I started this painting today at Clark Summit Farm, as part of the Art on the Farm series, for Marin Organic. I couldn't believe the color of the blue bath tub, with the reds and oranges of the chickens, dancing all around it. I had to paint it. I look foward to finishing this one from the photos I was able to take out there. The farm had many great old barns, lots of pigs, goats, chickens and dogs. All the animals were very friendly, and roaming free. It got very windy in the afternoon, and my painting actually fell into the dirt... Stay tuned to see if I can "fix it up".For more photos and info about today's outing at Clark Summit, see the blog post, here, at Art on the Farm Blog.
Plein Air Today... Clark Summit Farm
Sunday, August 24, 2008
I started this painting today at Clark Summit Farm, as part of the Art on the Farm series, for Marin Organic. I couldn't believe the color of the blue bath tub, with the reds and oranges of the chickens, dancing all around it. I had to paint it. I look foward to finishing this one from the photos I was able to take out there. The farm had many great old barns, lots of pigs, goats, chickens and dogs. All the animals were very friendly, and roaming free. It got very windy in the afternoon, and my painting actually fell into the dirt... Stay tuned to see if I can "fix it up".For more photos and info about today's outing at Clark Summit, see the blog post, here, at Art on the Farm Blog.
I started this painting today at Clark Summit Farm, as part of the Art on the Farm series, for Marin Organic. I couldn't believe the color of the blue bath tub, with the reds and oranges of the chickens, dancing all around it. I had to paint it. I look foward to finishing this one from the photos I was able to take out there. The farm had many great old barns, lots of pigs, goats, chickens and dogs. All the animals were very friendly, and roaming free. It got very windy in the afternoon, and my painting actually fell into the dirt... Stay tuned to see if I can "fix it up".For more photos and info about today's outing at Clark Summit, see the blog post, here, at Art on the Farm Blog.
In the Studio Today... Limantour Moon Photo
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
This photo was selected today by the Marin IJ as one of the two winners of their "Summer Fun in Marin County" reader photo contest. I won two seats behind home plate at an upcoming Giants and Rockies game in San Francisco. What makes this even more memorable is that this photo was taken on the weekend of my 40th Birthday. Thank you, Marin IJ!
-Colleen
In the Studio Today... Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir
August 18, 2008
Several months ago, I searched Flickr for photos of Iceland, and was connected to Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir's photostream on Flickr. I added several of her photos to my favorites, and then thought nothing about it for a while. Months have gone by and I return to see what she's up to, and have learned that she has become something of an internet sensation, with so many hits to her photos that she doesn't have time to reply to people. She was written about in the Wall Street Journal, and has subsequently done photography work for Toyota. Having fallen in love with Iceland in the 90's, I am excited to see this woman and mother of two boys doing so well with her career, doing what she loves and being discovered. Her work is phenomenal, truly inspiring. She is an online marketing genius and will certainly increase tourism to Iceland! Here is how you can see her work...
Rebekka's:
website
on flickr
I actually wrote her about knitting sweaters for my boys, and I truly hope that she is too busy with fantastic photography assignments and won't have time for the knitting soon... Although... knitting is very relaxing and an art all in itself!
Several months ago, I searched Flickr for photos of Iceland, and was connected to Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir's photostream on Flickr. I added several of her photos to my favorites, and then thought nothing about it for a while. Months have gone by and I return to see what she's up to, and have learned that she has become something of an internet sensation, with so many hits to her photos that she doesn't have time to reply to people. She was written about in the Wall Street Journal, and has subsequently done photography work for Toyota. Having fallen in love with Iceland in the 90's, I am excited to see this woman and mother of two boys doing so well with her career, doing what she loves and being discovered. Her work is phenomenal, truly inspiring. She is an online marketing genius and will certainly increase tourism to Iceland! Here is how you can see her work...Rebekka's:
website
on flickr
I actually wrote her about knitting sweaters for my boys, and I truly hope that she is too busy with fantastic photography assignments and won't have time for the knitting soon... Although... knitting is very relaxing and an art all in itself!
In the Studio Today... Digital Compositing Example
Modern day painters can use Photoshop to create their reference imagery, and I do that fairly often when I need to combine imagery. Here is an example of a project I did for a client in CT, who wanted a portrait of their sheep, Jelly, but the photo provided was under copyright protection by a newspaper. 
I attempted to find the photographer at a local paper in CT for approval to use the above image, but the paper could not find the photographer. Instead of "copying" this image that was protected, I suggested to the client that we composite it into another photograph that he had taken himself. He had an image of their other adult sheep, B.B. in a magical, misty New England forest scene that had fantastic lighting. 
I loved this photo right away, but Jelly, the sheep for whom their farm is named after(Jelly Hill Farm), was not in this photo. I removed Jelly from the copyrighted photograph in Photoshop, and placed her into the scene with B.B. This involved changing Jelly's shading and coloring to match the lighting in the scene with B.B., and add an additional shadow on in the foreground in front of Jelly. Once the client agreed on the final composite, I began painting the commission from the composited final image.
And below is the final painting...
I attempted to find the photographer at a local paper in CT for approval to use the above image, but the paper could not find the photographer. Instead of "copying" this image that was protected, I suggested to the client that we composite it into another photograph that he had taken himself. He had an image of their other adult sheep, B.B. in a magical, misty New England forest scene that had fantastic lighting. 
I loved this photo right away, but Jelly, the sheep for whom their farm is named after(Jelly Hill Farm), was not in this photo. I removed Jelly from the copyrighted photograph in Photoshop, and placed her into the scene with B.B. This involved changing Jelly's shading and coloring to match the lighting in the scene with B.B., and add an additional shadow on in the foreground in front of Jelly. Once the client agreed on the final composite, I began painting the commission from the composited final image.
And below is the final painting...
In the Studio Today... "Visual Impact" Show at MCF
Here is the announcement/postcard for a show I am in at the Marin Community Foundation, now through October. If you have a chance to get over there, it is a great opportunity to see how they have developed the old airplane hangers at Hamilton Airforce Base into sleek, accessible, grand office spaces. The art is diverse and wonderful too!
August 4 - October 10, 2008
Visual Impact: Work by Recent Marin Arts Council Grantees
Marin Community Foundation
5 Hamilton Landing, Suite 200, Novato, CA
Reception: Thursday, September 25 from 4:30-6:30 pm
August 4 - October 10, 2008Visual Impact: Work by Recent Marin Arts Council Grantees
Marin Community Foundation
5 Hamilton Landing, Suite 200, Novato, CA
Reception: Thursday, September 25 from 4:30-6:30 pm
In the Studio Today... Testing New Website
Thursday, August 7, 2008
I am building a new web presence for my paintings. Check it out by clicking on the above image.
I am building a new web presence for my paintings. Check it out by clicking on the above image.
In the Studio Today... Cory Family Portrait
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The Cory Family, 16" x 20", oil on canvas. Commissioned portrait painting from client photo.
The Cory Family, 16" x 20", oil on canvas. Commissioned portrait painting from client photo.
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