Today I finished the portrait of Courbet which was started as a demo for the San Fernando Valley art club last week.
I am mystified by what comes over me as I step into the shoes of these master artists. I feel as though I am dancing with them, getting to know them as I work and follow their footsteps. Their voices echo in the chambers of my mind with my own paintings. I want so badly to reach these very special heights with my art.
My husband asks me what I want from my art. The only answer I can give is that I want to be the very best artist I can be while I have the breath to do so.
18" x 24" Pastel on Panel
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Courbet Self Portrait, by Lorelle
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Reclining Nude
How fortunate I was to get a choice spot in my class to paint this classic example of the human form. I studied carefully the subtle skin tones and anatomy. I want more.
I would love to spend a week doing nothing but painting the figure, having full access to models, paint, and a room of master artists to discuss the work. I dream this dream.
18" x 24" Oil on Panel
Friday, May 03, 2013
Classical Reproduction in Wine
Wine painting is something I have always wanted to try doing, so when the City of Santa Clarita put out a call to artists to paint with something red, like wine or catsup etc... I jumped in.
I did this as a demo for the Red Slam event. Had a lot of fun doing it. May work at some wine events now, painting with wine : )
12" x 18" Wine on Watercolor Paper
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Mountain Splendor - Bridgeport
Another perfect day during this spring in Bridgeport. I found a stunning view of my favorite mountain which sat very nicely in my composition.
As my painting buddy Ernie always says...
It doesn't get much better than this!
11" x 14" Plein Air Study in Oil on Canvas Board
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
Life Painting - Male Nude
Drawing with Paint in my Life Painting class after about a month break.
Good to be back at this, slide back a little bit but felt pretty good about the drawing. Have to concentrate more on colorful transitions in the skin tones. Felt like good practice though.
16" x 20" Life Study
Oil on Canvas
Sunday, April 07, 2013
www.lorellemiller.comNorway Painting in progress I have begun a large with 30" x 40" oil painting. I do not usually show progression of my work, but thought it might be of interest. Teaching is my day job : ) I started with a value sketch to work out the design then continued with a light oil sketch on the panel to lay in my shapes.Today I did the color blockin to bracket my value structure. I like getting involved with a grander scale as it is a challenge to workout the passages with enough to entertain the eye, but leave enough for the view to imagine. This is a pastoral scene I photographed in Norway. It is an idealogical image of nature and a place very dear to my heart. 30" x 40" Oil on Panel
Saturday, April 06, 2013
Bridgeport - Hints of Spring
Another piece done yesterday at Bridgeport. Had not painted in a little while. Holidays and other things distracting me. It was so good to get out and work.
Maybe the break in routine was good and gave me fresh perspective and gratitude to be able to do what I love.
9" x 12" Plein Air Study
Oil on Panel
Friday, April 05, 2013
Bridgeport Beauty- Buttercream
Did this small Plein Air study in the lovely community of Bridgeport today. So many views to choose from. A beautiful little community in Santa Clarita, CA.
8" x 10" Plein Air Study
Oil on Panel
Saturday, March 23, 2013
1934 Packard - Standard Eight
Today's plein air painting done from life at the Newport Dunes Rendevous. International Packard Club.
9" x 12" Plein Air Study in Oil on Canvas
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Big Sky Elesmere Canyon
Elesmere Canyon is a spectacular new dedicated open space in Santa Clarita. I have enjoyed hiking around and exploring the area.
This is a recent Studio painting done from one of my recent trips into Elesmere Canyon. Our City is doing an exhibit to feature the area and show what exists there from an artists interpretation.
15" x 30" Oil on Panel
This is a recent Studio painting done from one of my recent trips into Elesmere Canyon. Our City is doing an exhibit to feature the area and show what exists there from an artists interpretation.
15" x 30" Oil on Panel
Monday, February 18, 2013
The Decendent
This model struck me with his intense features. He seemed Eastern European, possibly Russian.
The model said he was of Scottish decent, and was actually a direct decendent from his relative who came over on the Mayflower.
The impressions we have as artists and storytellers influence the essence of the work.
12" x 16" Life Study in Oil on Panel
The model said he was of Scottish decent, and was actually a direct decendent from his relative who came over on the Mayflower.
The impressions we have as artists and storytellers influence the essence of the work.
12" x 16" Life Study in Oil on Panel
Friday, February 08, 2013
Light Trails Elesmere Canyon
Breaking Ground as I push to paint larger, Thicker with better concept of color. It has been very difficult and I have learned a lot. Have to keep going with this, but am ready for a break. Have been working on this all month and found that I can change things a million times, but change is not meaningful if it is not moving the piece ahead.
24" x 30" Oil Painting on Panel
24" x 30" Oil Painting on Panel
Monday, February 04, 2013
Nude with Green Chair
This nude figure study was done from life during one of my head and figure painting sessions. There are times when the pose will create a sense of story with it's gesture.
A different time and place found it's way to my canvas that day as I told this story.
12" x 16" Life Study
Oil on Panel
A different time and place found it's way to my canvas that day as I told this story.
12" x 16" Life Study
Oil on Panel
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Friday, January 04, 2013
Nature's Voice
How do I possibly represent nature’s beautiful voice? I work and lament over my failures. The beauty touches me so deeply and then once I face the act of painting I am brought my to my knees as this calls me to humble myself and question how I could ever expect to bring such exhilaration to a canvas. I have faced this conundrum so many times in my art, yet I cannot give up the need to express the beauty I see in this world. The voice that reaches into the deep chords of my heart and helps me realize this life is beautiful and precious. I may try and fail, over and over again, but I will be forever grateful for the gift of sight, of voice and all the wonderment of this miraculous world.
18" x 24" Oil on Panel
18" x 24" Oil on Panel
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Silent Comedy
This is a painting I did a while ago and forgot to post.
I feel that I inadvertently created a story here, even though this was a life study. To me this model took on the feeling of the "Sad Clown".
16" x 20" Life Study
Oil on Panel
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Dream Catcher
I'm told I caught the feeling of the pose on this one, and I agree. There is a meditative quality that came through. My concentration here again was color and how to use it more successfully than before. I feel I must reenforce the concepts of color mixing over and over again. I keep trying to awaken my sensitivity to color to make it sing more.
16" x 20" Life Study in Oil on Panel
16" x 20" Life Study in Oil on Panel
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Jasmine
Catching color.
Hoping to bring more to the table. That is what I want! More always More.
16"x 20" Life Study in Oils
Hoping to bring more to the table. That is what I want! More always More.
16"x 20" Life Study in Oils
Saturday, July 07, 2012
Rock Solid
Ventured out with a few other painters to a wonderful little meadow up in the mountains of Fraizer Park.
My main objective with the couple of paintings I did were to have strong design and interesting color harmonies. They are probably color studies more than anything else.
Again the art is reflecting something about the artist...
This place which is often referred to as "Center of the Earth" has a beautiful calm about it. If I would stop long enough to let nature sooth me as I know it can.
Sometimes I wish I had days in a location where I could tune in quietly, by myself and find that balance or harmony I am looking for both in art and in my life.
For me this search in art has been rough going lately.Maybe it is the struggle to learn more and expectations I have for myself.
9" x 12" Plein Air Study in Oils on Panel
My main objective with the couple of paintings I did were to have strong design and interesting color harmonies. They are probably color studies more than anything else.
Again the art is reflecting something about the artist...
This place which is often referred to as "Center of the Earth" has a beautiful calm about it. If I would stop long enough to let nature sooth me as I know it can.
Sometimes I wish I had days in a location where I could tune in quietly, by myself and find that balance or harmony I am looking for both in art and in my life.
For me this search in art has been rough going lately.Maybe it is the struggle to learn more and expectations I have for myself.
9" x 12" Plein Air Study in Oils on Panel
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
Michael
Worked very hard to bring in more color into the flesh tones of this model. It sounds strange after all these years of painting, street painting and everything, but I feel like I am seeing a slight breakthrough in this piece. I just hope I can sustain these thoughts. I recognize how tremendously difficult painting really is every time that I really try and focus on a specific element of painting. At this moment, it is about color. I feel like I am on a new road and though it is rough going, it is also very exciting to see the results of this approach.
12' x 16" Life Study in Oils
12' x 16" Life Study in Oils
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Classic Elegance
Working on Color. An exceptionally beautiful model, reminded me to many of the classic beauties of long ago. Glad they still live among us : ) Beauty is timeless and fleeting.
12" x 16" Life Study in Oils
12" x 16" Life Study in Oils
You Can Leave Your Hat On
Concentrating on subtle, rich color while retaining a strong graphic appeal. This is a delicate dance.
12" x 16" Life Study in Oil on Panel
12" x 16" Life Study in Oil on Panel
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
The Concrete River - LA
This was the first time I painted at the LA River. I saw many other artists along this strange intertwining concrete and natural waterway.
The birds, the bent trees, the bits of trash caught along the tree branches as if they were bursting flowers caught in the flow of the rapid currents. Evidence of the coexistence of man and nature.
9" x 12" Plein Air Study in Oil on Panel
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
Sweet Christina
There are times when I paint where something magical happens. It is a precise period of time when I feel like I am going beyond the surface of the canvas and creating something beyond the illusion.
I am creating something real and tangible in paint. This brings joy to my heart when it happens. I think I would called it Bliss.
I could spend the rest of my life painting beauty like this, hoping for those moments when it all comes together.
12" x 16" Life Study in Oils
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Kelly
Have known this model since she was about 3 years old and always had the idea of painting her in the back of my mind.
14" x 18" Life Study
Oil on Panel
Monday, March 12, 2012
The Woven Braid
Some faces are so compelling. I found this true with this young model that I have worked with in the past.
My recent workshop with Rose Frantzen has found its influence in my work. I love working between the transparent and opaque pigments while gently molding the forms of her face.
I feel that I could never truly represent the beauty before my eyes, be it a landscape or a lovely model. God and nature are the only true masters. I do hope to reflect some of the beauty I see, but in truth it is an impossible task.
16" x 20" Life Study in Oils on Panel
Monday, February 20, 2012
Autumn Blaze
This painting was created using my initial plein air study and accompanying photo. I enlarged the piece to a 20" x 24" studio painting. My goal was to keep the simplicity and energy of the my first response while bringing it into a larger statement.
20" x 24" Oil Painting on Panel
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Sunday, January 01, 2012
Glimpse of Heaven
This painting has gone through many iterations to finally come to this point. It is one of those projects that I kept revisiting.
Someone asked me yesterday, how do you know when you are done with a painting?
For this one, I believe it finally has the feeling that I had when I stood in front of this actual scene in Colorado.
It was so beautiful, so serene like somewhere I could be forever on the brink of a new day.
I thought it appropriate at the beginning of this new year to have it complete. My New Year's resolution is to do more finished paintings, not just quick studies. To suffer through and explore a deeper more finished product, while attempting to keep things fresh and alive. Such a delicate balance, and so worth trying to achieve. I will set time aside to work this way.
20" x 24" Oil on Panel
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Newhall Gold
Colorful Sycamore trees stood as my models. Each leaning and twisting in a graceful pose. The sound of the wind all so restful to my ears, the feeling of outdoors. This is what I love, where I belong on this day.
I delight in these days and want for longer periods to grow deeper into this subject . To seek out it's secrets and settle into natures embrace.
9" x 12" Plein Air Painting
Oil on Panel
Monday, December 05, 2011
November's Brush
Finally back to Plein Air, which I have missed over the last month or so. I found it interesting to move back into this mindset, almost a fresh start.
I had to quiet myself down and tune in which took a bit, but I did find my hook. The painting also needed to be corralled in, as my excitement took over my choices. Once I got myself more under control, my painting moved into a more pleasing rhythm and result.
As I switch between my subjects of street painting, figure/portrait painting, and landscape/plein air painting, and stone carvingI notice how I have to reenter my process, but I see that it still works out as I remember.
8" x 10" Oil on Panel
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Lace, Grace and Pearls
A path is visible lately, a voice coming through clearly.
Synthesis of skill and aesthetic underway.
Both brought about through visions present and years of understanding.
Miles of individual strokes laid as stepping stones, which have brought me thus far.
20" x 24" Oil on Canvas Board
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
The Seven Crow Princess-after Addrienne Segur
Street Painting demonstration at the Platt Library-
This illustration is after Addrienne Segur. The Fairy Tale Book has been my favorite throughout my lifetime. Her illustrations are so beautiful and touching they mesmerize me to this very day. I would look at them for hours.
2' x 3' 1 1/2 hour Demo
The Grape Picker Streetpainting
The Grape Picker Streetpainting
Street painting performance at Pelican Hill's Festa Dell'Autunno After Eugene de Blaas- 1902
8' x 10' Pastel Street painting
Portrait of Michael Milken
Portrait I did of Michael Milken at the ULI Convention - Los Angeles Convention Center.
4' x 8' Pastel on Black Panel
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