Van Gogh and Me

   In 2005 I had the privilege of going to the MET in NYC and there saw quite a few Van Gogh's original paintings. At this time I had painted two Van Gogh's for Jeremy. They are below. Carrie, my daughter, decided she wanted this one called "First Steps", so as luck would have it this was on display at the MET. So I was able to see it in person and get detailed photos and accurate colors so that I could do it for her. In the photo below me with the original, is the painting that I did. The colors look different from the original, but that is the camera's fault. The colors are the same as the original that I am standing by here. So now, I have a commission to do a few more Van Gogh's. Jeremy wants some to hang in his new office. For those that don't know, Jeremy is my son who recently became a Nurse Practitioner and has a new office with bare walls. So we will see what we can do about that! 

   Below the photo of me are the four Van Gogh paintings that I have done so far, First Steps, Night Stars Over the Rhoan, and then one of his many Wheat Fields and Cyprus paintings. Also a version of Starry Night where I changed up the color scheme to reds and greens and this one belongs to Amy now. Below that are some teasers for your, Jeremy!! I'm working on it! Lots of strokes in that one!!

   These painting are a lot of work. Van Gogh usually finished one in a day! Just a little tidbit - You can order copies of these from China for about $25 (The canvas that Jeremy just bought me was about $25!!) but I read that they have an assembly line and each person does a small area that they are very quick at, so each one is done pretty easily by multiple painters. But they are good nonetheless.  Just not special!!! 

Watch this short: Vincent Video It is awesome! It is a clip from the TV show Dr. Who and one of his time travel adventures.

Me with Van Gogh's original First Steps in NYC. Van Gogh actually copied this from Jean-Francois Millet. He was a great admirer of Millet.

My version of First Steps.

My version of Night Stars Over the Rhone. Some call it Starry Night Over the Rhone. 

My version of Wheat Fields and Cyprus

My version of Starry Night in Reds and Greens

Some Teasers for Jeremy!!!

Jeremy, this one is something else to paint. Especially the field!!

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New Project

It doesn't look like much yet. But this is just the beginning. I have a new "commission" from a certain favorite medical person who has an office with bear walls. Well, actually I did "loan" him some paintings to use until I get these new ones done for him.  This is mostly a teaser for you Jeremy!!
I have done several paintings like this in the past, some for Jeremy and I guess he liked them enough to want more. Excited to get this going!
Anyone want to guess what this is?
More to come!!

Prairie Thunder Snow - SOLD

Prairie Thunder Snow
12 x 12 inches
Original Acrylic painting on stretched canvas
Finished on all sides
Signed by the artist
This painting is Sold

When it is very cold out during the winter and I hear thunder, I am pretty certain that it will soon be snowing. So thunder on a very cold winter's day can be quite exciting. 
I think I would like to do this on a larger canvas.

Click on the closeups below to see them larger.

Prairie Church

Prairie Church
10x8 Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
Finished on All Sides
For purchase information please contact me

I love the prairie. I even love driving across Kansas. Others don't seem to care for it so much. Of course going west in  Kansas means going to Colorado to me. I'm sure that doesn't hurt things. But the wide open spaces are beautiful and a wonderful place to watch the clouds. Nothing gets in the way. And the prairie can produce some awesome cloud formations.
A little more impressionism, I had painted only the sky a while back. I was just playing around really, trying to be looser and working with acrylics. No lightning at that time. So I just added the foreground, with the church and road and some lightning. I really like painting lightning. 

Closeups below.

Prairie Moon

Prarie Moon
Acrylic on stretched canvas
10x8
Edges are finished with a dark color
I have paintings stacked up, stuck in corners, piled elsewhere. I got most of them out yesterday and put them out on my long dining room table. I just need to find homes for most of them. I will be putting a lot of them on eBay, at bargain prices. Most of them are smaller, from 5x7 and up a bit. Most are oils, some acrylics, like the above. This is just a goal and I am just beginning the process. I will let you know as things progress.
I have a few paintings, quite a few, that are in need of being finished. That was the case with the above painting. I had done the ground and the sky a while back and then wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. So yesterday I added the moon, house, tree and stream. This is a loose, more impressionistic painting, which was my intention. I have a few more very similar to this, with mostly just the sky finished. I will be working on those for my next projects.

For purchase information go HERE

Below is a closeup shot of the little house. Hmmmm, little house on a prairie.

Four Seasons

I posted the photo right below a couple of days ago. I wasn't happy with the trees that I was working on, the top two in the collage. So I changed them up a bit and you can see in the second photo below. The autumn and winter trees are the same. I think they are better.  If you wish to see these larger, click on the photo.

BEFORE

AFTER

East Tennessee Somewhere

Oil on Gesso Board
4x4x1/8
Contact me for purchase information

Just wanted to play around a bit and do a quickie with some thicker paint. I've been watching some video on YouTube of some painters and one in particular. His are beautiful. The support is only 4x4 inches and I used a #4 flat sable, so it was a little like doing a larger painting with a bigger brush, only in miniature.  These are fun. It is hard to mess up. Although it has a long way to go!!
The setting is in East Tennessee, somewhere near Muddy Pond. That has been a favorite place of ours to go visit for years. It is the location of a Mennonite store. They used to make good sandwiches and we would go there and eat outside the store on the grass. But unfortunately they quit doing the sandwiches, so we don't go there any more. We have found another place where we can get the sandwiches, although it is not nearly as pretty of a drive.  And no grass to sit on :(

Below is the photo reference. Nel, I would love to see you do this one!

The Muddy Pond area is beautiful. I get our sorghum made from there.

Below is a closeup of some brush strokes. 

A Blue River - RESERVED

A Blue River
Oil on Stretched Canvas
20 x 16
NOT For purchase at this time
***Reserved***

From a Scene Somewhere in Colorado

Autumn Dream

Autumn Dream
Oil on Stretched Canvas
20 x 16

Hydrangeas - SOLD

5 x 7 
Oil on Canvas Panel

This painting is Sold

Just trying to loosen up my hydrangeas. Learned a different technique for doing the background. I was reading about using transparent colors. I never knew the possibilities. There is so much to learn! I started by covering the green area of the canvas with just Sap Green which is a nice transparent color. Then highlighting with Thalo Yellow Green/Cadmium Yellow Light/White while it was still wet. The blossom was done with a filbert and the greenery with a bright. Fun to do. There is so much freedom doing it this way and hard to do it wrong. That's a great thing. I know these are not what hydrangea leaves look like, but I was just working on the background technique, not so much a particular leaf. In the photo, the darker blues are showing more exaggerated than they really are. That seems to be a problem with certain colors when photographing and I'm not sure how to remedy it. 

I planted another hydrangea bush this spring, next to one that I planted a couple of years ago. They are so beautiful and covered with blooms.

Just for comparison, here is one I did a good while back. Tighter yes, but I do like the blossoms.  With this one I used more Pthalo Blue so that the color is like they would be if they were in acidic soil. I like the background technique on the new one better. Hmmm, now I think I need to marry these two somehow. The top one was a quickie, which I wanted it to be. Next time I'll take a little more time and try to put the things I like best together and also use a larger canvas. I like to use these smaller ones for studies. I think there might be a difference in the quality of the photo also. That can be a real challenge.

Shrooms

Oil on Canvas Panel
7 x 5
For purchase information go HERE

For my painters, this is the next one. Sorry Jamie, I wasn't thinking about the colors!! I did add a little blue accent. It is a fun painting. You don't have to get bogged down in the details and we can do it fairly quickly. I may play with it some more but just wanted you to have a picture to reference and print it if you like. I did this one on a 7 x 5 but we will be doing it on our 8 x 6's.

Thank you for looking.

Home Away From Home - SOLD

Home Away From Home
Available for $475 plus shipping


Done. From an online lesson from Jerry Yarnell. He has a wonderful technique and makes it a lot easier than it looks.  This painting is on stretched canvas and is 40 x 30 x 1.5 inches. It is going over my mantle. It needed a change. I have started two more from his lessons that will both be 20 x 16 inches. One will be an autumn scene, the other a mountain river scene.

Yarnell School Online

I have just enrolled in the Yarnell School Online. This is Jerry Yarnell's site, Yarnell School of Fine Art. I was fortunate to be able to take one of Jerry's two day workshops a few years ago. He is an awesome painter and a wonderful Christian man. He paints primarily in acrylics and I wanted to try to learn to use that medium. The painting above is the one that I did at his workshop and my first attempt at an acrylic painting. After giving acrylics a try I have gone back to oils. Jerry has his website set up where you can get access to anything on it, instructional or whatever, 24/7 for a monthly fee. I'm going to give it a try for a while. He has a painting called "Heaven on Earth" that he has taught in several of his workshops. See it HERE. I loved this painting and wished I could take a workshop when he was doing it. Well, now I have access to that through his website. He has a show on PBS, local time is 1:30 EST, Saturday on channel 14 WPTO. It is called "Paint This With Jerry Yarnell". It is easy enough to follow along using oils if Jerry is using acrylics. He does sometimes use water miscible oils. So I am looking forward to starting this painting. Stay tuned!
Another good site for Jerry is HERE.

The Path Out Back

8 x 6 Oil on canvas panel
This was a fun little painting that everyone was interested in doing. I haven't gotten a group photo yet, but hope to soon.

Thank you for looking 

Country Road - SOLD

This painting is from a photo that I took somewhere in Middle Tennessee. I'm not sure exactly where, but probably in the Hickman county or Williamson county area. I was trying to do one a little faster and not worrying about details.  I'm sure I could improve on this taking a little more time with it. But then that would defeat the purpose. I think I might need to warm up that road a bit. Maybe I will play with it some more.
This oil painting is a 7 x 5 on canvas panel.
The photo is below.
This painting is SOLD

Red Edges - NOT AVAILABLE

Red Edges
Please visit my Etsy Shop HERE

This is another painting from Tim Gagnon's lessons. I started it a long time ago and am finally finishing it. This painting is reserved for someone.  

I am thinking about starting a snow painting in a larger size. I haven't done anything larger than a 6x8 in a good while. So be on the lookout!

Autumn Meadow

Autumn Meadow
6 x 8 inches on canvas panel
This painting is not available for sale at this time.

I have not posted a painting of just mine in a long time. That's because I haven't done anything. This is just a closeup of the one we did Friday with our lessons. Just thought I would post it just because. It is almost finished. The kids paint faster than I do, so I don't always quite finish during our painting session. So I might do some more touching up on this one. This panel is fairly thin, about 1/8 inch thick, so it can be framed or set on a tabletop easel. I love the colors. And it is looking like this around here now. So beautiful!!

I do hope to do some painting in the next couple of days, so maybe I will have one to post after that.

Visit my Etsy Shop HERE

Thank you for looking.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Here's hoping that you all have a wonderful time with your families, Pups included! 

We are going to have the greatest time with all 17 grandchildren here with us at the same time. We are even letting their parents come too! And a Mother-in-law too! We are going to have one huge fun slumber party. It is a good thing we have plenty of floor space and don't mind being "cozy". And the puppies will get plenty of loving attention. This is our Christmas present. To have all of our children and their children together. It doesn't get any better, especially when you have such awesome kids!! And Grand-kids!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND BEST WISHES TO YOU ALL

Winter Tree #2 - Commission

Winter Tree

Oil on stretched linen, 8x6

This painting is spoken for.

For Tamara

Glowing Hydrangeas - SOLD

Glowing Hydrangeas

6x6 Oil on linen covered birch board

This painting is SOLD

I really like painting these hydrangeas. The leaves are a bit of a challenge for ME, getting the veins to go the right direction. I think I got it this time! Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing this painting. 

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At the End of the Road - S0LD

At the End of the Road
20X16 inches on stretched canvas

This was one of my first attempts at painting an impressionistic style painting. I used to think the only way to paint was with realism. But impressionism is the thing these days. It is a fun way to paint. I look forward to doing some more like this.

Visit my Etsy Shop HERE

Thank you for looking.

Hazy Day - SOLD

Hazy Day
9x12 Oil on stretched canvas

This painting is Sold

This is a more impressionistic type painting. It has some nice soft colors of lavenders and blues to compliment the orange of the tree. I did this from a painting lesson. I have a few of those. Hopefully they are helping me learn to be a better painter. I think they are!

This painting is back stapled and finished on all sides, so it is ready to hang as is, or can be framed.

Please visit my Etsy Shop HERE

Thank you for looking.

Mending Time - SOLD

The Autumn Cove 

9x14 Oil on stretched canvas 

This painting is SOLD
Please visit my Etsy Shop HERE

This is one that I just finished and have been working on for a while. I have made some changes with the advice of my wonderful critics, and you know who you are! Thanks all of you! And my wonderful critics will probably have some more good critique for me and welcome!

This painting is back stapled and finished on all sides, so it can be hung with our without framing.

If you haven't already and are interested, please "Subscribe" at the top right and you will receive an email whenever there is a new posting, letting you know about it. Also below that you can be a

"Follower". I've been stuck on 10, and very thankful for those 10, for a while now. Sure would love to see some more of you on the "Followers" list.

The Autumn Cove - SOLD

The Autumn Cove 

9x14 Oil on stretched canvas 

This painting is SOLD

This is one that I just finished and have been working on for a while. I have made some changes with the advice of my wonderful critics, and you know who you are! Thanks all of you! And my wonderful critics will probably have some more good critique for me and welcome!

This painting is back stapled and finished on all sides, so it can be hung with our without framing.

If you haven't already and are interested, please "Subscribe" at the top right and you will receive an email whenever there is a new posting, letting you know about it. Also below that you can be a
"Follower". I've been stuck on 10, and very thankful for those 10, for a while now. Sure would love to see some more of you on the "Followers" list.

Into The Light - SOLD

Into The Light
16"x20" Oil on stretched canvas
 Back stapled and finished on all sides

This is a painting that I did with a professional painting instructor. I have permission from the instructor to use this painting totally as my own. I think the sky has a nice touch  of drama to it. Since it is finished on all sides, it can be ready to hang, unframed, if you wish. I have sealed it with a coat of premium quality removable varnish.
I have been doing some studies with three different instructors in the past two years, all very different in their approach. I am trying very hard to use what I have learned from them and my own personal study, to enhance a technique that says "Janet Paden!" Not sure that I am there yet, but hopefully it will be heading in that direction!
I just returned from a trip to Middle and East Tennessee. So beautiful! Some trees were blooming, and a very few leaves were starting to peak out. That was more so in Middle Tennessee. Missed the daffodils there also. In East Tennessee, they are a little behind because of the higher altitude, but pretty, nonetheless. The Red Buds were beautiful, but I am sorry to say that we were about a week or so early with the Dogwoods. They did have the daffodils. Wish the Dogwoods had been bloomed since we have so few of them here in the north. We will get to see a second spring here though, hopefully soon. I did take a lot of photos in Tennessee and Kentucky that I hope will make some good subjects for future paintings.

Tomato - SOLD

Tomato 

                                           5x5 Oil on 1/8 inch gesso board
           

   This painting is SOLD 

                          This is my first time painting a tomato! I love tomatoes!

Autumn Cherry Tree #1 - Commission

Well, here it is, above. I tweaked it. Hope it is better. I think it is. What do you think?

Autumn Cherry Tree

8x6 on stretched linen canvas

Commission

This is the first in a series of four trees that I will be painting. Tamara wants a tree painting in each of the for different seasons. This is an old gnarly cherry tree. The autumn one is finished, unless I think I want to tweak it some, which could happen. I am working on winter now. I think that is my favorite tree to paint, a bare winter tree. Coming up! And Snow!!

Natchez Trace Autumn - Spoken For - To my sister Dolly......

Natchez Trace Autumn

12x24 Oil on Canvas

Please visit my Etsy Shop HERE

This is a scene from the Old Natchez Trace Parkway in Middle Tennessee, very near to where my cousin Joyce Mullen lives and a little further from where my sister, Dolly Totty lives. This is such a beautiful part of the country.  I have revised this painting several times. I recently bought a tube of Cadmium Yellow oil paint and added some touches with it and some other colors in different areas. I am really liking this color. It is one that we will be using the in the workshop that I will be attending next week, with Kevin Menck. In fact, his color palette consists of 3 colors. Ultramarine, Cadmium Yellow and Cadmium Red, with Titanium white. This should be interesting. Since we will be painting plein air I need a special easel that make doing that much simpler and easier. Looking at the prices on those I have decided to make my own! I got the supplies last night. I think that took longer than it will to make it. I felt lost in that sea of bolts and nails. I'll let you know how it turns out. 

Ocean Sunset - SOLD

Ocean Sunset

16x20 Oil on stretched canvas

This painting is SOLD

Please visit my Etsy Shop HERE

This painting is side stapled, but the side is painted a dark color matching the painting. I can't remember painting an ocean scene before this one. I love the ocean and I think this one has some pretty interesting wave action going. I hope you like it too. I did this painting about 2 years ago, but it has just been sitting with some other paintings waiting for a home. 

Old Autumn Barn

Old Autumn Barn

5x7 Oil on canvas panel

Contact me for purchase information

This small oil painting can be framed or placed on a small easel for display.