Title

Abiquiu Cottonwood Pencil Study 5x8

Size

5x8

Price

NFS

Study in pencil to use as a reference for.a larger oil painting. Note the armature marks in the study. The armature is a golden spiral armature with an expanded dynamic symmetry grid. There are four possible focal points with one near the trunks of the tree. I will highlight that area in the painting, using contrasting light and color. The reference photo is a Cottonwood in the fall along the Chama River near the dam with a beautiful backdrop of the deep red rocks. I intend to do many studies of trees as a preparation for the August Workshop on Trees.

Title

Georgia's Spires 9x12

Size

9x12

Price

$500

Painted behind Georgia's house at Ghost Ranch.

Title

Diablo Canyon 8x16

Size

8x16

Price

inquiries

Painted en plein air at Diablo Canyon, down a 7 mile waterboard dirt road near our home in Santa Fe. Utilized the 2:1 Dynamic Symmetry Armature (some pencil marks still showing).

Armature =>

Title

HANDELL, Elusive, 16x20

Size

16x20

Price

Title

HANDELL, Elusive, 16x20 wirh Dynamic Symmetry

Size

16x20 5:4 Aspect Ratio

Price

Title

HANDELL, Deep Woods, 28x28, OPA Silver Award

Size

28x28

Price

Title

HANDELL, Deep Woods, 28x28, OPA Silver Award, Dynamic Symmetry Armature

Size

28x28 1:1 Aspect Ratio;

Price

Combines two dynamic symmetry armatures with proportions 1:2.

Title

HALBERT Santa Fe River Turbulence Informal Subdivision

Size

10x16 1.6 near-PHI Aspect Ratio

Price

This is an older painting that was designed using a golden spiral with the upper right polar point on the top of the waterfall as the focal point. Rocks were placed in the water along the spiral path to draw the viewer’s eye around and up to the waterfall. To analyze the use of informal subdivision here, I constructed the armature according to the Andrew Loomis guidelines, but intentionally chose the initial horizontal/vertical/diagonal triad to match the “golden point” on the upper left. Gift to my son and familly. They chose this painting as their favorite.

Title

HANDELL Lakeway Grotto 12x16

Size

12x16

Price

Title

HANDELL Lakeway Grotto 12x16 with Dynamic Symmetry

Size

12x16 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Price

Title

HANDELL At the Interior Falls 18x24

Size

18x24

Price

Title

HANDELL At the Interior Falls with Dynamic Symmetry Armature, 18x24

Size

18x24 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Price

Title

HANDELL Rocks and Water 12x16 with Dynamic Symmetry Armature 12x16

Size

12x16 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Price

Demonstrated in the Weekend with Handell and Halbert 0 Dynamic Symmetry Meets Intuitive Composition.

Title

HANDELL Rocks and Water 12x16

Size

12x16

Price

Demonstrated in the Weekend with Handell and Halbert

Title

HANDELL Quarry Falls 12x16 with Dynamic Symmetry Armature, 12x16

Size

12x16. 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Price

In his Intuitive Composition Book published in 1988, Albert refers to Dynamic Symmetry, describing the theory as important but impractical. It's interesting to see how this Master Artist designs his paintings, intuitively aligning with Dynamic Symmetry, which is based on mathematical principles of similar rectangles and rebated squares.

The waterfall aligns with a main diagonal.
The top of the waterfall aligns with the dotted diagonal of a rebated square. Can you see this? What else do you see?
Other points of interest:
Horizontal lines through intersections hellp guide the artist for horizon an other lines such as the top of the water or cliffs.

Title

HANDELL Quarry Falls 12x16

Size

12x16

Price

Example used for the Weekend with Handell and Halbert workshop

Title

Clliff Study 9x12

Size

9x12

Price

NFS (yet)

Continuing the series with more abstract landscapes.. Highlights to be added.

Title

Los Alamos Cliff Tops Study

Size

9x12

Price

NFS

En plein air. 80% done. White lines added to show the Expaded Dynamic Symmetry Armature used while painting. We found a great painting spot on the "treacherous" highway up to Los Alamos, by pulling off the road and using 4-wheel drives to climb a short hill. We were then on top of the cliffs facing the Jemez Mountains in the disctance.. In this way, we avoided the noise and the feeling of danger as trucks speed by.

Title

Turbulent Lands Los Alamos Study

Size

12x16

Price

NFS

En plein air. 80% done. This painting was used as a study for other paintings on this site: Turbulent Lands and others. White lines added to show the Expaded Dynamic Symmetry Armature used while painting. We found a great painting spot on the "treacherous" highway up to Los Alamos, by pulling off the road and using 4-wheel drives to climb a short hill. We were then on top of the cliffs across from this scene. In this way, we avoided the noise and the feeling of danger as trucks speed by.

Title

Abstraction En Plein Air

Size

10x16 Near Golden Ratio

Price

$600

Painted at the edge near the popular Chama Overlook, but away from the traffic. I used a squeegee extensively, following the Expanded Dynamic Symmetry lines drawn in pencil on the panel with a superimposed golden spiral to guide me in the placement of important elements - to draw the viewer's eye around the canvas. I intend to continue with a series of such landscapes.

Inquiries: call the Karen Wray Fine Art Gallery - (505) 660-6382: www.karenwrayfineart.com.

Title

Abstract #1 in Raw Umber and Van Dyke Brown

Size

9x12

Price

Painted in the studio on a gessoboard with a Squeegee (window washer), Caralyst Wedge and Brushes. Exploring the techniques that I first heard about years ago from Charlie Hunter, of Bellows Fall fame.

Title

Arizona Spring

Size

9x12

Price

$500

"En plein air" at the Otero Ranch (aka Tubac Golf Course) in Tubac. Moved to Studies since I cropped the top of the large tree. See "Recent" works.

Title

Moonlight in Hawaii-after Roy Tabora

Size

16x12

Price

Following along with Roy Tabora.

Title

High Desert Colors Watercolor

Size

12x16 on Arches Archival Paper (140 lb, rough(

Price

NFS

Title

PHI Description

Size

Price

Title

Abstract #2 - 2019

Size

5x7

Price

TBD

(See also the wiped version. Which do you like best?) Experimenting with a limited palette: Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Red Light, Primary Magenta Ultramarine Blue and Phthalo Green and Titanium White (all Cobra Water-mixable Oils). Cadmium Yellow is useful for all warms. Both reds often result in the same tones when adding white and even the purples are similar when adding Ultramarine Blue. The purple from the Magenta and Blue is more vivid than with Cad Red Light. Magenta results in a brighter pink when adding white. The Cad Red Light yields a more subtle warm grey when mixed appropriately with either UB or P Green. Could I live without one of these reds for landscapes? i will do a few studies to determine this. The Phthalo and Blue yield different shades of blue when adding white (the green becomes a paler blue green). They both make darks when adding the Magenta. Or even adding the CRL. I willl be posting the color charts based on these 5 colors shortly on my blog, karenhalbert.blogspot.com.

Title

Abstract #2 - wiped

Size

5x7

Price

Wiped out version of Abstract #2. I felt that the palette knife work was not effective here. Compare with its original and let me know what you think.

Title

Abstract #3

Size

8x13

Price

500

A Mathematician paints.Landscape-inspired Abstract # 3 for 2019, oil, palette knife, 8x13, 13/8 = 1.625 is a rational approximation to the golden mean (1.618..., an irrational number). Water Mixable oil (Cobra). Limited Palette: Cad Yellow Medium, Cad Red Light, Primary Magenta, Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Green and Titanium White. Palette Knife Only thickly applied. Mosaic Tessellation.

Title

Study Stage 1

Size

18x24

Price

NFS

First layer block-in with palette knife and towel using water and drier as thinner. Dried fairly quickly, within a day. #paletteknife, #waterbased, #paptertowel, #expandedpalette Scene: Santa Rita Mountains in Arizona with Ocotillo to come. Large painting based on several smaller 8x10 paintings.

Title

Study Stage 2

Size

18x24

Price

NFS

Second stage block-in. Adding layer (with palette knife and towel ) on top of a dried first layer. #paletteknife, #waterbased, #paptertowel, #expandedpalette Scene: Santa Rita Mountains in Arizona with Ocotillo to come.

Title

Canyon Colors II

Size

11x14

Price

NFS

Title

Chama Cliff Detail

Size

8x6

Price

300

Painted in the studio from a cropped photograph of the Chama Cliffs near Ghost Ranch. Also from a Plein Air painting.

Title

High Desert Colors V

Size

8x13 (framed 13x18)

Price

500

Golden Rectangle proportion; note part of the fibonacci series: 1,1,2,3,5,8,13. I painted over this one for the final result: Land Abstraction I (currently on the Recent page).

Title

River Turbulence Study

Size

9x12

Price

Study based on an original plein air oil painting. I wasn't happy with the result using palette knife with thick paint so I wiped it out (carefully, one area at a tie) and ended up liking the result seen here. I will continue working on this.

Title

Santa Fe River Turbulence II

Size

9x12

Price

500

Based on the Plein Air piece of the same name. Palette knife primarily.. As I painted this I was remembering the babble of the rushing creek/river while analyzing the turbulent flow. Turbulence is a favorite topic of Mathematicians, whether in air or water.

Title

Luminous Lands III 9x12

Size

9x12

Price

Inquiries: karen.halbert@gmail.com.

The light illuminates the cliffs and land of the Southwest.

Dynamic Symmetry Grid with Added Rabatment lines.The intent was that the upper right cliff ‘polar’ point would be the focal point, the left part of the right line of cliffs. A main diagonal leads up to this cliff. The bushes along the hillside seem to lead up to this point also, as do the bushes at the bottom of the left-hand group of cliffs. Also, the top of the left-hand mountain ridge leads down to this focal point, especially as a curve was introduced that brings the eye down toward the focal point.

Anatomy of a Painting .

Armature =>

Title

Step 1: Turbulent Winds III

Size

12x16

Price

NFS

First sketch for final Turbulent Winds III painting. Divided up the canvas using Informal Subdivision - though the lines are barely visible. Sketched out the main concept with Vandyke Brown. Scrubbed in the colors seen here with a brush.

Title

Step 2: Turbulent Winds III

Size

12x16

Price

Continued to brush in paint but began to use a palette knife. Decided to add in the mountain background to this larger version of the inspiration for this series.

Title

Step 3: Turbulent Winds III

Size

12x16

Price

NFS

First day's progress. Let it sit overnight before making judicious improvements. See final version on the Available page. NOTES: need to vary the trunk and main limbs of this tree to make them more interesting. Need to decide if it's okay to use such loose palette knife strokes. Up close the painting doesn't hold up. I will look for interesting trees on our property to paint.

Title

Las Campanas II 10x16

Size

10x16

Price

$600

Golden rectangle proportions, i=Impression of the golf course at Las Campanas.

Inquiries: call the Karen Wray Fine Art Gallery - (505) 660-6382: www.karenwrayfineart.com.

Title

Georgia's Chimney Rocks 9x12

Size

9x12

Price

$500

Painted behind Georgia's house. I left some pencil marks from the Dynamic Symmetry Armature I used in the design

Title

Georgia's Cliffs I 12x16

Size

12x16

Price

$700

Painted under the cliffs near Georgia's home at Ghost Ranch.

Title

"Ghost Ranch Cliff after Okeeffe bw"

Size

10x8

Price

nfs

Black/white (tonal) version.

Title

"Ghost Ranch Cliff after Okeeffe"

Size

10x8

Price

NFS

Study of O'Keeffe's techniques with a copy of her "Ghost Ranch Cliff" painting. Careful attention to paint strokes gave way to my usual palette knife techniques. See Dry Waterfall for more successful 'copying'..

Title

"Dry Waterfall after OKeeffe"

Size

8x6

Price

NFS

Study of O'Keeffe's techniques. Use of blending and careful attention to values and tones to create volume.

Title

Luminous Lands VII

Size

8x13 Aspect Ratio PHI

Price

$450

Painting with Armature.The light infuses the cliffs and land of the Southwest. Near PHI aspect ratio. Note: 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21... is the beginning of the Fibonacci Series, whose ratios tend toward the Golden Mean, PHI = 1.618... 8 and 13 are part of this series.

Title

Diablo Canyon

Size

8x16 Aspect Ratio 2:1

Price

$550

"En Plein Air" with the Santa Fe Pleinarians at Diablo Canyon, only 12 miles up the road from my house. But the road is rough so it takes a while. Based on a Dynamic Symmetry Armature. Visit my blog for detailed posts on the use of Dynamic Symmetry Armatures and Fibonacci Spirals for compositions over the ages. Perhaps begin with the post, Basic Dynamic Symmetry Armatures (including the Golden Spiral).

Title

Tree Study 1 10x16

Size

10x16

Price

NFS

Painted in a Handell workshop as a study for our joint workshop Aug 2025

Title

Tree Sudy 1 with PHI Spiral

Size

10x16

Price

Title

Tree Study 2 12x16

Size

10x16

Price

Painted as a study in a Handell workshop to prepare for out joint Tree Workshop Aug 2025

Title

Tree Study 2 12x16 with 3 to 4 Expanded Dynamic Symmetry Armature

Size

Price