Sara Qualey Paintings

Southpaw Project

2012-02-08T17:31:00.000-06:00

2011 ended with a bang when I fell on the ice and broke my right wrist on December 21st. I had surgery on December 28th to patch it back together. My wrist is on the mend, but my right hand has been out of commission for seven weeks and will be for a few more.

Of course, I'm right-handed and couldn't imagine weeks without painting. I decided to try painting with my left hand. My husband Bruce has dubbed it the "Southpaw Project". It has been a good learning experience. Once I got my studio and easel set up for a single-handed lefty, I discovered it wasn't all that different than painting with my right hand. The most important part of painting is looking. I still deal with all the same issues of composition, values, color, etc. The big difference is that I can't paint details with my left hand. That can be a good thing. It has forced me to concentrate on the big areas of value and color as I paint them with broader brush strokes. I like the direct painterly style of these paintings.

Below are the first five paintings in the Southpaw Project. I have posted them in chronological order. Once my right hand is working, I will sign them. I still haven't figured out how to write with my left hand.

#1 "Pomegranates with Tissue"

I wanted to start with a fairly simple composition, but wasn't sure I could capture the translucent quality of the tissue. I felt encouraged when I was able to achieve that. A palette knife helped me pull out some of the crisp edges of the tissue.

"Pomegranates with Pink Tissue", 8"x10", oil on board, $325 (unframed)

#2 "Lemons on Tray"

Next I tried a more complicated set up with reflections.

"Lemons on Tray", 9"x12", oil on linen, $475 (price includes frame)

#3 "Jugs and Egg"

I like the color palette of warm browns and the tranquil composition of this painting. However, I realized I was gaining more control with my left hand which meant I was smoothing out brush strokes and refining edges. I was moving away from one of the goals of the project: a painterly technique.

"Jugs and Egg", 12"x9", oil on linen, $425 (unframed)

#4 "Sugar Bowl and Lemons"

These objects were back lighted by the north window of my studio. North light is cool which means cool highlights and soft warm shadows. I usually light my set up with a warm lamp which results in the opposite effect: warm highlights and hard cool shadows. These brush strokes are more painterly.

"Sugar Bowl and Lemons", 8"x10", oil on linen, $325 (unframed)

#5 "Colorful Peppers"

Bright colorful peppers are a favorite subject of mine. I tried hard to keep from overworking the painting. I'm happy with the resulting painterly technique. This painting achieves the goals of the project.

"Colorful Peppers", 12"x9", oil on linen, $425 (unframed)

More Cans

2012-01-30T19:43:00.000-06:00

I am continuing with my series of can paintings. The color palettes of the previous paintings were comprised of warm and cool grays. In these two recent paintings, I tried placing the cans on brightly colored backgrounds. The tin reflected everything around it.

"Yellow Can", 6"x 6", oil on canvas, $175 (unframed)

"Red Can", 6"x 6", oil on canvas, $175 (unframed)

Skates with Pom-poms

2012-01-18T14:35:00.000-06:00

This seems like a good image to post on a cold January day. I painted this in October. It was commissioned for a friend's birthday. My friend grew up in northern Wisconsin where winter activities for kids revolved around ice skating on outdoor rinks in parks. Getting new skates for Christmas and decking them out with pom-poms was a high point of the season. I used my childhood skates in the set up.

"Skates with Pom-poms", 16"x 20", oil on linen, SOLD

Glass with Lime Slice

2012-01-05T09:27:00.000-06:00

I continue to explore the translucent qualities of slices of limes and lemons. I went for maximum pop by using the dark background. The challenge continues to be capturing the subject with the fewest brush strokes.

"Glass with Lime Slice", 6"x 6", oil on canvas, $175 (unframed)

Ball of String

2011-12-01T10:03:00.000-06:00

This fall has been busy with travel and painting commissions. Ok, those are my excuses for not posting on my blog for two months. Between commissions, I've done a few small paintings to record ideas. I've looked at this ball of string for a long time. The solid machine-wrapped ball contrasting with the loose willy-nilly string is interesting. In my minds eye, I saw a high key painting with back lighting. It seemed like a simple idea, but I wiped and restarted three times before got what I wanted.

"Ball of String", 6"x 6", oil on canvas, $175 (unframed)

Cans #2

2011-09-25T14:18:00.000-05:00

At last, my second can painting. After painting "Cans #1", I decided to do a series. It has taken me almost a year to get back to it. In the mean time, I've assembled a great can collection! Unlike "Cans #1", I set up a strong value contrast in the background and added a big rectangular turpentine can to the round cans in this painting. Reflections still were the dominant theme. I continue to be excited about this subject. It would be fun to experiment with color in the background and how it reflects throughout the set up. I'll keep you posted.

"Cans #2", 16"x 16", oil on board, $1000 (price includes frame)

Plein Air Painting

2011-09-21T16:12:00.000-05:00

For the first time in many years, I joined some friends to plein air paint this summer. We scheduled the sessions for Monday mornings and took turns choosing the sites. It was a great experience. I enjoyed the camaraderie of my fellow artists and learned a lot from painting with them.

We decided to paint the lupines that were abundant in our area this spring. One of the biggest challenges for me in plein air painting is dealing with the natural light. Unlike the steady bright light I shine on still life subjects in my studio, natural light is always changing and often overcast. That morning the sky was gray with very few cast shadows. Instead of painting, I decided to take some reference photos and do black and white value studies on location. I went back to the studio and using the photo and sketch above, created "Morning Lupines".

"Morning Lupines", 20"x 12", oil on board, SOLD

The following two paintings were done almost entirely on location. The garden wagon was done during our last session in artist Diana Randolph's garden. Notice how these "landscape" paintings are looking more like still life paintings. I'm not sure I'll ever be a vista painter. After we finished painting in Diana's garden, she treated us to a delicious lunch. She is a wonderful cook as well as a great artist.

"Milk House", 8"x 6", oil on canvas, SOLD

"Garden Wagon", 8"x 6", oil on canvas, SOLD

Blue Moon Art Tour

2011-09-18T14:38:00.000-05:00

On Labor Day weekend, we held our 5th annual Blue Moon Art Tour. Approximately 350 folks visited my studio over the two day event. It was fun to chat with old friends and meet new ones. My friend Melisa Morales photographed my demonstration. I showed how I begin painting a floral still life of nasturtiums, my favorite flower. The block-in is on my easel. I'm holding a completed painting of a similar set up. You can view more photos of the tour at www.bluemoonarttour.blogspot.com

Thanks to Melisa for the photos, my husband Bruce for manning the refreshment table, friends Jody and Kathi for helping me greet visitors.

Mark your calendar for next year's Blue Moon Art Tour —
September 1 & 2, 2012

"Glass of Nasturtiums", 6"x 8", oil on linen, SOLD

"Junior Naturalist"

2011-08-14T21:39:00.001-05:00

I painted a small study of this subject and posted it earlier this summer. It was so much fun to paint that I decided to try a larger painting. I liked the loose brushwork of the small painting and it was a challenge to retain that in the large version. I entered this piece in the Cable Hayward Area Arts Council annual juried show "From a Bird's Eye View" which had an environmental theme. CHARAC collaborated with the Cable Natural History Museum for this exhibit. This boy reminded me of all the children that participate in the Cable Natural History Museum's Junior Naturalist program each summer. Now I'm going to toot my own horn... this painting was awarded first place. The exhibit is displayed at the Cable Natural History Museum until September 20, 2011.

"Junior Naturalist", 20"x 16", oil on board, $975 (price includes frame)

Blue Moon Art Tour

2011-08-02T14:37:00.000-05:00

I've been busy preparing for this year's Blue Moon Art Tour. Artists Sara Balbin, Diana Randolph, Reg Behrends and I all have homes and studios along Blue Moon Road in the Cable/Drummond area. This will be the 5th year that we've opened our studios over Labor Day weekend for 2 days of fun, demonstrations, door prizes and refreshments. It's a great opportunity to chat with us, see where we work and view our artwork. The prices of all my paintings will be reduced by 10% for the Tour. If you would like me to mail you a brochure/map, just contact me at sbqualey@cheqnet.net.

I hope you can join us on September 3rd and 4th for the Blue Moon Art Tour.

"Cup of Wildflowers"

2011-07-23T19:48:00.001-05:00

We have had plenty of rain this spring and summer which has been good for the wildflowers. I noticed lots of these yellow beauties along the road in June. I couldn't find them in my wildflower book and was unable to identify them. The next day I received my Nature Watch email written by local naturalist Sue Thurn. There they were... a photo of Barren Strawberries with interesting information about the plant. I like the combination of the delicate flowers in this dainty yellow teacup.

"Cup of Wildflowers", 9"x12", oil on linen, SOLD

"Nasturtiums in Teapot"

2011-07-22T15:54:00.080-05:00

The summer has been going fast. I have been painting, but have not spent much time posting new work on my blog. Earlier this summer I took a break from oil painting and got out my pastels. I painted this arrangement of nasturtiums in oil last summer. I thought it would be fun to do the same subject in pastel. The oil version is below for comparison.

"Nasturtiums in Teapot", 16"x12", pastel on board, $375 (price includes frame)

This oil version of "Nasturtiums in Teapot" has been sold.

"White Roses"

I've been painting roses recently. I decided to try these in a black and white composition. I wanted to capture the warm centers of the roses and the cool reflected light on the petals in the shadow areas.

"White Roses", 16"x12", pastel on board, $375 (price included frame)

"Teakettle and Mug"

I like the orange, turquoise and aqua palette in this piece. If you are in the Cable, WI area, you can view these three pastels as well as others at Firefly Trading Company.

"Teakettle and Mug", 10.5"x10.5", pastel on board, SOLD

"Baby Bella Mushrooms"

2011-06-10T20:17:00.000-05:00

My original idea was to compose a painting of mushrooms using a color palette of browns and creams. At the grocery, I found these Italian mushrooms in a bright cobalt container and my concept changed from muted colors to bright. I added the yellow can of plum tomatoes and the painting became a composition of primary colors with an Italian theme. Sometimes I just have to follow where the objects take me.

"Baby Bella Mushrooms", 12"x 9", oil on linen, $450 (unframed)

"Beachcomber"

2011-05-15T19:55:00.000-05:00

This girl was totally absorbed in her search for shells and pebbles. I liked the way the wind blew her hair. The yellow bucket added a great shot of color.

"Beachcomber", 6"x8", oil on linen, $240 (unframed)

"Boy in Life Jacket"

2011-05-15T19:37:00.000-05:00

Besides the cute boy squinting in the sun, what attracted me to this image were the orange reflections on his face. I'm happy with the way his hair turned out — looks wet and spiky.

"Boy in Life Jacket", 8"x6", oil on linen, $240 (unframed)

"Jane in Mink"

2011-04-08T20:38:00.000-05:00

Over a year ago, our niece Jane drove up for a visit. We spent a day hanging out in the studio talking about art and sketching. Jane agreed to pose for me. She proved to be a very patient as well as pretty model. Fun to paint, too! That afternoon I made an oil sketch and took lots of photos, but went no further. I finally pulled out the photos a few days ago and painted this. It has renewed my interest in painting figures. We'll see where it goes.

"Jane in Mink", 6"x8", oil on linen, NFS

"Sunny Breakfast"

2011-03-29T09:16:00.002-05:00

I can tell it's spring because I'm in the mood for yellow. I decided to include the coffee pot in this bright composition, but didn't want it to overpower everything else. The dark areas of the coffee cup and silverware help offset the coffee pot. I also tried to keep the values of the background objects darker so the lighter brighter foreground objects have more importance. The spoon handle leads the eye into the painting and to the melon slice, the focal point.

"Sunny Breakfast", 16"x 20", oil on board, SOLD

"Farm Eggs and Tea Cup"

2011-03-28T21:10:00.002-05:00

My friend Stacey raises chickens that lay the most beautiful colored eggs. The gray carton was a perfect neutral background for showing off the variety of muted greens, blues, and rosy browns of the eggs. The pale yellow of my favorite tea mug complimented these soft colors. The eggs were delicious, too!

"Farm Eggs and Tea Cup", 12"x 9", oil on linen, SOLD

"Green Apples in Red Dish"

2011-03-23T15:56:00.000-05:00

This month I have been painting a favorite subject — green apples. It has been fun to experiment with different color palettes and lighting. I've gotten a lot of mileage out of one bag of Granny Smiths.

"Green Apples in Red Dish", 9"x 12", oil on linen, $450 (unframed)

"Green Apples in Blue Bowl"

2011-03-23T15:49:00.001-05:00

"Green Apples in Blue Bowl", 6"x 8", oil on linen, SOLD

"Bottles & Green Apples"

2011-03-23T15:39:00.001-05:00

"Green Apples & Bottles", 8"x 6", oil on canvas, SOLD

"Box of Tissue"

2011-02-18T11:35:00.000-06:00

Here's another composition with a dark background. The translucent quality of the tissue paper is interesting and challenging to paint. Light goes through the paper as well as bouncing off it. To capture the crinkles and planes in the tissue, I used all the painter's tools such as: lost and found edges, value shifts, changes in hue. The one I found particularly important was color temperature. Often I saw an edge without a hue shift and not much of a value shift. To create that edge or plane, I used a warmer or cooler version of the color. For example, one plane would be a yellow-orange while the plane next to it would be more lavender. Light going through the paper is usually warm; light reflected off it is usually cooler. This painting was a good exercise in observation.

"Box of Tissue", 12"x12", oil on board, $575 (unframed)

"Clementine & Jar"

2011-02-16T16:47:00.001-06:00

I decided it was time to compose a painting with a dark background. My idea was to achieve a sense of atmosphere and space. I wanted the jar to emerge from the darkness by painting just a few of the highlights and reflections. Then I added a blast of color with the clementine. I've been painting a lot of oranges. It's a welcome color in February when everything outside my window is white.

"Clementine & Jar", 8"x6", oil on linen, SOLD

"Oranges on Marimekko"

2011-01-30T17:05:00.001-06:00

I'm a fan of Marimekko designs. The fabric's color palette of warm and cool reds with purple was the starting point for this painting. I also like the way the orange wedges repeat the leaf pattern.

"Oranges on Marimekko", 6"x8", oil on linen, SOLD

"Cute Couple"

2011-01-29T18:31:00.001-06:00

Before packing them away after Christmas, I decided to paint these cute Danish Nisse dolls. I wanted to capture their characters and ended up painting "mini portraits". Remind you of anyone?

"Cute Couple", 6"x6", oil on canvas, SOLD

"Electric Blue"

2011-01-28T21:01:00.000-06:00

Inspiration comes from surprising places. I was trying to compose a still life of blue objects for the "Very Cool Blue Show" at Art Beat, but nothing seemed to be working. The bulb in my stand light burned out. I went to the cupboard for a new bulb and there it was — a blue extension cord. Inspiration struck. The show runs from February 12th through March 5th at Art Beat in Hayward.

"Electric Blue", 16"x20", oil on linen, $975 (price includes frame)

"Birch and Juncos"

2011-01-16T19:45:00.001-06:00

This pastel painting is a little different for me. Instead of working from life, I painted from memory and my imagination. I often see this white, gray and black composition when I look out my window in the winter. This piece is part of the exhibit "All Things Birch and Beautiful" at Firefly Trading Company in Cable, WI.

"Birch and Juncos", 16" x 20", pastel on board, SOLD

"Holiday Cheer"

2010-12-11T09:26:00.001-06:00

I painted this for our holiday card. It was fun — strong colors and lots of reflections. We're wishing you holiday cheer and all the best in the new year.

"Holiday Cheer", 8"x 6", oil on linen panel, SOLD

Recent Small Paintings

2010-12-10T14:10:00.002-06:00

As with most artists, I'm always on a quest to make better paintings. I've discovered I can learn as much from painting a small work in a couple of days as I do from creating a large work that might take a couple of weeks to complete. During the last few months, I've focused on these smaller works.

"Orange Glow"

"Orange Glow" was an opportunity to capture that intense color at the center of the orange. I put it in first and built the painting around it. The values are very important — the white pulp is the lightest part. I'm happy with this one. It has the direct loose brushwork I like.

"Orange Glow", 8"x 6", oil on linen panel, SOLD

"White and Silver"

"White and Silver" was an exploration of the colors and color temperatures (warms and cools) in white. That's my silver baby cup.

"White and Silver", 8"x 10", oil on linen panel, SOLD

"Primary Peppers"

"Primary Peppers" was my demonstration painting during the Blue Moon Art Tour last Labor Day weekend. I wanted to show how I begin a painting by working first with the general shapes and then progressing to more and more detail. The painting features the primary colors as well as the peppers.

"Primary Peppers", 6"x 8", oil on board, SOLD

"Tiny Pumpkins"

Who can resist those little pumpkins that show up in the grocery store in the fall? "Tiny Pumpkins" is about circles. Sometimes in a still life I put in a reference object to give a sense of scale. Without the plate, it would be hard to tell if the pumpkins were little or big.

"Tiny Pumpkins", 6"x 8", oil on canvas panel, $240 (unframed)

"Broken Pomegranate"

I try to paint pomegranates during the holidays every year. They are such an interesting fruit. It's always a challenge for me to keep the shapes simple with detail in just a few of the seeds.

"Broken Pomegranate", 8"x 6", oil on board, SOLD

"Corn and Tomatoes"

2010-12-10T12:54:00.000-06:00

We had a bountiful season of veggies in our North Star Homestead Farms CSA share last summer — tasty subjects for painting! This work is part of The Art of Food exhibit at the Lanesboro Arts Center in Lanesboro, MN. The show ends December 23, 2010.

"Corn and Tomatoes", 16"x 16", oil on board, $1100 (price includes frame)

"Cans #1"

2010-12-09T15:17:00.000-06:00

This painting was accepted into the 2010 Arrowhead Biennial at the Duluth Art Institute. Tin cans are a challenging subject, but I love painting reflections. Notice I titled it "Cans #1". I plan to do more variations on this theme. The exhibit is full of interesting work and will be on display until February 6, 2011.

"Cans #1", 12"x 22", oil on board, $1100 (price includes frame)