Chair painting progress

Watch the development of my newest painting in this short film. It isn't finished but here you can see some of how it is developing.

Starting a New Painting

Starting a New Painting by Janvier Miller. A video on a new painting that starts with an underpainted canvas. Follow Jan as she develops this new artwork

"Black Swan"

46" x 50" acrylic on canvas

"Shirley Poppies" - "Asian Peonies"

46" x 50" acrylic on canvas

48" x 56" acrylic on canvas

These two large canvases are finally done. I had a loss of art focus this summer. Natural to have some times be more productive than others. These paintings are not square. I haven't mastered how to have images posted more accurately.

Korean pot

Saw this wonderful pot at the Boston Museum of Fine Art yesterday. It's Korean with a finger drawn design through white slip. Because of museum construction work, the ceramic plates were off the walls, laid down. Bowls were turned upside down. Small sandbags nestled around bottoms of pots. It was a pleasure to view the new angles.

progress

It's been an exciting day. Beautiful weather and painting work coming together.
I'm half way through the peony painting.  A roll of new canvas came today so I can stretch a fresh surface. The first two paintings this summer have been over old work.  It'll be a treat to paint on a fresh  new surface. Tomorrow I'm off to Boston's Museum of Fine Art for inspiration.
I've been reading some good books:
The Man Who Loved China by Winchester
Longitude by Sobal
Botany of Desire by Pollan
The Future of Life by E.O. Wilson
River of Doubt by Millard
Thunderstruck by Larson

Cardinal

12" x 12" acrylic
Cardinals and hydranges in our yard.

restarting

Finally getting back into my studio after travel. Once again flowers seem to be what I enjoy painting. I'm drawing with charcoal on the underpainting to work out the composition. Our gardens are full of flowers.  I like this beginning look almost more than how I develop it further.

Peru + Bolivia

Trip of a life time! Machu Picchu and Cusco in Peru.  Then on to the Heath wildlife refuge in the Bolivian rain forest.  From the Amazon we went to stay at Sandoval Lake lodge back in Peru. Finally, Lima and home on the night flight under a full moon = all clothes dirty, wet and smelly. In this photo I'm standing next to what they call a "walking tree". When the tree is young it puts down roots toward open sky. It can reposition itself 2' in a year to get into a more favorable spot. As it matures it's stuck where it is.

summer travel

Peru and Bolivia. I'm gathering brushes, small torn watercolor paper pieces. To document the trip I have a small moleskine fold-out notebook. The Inca were able to build walls with Huge stones artfully fit together. I'm hoping to get to a museum to see their pottery and gold work. The Southern Cross will be visible. It's winter there so I'm taking a fleece jacket. - leaving soon.

It's time to order more canvas and stretchers. As I get older I've been making my canvases smaller. They're easier to lug up and down the stairs to my studio and easier to pack into the van. I'm starting flowers again but more as over-all pattern. Always new challenges and the hope to do a really good painting at some point.

reassesment time

It has taken me two weeks to settle into this Northern studio.

transition time

We head north for the summer next week. I'm finalizing the paintings I've been working on here. The change of studio locations marks the end of each period of work. Our New England cottage is small. There are paintings stacked next to the bed, 10 paintings leaning against the wall in the living room and then those in the basement and studio. I always miss the space we have here. We were laughing the other day that in 2 years for our 50th wedding anniversary we should have a take-away party. Guests would have to take something with them when they leave.

glazing

Color washes are metallic oxides such as cobalt, copper, iron. The kiln will fire the ceramics to over 2000f. I use a base coat of white with color wash drawing on top. We take ashes from our fireplace, wash and sieve them. This solution works as a flux making the glazes more fluid. I spray it on in controlled areas. Now, waiting for the gas kiln at the Museum to high-fire the work.

"Beach at Vero"

48" x 54" acrylic on canvas Things still to be done. Shadows, more color on the figures, thicker fishing poles... To solve the water from dominating the painting I enlarged the area of beach.

Paint Room

44" x 48" acrylic on canvas This painting is of Gus' studio here in Florida. His wood shop is in the garage. Below is midway -changing chair, table top, floor.....

Below shows the new canvas after the first few hours work. The clutter here is collage materials.