"Hohenberger Farm" 12" X 16" Oil on Canvas Panel - $105 Donation - BENEFITS HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES

"Hohenberger Farm" - Oil - 12" x 16"

""I have painted several larger works from this sketch of a fetching scene near Cambria, California. Though I don't know who owns the picturesque farm, I dubbed it 'Hohenberger Farm' for my fellow artist and friend, Rose Hohenberger, who was painting with me." --- SFG

VIEW EBAY AUCTION

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Keep your field sketches for a while. Even less-than-your-best sketches can serve as a color reference as you use your onsite photos to experiment with alternative compositions. Some sketches will merit their own frames, like this one did.

"Fruit and Silver" 6" x 8" Oil on Canvas Board - Donation: $65

EBAY AUCTION IN PROGRESS - BENEFITS AMERICAN RED CROSS

"Fruit and Silver" - Oil - 6" x 8"

"Quick little paintings of still life objects are a training tool for artists. They keep the eye alert to value, color, and draftmanship. Additionally, they are pure pleasure!" --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
One of my teachers had a saying that has stuck with me and served me well for many years. He said, "Paint every day and you will get better. Paint every-other-day and you will stay the same. And paint every third day and you will get worse."

"Farm on Turri Road, Los Osos" 8" x 10" Plein Air Sketch - $85

ON EBAY AT 6 PM PDT TODAY -- BENEFITS AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

"Farm on Turri Road, Los Osos" - Oil - 8" x 10"

"Turri Road, between San Luis Obispo and Los Osos, is a favorite of local artists. It presents plentiful subjects for the plein air painter, especially farm and mountain scenes."  --- SFG

Titled "Farm on Turri Road, Los Osos", the field sketch is 9" x 12" and is oil on canvas on Raymar canvas panel. These excellent boards are archival and the canvas will not flex, reducing the risk of future cracking of the paint or damage in shipping. The paint is professional quality. There is a 100% satisfaction guarantee on the purchase amount.

GreavesArt has sold over 1000 paintings by Greaves on eBay with the highest customer satisfaction. More info on the artist: susanfgreaves.com.

Join the "Good (Art) Works" effort. 100% donation to the selected cause. 

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
When painting hilly country, I often use diagonal lines to move the eye through the composition, as I did here. The asymmetric balance is achieved with the darkest trees to the left and the largest building and another tree to the right.

"Elevations" - 8" x 10" - Oil on Raymar canvas panel - $75 donation

eBay auction begins tomorrow at 6 PM Pacific Time. Benefits Good News Rescue Mission in Redding, CA.























"Elevations" - Oil - 10" x 8"

"This scene in southern California was a study in warm and cool contrast. The distant mountains were in delightfully cool tones that enhanced the dry grasses of the foreground. I placed the horizon line low to emphasize the scale of the farm vs. that of the mountains."  --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Before beginning a landscape, experiment with where you place the horizon line. The psychological effect is very different, so choose the placement according to what you are trying to say. A low horizon line like this one minimizes the importance of the viewer (makes him smaller) compared to the subject. I wanted to emphasize the scale of the mountains in this painting.

"Dark Mantle" Oil on Ramar Canvas Board - 14" X 11" - $95 Donation

AUCTION BEGINS WEDNESDAY AT 6 PM ON EBAY






















"Dark Mantle" - Oil - 14" x 11"

"This model's dark hair offered a solid form that reminded me of mideval armor. I explored her facial structure, especially her nose and mouth. The cool tones around her eyes, plus the lovely blue of her irises, gave balance and relief to the warm tones elsewhere."  --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Painting portraits in a limited amount of time is tough. I go for accurate drawing, big shapes, and overall color. I must pay attention to the edges to keep one element from taking over and being inconsistent with the rest of the work.

The mistake I see most often among my students is making the far edge of the face too hard. In an effort to draw accurately, they flatten the image into a cut-and-paste cartoon against the background. Softening that edge immediately gives the head more form.

New Benefit Auction on DailyPaintworks.com: "In the Trees" 8" x 10" Oil - Starts at $85

"In the Trees" - Oil - 8" x 10"

Choose YOUR favorite charity from the "Good (Art) Works list.

"Paintings are everywhere I look. This was a sunny afternoon and the sun lined the top of the deadfall and reflected up to warm leafy branches. It's not the subject...it's the painter that makes it special." --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
When I search for a subject in the landscape, I simply look for light against dark or dark against light. A touch of color in or near that focal point will reinforce the effect.

Auction Starts Tomorrow -- "Cool Day at Clear Creek" 11" x 14" Oil Field Sketch

"Cool Day at Clear Creek" - Oil - 11" x 14"

"The viewing platform along Clear Creek in Shasta County, California, offers a fine view of the small canyon. There is dramatic lighting on the sides of the steep, rocky gorge, especially in the morning. Below, the creek is transparent and salmon spawn and lay eggs in the gravel streambed. A stunning subject!"  --- SFG."

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Be sure to remove your sunglasses! As tempting as it is, you cannot mix accurate color through colored lenses of any sort unless you are doing just a value study. I had to re-paint much of this work because of the distortion. 

Join the "Good (Art) Works" Effort

a

100% of the proceeds from sales of my works

will be donated to a good cause.

EBay auctions must be pre-designated by the seller,

but buyers from www.susanfgreaves.com or other sites

will choose from this list:

The Alpha-1 Foundation

American Breast Cancer Foundation

American Cancer Society

Good News Rescue Mission, Redding, CA

Heifer International

The Humane Society of the United States

Make-a-Wish Foundation

Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, LA

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, OK

Shasta County Arts Council, Redding, CA

Wounded Warrior Project

LET'S DO SOME GOOD TOGETHER!

Be sure you're signed up for MY EMAILING LIST

"Burney Falls" - Oil on Raymar Canvas Panel - 11" x 14"

"Burney Falls is another jewel amid northern California's visual riches. Besides that, it offers a cool spot during the scorching summer." --- SFG

This painting is now available through DailyPaintworks.com and eBay.com.
100% DONATION TO A "Good (Art) Works" CAUSE
See listing for details

NOTE TO ARTISTS: Though painting this subject involved a little hike, the rewards are obvious. Additionally, painting with other artists, as I did this day, pushes you to "get it down and get it right". Maintain your links with artists groups and like-minded painters. When you are my age, you'll be very glad you did.

Autumn by Mary Lake

"Autumn by Mary Lake" - Oil on Raymar Canvas Panel - 11" x 14"


"Last autumn, I set my easel on the shore of Mary Lake, near my home. Its seasonal color and reflected light made an exceptional subject." --- SFG

This painting is now available through DailyPaintworks.com and eBay.com.
100% DONATION TO A "Good (Art) Works" CAUSE

Painting with Alla Prima International

I just spent a terrific five days painting with other Alla Prima International members at Ghost Ranch, near Abiquiu, New Mexico. This is Georgia O'Keeffe country. What fun! This is Georgia O'Keeffe country.

"Late Blaze"

"Late Blaze" - Oil on Canvas on Panel - 6" x 8"

"California's coastal residents are recipients of a light show each evening, especially if the sky has clouds to provide variety and contrast.  One becomes aware of the stages of the sunset when the sky transitions from green to gold to orange to red. This is the gold stage." --- SFG

NOW ON AUCTION -- Starting bid $55

NOTE TO ARTISTS:

Small paintings are more direct and less encumbered with detail, as is this small seascape. Making many starts, especially if you use a brush larger than you would normally choose, focuses the painter's attention on the essentials of composition, values, and color.

"Coastal Haze" -- Oil on Museum Quality Panel -- 6" x 8"

"Coastal Haze" - Oil - 6" x 8"

"This wonderful effect came about because of the sun's struggle to bore through the moist air of the California coast. This lovely scene is north of Cambria, near San Simeon and Hearst Castle." --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:

Painting on location is difficult when everything is perfect. The birds are singing, the sky is clear, and even the clouds don't move. Catching an atmospheric effect is even more difficult.

When something that is the main premise of the painting, as was the indistinct background in this field sketch, is present, quickly reduce everything else to its simplest form and paint the effect as it relates to those large notes. Then, you can return to the other elements to add as much emphasis as you like.

"Purpose"

"Purpose"  Oil  12" x 12"

"I am not sure why I titled this subject "Purpose" unless I was thinking of the joy such cheerful blooms give like a precious offering, however brief their span.

Delicious strokes portray the two open flowers as well as the bud and separate petal that lies to the right. The dark background enriches the vivid red and the warm tabletop completes a primary color scheme.

This is the third of my recent series of simple floral paintings, made special by lush paint application and rich contrast and color. As a group, these 12" x 12" paintings have a great deal of impact."
                                                                                                                                      --- SFG

"Opulence"

"Opulence" - Oil - 12" x 12"

"How I love rich paint and flowers! The two combine well in this new work, I think, and I‘ve titled it “Opulence“.

The heavy red blossoms support a brilliantly lit orange one that shows behind the first rank. Scattered leaves and blue accents move the eye through the space as a triangle of the crisp white drape defines the foreground tabletop.

The combination of thick impasto and winning color carry my enthusiasm to the viewer.

Prints are available at http://fineartamerica.com/featured/opulence-susan-f-greaves.html.

"Awesome"

"Awesome" - Oil - 12" x 12"

"This is the first of a series of new floral paintings that I am ready to release and I am especially pleased with this one. The pile of bright yellow sunflowers rests on a diagonal swath of white fabric. There are red and green drapes in the background that recede nicely. Small accents of orange and blue are sprinkled through the work and add exceptional life to the work.

The original is 12" x 12", though the image will display nicely in a larger print. Prints can be ordered at http://fineartamerica.com/featured/awesome-susan-f-greaves.html?newartwork=true and the original will be available at Jose Antonio's shop in Redding, California later this week." --- SFG

GALLERY833 -- ONLINE CATALOG

WELCOME

to the online catalog

NEW WORKS BY SUSAN F. GREAVES

Presented by

Gallery833

833 Mistletoe Avenue, Suite A4

Redding, California

530-223-2541

Friday August 12 through Wednesday September 8, 2011

Opening, Saturday August 13, 6 PM to 9 PM

Works Included

Please feel free to contact the gallery if you have any questions!

"Lilacs Plein Air"

14" x 18" Oil

$700

"Farm Barn"

30" x 24" Oil

$1800

"Wisteria Cascade"

9" x 12" Oil

$350

"View Above the Lake"

16" x 20"

"Variation on a Theme #4"

24" x 30" Oil

$1800

"Variation on a Theme #2"

11" x 14" Oil

$400

"Hydrangeas Near the Window"

20" x 24" Oil

$1200

"The Awakening"

20" x 24" Oil

$1200

"Embankment in Bloom"

14" x 11" Oil

$400

"Cool Day Near Cambria"

30" x 24"

$1800

"Waves and Foam"

16" x 20" Oil

$800

"Snow and Thaw"

24" x 24" Oil

$1500

Thanks for looking. We hope to see you at the gallery!

"Coastal Haze"

"Coastal Haze" - Oil - 6" x 8"

"This wonderful effect came about because of the sun's struggle to bore through the moist air of the California coast. This lovely scene is north of Cambria, near San Simeon and Hearst Castle." --- SFG

"May the Hills Sing With Color"

"May the Hills Sing With Color" - Oil - 10" x 8"

"This is a simple description of a California valley. Its summer grass... it is the 'golden state' after all... was balanced by the receding mountains. A simple joy to see and paint." --- SFG

A Perfect Day

"A Perfect Day" - Oil - 24" x 18"

"Inspired partly by our first warm day and, also, by the lovely Susan Boyle performance of "A Perfect Day" on her latest CD, I set this arrangement in sunlight and laid on the color. Painting it lifted my heart." --- SFG

More info

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Freshly picked.

I grouped the objects and allowed room at the bottom of the canvas for the edge of the table to show.

Here, I link the darks and create a variety of greens.

Before I can go further, I add the background since it will influence all subsequent colors.

Now I move to the lights of the tabletop, judging value and temperature. Notice how I indicate where the drape falls over the edge of the table by a darker value and cooler temperature. It takes both to show a plane change.

I painted the pear to the left of the vase a "hotter" color intentionally. Sometimes greens can be overpowering. By pushing the color as far from green as possible, I add range to the variety of greens I can use in a painting. I will adjust it in the next step to fine tune the harmony, but will not completely lose those vibrating tones.

It's time to develop the lit areas of the graceful lilac blooms. The lavender ones vary slightly in color from one to another. Note the warm reflection on the underside of the white fronds.

Adding some of the folds and stripes gives more movement to the foreground so it serves the purpose of a foreground, to lead the eye into the painting. They were needed, also, to balance the action of the other objects.

"Lilacs 2011"

"Lilacs 2011" - Oil - 9" x 12"

"During lilac week in my garden, I paint outdoors and in the studio with great motivation since lilacs bloom for such a short time. The strong sunlight and background shadows on this painting, done directly "from the bush", were a joy to work with." --- SFG

More info

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Finally, we have a warm spring day instead of the weeks of rain that have characterized this spring in my part of California. The lilacs are in full bloom, so I'm setting up next my largest bush.

I elect to paint these clusters near the top of the bush. The shadow on the right in the background gives me the element that created the darks in the background of the painting.

When plein air painting, I use fewer colors and smaller canvases. Not only is it difficult to complete a larger canvas (24" x 30" and larger) before the light changes, but the panel can turn into a sail if the wind whips up.

I place the main elements, being sure that they are not repetitious in size or shape. I make sure that they are not in the middle of the painting.

I add subordinate shapes and indicate the shadow across the background.

And wash in that dark shape.

Here, I indicate the shadow side of the blooms and vary their color accordingly.

Lastly, for this covering-the-canvas stage, I add the darks of the leaves as a mass connected to the blooms and the background shadow.

When I mass the lit areas of the background, I'm careful to vary the colors of the foreground versus the background, making the top lighter and cooler.

At this stage, I have added detail to the leaves, blooms, and branches. The contrast between the shadow and lights in the flowers makes the sparkle.

Even though this is a smaller palette than the one in my studio, I still use the same mixing method and scrape it often to have clean color.

When I returned to the easel after lunch, I did not like the V-shape of the branch of the lilac bush and decided to darken the left side, merging the shapes.