Jo Mendelsohn's Painting Today

I know I left it in here somewhere....

2008-07-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

Nope, this isn't a painting, and I haven't turned into a photo-realist (or, in this case, photo-surrealist.) I had my camera with me today and took a pic of the legs-in-a-bale mentioned in my last blog entry. I love the contrast of the austere beauty of the actual "homestead house" and the fantastic visual humor of its occupants! Joy! — and guffaws galore...

Am off to a music camp. I'll post some actual paintings when I return. Meanwhile, I wish you a happy week.

Homestead (copper painting #4)

2008-07-25T22:32:00.000-07:00

Oil on board, 11"x10"
To see a larger version of this image, click on it.

Some folks down the road rebuilt the original homestead for which our road is named. It has a devastatingly beautiful view of the river valley and mountains below and a wonderful, spare, Hopper-esque presence.

And as if that's not enough to enjoy, the owners also have many rolled up hay bales, from one of which emerges a virtually life-like, life-sized pair of blue-jeaned legs with running-shod feet.

If you're interested in commenting on this painting or in purchasing it, please contact me: bcolorful@mac.com. I'd love to hear from you.

Down in the Valley

2008-07-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

Oil on board, 3.25"x3.5", plus 2.75" frame with 1.5" depth.
To view this image larger, click on it.

A little sweetie of a painting, non-copper. I included a paper-clip, which you'll see on the left side of the frame, to give you a sense of scale.

I spent a chunk of the day sanding/sizing-and-fixing/copper-&-gold-leafing/talking to copper suppliers and sheet-metal fabricators, etc.

Oh yes...and painting. This copper fixation (speaking of fixatives) is turning into quite the project!

If you're interested in commenting on this painting or in purchasing it ($250, including the hefty and beautiful frame), please contact me: bcolorful@mac.com.

Also, I have a favor. The preponderance of my sales are coming as a result of people looking at this blog. But at this point, I have far from a huge mailing list. If you're so inclined, could you please pass this URL along to a couple of friends, if you have any who might be interested — and mention that they can subscribe to it)? Many thanks for any help you can give!

Reflection (copper painting #3) / SOLD

2008-07-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

8"x10": oil on copper leaf on board

This is a tree, pond, and reflection more or less made up from my head, and as an old friend used to say, "There was still enough wood left to make a fiddle." I don't have much more to say other than, I'm painting obsessively, I'm painting obsessively, I'm painting obsessive......

I might need a life.

If you'd like to encourage or discourage me in my obsessions, please send feedback to me:
bcolorful@mac.com; likewise, if you'd like to purchase this painting ($600).

Applegate Afternoon (Copper Painting #2) / SOLD

2008-07-15T17:09:00.000-07:00

Oil on copper leaf mounted on wood, 8"x10"

Here's another painting on copper foil. I've got a couple of them in the pipeline now. As I mentioned previously, the copper foil adds a real glow and luminosity, as do layers of oil paints (my new favs: Old Holland) glazed over a neutral-tint underpainting. Not to mention the damar varnish which gives it a rich gloss. All this may not be apparent in a low-rez scan. But it's there!

I need to charge what the gallery charges for my 8x10's; otherwise I'm essentially competing with the gallery: not good. Plus the time involved in doing these paintings is — in a word - lots.

If you've got comments on this painting, I'd love to hear them. It's always interesting and helpful to get feedback. And, if you're interested in buying it, it's $600.

Copper painting #1

2008-07-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

Oil on heavy copperplate, 7" x 9.25"

I'm back from a wonderful week at Fiddle Tunes in Washington, with time-out in the middle for a fantastic workshop with Kent Lovelace of Whidbey Island: www.kentlovelace.com.

Did two paintings there. Here's the first (the second is still drying). Unfortunately, the scan gives only a hint of the luminosity and glow that painting on copper and then glazing with layers of transparent color achieve.

The process of preparing for the painting is no small effort in itself, but the surface is so much fun to paint on (albeit a challenge due to its slickness) and so beautiful that it's well worth it – at least at this point). I'd be interested in your feedback. And if you're interested in buying this painting, please let me know (bcolorful@mac.com).

N. Applegate Rd., Late Afternoon

2008-06-24T20:46:00.001-07:00

6"x8", oil on canvas mounted on panel.

This style is a bit of a departure for me. Dunno where it came from; it just popped out. I'm not sure how I feel about it.

The scene was just lovely, though. Gold and pink light spilled out on the road, framed by dark trees. And, of course you can't hear it, but the sound of the river was to the left, and there was birdsong all around.

I'm somewhat guiltily aware that I haven't posted for a while. I've been painting away but keep revising my paintings, so they're always wet — too wet to stick on the scanner. There are eight in process right now. I'm going away for a week to music camp*, so they'll be dry upon my return. That'll be novel.

If you're interested in this painting or have comments, please contact me at: bmusical@mac.com.

*And, right smack-dab in the middle of camp, I'm taking a 2-day workshop from terrific artist Kent Lovelace, http://kentlovelace.com/, on Whidbey Island and going to learn how to paint on copper with gold leaf. Exciting!

Applegate vineyard, June: SOLD

2008-06-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a small oil in a heavy wide frame; framed, it's 8" x 8 7/8".

It's interesting to me how much one's immediate environment affects one's painting.

Southern Oregon (especially the Applegate Valley) which we've been visiting for 30 years and living in for seven, has imprinted itself deeply in my heart and visual cortex. These summer days and this landscape of rivers, barns, creeks and rich farmland: glorious. This is where I want to be and what I want to struggle to paint.

Yesterday was my birthday. Again. Darn. But I spent it in the company of family and friends and playing music for the Troon Vineyard Druid Fluid release event. The wind was softly blowing, the bagpipes were loudly being blown — and the view was quite mind-blowing. Definitely took the edge off of what is becoming a depressingly familiar event :-)

OUT FRONT 3 / Sold

2008-06-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a 6"x8" oil in a 1" deep silver-gold floater frame. If you're interested in it, please contact me at bcolorful@mac.com.

It's been a while since I've posted, a time full of items of import, such as having taken a fantastic three-day plein air* workshop from gifted and knowledgeable artist Terry Miura (http://www.terrymiura.com/Terry_Miura_Studio/Home.html) of Sacramento, hosted at Leslie Lee and Dennis Meiners' wonderful studio/gallery/b&b, Hummingbird (http://dennismeiners.com), in the beautiful Upper Applegate.

And, more prosaically, having to get a new scanner.

*My husband Kevin wants to know if they call plein air "ze painting outside" in France. He is an amusing fellow (or, as we say out here in Southern Oregon, un homme amusant).

OUT FRONT #2/ Sold

2008-06-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a 5"x10" painting of our front view. If you're interested in it, please contact me at: bcolorful@mac.com. Thanks.

Valley View

2008-05-30T13:32:00.001-07:00

A revision of an earlier painting. Please call contact the Living Gallery in Ashland if you're interested in it: 541.482.9795, 20 S. First St.

Zen and the Art of Daubing

2008-05-30T12:58:00.001-07:00

A painting (approx. 7.5 x 9.5)I did yesterday of the fabulous model Dotty Damsel. What a face! What a nom-de-model! And she doesn't move when posing, even the smallest bit (except upon request). She is Mexican/Japanese/Irish.

There are so many decisions and thoughts in my head when painting, that I find it daunting to write about them. And all these decisions and thoughts are going on more or less simultaneously with being in a peaceful, relatively thought-less zone. Of course, that's when I'm not suffering angst and despair over a failed attempt!

Please contact me if you're interested in this painting. Thanks.

Bird

2008-05-28T18:04:00.001-07:00

I'm waiting for another painting to dry for posting and am feeling strangely reluctant to start a new one today. So here's a fellow I did a few years ago. The gold-leafed frame is handsome, heavy, and 3" deep; it's also wider than what you see here but wouldn't fit in the scanner. If you're interested in this painting, please let me know (bcolorful@mac.com).

Bo (detail)

2008-05-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

And a happy Memorial Day weekend to you all.

Have I mentioned yet that you can click on any image to enlarge it? (I know I've mentioned that you too can have your very own portrait from your favorite photo.)

FYI, because some of you who asked, here are the portrait bios, from top to bottom:

Nancy, I can say with absolute confidence, is the world's best combination flutist/musical saw player. As if that weren't enough, she plays a mean game of "Upwards"(three-dimensional Scrabble), is a peace activist, music teacher, nature-preserve worker, grammatical whiz, and is insanely sharp, witty, and droll.

Bo is a true artist/woodworker, a terrific composer, singer, banjo-mandolin-guitar-hammered dulcimer player, and I'm sure, player and doer of many other things I'm forgetting or don't even know about, because he's so charming and modest. Not to mention that he's got one of the great faces to try and paint, I think, of all time. And he makes terrific/awful (what other kind are there?) puns and wordplays which, of course, I find completely endearing.

And what of Kevin, my husband? Well, he's a wonderful marriage/family/child therapist and a genius musician who plays every kind of bagpipe (there are lots; I think he has about fifteen of them), most every style of fiddle music and fiddle, is amazing on the banjo and guitar, can pick up any instrument, wind or string, or percussion, and immediately excel at it, and on top of that is a fantastic storyteller. That was kind of a run-on sentence, wasn't it? But there's a lot to run-on about. He plays with two great bands, which you can google and listen to: the mighty celtic/rock fusion band, Wake the Dead (with an album out on the Grateful Dead label) and the great contradance band, The Hillbillies from Mars, of national (and beyond) repute.

Way at the bottom of this blog is my first entry, a portrait of our son Daniel playing the accordion. And, you think I've been wordy up to this point?!! But I'll save my thoughts about him until I can do a portrait and description of his lovely sister Molly as well...and embarass both of them at the same time. (What's a mother for, anyway?)

Nancy / NA

2008-05-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks very much to you who've kindly taken the time to write me about these portraits. I really appreciate it! Things have been busy around here, and the ol' emails are piling up. (I dreamt about them this a.m. Obviously, the guilt is piling up also.) I'll be answering you shortly. Meanwhile, please know that I am so grateful for your feedback and happy to hear from you.

Self-portrait

2008-05-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

The thing about self-portraits is that you always have a willing and inexpensive model.

I started working on this large painting several years ago (when I was somewhat younger and skinnier.) I've gradually been revamping it, adding the occasional wrinkle and under-eyebag when I need a break from other work. I'll never run out of new wrinkles, chins, etc., to add; this woman's work is never done. (Dorian Gray in reverse.)

Anyway, if you're interested in it or a portrait of you or a loved one, do let me know.

Applegate Pond / SOLD

2008-05-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

Framed, 5"x5", oil on archival cotton, mounted on board.

Hello, dear viewers. This little landscape (3"x3") is blurry because I stupidly glued the painting into the frame before I thought to scan it. There's a saying about oldtime music: "Better than it sounds." Well, here's a painting that is, I hope, better than it looks!

It sold, anyway, right before I had a chance to list it, but I'm posting it here in the hopes that, if you'd like a similar one, you'll let me know. (bcolorful@mac.com)

I'm working away — putting a bunch of work very soon in the wonderful Living Gallery in Ashland. Yay! I'm very happy about this. (I just typed "Ahsland", which given how terrific Ashland is, is appropriate, I think.) And, I'm showing pieces at several local vineyards during a couple of upcoming wine events. So my posts haven't been, and may not be, as frequent as usual for a while.

Spring. Wasn't it a wonderful day?! So long awaited, so lovely, so...short. Ahhhhhhhh. It's 103 right now. But, hey, the roses have started blooming. What more could this country gal want :-)?

Grape Portrait #4

2008-05-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

Please click here to bid on this painting.

You may also visit my eBay store at: http://stores.ebay.com/B-Mendelsohns-Painting-A-Day.

With frame: 3"x3.75", oil on archival, linen-mounted board.

The last grape of the series. Hope it hasn't been the pits.

Grape Portrait #3

2008-05-05T23:46:00.000-07:00

Please click here to bid on this painting.

You may also visit my eBay store at: http://stores.ebay.com/B-Mendelsohns-Painting-A-Day.

With frame: 4"x4.25", oil on archival, linen-mounted board.

And yet another.

Grape Portrait #2

2008-05-04T01:01:00.000-07:00

Please click here to bid on this painting.

You may also visit my eBay store at: http://stores.ebay.com/B-Mendelsohns-Painting-A-Day.

With frame: 3.5"x4", oil on archival, linen-mounted board.

I should have called yesterday's post "Sour Grapes".

I'm better now.

And in other news: The various members of my family (excluding me) are keeping their names after all. (However, my friend Sue is now considering changing hers :-) (And then there's another friend, William, who has about ten nicknames, each lovingly bestowed upon him at various points in his life.)

Little Landscape #1, custom-framed / SOLD

2008-05-01T14:24:00.001-07:00

Please click here to bid on this painting.

You may also visit my eBay store at: http://stores.ebay.com/B-Mendelsohns-Painting-A-Day.

6"x6", oil on archival, linen-mounted board.

I must say I'm very happy with this painting and love the wide silvery-gold frame. I redid a bunch of the grapes I wrote about (wasn't so happy with those, but they're better now :-) They'll be posted soon, as promised. Meanwhile I have no idea wha' happened yesterday with the old posts showing up, but I do apologize profusely for cluttering up your mail boxes!

Lime, Grapes, Gripes and Names / SOLD

2008-04-20T17:25:00.001-07:00

You may also visit my eBay store at: http://stores.ebay.com/B-Mendelsohns-Painting-A-Day.

6"x8", oil on archival, linen-mounted board.

Yesterday, as I was photographing an earlier incarnation of this piece outside, large icy globs of snow started falling on it, and within minutes there was a blizzard. Spring: I know it was here. I saw it for whole minutes at a time. The forsythia are blooming! Where did it go??? (Great gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair.)

Anyway, here's a colorful post in its dear departed honor. I'm torn on virtually any given day between using a subdued palette of tones or wild complementaries. But today, looking out at another dreary landscape, it was pretty clear what direction to go in.

Names. This has been fun and interesting! I've been getting a variety of emails. Who knew that some of you were named Debbie Sue or Bernard before I knew ye?! My friend Anna wrote, "When you think about it, the 'middle' name is more central, so perhaps closer to who we truly are?" And my best friend from high school Diana reminds me that, "I know you've always loathed your first name."

Anyway, as I wrote yesterday, you can call me WHATEVER you feel comfortable with (Lord knows I'm not comfortable with any of the alternatives at this point), but if you really wanted to call me Josie, you could!

New Nom De Paintbrush

2008-04-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that the name of my blog has changed. I've decided to go by my middle name, Jo, after a lifetime or so of being uncomfortable with my first name, Barbara, and feeling that it really doesn't fit me (name dysmorphia??). You may call me anything you want of course—within reason!—including, as my friend Kathy Kallick might say, a taxi. Phew, I feel better already. Okay, well, maybe I feel a little weird, but not too bad.
Jo (aka B, Barbie, Babs, Babette, Barb, Barbs, and of course, the dreaded....Barbara)

Pheasant Egg with Sugar Bowl

2008-04-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

Please click here to bid on this painting.

You may also visit my eBay store at: http://stores.ebay.com/B-Mendelsohns-Painting-A-Day.

6"x6", oil on archival, linen-mounted board.

I found this vintage sugar bowl and delicate egg at a wonderful store in Grants Pass, Home Economics. This painting was a departure, because I painted an larger version of it and then painted this; it's usually the reverse (small study/larger finished piece). I'm trying to codify how I get from here-to-there. Right now it's still pretty variable and intuitive (not to mention slap-dash and fraught with surprises, both welcome and not-so). I'd like to really know what I'm doing and then mess around! But that's why I'm doing this almost-a-painting-a-day project....or so I hope.

Green apple, Blue Bowl / SOLD

2008-04-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

Please click here to bid on this painting.

This EBay auction ends 4/10/08. If the painting is still available after this date, please contact me if you're interested in it.

6"x8", oil on archival, linen-mounted board.

It's been busy here (partially because I've been catching up after a month of the flu/a cold) and shows no sign of slowing down for a week or so. I'll paint and post as I can. Meanwhile, I'm posting this piece again, because the person who bought it sent it back, having commissioned another painting that's larger.
If you think a friend might enjoy receiving a post of this painting/my blog, please feel free to forward it by clicking on the little envelope icon below. Your friend will need to subscribe him or herself to continue receiving the blog. If you have any suggestions or feedback for me, I would enjoy hearing from you at bcolorful@mac.com. And thanks for looking!