Libby Caldwell - Edge of the Garden

Oil on Canvas, 18" x 24"
As this painting evolved I painted out areas of background and foreground accentuating the figure. I wouldn't usually eliminate distance in a painting, but in this case I used the dark area as a sharp contrast against the sunlit flowers.

Libby Caldwell - The Brave Little Boxer

Oil on Panel, 18" x 24"
Had great fun painting this dog - especially his face. I handled the painting of the face with short squishy strokes - rather like the shape and feel of the face itself. The water was painted surprisingly fast using thin paint. I used a palette of 6 colors.

Libby Caldwell - Off Route 1

Oil on panel, 9 x 9.5, $210


I don't always approach a painting the same way. Sometimes I start with a charcoal sketch, followed by blocking in of color. Sometimes I'll do a tonal underpainting, and paint multiple glazes over it. I started this piece with a reference photo, and made no preliminary sketching on the panel before painting. This is the way I love to paint, it's exciting, I have a feeling of freedom while I paint as there is no 'plan' and there are no guidelines - just a blank panel or canvas. It is immediate, and I paint the world I see in my imagination.
So, in this painting I did keep the two figures accurate that were in the photograph. There were trees, but the scale and the colors, and the removal of superfluous items from the photo all made the very personal image I have painted. I was aiming for the 'feeling' rather than the 'reality' in this particular piece.


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Playing on the Beach

Libby Caldwell, Oil on Canvas, 9 x 12, (SOLD)
A young boy and his dog were playing on the beach in England. I had been sketching them for a while when the mother came to check on them. I used an unusual combination of one warm color, three blues, and white for this painting.

In the Potato Patch

Libby Caldwell, Oil on Canvas, 9 x 12, SOLD
The late afternoon sunlight seems amplified as it shines through the plastic bag, making it the lightest and brightest form in this painting. The figures and the foliage are dappled in softer light.