All panels are done on 8" by 8" hardboard panels in oil unless otherwise noted
Minding My Own Business
I am feeling a little defiant with this one, breaking away
from the color structure of glass. What
a wonder…the little goldfish in a bag. A
small miracle of life captured from its habitation to bring us color, joy and
that child-like feeling. We marvel at
the way he looks, but does he know how significant he really is? He is little, part of the bottom of the food
chain in the water world. He is just
trying to survive and has no idea how heartwarming he can be to us. I titled this “Minding My Own Business” as a
depiction of how little power we have over the universe. There is an irony in thinking we have control
while our plans can crash down on us before our eyes (even though they seemed
to be good plans). A little pun…maybe. I prefer to call it sarcastic humor. My little goldfish is in for a surprise. He does not know what is about to hit, but we
do. Still cute and full of delight, he
just goes about swimming and blowing bubbles…minding his own business. If hearts could smile, I would be sharing a
big one right now…swim baby swim!
The photograph of the wave that was used as reference was courtesy of Leslie Vaslek
Mail Pouch Barn
Driving through farm country in Ohio,
you may come across one of these famous and nostalgic barns. This one I painted with an old cigar jar as my
color window to reflect a farming industry that society threatens to extinguish
altogether, tobacco. My resident state
of Kentucky has many laws
prohibiting smoking, not only inside restaurants, which is easily understood,
but also outdoors in plain air! I have
many mixed feelings about this. One
being that the state would not be where it is today without the tobacco
production is has come to be known for.
I also understand the damaging effects of second hand smoke, but feel it
has been taken to extremes. It is also a
way to outcast, stereotype and ostracizes people in a way that is totally
unnecessary. There are many, many
self-destructive habits that cause death, but none so personally attacked as
the use of tobacco products. Well, all
that was obviously not on my mind while painting this scene, but I did think of
the history and work involved in the making of tobacco products and the many
memories made on farms that produced it.
I have respect for that on many levels even if I may not turn a blind
eye to the fact that people die everyday from smoking. Like I said, mixed feelings…sadness for a
crop that will soon fade away from our landscapes, but appreciation for old
tobacco jars, barns and…well you know.
The reference landscape photograph used for the barn scene was taken by Sherry Paul.
This painting was done on 8" by 8" wood block panel in oil, 3/4" depth, black edges
Winter Warmth
Most sunrises
and sunsets in the winter season go unnoticed and unseen. They look warm and inviting, but the air is
still so cold and unwelcome. This
sunrise was beautiful, but the photographs were taken in a hurry as I rushed
back inside to get warm again. The oil
lamps in my home provide the atmosphere of warmth as well as a flame that
soothes the icy cold soul. I thought of
the two combined together for this scene.
The glorious sunrise awaits us and promises warmth is near, winter displays
some of the most contrasting sunrises ever displayed. I marked my palette to achieve that contrast
with this scene. The light is always
brighter with the shadows of darkness behind it. We are inwardly created to be drawn to the
light, but both are necessary. In a
painting, the highlights would never emerge from the shadows and bring life if
there were not the shadows. Such is life
and the journey to appreciating light.
His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Darkness will always be there, but behold His
glorious light that warms and stills the soul!
River Barge
If I chose to take a day and just take a drive, the river is
the perfect destination. There may be
activity happening, but the barges move along at a slow and easy pace. Just the way I want to take life at times. They seem to coast through the waters with
ease and they know they will eventually get to their destination because the
river will lead them there. Things are
still simple enough to get us to our destination as well if we learn each day
to enjoy the ease of the journey. We (I)
have the inborn tendency to make things complicated, when just being yourself
is all that is needed. Have we forgotten
how to do that?
I chose the large glass fly trap as the antique for this
scene because I wanted to show as much of the barge as possible in color. I love river scenes. Even if they are new and recent, they still
have the impression of days gone by.
Life on the river, regardless of its nature is still an important part
of our country’s heritage. I love the
old fly trap as well; it lends that antique fancy I was striving for. The muted colors in the scene are exactly the
look I wanted to achieve. Mission
accomplished!
Warm Spring Night
If we could stop one moment, take a deep breath and take in
the breeze of a shore…would it look like this?
I remember when bottles like this were so mesmerizing to me as a
child. My Mom would fill them with
colored water and place them in the windows.
The light shining through created different abstract shapes and colors. I still love vintage bottles to this day and
I am sure you will see many of them in my paintings. They reveal elegance on so many levels and
add a little enchantment to our everyday routines. The sepia tones are rich and dramatic adding
to the mood of the scene.
My challenge in painting this was to capture the beauty of
the tree seen through the bottle. These
trees bloom in early spring here in Kentucky. This one I found along the river. They dare to stand out among the green foliage
and the blue of the sky. You don’t
expect them, but there they are! I
wanted to capture this unique and amazing hue through my color window.
Copyright 2014
Darlene Dine, use of or reproduction of any image is prohibited and against the
law without consent or permission.
