Saturday, December 31, 2011
Happy New Year!
----Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.-----Ralph Waldo Emerson
Painting: Celeste Bergin, Westmoreland Pond, oil on 9 x12 canvas panel
Labels:
2012,
happy new year,
new years eve,
oil painting
Friday, December 30, 2011
Friday--!
Here's a guy with an old-timey mustache, painted with three colors directly on a magazine page. I liked seeing the words on his cheek, so I left that unpainted. Painting these sketches on the printed page is great practice and almost always yields interesting results.
Oil sketch: Celeste Bergin, Mustached man, oil on 9x12 printed page
Oil sketch: Celeste Bergin, Mustached man, oil on 9x12 printed page
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Painting in the rain
Typically, steady cold rain makes me head for the coffee shop, but because Michael Lindstrom (who paints in the rain a lot) invited me to Burnt Bridge Creek today, I decided to throw in with him and brave the elements. Painting in the rain is a challenge. There is a distinct "repelling" sensation as the paint is put down, but I wound up liking the experience. Burnt Bridge Creek is a super pretty place and I thoroughly enjoyed the day! I may use this as a color study for another painting.
Color Study: Celeste Bergin, Burnt Bridge Creek, oil on 8x10 canvas panel
"Throwing myself" in! (my old golf rain jacket helped)
A Lovely spot ...I want to go back again
Vicki stayed dry under a tree
Michael captures the day
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Painting over an old painting....again
I recall seeing a brilliant book title: "Life is Goodbye, Life is Hello"...and I thought, I don't even have to read that book.... the title is haiku enough.
I like painting over old paintings for the "Hello-Goodbye" aspects of it. (Steps below)
Painting: Celeste Bergin, Homestead (painted over "life model"), oil on 16x20 stretched canvas
1. Place the darkest darks directly over the old painting
2. Next, place the lightest lights (I used a palette knife)
3. Block in the other major shapes and approximate local colors
4. Add the sky (now the entire canvas is covered)
5. Strengthen the buildings and place final details ....finished!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Tuesday~!
Today I went to the Breakfast meeting at O'Connor's. It's always fun to take in a painting or two and see what other painters bring in also. I like this truck painting because it is a good example that proves that a seemingly complex subject is really a bunch of simple shapes placed next to one another. After the meeting Carrie and I wound up at a favorite place, Verde Cocina, for some sketching.
What about you...did you have an artful Tuesday?
Painting: Celeste Bergin, Old Truck, oil on 9x12 canvas panel
What about you...did you have an artful Tuesday?
Painting: Celeste Bergin, Old Truck, oil on 9x12 canvas panel
Labels:
PPASP,
ppasp breakfast meeting,
ppasp sketching
Monday, December 26, 2011
Happy Birthday....to me!

My birthday has always been a good time to take stock of the year..and 2011 has been a great one, largely because of my art friends (and that includes you, my blogging friend!)
Friday, December 23, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Thursday!
My art friend Mark Larsen hosted a breakfast at Bread and Ink this morning. A topic discussed was paintings that hit and paintings that miss. I brought in a stack of paintings that I felt "just" missed. Close, but no cigar. It was fun to talk about what went wrong. The painting above is probably my favorite in my stack of paintings that missed. The tree takes up half of the panel (vertically).......but the more I look at it, the more I believe it has enough good qualities to override that compositional flaw.
Painting: Celeste Bergin, Tree on the River, oil on 6x8 canvas panel
...and here is a little Chet Baker for Christmas:
Labels:
bread and ink,
en plein air,
PPASP,
ppasp breakfast meeting
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Life painting session --"G"
Today's model "G" was pretty and had a "serious" look about her. My aim was to concentrate on big shapes! Life painting sessions are over now for awhile, but I will try to find a way to paint models each week, either at Hipbone or from reference.
(Top) Oil Sketch: Celeste Bergin, Portrait Study of "G", oil on 16x20 canvas panel
(Below) Oil Sketch: Celeste Bergin, Figure Study, "G", oil on 12x16 canvas panel
(Top) Oil Sketch: Celeste Bergin, Portrait Study of "G", oil on 16x20 canvas panel
(Below) Oil Sketch: Celeste Bergin, Figure Study, "G", oil on 12x16 canvas panel
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Tuesday~!
This is a painting that I took to the breakfast meeting today....for "discussion". I told everyone that even though this painting is green-green-green and a little blah compositionally, I enjoyed how I made the big kind-of-nutty decision to make the sky green.
Painting: Celeste Bergin, Sauvie Island, oil on 9x12 canvas panel
Painting: Celeste Bergin, Sauvie Island, oil on 9x12 canvas panel
Labels:
en plein air,
PPASP,
ppasp breakfast meeting,
sauvie island,
Tuesday
Monday, December 19, 2011
Glaze-o-rama!
After last week's glazing experiments, I decided to do a little more glazing and also make some corrections to earlier work. Revisiting older dry paintings is a cool way to feel like you are getting a ton of stuff done...when, in reality, it takes very little time. For the glazes, I used one part thinner to 2 parts stand oil, and then I applied the color where I wanted it.
(All of these paintings are "studies" and I was not heavily invested in the outcomes...I wound up pleased, though).
This bouquet was painted quite a while back. I like it because it is the complete opposite of "fussy". A glaze of yellow made it more interesting.
This painting received a light all over glaze of Ultramarine blue. I then went back and removed the blue out of the yellow. The glaze helped unify the colors in the painting.
Here are these people in the rain again..... I "obscured" her ugly foot. Good move, if I do say so myself.
I added a bit more color to this portrait. She was a cool experiment (with a grisaille). I'm calling her done now.
(1) Painting: Celeste Bergin, Wild Flowers, oil on 8x10 canvas panel
(2) Painting: Celeste Bergin, Reflections, oil on 8x8 canvas panel
(3) Painting: Celeste Bergin, Conversation, oil on 9x12 canvas panel
(4) Painting: Celeste Bergin, Portrait, oil on 16x20 canvas panel
That's my Monday...how's yours?
(All of these paintings are "studies" and I was not heavily invested in the outcomes...I wound up pleased, though).
This bouquet was painted quite a while back. I like it because it is the complete opposite of "fussy". A glaze of yellow made it more interesting.
Here are these people in the rain again..... I "obscured" her ugly foot. Good move, if I do say so myself.
I added a bit more color to this portrait. She was a cool experiment (with a grisaille). I'm calling her done now.
(1) Painting: Celeste Bergin, Wild Flowers, oil on 8x10 canvas panel
(2) Painting: Celeste Bergin, Reflections, oil on 8x8 canvas panel
(3) Painting: Celeste Bergin, Conversation, oil on 9x12 canvas panel
(4) Painting: Celeste Bergin, Portrait, oil on 16x20 canvas panel
That's my Monday...how's yours?
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Dramatic values
Every now and then I have the opportunity to see an instructional art DVD. Recently I watched M. Katherine Hurley's "Dramatic Values". In the DVD Hurley "adds and subtracts" values with a black pastel and an eraser. I painted this painting tonight with her instruction in mind. (It always seems "naughty" to paint with some black! ....Will Santa know?)
Painting: Celeste Bergin, The River, oil on 8x8 stretched canvas
(And just for fun, here is a Potpourri no-rhyme-or-reason slide show of recent things, some photos taken with my iphone):
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Saturday
This is a painting over an old painting. It's a big improvement over what it eradicated.
Painting: Celeste Bergin, Yellow Tree, oil on 8x8 canvas panel
Friday, December 16, 2011
Art Collecting (Part II)
Last night I met with my art friend Michael Lindstrom and I picked up my newest art acquisition, a wonderful plein air painting from Steigerwald Refuge. My new painting is already installed in a perfect spot where I will see it every day.
I thought this occasion is a good time to re-post my "Art that I own, I am a Collector" post from July of 2011. I added a few new photos, but the list is still not quite complete.
__________________________________



A beautiful piece of pottery by Kurtis Piltz (no website). I traded a painting for it.
I use it as an umbrella stand or to hold huge arrangements.
(The Kitty cat, Daisy is also a "prized possession").

Life casting, by Peny Wallace (I bought this in 2009, it is of Peny's daughter)

Another of my most favorite paintings, by Eric Jacobsen
I acquired it very close to this event.


Small painting by Eric Jacobsen purchased at Eric's studio sale

Small painting II by Eric Jacobsen purchased at Eric's studio sale

Brenda Boylan pastel (I traded a small painting for this)

Eric Bowman Acquired 2010 (I feel so lucky to own this!)

A study by Crawfurd Adamson (Gift from Crawfurd and Broderick Gallery)

Bonnie White, Gorge artist (purchased at Gorge White House)

Hanging vase by Margaret Synan-Russell



Mosaic purchased at Bread and Ink Emilie Machon (no website)
The artist told me that when that cup accidently broke she announced,
"No problem, I will just use it in my next mosaic!"

Painting purchased during Portland Open Studios, Virginia Leonnig
... see the WPA influence?

Mark Larsen (trade for a painting of mine)


Mike Rangner, purchased at the Gorge White House

Scott L. Hendrie, Watercolor and ink portrait of "me" (gift)

Elizabeth See, Purchased at Columbia Art Gallery 10/10

Carolyn Rondthaler, (Watercolor), purchase from her show at First Unitarian Church, summer 2011

Eric Bowman, purchased in his "Collector's show" December 2011 (I ♥ this painting! )

Michael Lindstrom (Oil painting trade) My newest acquisition---Plein air, so thrillingly "fresh"
This is not absolutely everything..I have to add photos for work by Marcia Vander Schaaf, Stephanie Cissna, Karen E. Lewis and Olivia Jacobsen! It was fun posting my collection to share with you!
What about you...do you collect art --what do you have on your walls?
It is a good thing ...to acquire art!
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