Finding Unlimited Painting Ideas in One Place

When I was a beginning painter years ago I used to approach my easel and wonder what to paint next.  After all, there are so many things in the world to paint.  I frequently lost focus and became frustrated in my efforts just because there were too many choices--and I liked them all!

 



I am facing the true test of painting skills this year because I am working at it full time.  Not much room for error or dawdling around while I decide what to paint.  It took some thinking for me to figure out that I like paintings that remind me of places that I enjoy.  Souvenirs of vacations so to speak.  Then I considered places that I have been.  Places with a southern feel.  Ah ha!  I decided to take a chance with New Orleans.

 

Suddenly, no more "what to paint" dilemmas.  I could do New Orleans cityscapes.  New Orleans musicians.  New Orleans houses.  New Orleans food.  New Orleans interiors.  The list goes on and on.  I enjoy painting it all.   Maybe you have fond memories of New Orleans too and will enjoy these.

 

Mona Vivar, "Crab Boil", 9 inches by 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available on Ebay at Mona Vivar Fine Art 

 

 

 

Mona Vivar, "Jazz Procession", 9 inches by 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available on Ebay at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

 

Mona Vivar, "Jazz Funeral Procession", 9 inches by 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available on Ebay at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images copyright of Mona Vivar 2013 



A Limited Palette for Unlimited Harmony

When I paint, I lust after color.  Lots of color.  Rich intense dazzling color.  But sometimes, there is too much of a good thing.  I can ruin a painting by using too many different colors.  The end result of being over-generous with color choices is a disjointed look.  Not what I want...

This week I challenged myself to use an extremely limited palette of four colors.  I used Golden Acrylic Liquid quinacridone crimson, quinacridone gold, and turquoise plus a heavy body Golden Acrylic titanium white.  These are the primary colors of red, yellow and blue plus white that will produce a wide variety of colors when mixed in varying quantities.

I went for a splashy, spontaneous approach and utilized the transparent nature of the liquid colors to build optical depth. Once again, New Orleans provided the subject matter for my week's work.  I was happy with the variety of darks and lights produced and delighted with the color harmony of all the paintings.  Another benefit of working with a limited palette is that my paintings are now a cohesive group as you can see. 

Mona Vivar, "After Work", 12 inches by 9 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available on Ebay Mona Vivar Fine Art 

 

 

Mona Vivar, "At the Bar", 12 inches by 9 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available on Ebay at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

 

Mona Vivar, "The View (Bourbon Street)", 11 inches by 14 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available on Ebay at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

 

 Mona Vivar, "Oysters on the Half Shell", 9 inches by 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available on Ebay at Mona Vivar Fine Art

Mona Vivar, "Reds", 9 inches by 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available on Ebay at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

 

So with a limited palette I now use fewer paints, make fewer color decisions, gain color harmony, and create a unified body of work.  What's not to like about that? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images copyright of Mona Vivar 2013



More Impact By Saying Less

There are those of us who have to fight the urge to tighten up our paintings with more details.  Whether I like it or not, I battle the urge to over "detailize" every painting I do every day.  I am not a photo realism artist so excess detail can ruin many a perfectly good painting (and often does!) 

This week I challenged myself to paint figurative images without falling into the detail pit.  I took on the famous New Orleans French Market and Preservation Hall.  Both of these landmarks are full of details to resist.  I knew I needed to save myself from myself so I limited my painting sessions by adding a timer and painting two paintings side by side.  I painted 30 to 60 minutes per session.  Result?  Well, see for yourself. 

Mona Vivar, "French Market Stall", 12 inches by 9 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available at Mona Vivar Southern Impressionist Art

 

Mona Vivar "French Market Plenty", 12 inches by 9 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

Mona Vivar, "Old Time Jazz", 11 inches by 14 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

Mona Vivar, "That New Orleans Sound", 12 inches by 9 inches, acrylic on canvas

Coming this weekend to my Ebay store at Mona Vivar Fine Art 

 

Mona Vivar, "Preservation Hall Jazz Band", 12 inches by 9 inches, acrylic on canvas

Coming this weekend to my Ebay store at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

Mona Vivar, "Jazz Time", 10 inches by 8 inches, acrylic on canvas

Coming this weekend to my Ebay store at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

I am pleased with the results this week and hope you are too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images copyright of Mona Vivar 2013

 

 

 

 

Cezanne and Reconsidering Pine Trees

 

I have lived in the South for most of my life and appreciate the rich variety of trees in this part of the country.  The live oak is grand and sprawling.  The magnolia tree is rich with its glossy deep green leaves and velvety white blooms with that intoxicating smell.  Even the invasive Chinese tallow is beautiful in fall colors of gold and red.  And then there is the pine tree.

I have had no love for the pine tree (whatever the variety) ever since Hurricane Ivan when many of the tall pines in our yard became pointy missiles set on wrecking havoc.  I have issues with the needles that fall everywhere blanketing the area.  There is sap that ruins the paint job on my car if I leave it parked too long under the pines.  The pine cones are everywhere.  Pollen from the pines covers everything with greenish-yellow dust.  So goes my gripe with pines.

One day while I was looking through a book of Cezanne's landscapes I was stunned by his image of a big pine tree.  I did not know that pines grew in France.  The painting dazzled me with the sheer grandeur of the solitary pine. 



Paul Cezanne, "Pine Tree Near Aix", 1890
Courtesy of Museum Syndicate



Suddenly I was enchanted with our pine trees.  I watched the evening sunlight turn their bark gold.  I listened to the wind singing in the branches.  I drew the trees and the cones.  I watched the birds and squirrels moving high above the ground.  I copied Cezanne's painting.  I painted my own.  I am hooked.  It just goes to show you that wisdom frequently comes slowly and in surprising ways.

Mona Vivar, "Horned Owl", 2013, Acrylic on Canvas, 11 inches by 14 inches

Now on Ebay

Mona Vivar Southern Impressionist Art