Title

Santa Fe River Turbulence with Harmonic Armature

Size

10x16.18

Price

Harmonic Armature Grid. The Harmonic Armature grid is a popular alternative to the Dynamic Symmetry grid. It can be used for any proportion canvas. It's an extension of the rule of thirds (ROT) as the intersections of the main diagonals with the diagonals from the corners to the midpoint on the edges are at the ROT sweet spots. For more information visit my blog. I am currently studying and comparing the benefits of each grid.

Title

Santa Fe River Turbulence Dynamic Symmetry Plus

Size

10x16.18

Price

NFS

Dynamic Symmetry Grid over the painting. Includes the perpendicular crossing lines and main diagonals. Verticals are dropped from the crossing at the top and bottom. The intersection of the main diagonals with the perpendicular crossing lines are the Golden Points. Other verticals are completion of the square off the sides - also known as the rebated square.

Title

SF River Turbulence Fibonacci Spiral

Size

10x16.18

Price

NFS

Title

SF River Turbulence-Golden Triangle

Size

10x16.18

Price

NFS

Title

SF Turbulence Single Point Perspective

Size

10x16.18

Price

NFS

Title

Arizona Spring

Size

9x12

Price

$500

"En plein air" at the Otero Ranch (aka Tubac Golf Course) in Tubac. Moved to Studies since I cropped the top of the large tree. See "Recent" works.

Title

Moonlight in Hawaii-after Roy Tabora

Size

16x12

Price

Following along with Roy Tabora.

Title

High Desert Colors Watercolor

Size

12x16 on Arches Archival Paper (140 lb, rough(

Price

NFS

Title

Riding Toward the Santa Ritas

Size

9x12 (13x16 framed)

Price

"En plein air". No I wasn't actually riding but I felt like it; I could just imagine a cowboy riding off into the the arroyo on the way to the Santa Rita Mountains. Inquiries: karen.halbert@gmail.com. I actually tried to tame this down and ended up with a not-so-colorful painting that I need to restore to this - if I can

Title

PHI Description

Size

Price

Title

SF River Turbulence- PHI System

Size

10x16.18

Price

NFS

Title

Step 2: Turbulent Winds III

Size

12x16

Price

Continued to brush in paint but began to use a palette knife. Decided to add in the mountain background to this larger version of the inspiration for this series.

Title

Abstract #2 - 2019

Size

5x7

Price

TBD

(See also the wiped version. Which do you like best?) Experimenting with a limited palette: Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Red Light, Primary Magenta Ultramarine Blue and Phthalo Green and Titanium White (all Cobra Water-mixable Oils). Cadmium Yellow is useful for all warms. Both reds often result in the same tones when adding white and even the purples are similar when adding Ultramarine Blue. The purple from the Magenta and Blue is more vivid than with Cad Red Light. Magenta results in a brighter pink when adding white. The Cad Red Light yields a more subtle warm grey when mixed appropriately with either UB or P Green. Could I live without one of these reds for landscapes? i will do a few studies to determine this. The Phthalo and Blue yield different shades of blue when adding white (the green becomes a paler blue green). They both make darks when adding the Magenta. Or even adding the CRL. I willl be posting the color charts based on these 5 colors shortly on my blog, karenhalbert.blogspot.com.

Title

Abstract #2 - wiped

Size

5x7

Price

Wiped out version of Abstract #2. I felt that the palette knife work was not effective here. Compare with its original and let me know what you think.

Title

Abstract #3

Size

8x13

Price

500

A Mathematician paints.Landscape-inspired Abstract # 3 for 2019, oil, palette knife, 8x13, 13/8 = 1.625 is a rational approximation to the golden mean (1.618..., an irrational number). Water Mixable oil (Cobra). Limited Palette: Cad Yellow Medium, Cad Red Light, Primary Magenta, Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Green and Titanium White. Palette Knife Only thickly applied. Mosaic Tessellation.

Title

Study Stage 1

Size

18x24

Price

NFS

First layer block-in with palette knife and towel using water and drier as thinner. Dried fairly quickly, within a day. #paletteknife, #waterbased, #paptertowel, #expandedpalette Scene: Santa Rita Mountains in Arizona with Ocotillo to come. Large painting based on several smaller 8x10 paintings.

Title

Study Stage 2

Size

18x24

Price

NFS

Second stage block-in. Adding layer (with palette knife and towel ) on top of a dried first layer. #paletteknife, #waterbased, #paptertowel, #expandedpalette Scene: Santa Rita Mountains in Arizona with Ocotillo to come.

Title

Desert Spring Picacho Peak Tucson V1

Size

8x10

Price

Plein Air in Picacho Peak State Park. Brushwork primarily with some palette knife. I will work on this more once it dries with small touches to clean up the ocotillo against the sky. Watch this site for V2.

Title

Canyon Colors II

Size

11x14

Price

NFS

Title

Chimney Rocks Sunburst

Size

12x19

Price

650

Whenever I visit Ghost Ranch I try to view the sunrise from the other side of the Chimney Rocks. The moment the sun steams through the chimneys is magical. I can see why the original inhabitants of New Mexico called this, "Shining Rocks". Divine proportion (approximately 1.61.....) since 19/12 = 1.58333......

Title

Chama Cliff Detail

Size

8x6

Price

300

Painted in the studio from a cropped photograph of the Chama Cliffs near Ghost Ranch. Also from a Plein Air painting.

Title

Chromatic Lands I - 5:4 Two PHI Grids side by side

Size

8x10

Price

$650

A slight modification of the DS grid, showing how two vertical PHI grids almost fit inside a 5:4 Dynamic Symmetry grid. The painting has aspect ratio, 1.25. the two vertical golden rectangles each with an aspect ration of .618 indicate how they would fit (1.25 is close to twice .618).

Title

Chromatic Lands II - PHI Spiral

Size

8x13

Price

We intended the focal area to be the eye of the spiral, with foliage along the spiral to lead the viewer’s eye to that point. The ‘S’ of the path should also lead the eye around the painting. We note again the 8 and 13 are part of the standard Fibonacci series, with the ratios tending toward PHI = 1.618…(13/8 = 1.625, …, 21/13 = 1.615…, etc.)

Title

Chromatic Lands II PHI Dynamic Symmetry plus Spiral

Size

8x13 Aspect Ratio 1.625 near PHI

Price

We intended the focal area to be the eye of the spiral, with foliage along the spiral to lead the viewer’s eye to that point. The ‘S’ of the path should also lead the eye around the painting. We note again the 8 and 13 are part of the standard Fibonacci series, with the ratios tending toward PHI = 1.618…(13/8 = 1.625, …, 21/13 = 1.615…, etc.)

Title

High Desert Colors V

Size

8x13 (framed 13x18)

Price

500

Golden Rectangle proportion; note part of the fibonacci series: 1,1,2,3,5,8,13….

Title

High Desert Colors II

Size

12x16 (framed: 17x21)

Price

$700

The second in the High Desert Color Series.

Title

River Turbulence Study

Size

9x12

Price

Study based on an original plein air oil painting. I wasn't happy with the result using palette knife with thick paint so I wiped it out (carefully, one area at a tie) and ended up liking the result seen here. I will continue working on this.

Title

Santa Fe River Turbulence II

Size

9x12

Price

500

Based on the Plein Air piece of the same name. Palette knife primarily.. As I painted this I was remembering the babble of the rushing creek/river while analyzing the turbulent flow. Turbulence is a favorite topic of Mathematicians, whether in air or water.

Title

"Dry Waterfall after OKeeffe"

Size

8x6

Price

NFS

Study of O'Keeffe's techniques. Use of blending and careful attention to values and tones to create volume.

Title

"Ghost Ranch Cliff after Okeeffe"

Size

10x8

Price

NFS

Study of O'Keeffe's techniques with a copy of her "Ghost Ranch Cliff" painting. Careful attention to paint strokes gave way to my usual palette knife techniques. See Dry Waterfall for more successful 'copying'..

Title

Luminous Lands VII

Size

8x13 Aspect Ratio PHI

Price

$450

Painting with Armature.The light infuses the cliffs and land of the Southwest. Near PHI aspect ratio. Note: 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21... is the beginning of the Fibonacci Series, whose ratios tend toward the Golden Mean, PHI = 1.618... 8 and 13 are part of this series.

Title

Step 3: Turbulent Winds III

Size

12x16

Price

NFS

First day's progress. Let it sit overnight before making judicious improvements. See final version on the Recents' page. NOTES: need to vary the trunk and main limbs of this tree to make them more interesting. Need to decide if it's okay to use such loose palette knife strokes. Up close the painting doesn't hold up. I will look for interesting trees on our property to paint.

Title

Step 1: Turbulent Winds III

Size

12x16

Price

NFS

First sketch for final Turbulent Winds III painting. Divided up the canvas using Informal Subdivision - though the lines are barely visible. Sketched out the main concept with Vandyke Brown. Scrubbed in the colors seen here with a brush.

Title

Diablo Canyon

Size

8x16 Aspect Ratio 2:1

Price

$550

"En Plein Air" with the Santa Fe Pleinarians at Diablo Canyon, only 12 miles up the road from my house. But the road is rough so it takes a while. Based on a Dynamic Symmetry Armature. Visit my blog for detailed posts on the use of Dynamic Symmetry Armatures and Fibonacci Spirals for compositions over the ages. Perhaps begin with the post, Basic Dynamic Symmetry Armatures (including the Golden Spiral).

Title

"Ghost Ranch Cliff after Okeeffe bw"

Size

10x8

Price

nfs

Black/white (tonal) version.