In the life of a Painter

Grateful for a trip to the coast to see my kids, paint a few watercolors, walk, sleep, and rest.  I have returned, refreshed, and ready to roll back out into a new series of drawings (ink) and oil paintings en plein air.  I'm excited to get started!  I took a figure painting class from painter, Randall Sexton, in the Bay Area and enjoyed the challenge of painting out of my comfort zone.  Skin tones were challenging, but I did a few I like.  Me thinks it's good to be humble, right?

Upon my return The Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Valley just published a newsletter about the spirit of Yosemite and my work -- boom, they sold two of my paintings from their webisite.  I love working with the staff at the Gallery -- and very grateful for their kind words.  And they understand the power of the Internet, too!  Thank you good people!!

From The Ansel Adams Gallery:  "Artist Penny Otwell has been both a participant and witness of Yosemite, the product of a long-term and candid relationship with the Sierra, and evidenced by her inclusion in the recent book, Art of the National Parks, published through The University of New Mexico Press.  Her approach seems to find solace in the familiar Change that the park embodies.  New materials and ways of seeing a subject are very much in play during studio and en plein air sessions, where forces of nature exact their influence on the paint.  In the end, Penny's canvases and watercolors don't merely quote the spirit of Yosemite, but are in constant dialogue with it, as her roaring rivers, cavorting cliffs, rising moons, sensuous seasons and sincere wildlife reveal an intimate world that only a kindred spirit could communicate."

                    http://www.anseladams.com/contemporary-art/

Off to the studio -- have a great week and enjoy the Claifornia rain!