Jill Millward Artwork

Crestline II

I had a little bit of time today so I went up into the foothills to paint. It was clear out but cold so I sat in the back of my little SUV with the tailgate open and painted. It was a nice little set up. This painting is 8×10″ and I held it in my lap as I painted.

I am enjoying doing a small painting each day and trying different compositions. I’ve done this composition several times making small changes each time, taking what I learned from one into the next.

Black Capped Chickadee

Baby Jackrabbit

I’m officially nuts. I took my paints with me to my kids piano lessons (which are one hour each) and painted 2 little 4×4″ jackrabbits while I listened to their lessons. I usually draw or knit and sometimes I do yoga on the floor. We are lucky to have a wonderful and open minded teacher. Anything goes. Isn’t this bunny fun? I like how little it is. It will look good with the adult jackrabbit that I’m 90% done with.

Still Life with Birds

8×24″ oil on canvas

This was a lot of fun to paint. I had been eyeing a pile of tree trimmings across the street for at least a week and today I dragged them into my studio and painted them and then added some birds.

Robin

A fat little Robin. I like the mossy post he’s standing on. 4×4″

Birds

I painted these little 4×4″ birds today for my show.

Wildhorse Ranch

Foothills East

I carted my painting stuff out into the foothills today to paint this tree on the hillside.

I’m trying to figure out landscape painting right now, lots to learn. There is always something new to tackle. I want to figure out painting a landscape/cityscape. So you’d see the foothills with Boise in the distance. I think I’ve tried it 3 times now. I haven’t really suggested buildings in the distance yet. That’s what I’m going to tackle next. I think I’ve figured out how to make it look like there are a bunch of trees and stuff in the valley.

I’m getting ready for my holiday open studio show/sale. I’m going to do it with 3 other artists on my street. I hope the locals here will like these little Plein air paintings I’ve been doing.

I did these 3 Plein air. I’ve found my paintings have a different and to me more interesting look when I paint on location. It feels more authentic when the painting is only filtered through my eyes rather than through a camera and then my interpretation. Although I don’t think there’s anything wrong with working from photographs.