Spring Mist

Misty foggy mornings continue to fascinate me. I'm after capturing just the right value to express that unique quality of air.

(6"x8" oil, $175.)

"Off the Path"

One of my students asked me if I ever worked from my imagination and I said "no." Never say never because that is exactly what I started doing after that particular conversation last spring. Thank you Afshin. "Off the Path" is a painting I created in my studio although my muse are numerous memories of living and revisiting the northwoods area. Also I have a couple of little 4x6 oil sketches created over the past eight years so it's not 100% invention. But working this way is a leap for me since I've always preferred painting on location and not re-working the painting later in the studio.
"Off the Path" is a 36"x24" palette knife painting. I was really thinking about Leffel's definition of background and spent a lot of time developing my "background" prior to hitting the lights.
This painting will be shown at the Marion Street Gallery, Oak Park, Il.
($2250.+$12s/h)

etc. again

So I'm really enjoying my little pochade box. Besides being so handy that it can easily fit into any small bag/purse since it's only 5"x7", it gets me out of the studio faster and allows me to paint more inconspicuously while jotting quick color and value notes in oil. The second photo shows the pochade strapped to my leg instead of hand-held. I came home from work and saw the beautiful shadow crossing my neighbors side door and had to try to catch it.

I'm still obsessed with poppies and thought I'd post a few more of my efforts. The close-up is 8"x8." The last painting, but not the last in my poppy series, is my attempt at inventing a flowing and slightly rolling meadow punctuated with mostly poppies. It's 24"x24," love that square format. If you go to my Etsy site you'll see a few more example of my poppy paintings that I favor. (http://www.susanhongsammons.etsy.com/)

"Oconomowoc Wild Flowers"

For the past couple of days Karen Phipps and I participated in Oconomowoc, WI 3rd annual plein air event called Mid-Summer Brush. We'd never been in this area which is between Milwaukee and Madison. Since we're both enthusiastic cityscape painters we thought we'd be painting their pretty town, wrong. We fell in love with their gorgeous countryside which was in full bloom with prairie wild flowers and breath-taking vista scenes. This is definitely a place we will return to and spend many more days painting.

This painting was created down a rough road probably created for farm equipment. Hopefully we didn't ruin the alignment on Karen's car. The sun seemed to fly across the open sky so I used my largest palette knife while trying to capture the breezy flowers/colors/atmosphere. It will be on exhibition through mid August in Oconomowoc, WI. (14"x16" framed, Oil $450. )

"Swan Pond"

This area is normally a grassy park but because of all the rain the river has flooded this area. I've been told it's a natural protection which Frederick Olmsted, the developer of my town, incorporated into his design.

So here is another study on reflections. It's so easy for me to get lost in all the complexity of so many colors and shapes but a problem I am enjoying learning to solve.

6x8 Oil on Linen ($99. w/frame)

can you guess what it is???

Yesterday I finally got to paint this area that I pass by daily but haven't found the time to stop and paint. My primary concern was to create a simple simple composition/design with my subject matter. But now I'm wondering if the simplicity made it too abstract. If so, I probably should consider painting in a more highly realistic manner and minimalize my loosy-goosy style. So, can you tell what it is I painted???

6"x8" oil on linen mounted on 6 ply archival museum board

shoreline study

This was painted on a Saturday morning along lake Michigan in Chicago. There were piles of frozen snow and as well as sand. Texture and edges was what I was concentrating on with a palette knife this very windy February morning.

8"x10" oil study ($90.)

"Winter Brilliance"

Just left of yesterdays painting is a river and little waterfall. The waterfall was what I really wanted to paint with part rushing water and part frozen water. But I started too late in the morning and the bright sun washed out the scene so I used the dam as an abstracted element to hopefully keep your eye from falling out of the painting and lead you into the cool shadows cast by the trees on the far bank.

10"x8" Oil ($190.)

"Winter Passage"

I love to paint. So instead of playing on the computer and keeping my website and blogspot updated, I've been painting. Getting on the computer eats my painting time. Anyone else have this problem?

This painting was done right around the corner from my home. The long cool shadows and the warm brush caught my eye. But someday I'm going to return to paint this elegant corner building. Someone told me it was originally a bar about 100 years ago.

10"x8" Oil on Linen ($190.)

p.s. see Karen Phipps 2/11/09 painting. She's standing about 40 feet behind and down hill from me. I'm in her painting, painting this piece.

"January" (North Pond)

This is the same spot as the last post but looking more towards the right. Can you feel the cold? It was just getting ready to snow again so the light was a beautiful silvery gray. This made the colors really pop in an otherwise dreary gray winter scene.

8"x10"

Oil on Linen

($99. oil study)

January (North Pond)

The best way to shake away the winter blues is to plein air paint along a half frozen lake, just kidding - sort of. After spending so much time with wonderful family and friends, January 6 was rather depressing until I started painting again. Even though my toes froze and the wind bite my cheeks, I loved the colors you see on a cold, gray, winter day. The sky had these amazing warm tones however very subtle and the snow reflected the cool light of the day. fun fun fun

8x10

Oil on Linen

"Passage"

I painted this rather quickly before the snow fell. When I arrived the sun was bright and there were beautiful cool dramatic shadows. Although I set up my easel fast, a thick blanket of dark clouds rolled in and changed the lighting completely to warm shadows (which I keyed up) and compressed values. If I'm not too lazy, I'll walk back to this same spot and paint it again as I'm sure it's now under a heavy layer of snow.

8"x6"

Oil on Linen ($75.)

City-scapes/Value Studies

It's a luxury to be able to paint for myself. So once again I'm concentrating on value because I feel if the values are off, the painting is weak and spoiled. This is the same intersection, painted an hour apart during the morning rush. I used only black and white oil paints.

7"x5"

Oil on Linen

"Northland Woods"

I spent Thanksgiving week in the very north of Wisconsin. This area holds special childhood memories. This past weekend the serenity of painting in total isolation of these gorgeous woods was curtailed for me because it was opening deer hunting season. I had my gear on for the cold but didn't think about wearing a bright orange vest and hat to avoid being shot. Since I was worried about poachers, I painted very small quick studies. I concentrated on understanding the values. Today I'll try to paint something larger in my studio from these oil paintings.

Oil On Linen

7"x5"

($75.)

untitled

A fall storm is about to hit. Actually the chill feels like winter is right around the corner. I used only one brush because I was so cold I think I was frozen stiff. Maybe I'm getting to old to plein air paint in the winter.

8"x10"

Oil on Linen

($145.)

"November Chill"

It was wicked cold when I painted this but the lighting was beautiful.

7"x5"

Oil on Linen

($75.)

"The Green Bridge"

Painted this during the last bits of our beautiful fall weather. My daughter wrote (& published) a poem about this bridge which is in our town. I've included a few lines,

The Green Bridge isn't any ordinary bridge

It links us from the busy town to the gracious woods

It allows us to be bathed by the sunlight or calmed by the whispering wind

The bridge sways as the breeze whistles

No work, no insults come to mind

The feeling is like none other than love for the nature...

...of the Green Bridge.

12"x9"

Oil on Linen

www.hong-sammons.com

"Red Oak"

For several months I've been painting with a palette knife but today I used a large round bristle brush. I have a coffee can container of brand new round brushes which I've never used. They've been sitting in my studio for at least 15 years. I liked how I could load up this brush with a ton of paint, make broad strokes, and also had the flexibility to make very delicate small marks.

8"x10"

Oil on Linen

($165.)

landscape study (sold)

I'm fortunate to be able to step out my door and see several beautiful things to paint. As the fall colors fade, I am enjoying trying to pull out the subtle color notes.

10"x8"

Oil on Linen

"Cold Day" (sold)

It was freezing painting along the river today. This painting is more a reflection of my reaction to the day than what I was looking at. See Karen Phipps' blog for her interpretation on this same scene.

9"x12" Oil