Evening at the Mediterranean Cruise

Evening at the Mediterranean Cruise

Oil, 14 x 11, Plein Air Nocturne

 

I was attracted to the vibrant colors of this scene, so I chose my vantage point and set up my easel across the street, shortly before sunset. Then I waited for dark. As the sun went down and the sky became a beautiful deep indigo, the neon lights came to life! I was excited to paint, and the September evening provided pleasant temperatures and a nice breeze.

www.christinetierney.com

Grand Marais Art Colony Plein Air 2016

I had the privilege of painting for 7 glorious days and nights on Minnesota's beautiful North Shore during the Grand Marais Art Colony Plein Air competition. Here are my paintings:

 Rocks at Lutsen

Oil, 8 x 10

 Cascade Falls

Oil, 14 x 11

Wash Over Me

Oil, 8 x 10

Shoreline Fishing on Superior

Oil, 14 x 11

 Rock Steady

Oil, 11 x 7

 Cabin #10

Oil, 12 x 9

Treetop Sunrise on Superior

 Oil, 9 x 12

 Sailboat on Superior

Oil, 14 x 11

Lean on Me

Quick Paint - Oil, 11 x 6

Three's a Crowd

Three's a Crowd

Pastel, 8.5 inches x 12 inches

And now for something a bit different: It is very hot outside, and I'm staying cool in the studio. I have not painted with pastels for quite a while so I opened up my new Heilman pastel box and set up a simple fruit still life, just to give myself a jump-start.

Here is the result of my afternoon. I couldn't help but feel as if the two pears on the left were whispering about the one on the right.

Three's a crowd.

www.christinetierney.com

Red Wing Balcony

Red Wing Balcony

Oil, 14 x 11 inches

Painting in the quaint rivertown of Red Wing, Minnesota, I couldn't keep my eyes off the beautiful pattern of light and shadows on the old brick warehouse that has been converted into lofts.

Mother's Day Roses

Mother's Day Roses

Oil on linen, 20x16 inches

A surprise Mother's Day gift from my daughter and son-in-law. It was obvious that the UPS man was happy to be delivering something he knew would bring joy to the recipient! What a day brightener, and much appreciated. I knew I had to paint them right away, so I rushed to the studio and got busy.

Tomatoes and Shallots (revisited)

Tomatoes and Shallots (revisited)

Oil, 9 x 12 inches

I've been sorting through stacks of paintings in my studio. When I ran into this one, I almost put it in the reject pile. Instead, I put it on the easel and made some bold changes, including removing a garden tool that I never really cared for.
This painting was originally done as a demonstration during the Eagan Harvest of Arts Festival. 

An Art Joke from Jacob

Now for something on the lighter side:

Look out, Leonardo!

I had my young students at Rukavina Academy draw the Mona Lisa upside down (they didn't know what they were drawing until they finished and turned their papers right-side up!)

Then I shared some information about the Mona Lisa painting, and some facts about the famous artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci.

Student Jacob invented a joke:

Question: "What do you call a Crab that does art?"

Jacob's Answer: "Leonardo da Pinchi"

He then drew this picture of his clever joke and I promised him I would post it on my blog.

My students amaze me with their artistic insights. Thanks for making my day, Jacob!