NEW WEBSITE!

I have a new website!

Click here to be directed to the website!

Alice Hauser Fine Art  Alice Hauser Fine Art

Lessons with Larry...Joanne's farm

Joanne's Farm

Lesson with Lawrence Churski
11x14
Oil on Linen

I learned so much from this lesson with Larry.  Lessons in perspective, spring color and conveying the feel of a landscape through my painting.  He is a wonderful teacher, mentor and artist.   I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to study with him.  I give him credit for being right by my side and demonstrating here and there on this canvas.  One day I hope to be able to paint as well on my own. 

Leona Jane's lace

Leona Jane's LaceOil on Canvas
9x12

Leona Jane is my Great Grandmother.  She lived on a farm in Farmington Utah.  My mother always referred to her as "Great Grandma Wilcox on the Farm."  On our rare visits from Iowa, we would find her in the very same day that we left her...with her home made spearmint tea, small loaves of brown bread and her old wood stove.  My brothers and I got to climb her big cherry trees in efforts to pick the fruit so that she could can it, but I think we ate more than we picked.  My mother loved being with her Grandmother.  It was "Great Grandma Wilcox on the Farm," that taught my mother about busy hands, soft hearts and hard work.  She taught her to quilt and to crochet beautiful lace.  The painting above is of my mother's crochet hooks and Great Grandma's lace.  I keep pictures of my Mother and Great Grandmother next to my sewing machine and I feel a connection that is beyond words when I am quilting in their shadows.  I'm not much for making lace, but hope that when they are making lace together again one day...that they'll let me set up my easel and paint them instead.
Alice Leona Jones Hauser

Leona Jane Hatch Wilcox on her wedding day with Joseph Edward Wilcox

Butterfly Wings

Butterfly Wings
12x16
Oil on Canvas

Blue Sky, Bubbles and Butterfly Wings can make a little girl who just got her tonsils out...feel so much better.  Love my little Annie-Mae.  When I was expecting my first child, I dreamt of a little auburn haired girl running through a field of flowers....and then I had a son!  That little girl, one of three beautiful little girls, and the only one with her father's auburn hair came next and now Christiane has her own little strawberry blonde little girl.
Here's a few pictures of my painting process with Annie.

Add caption

Add caption

1st oil Still life in 32 years

Oil on Canvas
8x10
SOLD

The last time I painted a still life in oils was at BYU in 1983.  It was an "Oil Painting For Non Majors" class and I failed it.  It was the only class I've ever had less than a "B" in at BYU or at Kent State's nursing school...I failed it because I just stopped going.  I was pregnant with my second child. (Christiane)  Michael was applying for Medical School and my class was in the evening...when I had morning sickness (actually evening sickness).  The oil paints just aggravated my nausea and I gave up.  Ironic that after all that I have done in my life, that I am back to beginnings in oil, starting over.  But this time, I'm not planning to fail:)  I'm accepting this as what it is...a one sitting painting, a first in a long time...and one that has lots of room for improvement.  I have to start somewhere.

Back to my Richard Schmid Color charts after a sweet visit to Alabama

I spent the better part of last week with grand daughter little Annie who just had her tonsils out.  You know she's hurting when you have to beg her to take a few licks of an ice cream cone!  

Here she is a few days later...still pale and not eating much enjoying a bit of Alabama sunshine.  Yes....it's snowing today again in Cleveland.

Cadmium Lemon Chart
I really can't believe how much I am learning about color doing these charts.  I hope it will show in my work as I keep learning and growing in oils.  As hard as it is to dive into a new medium, I feel really great about the fact that I am no longer afraid of them and I'm fulfilling a life long dream of finally learning how to use them.

Cadmium Yellow Pale Chart
Three done...9 more to go:)

Taking on Richard Schmid's challenge...Making my own Color Charts

I've had a copy of  Richard Schmid's book Alla Prima for 20 years.  It is the greatest book on oil painting that I know of.  I've been in and out of my pastels for 10 years but I've read it a few times...in hopes of one day learning oils.  Recently, in frustration,  I pulled out my old copy, (He has since revised it), and have decided to take his earnest plea and make my own color charts.  With pastels, you just choose the color you want from hundreds of pastels....but there is always a moment when you can't find that perfect color and it is one you can't layer to mix....like a crazy pink for a flower.  As I've begun my quest to work in oil, I've been frustrated not knowing what I will get if I mix this color with that..."how do I get that combination of skin tones that I want?"  "What will make that grass color?"  So this week I ordered pre-made blank color charts and today I began.

  This is the first of 12 charts I will make.  I've followed it just as described in the book...taking my palette and getting five values of each color only by adding white.  As I make the other charts, I will begin mixing colors with a dominant color.  They will be more difficult!

I ordered the color charts from
Artist's blank color chart panel recommended by Richard Schmid

They are wonderful!!! A huge time saver.  They had free shipping and were here by priority mail in 2 days.

I used only a small palette knife as it is easier to keep clean.... a must with the charts to avoid contamination of colors.  Below is just a bunch of pictures showing how it went.  It was the most fun I've had in a long time with art and I was amazed at what I have learned about my palette with just this one chart.
It was great practice with my smallest palette knife too:)

Beginnings :)
The top colors are right out of the tube....The lower colors are supposed to be an off white of the corresponding color.  

Then you start finding the middle values.

This part was so much fun!  

Nothing better to do when there is "snow day #8" going on outside!

I'll post the others as I go along!  I imagine it will take weeks!

Sydney and her doll
Oil on Canvas
I'm finally painting again after struggling with a very sore elbow.  It's still sore but having some better days.   After seeing three doctors, and not painting for a few months....I'm going through Physical Therapy and doing a lot of icing.  Hopefully it will come around.  There are other options, but ones, I'd rather skip :)

This is one of  my grand daughters.  I love painting the kids because for one they are beautiful, and I know them well enough to know if I've captured their sweet little souls.  This is a quiet moment for Sydney, like her mother, she is a busy little girl and I'm sure Jessica took many takes to get her still for a moment.

I'm starting to go to life drawing sessions again....slowly, and will take up more oil lessons in April...but first I've decided to create some extensive oil color charts for my brain.  Unlike pastels, you have to mix what you want in oil and I need to find that out for myself.  I'll post them as I go.  I'm sure it will be a very meticulous messy process!

Practicing Patience

I've been getting some inquiries as to why I'm not posting any paintings lately.  Well....I have an issue with my right arm/elbow. 
I meet with a surgeon in a few weeks...
I am still doing a few shifts in the NICU every week, but I'm not suppose to be doing much else (I'm suppose to be in a splint).  In the mean time...I've been getting reacquainted with my favorite art books and doing some very light sketching...and pattern design for new Grand Baby quilts. (OK, I confess to doing a few quick oil sketches just to pacify my passion!)
I'm not very patient, but I do have to count my blessings.  If and when I have the surgery, I will be off of any painting for a month at least.  Until then, I will be only practicing...patience.




 

Studio painting on a cold November day.

Medina Farmland
Studio painting 2013
Oil on Canvas

I love this farm.  This is a photo I took this summer.  I'd rather paint en plein air, but....it's been FREEZING here so my cozy studio won out.  I did this one on my own, trying to hear Larry Churski as I problem solved.  Oils are still very new to me...they are messy and clean up is time consuming...and I can't stay away from them!!!

Lessons with Larry November 2013

Late BloomerJoanne's Farm...Hinckly OH
So today I took my life in my hands as I boarded a four wheeler with wonderful Joanne (in her mid 80's!!!) and toured her beautiful farm that backs up against Hinckley Ledges.  I can't even describe the view of beautiful fall colors at the top of her hills.  Nor can I believe that she can drive like that at her age.  I hope to be as active and engaging at that age.  
I wanted to paint the white barn on her property, but something told me to take on the pond as it is the most difficult type of landscape for me and I am here to learn.  So...another day the barn. 
Larry is very patient with my slow starts.  I have so much to learn of this medium!

Virgil and beginning oils

Virgil
pencil and charcoal on smooth vellum
Akron Society of Artists Model session

Harvest in Medina County
Oil on canvas
Lesson with Lawrence Churski

In my search for a local mentor/teacher, I've started lessons with Lawrence Churski.
He works in Oil and Watercolor...so I am learning oils, something I have always wanted to do!  Larry is funny, kind and an amazing artist.  If you want to see his beautiful work you can go to  Lawrence Churski Fine Art.  

Berlin Farm 
Amish Country, Berlin Ohio
Oil on Canvas
Palette knife and brush

This one I did in my studio from a photo taken a few weeks ago.  I was having problems...so I shot a picture of it to Larry and asked for suggestions.  He sent a laundry list of things to fix and as I did each one, I was amazed at how much more I liked it.  Learning my art ABC's all over again with a great teacher and a tricky medium.  

I know it's not the end of September...but this has been my best effort with the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.
I've done 20....some good, some better...and I'll be traveling tomorrow...resting on Sunday and back to work on Monday.  It's been a fantastic week at the Susan Ogilvie Workshop!  Next September, I'll be back for Richard Mckinley.  Life is good...can't wait to see my family and to be home for the weekly google chat with my children and grand babies!

Day 5 at Campbell FArm

Campbell Farmhouse

The last day of the Susan Ogilvie workshop.  It's been wonderful to paint such a wide variety of Plein air paintings in one week.  I've learned so much and have enjoyed being with Susan and a lot of wonderful artists.  I can see where I need to tweak this a bit...but it was a great day.

Campbell Farm

Beautiful old farm...so much to paint, it was hard to decide on a spot!

Campbell Farm
Soft Pastel on Wallis paper with red watercolor under painting

Susan Ogilvie....she did her demo at the end of the day today.

The Farm House

Susan's color study

Painting the hudson river

The Pond
My afternoon painting...please note...these are completely en plein air and need a bit of tweaking!

The Hudson River
My morning painting.  This scene is painted right in front of Frederic Edwin Church's home.

Susan Ogilvie at work...She just did an quick value/color study demo for us today so that we could get to our painting...and sold it unfinished right off the easel.  When asked if she was uncomfortable with selling it unfinished she replied that it would be one less thing to carry home and that the important things must have been in enough that someone else could see and feel the Hudson River valley in it!  

Olana
The persian style home of Frederic Church.  Our group watching Susan Ogilvie's demo.
If you haven't seen her finished work....check out her website.  She is as nice and approachable as her paintings are beautiful.  I just spent 45 minutes talking with just her about my art journey and she was really great...very humble but willing to share what ever she has learned.Susan Ogilvie Fine Art

16 Daily paintings in 30 in 30 challenge

16 so far...when September runs out...I'm going back to spending more time on my paintings. This  has been a good experience to get down what is important quickly and to have 16 starts in 24 days...I've also learned that painting anything from life whether  a model or landscape or still- life...always lends to a painting that is more fresh...

In October...I'm starting a new medium...I'm very excited...oil painting!

Heaven

Frederic Edwin Church Estate Farm
Heaven....blue sky and red barns all in the same place.
Soft Pastel on Wallis with a wash of orange pastel under tone

Frederic Edwin Church was a famed Hudson River painter.  His estate is beautiful including a persian style mansion called Olana.  The day was bright, with a bit of wind...which knocked my easel over twice! (luckily my pastels weren't opened yet or their would have been tears!) A nice young man at home depot assisted me in a few minor repairs on my easel boards since I'm useless without Mike.  All in all, a beautiful, beautiful day.   

A little closer look at my painting....

Susan Ogilvie blocking in her demo with a neutral warm Nupastel

The group...it did warm up and those layers were coming off in the afternoon.  

Susan Ogilvie's color study for the day...She'll take it back to the studio, work on it for about 45 minutes...and it will be amazing.  She is a great teacher...very kind to everyone.  Offers principles so that you can learn to correct yourself after she has shown you on your own painting.  She has helped me immensely with getting the right values in at the beginning and worrying about color later.  I was pretty excited after yesterday's value lesson at my easel...to have the right initial values in when she came around my easel early into my painting.  I'm amazed at how much the value sketch has helped me before I even get to my board both with composition and value.

A Sunny Monday in NY

Susan Ogilvie Workshop!!!
My Morning Color Study
Greenville, NY Green County

What a beautiful blue sky day...I'm windburned...but not sunburned because I was covered from head to toe...it was a chilly September day!  I couldn't take in enough of the beauty and joy in being able to capture a little piece of it.  

My Afternoon Color study

Friendly admirers

They wanted to be in the picture too!

Susan Ogilvie's Color Study

My Mother's mason jars Day 17

My Mother's Mason Jars
Soft Pastel on Wallis Paper with a red watercolor underwash

My mother was a canner.  And I being the only daughter, with four brothers...was her assistant...sometimes willing and regrettably, sometimes not.  Those were hot sweltering summers in Pennsylvania peeling peach after peach and pitting cherries. 
 I did some canning when the children were small and Mike had a massive garden...or I would have Mabel a sweet grandma to our family do it for me and I'd give her half!  Best deal ever!
Now, my mother's mason jars are filled with paintbrushes and dirty water.  I hope she will understand.  I like to think she would be knitting beside me as I paint if she were able...and she'd be cheering me on every step of the way...after all, she was my biggest cheerleader ever!