Surface of the Sun 2, 12 x 24", Oil/Canvas, © Cedar Lee, All Rights Reserved

I’m enamored with fire. Not in a pyromaniac way, I assure you–just in appreciation of its fluid beauty. There is both wildness and elegance in the constantly shifting quickness of licking flames. So painting the sun close-up is fun for me.

Painting this has made me fall in love–I can tell you I’ll be reluctant to part with this one.

Surface of the Sun, 20 x 20", Oil/Canvas, ©2012 Cedar Lee

Here is me holding the painting in my home studio, to give you an idea of its scale:

Pollination:

Pollination, 24 x 72", Oil/Canvas, © Cedar Lee

This painting is 2 separate panels, meant to be hung with a couple inches of space between them:

I wasn’t sure about the title at first. I don’t think there is literal pollination happening between the two trees here. I intended it as a love connection of sorts, or a communication of life force between the two beings. Then I considered that since they are trees, “pollination” is an appropriate description, if not a literal one.

This painting is very large, and you can’t really get a feeling for the scale of it just looking at photos, but here’s an idea of how it might look on a large wall in an open, airy room:

The second painting is titled “Deep Roots.” I was inspired to paint it after reading a book to my son, “I Can Name 50 Trees Today!: All About Trees,” part of the “Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That” series. (Side Note: “All About Sea Creatures” is also good.) Anyway, the page about the Wild Fig tree states: “Nearly 400 feet deep grow the roots of this fig. That’s almost as deep as this oil-drilling rig.”

Incidentally, based on the scale of the tree and its roots in my painting, the roots I painted are probably only 150-200 feet deep, if that. But still visually impressive! This ties into my recurring theme of yin and yang, heaven and earth, and balance in general: we tend to think of trees as reaching upwards into the sky, but in reality, they also reach down into the earth just as much, or many times more.

Deep Roots, 20 x 20", Oil/Canvas, © Cedar Lee

I’ve now experienced both–an in-home studio, and and out-of-home studio, and I want the best of both worlds–I want a back yard studio. Literally in my back yard, a small outbuilding separate from my home. That way I can walk out the door, walk into another door, and be at work. Kinda like having a studio space somewhere else, but without any commute time. And, kinda like working at home, but in a private and focused space, without small children wandering in and getting into my art supplies.

Do you remember Clare’s art studio in The Time Traveler’s Wife??

I recently discovered a company called Studio Shed and have been drooling over their website.

A Studio Shed

I’ve been eyeballing prefab garden cottages and yurts as well. Then of course there is the adventure of building something myself. A Google Image search for “Small Art Studio” provides lots of inspiration.

Obviously I’ll be limited by a budget and/or time and energy for this project when the time comes–there are always limitations. But dreaming is the first step! Assuming my family’s next home has a suitable build site for such a space (it’s a good assumption–we’re working on that) what do you think? What kind of studio would you put there?

All about doing work on commission:

And all about getting feedback, specifically where to go for useful feedback, and the importance (or lack thereof) feedback should take in your mind:

Sunburst 3, 10 x 24" (3 panels), Oil/Canvas, © Cedar Lee

For this painting, I chose to work in a color palette of gold, green, blue and violet. The clouds over the green mountains are so strongly silhouetted by the sun that they almost look black. Flocks of faraway birds soar through the sun’s rays, which fill the entire sky.

Close-up of left panel:

Center:

And right:

I am living in one of the most beautiful places on Earth–Southern California! The mountain vistas here are awe-inspiring. The warm breezes and sunshine are delicious. Just being here is like being on vacation every day.

And of course, I complain about how dry it is and how much I miss hiking in the lush woodlands of Maryland and other places that have more rainfall. But that’s okay–that longing  is good fodder for paintings.

Here are my 2 newest paintings in my Green Trees Series. Both are 20 x 20″ oils on canvas: “Sunwashed” and “Filtered Light.” They are on their way to a gallery in North Carolina.

Sunwashed, 20 x 20", Oil/Canvas, © Cedar Lee

Filtered Light, 20 x 20", Oil/Canvas, © Cedar Lee

Sunburst 2

Oil on 3 canvas panels, total size: 10 x 24″

Here are close-ups of the 3 panels:

Left:

Center:

Right:

And what this painting might look like in a room:

Today was the reception for a group art show I’m part of: “Paint & Pints” at Aztec Brewery in Vista, CA. There was a huge turnout! The show will be up through tomorrow if you’re in the area and would like to go see it.

Here’s me with my two little ones at the reception, cracking up over something funny. You can see my painting “Stellar Inferno” directly behind me, and to its left, on top, “Stardust.”

Pink Lotus

12 x 16″, Oil/Canvas

Happy Valentine’s Week, Love to All!

It is painted on 3 separate panels, each 10 x 8″, for a total size of 10 x 24″. Oil on canvas, and the canvases are gallery wrapped with the painting continuing onto the 3/4″ deep edges.

I was inspired to paint the sun bursting through clouds after seeing this beautiful sky recently while driving.

Here are close-ups of the 3 panels.

Left:

Center:

Right:

I just returned home from a long weekend in beautiful San Francisco, where I attended my younger brother’s wedding at City Hall (this was just the legal part of their wedding, as they are also having a wedding celebration later this year.) Ate a lot of good food.

Huge congrats to my brother and my new sister-in-law! Aren’t they beautiful and adorable?

Here’s me being a proud sister: