Remembering

My dear friend Syd passed away today. She was an amazing artist. She loved animals. She was a very successful breeder and trainer of champion German Shephards. She was a horsewoman. She loved to read, and to learn. She was highly intelligent. I loved her. She was direct, honest, proud and sensitive. She loved life and nature and she loved to paint. She was an excellent art teacher with an exceptional eye for good art and correct anatomy. She would tear my paintings apart....but then build me up so I would keep working on them.
Very rarely do you meet someone who's friendship does not depend upon having grown up together, gone to school together, have kids the same age, you're the same age....etc. The friendship that Syd and I shared was so easy - we were simply the same person on the inside. We shared almost every single hobby, passion, and interest, and the ones we didn't share didn't matter because we understood one another.
Syd, I hope all those dogs welcomed you at the gate. When I hear thunder I will think of you yelling at them to "SHUT UP!!!" I will never forget you, and I will keep painting. Love, me

The Red Tool Shed - high key

Last night the evening sun was so pretty. I pulled out my equipment and decided to do a value study while Russ was mowing the field the cows were in. I had less than an hour to work with but the kids actually cooperated and played contentedly. I painted this using high values only, and I think I should focus on my values, and how they relate to eachother, more often. I can tell now that I put more energy into mixing the colors I see, and my paintings lack in correctness of value. I read last night in John Carlsons' "Guide to Landscape Painting" that if the values are correct it really doesn't matter what the colors are. Also an artist friend of mine Kathryn Townsend documented on her blog some excersizes in black and white I found truly inspiring. And so I keep learning......and loving the process.
I find so much joy in painting outside, and I am already feeling renewed and ready to tackle those unfinished studio paintings. "Montana" and the painting of the fall pumpkins both still lie unfinished next to the easel.