling like an invasive vouyer. Deciding that it's just part of daily life I went ahead and started to paint. My lovely "model" stayed sleeping fitfully for awhile, until awakened by some chatty passersby and set to walking the park himself.

Sometimes I am amazed by just how many (what seem to me) secret and endless amounts of green space there are in Rome. This park in particular seems a little abandoned and left to the wilds, which is what gives it its charm. Though full of people jogging, walking their dogs and catching some sun, it's uncannily silent as the city passes by below.

Porta Maggiore

2011-03-31T03:01:00.008-04:00

Porta Maggiore, sketch. Oil on panel, 8x10"

This place, Porta Maggiore, is hugely impressive when you come upon it, usually in the midst of congested traffic. Once a Roman gate, it is now a busy intersection where buses, trains, trams, cars, pedestrians and mopeds all cross paths.

It could seem a highly unlikely place to paint, but it is a place worth figuring out where exactly one can put an easel and manage to not get run over!

This sketch, while not so successful, in that I wanted to capture more of the place but only had this little panel to paint on, is a start in what will be a series of paintings I think. I'm always captured by the white of the marble against the deep blue sky with those perfect little clouds floating by.
In fact, I painted 3 sketches here, none of which are yet exactly what I wanted to capture, but today I plan to go back and try again. The drawing is tricky for me and composing it right is essential.

I was recently watching a video of David Curtis painting, and at some point he said something like he just puts his easel down and gets to work without giving too much thought to the whole composition, hoping that it will work out. Man, can I relate to that! That's how I feel most times, setting up when I found something about the light that really strikes me and just get to work without planning it all out. In this case it didn't turn out exactly how I wanted, but it is my hand that is controlling the brush.. Sometimes I just get caught up in thinking too much and then it's all over.

Here's back to the drawing board, but at least I'm inspired.

Interview

2011-03-29T08:12:00.011-04:00

An interview with yours truly by Cindy Michaud about my escapades city-scaping in Rome.

This is republished from her blog Cindy Michaud Art

Plenty of Plein Air

Kelly Medford on Plein Air painting…..

Today’s guest is Kelly Medford, a new friend and a “plein air” painter who currently bikes around Rome capturing the landscape and nuance of Italy. Seven years ago she spent a year at the Florence Academy of Art while a student at the University of TN, Chattanooga. (See her work at: http://www.kellymedford.com). Realizing that all her time had been in the studio Kelly vowed to get outside and paint the countryside….

Just what is “plein air painting?”

Kelly: It’s taking your easel and all other painting “gear” outside, setting up and painting the scene. I spend hours walking or riding my bike around looking for the right composition or the right light and then, bam! there’s a painting just waiting to be captured. It’s about being inspired by real life in the blink of an eye. I have my easel in a backpack and saddlebags on my bike. It’s a real challenge.

This sounds a little….hazardous?

Well, it’s not dangerous (if you have your gear system down pat) but you need to be mentally agile. For example, I usually wear sandals and once in FL I noticed way too late that I was standing in a fire ant bed; my feet swelled to the size of melons. You have to put up with the elements: wind, sun, cold, the annoying person who tells me I’ve painted it all wrong or the one who parks their car in front of my perfect composition.

But?

But I like it. I was attracted by the level of spontaneity, unpredictability. I like being outdoors (farming didn’t work for me). I like the strong light and I love how people are surprised by someone out on the street painting.

Do they interrupt you?

Constantly, it’s part of the adventure. If you don’t like being friendly I suggest you wear oversized earphones and act like you are listening to music. But I enjoy sharing my work; sometimes they ask to buy the piece or want to see more on-line. Italians are a lot nosier than Americans. In the US people spoke to tell me I was trespassing…in Italy they tell me stories, they want to know why I picked a scene, they tell me they paint better, I’ve even been serenaded while painting on a bridge.

People are amazing, wonderful creatures and always have something fascinating to tell me. I can’t imagine painting in the studio every day; it would be so boring and lifeless without these odd interactions. People ultimately make me appreciate what I do.

So, you do not paint from photographs?

I’ve only used them if I need to finish up something and usually I toss them as memory and imagination better serve me. Without judging those who do, let me share my philosophy: I could take a photograph (which is also an art form) but copying it somehow lacks imagination. If I do a little sketch with a pencil, the lines will say everything about the place, the moment and how I feel about it right then. I’m an artist, I create something from nothing. I want to paint life in that moment…not make an accurate record of a static situation. You can enjoy my recent series of scenes in Rome "When in Rome" by clicking on the title.

Kelly, you have a challenging but exciting job; it’s obvious that you totally love what you do.

I do love it. I enjoy that every day is so unexpected: I have no idea what I will paint or who I will meet. It’s a lot like the weather: you can try to predict it but ultimately you have to experience it as it happens…and always dress accordingly!

For more of Kelly’s adventures visit her blog “Adventures in Painting” or contact Kelly at paintings@kellymedford.com.

Piazza Mastai

2011-03-22T06:47:00.003-04:00

Piazza Mastai, oil on panel, 10x8"

Trastevere, everyone loves this part of town! It's old with the little shops and winding streets, places where vines grow up through the cracks and sprawls over windows. There are little old ladies hanging out their laundry and old men shouting or hanging out in the streets (ok, I'm exagerrating, but you get the idea). It's one of those places that you imagine when you think of Italy.

This piazza is what I consider to be one of the doorways to Trastevere. It's a big piazza with this lovely fountain and one of the few squares in the entire city that is not full of parked cars, making it ideal to paint.

Americans have no idea what they (we) are missing without these public squares. They are big open spaces with water, trees, benches and people from the neighborhood. In other words a place for people to take time to come together and meet, hang out, or like today get some sun while eating lunch or doing paperwork or talking on the phone.

Italians take piazzas for granted, but they can be the heart of social life and are where daily life happens.

In the Mood

2011-03-14T11:19:00.005-04:00

Rain on the Appia Antica 6x8", oil on linen mounted on panel

In the mood for.. rain? Spring! I'm counting warm rain as the first official sign.

This was literally painted in the rain and had to be abandoned when the paint became too sticky to mix due to the amount of raindrops in it.

I would like to think that it captures the mood of the moment even if it is not a highly rendered finished painting.

After having rode my bike all the way out here, daring the looming clouds to drop their rain, I wasn't about to ride all the way back home defeated and without a painting. Even if I only got out this tiny sketch, I still felt triumphant (and somewhat productive) over the rain.

Value in Repetition?

2011-02-28T10:39:00.004-05:00

From the Window , 10x8", oil on panel

If you've been following my latest project, you just might feel like you've seen me paint this painting before (because you have).

With the heavy rain and cold weather I decided to stay in and paint today and I wanted to paint this scene over to see if I could learn something new, especially with the tricky part of painting these white semi-transparent curtains.

I don't know that today's result is anymore successful than last weeks attempt, but I was not resolved with the first painting and wanted to try again. After the second attempt I still feel like there is more to be developed and explored in this painting. You may just see it again.. who knows?!

Any thoughts on repition? Worthwhile or waste of time?

A Day Off and Away...!

2011-02-25T05:05:00.003-05:00

Today is my 34th birthday,yeah!!

I'm going to take a friend's advice and do exactly what I want today so that when I next do what I have to I'll really love it. Good advice, to be taken more than once a year.

I'll think I'll go painting and sketching in one of my favorite museums and just wander around town, it's a gorgeous sunny day.

Talk to you Monday and have a great weekend!

Spring Along the Aqueduct

2011-02-23T11:37:00.003-05:00

Spring Along the Aqueduct, 12x10", oil on panel

"Are you still out there painting ruins and stuff? Why don't you paint something real!"

This is what a friend of mine (and an Italian) said to me lately about my paintings, he's so bored with all this ancient ruins stuff.
Maybe he's got a point, but at least he didn't scoff at today's painting (modern living tree juxtaposed with ancient ruin aqueduct..).

This is the park near my house. I just love going here, if nothing else for the great company. It's one of my favorite painting haunts right now, and I think I'm just bedazzled by the fact that my neighborhood park has a Roman aqueduct running through it. I'm sooo American!

Some old timers stopped to see what I was up to. Most of them just could not comprehend why on earth I would paint that old tree. According to the locals it was "dead" for a couple of years, but made an unexpected comeback last year. I think it's looking great.
Another old man told me about how during and after WWII this place was just lined with make-to sheds where people lived, and what is now the park was a kind of swamp, you couldn't even walk in there. This was the countryside and there were only dirt roads. Hundrends of people were living along here and just had the public water fountain (Il Nasone) as their only source of water. Hard to imagine, but really painted a different picture of life in Rome, and aren't we lucky that there is still someone to take the time to tell the tale.

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From the Bedroom Window

2011-02-21T09:51:00.003-05:00

From the Bedroom Window, 10x8", oil on panel

Monday! Who thought I would be complaining about something like Monday (or any day at all really..), I have the most fabulous job in the world, painting Rome.
But this morning felt like "Monday." It was chilly and overcast, looking like rain, so I thought to stay at home and paint here. To tell the truth it's not the weather that deterred me so much as much as I just felt like relaxing a little and not lugging my (heavy) easel around town. Besides, I love my room and the view into the gardens of varying styles and sizes.

It's quiet and when lunch time comes, you can only imagine the smells that come wafting through my window and inspire me to eat throughout the entire afternoon. Today was the opportunity to do something a little different, which I'm glad I did. It's always tricky figuring out how to compose a painting from a window here in Italy. Usually the windows are really tall and slender, which is not ususally the kind of canvas I have lying around. I could really spend time and make an entire series just based on different views from the window, as there are always very paintable things like colorful laundry hanging out with the bright blue sky and sunshine slanting across the courtyard. I just haven't figured out how to compose these things yet, but it could be worth a try.

To view or buy today's painting from my website, click here

To see other paintings from the When In Rome series, click here

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Thank you for following the project and I love hearing from you, thank you for all of your fabulous ideas, input, support and comments!

The Ancient Roman Road

2011-02-18T11:22:00.006-05:00

On the Appia Antica, 8x10", oil on panel

It's almost overwhelming just how many amazing places there are in Rome, and this is by far one of my favorites.
This is one of the longest roads built by the Romans (and now restored) and is in fact still the longest stretch of straight road in all of Europe. It starts in Rome and goes to the southeastern most tip of Italy. You can't tell from the painting, but the big flat rocks that are the road are full of ruts where wheels must have passed for hundreds of years.

You can go for miles and miles on this road and it's out in the countryside (although just a 15 min. bike ride from my house in the city). All you see while traveling down the road are a bunch of crazy ruins jutting out in the middle of what are otherwise pastures and occassioanl large flock of sheep. You can see the city just off in the distance and the snow capped mountains not far behind. Who ever thought of this when picturing Rome?

To buy or view today's painting on my website, click here
To see other paintings from the When In Rome series, click here

Pantheon: View from Piazza Minerva

2011-02-16T17:09:00.003-05:00

Pantheon, View from Piazza Minerva, 10x8", oil on panel

The Pantheon is probably the most well known site in Rome after the Colosseum. I actually had no plan of painting this, it just seems somehow too obvious. I had no plan at all except to paint something, but as I was walking through this square the light slanting across the back side of the Pantheon with that deep, clear blue sky just seemed too good to pass up. It's an odd angle, not one I would have thought to have painted, but that's what made it even more interesting and less predicitable as a painting.

I really enjoy the surprise element of walking and finding these magical spots, and the real beauty is that they are endless.

To buy today's painting from my website, click here
To see this and other paintings from the When In Rome series, click here

2011-02-14T09:26:00.001-05:00

Isola Tiberina, 10x12", oil on panel

How exotic, an island in the middle of the Tiber river, right in the middle of Rome! Of course this isn't the first painting of the island, most famously Corot painted it in 1825. I love being able to see these old paintings, painted right in the place where I was this morning. It lets me see how much has changed and how much has stayed the same over time.

The only original bridge left in Rome is the one connecting this island to the right bank of the city, it's called Ponte Fabricio. Early on the Romans seemed to have thought this an evil or unlucky sort of place, so they avoided it and just sent the sick and criminals here. Eventually though the Romans built a temple to Aesculapius after a plague came to Rome and the temple they built was in the form of a boat (to read the history of the island, clickhere).
Today one could easily walk through the city without realizing there is this magical island in the middle of a huge fast paced city.
Tourists are lucky because they get to take the time to walk the streets and absorb the almost overwhelming greatness that is Rome. I'm continually amazed by Rome and its ancient contents popping out at you around every corner. Romans seem to think this is normal, but I hope I never get used to it.

To buy or view today's painting on my website, click here
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Via Cencelli

2011-02-11T06:26:00.002-05:00

Via Cencelli, 10x8", oil on panel

Transportation strike! That meant staying close to home, which was fine by me as I'm lately fixated on going to the local park to paint and it was a gorgeous sunny day, so off I went.

Walking back and forth, up and down the park with my easel, I couldn't decide on a composition, so I sat down on a bench to sketch and think about it. A man who had been sitting on a bench approached me to ask me if I was lost and needed help. He saw that I had been walking in circles lugging something like looked like a suitcase! When I told him what I was doing, it didn't seem to relieve his worry or to clarify anything, so he offered to bring me a coffee from the shop around the corner. When I said thank you, but no thank you (if I drink any more coffee this morning my hands will shake too much to hold the paintbrush steady), he didn't really accept that answer either and kept insisting.
Finally, we moved on, each going our seperate ways and I thought maybe I should check out the neighborhood behind the park. That's when I found this street, Via Cencelli. The light was just so cool, that I thought, "I've got to paint this!" I don't have a lot of practice at these street scenes, so it was a little intimidating, but I need the practice.

The light was moving so fast that I had to move my easel every 15 minutes or so to keep the sun from hitting the painting. I stayed a few hours with the light constantly changing and I really got into it. I would love to paint some more of these kinds of scenes. Even though it could be a street anywhere, for me it's definitely Italian with the red, pink and yellow buildings.

I'm so grateful for sunny Italy!

You can buy this painting from my website by clicking here

You can view other paintings from the When In Rome project here

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Il Nasone

2011-02-09T10:48:00.002-05:00

Il Nasone, 8x6", oil on panel

Nasone in Italian means big nose. That's right, here's a portrait of one of Rome's famous big noses!

I've been wanting to paint this public fountain for awhile (this one in particular because of how it is just about to fall over), as it is one of many fabulous things unique to Rome.

There are somewhere around 2,500 of these public fountains all over Rome- in and outside the city center. They get their name from the long metal waterspout which curves down at the end and has an endless flow of cold clean water. On the top of the metal nose is a tiny hole (like the blowhole of a whale) and I had to be shown that if you plug the fountain from the bottom, a nice small strem of water shoots out the top making it quite easy to drink from.

In fact, while painting this all kinds of locals stop to drink from it: people walking their dogs, nearby workers and even a business man in a suit. These have been a staple and defining characteristic of the city since 1874, and I love that they're still around every corner. Rome is most likely the only city where one doesn't have to lug a bottle of water with you wherever you go!

You can buy this painting from my website by clicking here

To see other paintings from the When In Rome project, click here.

La Salita, View of the Vittoriano

2011-02-07T09:28:00.002-05:00

La Salita, View of the Vittoriano, oil on panel, 10x12"

This is a secret magic spot. It's one of those places that one always hopes to find, especially when wandering around a new and unknown city.
A friend brought me here by accident one day (we missed our turn), and I've gone back many times since. It's right in the center, a steep, old walled road with the hand hewn and layed stones that Rome is famous for. It leads to the river at the bottom and to a park overlooking the center of Rome at the top. Hardly anyone passes this way and there is a group of homeless people living in the shrubs along the protected side of the wall.

I had the chance to talk with a woman when I was painting here one day. She was shouting at me in Italian that she knew that I was some kind of secret spy because only spies that want to destroy this treasure of a place hang around as long as I was. By her accent I could tell that she was American. I spoke to her in English and she stormed off and I kept painting. After a little bit she changed her mind and came back and we talked for a long time.
She is American and she is homeless and has been living in Rome for over 30 years. I don't know anything more about her, but I do know that she is the self-appointed guardian of this ancient little road.

Rome is full of these places, it's incredible. Another day when I was painting in this spot and older Italian man stopped to tell me that he has lived in Rome almost 50 years and this is the first time he ever walked down this old road. He didn't understand how he missed it all these years.
How lucky that I found it after only 3 months!

To view this painting or buy it from my website, click here

To see other paintings from the When In Rome project, click here

Boat Tour, Lungotevere

2011-02-04T07:53:00.002-05:00

Boat Tour, Lungotevere, 8x10", oil on panel

For some reason I keep going to the river to paint. It seems to be a place for peace and quiet along with endless paintable themes.

This little treasure of a spot is where (in the summer I presume) you can take a boat tour of Rome's Tiber River. It is just under a foot bridge going to the famous round castle on the way to Saint Peter's Church, and I consider myself lucky to have found a quiet spot in such a busy part of town. This is a place where I would like to paint several more times and would consider this my first quick study.

When the weather really gets warm I think I'll jump on this boat tour one day and take the opportunity to see Rome from this point of view. Until then I'll keep haunting it from these sidelines.

To buy or view this painting or others from the When in Rome project, click here

City Olive

2011-02-02T08:44:00.003-05:00

City Olive, 10x8", oil on panel

Even in the dirtiest park one can find a lovely olive tree.

I happen to love this park, it's in my neighborhood and it is where one of the old Roman acquaducts runs (which I just found out was still in use until the 1970's).

I seem to be a bit of a homebody, only in the sense that I have the huge, amazing, gorgeous city of Rome, but I go to the park to paint this little olive tree. I like this tree, and even more I liked the pink and blue with the green, the tree in its abstract city surroundings and the juxtaposition of it all.
Why not paint a single tree? As we know, Rome wasn't built in a day (or even a lifetime for that matter...)

To buy this painting or to see others from the When in Rome project, click here

Ode to Keats

2011-01-11T10:42:00.007-05:00

Ode to Keats, 8x10", oil on panel

I painted this at the Protestant Cemetery here in Rome. It's a wonderful place, I can't even begin to describe it with it's layers of tombs in all different shapes and sizes- some with carved sculptures, shrubs, etc. and a community of ferral cats. It should be a tourist destination in Rome, but this morning it was silent with big menacing clouds floating by. Next time you come to Rome take the time to see it for yourself. You can't miss it, as it is marked with a giant 3-story marble pyramid out front and is the burial spot of many famous and great people, including Keats, Shelley and Gramsci.

This is the spot where romantic poet John Keats is buried. His tomb doesn't actually have his name on it, but rather the inscription "Here lies one whose name was writ in water." Of course, what else could the tombstone of the greatest romantic poet read??

Sycamores on the Tevere

2010-12-16T07:43:00.004-05:00

Sycamores, Il Lungotevere 10x8" oil on panel

In the last few days the temperature has dropped here in Rome, making it really feel like winter. I was prepared and dressed in a ridiculous amount of layers, as if I were going out to paint the high Alps. Unfortunately it wasn't snowing, but the good news is that it was sunny blue skies (and I wasn't cold!).
The Tevere is the river running through the middle of Rome and has tall stone walls surrounding it. For the most part the roads along the river are lined by Sycamore trees and right now they are an irresistible orange, casting shadows on the huge river wall. Something about the blue contrating with the orange just called out to me to paint it.
I know I was wishing for the rain to stop, but I forgot to ask for warmer weather as well! Let's hope it will warm up in the next week, even if it doesn't I think I'll keep painting!

To view this painting on my website or other paintings from the When In Rome project, click here.

2010-12-08T10:14:00.001-05:00

View from Circo Massimo, 6x8" oil on panel

The Circus Maximus is a unique spot in Rome- it's where the Romans used to hold chariot races and is a long oval racetrack surrounded by (now ruins) up on the hills.
I wasn't planning on painting this view, but as I was walking along I loved the light and the grouping of buildings, so I stopped to paint it.
After painting I took a good long walk all around the Roman Forum, the ruins, the Coloseum and old temples and I was a little overwhelmed by the scale of things. The Romans seemed to have built these structures as if they were built for giant gods, nothing was made to human scale and it is awe inspiring.
With all of the tourists and silly men dressed in gladiator suits I forgot the significance, power and beauty of these things and how lucky we are to have them with us more than a thousand years later. You can bet I will have more paintings to paint of these magnificent places.

To view or buy today's painting or to see other paintings from the When In Rome project, click here.

December, Piazza Vittorio

2010-12-06T10:20:00.002-05:00

December, Piazza Vittorio 8x6" oil on panel

Admittedly, I chose this composition for the palm trees, they were just too fabulous not to put them into this painting and they reminded me of Florida.
I originally went to paint in this square because it has these huge ruins right in the middle of the park. When attempting to figure out how to make a small painting of a big pile of ancient Roman bricks, I saw this composition looking through the square down the street and thought it would work better as a painting.
I have to say that walking around the vastness of Rome with my little paint box is overwhelming. I'm tempted to feel almost silly with such a little wooden panel for painting such a large city with its centuries of history. Just one little painting at a time is all I can think for now until I find a solution to the conundrum. Maybe if I put them all together in the end, there will be some kind of story about Rome as it is now (as told from my point of view).

I'm continually asking myself what is painting about for me? So far it's been pretty simple and straightforward: to capture a moment in time to the best of my ability. But sometimes I think that maybe I'm too literal or that this idea of painting is just too simple. What would my paintings look like if I were to try and capture an essence of a place, what is it that makes up the essence of a place?

There is no real answer for now (for me) to these questions, just the inquiry. In the meantime I have a lot of work to do in making the best (literal) paintings I can!

Rain, The Spanish Steps

2010-12-03T10:45:00.002-05:00

Rain, View from the Spanish Steps 8x6" oil on panel

While Rome is endless in possibilities for painting, the rain has been a little discouraging. Truth be told I was dreading starting the project for the rain- how on earth was I going to paint consistently with it raining everyday for the last month??

Well, the rain didn't stop for the start of my project, so umbrella and paint box in hand, I was out and about.
The Spanish Steps, one of the most glorious, famous (and most crowded) places in all of Rome is a sight to behold.
I actually had no intention of ending up here (for the very reason of avoiding the crowd), but I set out walking and came upon them from above. I only realized where I was when I started walking down the steps. Since it was raining, it was quite empty and I felt lucky. I had the thought that I liked looking down this street, so I just sat down on the steps (on another painting panel to keep my bottom dry) and painted with one hand and held my umbrella with the other. It's amazing how far a little determination can go..!

In the end I was grateful to have the rain, otherwise I most likely would have never had the opportunity to paint the steps. Usually they're jam packed full of tourists and I'd never get a view. Winter and rain certainly have there high points..

To learn more about the history of this magnificent square and see pictures, click here

To buy this painting for $100 from my website or to see other paintings from Rome, click here

Il Laghetto, Villa Borghese

2010-12-01T06:20:00.003-05:00

Il Laghetto, Villa Borghese 8x10" oil on panel

Welcome to Rome!

If you've been here before, chances are you've seen the "little lake" here in the middle of the vast gardens (now a park) around the Villa Borghese.

These days the park is empty, with the occassional jogger and the old man who rents boats for only €1.50. I was tempted to rent a boat, but as it keeps raining on and off, I thought balancing an easel, ores and an umbrella might have just sent me head long into the pond..

I couldn't resist painting here, as the art collection housed in the Villa itself has to be one of the most exquisite in all of Italy for classical art. Maybe it's too clichè painting the lake, but I enjoyed the silence of the water, the fall colors of the Sycamore trees and the enormous racket produced by all the quacking ducks in the pond. I can only imagine that in the summer time one couldn't possibly find a place on a bench, much less the peace and quiet to sit and paint.

You can see this painting and others from Rome by clicking here.

ROMA

2010-11-24T09:03:00.003-05:00

Roman Aqueduct, sketch 8x10 oil on panel

Well, it's only taken me a little over a month to start painting after having arrived in Rome. It's been raining like mad and I've prefered to wander around casually rather than set to work.

This week there was a change for the better: the sun came out and I got motivated. I spent a morning in the park near my house painting a detail of the old Roman aqueduct that runs through a large part of the city.

I've decided to start a new project about Rome as a way to keep me painting and in dialogue, to keep me motivated and get me out exploring and painting around the city.

The project will begin next Monday and will be more loosely structured than the 100 day project. I will post a painting 3 times a week and share with you my ongoing learning process in the "Eternal City". The project has a beginning date but no end date. I will also paint various sizes, keeping them small sketches on panel, but not limited to the 6x8" format. All the paintings will be for sale on my website via paypal. I'm excited about the chance to learn this enormous and unique city- I'm looking forward to sharing my adventures with you.

On the Road to Home

2010-10-12T02:41:00.002-04:00

The Reading Chair oil on linen 24x20"

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Orlando and heading to Chattanooga for a big show of Western paintings where I have the opportunity to show some of my paintings from Alaska. From there I will be going to another show at Antioch College and then headed back to Italy.

This painting was done in my mom's living room- it's an intimate place where we all hang out in the evenings and seemed like the thing to post upon leaving. I've had some great adventures and met so many wonderful and generous people these past months in the u.s. I'm not sad to leave, but instead am excited and looking forward to what a new city full of life and opportunity will bring.

New Paintings

2010-10-04T11:27:00.003-04:00

Sunset, Sanford Oil on Linen 40x46"

Well, I disappeared from the blogging world for awhile, sorry about that! I'm just preparing for 3 shows this month and then to head back to Rome, Italy at the end of October.

Here is a new painting that is hanging at Dexter's in Winter Park, FL.

You can come out and see some new paintings and see me off at Dexter's this upcoming Sunday, October 10th. We will be there from 3-6 p.m. I'm excited about some of my new paintings and have been working a little larger, which is daring and exciting for me. Hope to see you there!

Just a Day in Myakka

2010-08-29T10:37:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to be out in Myakka for just a day to talk to a group about my work along with a few other Florida artists. It was a fun opportunity, not something I've had much chance to do and it was good practice! I even had time to do this little sketch in a field. All in all a great productive day.

I realize that I don't always engage people in talking about my work. Maybe if someone comes by the house/studio and asks I will tell them where something was painted, but then it sort of stops there. Why am I so shy about really engaging people in a dialogue about my work?

Maybe I'm not sure what to say really. I end up talking about technical things, like how something is painted, with what palette, etc. But often times avoid the why.

WHY I paint something is not always the easy question to answer, and one I've been grappling with for awhile as I attempt to write a "brilliant" artists' statement in order to apply to galleries.

The why seems just too simple. Really, something about the light and arrangement of lights and darks catches my eye. If not that then it's the mood of something. That's it really, and I fear that this is just too simple and maybe superficial, not deep and meaningful enough. I enjoy painting, even when I feel like there's so far for me to go in the learning process. Now I don't always enjoy it and struggle sometimes, but I've committed myself to the process, to stick it out and see where I go with it.

As a child I didn't draw or paint much really, no more than the average kid. I loved to make things from clay, make and illustrate books and even the occasional splatter painting was too much fun. Now it's become something serious that one needs to master and be brilliant at, and honestly I'm a little intimidated. This leaves me always questioning myself (but it doesn't stop me from working..) and dwelling in the why.

Maybe the exploration is why enough to paint. After all, isn't life just a journey to be explored?

A Little Inspiration

2010-08-15T19:29:00.003-04:00

Today called for something different and to get back in touch with why I love painting. I was sitting in the studio feeling a little lackluster really, and was staring at my brush cleaner sitting on this journal.

I've been teaching a few drawing lessons lately, and they've been so good to get me back to basics and to practice drawing more myself. Drawing and I have a rocky history. The first "realistic" drawing I did in school, I spent hours slaving away at getting it right. When done I marched over proudly to the teacher to show her my masterpiece, only for her to inform me that it really wasn't very good and I could try again another time. (yikes!)

Crushed, I never really spent time drawing after that until I became a painting major in college. Then there was no way out of or around it, we relentlessly submitted ourselves to drawing.

As soon as I could figure out how to wield paint and a brush I left drawing behind, fumbling with my blobs of color. But I didn't mind, I liked the mushy texture of paint and wasn't concerned about the drawing.

In teaching drawing and seeing others struggle with the basics, I remembered my struggle (ongoing by the way) and have so much appreciation and gratitude for the hours that I have and will put in. The thing about drawing is that it can be painful at first until we learn to appreciate it and let ourselves be humbled by our clumsiness and try and try again, there's just no shortcut, all there is is practice.

And today, for the first time in a long time, I reveled in the practice of drawing.

Rejection, Stuck, I Think We're Making Progress Here

2010-08-13T16:59:00.004-04:00

On Homer Spit, 14x21" oil on canvas

I've had an interesting day: I got rejected from a gallery, got to this point with this painting and got stuck, found out I need to retake all the photos of current paintings, and my car broke down, yikes! (hence rejection and stuck). All of this put together could have left me in a big funk. Now, I'm not gonna lie, all of this DID leave me in a funk for awhile this morning. But when I stopped to think about it I realized that I'm really just facing challenges and growing pains, and that could be exciting, it means that things (mainly life) are happening and it's picking up the pace daily.

I've gotten away from the Alaska paintings for a few weeks, distracting myself with little fun projects like a couple of smaller commissions (which I love) and am now coming back to finish up for the show in October. Where next with this painting? I'm not quite sure, but more work with the foreground and the grass and the red house. I thought from the beginning that this was a "no go" because of the red being in the center of the composition, but actually it's just starting to catch my interest.

Out of the Loop

2010-08-07T23:53:00.008-04:00

Here's a picture from a day spent painting in Montauk on Long Island. I haven't posted anything for awhile, I was visiting family and then painting on Long Island last week and just got back to Orlando in time for a bbq party, rough life!

I had a new and exciting experience on Long Island, where I had never been before. I was only there a few days, but we had good weather (lots of hot haze at times) and got some good painting in.

I realized that of all the times I've been to the beach, I've never actually painted there, so I gave it a shot this time and made this simple sketch. I liked the idea of keeping these big simple spaces, since that is the beauty of going to the ocean for me; no crowds here and just wide open sky, sand and sea. Simple.

On the Beach at Gibson Lane 8x12" oil on panel

I've been thinking a lot lately about my work and how I paint and I want to start exploring new things. So this sketch, although simple counts for me as a new exploration. I'm looking forward to seeing what I come up with next back here in Orlando!

Variety, The Spice of Life!

2010-07-27T17:43:00.003-04:00

Weeds in a Vase, oil on panel 10x8"

Today I thought I really needed to do something different, and here it is, and it was refreshing!

I knew I felt like painting some flowers, so I set off into the yard thinking I would find something picturesque. Well, since there weren't any lilies to be had, I thought that these yellow weeds against a dark background and a few splashes of pink would do the job just fine.

As in the past I found this to be more challenging than my idealized thought about it, no light fun really, but a good change of pace after Alaska studio paintings.

I did take too many breaks and get side tracked today. For some reason I thought that this would be quick and simple, which just wasn't the case. Instead I got really challenged by the constantly moving leaves and flowers, but stuck with my one day sketch of the beauties.

I liked the blue and the vibrant contrast between it and the yellow, that is what kept me interested in the painting along with the cool reflections in the glass.

Flowers, always a good exercise and today a much needed change.

Work In Progress

2010-07-19T13:34:00.004-04:00

Out on Homer Spit, oil on canvas 14x21"

Here's another Alaska painting I'm working on in the studio. It's funny, but the initial sketch was a flop really, but I just loved the space and mood of this place, so I thought to go ahead and go for it and make a painting of it anyway. The sketch still has good information and I know that I want a sort of gray mood with a big sky, so away I go.
This studio painting thing is pretty new to me and I'm finding it more fun than I imagined. It's giving me more freedom to experiment with creating mood and design. It is a challenge, but challenge is good, it's what there is to do when trying to take my work to the next level. In some ways (especially with the sky) I feel more free to make bigger brush strokes and just open to seeing what happens. Maybe I should be painting with that attitude all the time!

I've set this painting aside for the day to start on another larger one and let this one sink in, thinking about where to go from here with it. Stayed tuned, more Alaska to come (I'm not over Alaska just yet...)

Almost, but not quite...!

2010-07-06T18:46:00.002-04:00

Midnight on the Nenana oil on canvas 15x20"

This one is almost finished, but not quite. It's gone through a few stages and I have as well with fits and spurts of excitement and excited brushwork and then lulls where I got stuck and wasn't sure how to proceed. It's almost there though. I'll let it rest a few days and then come back and do what I think it needs (which I can't figure out just at this moment) to be finished.
In the meantime I'm going to work on some other Alaska paintings.
Any impressions are more than welcome, you all have different eyes that are most welcome! Feel free to leave your thoughts or comments about this painting.

Painting in Alaska

2010-06-30T18:27:00.004-04:00

For today I just want to post this painting, it's my favorite one and I painted it at midnight on the "beach" along the Nenana river at the education center the night before I was leaving. So even though it has sentimental value to me, I also think it's one of the stronger paintings that came closer to capturing the moment for me. The clouds were moving constantly and it began to rain while painting this, so I felt in a hurry. But more than in a hurry I was really inspired to capture the silent beauty of this place in that moment.
Today I couldn't think about painting Florida, I'm still thinking about those sky, mountains and braided streams running through Alaska, so I stretched up some bigger canvases and set to work turning some studies into more finished paintings. This should be interesting, as I have only a little experience making bigger paintings from studies, but I want to get to it immediately while the landscape is still fresh in my mind.

See You Soon Alaska!

2010-06-29T14:32:00.003-04:00

Here was the view leaving from Anchorage, with the mountains poking through the clouds which sit at 10,000 feet. The power of these mountains takes on a whole new dimension when seen from above. You could see the glaciers and snow with the ridges as sharp as razors.
I got really nostalgic watching the mountains disappear. Nostalgic for something that isn't even mine or my culture, but somehow took a hold on me and left me with a powerful and peaceful presence.
I wasn't able to update the blog the last few days in Alaska because I went to the town of Talkeetna for the weekend and then the internet wasn't working before I left early yesterday. I have enough material to write a blog entry every day for a year in just describing all the wonderful and exciting encounters I had. It rained the last few days, but the night before I left I did go down to the river and paint under the rain at midnight (of course it was still light enough to paint, it doesn't get dark!).
Tomorrow I will post some paintings from Alaska now that I'm back in Orlando and can take the time to get some good photographs of them.
I just want to thank Alaska in all of it's glory and each and every person that I came into contact with there who truly made the trip so fun and perfect. It's funny how in Alaska even a Yankee can feel right at home!

Alaska Outhouse Style

2010-06-25T23:58:00.004-04:00

I know this has nothing to do with painting, but I just can't resist bragging about the outhouse at the Denali Education Center, it's great! Not only does it not smell due to good ventilation piping, it's homey. Seriously, going to the bathroom out in the woods is always something to deal with and they have managed it well. There's good reading material, paintings on the walls, a light and a styrofoam seat that never gets cold.

I'm really liking life here at the center. Everyone is friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the park- they're good at what they do. Today a group returned with a bus load of kids and park rangers that had been backpacking out at the far end of the park and they shared some of their experiences. It seems like there were hoards of mosquitos and that they got to see a lot of wildlife. The kids help the rangers collect data for the park and learn about being out in the wilderness.

I spent my morning hiking along the Nenana river and set my easel teetering easel up on some rocks along the bank to paint. At first I was a little nervous, thinking that if a moose or grizzly wandered up I really had no route for quietly slipping away and jumping in the raging river wasn't looking like a plausible option.

I didn't let these thoughts keep me from painting, though and I dived in. After awhile I realized that I wasn't alone out there as a group of guided rafters started floating by. One of the rafts even came close to shore to see how my painting was going and the guide told me that I could have a free raft ride anytime! What a fun and unexpected day.

I have yet to meet an unfriendly Alaskan. I even asked one why Alaskans are so friendly. His response was that really they're still pretty rural people. I guess country people know the meaning of hospitality.

A Day on the Nenana River

2010-06-25T04:09:00.004-04:00

I painted on the river as the sun was going behind the mountain, finishing up about 10 p.m. This is such a little haven!

This morning I was going to walk the river to look for a place to paint, but got sidetracked and ended up painting in the woods and didn't get back to the river until evening time. When I came back this evening the river was significantly fuller with a faster flow than this morning leaving no room to walk along the rocky banks at some points.

Today you could feel that summer has arrived here in Denali, it was hot and sunny and what was left of the snow we saw here last week has melted away and is washing at breakneck speed downstream, headed for the Bering Sea.

I had a wonderful day meeting people at the center, going for a moutain bike ride up the ridge which overlooks the river and the Education Center and I even went to "town" to get some groceries and painted twice.

I think I'll head down the river first thing in the morning to see what it looks like in the morning light. There's so much wide open space, even being surrounded by the tall peaks of these mountains, I feel as though I need a bit more time here and a lot more canvas!

Denali Education Center

2010-06-24T03:58:00.005-04:00

Thanks to Jill and the Denali Education Center I get to stay here in the woods on the Nenana river and the edge of Denali National Park for my remaining days in Alaska. Immediately when I arrived (via 6 hour gorgeous bus ride from Anchorage), everyone greeted me and made me feel at home, as if I had always been here. They showed me around, including their center where they host all kinds of events and is home to wonderful local art, their "beach" on the Nenana river and the largest solar panels around which heat the water for the Elderhostel. All in all an amazing place!

Tomorrow I plan to do some hiking and lots of painting and am looking forward to getting to know this spot over the next few days.

This picture was taken a midnight, just to give you the idea that it really doesn't get dark here this time of year, even if the sun does set, it comes back up a few hours later. All this daylight gives the sense of many days all crammed into one.

Yesterday we hiked up the Russian River through some forest full of bear signs to a series of waterfalls where we saw the first salmon running. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to see this, this is something every human should witness in my opinion. To see these salmon jumping and swimming, negotiating the fierce currents with all their strength just hits home how that is what they have to do. We can do the things we need to do and even if it feels like swimming upstream sometimes, we add all the feeling of this is too hard, I can't do this, I don't want to, etc. when really all there is to do is keep swimming.

Alaska is a powerful and wild place, rich in life from the little that I've had the chance to see. Making little paintings might seem silly in the bigness of this place, but in a way it could be just right and what there is for me to do in my short time here. And besides, I'm really enjoying it!

Seward, AK

2010-06-21T04:24:00.003-04:00

One thing I didn't think about when coming to Alaska was about how much boats are a part of life here. In Seward there is a lot of fishing going on (we got to eat freshly caught halibut on our campfire grill tonight, amazing!) and so there are boats in all shapes, sizes and colors here.
In the morning we went to visit Exit Glacier where we hiked right up to the bottom of the glacier to experience it in it's enormity.
After hiking down we decided to paint a view of it from Resurrection river. The view was stunning, the composition complicated, but as I began to paint the snow covered mountains, I felt that mayhem would ensue! Painting snow covered mountains could really make someone want to pull their (my) hair out, trying to understand the shape of the mountain and following the countours of the snow and land. I didn't let mayhem ensue though, I just squinted hard through the whole painting and really enjoyed it by the end.
In the afternoon I got my group to drop me off by a run down looking ship yard, I couldn't just let it go by. I had to go and paint there, so I did.
It was hard knowing that I only had a few hours and not weeks here, so I chose a boat and set up. The best thing about seeing boats on land is you get to really experience their full shape and how enormous they are out of the water. I loved being able to see their undersides and having to crane my neck to take in all of the cables, pulley and wires: it was truly invigorating and so new and exciting.
Tomorrow morning we'll be moving on to the other side of the peninsula to Homer. I hope we'll get lucky and have another sunny day.
The next time I have internet I'll post some pictures of paintings. So far I've really just wanted to share a few slices of the Alaska I've been able to see.

The Kenai Peninsula

2010-06-19T02:56:00.003-04:00

The last 2 days have really been a lot of driving. We took yesterday morning to see Fairbanks and then started heading south. We stopped along the way to camp in the most gorgeous mosquito infested bog I've ever seen, and then were off early this morning in order to arrive in Seward by this evening.
Pulling into our campground on Stoney Creek, we were greeted by the most delicate of rains and puffy, wet clouds hanging on the moutains. Tanya and I set up to paint on Stoney Creek (where we are camping for the next few days) and just went for it. Even with the umbrellas, everything got wet and after awhile mixing paint became work with the added water turning it into a sticky mess.
I stopped myself at a certain point to look and see what I had done, and I realized that I was taking to long to get in the big idea and being too literal about it. The whole thing about this rain and fog on the creek with the mountain is the mood, and to capture the wonderful mood of the whole thing. Whether or not I was successful with the finished painting, I had a mental shift where I forgot trying to get this painting "right" and just went for it. And above all, I just really relished in the wet, cold, beautiful Alaskan moment.

Alaska, we made it!

2010-06-17T12:20:00.003-04:00

Here we are with our RV in Denali National Park painting the view of Mt. McKinley. I warmed up with a watercolor at the table before going out and braving the artic winds. It's incredible, I mean I don't know if there are words to do justice to this Alaska. I just couldn't picture this place, and now I know why: I've never experienced anything like it. The great vastness of the tundra landscape takes away any illusions of grandeur we may have as humans and reminds me that we are just a small part in the chain or the web of life, and being out here making little paintings of all this hugeness is just humbling and completely inspiring!
It's true that it doesn't get dark, but we keep waiting for it to.. Eating dinner in our campsite at 11 pm while watching the sun moving slowly to the horizon tricks us into thinking that if we just stay up a little longer it will be dark. The only thing to do is force ourselves to go to bed and when we do get to bed I just pull the covers over my head pretending that it's night time and dark out.
The best part of all this daylight is we just don't feel in a hurry. There's plenty of time to hang out, eat and paint. Paint, paint, paint, it's awesome! Life full of daylight really makes me reset my brain to the setting "all the time in the world"!
I haven't posted any pictures of paintings yet, but will do so in the next few days. Today we're in Fairbanks after a few days in Denali. It's a lot warmer here, but full of the biggest mosquitoes I've ever seen!
This evening we'll be headed south to check out the Kenai peninsula, can't wait!

The Red Shed

2010-06-13T09:04:00.004-04:00

The Red Shed oil on panel 8x10"

I found this shed down a dirt road outside Orlando. I like to just drive around sometimes with no idea in mind and see what I come upon. I liked this falling down shed in all its redness amongst what can otherwise be the overwhelm of summer green.
I was sure I was in the country, but so many people stopped to talk, that you would have thought me in the city. But I guess that's the difference between city and country, a lot of times country folks like to stop and chat.
The first thing everyone said is how ugly this shed is and that they hope the next hurricane blows it down once and for all, but I had sympathy for the unknown owner of the shed,
thinking if it were my place I would love to have a shed just like
this one.

Sarasota Paintings

2010-06-08T12:19:00.009-04:00

Wow, Sarasota is fun and gorgeous! I had such a fabulous time and just couldn't get enough of painting, I could have really stayed longer. I also learned a lot about painting in the wilds on the Myakka river. The number one rule is NO wearing sandals, the fire ants think that you've brought a buffet just for them! I spent a lot of time in sandals (resulting in little yucky welts all over my feet..) and no matter how hot it is, spending all of that time jumping around and scratching is just distracting! I also learned to always bring a bathing suit. It's so hot right now that even going swimming with the gators seems like a good option for cooling off. The other thing is that I had to give up my romantic notion of being out alone in the silence of nature. The birds were cackling so loud sometimes, with the gators chiming in with grunts, that it was like being in some kind of animal city, it really got that loud. At one point a snake slithered by, passing right under my easel. I seemed to be in the midst of an animal super highway, and they seemed to take no note of me. It was wildly fun and exciting.
Liv e Oak and Elderberry, Myakka 8x10" oil on panel

I saw this tree while out walking on the river and just had to paint it. Even though a scene with the actual river in it seemed like the thing to paint, this tree with its deep shade and moss seemed to really capture the place for me.

General Store, Old Miakka 7x11", Oil on Panel

F-250 6x8", Oil on Panel

The last painting I want to share with you kind of completes what I see as the group of Myakka paintings. I was thinking about this painting all week, but was too intimated by all of the chaos in the woods to attempt it until the last day. I almost gave up on this one as I was painting, overwhelmed by all that is going on in those woods. But kept at it and just told myself to squint down and to try and see the pattern of darks and then those wild bright lights standing out. I'm glad I stuck with it and next time I will jump right in instead of thinking about it so much before hand!

Myakka Woods, 11x7" Oil on Panel

Thank you for reading, I know this was a long one, but I am excited to share these paintings with you. You can see more paintings on my website by clicking here. You can also buy any of these paintings directly from the website by clicking on their title in the email or by contacting me at kellyaskey@gmail.com

You can share my work with someone you know by having them subscribe to receive the email newsletter here..

Sarasota, Florida: Awesome place to paint!

2010-05-31T10:27:00.003-04:00

Boats, Sarasota Bay 10x8" oil on panel

This was painted yesterday in Sarasota with a group of painters who got together to paint by the bay. This last week here has just been fabulous and a great opportunity for learning, growth and meeting new people. (and not to mention the weather here is fantastic and the landscape just gorgeous).
This week I had a new challenge. I was in a workshop with Marc Hanson where we were learning to take our field studies and turn them into larger studio paintings. I learned a lot about myself in this process, and not all of it wonderful... I'm not including a picture of my studio painting, it was not a success, but I really saw how important it is to have the vision of the painting and then to take the time on location to work out the values, drawing, what I really want to include (or edit out), and to take my time and do that, otherwise there isn't enough information for the larger studio painting. This in and of itself is an invaluable lesson. I felt a little frantic, like I didn't have enough painting time to really work out the painting, so even though I learned a lot about the process I wasn't able to produce a successful studio painting. Now I am really excited to use the whole process that I learned with Marc and to take the time on location to make the studies needed to take with me into the studio.
Sunset, Wild Oak Bay 7x11" oil on panel
Outside of the workshop I did get some other painting in and have been throughly enjoying painting in Sarasota. This was painted as the sun was setting and was so awing and inspiring: these are the moments I really enjoy and live for in painting. As the sun is setting the light is changing by the minute, and just the silence and all that sky and water with just me, my friend Susie, the birds and us with our easels, we seemed so small capturing such a big moment.. well, there's no real way to describe the experience but awesome and I felt lucky just to have the opportunity to be out there.

I'll be painting out in the wilds outside Sarasota for the rest of the week and am really looking forward to sharing what I produce with you, it's beautiful, wild and full of gators, exciting!

You can see more work (as I couldn't bombard you with everything that I've painted here) on my website here. You can also see a few larger paintings that I'm finishing up under the heading works in progress.

Thank you again for your interest in my work and I'll keep you posted on my adventures. For the second half of June I'll be painting in Alaska with a small group of friends and just can't wait to see what kind of paintings we will be doing there..
In the meantime I'll be indulging in the Florida landscape with it's bugs, burning sun and gators!

Charleston

2010-05-24T09:28:00.002-04:00

This one is not quite finished, but wanted to share something of what I've been doing in Charleston. This cemetery is so cool and not in the least bit morbid.. The garden is rambling and overgrown, making it seem that much more stereotypically southern, fantastic!

I had a great time in Charleston, and could have stayed even longer.

I got the chance to catch up with friends and make some new ones. I even happened to be there while the Ferguson's gave a talk about their private collection which is currently on loan to the Gibbes Museum.

Anyway, Charleston is a great place to paint. I did a few other small paintings that you can have a peek at on my website.

Today I'm off to Sarasota, Fl. to take a workshop with Marc Hanson, can't wait, really looking forward to it and to sharing with you what I've learned.

Happy trails!

South Carolina Fun

2010-05-17T12:00:00.004-04:00

This painting was not painted in South Carolina, but in Fucecchio, a small city between Florence and Pisa. The reason I'm in South Carolina was for a show for the 100 Day painting project hosted by Carola Elderidge. The show was fantastic, with lots of new and interesting faces, I really had a blast meeting so many people.

This painting was the only one outside of the project that I exhibited, but was originally a painting in the project. This is a more finished version that the original and is 14x20" on linen.

I just love this place, the light, the colors and how the stretching flat fields butt up against the mountains.

I'll be in South Carolina all week painting, so I'm really looking forward to sharing work that comes out of it.

The weather is calling for a lot of rain and clouds, but we'll see what happens!

Afternoon at the Smithsonian

2010-05-06T08:40:00.005-04:00

Here's a sketch from a gorgeous day spent on the mall in Washintgon, D.C. Although it's my hometown, I've never painted here, which seems strange. I spent the day visiting museums and lolling about in the shade under trees, but I was also excited and inspired by the gorgeous day to paint something.
It's funny how I've mostly painted things and places that are foreign or exotic, so painting at home has a whole new flavor. I'll be back in June to do some more painting, but in the meantime I'm headed to Beaufort, SC to show paintings from the 100 day project.
If you're in Beaufort, stop by!
You can get a better look at the painting here on my website.

Day 100: Self-Portrait in the Garden

2010-05-03T15:40:00.000-04:00

In keeping with the theme of daring to paint things I've never painted before, I went for it and chose to finish out the project with a self-portrait. It was actually really fun and exciting in it's newness. It's an odd sensation to look in the mirror and paint yourself painting, I got confused about which one was "real" sometimes.

I've never painted a self-portrait (that I showed anyone anyways) for my lack of practice and skill in painting the human figure. Like all of the other subjects I am intimidated to paint, I had to let go of thinking it would already be bad (will it look like me? will the drawing be terrible?, etc.) and just go for it. I knew I wanted to paint this as my last painting in the project, so I just did it and now that the initial fear is gone, I want to keep practicing.

I know it's the last day of the project, but it's hardly the last day of painting for me. In thinking about it I realized that I was sad thinking about the end of the project, thinking that it was somehow the end of me as a painter. I know, it's really silly, but that's how I was relating to the whole thing. Instead I see how today is the beginning, the first day of life as a real painter, that this project was my warm-up, my launching pad, my practice for the game that begins now.

This morning I decided to go to the National Gallery. I'm in my home town Washington, D.C. visiting family, which is a great way for me to finish out the project. I went to see a show of Spanish painting and sculpture, but I never made it there. On the way to the show I passed the American painting galleries and veered off to look in. These are paintings that I know like the back of my hand, that I've visited my whole life. Whistler, Eakins, Sargent, Church, Cole, and more. It's been awhile since I stopped in to pay a visit, and today I'm so glad I did. Today I saw these paintings with new eyes. Today I saw for the first time that I want to place myself amongst these great painters. I looked at their paintings and saw how they chose their compositions, how they handled the lights and darks, I looked at their brushstrokes or lack of them and their use of color. I followed their thoughts as if each painting were a book to be read. I saw the gap between myself and these painters, but today I saw that this gap can be closed through a life of dedication to painting. I couldn't have imagined a better way to end the project than with this visit.

So today is the beginning, and I feel prepared thanks to your involvement and letting me share this project with you. What's next is a few things. I've decided to keep painting the small paintings to the end of the year, selling each unframed for $100, while working simultaneously on larger paintings. I will keep sharing them with you via a bi-monthly email the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. I will keep my Blog (although it will no longer be called 100 Paintings 100 Days 100 Dollars) and will update it weekly with finished small paintings, works in progress along with any news and upcoming events.

I know this is long, but I just want to take a minute to thank each and every one of you. Thank you for all of your insightful comments, words of encouragement when I was tired or down and for just being engaged with me through the entire process. Through the sharing of my work with you I have been able to give life to what I thought was a dream to be fulfilled someday, but no time soon, of becoming a "real" painter. The real part comes in the sharing of work and dialogue with you, and in return makes me work the best that I can.

Thank you, you're really awesome and I can't wait to share more adventures in painting with you!

You can buy today's painting by clicking here. You can view all other paintings from the 100 day project here. All paintings from the project are 6x8", painted on birch, are unframed and cost $100 (+ $15 shipping).
You can buy a paintings directly from the website using paypal or by contacting me at kellyaskey@gmail.com

You can share my work with someone by suggesting that they sign-up to receive the Email Newsletter here or by following the Blog at www.kellymedford.blogspot.com.

Day 99: Helleborus Foetidus

2010-05-02T18:18:00.001-04:00

Helleborus is the name of this plant. I have to admit that I'm kind of a plant geek. I love walking around and looking at plants, trying to guess their names and getting to know them better.
This painting is different today, it's dark and a little mysterious. I wanted to try something like this before the end of the project, and it was challenging, all of those green leaves just merging in the background, so I decided to make them more abstract designs. Chances are you can tell that I really just loved the shapes that the flowers make, it was where most of my attention was drawn to.

Well, it's the second to last day. Of course I'm going to keep painting and keep you updated and sharing with you what I'm painting. Today I realized that this project was the jump start I needed to really begin the journey of painting. For myself I feel successful just in the fact that now I want to paint each day, and not to just have the end result of a painting, but I look forward to the time in my day where I can paint something undisturbed and take the time I need to learn to paint and see something new that day. If this were the only thing (which it's not!) I would have gotten from this project, it would have been worth it a hundred fold for this alone: the gift of discipline.

Thank you for following the project and for all of your amazing feedback, you've made the project doable and kept it alive!

To buy today's painting, click here. To view all other paintings from the 100 day project, click here.
All paintings are 6x8", painted on birch, unframed and cost $100 (+ $15 shipping). You can buy a painting directly from the website using paypal or by contacting me directly at kellyaskey@gmail.com.

You can share this project with someone by having them sign-up to receive the E Newsletter here. They can also follow the daily posts on my Blog here or join the 100 Paintings Facebook Group here.

Day 98: The Old Shed

2010-05-01T10:13:00.001-04:00

This isn't the first painting I've made of this shed. I just love it's light and dark sides, looking into the falling down scraps, it's fascinating. Really I wish it would stay around a little while longer, but I know that one of these days when I come back to paint it, it's not going to be there anymore. It's all that's left of an old tobacco farm, and it's really cool to paint.
I'm off because my little cousin is getting married today. I'm excited and it's a perfectly beautiful day for a wedding. Below is a painting of their home that her finace' commissioned me as his wedding gift to her.

Kim and Bubba's
Oil on Canvas
16x24"

Thanks for reading and I'm curious about what tomorrow will bring for painting!

To buy today's painting from the website, click here. To view all other paintings from the 100 day project, click here.
All paintings are 6x8", painted on birch, unframed and cost $100 (+ $15 shipping). You can buy one directly from the website using paypal or by contacting me at kellyaskey@gmail.com

You can share this project with someone by having them sign-up to receive the E Newsletter here. They can also follow the daily posts on my Blog here or join the 100 Paintings Facebook Group here.

Day 97: Geraniums on the Front Walk

2010-04-30T13:58:00.001-04:00

Each morning when I come back from painting, I walk by this pot of geraniums. When the light is just right, I say to myself ,"I've got to paint that!" So I finally did.
The color of these flowers is so outrageous that they don't seem natural, so I did keep them toned down a little. I think they are balanced out anyway by the warm red of the pot with the green in between them.
This was just fun and a little different, a break from the last few days of larger scenes on the road with the shadows playing on the trees. I like the change, variety keeps painting alive and interesting for me.

To buy or view today's painting on the website, click here. To view all other paintings from the 100 day project, click here. You can buy a painting directly from the website using paypal or by contacting me at kellyaskey@yahoo.com.
All paintings are 6x8", painted on birch, unframed and cost $100 (+ $15 shipping).

You can share my work with someone you think may be interested by suggesting they sign up to receive the E Newsletter here or they can follow on the Blog here or join the 100 Paintings Facebook Group here.

Thank you for your interest in the project and my work.. We're almost to day 100!

Day 96: Hayes Road

2010-04-29T11:18:00.001-04:00

Today I really wanted to try something like I painted yesterday, only a little more complicated. And this was it, more complicated I mean, but also quite beautiful in the fast changing morning light.

This road is about to be paved next week, which I'm kind of sad about. I like the sand road and the thickness of the trees along the road. I guess this is progress, and now I'll just have to go a little further looking for back roads. I know I've said this before, but I really like the idea of painting also being a mode of documentation. I don't imagine that there will be any more paintings of Hayes Road before it is paved, and so it will preserve a little bit of history of the area in a way.

It was harder to place the values today in this painting, as I was out fairly early and the sun was moving fast, changing the patterns of light and shadow constantly. Still, I'm happy with my painting and will continue on this path. Practice, practice, practice! Even if it doesn't make perfect, it definitely makes for more experience and learning about what it is I want to capture in paint.

Thanks for following in the last days of the project, this is really fun!

To buy today's painting from the website, click here. To view all other paintings from the 100 day project, click here. All paintings are 6x8", painted on birch, unframed and cost $100 (+ $15 shipping). You can buy a painting directly from the website using paypal or by contacting me at kellyaskey@gmail.com.

You can share my work with a friend by suggesting that they sign up to receive the E Newsletter here or they can follow the blog here or join the 100 Paintings Facebook Group here.

Day 95: Morning on the Path

2010-04-28T19:01:00.001-04:00

I'm really excited about today's painting, it's a kind of breakthrough for me because it's closer to what I've been trying to accomplish throughout the project. This morning when I found this spot and set up to paint, I told myself to slow down and take my time to really look at and decide about the composition. Then I worked slowly just putting in the darks and lights, back and forth, back and forth, relating each value to the other. I'm excited about the result, I feel that this is a successful painting, and now I'm even more excited about tomorrow's painting.
Doing this, painting each and every day,has making a good painting feel less like luck, but more about intention and clear focus. When I'm stressed or in a hurry maybe I don't take all the time that I need to make the painting the best that I can, instead I let it be "okay" or "good enough," which is obviously not what I'm going for here, but it does happen sometimes when I'm not completely focused.
Seeing what I can accomplish when I am concentrated and willing to stay as long as it takes to make the painting work makes me see how I'm cheating both of us out of the best painting experience when I don't give it my all and maybe stop before it's the best that I know it can be.

Thanks for listening, for reading along day after day. Without you here and all of your undying enthusiasm and support I don't know where I would be. I can see now that no one is successful alone, it really does take an army (or a village or a community), just all of you. So thank you, thank you!

To buy today's painting for $100, click here. To view all other paintings from the 100 day project, click here. All paintings are 6x8", painted on birch and cost $100 (+ $15 shipping). You can buy a painting directly from the website using paypal or by contacting me at kellyaskey@gmail.com

You can share my work with someone you think may be interested by suggesting that they sign up to receive the E Newsletter here. You can also follow the project on my blog site here or join the 100 Paintings Facebook Group here.

Day 94: Cypress at Kraft Gardens

2010-04-27T20:58:00.001-04:00

Today I went to check out Kraft Gardens per recommendation from a friend, and it was worth it. The park is on the water and is mostly made up of cypress trees and azaleas. I saw this tree and just had to paint it. How can you be in Florida and not paint a cypress tree?
This made me think of Lojacono, who is one of my favorite Italian painters and the way he painted trees. You know they are really rooted there in the ground but are somehow still light on top. I am still asking myself, "How does he do it," but I hope to have the answer one day. I imagine the answer is something like, " You just do"!
Anyway, I was excited to have the opportunity to paint this today, it really was beautiful.

You can buy today's painting by clicking here. You can view all other paintings from the 100 day project here.
All paintings are 6x8", painted on birch, are unframed and cost $100 (+ $15 shipping).
You can buy a painting directly from the website using paypal or by contacting me at kellyasksey@gmail.com.

You can share this project with someone by having them subscribe to receive the daily E Newsletter here or they can follow the blog here or join the 100 Paintings Facebook Group here.

Thank you for your interest, enthusiasm, support, encouragement and fantastic emails, you are all so cool and make the project fun and worthwhile!

Day 93: Down By the Creek

2010-04-26T18:38:00.001-04:00

I loved making this painting today. These creeks with their tannin stained water and deep shade with the light coming through are Florida to me. Even though I loved painting this, I did do battle with the little voice in my head saying it was just way too complicated. I've always been aware of this little voice, but today I really heard it and just kept going. I just began by putting in the darkest darks and lightest lights and went from there. It was really cool to see it develop. I love these dark scenes, they're mysterious and yet full of air. Each day I can see that if I really do challenge myself (and that little voice in my head) that is where all the development is. All there is to do is keep going and that's good news.

You can buy today's painting by clicking here. You can view all other paintings from the project by clicking here.

All paintings are 6x8", painted on birch, are unframed and cost $100 (+ $15 shipping). You can buy a painting directly from the website using paypal or by contacting me at kellyaskey@gmail.com

You can share this project with someone you think may enjoy it. They can subscribe to receive the daily E Newsletter here or follow the Blog here or join the 100 Paintings Facebook Group here.

Day 92: Rain Coming, Charlotte Skyline

2010-04-25T12:45:00.000-04:00

I can't write much today, I'm stressed and in a hurry. I'm getting ready to head out of Charlotte, NC and take the train back to Orlando.

I only want to say that painting in North Carolina has been fantastic, an unexpected surprise. I found this view in an old empty lot in town looking towards the city, and it was too cool, especially with that dark sky and the buildings coming through.

Tomorrow is back to Florida, I'm hoping it will be sunny!

Thanks for following and talk to you tomorrow.

To buy today's painting, click here. To view all other paintings from the 100 day project, click here.All paintings are 6x8", painted on birch, are unframed and cost $100 (+ $15 shipping). You can buy a painting directly from the website using paypal or by contacting me at kellyaskey@gmail.com

You can share this project with someone you think may enjoy it. They can subscribe to receive the daily E Newsletter here or follow the Blog here or join the 100 Paintings Facebook Group here.

Day 91: Laurel in the Clearing

2010-04-24T19:43:00.000-04:00

In the middle of the suburbs I found this clearing of what used to be an old home site. I was immediately taken by this little haven and then I saw this laurel. It has to be the tallest laurel I've ever seen. I really wanted to paint this, not just because of the unusually tall shrub, but also because of the quiet beauty of this place. Laurel has to be one of the plants that most marks this part of the country, the Carolinas and Tennessee.

I felt lucky today to have the chance to paint this, as the rain set in shortly after I finished (I think you can see the raindrops on the painting..). I'll just be here one more day, and I'm also looking forward to one more painting here. It's amazing how every place has something to paint, every place is an opportunity.

Thank you for following, even in the last days of the project. You're commitment to following the project has created an unexpected commitment in me to paint, paint, paint and then paint some more. It's really amazing working this much, I didn't expect that painting every day would really teach me about discipline in a whole new way along with learning more about painting each time I go to the easel. This is amazing, and even if I'm tired some days I don't want to stop the momentum gained by painting each and every day.

To buy today's painting, click here. To view all other paintings from the 100 day project, click here. All paintings are 6x8", painted on birch, are unframed and cost $100 (+ $15 shipping). You can buy a painting directly from the website using paypal or by contacting me at kellyaskey@gmail.com

You can share this project with someone you think may enjoy it. They can subscribe to receive the daily E Newsletter here or follow the Blog here or join the 100 Paintings Facebook Group here.

Day 90: May Irises

2010-04-23T12:09:00.001-04:00

I was out after the early morning rain, and boy do people in North Carolina love their azaleas! They're in bloom everywhere you turn. Everything is in full bloom really, so I couldn't resist but paint some flowers today.

I never have thought of myself as a "flower painter# (whatever that means..), but I did have to paint them several times while studying still life painting. As I said with the daisy painting earlier in the project, painting flowers (especially white ones) has got to be one of the best exercises for a painter.

This painting is unique if nothing else for it singular bizarreness in it's composition! I didn't plan this one out, I just sat my easel down and started painting, I was pretty excited by just how gorgeous these flowers are. The iris deserves more than a one shot painting, or at least more than one painting. I could seriously paint these flowers over and over again because of their grace. Think how many paintings I've said this about now, that I could do many more paintings of a single day painting, I've already got a lifetime's worth of material for longer and bigger projects.

I love the one day paintings, they are making me much more confident about just approaching painting in general. No more being too careful or indecisive, no leaving something I'm unsure of how to treat until next time. Just put it down and see what I think. Arrange and then rearrange, change and keep going. I think that this decisiveness gives me the permission to be bold and try new things constantly. Now that's exciting.

To buy today's painting for $100, click here. To view all other paintings from the 100 day project, click here. You can buy a painting directly from my website using paypal or by contacting me at kellyaskey@gmail.com

All paintings are 6x8", painted on birch, are unframed and cost $100 (+ $15 shipping).

You can share this project with someone you think may enjoy it. They can subscribe to receive the daily E Newsletter here or follow the Blog here or join the 100 Paintings Facebook Group here.