Landscape series

I have been creating a series of landscapes — oil paintings on wooden panels — inspired by my summer in the South — but also by the continued “lockdown” or whatever we are calling it these days...the isolation, the impingement, the confusion, and the passage of the old and familiar into something new and not altogether welcome.  

Here are the new additions to this landscape collections:

“Pink roof and wildflowers” Oil on wooden panel - 18” x 18”

“A whisper in time” Oil on wooden panel, 18” x 18”

“Road to the unknown” Oil on wooden panel, 18” x 18”

There will be at least another 7 paintings in this series, apart from these and the earlier painting recreated from my time in Tennessee.

These artworks are my way of sorting through this transition we are all going through this year, 2020, where so much has changed, and so much unhappiness was inflicted on us.  I feel my response is to reflect beauty through the challenging days we are in, and to cling to what is truthful and lovely.

Indian summer at the dam

"Indian summer at the dam" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" x 11"

It's been so warm and beautiful, the weather at this time of year is always a gift.  The late summer warmth mixed with the slight chill of the coming fall give a special feel to the days and nights, and the leaves are beginning to have their first tinge of yellow of some of their tips.  Fall foliage is certainly right around the corner.

I did this little oil painting study on a fine day, and its the type of painting I absolutely adore to do.  The process is so relaxing, and it always makes me so grateful just for the glorious weather and the beauty of the days and landscapes.

I hope you also enjoy these beautiful days! <3 

New Directions

“Shadows and hope” Oil on canvas, by Hilary J. England, 2019, 36” x 48”

Falling into things

Sometimes, we just "fall" into things, like happy accidents.  Sometimes, we fall into things and it's not quite a happy situation, but something good can come from it.  Either of these circumstances can be a blessing, even if one is in disguise.

This is what occurred when I painted "Ghosts and recollections."  I was geared up to have the piece, created solely for a show with a theme of artwork that tells a story -- anything imaginative -- and realistic, viola, imaginative realism.

This was a genre I had long avoided.  I like artwork based in reality -- something that the viewer could relate to, and build a bridge of connection with.  Imaginative realism conjured ideas of campy unicorns and black velvet space scenes (cue the shuddering) -- nope.  Not for me.  So, when I had a nagging voice in the back of my psyche -- call it the Muse -- who urged me to do it, to stretch myself, to put my biases aside and step into the idea.  I decided I could do this, and create a series of three interconnected, inter-related works, each a standalone work, with its own story to tell, a sort of beginning, middle, and end work.  

It took a few weeks of mulling it, sketching things, writing out ideas, snipping little "samples of colors" and references shapes and figures, putting them all together into little thumbnails.  I finally created an image in my mind of what I was looking to convey, and the work began in earnest.  But, there was a side-effect to it all: I had to pull upon memories that were very painful and long ago put away- carefully filed into cabinet number 2410 in the cobwebbed recesses of my mind's archives.  This was not pleasant.

But...

Even though it was not pleasant, it WAS inspiring.  I certainly won't say it was cathartic because it wasn't.  Sorry, not for me.  That old carp from the shrink's couch of talking or writing out your problems and blah blah blah never did a thing for me.  I prefer to leave things in the dust of the past and move on.  That's just my way -- you have your way, I have mine, we all move to the beat of different drums, so to speak.  Anyway, getting back to what it did -- it opened up a floodgate of creativity.  I was eagerly looking forward to creating a nontraditional triptych (three) and began the work.  

After completion of that initial work, I found that I and the artwork had been pre-emptively cut from the show.  I was, to put it mildly, infuriated.  No other word for it.

After a few days of getting calm and finding my center again, I decided that despite the exhibition show organizers apparently AWFUL taste in cutting my work ;-) , I would continue through with the original idea, and even if the works never saw a show, I would do it because the Muse in me demanded it.  Plain and simple.

A star is born!

So, here is the second piece of the three.  It's called "Shadows and hope."  The piece continues along the vein of my own life experiences, of loss, of pain, loneliness, confusion, regrets.  But, always, always, always, there is hope...no matter what.  It's there, small, delicate, and yet, so powerful.  It's waiting always, to fill you back up and give you strength.  

I won't go into the particular elements of the painting (I do that in my personal journals -- y'all will just have to wait 100 years until after I'm dead and some blue-haired professor is adding their own embellishments and slants in some class somewhere).  I allow the viewers to experience the painting from their own perspective, to identify with elements in the painting within their own experiences and heart.  

Or, maybe they just like it for unknown reasons. It just speaks to them.  It just "clicks" -- like a cute person in the coffee shop.  

No matter why you may like it, or adore it, or hate it, it will be personal to you, as the story behind it is personal to me.  Don't expect a long-winded dissertation of verbal silliness -- I don't do artwork statement pieces like that.  

And in the end:

I decided I will continue on with additional pieces outside the original three.  How many, I don't know.  Is this the official announcement of a move into a different direction -- I don't know that either.  I've never been very fond of making announcements etc.  I don't like hard and fast rules to stick to when it comes to the direction of my work.  Let's just say I am going to begin a series of these more imaginative realist paintings, and see where they take me.  I have an idea for the series, and yes, maybe they will help me put my own ghosts and recollections in order too.  I guess you never really know!

I will blog a post for each of the works, and the overarching theme, when the three are fully created, and for other plans regarding the series too.

Study of red rocks and female nude

"Study of red rocks and female nude" by Hilary J. England
oil on canvas, 16" x 20"

Here I did a study of the beautiful red rocks and the female figure.  I wanted to keep the figure, again, as not the dominant element in the picture.  This female figure was very taught, and I wanted to paint this as the angle of the body was extremely challenging, from the head to her toes.

This was recreated from several reference photos and not onsite.  I could never have a person hold a pose like that, and the rock formations are not native to my area -- more southwest.

I enjoy studying light, and anything with a lot of lines and directionality always draws me in.  That must be the compulsive part of my personality -- I like lines and textures, particularly elements that convey hard edges.  I love playing with hard lines and soft edges.  It's just my thing I guess.

~Enjoy!

Study of figure in the lily pond

“Study of figure in the lily pond” by Hilary J. England, 16” x20” oil on canvas

Figure Studies

My figure studies against or among different textures continues. This painting is rather larger than one of my usual “studies” — kind of a work in its own right, even if the intention wasn’t to make it a finished work, it sort of just happened. There were smaller grayscale studies, and my focus on this was the water, although in terms of design, the figure is still dominant, as the water leads you to her. She is center stage— literally, so she is the focal point, but for this Artwork it does work for me, even if she dominates the textures surrounding her.

The water, as it was choppy, was impossible not to stylize— but, that’s all par for course, since our own personal styles as artists always (and SHOULD) be visible in our works. We don’t create to make a voiceless photocopy, we create so that our voice and vision is also harmonious in our picture plane. I think this work balances that!

-Enjoy! 

By the fountain

"By the fountain" by Hilary J. England

Oil on canvas, 18" x 24"

It's been a tough few months, and I've been slow to post, but here is a painting I completed today for a show.  I really enjoyed the very high key lighting, and the contrast between shadows and light.  I also liked doing this because to me, it captures a moment in time.  When my Dad asked me why I didn't take the tablet and replace it with a book -- I said, "Because, children don't read books anymore.  Everything they do is related to computers, so that is the REALITY, not some nicety for the sake of a painting." Right or wrong, I am capturing this moment, and this is the current state of things -- the truth and reality.  Kids play with tablets-- most kids aren't reading story books anymore -- and if they are -- it's on their tablet!

~Enjoy <3 

Study of eyes

"Study of eyes" by Hilary J. England, Conte on paper

I have been studying certain body parts that I find fascinating, and you can never be a true master of-- such as the eyes. I want to study them from all different angles, all ages, etc. ❤️

End of Summer

"Mountain sunset" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" x 11"

End of Summer, and it's going out with lots of heat!  I was working on this the other day, and even in the evening, the heat and gnats were enough to make me leave at the halfway point and go home.  When I got home, I decided not to abandon the painting, and paint it "par coeur" (from memory) so, it's half plein air, half par coeur.  It's a hybrid!

I'm looking forward to the change of seasons -- I always do.  This summer was both hectic and a little chaotic -- it slipped by quickly, and yet, I still feel that frustration of not getting all the things I wanted to, even though I was very busy.  I guess it's just the way it goes sometimes.  

I have a list of nearly 100 portraits to complete, and I'm chomping at the bit to get them done, but as I'm also simultaneously working on my Master's, the recent calculus/statistics course I'm embroiled in is taking a lot of time away from my other projects.  As frustrating as that is, I know I must first apply all of my energies into that course, because it's once and done.  Second week of November, things go back to routine for me, so it's not that far off, and my competitive nature will not allow me to have a bad grade in the course, haha.  It just won't.

So, with that, back to work, and I hope Autumn is beautiful for us all.

~Enjoy!

The quiet creek

  

"The quiet creek" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" x 11" 

Here is a little study I did this week, down by the creek that splits off through town.  The day was warm, and the kids were all playing by the edges of it, squishing their hands in the mud.  It was such a timeless scene, one that could have vaulted back to the 1600's, and still, children would be enjoying their time in the creek.  These four girls and little brother in tow, all towheaded and in their play clothes.  It was very sweet to watch them enjoying the mud and without a care in the world.

The sunlight was so strong, and the shadows were alive.  I had to try to work as quickly as possible, to try and catch that moment.  I feel like I was cracking off "my shell" from winter, and trying to get the rust all gone from my mind and hand.  It was a wonderful exercise, to be sure.

I am looking to start a new series -- I am officially shelving this summer's project that I was going to move forward with.  I am moving in a new direction, and decided, I am not interested in such a big scale project, when in essence, my heart is still here among the local people, the forgotten people of America.

So, that's the direction I'm going to go in, and I will very much love exploring the little towns and people that reside in them.

Red tail in the winter field

"Red tail in the winter field" by Hilary J. England

Oil on canvas, 8" x 11" 

I painted this one before the blizzard, but with all the bad weather, wasn't photographing much.  I really love the peace and serenity of the open, empty winter fields.  The cold day gave way to the whiteness of the bleached, winter landscape and then there was the beautiful, contented hawk just sitting there. The bird seemed very undisturbed by the day, or even the human (me) in proximity to him.  He just was enjoying the moment too.  He sat for quite a bit before quietly gliding away.

The weak winter light makes it hard to capture the scene, because the light can be blinding even in its high weakness.  The shadows on the hay were interesting and still pulsating.  I had to move fast to capture all the essence of the day, and before my feet froze up too much too.  It's always my feet -- my hands seem to be impervious to most of the cold!

Spring should be here next week, and I am very much looking forward to the flowering landscape!!!

~Enjoy

A quiet moment

"A quiet moment" by Hilary J. England
18" x 24" oil on canvas, 2016

I finished this as a gift to someone very special to me, and these little people are very special too!. This photo needs to be adjusted, because there is a lot missing due to glare and well, just because it was taken on an iPad in crappy lighting.  I will rephoto it with my professional camera in the next few days.  It will be fun to compare the "before" and "after" photos.

I like doing off-beat "portraiture" because I find traditional portraiture absolutely boring...but that's just me, and not meaning to impugn anyone that adores it.  I just find it done over and over and over, and kind of sappy sweet or paintings that don't hold my attention.  They could be technically accurate, but for some reason, again, I find them boring.  I like trying to catch things a little more impromptu, like a moment in time that you can think about and smile and say, "Yes, I remember that day!" or "I remember when the kids were doing that!" or some such sentiment. 

I hope the gift is enjoyed :-) <3

Blood orange

                       "Blood orange" by Hilary J. England,  oil on canvas, 4" X 4" 

I think you can see where I am going with this. This will be a series of 7 pieces of fruit, with the center being the watermelon. The configuration is to hang the smaller cubes around the larger one. 

More tomorrow 😊👍

Poppies and wildflowers

"Poppies and wildflowers in the field" by Hilary J. England, 8" X 10" oil on canvas, 2016

It was a beautiful day for painting outdoors. No humidity, and a slight breeze. I attempted to video this session, but I need a bigger memory card. The memory ran out about halfway through 😖.

I have been so busy lately, and the time just seems to get away from me sometimes, but today, time seemed to stand still, and there was great calm and peace while I painted this. That was very refreshing and somewhat unexpected, since the day started a bit on the hectic side. No matter -- all that matters is what serenity was found while painting this beautiful little scene.

~Enjoy!

Study of male nude torso in mixed media

"Study of male nude torso in mixed media" by Hilary J. England,

 Goauche and Conte on paper, 14" X 18"

I always like to try and mix thing up and use materials I don't use to often, so when I came across a box of gouaches tucked away in my studio, and decided to try and use them for a quick figure study.  I was really rusty with using the gouache, because it is a unique medium on it's own -- with the utility somewhere smack in the middle between watercolor and acrylics.  Just an interesting medium to use.

So, I did this hour figure study of a very lean and tanned young man, and I'm glad I tried something a little out of the box for myself.  Keeps things from getting too routine :-)

~Enjoy!

Hillside wildflowers

 

"Hillside wildflowers" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" X 10"

It was a hot one today, really hot. The sun was bright and somewhat punishing, only because there was a slight haze to the day. The Blue mountain was extra blue, and the wildflowers were so lush and beautiful, like a majestic carpet of color.

I love being able to be out and about, in the quiet solitude of the heat, that no one else wants to brave. It is always nice to be close to a water source, but the creek was behind me a while, so I had no recourse but to sweat and sizzle, and drink in the scenery.

-Enjoy.

Swan on the lake at sunset

               "Swan on the pond at sunset" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" X 10"

I was at the lake the other night, and it was so nearly sweltering.  The gnats were attacking me, I wrenched my neck and shoulder out carrying my gear, and I dropped (yet again -- this seems routine haha) my painting face down in the dirt.  That really enraged me this time, and I was about to hurl the painting into the lake, but I didn't want to get arrested for littering ;-), so I sat down and took some deep breaths, and just sat there for a long time.  

The sun started to set, at nearly 9 pm, as I working and cleaning and transforming the little painting (which is against my own rules, but rules are made to be broken).  The Canadian goose, which was in complete silhouette, I made into a a swan, because again, it's my world, and at that moment, I preferred a swan to go along with my Debussy's "Clair de lune".  So, in the end, hurt neck, gnat bites and all, and then the giant thunderstorm that chased me away -- it all was still amusing, and my own world triumphed because I was able to make an enchanted world from the beauty that really was there, however fleeting it was. Like life....just make the best of it 😊 !! 

Enjoy ❤️

Study of female nude in India ink and Pastel

"Study of female nude in India ink and Pastels" by Hilary J. England, 14" X 18" mixed media on paper

Here's a figure study I did today, and decided to mix it up a little since I was rummaging through all of my stuff in my studio, and then started thinking about how it's been a long time since I did any mixed media work or studies, so I had some fun with the mixed media.

I have been doing a lot of figure work lately because not only is it vital for me to continue working with figure models just to keep overall skills honed -- it gives me a little different, edgier mindset than when I do landscapes.  Landscapes are my mental escape, where I build a little world for myself and occupy it.  Figure work is different -- it's like the landscape is someone else's body, and all of the interesting shades and textures are the grass and leaves and sky, but ultimately, they bring a different energy to that "landscape" that can never be fully mine, so the exploration is much different.

I have been working on my ongoing still life series, but now I have shows coming up, and have a new series that I will begin to pick up where I left off a few years ago -- my figurative, social realist study of "Rural American Youth" -- a continuation, this time second generation.  That fills me with wonder and excitement at this new little group of children and their emergence and growth -- like little flowers in the sun -- so much beauty and promise and hope.  God is good and life is beautiful, even through all of it's ups and downs.

~Enjoy!

Study of young female nude

"Study of young female nude" pencil on hot pressed paper, 14" X 18" by Hilary J. England

Here is an hour long study I did in pencil, of a new model.  The pose was interesting, and I always like new poses to "shake things" up a bit.  I usually don't work in pencil, but I also like using mediums I don't usually use to keep things fresh.

~Enjoy

Study of female nude in shadow

"Study of female nude in shadow" by Hilary J. England

11" X 14" conte on Ingres paper

I did this study today, it took a little over an hour.  I am just getting back into the swing of regular figure drawing again, and it has been very satisfying. I look forward to regular figure drawing now that I found this group online, and I can access literally whenever.

Of course, I won't forget my L-O-V-E of plein air painting.  This is just a bonus for me :-)

Study of female nude

30 minute study of female nude, Conte on Ingres paper, 11" X 14", by Hilary J. England

I found an artist's group that actually does figure drawing online. Go figure!  Now, the model comes to you, for free, wherever you want!! It's a novel concept, and although I prefer working from a live model, this was interesting, and is at least something I can do when I can't make it to a group session down in Bethlehem.

I was able to jump into this session for the last 1/2 of a 3 hour session.  I love that they have sessions this long, and that you can photo the pose to continue afterwards.  It's been very hard to find a group outside of going to Manhattan that will have those long, single pose sessions.  I'm looking forward to be able to do some more involved figure drawing with this group.  It will be interesting to see how it goes with translating it from seeing the pose on my TV, rather than in person.  I mean, I have a 60 inch TV, so when she poses, it's about the same ratio as when a live model poses in front of me, distance wise.

Again, interesting!!!

Enjoy :-)