Capturing Clouds

 

"Big Day" San Clemente, California Landscape

 

The focus of this painting is clouds and their movement against the sky....  The painting is representational but I enjoy the fun abstract shapes that fill the heavens...

 

The last few paintings have been in a small format 8" X 10."  I think I'll go a little larger with the next work....



Prior to That First Stroke

"How Far Is Heaven Road"

This is my latest landscape. I’m influenced by nature and its different faces, friends, music, and images I see and find… This week the Southern California coast has been experiencing lots of coastal fog. My painting was a direct result of me wishing for a sunny day….No sun so I turned to reference material. It’s amazing the images that are all stored in our head, studio or available copy right free via the internet.

My friend sent me some photos of her adventures in Utah thus the orange and raw sienna color in the road. I was playing an old CD my son gave me and thinking of old friends and family thus the title “How Far is Heaven Road.” I also went to Wet Canvas and Morgue File web sites. These two sites are great source for reference material. I put all those influences and created this landscape.

The most difficult part of this painting was funneling down all this information prior to that first stroke. I don’t think I’m alone. Well have a terrific day and thank you for letting me share...

Original Impressionist Desert Sky Landscape Painting

"Desert Sky and Heavens"

I travel the desert highways between California and Arizona and this is a memory of a beautiful sky and dark/beautiful landscape... That closeness to nature is a serene feeling, I wanted to share. Have a wonderful week everyone.

Original Painting Alla Prima Landscape by JC Strong

"Canyon Abstraction"

We've had a little bit of "June Gloom" in California and I decided to go in another direction. This small format painting is a vivid memory of the mountains and canyons of Utah...

Original Acrylic Painting by JC Strong

"Sunday Driving in Trabuco Canyon"

"Evening Transitions"

Trees always have a visual story to tell. Some of these trees I found in Trabuco Canyon, an interesting rural slice of nature in Orange County. Everyone, have a great Mother's Day.

Original Impressionist Painting Garden Wild Roses

"Out of the Dark"

I found these roses while walking toward the San Clemente Pier. I thought I'd be researching possible future seascape paintings and instead I found theses wild roses. They looked like they were fighting to survive and come out of the dark. The vibrant colors against the dark have an intimate quality.

One of my favorite artists and I have many is Pierre Bonnard. He created these intimate/psychological visual stories with vibrant colors . . . I like the idea of not only making a statement with your subject matter but also with the color, value, composition and brush strokes.

On My Easel: Impressionist Seascape by JC Strong

Looking for Whales off Dana Point:
Beginning/Blocking in color and shapes:
It's been a nice couple of weeks in Southern California. At this time of year I feel fortunate not to be shoveling snow.

A few days ago I had the opportunity to go whale watching off the coast of Dana Point, California. It was fun and we spotted a couple of whales, migrating south toward Mexico. Most of my reference photos were mainly the wake they left in the water. They'd left their fluke (tail) and down they'd go into the sea.

So I took lot's of reference photos of the sea and painted this seascape. I had a slow start, blocked in some color and then came back with more color & details...

Impressionist Landscape

This painting is on my easel, it's on the verge of completion. I wanted a somewhat neutral palette but I thought it needed a little extra texture and color. So the strongest bands of color were done with a pallet knife.

Original Painting California Landscape and Sky by JC Strong

The winds blow from the inland valley to the ocean. These “Santa Ana” winds can transform a sky. The colors at sunset looked lush and delicate at the same time. (The area is actually around San Clemente, California.)

Painting this work was a matter of problem solving. If I realy think about it, most of my work is a matter of pushing and pulling until the story is completed.

I wanted the colors in the sky to tell the story but I needed to anchor the painting. It seems to me placing the tree at the lower right-hand corner, plus the darker values in the landscape did the job. I painted the edges as you can see in the image below. See additional detail in my Etsy Shop.

Original Painting California Landscape by JC Strong

It’s been a turbulent 24 hours. Southern California has had lots’ of rain. My neighborhood lost power for 18 hours. (I kept the frig closed so my Christmas goodies would not spoil. I know what's important.)

Water came down so hard, our road seemed like a river. Everybody is safe in our neighborhood. It just reminded me nature is in control.

I started this painting of the T-Street area, bridge, and majestic tree before the lights went out and I finished it this afternoon. It's a beautiful sunny spot in San Clemente, California. I'll paint a rainy day some other time.

I give the old masters a lot of credit for the ability to create without electricity and heat etc. I couldn't paint in candle light. I'm glad for the little advantage's this Christmas, like electricity and heat.

Latest Updates:
I started a Facebook Fan Page you can see additional samples of my work on that page. I also enjoy viewing other artist's work

Walking Corona del Mar Original Painting by JC Strong

I love walking the streets of Corona Del Mar its a sweet beach town. The tress are expressive like "rooted men" welcoming its citizens home. This particular day you can see the mix of colors in the ocean and sky.

You wonder what people are thinking as they walk home. I always try my best to capture a simple moment... The title of this work is "Welcome Home."

Traveling the Highways and Impressionist Landscape by JC Strong

I spent some fun time traveling from California to Nevada and Arizona. It was a nice time visiting family and connecting with friends. I spent a lot of time taking reference photos of desert landscapes while traveling Old Route 66 and Highway 93. While traveling on Highway 93 to Wickenburg, Arizona the desert landscape is gorgeous. You can almost see Native Americans and frontiers’ men riding their horses at the turn of the century. The desert is beautiful this time of year.

This small format painting is a composite of scenery I enjoyed during this time. My landscapes are usually based on a combination of a real time and place plus imagination.

Original Painting California Landscape by JC Strong

I had started this early morning work a while back but completed this San Clemente landscape today. This landscape felt like creating a patchwork of colors. I wrestled with the sky but I think it's now a solid part of the artwork.

What if Matisse had a blog?

I’ve just finished a small format painting. It’s raining again so I sit at my keyboard and I wonder.

If artists from the past had the opportunity to author, a blog would they discuss the joy, struggles, inspiration or the everyday details of creating art? I thought of so many artists from the Renaissance to cartoon animators I’d love to know about in their own words. I know art history books outline their lives but new technology would be interesting in the artist's hands. . .

Do you think Matisse would discuss his motivation for his figure ink studies, oil paintings and then in his later years paper gouache cutouts? Andy Warhol, I hope would tell us in his own words why Campbell’s Soup. I would love to know when and why Jackson Pollack dropped, dribbled, poured his first “action painting.” I’d like to ask creators/designers of Bugs Bunny, Tex Avery and Bob Clampett how did you select that little guys look, attitude, and voice (Mel Blanc) and the famous line “What’s Up Doc.” That would be fun . . .

Finally, artists like Vincent Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo could share their personal struggles and the artists and collectors around the world/blogosphere would reach out and share their story.

Shop and Treasury Updates:

My latest painting "Three Tree Island" is in my Etsy Shop.

New Treasury's:

Big surprise this little treasury made the first page of the treasury list.

A Sunny Forcast with a Touch of Purple by JC Strong Gallery it highlights contributors to the First Friday Art Walk (ffaw) and the AWE Team.

Range Thread Fellows by HandmadeHelp is a wonderful selection of fine art in a variety of mediums and styles.

"Made in USA and Proud of It" by MysticSilks is a joyful variety of art, jewelry, and home decor.

Original Acrylic California Impressionist Painting

The colors of fall have been on my mind. This small format landscape is filled with orange and autumn neutrals. The punch of color is in the red door and violet floral’s.

This house is in Los Rios Historic District in San Juan Capistrano, California. This street has a wealth of very inviting cottages and historic homes.

This particular property caught my eye and I made up a little story of what I saw. The house is modest, proud and aging. It’s giving back to the neighborhood with its beautiful gardens filled with herbs and flowers. I always feel like little gardens give a community hope.

See this original painting and others in my Etsy Shop.

Finding Art Inspiration

Do you ever have a lack of inspiration or inability to create. I call it a slump or a basic lack of "mojo?"

A few years ago while in Palm Springs I went to the B. Lewin Gallery. This Gallery had a collection of Mexican Modern Art. (I think it’s closed now.) The masters I remember were Rufino Tamayo and Alfaro Siqueiros. I remember walking in and feeling like I was in a Mayan cathedral something inside just hummed with excitement. The exact same thing happened when I went to the Chicago Art Institute and saw the legends of French Impressionism. I remember seeing these work's of art in person, and thinking it was a visual gift. I just wanted to jump around and say thank you. I would have looked a little silly.

Although I don't paint like these artists, these totally different venues of inspiration both accomplished the same thing, a love of art. So on the occasion my artistic "mojo" is not flowing, I go to the nearest art museum or remember those wonderful venues from the past that first inspired me.

Shop Talk and Curated Etsy Treasuries:

See my curated Etsy Treasury "Harmony and Strength" in blue. It's filled with the work of talented artists and artisans.

Orange Crush by ArtdeJoie is another sumptuous collection. It's a wonderful collection for fall.

Green with Envy by Backyardphotos gives a respectful nod to the beauty of green. A Wonderful collection of fine art photo, fashion, and accessories.

New Painting and details...