Nature painting…

 

I’ve been working on all four of these at one time. They’re pretty small - 8x10 or under. Trying to focus on color mixing on the page, painting shapes not things, and letting things dry. Hard lessons to learn…

from the 9 towers project

Alan Fall 1 2026

 OK!   I gave up on this one. Here’s the reference photo that intrigued me. 

And this is what I did to it.  I started out drawing with a grey tombow that I thought would diffuse but it didn’t. I never recovered from that error, especially in the center. I just couldn’t control it. Believe me I tried but I finally decided to quit. 

Back to normal stuff. Here’s a 10 X 8 coldpress watercolor painting of a view from the side of our cottage looking towards the lake. It was just a view that changes with the time of day and the sun. I thought that I might do a series using the same basic structure. Losing my muse. But I liked a lot of things in this painting. 

The next one is an 11 X 14 Yupo version of a flowering desert cactus. I’m trying to do more non-representative versions of things. 

You can tell it’s a cactus plant because of the spikes. I might not be done with this yet. 

The Artist and the Artist Ss10.10

The painting session at the Millennium Park Summer Fest during a preCovid era is about a young portrait painter who for a minimal fee painted another artist, Me!This artwork with a previously muddy background waited several years for its second session.Am glad, that I returned to it on October 10 & with maturity and discernment, I was able to focus on the sketch and showed the 2 painter and the model as minor characters. Happy Painting to All!

Last Year’s Garden

 Overdone,  chaotic….it is really kinda that way. 

Doctor’s office has art books. Turns out it’s not that easy to paint like Rothko 🙄.

This is in hot press sketchbook. This composition appeals to me. The people on the left are “in” the painting and the bench connects to the person on the right. 

October 10, 2026 — Elaine O.

Isn't this the cutest baby? I absolutely love that big happy smile. The small size really suits the subject—and this is painted on a coated panel so it can be displayed without framing. At any rate, I'm happy with it.

6" x 6"

I also made a small start on another painting, although you'll probably have to come back next week to actually see what's going on.

10" x 14"

second of 9 - Shoemakers Tower

the first of a set of 9 towers - Clock Tower, Sighișoara

Alone in Andersonville Ss10/03

This wet scenery reflects my lonely walk in an Andersonville Parade of happy people.Life goes on while one's heart is filled with loss and sorrow. This painting is an unfinished project where the background, middle ground and foreground were not defined before almost 5 years ago..Once I defined the walking person to the right as the focus I felt I have captured a feeling of connection to my personal transition. Old paintings when given new perspectives and different emotions could give the viewer a diary of surprises.Life is good one day at a time!

Uncertain Smile Ss926

My convention photo selfie is still on hiatus.

Cranking out the masterpieces.

I was lying in burned out basement

The enchanted forest

Who can find the upside down goose?

At last something that looks like something

Okay the thing is when you are driving across your landscape with your smallest dagger brush it just leaves a white path because it is pretty wet and everything washes out, but the further you go the drier the brush becomes and it begins bulldozing the paint debris in front of it, and because it is kind of sticky the hairs splay out so that each hair is separated and dragging its paint in behind it and the brush is leaving parallel lines behind it so you get a lacy pattern.  And I have always wondered if I could use that phenomena in my paintings someway where it came together.  I'll be in the lab probably until Halloween.

Here is a closeup because it doesn't show up well in the whole painting.

And look here another Renaissance Art Fair.  October 22, 10 to 4.  Discounts for old and new masters who drop by.

 

October 3, 2026 — Elaine O.

It's finished (with apologies to any architects out there)! Sure, the buildings feel a bit wobbly, but in my defense, it was early morning and I was barely awake. Plus, I was really interested in the sky and the light out back. And I'm happy with that.

10" x 14"

third time's a charm - though this is only my second try

hot pressed paper - still not used to it

September 26, 2026 — Elaine O.

I've found the "Sara Method" (working on several paintings simultaneously) quite useful. So, here are two paintings I've started this week but haven't yet finished. The other morning, I awoke to the most beautiful sky out my back window.

10" x 14"

And I found another old photograph that was perfect for this small Artboard panel. I think I may have inadvertently found myself a new series—old photos. What's not to love? Everyone has them and everyone seems to document the same moments, so they feel universally familiar—even if it's not your family in the photo, you have one like it.

6" x 6"

Uncertain Smile Ss919

A Saturday morn rendition of a Convention photo while I wear a formal dress with butterfly sleeves created and designed by a coutourier from the Chicago area. Please be patient with my transition!

  

Across the Street - Portree, Sky

September 20, 2026 — Elaine O.

Aww...it's our first Christmas tree! Lest you think we had bad taste in trees, this was honestly the best one on the lot, since we waited until Christmas Eve. Still, it made for a lifetime of family jokes and set a low bar for every tree thereafter!

14" x 10"

This week I attended a dedication of a lovely little urban garden and I had to add it to my sketchbook. Originally, I planned to finish with ink outlines, but I don't think I need to do that. Also, I didn't originally plan to divulge the location (so you couldn't check the sketch for accuracy), but it's too cute to keep secret. It's right on Irving Park Road (at St. Benedict's between Leavitt and Bell).

7" square

A village - from imagination

The Hub - Edinburgh, Scotland

Overlooking the port of Portree, Isle of Myst (Sky)

Old restaurant in Seoul - picture taken in 2013

Just checking the color of all my discarded paints mixed

Apothecary Tower - a quiet spot in Portree UK

Apothecary Tower - Portree, Scotland - plein air 

a watercolor sketch

Three 9x12s

Did this in class.  Maybe a tad too much sepia, but I think I got away with it.

This one was going to be great and I was excited, but then I put a little blob here.  Oops, that meant now it needed another blob over there which did not work, and then everything I did went wrong and it was absolutely wrong and in frustration I dipped deep into the sepia and slathered it all over the page.  But when I saw it the next day, well a little yellow would go well here and a some touches of green and, well not too bad.

And this, well, it's not done yet.
 

The Dragon Fly outside Regency Ss912

Last Labor Day weekend,I attended an Accountants convention at Hyatt Regency downtown.The view from my 22nd floor hotel room was the Chicago river with busy tourists boats of people , the blue skyline & the various skyscrapers that defined Chicacago. After a half year of family illness and transition, I returned to class although I could not find my regular brshes.After a period of boring staring at the photos I took of the outside view from my hotel window, I decided to let go & just paint what I feel of the dragon fly view of the landscape from the 22nd floor.So I let the buildings & theparking be the lightest values.The views from the left and right side of my face are just blurs of excitement of downtown energy!The river view is priceless.And the Chicago clouds are just there watchful. Where ever you are, hope you are smiling my love of 52 years!