Skies: Original Oil and Acrylic Paintings by Elin Pendleton

Elin Pendleton Paints Skies in All Their Moods

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Sunrises

Finally was able to finish this huge canvas, and get the values right on the focal points of the Springbok. They were too light in the earlier posting, and I had more work to do on the foreground. I hope you like it! It is on display through November 18, 2007, at the Colony Theater in Burbank, along with the other large paintings in the African Moments series.

Betty Billups arrived this afternoon, and I had my eye on the skies all day, looking at the clouds. I did this because her mural commission up at Mt. San Antonion College is supposed to be with clouds over the San Gabriel mountains. I guess I got a few of them in my head, because when I came in to paint tonight, this 7 x 5 acrylic just FELL off my brush. We've had a great time talking and going out to dinner, and I'm so looking forward to the next few days.
This little painting is available for $100 from my ebay store listing.

This is the second painting started in my before-dawn painting session at Grapevine Canyon Ranch. After doing the dawn piece looking east, I spun the easel around and painted the clouds coming up over the Dragoon Mountains behind the ranch. I'm quite pleased with the design of this one, as it seems to hold one's eyes for a long time, enjoying the many vagaries of the edges of the clouds. I'd like to be there again, enjoying the morning light! This little gem is for sale for $100 as an item in my new ebay store.

The second of the two paintings done on location on Wednesday--found out that there were others there painting, but we didn't get in contact/phone numbers in time, so Betty and I just painted our brushes off and then went to dinner. This one happened later in the afternoon, when the "mare's tails" of clouds were coming in to indicate a change of weather. Wonderful skies, and Betty is such a sky painter, that it was fun to do one while she was nearby.

"Moving Clouds on a Breezy Day" Oh darn. I was supposed to paint on yesterday's painting, and well... we had company to the new house this evening, and all plans for painting in acrylics went out the window! So the result for today is this nice 6 x 8 cloud study. I like doing clouds, because it allows me to really "cut loose" with brushwork. Compare this one to the earlier one in acrylics to see a difference in both values and textures. My spirit soars as I look at it, and I want to paint more of them!
But I also need to put together the EASEL (yes it is finally moved!) and start painting on that larger acrylic lesson for you. $100

"Cloud Exercise" I was asked by one of the participants in the acrylic workshop (Lynda!) how do I do clouds, and would I demonstrate the methods for getting a feel for the ethereal, and this 12 x 9 inch canvas resulted. It was painted with the sky color first and the layers of light being added in a glazing fashion, with the lightest forms and edges added last. I think I used a 5/8 inch brush on the whole thing, which goes to show that those filberts can really dance when you need them to!
Herculean two days of moving--I came home to a stressed out hubby and just tons of work to be done. My artist friend Nancy Cox and my sister-in-law came to the old house for a marathon packing afternoon. Hmmm, I don't think I'll find anything for weeks! But the dining room table is in place, and we can sit down to a proper meal--which we did this evening. I've also spent a good portion of the day filling DVD orders that came in while I was gone. They are all going out in tomorrow's mail!
Coyotes are really howling tonight. All cats are inside and safe. $100

"Morning Sunrise" The peace of an early morning sunrise, enjoyed by those of us who manage to scramble out of bed to see it. As the summer wanes, and the days grow shorter, more and more of us will be up early enough to enjoy the rising sun. I painted this canvas as an exercise in grays to convey the true illusion of the sky being luminous with many intense colors. Not so, as all of these are very grayed.
I saw the harvest full moon tonight and wanted to paint it, but I was driving up to the new home, and the paints are still at the old place! Maybe tomorrow evening, as I fly into Lexington. I'll have my watercolors with me. WATERCOLORS??? Yes, desperation makes us do strange things! This 5 x 7 acrylic painting is available for $100 with the press of the button below.

"Buffalo Sunset" I so enjoy painting sunsets and sunrises. They signify the change of mode from action to rest, and from rest to action--a totally normal part of daily living. The clarity of the change of pace is such a pleasure to depict on canvas. This one is 8 x 10 original, in oils.
I need the rest right now, for I don't mind sharing with you that grief for my mother's passing hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday and today. I have been crying off and on all day, and finding memories and sadness at every moment, every turn in the house, and even in such mundane chores as laundry. I thought I'd dodged that grief bullet, since I'd been so "normal" for the past three weeks. Tain't so. I've been told that this would happen, just didn't think it would. But optimist that I am, I know this will pass as well.
So the sunset and the buffalo truly represent the passing of time, and I paint them with bittersweet joy. It feels so good to be back in my home studio, surrounded by my "friends" -- the other paintings I have done. I take great comfort from them. $200

to new collector Bruce Earny from Westmont, New Jersey

"Virgas" I have been told that when rain falls out of a cloud and doesn't reach the ground, that phenomenum is called a virga. Last night we had a bunch of them as the thunder and lightning moved away, and the evening light showed through the storm clouds in a glory of sunset glow that was changing as fast as I could paint it. This is the second canvas of the "Sitting Outside in the chair at the Opening" paint session while it was so hot. It is a 7 x 5 inch oil, and I feel it realy captures that light in the sky at this time of day. $100

"Sunset Riches" An absolutely gorgeous day today, after the rain of last weekend. The sunset was spectacular as well, so what could I do but paint it? You betcha! Original oil, 4 x 6 inches, available for $100.

"Last Light" Sitting an art show is NOT my favorite thing. I would rather be doing something, and so of course, I paint. This little oil is completely out of my head (some of my collectors agree--she's out of her head) and is exercise in capturing the evening light of a sunset. Fun. I've already started tomorrow's painting--my husband! Original oil, 7 x 5. $100

"Earth Day Light" What better for Earth Day than a celebration of light uplifting the soul on a glorious morning? this is a 5 x 7, and came off my acrlyic palette for several reasons: 1) I'm an optimist and know things are going to be OK, 2) it is wonderful to be alive and enjoy such sunrises, regardless of not sleeping great, and 3) I'm looking forward to another commission (Fritz) and a major show next weekend. So life is good, and you and I can bask in the sunbeams. Original acrylic on canvas, 7 x 5 inches.

$100

An exercise in texture! I went into some of the nifty jars of bottled texture that Golden Paints makes, using both glass beads and resin sand to palette knife up the texture. Then I started painting the "real" painting on top of this, after it dried, of course. I just love what texture excitement does to the human eye! So much to look at, and SO unusual for a pastoral, calm scene such as this sunset. The paint skips over the high points and leaves the valleys in between with the under painting showing through. Like a lace overlay, perhaps. Although it has a strong appeal for me, some folks won't like it. But that's OK, because if we all liked the same things, there'd surely be some really crowded places on this planet! I hope you enjoy the idea that having fun with paint is a wonderful diversion from the serious museum pieces that also come out of the studio.
This is a 12 x 12 gallery wrap canvas, with texture all the way around the 1.5" edges, so it is very contemporary. $150

"Catalina at Dawn" Sunrise on the beach at Avalon, Catalina Island. Original oil on canvas, 12 x 16 inches Buy with your credit card $500 Contact Elin to inquire about this painting.

"Winter Feed" This painting is the first draft of the third in the series of the four seasons with draft horses. In the low evening light, these ranchers are using the big horses to haul hay to their stock. Accepted into the prestigious 101st Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Show in Gramercy Park, NY. Also has been shown at the American Academy of Equine Art's Fall Showcase in Lexington, KY. Original acrylic on prepared panel, 18 x 24 inches.US$ 575 Purchase with your credit card or email Elin about this work.

Sunsets

This painting was done this morning during a demonstration for the Associated Artists of the Inland Empire, over in Rancho Cucamonga. What a great drive, to a grand location, with a warm and welcoming group of artists in attendance. I started it about 9:45, and finished up the talk at 11 with a break in between.

Some of the ideas I shared were about painting as a process, not an individual product, and to think of your work as stepping stones to a distant destination, rather than putting too much of your emotional self in the current work. I also shared vestiges of my Color System, and also a joke here and there. Even though i say I won't do as many demonstrations now, when I get in front of a group like today's it is tough to think of not doing it any more!

This one is an oil, and might get a bit more tweaking before it goes up on the daily paintings web site. My goodness, I need to update that!

The workshop in Murrieta, California, is full now, with 15 people ready to paint up a storm on May 15. Directions and other information will be forthcoming to the attendees.

A quick color study to capture the light of an evening's sunset, reinforcing the arrangement of values to make a believable scene in two dimensions. The sunset tonight wasn't as spectacular, but we do have gray skies--hopefully some rain in the forecast. And I woke up this morning discovering some muscles I hadn't used in a while being quite sore from yesterday's ride. The mare was mighty quiet today, too! 5 x 5 Acrylic for $100

I was out among 'em today, about sunset, and saw a wonderfully colorful sunset unfold as I headed up the hill to the UPS store to drop off a painting going to a new collector. The sunset presented the solution to a problem I'd been trying to solve for quite a while, and I had one of those "AHA!" moments as I was driving (fortunately traffic wasn't heavy!). I made a discovery about lighting in such wonderful skies, and had to come back and duplicate the solution so I would have it in my repertoire of skills whenever I wanted it. Doing it, after mentally solving the problem, was just as exciting as the "AHA!" moment back there on the road! So now I have this little 6 x 8 oil to remind me of the obvious knowledge that had been obscure before. This view is from the hillsides above Riverside. $200 from the web site.

Ah, such nice memories I have of the fog and coastal ocean, especially when I exist here in 100 degree dry heat of August in California, sun baking the ground. However, deep in the cool depths of the inner studio, I'm painting away. I'm in oils again working on the three-dog commission again. It is going well. The scene to your right is one I did while thinking about all I'd seen and experienced while on Mt. Desert Island, and it is in acrylics with sand texture under it, and layers of the blue/orange complementary colors I so love. It is also backlit, which adds another dimension to the experience.
I'll be putting this one on my ebay store within the next day or so. It will be available for $275 unframed, plus $5 shipping within the United States.

"Kaua'i Coast" Our last evening on the voyage was just about as poignant as it is possible to be. The day dawned cloudy and rainy, which continued throughout the day. We sailed from Kaua'i at 2 pm, and went completely around the island. Around 5 pm, we came to the Pali coast of the island, with vertical cliffs rising right from the sea, an area totally inaccessible except by boat. The sun was setting as the six of us came together for our final dinner, and my brother proposed a memorable toast to our parents for creating this moment, and to us for completing their wishes. As the sun slipped away, we had the second of only two spectacular sunsets for our trip.
Here is the painting, a 10 x 8 acrylic done from the memory of those cliffs and that sunset. Our bags are packed and the painting rests within the checked luggage, and our arrival tomorrow in Oahu. Available for $200

This 9 x 11 oil was the demonstration painting for the Color Boot Camp's Sunset lesson. I asked my students to focus on the orange and alizarin characteristics of sun and shadow, and to remember that skies are a simple formula of three hues.

On other news, I've firmed up the dates for the Georgia Color Bootcamp workshop one year from now--September 11-14, 2007. If you're interested, email me.
This sunset painting is available for $150

"Sunset over the Lake" AFter Norco's art reception, I came home and painted this memory of Hawley Lake and Arizona, last October. I talked up the trip for 2006 with several people, and won awards on my artwork! Original oil, 9 x 12. $300

"African Moments, Giraffes" The digital camera cannot convey the sunlight intensity of this five foot tall painting. It just isn't rich enough. The light of the sunset is just so perfectly painted, I just cannot believe I did it! But, I know I'll have to let go of the good ones... It is on display through November 18, 2007, at the Colony Theater in Burbank. Original oil, 60 x 48 inches.

"Sunset Light" A tiny gem of a painting, perfect to tuck in that nook or hang in its own special corner at 5 x 7 inches. Original oil on canvas, US $185 from the artist.

"Sunset Evening #5" I enjoy working with the subtle cloud colors found in sunsets and sunrises. This 12 x 16 oil is one I worked on earlier, but it wasn't ready for display until now.

"Soaring at Sunset" Unfortunately, the rich coloration of this painting did not come out in the digital. It is FULL of color and light. I will try to get a better image of it this weekend, as this 12 x 16 painting in real life is a knockout. Original oil, US $575 from the artist

"Long Harvest Days" Painting stellar pieces filled with light and color for exhibition at the Draft Horse Classic in Grass Valley, Elin pulls out all the stops with this 24 x 48 inch canvas. Original oil, US $2800 from the artist.

"Sunset Glow" A tiny painting full of energetic color, this 5 x 7 inch oil could be done as a 24 x 36 inch canvas similar to the one above! But it can be yours for much less... only US $185 from the artist.

On the Lake Trail at Dusk Brillant color and deep values depict a scene of constant serenity, seen many times by packers with their strings of mules on their way through the high country. Original oil on canvas, 24 x 36 inches US $ 1200 Email to inquire

Moonlight

"Full Moon" Did you see the moon come up tonight? We have had nothing but clear skies--no rain-- and today was 72 degrees. So what better to paint, thinking about my friends and collectors on the east coast in a snowstorm, but our palm trees and the houses below us. Original acrylic on gallery wrap, 6 x 4 inches (no framing needed). Available for $100

"Moonrise #2" I'm exploring the response of my emotions to the moonrise again with some quick color studies to see if I can capture the essense of a mood. This is such a painting. There are nuances of color and brushwork in this one that are missing from the other one. It is an acrylic, but done without layering. It's interesting to switch between oils and acrylics and to see how the use of one affects the other. Can you tell this is acrylic? 5 x 7. $100

"Moonrise at the Edge of the Woods" I have memories of moonrises just like this one, growing up in Virginia. In the summertime, I would be out late playing, and look up to see the moon coming up over the trees. Growing older, moonrise represented romance, wonderment about my future, and a familiar friend. Nowadays when I see a full moon rise, I have memories to recall, and enjoy the continuity of this life-long event. I wonder where and how the moon will rise behind the new place? Where is your moonrise? Original oil, 6 x 6 on gallery wrap canvas. $100

"Moonlight Pause" This is the painting that was done for Elin's fourth DVD/video and first on color "Colorful Oil Painting 1" and is a wonderful example of how Elin uses color to depict a moonlight scene. Original oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches. US $ 900 Available from the artist.

"Moonlight Mood" As an example of how value is such an important part of the design of good paintings, Elin painted this mid-range and dark valued painting for the purpose of instruction. She'll take it with her to Lexington in June. However, it can be purchased for US $550. Email Elin.