Battleship Marsh 2. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

I had time to paint two on Monday, this one was lots looser than the first...for me this is bordering on abstract. (smile).

Battleship Marsh. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6xx6

Joan and I met at the Battleship marsh today instead of her studio, for a bit of Plein Air painting. I had never been to this pavilion, and it was so nice, sort of back and hidden in the trees, it has two stories with cool spiral staircases, and there are birds flitting and singing all around. Our friend Laura Worsham who is a wonderful photographer, stopped by to scope it out for future excursions. All around an entirely pleasant experience.

Lydia

Purple Iris. Lydia Host daily painting a day 4x12

Well I am on a flowers in jars jag again...its really such a fun subject that I find new and exciting each time. Hope you have a great weekend. Best. Lydia

Yellow Iris. Lydia Host daily painting a day 4x12

I taught painting classes last night and this morning and really had such a great time in both. Its funny how putting actions into words and then words into action is such a hit or miss process. It seems that we only hear things when we are ready to hear them, when it makes sense internally. I really get a lot of gratification from teaching, which both surprises and delights me. Helping students problem solve, and witnessing their 'ah ha' moments, and seeing the progress....its awesome! Really. And then this afternoon I had a nap from Finn and a choice: clean house/ exercise/ paint, I painted and listened to good music = nice day. Doesn't good music just improve any activity? Lydia

60's style pears. Lydia Host daily painting a day 11x14

I like the way this one came out sort of looking like a painting that I imagine seeing in my parents kitchen ....in the 60's. My brother-in- law is a masterful wood worker, and he gave us this rough hewn wooden oblong bowl several years ago. I have been wanting to paint it, and these pears just seemed to pile up so fabulously in it that I could resist no longer! I hope the sun is shining where ever you are right now...it feels so good. best to you. Lydia

two minute gesture in oil. Lydia Host daily

Today I took one of my two minute gesture drawings and decided to paint it in oil. I am not sure how happy I am with it, but it was a fun excercise! Man, it is so beautiful in my city this week, everything is blooming and bright springy green, I really want to get out and paint, although some of it is almost too pretty if that makes sense...like how a vibrant orange sunset is soul stirring, but a tacky painting! Best, Lydia

After Homer. Lydia Host daily 8x10

Joan E. Whitespunner- Dixon's tulips above...aren't they as fabulous as I promised? We are thinking about having a show together sometime soon. I love her work, and her.

Today I painted a 'copy' of Winslow Homers Girl with elephant 1877. I changed the color of the dress and a few other things, Homer's masterful work is in watercolor and this is oil paint, I just love his work and it was really fun and a learning experience for me to bounce off of this piece.

Spring has sprung...and isn't it grand?

best,

Lydia

Good girlie Karma. Lydia Host painting

These girls were so fun to paint, I loved this family's energy, and I smiled the whole way through. Many times I feel like I struggle to keep a looseness when painting a large painting with multiple people, from a photograph. I question whether or not I even want to paint portraits by commission sometimes, because most importantly I want to paint good paintings, and often with portraits that falls by the wayside, or at least my style does. With this one, I really had a vision of where I was going, and I pretty much got there, I stayed true to myself. I feel like it is a painting that happens to be a portrait as well, and that makes me happy.

Happy Easter to you! Lydia

Girl with the golden hoop. Lydia Host daily 8x10

I used a picture of a friends daugther for my inspiration...I just thought it was such a 'girl with a pearl earring' pose! I just had to paint it...it doesn't look like her, but thats okay. I think that before you marry someone you should draw a picture of them...it forces you to slow down and really see people...and almost everyone on close inspection is quite beautiful. Details that distingquish one human from another, are really not that great, but its those tiny details that we fall in love with in each other (well aside from the internal which is what we really fall in love with). lydia

Fringee. Lydia Host daily painting 10x10

Tulips. What a lovely subject to paint. I noticed someone in my neighborhood has put some tulips in a big pot, and they sort of elegantly drape to either side....looking all languid and haughty. Tulips.

Double Luck. Lydia Host daily painting 12x24

Joan and I painted this still life last week. She discovered that the symbols on the pot mean 'Double Luck' what could be better? Well, I guess triple luck, but anyway we had a geat time painting, and I will show you a picture of her painting as well, because it is beautiful! I love seeing the different results that each person's perspective brings to things. It is part of what makes figure drawing group so much fun, seeing all the various response to the same scene.

I am SO hoping you get some double luck!

Lydia

sunshiney. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

I have these sunflowers on my counter from a class the other night...its sunny today...I had to paint them! Hope you have some sunshine where ever you are today. Lydia

loosey goosey. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

I'm always trying to get roses right...and for me this is my closest attempt. They are one of those flowers that seem like they'd be so easy to capture, and yet elude me time after time. I think what I really want to capture when I paint roses, is how they make me feel...because they do have a romantic beauty that makes the them sort of special to receive...like if someone gives you roses...they love you, period. Kind of a giddy ideal that when pinned down, becomes not so interesting/painted loosely they can keep what they lose with a lot of detail. Happy St. Patrick's day to you! Lydia

Bowl of lemons. daily painting

I finished a large painting today and so as a reward, I painted this delightful bowl of lemons. I just painted, and listened to great music = pure pleasure! Happy weekend to you. Lydia

Figure drawing saves the day.

Painting a day has taken a hit...But I will be back in action soon.

The above tiles are what I was working on in figure drawing this week, I am working in low relief, on terracotta. I am still determining the finishing process, to glaze or not to glaze?

If you have never tried working with clay... try it! It is the most fun you may ever have.

Best,

Lydia

simple rituals . Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

This morning in class, I was telling my students that a painting of three pears just can't be bad....silver bullet of subjects!

Of course there are some caveats, like they have to fill the space, touching three sides, etc. It started me thinking about the subjects that have a high success/satisfaction rate, here is my list; pears, cups, glass with single flower, figures....pretty short list!

Its a work in progress.

These subjects are grounding in the sense that they provide interesting shadows and negative space automatically, leaving the artist to play with color and value.

Two cents.

Lydia

study. Lydia Host daily painting

I painted the lovely 'Louis' with some other Artists this morning. It was fun to arrange her and create the scenario. I painted like mad to get something, and then had to partially wipe down, because of silly mistakes. I think I will slow down a bit next time and see if that helps. I can't wait to do it again. I have had some trouble lately keeping my daily paintings going, I am painting every day, its just that I have been trying to finish a couple of big paintings, and my school schedule is pretty demanding, time, time, time is fleeting. I am reading 'The Agony and the Ecstasy' by Irving Stone, about Michelangelo, and it has made me realise that to be creative, a person has to have lots of time to practice their craft. Michelangelo worked sixteen hours a day for four years on the Sistine chapel ceiling. Best,

heads up. lydia host daily

At a party this weekend, someone asked me if I were working in clay again....which I am, sort of. Well anyway her point was that she wanted one of these heads for her sisters birthday. So I asked if she wanted male or female...female, so they came out male for some contrary reason. I will try again tomorrow! I used to make these and sell them with a group of women clay/potters called "The Dirty Girls". It was a fun group spearheaded by Vikki Finch and Bertice Mcpherson. Vikki is currently using her super powers to inspire lucky students at a local private school. Bertice is also teaching at a local university and from her studio, and also making her art, click on her name and check out her site, she is amazing, and a great person to boot. About ten years ago the three of us went to Mississippi for a pyro-mania festival, and they had exhibits were we got to make glass beads, and a molded smelted metal piece, I remember being so totally impressed with what both of these gals came up with on the fly artistically speaking. True artist'e.

Courage. lydia host daily painting a day

Sometimes I have to indulge myself and paint a face that appeals to me. This is Cynthia again, the cool River guide. It photographed weird, but still looks kind of interesting so I'm leaving it for now. Yesterday I had a 'theme day', this happens occasionally and I love it when I actually notice. Last week I went to a gallery opening at Springhill College for Clayton Colvin, who is a really interesting and good artist (show is still there-worth a trip), in his talk he mentioned that sometimes he feels as though a painting really gets resolved when he is able to paint out something that though he likes, doesn't really enhance the piece. I was relating this idea to my painting class yesterday, and my friend and currently my student, Laura said; " oh, that happens in writing too, its called 'killing your darling", like when you love a sentence, but it does nothing for the story!" "Killing your darling". This idea came up again later in my ceramics class that I am taking... in clay you really have to be able to kill your darlings, because many times they kill themselves by blowing up in the kiln or glaze mishaps. I am sure that this idea is universally applicable, if you can think of any examples, let me know...just curious....really curious. Happy weekend to you. Lydia

seated figure. lydia host daily painting

Another watercolor from Saturday. Today I had lunch with my friend Renee Wallace, who co-owns "Paint Party", she is so full of energy and is funny and talented, sweet,kind and generous....if you ever have a hankering to just up and paint a picture, or want to have a super fun birthday party or girls night out, go to her shop, or book a party...you will have fun, I guarantee it! best, Lydia

Monday Monday. I went to figure drawing downtown on Saturday morning, and it was wonderful, model, and other artist wise. I took only drawing and a little bit of watercolor materials. It was a relaxing, and yet invigorating way to start the day. We are taking longer poses in this group, which is nice, especially if I get a good angle and can stop, and not over work....always a challenge. Last week my four year old was in a mini Mardi Gras Parade in his preSchool, and then this weekend he was in another that a neighborhood puts on every year. My husband and I made the Wednesday float, which was to be on a wagon, and our theme was 'Hickory Dickory Dock'. For the Sunday parade our theme was 'Sponge Bob' and our assignment was to paint something on an 8x8 board for the back of the float. I am putting a picture of each below, because believe me it took some 'art muscle'! I feel inordinately proud of the Sponge Bob thingy because, it is so not my style- and we painted it in about four hours. We are not really Mardi Gras people usually and so this has really been an unusual week for us, and frankly we are exhausted! Onward and upward! cheeers, Lydia

birthday surprise Lydia Host daily painting

I painted this little girl for her mother to give to her father as a birthday surprise. The colors are kind of blasted, but I couldn't get the light right on this one. Note to self...learn how to take better photos!

Pear is square. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

Back to an old favorite. Pears are like people, in that I never tire of painting them. I am gearing up to teach a beginning oil painting class that starts this Thursday morning down at Space 301, it is such a nice environment to view, and to make art, with the semi industrial feel still in the building. We started out with a blue sky this morning, and it just made me realise how much I appreciate that as a pleasant start to a busy week. Hope you got a little blue sky today where you are as well!

Lydia

poof! Lydia Host Daily

Okay. This might be it for the jesters! Well maybe one more later next week. This one is watercolor on clayboard...love the wackiness of this surface. It is sort of a mix of drawing and painting. Happy weekend to you!

A bird in the hand... Lydia host

This didn't come throught the camera as it truly looks ...it isn't this dull. Well today was our last day with Zeb as our jester, it was so fun to explore a topic more than the typical one session. I feel that I learned a lot this week, from Joan, and from just reworking the Jester topic. I am thinking about clay now.... Best, Lydia