Guardian Angel
by Ruth Housley on 12/29/2008 1:06:07 PM
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...Guardian Angel...
My parents had a print of this painting when I grew up and they had it hung in their bedroom. I was always so impressed with this print and I never did know that I would have an opportunity to paint it. This is a copy of a print oil painting by Ruth Housley. A friend of mine loaned me a print that she had and I had a copy that my parents had so I had two prints to use as reference material while doing this painting. I do not know who the original artist is and if anyone knows I will give them credit as well as myself. I had fun painting this, enjoy and be blessed.
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Christmas Song Through The Ages
by Ruth Housley on 12/26/2008 11:41:16 AM
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...News...
My husband and I watched by internet Webcast the Christmas program at church on Christmas eve , December 24th that was replayed and the name of it was Christmas Song Through The Ages. It was very uplifting and anointed. It was a celebration of Christmas/Hanukkah. The music pastor with his team of musicians and the different instruments made a joyful noise unto the Lord. The children had a part in the program as well as the senior high students.
I was so blessed and uplifted after hearing the sounds through the ages of this Christmas program.
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Christmas News
by Ruth Housley on 12/20/2008 11:57:54 AM
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...News...
With my Christmas decorations completed, my Christmas cards mailed out, house cleaned, shopping completed, presents wrapped, and all I have to do yet is some baking. I have not found out yet what I need to take to my daughter's for Christmas dinner. My two granddaughters are teenagers and they have a cell phone,IPod, TV in their rooms and a laptop computer. They really don't need anything electronic. I do not buy them clothes or jewelry because they are so particular what they want. My son-in-law is a Dallas Cowboy fan and my daughter enjoys all my art.
Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and ready for a New Year. Blessings to my readers of my website as well as my blogspot blogger on Google.
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Keys To Successful Landscape Painting
by Ruth Housley on 12/16/2008 9:46:18 AM
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...Oil Painting Techniques...
These are some interesting techniques that I found for successful landscape paintings.
1. Redesign your subject whenever necessary
2. Look for the dramatic (striking-standout appearance) possibilities of an unusual vantage point
3. Include only one center of interest in a painting
4. Understand and apply the rules of perspective
5. Prevent the viewer's eye from leaving the picture
6. Guide the viewer's eye into the painting with directional lines
7. When in doubt, simplify your design
8. Vary your solution to the same subject
9. Occasionally tell a story in your painting
10. Simplify areas to accentuate detail
11. To bring a painting to life, include a figure
12. Choose the best lighting for the subject
13. Play lights against darks, not color against color
14. Group lights and darks to avoid a spotty painting
15. Limit the amount of light in some paintings
16. Make the focal point a tonal climax
17. Emphasize the dark shadow sides of white buildings
18. Utilize the decorative cast shadows of trees
19. Make shadow directions consistent
20. Paint luminous shadows
21. Paint the foreground in shadow for a dramatic lighting
22. Dramatize a composition by adding cloud shadows
23. Emphasize the foreground by placing the background in cloud shadows
24. Achieve tonal harmony by departing from the literal (as written)
25. Perceive the colors in white snow
26. Achieve harmonous color through restraint
27. Create atmospheric distance by the use of color
28. Introduce warm colors into a summer painting
29. Paint moonlights with more colors than blue
30. Observe more colors in water than blue
31. Paint cool shadows to make sunshine sparkle
32. Perceive the colors in white clouds (to become aware of)
33. Make patterns of sunlight on buildings, paint toward the sun
34. Exploit (use) wind ripples on water
35. Darken the adjacent sky to dramatize a light object
36. Choose back lighting for dramatic effects
37. Design roads in an interesting way
38. Pace horizon above or below the middle of the picture
39. Diminish (make smaller) sizes to create greater depth
40. Diminish values for a feeling of distance
41. Create depth by strengthening foreground detail
42. Maintain distance spatial (space) planes
43. Try placing the focal point in the distance
44. Keep distance water below eye level
45. Make tree shapes varied and interesting
46. Relate tree trunks and branches to the whole tree
47. Keep the sky lighter on the side of the source of light
48. Make skies interesting without competing with the landscape
49. Paint a more dramatic sky than the one actually there
50. Vary cloud shapes for a better design
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Christmas Brunch
by Ruth Housley on 12/13/2008 2:36:34 PM
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...News...
I attended a Christmas Brunch today at church and it was very nice and organized. They had baked ham, fruit salad, baked French Toast, two rice casseroles, muffins, chocolate mousse desert as well as cake. They had coffee, iced tea as well as hot tea and water. It was a blessing to go today and see God at work in women's lives.
The wind was whistling in the doors while we were having our brunch and Christmas program. We all had a nice brunch and fellowship together today.
Merry Christmas to everyone and be blessed.
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Other Artists
by Ruth Housley on 12/12/2008 12:07:27 PM
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...Other Artists...
I have for many years enjoyed viewing Dalhart Windberg's paintings and also Larry Dyke. They both have galleries that are in Texas. Dalhart Windberg has a galllery in Georgetown, Texas. We stopped there on the way back from Fredericksburg when we visited a few years ago. I have seen a few of Larry Dyke's paintings and enjoy viewing them as well. I did see one of his at the Whistle Pik Gallery in Fredericksburg, Texas and viewed his art online at the Midland Gallery in Midland, Texas. They are both great artists and work in oil medium.
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Balancing Your Painting
by Ruth Housley on 12/11/2008 10:31:22 AM
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...Caprock Canyon, Texas...
You should have a strong center of interest, or focal point. This is the element to which all other elements will direct the viewer. You may have secondary elements, but attempt to have just one center of interest. Use the other features in your painting, sky, trees, flowers, to lead and keep the viewer coming back to the focal point. Doing this will also create a sense of depth and space in your painting.
Technically, there are two kinds of balance in a composition. Symmetrical balance (also referred to as "formal"), and asymmetrical balance (also called "informal balance"). Symmetrical balance produces paintings that are restful, calming, and visually stable. Asymmetrical balance is characterized by arranging related or unrelated objects of differing visual weights counterbalancing one another. This can heighten interest, bring informalality, or even produce tension in a painting. While both ways are correct, yet each offers different advantages and purposes.
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Newsletter For December 2008 (Paintings Now by Ruth Housley)
by Ruth Housley on 12/10/2008 3:08:22 PM
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...Springtime On The Farm...
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Date Sent:
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12/1/2008 2:52:24 PM |
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Subject:
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Paintings |
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Content:
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"Harpers Ferry, West Virginia at Summer"
Newsletter
• Springtime On The Farm, November 2008, ( Newest Painting) 16x20 on canvas and in oil medium
• Harpers Ferry At Summer, October 2008, 11x14 on canvas and in oil medium.
Both of these paintings listed above you can view on my website under landscapes. I have made some changes on my website that you can check out and if you know of a friend that would like to sign up for my email newsletter please forward them to my website as they will get a free pack of my note cards. Check my blog on my website because I do write new articles in there and you can be informed. Life as an artist is exciting but it is a lot of hard work.
I have been shampooing carpets, cleaning house, raked leaves in my front yard, put up Christmas decorations in the last three or four weeks. I have several paintings in mind that I want to do in the New Year and they will be exciting to start so keep checking in to my website to see what is new and up-to-date.
Harpers Ferry is the lowest point in the State of West Virginia and 247 feet above sea level at Potomac River level and 484 feet above sea level. It is an 18th century town and John Browns raid was in 1859.
Harpers Ferry was founded by Robert Harper in 1734. He built a cabin, planted a garden and established a ferry concession across the Potomac River.
In 1796 Congress ordered an arsenal established at Harpers Ferry and the sleepy village became a busy community of 3,000 people.
John Brown arrived on the scene during the summer of 1859. He established a headquarters for himself and his men at the Kennedy farm on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. He marched into Harpers Ferry while the town slept, captured and imprisoned two watchmen, and took possession of the Government arsenal.
By noon of the next day companies of militia from Charles Town, Martinsburg, Shepherdstown, and Winchester and other communities converged upon the town and surrounded the arsenal. Colonel Robert E. Lee and Lieutenant J.E.B. Stuart arrived from Washington with 90 marines. At daybreak, Brown refused to surrender, the marines stormed the arsenal. During the raid 10 of Brown’s command were killed, 4 townsmen and 1 marine. John Brown was indicted for murder, treason against Virginia and was tried and hanged at Charles Town, West Virginia. Many severe battles raged at Harpers Ferry throughout the war and the railroad bridge was destroyed and rebuilt many times and by the end of the war the town was in ruins.
The town has since developed as a fashionable gathering place for those attracted by the natural beauty of the setting and for the curious who wish to see the scene of John Brown’s raid.
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Keys To Successful Paintings
by Ruth Housley on 12/9/2008 9:19:23 AM
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..."The Last Supper"...
These are keys to paint successfully in any medium and no matter what subject you want to paint. These are a good set of rules to go by when you want to have a successful painting.
1. One center of interest in a painting
2. Perspective
3. Prevent the viewer's eye from leaving the picture
4. Guide the viewer's eye into the painting with directional lines
5. When in doubt simplify your design
6. Simplify areas to accentuate detail
7. Choose the best lighting for the subject
8. Relay lights against darks, color against color
9. Group lights and darks to avoid a spotty painting
10. Make the focal point a tonal climax
11. Use the decorative cast shadows of trees
12. Make shadow directions consistent
13. Paint luminous shadows
14. Paint the foreground in shadow, for dramatic lighting
15. Create atmospheric distance by use of color
16. Paint cool shadows to make sunshine sparkle
17. Place horizon line above or below the middle of the picture
18. Make sizes smaller in background to create depth
19. Create depth by strengthening foreground detail
20. Make tree shapes varied and interesting
21. Keep sky lighter on the side of source of light
22. Vary cloud shapes for better design
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Toughest Painting Problems
by Ruth Housley on 12/8/2008 1:13:12 PM
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...Oil Painting Techniques...
These are a list of the toughest painting problems in any medium that you use.
1. Keeping Perspective
2. Making Space
3. Holding the viewer's eye
4. Focusing the eye
5. Nailing the design
6. Illuminating the lights
7. Avoiding a spotty look
8. Value of light
9. Shaping the values
10. Seeing color
11. Reflection on water
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Principles Of Design
by Ruth Housley on 12/6/2008 12:32:09 PM
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...Oil Painting Techniques...
These are principles of design for oil painting or used for other mediums as well.
1. Focus/Impact area?
2. Do my paintiings have a mood/feeling?
3. Creativity?
4. Composition/Design/Interesting shapes, both positive and negative?
5. Shape sizes?
6. Is the picture elements arranged in a dominate design scheme?
7. Rectangular/diagonal? Geometric forms?
8. Do they work together ? Does the design work with or against the subject?
9. Does it attract attetion to itself? Is it a balanced composition?
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