Ductwork Blues

"Ductwork Blues" 4.5x5 oil on Masonite
© 2009 Carol Horzempa

When I first saw Karin Jurick's posting of her photo of San Francisco rooftops for the DSFDF challenge I was intimidated by the jungle of rooftop ductwork. I'm glad I decided to try the challenge anyway. I found as I got into the painting that the abstract shapes and cast shadow along with pushing the colors kept my interest and was more fun to paint than I expected.

Pear Studies

"Pear Studies" 4x8 oil on canvas
© 2009 Carol Horzempa

My favorite subject is the still life, especially studies of fruit. I've been away from my studio way too long so I decided to do a couple small studies of a pear. I find myself returning to fruit studies when I feel a bit rusty and need to get my creative juices flowing.

Trying to Paint Plein Aire

Carrie, Shawna & Gypsy

My daughter Carrie and I went plain aire painting today. Now that the the fall colors are starting to show, it is a great time to find exciting landscapes. I am such a novice at this and thought an overcast day would be easier than trying to chase the light and shadow on a sunny day. Well my painting turned to mud but my daughter came away

with a beautiful painting! She is such a natural at this!

The day wasn't a complete waste for me, I found a great place to go mushrooming next fall and my spouse filled his trailer full of oak logs for burning this winter. So today was a great day!

My Mud Painting

I am surprised the colors look so drab now that I'm back in my studio. My main focus was to try and match the colors. I have much to learn about plein aire painting! Be sure to check Carrie's painting on her blog, her colors are awesome!

Wait, Hold the Sprinkles!

"Wait, Hold the Sprinkles!" 5.5x10 oil on canvas
© 2009 Carol Horzempa

I hate sprinkles! I can't think of anything worse than biting into a soft, delicious cupcake piled with sweet fluffy frosting and then biting into hard crunchy sprinkles to spoil the whole experience.

In Karin Jurick's DSFDF challenge she included a video of Wayne Thiebaud. I was fortunate enough to see a Thiebaud exhibit years ago and fell in love with his paintings of common foods and cityscapes. What an amazing artist, he is 87 years old and still paints every day!

In this challenge I used Classic Artist Oils that has linseed oil mixed in with thickeners which has the consistency of butter. I've only used these paints once before years ago and thought it would be perfect for this challenge especially the frosting. I ended up using my palette knife and applying the paint like I would as if frosting a cupcake along with some brushwork. I was almost tempted to lick my fingers.

Furnace Bay

"Furnace Bay" 4x7 oil canvas
© 2009 Carol Horzempa

Earlier this month I went camping with my family on Lake Superior near Pictured Rocks in Upper Michigan. We were lucky enough get a lakefront campsite at Bay Furnace National Forest Campground. This is a painting of the shoreline in front of our campsite on a foggy morning. I hope to post a better photo of this painting soon since the colors are a bit off.

Walkin' the Dog

"Walkin' the Dog" 5x7 oil on canvas
© 2009 Carol Horzempa

This is my interpretation of Karin Jurick’s DSFDF challenge. I took the liberty of cropping Karin’s reference photo again. I added the girl who is supposed to be me (like about 20 years younger) walking Shawna.

I experimented with a textured surface made from priming a canvas panel with Utrecht Oil Priming White. I love this surface to paint on since it doesn’t absorb the paint like water base gesso does and I like how my brush glides across the oil base surface making it easier to control. I am also pleased with the fact that my paint stayed fresh and didn’t become dull as it dried.

Georgia Man

"Georgia Man" 5.5x7 oil on canvas

© 2009 Carol Horzempa

In Karin Jurick’s latest DSFDF challenge, she posted a reference photo of a man at the Perry, Georgia State Fair. I chose to crop the photo to what interested me the most and also decided to set a limit on my painting time. Testing myself to see how fast I could paint this challenge, I surprised myself by finishing this portrait in 2 1/2 hours. I have a habit of measuring distance between shapes with the handle of my paintbrush and thumb which really speeds the process and something Karin suggested on this challenge.

I painted over a bright orange acrylic undertone, which can be seen poking through throughout the painting. I used a touch of my favorite Rembrandt Transparent Oxide Red in the skin tones along with a mixture of Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow Medium, and Cobalt Blue plus Titanium White.

There are several things I could have changed to get it “just right” but this time I decided to leave it and shoot for speed and fresh brushstrokes. I think this was the most fun I had of all Karin's challenges!

UPDATE: I just reread Karin's instructions and realize the focus of this challenge was suppose to be on the whole figure...oops!

Day Watch

"Day Watch" 6.5 x 9 oil on canvas
© 2009 Carol Horzempa

This is my submission for the DSFDF challenge. Karin Jurick posted a reference photo of what seems to be a lifeguard on duty in a rowboat on a Lake Michigan beach.

This was by far the hardest challenge for me so far. I enjoyed painting the figure and boat but the water, which I thought would be the easiest part turned out to be my biggest challenge. I learned a lot though and would like to try painting a boat scene again.

Gate Keeper

oil on canvas 6x7

I planted these peonies next to my gate years ago for the main purpose of painting them someday. They don’t get much sun so they are very tall reaching every which way for the sun and practically blocking entrance to the gate. I am sure glad I took photos of them before a hailstorm. Now with the sweltering heat the poor things are faded and drooping over.

I made one attempt years ago to paint these flowers and so this is my second try. I think painting flowers has got to be the biggest challenge for me so far but I did enjoy painting the pickets on the gate.

After spending way to much time on this one, I kept wondering if it pays to work on a painting that seems doomed for the reject pile. This morning I decided to give it one more try with a fresh eye. I tried a little scraping and repainting in some areas then called it finished. I am not totally happy with it and would like to try painting peonies again someday. I’m hoping that I can apply what I learned from my mistakes to the next one.

Vegetable Medley

oil on canvas 6x8

This painting is my interpretation of Karin Jurick’s reference photo for the DSFDF challenge. I haven’t been working in oils for several months since I got sidetracked with pastels. It was hard getting back to oil painting and after several tries I decided to try again on canvas instead of a gessoed panel. I also was surprised to find that I didn’t forget how to paint and actually enjoyed this challenge!

Pennsylvania Landscape

pastel on sabretooth sandpaper
9x5

I can’t believe I’m still doing pastels! For days I kept seeing Karin Jurick’s black and white photo of a Pennsylvania landscape in colorful pastels. I found an old sheet of sandpaper for pastels that was laying in a drawer for at least 15 years so I decided to put it to good use. I also took liberty in cropping the photo drastically so I could concentrate on the trees and fields.

For Karin's DSFDF Challenge I understand we were to “invent colors” and “pay attention to how those colors marry with each other.” After poring over my favorite Kevin Macpherson’s book on Landscape Painting – Inside & Out, I found myself using colors I never would have considered. After I had the values down I put the book and photo away.


I really had fun inventing colors and drawing on my memory of Wisconsin landscapes I see so often while driving through the countryside. Even though my colors are not characteristic of Pennsylvania farmland and look more like the southwest I feel I learned a lot from this challenge.

Morning Rush Hour

pastel on paper
7.5x10.5

I decided to do Karin Jurick's latest DSFDF challenge in soft pastel on Canson MI-Teintes pastel paper. Cityscapes are a real stretch for me, especially doing tall buildings in soft pastel. I almost gave up until I started working on the traffic and taxis...my first attempt at drawing cars. I tried to get the feeling of depth with my values. I had a little fun with the people mixed in with traffic and all the spots of color and shapes fading off into the distant.


I used pastel pencils for some of the detail and Rembrandt and Schmincke soft pastels for every thing else. I will definitely be looking forward to getting back to oils in my next challenge!

Diana's Love for Her Hound

This is my submission for Karin Jurick’s DSFDF Challenge. We were asked to draw or paint an entire marble sculpture of goddess Diana and her hound. I decided to put away my paints for a while and work on my drawing skills. Karin suggested taking our time working on the three dimensional qualities, details, weight and elegance of the sculpture. My focus was also to capture Diana's loving gaze at her hound as he licked her thigh.

After reams of practice drawings with vine charcoal, one even upside down and backwards, I finally felt confident enough for the final drawing without having to use a grid. The drawing was sketchy so I could correct as I went along, while continuing to work on values, form, and edges at the same time.

I decided to do my drawing on Canson Mi-Teintes pastel paper using the smooth side. I used Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencils that are soft enough for glazing and firm enough to sharpen in an electric pencil sharpener to keep their points sharp for detail.

My experience of working in hard and soft pastel years ago while studying under the guidance of the late James C. Prohl, classical realist painter and teacher has been a big help in this challenge. I never thought I could go back to doing such detailed work again or even have the patience. Thanks to Karin Jurick, she has again come up with a great challenge that stretches my skill further than I thought I could go. Be sure too check the Different Strokes from Different Folks blog for the many wonderful versions of Diana and her hound.

Drawing of Cole

Graphite on Strathmore paper (4x5)

Last night I decided to see how long it would take to draw this darling boy named Cole. I used the photo from James Parker's "Window to the Words" blog. Check his blog here, he posted this one on the first of the month and artists have the whole month to submit a painting or drawing. I'm not sure yet if I will work this up into a painting and submit it to his blog...I just wanted to test myself to see how long it would take me to draw it.

I am realizing now why it takes me so long to paint. Not only is it a challenge for me to mix the right colors as I start a painting but getting a good drawing down with correct proportions is important too. The only way I can achieve this is to draw daily even if it's only a 5 minute sketch. It took me over an hour to do this...I hope I can speed up and improve more on my proportions as I keep drawing daily.

Back to Drawing

I decided to take the advice Karen Jurick gave on her Different Strokes from Different Folks blog. She said, “For anyone out there who wants to to be a better painter - it has to start with being a good drawer.” So that is what I have been doing...struggling with my drawing of a marble sculpture and sketching whenever I can.

These sketches were done in my Strathmore 6.25 x 8.5 sketchpad. I used PITT Graphite Pure pencils by Faber-Castell. I really love these pencils because they are solid graphite, no wood but they can break if you drop them on a hard surface. You can get some nice darks with the 2 and 3 B but I used mostly the HB on these two sketches. This is a good time of the year to draw trees here in Wisconsin, they are just starting to bud.The 2nd sketch is Dick, my better half who is always a willing subject while watching cable news in the evening.

A Passion for Painting Award

Now that I’m back from Florida’s sun and sandy beaches, I’m ready to start painting again. First though I want to thank Ann Marie Propts who passed this “Passion for Painting Award” on to me while I was gone. Ann Marie has some wonderful paintings of pets, people and cityscapes that are fresh and alive with color so be sure to check them out on her blog and also her latest submission to DSFDF.

Rules are as follows:

List seven things that you love
Put a link to the artist who tagged you for this honor
Pass the honor on to seven artists you feel should receive the recognition
Let them know they received this award

Seven things I LOVE (in no particular order)

- Four legged pals; Kiki, Dorie, & Shawna
- Two legged ones; spouse, kids, grandkids & my sibs of course
- Wisconsin Swiss Cheese (okay, so I’m a cheese head)
- My pochade box (skillfully crafted by spouse)
- Painting and thinking about painting
- Swimming in Lake Superior on hot summer days
- Omanhene Hot Cocoa on cold winter nights

Here is my list of artists I follow that have been a real source of inspiration to me in their work habits, level of skill and passion they show in their paintings.

Frank A. Edwards
Holly Zemak
Becky Joy
Cathleen Rehfeld
Dana Cooper
Todd Smith
Charlene Brown

Sandpiper Watching

I'm in the middle of packing for a vacation down south to Florida. I decided to take time out and see if I could do a seascape from Karin Juirick's photo in the DSFDF Challenge. This is a bit of a stretch for me since I rarely paint figures in my oil paintings or the seashore. Now I can’t wait to do some plain air painting down in the Florida Keys.

This the most fun I had in Karin’s challenge because I loved painting with a beautiful tube of Winsor & Newton Manganese Blue Hue oil paint which hadn't been opened in years. I also realized that the little girl who I made to look younger started looking more and more like my daughter Carrie when she was a child.

Now back to packing for a couple weeks of lying on the beach in the sun and a littler sandpiper watching after a long cold winter. Maybe I will even get a chance to paint some seascapes!

Tracy's Tipi

Last week I went plein air painting again at Kettle Moraine State Forest. While walking along the fence I was surprised to see a huge tipi in a clearing on the other side of the fence. I decided right then to sit down with my pochade box and paint what I saw. I didn’t have a clear view since there were so many bushes and I also had to look through the fence but could see good enough to capture the scene.

When I was halfway through my painting a very friendly woman named Tracy who owns the property came over to see what I was doing. She invited me to see her tipi closeup and walk inside to see the fire ring. She also said I could come back and paint on her property. I am really looking forward to painting when her apple orchard starts blooming.

I finished this painting in my studio from a photo and probably spent way too much time on it. My next challenge is to look for a simple scene that I can finish on location. I hope to do that while on a camping trip in Florida during the first two weeks of April.

That Darn Cat!

This is my contribution to Karin Jurick’s DSFDF Challenge. Sometimes I like to tell a story with my paintings. Karin strongly suggested that we follow our intuitions on this challenge so I allowed my illustration background to come though on this project.

This is what I imagine would happen if I put a dish of sushi with crabmeat and soy sauce on my kitchen counter. My "counter kitty" Dorie loves anything with fish and I recently found out she likes soy sauce too.

The hardest thing to paint was her tongue licking up soy sauce and getting the right color. I found an old tube of Rose Madder made just the right pink I was looking for. Now I think it would be fun to paint Dorie licking up milk.

Ottawa Dog Trail

The weather was nice enough to do some Plein Air Painting yesterday. Being a novice at this I forgot to take off my sunglasses and didn’t notice it until I was almost done. I decided to keep painting that way and see what it will look like later. At least it was easier on the eyes this way. I was surprised the colors looked alright when I got back to my studio. I was also surprised I was able to paint a landscape in an hour with just a bit of touch up from my photo. What a difference to paint from real life rather than just a photo!
Oil on canvas 6x8


Ottawa Dog Trail is a huge dog training area for hunters in Kettle Moraine State Forest. Yesterday there were several horseback riders and hunters training their dogs. With the receding snow and warm temperature, it was a great day to be outdoors here in Wisconsin.