Big Horn

 I painted this after having the luck to snap a few photos of this guy, out near Pecos while we were looking for a place to go hiking. We didn’t find a good trail but the reference photo and the lovely drive was worth the trip. 

Picked for Daily Paintworks Facebook Pick of the Day

Daily Paintworks picked my painting "Staring Match" for their Facebook Picks of the Day today! Check out all my art at www.jfrederickart.com and see my interview at http://dpwnews.blogspot.com/2017/05/dpw-spotlight-interview-jane-frederick.html

DAILY PAINTWORKS featuring me this week!

Read the full interview published on their blog by clicking on the link below.

DAILY PAINTWORKS News: DPW Spotlight Interview: Jane Frederick: Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings. To enter to win  Jane's painting, &...

Renewed Inspiration Comes from Great Podcast

This morning I noticed a little link on the bottom of Carol Marine's blog which linked to a podcast where Carol was interviewed by Jessica Watchorn on the ArtPro Podcast. I went ahead and clicked on it and listened to the interview. It was very well done. Jessica asked great questions and Carol was very generous with her answers. Listening totally renewed my enthusiasm for daily painting which had been lagging a bit lately. After listening I immediately pulled out some oil paper and cut it into small blocks. Then I painted five small oil paintings over the course of the day while listening to other episodes of the ArtPro podcast. The idea was that each small painting was not costing much in materials or time and it didn't matter if they worked or not. It was very freeing. As it turned out, I was pleased with my efforts and decided to post them on Daily Paintworks for sale with initial bid of $3.

Here's a photo of some of today's group drying on my mini washing line with tiny clothes pins which I'd had left over from a previous project.

If you want to check out the podcast go to artpropodcast.com . I recommend it highly. Jessica is providing a wonderful service with her podcasts and the artist who have agreed to allow her to interview them are also providing a great service to the entire artist community. Thank you for watching my work develop www.jfrederickart.com

Pastel Demo Painting

Against my better judgment I was talked into doing a pastel demo at the Central Texas Pastel Society booth at the Georgetown Market Days last Saturday. Surprisingly it went pretty well despite how rusty I was with pastels. I posted the resulting painting on Daily Paintworks today and was thrilled to have them make it one of their Facebook Picks for today. Guess it's good to step outside the comfort zone once in a while. I used my new easel which I had just bought from Joshua Been when we stopped and visited him at his wonderful gallery in Salida on our way home from camping in Colorado. Even though it wasn't designed for pastels, it did a superb job for me. I loved it. Can't wait to use it as it was designed for my oils. www.jfrederickart.com

Back to the Birds!

I'm back to the bird paintings today. This one was from a photo I took on my birdbath. It was one of my favorites. I just loved the unusual pose that lent itself perfectly to this composition. www.jfrederickart.com

Don't forget to stop by Austin Java on Barton Springs to see all the paintings I have showing there this month.

PAINTING A FEELING...

I'm not sure that this painting really expresses my feelings, but I know I was feeling loss when I painted this one. I took the photo reference at a lovely little lake in Denver near the home of my sister-in-law and her beloved husband, Ron.  We took a nature walk around the lake in Ron's honor, the morning after he passed away from cancer (a year ago next week). It was one of his favorite places. They had become avid bird watchers and this lake provides a huge variety of birds to watch including this American avocet. Ron was a very sweet and gentle soul and he is deeply missed by everyone who loved him. www.jfrederickart.com

NEW SHOW AT AUSTIN JAVA - BARTON SPRINGS

If you get the chance, please stop by Austin Java, 1608 Barton Springs, Ausin, TX to see 40 of my latest paintings on exhibit through May. The collection includes landscape, still life, wildlife, figurative and floral. It's a little bit of everything I've been painting lately. They are mostly oil paintings, but I've even included a few of my best pastel paintings for variety. Purchases can be made directly through Austin Java. www.jfrederickart.com

Off On Another Direction...

I know I promised to put together a series of Arizona paintings (can a series be two?)...but I took a four day workshop with Nancy Tankersley a couple of weeks ago and have moved off in another direction. Now I'm having fun painting figures. Nancy's workshop is all about painting figures from photos. This is the second time I've taken her workshop and each time I feel like I've progressed so far. Besides all the paintings I did in the workshop, I've started painting from photos I've taken with figures in them instead of avoiding them. I'm just not scared of figures any more and I'm actually enjoying painting them. Here are a few of my most recent ones. I also tried a new painting surface. The Tijuana woman is painted on Arches Oil Paper - my first painting using that paper. I knew a lot of artists are using it and talking about it, I finally decided to try it myself. I did like it. It's really a nice surface to work on.

"Finally Got It" 6x6 oil on panel click here for more info.

"Tijuana Woman Walking" 8x4.75 oil on paper
click here for more info.

"Harvesting at Boggy Creek Farm" 10x8 oil on panel
click here for more info.

"Shell Collector" Chosen for Daily Paintwork's Facebook Pick of the Day

My painting "Shell Collector" which I posted on Daily Paintworks last night was chosen by DPW to be featured on their Facebook page as one of their picks of the day. I'm honored!

As I mentioned in the write up about this painting on DPW... Those who have taken a workshop with Nancy Tankersley may recognize the photo this was taken from. I painted it in Nancy's workshop and she gave me permission to use her photo and to sell the painting if I chose. I really liked the way this one turned out. The photo I used was simply black and white. I had to make up the colors. I made it a beach rather than grass. It could have been either from the photo. The woman's bending over posture created an appealing shape.

I really feel like I learned a lot in Nancy's workshop. If you get the opportunity to attend one of her workshops, I can definitely recommend them.

Thank you for viewing my art. If you would like to see more of my paintings please visit www.jfrederickart.com

New Arizona Series of Paintings

My painting has just become revitalized after a rather long dry spell. I'm using photos taken on our recent trip from Texas through New Mexico, Arizona, California to Tijuana Mexico and back. It was a lot of driving, but since I never get to drive I got to take a lot of photos out the windows as we sped down the highways. A lot of the photos were awful. It never fails, you frame, shoot and where did that road sign or billboard come from? Oh well. I guess if you take enough photos at least a few of them will pan out. Here are the first two paintings from photos taken on the trip. Both available on Daily Paintworks

"Sun Kissed Rocks" 6x6 oil on panel

"Saguaro Skyline" 6x6 oil on panel

Back in the Groove

It's not that I haven't been painting, it's just that I haven't been painting as much for the past few weeks. I actually worked full time for a friend for a week and a half. I was not used to working like that and it really took it out of me. Before that we were traveling. I did get some paintings done on the trip but not as many as I'd hoped. Life just kept getting in the way.

During the time since I last posted, I completed what I consider my best still life to date "White Roses"

I also painted what I consider my best ever version of Mount Sopris. This one will be in the Plein Air Austin Annual show at the Corridor of Art Downtown in September and October.

Among the other paintings I've done in the past month or so, is one for the Central Texas Pastel Society Annual show at the Cultural Activity Center in Temple September and October. That one was a peg legged grackle stealing food from plates left on the table at Julios. 

It's been a busy month or so even if I haven't been painting every day. I'll try to post more soon.

Happy painting!

Recent Works

Lots of painting in the past couple of weeks. The weather has been perfect for plein air if you don't mind the mosquitos. Much cooler than normal for July in Texas. I've also been doing some in the studio. Here are a few of my latest efforts. All but two of these (those marked with a red dot) are available through my Daily Paintworks Gallery at www.jfrederickart.com 
Thank you for viewing my art.

The Magic of Rust

It's odd. Most things are ugly when they get rusty, but somehow I believe old trucks look better with rust. That was certainly the case for this old pick up out at the Start Hill Ranch. I took photos of it last time Plein Air Austin went out to paint there. I remember freezing while we painted, but I did get some good photos to use later. This one's turn came last night when I was looking for something to paint. I was pleased with the results. I remembered painting another truck out there back when I first started posting on Daily Paintworks almost 4 years ago. The first truck sold a long time ago, but when I compare the two images, I can see how far my art has come since that first truck. Can you tell which is which?

My Largest Painting to Date

A dear friend of mine asked me if I could create a special painting for her. She was redecorating her living room and wanted a painting representative of the Texas Hill Country. Up until now, my largest painting had been an 18x24 of a hill country scene that sold on Daily Paintworks last year. Since she wanted something larger, I was a little nervous. We talked about what she had in mind and she even picked a couple of paintings from my website that she liked, so I'd have an idea of where to start. I took those two paintings and did an 8x10 study combining elements of both into the one. After some discussion and some adjusting we decided to move forward with a 30x40 canvas. It took me most of last week but I think I'm done. She said she likes it and we've arranged for delivery in April when we will both be in Galveston.

Going to the Birds.

I've really been enjoying birds lately. I painted a photo of a bird I'd taken at my in-laws home in Evergreen, a chickadee, I believe. Then I used my brand new camera (birthday gift from my hubby) to take a great photo of a blue jay enjoying our bird bath. Really had fun painting that one so then I went out with my camera looking for more birds to take photos of. Today it was a grackle. I think this all started with the peacock whose picture I took at Mayfield Park last year. I painted it in pastel and it won an honorable mention at the Central Texas Pastel Society Show last August.

"Blue Jay Bath" 6x6 oil on panel

"Grackle" 6x6 oil on panel

"My Little Chickadee" 6x6 oil on panel

"Show Off" 8x10 pastel on paper

30 in 30 The Final Tally and Moving Forward

Although I forgot to post it to my blog, I did complete the 30 in 30 challenge, having painted all 30 paintings in a square format. Most were 6x6 but I had a few 8x8 and even one 12x12 in the line up. By the end of the challenge several had already sold which was gratifying.

The last day of the challenge Leslie Saeta gave us instructions on how to build a collage of all 30 paintings to post online.

Here is mine:

Overall I was very happy with the results. There were a few that I felt might have been better given more time, but for the most part I was satisfied. The challenge was a wonderful way to start the year and spur myself to paint every day. I also loved looking at everyone else's paintings. With almost 900 artists signed up for the challenge, if they all produced 30 each, a lot of new art was generated. To get a closer look at my 30 please check out my gallery at www.jfrederickart.com

Today was Qiang's mentoring class. I found a large Bombay Sapphire bottle and built a still life around that. Bombay Sapphire was my husband's favorite gin for a very long time so I've seen a lot of those bottles. They're a beautiful shade of blue. I'm not sure why I never tried to paint one before.

"Apple, Gin and more..." 8x8 oil on panel  for more information click here

500 Daily Paintings!!!

Wow, I didn't even realize it until I glanced at the number of paintings found for my gallery on Daily Paintworks. The painting I just uploaded, "Red, White and Blue" is my 500th painting on Daily Paintworks. Seems like a huge milestone though I guess it wouldn't matter to anyone but me.

My 500th Painting on Daily Paintworks - "Red White and Blue"

This is day 22 of Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 Challenge. So far I'm still on track. I just uploaded #23 for tomorrow. It's really beginning to be a struggle. I stay so busy it's really hard to make sure I paint every day, but it's a marvelous exercise.  Here are the other paintings I've painted since I last posted.

"Passing Farm" 6x6 oil

"Butterfly Party" 6x6 oil

"Star Apple" 8x8 oil

"West Texas Industrial" 6x6 oil

Day 18 of the 30 in 30 Challenge

 

Day 15 "Kissing Apples" 12x12

I'm still on track but I no longer have a couple of days worth of paintings in reserve. Unless I paint something today I'm out of new paintings to post. I did paint one yesterday when I joined Qiang to paint plein air at the Elisabet Ney Museum in Austin, but it's a wiper. Actually Qiang convinced me to keep it but said I should paint another one and use the first one as an example of what not to do and never let anyone see it. Yes, it was that bad. Well it did have one redeeming value, I was not unhappy with the perspective, but that's the only part that went right. Anyway, it's a journey and I'm trying to learn so it was a learning experience.

 Day 12 "Fishing Village" 8x8

That said for those who are not seeing my paintings on Daily Paintworks, Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 Challenge, my Facebook page, or my "My Art" Pinterest board, here's what I've been up to lately.

Day 18 "Sunny Bunch" 6.5x6 pastel

 Day 13 "Copper Tankard" 6x6

Day 16 "Texas Tower" 6x6

Day 17 "Green Glass and Brass" 6x6

Day 14 "Green Jug with Daisy" 6x6

You might wonder why I don't post them in numerical order...well if I could just get Blogger to cooperate, I would. For some reason I can't seem to get them to post in the order or the arrangement I want. I finally gave up and posted them like this.

Day 10 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge and Workshop Round Up

The 30 day challenge is progressing. I've stopped waking up at 1 a.m. eager to post my painting early so it will show up in the first 50 or so paintings on Leslie Saeta's blog (not that it makes any difference to anyone but me).

"Golden" 6x6 oil on panel

"Don't Tread on Me" 6x6 oil on panel

I am still on track and have tomorrow's painting ready to post, although the one after that is another story.







I started a painting  on day 4 of the Qiang Huang workshop but it is not finished and I'm struggling with the "modeling and consolidation" phases of the painting.

Over all I was delighted with my paintings from  the workshop. I did 3 still life paintings that were among the best I think I've ever done. My husband paid me the best compliment when he said one of them looked like Qiang's style - a standard I would love to strive for.
Here are the one's I did on day 2 and day 3 of the workshop. I will show you day 4 when and if I manage to finish it.

"Moonshine Jug and Fruit" 8x8 oil on panel

"Birdhouse and Fruit" 8x8 oil on panel

The next workshop I'm signed up for right now is the Nancy Tankersley workshop which will be in Austin in March. Her workshop will be on "Keeping it Fresh - Painting Figures from Photos". I can't wait!