Linda Blondheim Art Studio Landscapes of the South

Town and Country Farm
8x10 inches
oil on panel

500.00
shipping 15.00

Purchase HERE

Art Notes Blog HERE


Painters Tip

Today I have a few tips for framing.

I use metal leaf frames because that's what my gallery dealers and patrons like the best. Often the rabbit area of the frame will have gold or silver leaf stuck in it. When you put your painting in the frame and then later remove it to put in other paintings, you painting will have strips of gold or silver on the front. Not good!! I have learned to turn over the new frames back side up and to wipe the rabbit out with either Q-tips or a paper towel. Scrubbing the rabbit out good will remove the metal leaf and keep your paintings clean.


I like to use mirror hangers or D-Rings as they are sometimes called, on my frames. They are stronger than eye screws and they allow the frame to hang flat against the wall. It is also better to use plastic coated framing wire. It will last much longer and not become stretched out and brittle.

Save the cardboard corners which come with ready made frames. I just reinstall them on any frames I need to transport to galleries or shows. Just staple them back on and carefully tear them off. They can be reused several times.

Sometimes I will get frames which are just slightly too large for the painting. A gap shows between the edge of the painting and the frame rabbit. To solve this problem use very narrow strips of foam board, which are cut to the depth of the rabbit. Glue them into the frame at the bottom and the picture will fit fine, not slipping down too far into the frame. You can also use tiny strips of mat board doubled or tripled, depending on how deep you need it.

For pastels, you can use slightly recessed strips of foam board or mat board glued to the inside of your mat, which will act as a spacer between the surface of the pastel and the mat.

To protect the thin metal frames which paper media artists use, go to the hardware store and buy the foam pipe protectors. They slide over the four sections of the frame, protecting it from damage.

Linda Blondheim Art Studio Landscapes of the South

Lone Pine
8x10 inches
alla prima on location

See my paintings HERE

Art Notes HERE

Studio News

Plein Air Monthly Class
March 15, 2008 Saturday
9 AM
Kanapaha Gardens
State Road 24 (Archer Road)
Gainesville, Florida

Studio Monthly Class
Sunday March 16, 2008
Linda's Studio
near Lacrosse off SR 121 North

Email me if interested lindablondheim12@hotmail.com


Painters Tip

Painting Water


There are three basic elements to consider when painting water: color, rhythm and movement.

Water is constantly moving from the influence of wind, waves and direction of flow due to gravity. Creeks and rivers flow according to what is under the surface. Natural breaks occur due to rocks, limbs, shallow areas like sand bars, causing the water to break and flow around them in areas. Deep water generally flows slower with a smoother surface, its reflections mirroring the colors of the sky and of the trees and land elements. Shallow areas flow over stones, sand and debris on the bottom. The result is a series of broken reflections. Broken strokes of paint in various colors pick up the above water elements as well as debris under the surface.

The depth of the water creates its own color. In nature water is almost never simply one color, instead it tends to pick up some of the land colors and is often darker and bluer in the deeper areas. As it becomes shallow, it picks up more of the land colors. The color of the water is subject to the light of the day and the type of water. A clear overhead light creates a dominant blue in clean water. The surf can be gray, blue, or green depending on the light and time of day.

Particles suspended in the water reflect more light, creating an overall lighter tone in fresh and shallow water. On the surface, shadow areas from objects immediately adjacent to the water tend not to reflect the object, but rather offer a view under the surface. This is due to the object blocking the reflection of the sky. The reflection of the sky on the surface of water is often a darker reflection of what you see in the sky, however, often the distant water is a bit lighter than water close to you.

The important thing is to break the water into the patterns and colors you see, rather than simply swishing a brush back and forth to pretend you are painting water. Don't think of water as water. Think of it as patterns value, color, shape and light.