Friday, December 7, 2012

Featured Work

My piece titled Christmas Blossom is featured on EBSQ Art today

Winter (part of Four Seasons Series)

Winter


After some time away from the gallery I returned to work with Ricardo Chavez-Mendez this week.  Here is the "Winter" panel of the series "Four Seasons" as it nears completion.  There is still work to be done on the female and detail work all around, but I am really pleased with this panel.   Once all the panels are complete I will post the story behind the series, how it came about and what it all means to me.

Below are some detail shots of some parts I find interesting.  I hope you enjoy!






Male Detail
Tree Detail


Water Drop Detail

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Christmas Prints Featured

A couple of my Christmas prints are currently being featured here in Christmas Framed Prints on Fine Art America christmas framed prints

Friday, September 21, 2012

Pink Flower on 12" Vinyl Record




Since I have several 12" vinyl records sitting around I thought I would paint on one again.  Back in 2009 I did a series of flowers on 12"vinyl records that were in an exhibit in NYC called "Art on Record: Volume II".  You can see them here on my blog: http://www.claudiagoodell.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-02-23T18:00:00-07:00&max-results=100

The experience was so much fun, and the final product makes a unique display, so I collected several albums from my neighbor, which now sit in my art studio waiting to be enhanced by images.  It's a treat to paint on a surface that would otherwise likely be in a landfill, and the slick surface with grooves can sometimes enhance the image.  Other times I prepare the surface with gesso or paint before adding layers of oil that create the image.  On the back side you can see the original album, so it's always fun to read about the music and see the funny old cover images. 

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Four Seasons (work in progress)


Here is an update on my four panel series, Four Seasons. I'm currently working on Fall and Winter as if one composition, but each panel is separate. Photos of each panel were taken at different times and with various lighting so the points between the panels are abrupt, but I will be making some value and line corrections at these junctions, and some detail work will be done at the end.  I am having so much fun and learning so much!

Monday, September 10, 2012

R.I.P. Scout

                                                      
R.I.P. Scout

                                                        Pastel on paper 9" x 12"   NFS



Saturday, August 4, 2012

Fall Sketch Update

Here is the start of the Fall composition, which is still in development.  The concept is that as fall approaches the couple becomes energized.  They are swinging on a pine cone, with a blue spruce coming in from the top right, a large, orange harvest moon will appear partially behind the man at the top left, (here the moon is shown full and small, but will be enlarged and moved so it is rising behind him), and the lower right side of the panel will again be abstract, with the possibility of a hint of a flowing stream.  The colors of this panel will be consistent with autumn, and the composition, curves, lines and colors will carry forward the concept of the egg shape from the previous 2 panels, but now the couple has separated from one another a little, they have opened up and emerged from within the shape and are playful, active, rather than passive.  The flowing water at the bottom and the blue spruce will lead into the 4th and final panel, Winter.  As the panels progress I a acquiring new skills, and I am told by Ricardo that when all 4 panels are near completion I will likely go back and make slight corrections to the first panels. 

Thursday, July 19, 2012


I rarely post this soon after posting, but there were some changes made to the composition today on the right panel (Summer), so I thought I'd update. 

I created more space between the two swirls at the top, worked on the fairy wings, and the "cacoon" section that goes down the right side, seeimingly a "tail" on the fairy.  I'm really happy with the added space at the top left.  It was making me feel claustrophobic the way one shape was crowding the other (see post below).  I also really like the ribbed look of the "cacoon" or "tail".  Fun day today, and it's time to seriously start creating the composition for Fall!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Spring and Summer Update with detail photo

Worked on blending the center line between the two panels and also added some color contast values in order to create more depth.  Still more contrast to add and need to work on fairy and the two main characters before fine tuning.


Details of lower right corner of right panel

When I am learning new things I am sometimes aware of the moment when the lesson solidifies in my brain.  There is a process of wrote memory, then practicing and nearly capturing a new task, but not smoothly or easily, and usually not quite getting it all right.  This has been the case for me in sports when repetition is so important.  And then there comes that time when suddenly (it seems) everything clicks and the mind and body are in sync and the actions occurs properly, sponstaneously, seemingly without so much effort as when learning was taking place.  I experienced one of those moments on Friday at Oro Fine Art Gallery.  I was working along for hours and sudenly everything just felt "right".  I paused for a minute and I could feel that synapses had fired, muscle cell memory had occured, and lessons definitively were learned.  This was a good feeling, and after discussing it with Ricardo (my instructor) I also learned that I should tuck this feeling of accomplishment away for that inevitable day when things don't feel quite right.  In those moments it's good to recall the feeling of being "in the zone".

Friday, June 22, 2012


Enjoyed another excellent session with Ricardo at Oro Fine Art Gallery yesterday and made great progress on Spring.  Stop by when I'm there on a Thursday afternoon to say hello, see my painting, meet Ricardo and see his inspiring art. 

Next week I'll begin detailing the center of the painting - it's moving along very quickly :)

Friday, June 8, 2012

Spring and Summer (Beginning stages)

It's not a great photo, and I'll replace it later, but here's a glimpse of what I'm working on right now.  The painting on the left is "Spring", the one on the right is Summer.  I just began painting Spring this week, and it's based loosley on a photograph by Leif Andersson.  Thanks to him for permission to use this beautiful image.  Fall and Winter are in the design mode.  More soon - thanks for your interest!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Began sketching and blocking in Spring, the next piece in "The Four Seasons" series.  Will post higher resolution photos next time - only had iPhone with me and the photos are really blurry these days.  Having fun already with this piece!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Finishing Touches



Getting very near to finishing this painting, which my instructor calls "My breakthrough" piece.  It just needs some final details and varnish, so should be completed this week.  It is the first in a series of yet undertermined number, but the idea for the second in the series is underway. That's all for now, but I'll post the final image with the series name and a title for this particular piece soon! Thanks for checking in.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012