Contemplation, 5 1/2 x 8"

Contemplation, pastel on paper by Adriana Meiss

   November 2013 will be a month that I'll remember for it's sunsets. There were so many cold days that our group went only twice to paint outdoors. Oh, but the sunsets seemed to compensate for the bad weather. So, it's no surprise that I've been painting sunsets, and there is still no sign of my getting tired of them.

  This one started with the idea of the dark sky and a limited palette.  The scene is a composite of two different places, and although I didn't do a preliminary sketch, somehow it worked. I'm thinking of painting it larger emphasizing the light on the distant hill... This painting will be among the new ones at next week's Plowshares Festival at Nottingham HS. If you are in the Syracuse area, this is an event you should not miss!

Sunset in Mauve, 8x6" - Sold

Sunset in Mauve, pastel on paper by Adriana Meiss

     At the end of April the guild I'm in (OAG) will have it's annual spring sale. In my effort to avoid framing like crazy at the last minute, I have been working steadily for the last month, mostly producing small paintings. Some are already framed after having passed the test of seating on a shelf for weeks without any little thing screaming to have it fixed.
    The reference photo for this painting was an irrigation channel from a nearby town, but by changing the vegetation I turned it into a scene that could have been from the Adirondacks.

Old Painting, New Look: Seagulls at Dusk, 13" x 18"

The latest version

I decided to take a closer look at old paintings that are still with me despite having been shown over and over, and now are taking precious space on my walls or in the studio.

I started with Seagulls at Dusk, a painting I did in 2007, based on a photo from the Wet Canvas reference library. At the time, I was very happy that I had used the photo reference in a minimal way (see photo at the bottom) and had let my creativity take over.

Lately, all I was seeing where repetitious and boring forms, so I gave myself two choices, to improve it or to trash it. As soon as the wall of conifers in the distance were removed I started seeing new possibilities. For now, I'm happy with the way it turned out as I feel it has some soul, but who knows what will happen in four years...

First version, 2007











photo reference