This header is a pastel painting I did in 2009 is of a place in the Netherlands, my country of origin, after a photo shot by Dick Witte.

Some of the painters who have influenced me:
Mondriaan, Hopper
O"Keefe, Weyeth
Singer Sargent
van Gogh, Rembrandt
Picasso, Escher

Since this is my second blog page, it generally takes me longer (sometimes very long) to reply to your comments, but I do read and love them!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Am not sure yet how I like to arrange and organize the paintings, but today I'd thought to synchronize it with my primary blog post.     Happy Monday!  
 P.S. Click to enlarge (if you like).

© My Neighborhood, Oil, St. Germain


NOTES
- view from my kitchen window
-canvas propped on the blue-tiled counter
-snow on Big Bear mountains down to 4000 feet
-snow and sky are almost same color value
-dream of my house being on the country side
-trying out this particular mood:
cold and warm and....? in the same scene
-the Cerulean blue of the forest background
repeated in the windows
- I like the simplicity of it
-fits with the inches 16 x 20
-so, what do ya think?

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Beautiful Jeannette. I love landscapes, especially when they're of real scenes. It must be wonderful to look out your kitchen window and see those mountains!

Jane

Zuzana said...

It is beautiful, it reminds me of the mountains where I was born.;)
xoxo
Zuzana

The Artist Within Us said...

Over all the painting is well executed. The mountains especially have been rendered very well. The space between the mountains and the foreground lacks transitional depth, which is compounded the structures omission of highlight and strong shadow, all of which can be easily corrected to achieve the three dimensional quality I feel it needs. Remember that the mountains have been beautifully rendered and this same quality can be accomplished with the foreground.

Upon another closer examination I wish to recommend that you gesso your canvas at least 3 to 5 times with each application in an opposite direction to fill in the fabric's valleys. You will find that it will assist you in your wonderful use of the brush.

My critique may sound harsh and I hope it will not be taken as such. The suggested corrections are easily achieved though at the same time the painting can remain as is. Only you can decide what to do if anything.

Egmont

Gaelyn said...

Wow Jeannette, this is your view?! Nice. You're near Big Bear?
I like the contrast of the warm houses and foreground against the cold mountains and sky. I feel like I'm looking out a window from someplace warm.
May I recommend your comment form be a separate window popup so your art can more easily be seen at the same time. Just a thought.
I love your work Jeannette. Your paintings always draw me right in.

Jeannette StG said...

Thank you Jane!
This is a view of the mountains I miss now, because I moved to a condo (see article of today on my main blog). Although the view is now actually better - I now look at a forest landscape.

Jeannette StG said...

Zyzanna,
Thank you! So, is Denmark less mountainous?

Jeannette StG said...

Egmont,
I don't remind your critique at all! I smiled, because I thought, Egmont has really looked closely at the bigger image!
My camera has 8 pixels, so it picks up the details (meaning: white gaps of canvas).
You are accurate, my mountains were the main focus and spent most of my time on that. Can't remember if you saw www(dot)stgermainart(dot)com - my art website - but if you click on the left top button "Revelation" and see my style there, you understand that I work more two-dimensional than three-dimensional.
I realize that my painting style is an in-between style. Not quite abstract, but not quite realistic either.
Also, I am used to much bigger canvases than the 16 x 20 inch, but I'll think of the 5x- gesso next time:) Thank you for wanting me to become better -that's how I see it!

Jeannette StG said...

Gaelyn,
Thank you Gaelyn,
I'm happy you like it. This WAS my view, from the kitchen window of my old house, but since I'm not decided yet on how to organize the paintings, I'd thought to synchronize it with my article of today on the main blog on subject (which is: houses).

Yes, it's a good idea to do the pop up window for comments -it's easier to go back and forth!

Jeannette StG said...

Gaelyn,
forgot to say that it will be after Thanksgiving that I have the time to change some things on this blog page. Thank you for really looking and pondering about the painting!

Kilauea Poetry said...

This is pretty Jeannette. My first inner tube in the snow was a little family trip I'd taken. Big Bear was beautiful to me..what a view!

Jeannette StG said...

Regina,
Thanks, Regina - that view of Big Bear mountains always got us back to the snow. I never tried the inner tube, mostly because I was too busy finding a spot to paint (while the rest of the family were on the hill sid sledding:) )

Unknown said...

I used to think that oils were easier than water colors. Now I can appreciate how both are challenging. I don't have your talent, but I admire yours! Very nicely done!!

Jeannette StG said...

Michael,
sorry to get back to you so late on this one -I didn't see it before!
Guess it depends on what your goals are for each medium, whether it's easy of hard LOL