Gather 'Round - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

The big onion looks like he’s trying to round up the 3 little ones hence the title, “Gather 'Round.” I bought these cute little red onions at the Farmers Market last week. I was getting quizzical looks from the vendor as I examined the onions carefully, turning them over, etc. I finally explained that I was more interested in painting them than eating them.

In my composition, I originally had the three onions across the top and thought the shadows would be interesting enough for the bottom half of the canvas. When I finished, I realized that it needed something else so I added the fourth onion. As always, I tried to vary the placement, the color and the shape of each onion for the strongest composition.

2011 Desk Calendar

I'm pleased to announce my second annual desk calendar for 2011! Each month features a different painting that I created in the past year. The calendar comes packaged in a CD-like case that opens to display each month:

These make great holiday gifts. If you live in the Westford, MA area, you can pick them up at Art on Main. Or, you can purchase them here...

...the cost is $20 plus $3 shipping.
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"Onion on Cloth Napkin" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

I painted this by first covering my canvas with a light wash of burnt umber (a rich brown color). While the canvas was still damp, I began to paint and the brown color mixed with each color I added. When I finished, I realized that the cloth napkin was a bit too dark so after the painting was fairly dry, I added a wash of light yellow to several areas to lighten it up.

This painting has a bit of sentimental value as the cloth napkin belonged to my grandmother, Lillian. I’m just glad I didn’t get any paint on it!

This painting is available for $50. If you’re interested, contact me at LaurieGMiller@gmail.com.

"Plums on Pink" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

I just spent 3 days at a painting workshop with artist Carol Marine at the Parish Center for the Arts. Not only is she a great painter, but she is a great instructor (and a really nice person too!)

We did several different painting exercises throughout the workshop. For this painting, we were supposed to pick up a slightly different color from our palette after each brush stroke. I like this funky color combination of the deep purple plums, the pinkish cloth and the bits of green.

"Groton Pumpkins" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

I spotted this vista in Groton, MA when I was scouting for something interesting to paint. I loved the scrambled rows of bright orange pumpkins. This painting is a good lesson in perspective. To get the feeling of distance, I had to make the distant row of trees quite small – they are less than an inch high. You’ll also notice how the pumpkins get progressively larger from background to foreground.

It was a lovely summer day to paint outside for a couple hours. The experience would have been perfect if it hadn’t been for the little bug that crawled under my sandal strap and bit my foot. Oh well, that is just one of the hazards of plein air painting.

"Bog Field" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

This landscape was painted a week or two ago at my favorite cranberry bog in Carlisle, MA. I used some artistic license to punch up the color of the purples and greens to add a bit more interest. Landscapes are really challenging as you have so much information in front of you and need to figure out what details to capture and what to simply leave out…a real balancing act for sure.

For those who live in the area, be sure to stop by Art on Main on Thursday, Sept. 2 from 5 – 8 p.m. We’re having our monthly “Wine and Nibbles” open house. Bob Frank, a wonderful watercolorist, is our featured guest artist for the month of September.

Kennebunkport II - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

I started this painting in Kennebunkport, ME while on vacation a few weeks ago. It was my second painting that day so I ran out of steam about halfway... the lure of the beach was too strong. So, while gallery sitting at Art on Main today, I finished up using a reference photo and some good, old-fashioned imagination.

 

"Ocean Dip" - 16 x 16 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

This painting is based on a few photos I snapped while vacationing in Kennebunkport, Maine I was standing on an outcropping and had a perfect view of this yellow lab as he swam back and forth to retrieve a stick that his owner kept throwing for him.

To start, I coated the canvas with a wash of orange. I specifically chose orange since the painting was primarily blue. As complementary colors, those bits of orange really make the blue glow.

"Kennebunkport" - 6 x 6 - oil on canvas - SOLD

Last week I vacationed in Kennebunkport, Maine with my family. We enjoyed a few lazy days of hanging at the beach, reading, skipping stones, combing the beach for interesting rocks and sea glass, playing games, and fishing. I was able to get in a few hours of plein air painting in a shady spot overlooking this grassy field that leads to the beach. I’m quite pleased with the outcome and love how the initial wash of pink over the canvas still shines through and helps to unify the painting.

"Shipley Circle" - 16 x 16 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

I recently finished painting this house portrait of 8 Shipley Circle, Westford, MA. Apparently, the family who owns this house is moving to Bermuda for a couple years and their house is up for sale. A group of friends are giving this painting as a farewell gift to the family. I hope it brings back fond memories of their time living in Westford.

"Boston Road Rooftops" - 12 x 12 - Oil on canvas - SOLD

This is the view that welcomes me as I get off the highway and head up Boston Road to the center of Westford. Whenever I see the Museum's cupola, I know I'm almost home.

I had a request to show a painting in progress so I took some pictures along the way.

First, I put a light wash of Alizarin Crimson over the canvas but lift off the color to leave the sky area a very light pint color. I then sketch in my guidelines using a wash of Yellow Ochre. I transfer the image from my reference photo using a grid method - I had divided my canvas into nine squares and you can see my guidelines below.


I usually work from back to front so I started by filling in the sky area and the green tree on the right. I modify the cupola's shape as I get into more detail and study this area.

Next, I start working on the reddish tree on the left. I'm careful to leave some open areas so that the trees don't become solid masses of color. (I had a painting instructor that said the birds need space to fly through).

I wasn't happy with the dome shape of the green tree so I add more leaves on either side to modify the shape. I then start working on the cupola.

I continue to work forward as I paint in the house on the left and a large bush in the foreground. I also lay in the roof of the house on the right.

At this point, the house in the foreground is all that is left. Below is the finished painting once again. I've lightened the left center panel of the cupola as I realized it was too dark. I also changed the shape of the reddish tree on the left to make it more pleasing. I continue to make minor modifications to some shapes and values. Finally, when I'm happy, I paint in my signature and put down my brush. Sometimes, it is hard to know when you are finished!

"Pat's Gift" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

I needed some serious motivation to clean my house so I invited a few friends over. (Oh, and I also thought it might be fun). In any case, my friend Pat arrived with these beautiful hydrangeas that she had cut from her yard. Since I don’t own a vase, we ended up putting them in a plastic container for holding scraps for the compost pile. Well, that wouldn’t have made a very nice painting so I found a clear plastic tube that held bungee cords. (I just love bungee cords). I had to cut it down a bit as it was too tall but now it makes a rather nice vase.

"J.V. Fletcher" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

I feel fortunate to live in a town with a nice library. I snapped a few photos one sunny Sunday afternoon and was inspired to paint this Westford landmark : the J.V. Fletcher library. I debated a long time about whether or not to include the parked car. I could have easily eliminated it but considering that there are almost always cars parked in front, I figured it was fitting to leave it in.

This Saturday, I'll be participating in the Strawberry n' Arts Festival on the Westford common as the Art on Main gallery is having a booth. If you live in the Westford area, be sure to stop by the festival. It is a great event with live music, many artisans, food vendors and, of course, Strawberry shortcake.

"Long Sought for Pond" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

This is a painting of "Long Sought for Pond", a really dopey name if you ask me. I guess someone was looking for it for a very long time and finally found it. It is actually more of a lake than a pond (does anyone know the difference?) and is popular spot for swimming, fishing and boating. I stood on the banks and painted for a couple of delightful hours.

"Blueberry Blues" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

Just before heading to Art on Main for my weekly shift at the gallery, I rummaged through my refrigerator for something to paint. The cupboard was pretty bare but I managed to find these blueberries. I set them up on a small white plate next to the window. Two of the blueberries still have a small stem so I flipped them over, stem-side up, to add a bit of interest. I guess it isn't quite blueberry season yet as these little guys didn't taste like much of anything.

"Bug II" - 6 x 6 inches - Oil on canvas

I enjoyed painting “Bug” so much that I decided to paint a 2nd version from a different angle. The composition on this one was tough. If I had included the entire car, there would have been a significant amount of “negative” space on the canvas – the space above and below the car. I played with different configurations and decided this was my favorite option - simply cut off the back end.

This painting is available for $50 at Art on Main or by contacting me directly at LaurieGMiller@gmail.com.

"Bug" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

Vintage VW bugs make me smile every time I see them. Growing up, my Aunt Rachel had a black VW bug. When I was about 7 or 8, my cousin Debbie drove me, my sisters and my cousin Shelley to an ice cream parlor in Manchester, CT that was famous for making huge ice cream sundaes with 10 or 12 scoops of ice cream. We sat around a small marble table with long spoons in hand and ate until we could eat no more. It was a long drive home for cousin Shelley who hung her head out the window to keep the car interior clean.

"Berry Bright" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

I set up my easel and started this painting at "Wine and Nibbles" - the monthly open house at Art on Main. My canvas was originally covered in a a wash of Cadmium Red which I allowed to peek through. Strawberries are a lot harder to paint that you'd think. At one point, Marie, the shop owner from next door, took a look at my canvas and said, "It looks like a shoe... you need to fix that." Damn that Marie. but she was right. I had painted a big red shoe. When the painting was finally finished, Marie gave her coveted "seal of approval."

"Spring Creek" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

Last Saturday was a near perfect day for plein air painting. I set up my easel near the Courier Corporation in Westford where a creek runs along the entrance. The trees are budding and don't yet have strong color. I just enjoyed playing with the colors and interpreting the scene in front of me without getting too hung up on details.

"Morning Light - First Parish" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

When dropping some books off at the library, I noticed the morning light shining on the First Parish Church and snapped a couple photos. As usual, I printed two copies of my reference photos: one in color and one in black & white. In the color photo, the shadow side of the building appeared to be almost exactly the same value as the sky. However, in my black & white photo, the building was actually a few shades darker. Having that black & white reference is very helpful as it is often difficult to determine the subtle value changes in a color reference.

For those who live in the Westford area, drop by Art on Main on Thursday, May 6 from 5 - 8 p.m. for our monthly "Wine and Nibbles". This month, in honor of spring, the theme is "blooms". It's a fun party with food, wine, and new art to check out. Marie's shop, Le Gourmet Jardin, will also be open.