Daring To Be Different

 

Gouache on panel - 6x6 inches - $150 - (Email me to purchase)

Being different takes a lot of courage. I got to use my new fabric that I recently picked up from a local fabric store. I love my new fabric colors. So many options! Email: juliegrimesart@gmail.com

Mint Chocolate Chip

 

Gouache on panel - 9 15/16 x7 15/16 inches - $120 - Email me for inquiry

I think this painting wasn't as successful as it could have been. But there are things I still like about it. The measuring cup has really pleasant colors in it. I also really love the chocolate chips. Email for inquiry: juliegrimesart@gmail.com

Peanut Butter & Jelly

 

Gouache on panel - 6x6 inches - $150 (Click here to purchase)

Even as an adult, I eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They're just so convenient, available, quick, and delicious. Especially for hiking! I absolutely love the pink background. I had some spare fabric laying around from when I did more sewing a few years ago. They make the perfect backdrop for fun color possibilities. 

Summer At Shenandoah National Park

I had the pleasure of going back to Shenandoah National Park this last week. It's one of my favorite places in Virginia. The mountains are so large and the landscape is painted with vibrant green rolling hills. The place we stayed had an incredible view in the "backyard" of the property. The choice had been made. I knew I had to paint it! 

Summer Evening In Etlan - 6x12 inches - $320 (Click here to purchase)

This was only part of the view. My painting was a more narrow cropping of the area. I wanted to get a sense of scale with the farm house as well. It was really challenging getting the lightness of the mountains the proper value. This painting was about an hour and a half. Maybe 2 hours, max. The light was changing fast, so I had to paint quickly.

It was so humid outside that my gouache paint never actually dried on the panel. I had to bring the painting inside in order for it to actually dry. I've never seen gouache act like that. It almost felt like oil painting again.

I had also decided I was only going to take my limited primary palette that I had been experimenting with over the last 2 weeks with still life paintings. So the colors I had with me were:

- Hansa Yellow                                        - Ultramarine 

- Cadmium Yellow                                  - Viridian

- Cadmium Red Light                             - Burnt Umber

- Quinacridone Magenta                         - Titanium White

 

All together totals to 8 tubes of color. Not bad! I can mix almost any color I need. Plus it's fun to add to the challenge of mixing colors. I had also decided I was going to try something different. Gesso hardboard panels cut and prepared by myself. 

That was several days of trial and error, not square edges, and saw dust everywhere. I ended up with 12 panels so far (with 3 more 2 x 4 sheets left to make more). So I'd say it was worth it! 

The second place I painted was in that same valley. But I had this great view of a cow pasture where the cows would hide under the shade of the trees, away from the sun. As the shadow moved, so did the cows—trying to stay with it.

A Place Where The Cows Lay - 8x10 inches - $400 (Click here to purchase)

The sun had just crested over the mountains. There were no direct lights or shadows. The lighting was more ambient and soft. This time the humidity was so high, I couldn't even sign my painting at the end! I had to wait for it to dry inside. This painting was even faster to complete at 40 minutes to an hour. The lighting was changing from minute to minute. 

When I wasn't painting, I was hiking up in Shenandoah national Park. I went on the Lewis Falls Loop trail and the Stoney Man loop trail. It was really fun! I had such a wonderful time. I can't wait to go back and paint more some day. Until then, Shenandoah!

Together

 

Gouache on panel - 6x6 inches - $150 (Click here to purchase)

Painted some tomatoes that my husband got for me at the grocery store. They still had the vine on them too! How lucky am I? I'd like to imagine these tomatoes are just hanging out together, watching the world go by. This painting was made with a limited primary palette of Hansa Yellow, Cadmium yellow, Ultramarine, Quinacridone Magenta, Viridian, Burnt Umber, and Titanium White.

Onion and Celery

Gouache on panel - 6x6 inches - $150 (Click here to purchase)

Here's an onion and some celery from my fridge! I love the colors of an onion. The bounce light from the yellow saucer hitting the underside of the onion is magnificent. I also really love how the green from the celery throws it's hue onto the side of the onion as well. I'm a sucker for bounce light. I was also trying out a different combination of paint tubes to see if I wanted to go with a primary limited palette or an extended primary palette for my upcoming plein air trip next week.

    This painting was with the primary extended palette. The colors used were Hansa Yellow, Cadmium yellow, Cadmium orange, Cadmium Red Light, Quinacridone Magenta, Ultramarine, Cobalt Blue, Viridian, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, and Titanium White. 

My Husbands Tea Pot

Gouache on panel - 6x6 inches - $150 (Click here to purchase)

I remembered that I have a standing desk, which moves up and down. It makes it perfect for still life set ups! I love the colors of this teapot that my husband made. It was fired in a wood kiln and has beautiful blues and greens from the glaze reacting with the wood fire. I also used a Indian Pashmina scarf that I bought a long time ago from a little shop in Bar Harbor, Maine for a backdrop to add in more color. This still life was reflection central!

Something Sweet

 

Gouache on panel - 6x6 inches - $150 (Click here to purchase)

Painted my first mug ever! Mugs are deceptively difficult to paint. Especially when they're an off white color. There was so much bounce light from the red plate and color shifting in the shadows. I tried to minimize the amount of brush strokes and make every stroke intentional. I still did a fair amount of "fixing", but overall, I'm satisfied with the result. 

Buttermilk

Gouache on aquaboard - 6x6 inches - $150 (Click here to purchase)

I recently went to an antique store to get some objects for still life painting. while I was there, I found these awesome fluted glasses that are the bomb. I bought all 7 for $2 each! But more importantly I found this "fiesta" ceramic dishes that were in all different colors. They're perfect for still life painting and I'm so excited to paint them! I've decided that I'm going to try to paint daily, whether it's plein air or a still life. Both make me very happy. I need to remind myself to put on a timer before I start. Paintings under pressure always look better. It's available on my shop.

Smoky Mountain Trip

This past March, I was going to be going to Smoky Mountain National park for my husband and I's wedding anniversary. So I knew I had to bring my painting stuff with me. My husband doesn't mind and knows that I will always bring my painting stuff with me, even on vacations!

So we set out to the Smoky Mountains! The car trip was about nine hours or so. We listened to music, took turns driving, got fast food, and sung badly in the car together. It was great! I couldn't wait to get to painting. 

The first sights of the park were beautiful. Huge mountain ranges with naked trees since it was early March (with the exception to the evergreens). There was even snow on the top of the highest peaks. Driving around the park was very entertaining. The roads in the park were up and down mountain ranges with switchbacks all along the main road. The speed limit was usually between twenty-five and thirty-five. 

The first scene I captured was along a wide, winding river. After about 30 minutes, I was able to find somewhere I wanted to paint. It's so difficult choosing what I want to paint sometimes. Especially when there are so many good painting spots to choose from. This little bank spot on the river caught my eye. The rocks were so interesting with all the lichen and moss growing right by the base of this wild rooted tree. There was also a nice subtle reflection on the water.

Trees and Rocks Along The River - 5x7 inches - gouache on paper

We were able to get out the door a little earlier the second morning we were there. So we set off around 8AM. The next painting I was able to paint was on a trail with these magnificent waterfalls. The snow melt was well into it's heavy flow in the rivers coming down the mountains. The river was very cold with a swift current. The greens and violets peaked my interest within the fall. At the end of the fall, it jetted into a small pool of water and turned a very light green from all the tiny bubbles in the water. After I was finished up for the day, we hiked back to the car and drove back to the airbnb. The hot tub was waiting to soothe our sore legs. 

River Waterfall - 5x7 inches - gouache on paper

The third day, we went on a few different hikes. We mostly drove that day besides the 2 mile trails we had been on. Then we came to our last stop of the day. A short hike, but with an incredible elevation gain. As we got to the top, the sunlight was already starting to become limited, which meant I was going to have fast moving light. I tried my best to capture what I could in the time I had. 

I wasn't too happy with the finished result, overall, but sometimes paintings just don't turn out the way we think they will. I also had to wear a hat, gloves and jacket during this whole painting too. I remember how frozen my fingers were by the end! I was especially thankful for the hot tub that day.

The Tall Waterfall - 5x7 inches - gouache on paper

The 4th day was our last full day of being there. We hiked a very long hike in the early morning, starting at about 8AM. It was a moderately difficult hike. I always hate that they use "moderate" for something that feels pretty strenuous! But the hike was so worth what was waiting for us at the destination. I think this was, by far, the best waterfall we had seen the whole trip. The fall itself was rushing over the side of a cliff, splashing into a pool of water below. Lots of plants around, swaying gently in the wind. 

The Day at Grotto Falls - 8x8 inches - gouache on panel

The trip was overall a huge success for painting and a greater success for relaxation. All of these paintings were painted with gouache. I use various colors from Windsor & Newton, M. Graham, and Holbein.