Eggs

By Anita Murphy / May 12, 2010 /

Pastel on paper A small part of our household goods arrived last week including my pastels, some paints, panels and paper. Great delight to be reunited with them, followed by a more than a little trepidation and procrastination. There is only so much alternative living (where you do the alternative rather than doing what you…

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Shades of Autumn

By Anita Murphy / October 26, 2009 /

Benefits of being stalled in Washington is getting to experience autumn for the first time in several years. Amazing colours everywhere (enhanced by great sunglasses!) – dark reds, dusky pinks, brilliant oranges, acid yellows, purples and many shades of green from lime to darkest evergreens.

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Two Pairs

By Anita Murphy / January 6, 2009 /

6″ x 8″, oil on canvas.Today I did some colour studies. Single Japanese pear place on red, blue, green and yellow ground. I was aware that I got less and less loose with each one – maybe doing them all in one session was pushing it a little. It was really interesting to see the…

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Comfort Zone

By Anita Murphy / December 29, 2008 /

Spent a few hours this morning putting on more colour on the chair – begin to feel it coming out of the grisaille now. I’m experiencing something quite strange here – the colours should be the same value as the grisaille – and when you get it right its like there is no colour because…

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More Chair

By Anita Murphy / December 17, 2008 /

More work on the chair today. A little scared of rushing it. I am still sure I am not putting enough paint on the canvas. I’m not sure about the warmth on the closest arm – it seems a little too warm – daylight check required. This morning when I got to work I decided…

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Colour on “Comfort Zone”

By Anita Murphy / December 16, 2008 /

I worked on the chair tonight – I don’t know what came over me but I looked at it as it leant against the window and my palette was freshly loaded and lo and behold colour has been put on the canvas! I’m pretty sure that I am not putting enough paint on the canvas…

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Vineyards

By Anita Murphy / December 11, 2008 /

I needed to do something different tonight – hard day at work called for something expressive. Trying to keep in my head all that I have learned in the last week but finally being overcome by colour. If I have it right, the greatest contrasts in value should be in the foreground and the further…

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Gold Thread

By Anita Murphy / December 6, 2008 /

oil on canvas 6″ x 6″Another colour experiment. I started with a purple and cerulean ground and then worked into that with colour. More paint on the canvas this time.Also have had this idea in my head for a charcoal for a while and after reading Stacy Rowan’s post about seeing things that you want…

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Red Thread

By Anita Murphy / December 5, 2008 /

oil on canvas, 6″ x 6″The first of my “homework” – I’m sure I’m still not getting the paint on thick enough (that is SO hard for me, I want to scrape off and leave minimal paint on the canvas! I’m using cotton reels as they are nice solid blocks of colour to work with…

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The Perfect Mix

By Anita Murphy / December 1, 2008 /

Another manic painting session with more running up and down the stairs. Its one way to get some exercise! Beginning to get a little panic struck about my shortage of canvases. Going to have to think seriously about making my own canvas boards. Great delight with the mail arriving today – the friend whose portrait…

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