Marin Open Studios

I'm excited to show my new work, and some old, at my Open House on Friday May 4th. My studio will also be open on Saturday, May 5th from 11am - 6pm.

Studio address:

10 Liberty Ship Way Bldg

Bay 1,  Suite118

I've been working on an assortment of surfaces, paper, panel and canvas and using a different medium: acrylic, oil and collage - a little bit of everything.

Acrylic Collage on Paper  

Acrylic on Paper

Back in Business

After a 2 year hiatus from the Blogging World, I'm back at it.  Everyone in the Cancer Treatment world, said it would take two years to recover, and they were right-on.  I'm not sure if you ever fully "recover" - you certainly experience a new standard for "normal".  But, energy and enthusiasm do return, and that is a very good thing.

In May 2015 I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.   I was lucky to have a slew of good doctors, amazing friends and an uber-amazing family.  (I'll save that story for another blog).  For now, I'm more than happy to put that behind me and move on...into the studio.

I'm working on a series of Abstract Landscapes; acrylic on paper.  I paint on super thick paper, so I don't get too bogged down with the "preciousness" of a stretched canvas, plus I can sand, scratch, carve,  layer, glaze, and try different things. I make a lot of bad work along with some good.  It's exciting to start something new.

Please check out my website, www.BlairTylerPeters.com.

All the Best!

Closing in on 100

18" x 22"
Lisa from drawing class. 

 Well, it seems like I'm taking a detour and going the round about way to get to the finish line.  I've been painting up a storm in the studio, but haven't gotten to 100 paintings yet.  Technically I have, but  I want the last one to be painted from life.  I'm totally into the large scale abstract paintings that I started a few weeks ago - they have freed me up a lot.  I completed the diptych below for my living room and started several more commissioned pieces for an office lobby.  However, I got side tracked - again - and started one on an un-stretched canvas for Tom.  I don't know what came over me - it just kind of happened and I went with it.  It's still a work in progress, but I'm happy with where it seems to be going.  I'm going to hang it with some large industrial clips and not bother with building a stretcher for it (see 2 below)

8' x 6'
Cy Twombly inspired diptych for me

6' x 5'
"What is Red?" TP's birthday present 

9" x 12"
#99 Las Gallinas

I should have started this post with number 99!  I painted this out at Las Gallinas last week with my painting buddy, Jill.  It was a gorgeous day, as usual around here, and we painted the north side of Mt Tam.  The mud banks were glistening - they looked like snow, but were lavendar!
Below is a large tablescape I started today.  It's our homework assignment for my painting critique with Tim Horn next week.  I thought I would try a larger format and see how it goes.  I did the underpainting just like Mr. Paquet says to do.  So far, so good - although that napkin looks kind of strange in the photo...tomorrow I'll put some color down.
I'm having a blast with everything - art all day/every day! It feels like art school and that's a good thing. XOXO

24" x 24"
Tablescape oil on canvas underpainting

Morning Fog = More Lemons

6" x 8"
Lemons #98

I toned it down a bit today and stayed away from the Alizarin...much better.  Hopefully, the fog will be gone tomorrow morning and I can get outside again.  I'm anxious to paint some distant hills and apply the results of my experiment from yesterday.

Several Shades of Grey & PINK

8"x10"
Lemons #96

I think I went a little cray-cray today with these lemons.  Pink anyone?

9" x 12"
Redo-Las Gallinas #97 

Today, before I went berserk with the Alizarine,  I spent the first part of my studio time doing a little experiment.  I re-painted the painting (above and below) that I did last week in Las Gallinas.  The version below was done on sight.  Well, when I brought it into the studio, it looked kind of blah, and the mountains seemed a shade to dark.  I really wanted them to sit further back.  So, I lightened the value and greyed them out with a violet-grey.  Plus, I reworked the foreground a bit and I think, overall, it all added a bit more light to the piece.  I like the touched-up version best.  Which is a good thing because there's no going back.

9" x 12"
Las Gallinas #97

9" x 12"
Las Gallinas #92

In the painting above (#98) I lightened the hills with a greyed-out blue - much better.  I also played around with the middle ground and added more depth - definitely better.  Only 3 more to go...

#92,93,94,95

9"x12"
Eucalyptus #92

The scene at Las Gallinas

It's been a while since I last posted, but I promise I have been doing the work!  I met my painting buddy, Jill Trear (we'll just call her JT from now on) at Las Gallinas this morning.  Well, I didn't even know where that was, and let me tell you, if you have never been up there, you need to go.  It's beautiful a spot with so many birds, JT could hardly even focus on her painting!  There was this Harrier Hawk that kept swooping down and flying all around, plus all the Geese and a million other birds, it was hard to concentrate at times.  It was so great, that we are meeting up there again tomorrow.  I attempted a row of Eucalyptus - I have always wanted to paint those and have them actually look like Eucalyptus.  I liked it better on site, but that's usually the way it is.  I may try it again tomorrow and really focus on setting those mountains back.  They were glowing this cobalt blue color and my painting does really convey that.

I went to rodeo beach yesterday and painted the giant black rocks.  It was sunny then some clouds came, and then the wind started howling, so I had to pack it up.  I'm happy with how the headlands fade back in the distance.  I'm beginning to really appreciate the Paynes Grey Underpainting that Joe Paquet made us do.  It really helps establish the values and form before adding color.  There's so much to learn!

8' x 10"
Rodeo Beach #93

8" x10"
Rodeo Beach #94

 Here's an underpainting that I did the other day at Rodeo beach, but ran out of time.  I want to go back and finish putting color on it.  I didnt even get a chance to put the sky in and thats the best part! I'm telling 'ya, the weather out there can be harsh.

Here's what Rodeo beach looks like for those who have never been.  I love this beach .
It has big weather, so you never know what you're going to get, but it's not too far away.
If its too windy or cold,  I can always bail and head to my studio.

8"x10"
Anthony #95

Well, I went to figure painting last night and painted the figure for the first time in about 20 years.  Needless to say, the figure drawing class I'm taking helped a ton, not to mention all the painting I have been doing.  I did the Paynes Grey underpainting, then mixed up some flesh color and went at it. I did ask my Mentor earlier in the day, what color to use for flesh - why reinvent the wheel? - and so I used his colors and they seemed to work.  Now, don't focus on the face, because you will see that I freaked out when it came to painting that and kind of left it blank.  When I showed up at drawing class today I told my teacher that I had to learn how to draw a face.  So, she stood behind me on one of the longer poses and talked me through it.  This sounds crazy, but it was so stressful, then I got it!
Again, you have to draw what you see, NOT what you think you see.

I feel like I'm on a roll.  It's like art school all over again and I LOVE it.  Never been happier.  If I can keep this up through the spring, I think I'm going to see some improvement.  It's like going to the gym and working out everyday to get stronger  (that's kind of not happening right now) but anyway, practice makes perfect, and all of that.

Oh, and one last thing.  If you have actually read this far, take a second and look at Colin Page's website. His work has gotten me so fired up - I just love it.

Blue Bottle

6" x 8"
Blue Bottle #91

I havent completed a painting in quite some time.  So, when I launched into this painting today, I was happy to discover that all this drawing I've been doing, is paying off.  I was able to render the image in much less time than usual.  Then, I took my time doing a value study/underpainting, and it seemed to payoff.  There is much more contrast and a stronger sense of light in this painting, than in my "pre-Paquet" paintings.  I even attempted the blue glass bottle that I have been so scared of -
No Problemo!