Fresh Paint

"Entering the Show Ring" oil on panel, 4" by 9" 2013

Right now I have really been enjoying painting more loosely. Why do I find the look of a loose painting so much more satisfying than one that is technically tight? Technique is a funny thing, you can head out in so many different directions with it and still get lost no matter what. A tight painting done well can absolutely razzle-dazzle but what about the search for freshness, emotion, and confident finesse of the artist's hand seen in varying brushstrokes through texture and direction. And more importantly, an artist's struggle can be seen, forgiven, and understood on a much higher level than in the general academic approach. The most important thing for me when building a painting is to get that essence of what the story is I want to portray. Whether it be the weather, a gesture, a single moment in time captured in color and brushwork, that is what brings me back everyday to paint exactly what I want and the way I want it.

Wow - Eggs!

Going to the chicken farm to get fresh eggs has become an event. There are hundreds of hens who roam freely around the property. They hang out in shrub branches, burrow in the dry dirt, jump in your car if you leave the window open, peck, and best of all make wonderful throaty hen sounds. I looked up online to find out what breed these girls might be and like best the name, Cinnamon Queen. I am not sure if that is what they are but they are all cinnamon colored queens to me laying their perfect brown eggs.

It was a great Summer!

I just love the California Buckaroo style riding gear. While visiting Point Reyes National Seashore I came across two women in the visitor center parking lot getting their horses ready for the trails. I immediately took notice of their saddles and bridles, which were amazing. With their permission, I took a few photos, thanked them, and headed on my way down the trail. Little did I know at the time, with only those few photos, did I hit the jackpot.

Not because of the light or the landscape, but because of the great detail my camera caught with such casualty. With those few photos, I embarked on a great series of paintings that still has me hooked. This painting resulted from one of the photos. The amazing thing about all of this is that the painting does not resemble the original photo in any way. Because of the magical components of Photoshop and Philippe's deft ability in the program, the photo transformed into a winner. We used other images from the trip, including the background landscape from Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and integrated them, resulting in a very California style scene that absolutely makes me giggle.

There are more paintings which resulted from those two great ladies I luckily met that day which can be seen on my website www.elizabethkolligs.com

This summer was great, the garden blooming with too many flowers and sweet eggplant, kayaking the Long Island sound, and Philippe and I creating images that fill our world with contentment.