Fresh Shrimp

6 x 6

oil on Ampersand panel

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This was one of the many roadside markets we saw while driving though the Lowcountry of South Carolina.  I guess fresh shrimp is the main feature of this particular stand, although I only saw the lovely, colorful fruits and veggies.  Determined to keep my strokes loose, I had to force my hand away from my tiny detail brushes again and again, although I gave in to using it on the signs and a couple other spots. 

Benediction

9 x 12

Oil on Panel

I have been wanting to paint this beautiful statue for some time.  Her serene expression and open arms offer a sense of peace and acceptance that I've always loved.  When a "Statue Challenge" was offered on Daily Paintworks  I was happy to have the excuse to finally get to it. 

I'm All Ears

 6 x 6

oil on Ampersand cradled canvas textured board

I painted this image of Kitty Pie once before on a 20 x 30 canvas, but this time condensed it onto a 

6 x 6 format to paint during the recent workshop using Dreama Tolle Perry's transparent oil technique and a much looser stroke.  It was tricky to get used to using a size 12 flat brush instead of my standby pointy size 1 or 2 on such a small painting, but again - liberating! Even with the broader strokes, I think this captures Kitty's delusion that she's a princess and we're her staff.

As with most child celebrities, she got used to having cameras in her face at an early age.  Not that she cooperates all the time, or usually, since she's, well, ...a cat.

Growing

 12 x 12

oil on Ampersand panel

12 x 12

oil on Ampersand cradled panel

I'm just back from the wonderful experience of attending Dreama Tolle Perry's workshop.  She is an amazing artist and instructor, providing great information for both your artistic journey and for your soul.  I came away feeling more focused, excited, and blessed than I could have imagined and can't wait to get back to the easel.  These paintings the result of the first two days during which the entire class painted the same image. Everyone did a lovely job, each with their own flavor. 

Dreama was incredible.  I'm so impressed by her vigilance and attention to each artist, rounding constantly, providing advice, affirmation, and encouragement, and her own philosophy and business sense.  It was like an artist's revival meeting.

The workshop took place in Carmel, Indiana, in the heart of the Arts and Design District.  It's a beautiful community just north of Indianapolis, with enough galleries, restaurants, and shopping to keep you occupied.  The building we were in was architecturally beautiful with huge windows where we could see and be seen by the shoppers and residents strolling by all day.  The only unfortunate thing was the weather as that part of Indiana got a little sampling of the nasty stuff blowing through the midwest this week, but not enough to slow us down.

For purchase information for Sunbrella, contact The Castle Gallery

The Red Turban

9 x 12

oil on masonite

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I painted this today on a whim and I love how it turned out.  This is from a photograph posted by Carol Marine on Daily Paintworks.  I couldn't resist the chance to do a classic "woman at her bath" painting so thank you Carol for providing the great material!

In the Between

16 x 20

0il on canvas

This was painted from a photo I took in the late afternoon, in late summer, or else very early evening, in early fall.  The little surprise bursts of color and the contrasts of cools and warms and brights and shadows created a great image.  I started this with a plan to paint it as a companion to my painting "Sentinel", but followed my instincts to get loose with it.  It seriously flowed and the whole process was completed within a few hours, not my usual modus operandi.  I have to send out a big thank you to Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam for their great album, Ten. Turn's out to be perfect music to paint to.  And drive to, and belt out with in the shower.  Good music.

Sentinel

16 x 20

oil on canvas

"For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver"  Martin Luther

Roger

6 x 6

oil on panel

I'm really happy with this little portrait of our friend Roger - there was a lot of great stuff to work with.  I loved all the light and shadows on his very expressive face, and expected to have some problems pulling it off but it was maybe one of the funnest paintings I've ever done. Roger is an outdoors guy, a runner and cyclist as well as a real humanitarian. 

Carmen

8" x 10"

oil on panel

 

 My very sweet friend Carmen and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon in Bluffton, South Carolina, on a day that they just happened to be holding a community art festival and one of the galleries was even serving wine in plastic cups!  It was so much fun walking around with our wine, taking pictures and looking at art, and most of all being in such great company.  So this is for you Carmen!

Let's not talk about resolutions

6 x 6

0il

This didn't work.  I wiped it off several times and several more times, worked on it until I lifted the paint back off with my brush.  Today, I was determined to win this fight, but in the end, stopped trying to capture the likeness and just got good and loose. I liked the eyes and the ear, so that's something.

I have let painting fall aside for a couple of months in favor of a trip to Austin and a nice long visit with my son and all the activities of the holidays, but now it's time to get back in shape.  I've probably said this before, but for me, painting is like exercise - the more you do it, the easier it gets.  This little painting was like really painful sit-ups at first, but now I'm going to walk it off and do some more.

Playground

16 x 20

oil on canvas

For awhile now I've been determined to finish up half-done projects and this is the last of the paintings.  I started this sometime toward the beginning of summer as part of a "where I live" project with online painting friends.  Our town was established at the  convergence of three rivers so we have plenty of playgrounds for our kayaking passion.  I took a lot of liberties with this depiction since we live in a subdivision and I replaced our neighbors with trees.  And this is our pond, not the river we like to use which is a couple of miles away.  But the important components are here.  

And speaking of kayaks, if you've never tried one - you should treat yourself.  It feels a little like flying and it doesn't do your arm muscles any harm either.  It's a week away from Thanksgiving and we're still getting out there!  In northern Indiana! 

Whitewalled

11 x 14
oil on panel
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As a northerner, we have our share of pretty trees, but nothing like the beautiful specimens we saw along the beach in South Carolina.  The staggering drama of those curvy branches against the blue-blue sky and the stark sun bleached stucco walls of this house was inspiring. 

Priscilla

6 x 6

oil on panel

Ever since our mug project, I've wanted to do little mini portraits of all the people in my life that I love and hang them together in our home.  Now that I have time, I'm going to set a goal of doing all of our immediate family before Christmas.  This is our Priscilla.  She is such a beauty and so easy to paint - the perfect model. 

Skipping a Beat

11 x 32

oil on canvas

Clouds are so cool.  They provoke so many memories and so many images for me.  When I see an beautiful expansive sky I think of  paintings by N.C.Wyeth, and Maxfield Parrish, or of The Simpsons, or Joni Mitchell, or simply of childhood moments of laying in the grass and looking up.  I don't have a lot of experience painting them myself, so this was another journey of discovery and it was fun.  Painting the long stretch of land in the middle suggests an EKG tracing with a moment of asystole (flatline) which then resumes the heartbeat, thus the name.  After all, really pretty skies do that to me.

Sydney

8 x 10

Oil on panel

I've had a long dry spell from painting throughout the summer and fall, due mostly to being too tired after work and too busy catching up with other things on days off.  Happily, starting this week, I have taken a new position that enables me to cut way back on my hours to the point I am considering myself semi retired, at least for now.  It's so exciting to have time for friends and spontaneity and ART!  To kick it off - I did this little painting for a friend of her sweet baby girl, Sydney, to go with one I did of her big brother a couple of years ago when he was about this age.