FLORIDA SUNRISE

This past week I have been enjoying working on several small paintings of the surf. This morning, my friend Donna and I drove to the beach at 7:00 a.m. to take photos. It has been many years since I was there that early and I forgot how peaceful and wonderful it is in the early morning. Only a few people were around, just the birds and the sun and the wonderful surf rolling in. We took many, many photos and I hurried home to see how they turned out. I painted two of them this afternoon. Donna and I made a commitment to return soon for another Florida sunrise over the surf.

This is one of my paintings from today. 8x10 oil on canvas panel. It is in my Etsy store available for purchase.

I got interested in doing seascapes. I was at the beach with my camera and was inspired by all the beautiful blues and greens in the water. I did 3 8x10's and 4 5x7's, so far. This is the first one I did and probably my favorite.

NOT YOUR MAMA'S FRUIT BOWL!

A few days ago, I decided that I was a still life painter. So then I decided, if I am going to paint still life, I'm going to do it my way. I am not sure too many people would want this on their wall, or if the background overwhelms the fruit, but I kind of like it! I am open to suggestions. If you want to buy it, it's on my Etsy page.

SWAN REFLECTIONS, SOLD

Until a few years ago, I was a runner. Now, with back problems and a bad knee, I walk for exercise. There is one special route I like, no traffic and no scary dogs. While walking this route I pass a pond with two lovely swans. Usually I go in the morning and they just sparkle in the sunlight. This is a pastel I did of one. It is 9x11, matted to 16x18.

9x11 pastel matted to 16x18

inc. shipping in US $99.00Option 2 $99.00Option 3 $99.00

THE MOST WONDERFUL GRANDDAUGHTER IN THE WORLD!

Yesterday was a fun day. We went to ArtiGras, the big art festival in Palm Beach County, FL where my granddaughter was a finalist in the student division. She was fortunate enough to win FIRST PLACE of all 8th grades! I am so very proud of her. In October she was named student of the month at her middle school of over 1200 students. Enough bragging, the photos are her winning artwork and her very proud art teacher and his lovely daughter. Don't know who the cow is.

PEARS AND CANDLESTICK,SOLD

I don't know why, but, as I painted this I was getting tighter and tighter, a problem I don't usually have. It may have been a result of trying to get the candlestick look symmetrical, but I like to blame it on my friend, Denette. I tell her she is rubbing off on me! That would not be a bad thing, click on her name to check out her artwork, you will be truly amazed!

GAY FAULKENBERRY DEMO

I am still trying to recover from the most exhausting three day workshop I have ever encountered. All that thinking and trying to unlearn everything I know about painting only to relearn it in the manner that Gay paints! Wow, I still feel like a bus hit me! Could there be an artist out there that was more opposite of me than Gay? I think not. New pallet to learn, puzzle painting when I block in big and paint in layers, all those beautiful greys when we all know I thrive on color. And of course the biggy, plein air instead of being safe and sound in my studio, painting off my computer monitor. Makes me break out in a cold sweat again, just to think about it. Actually, I really enjoyed the experience and Gay is a fantastic artist and person. I would recommend this workshop to all.

WILTED TULIPS BY KELLIE HILL

I have been very lucky lately, first by having the wonderful artist Annie Salness paint my portrait in the Karin Jurick challenge, and now, I have won this terrific painting from an artist who's work I admire. Kellie Hill hosted a painting give away on her blog and I was fortunate enough to win it. This lovely painting of tulips that have seen their better days is now on my bedroom wall. Thank you Kellie, I love it! I hope you all will check out her blog. Click on the names above to go to their sites.

APPLE TOPPER SOLD

I am told that to successfully market your art, you must have a "body of work" to show. Makes sense to me, but, I could never find something that I wanted to paint over and over and over and over. I thought. Come to find out, when reviewing my paintings, I have done a predominance of still life compositions. So, I concluded, "I must be a still life painter!" Acting on that assumption, I have had a happy few weeks painting fruit. Or maybe it's just too cold to go outside and paint. Anyway this is the latest one. I wonder how long it will take me to get tired of this! Probably not too long, as I am attending a Gay Faulkenberry workshop this weekend. Enjoy!

includes shipping in US

11x14 oil on canvas $325.00Option 2 $325.00Option 3 $325.00

VIEW FROM CLINGMAN'S DOME

This is a quickie, 5x7 oil on canvas panel. It was kind of a warm up a few days ago. Little did I know I would spend twice the time trying to photograph it as I did painting it! I don't know how many photos I took, under different conditions and lighting, I STILL GET GLARE!!!!! and it is still there, and I give up.

It is a view from Clingman's Dome which is the tallest mountain in the Smokies.

inc. shipping to US

5x7 oil on canvas panel $39.95 Option 2 $39.95 Option 3 $39.95

PEPPERS, ARTICHOKES AND ONIONS

I took photos today of two or three new paintings that I have been trying to finish up, and when I loaded them on the computer, they all had major glare problems. So,rather than not put up a new post, I am, once again posting one of my older pastels. This one is kind of interesting because I glued a type of hand-made paper all over and then worked the pastel over it. This is the only photo I have, and it is actually a detail which doesn't show the most interesting part of the collage effect. I did this technique two or three times,and they were a great success. I really need to buckle down and do a few more. I hope you enjoy it. If you are interested in purchasing, please e-mail me for details of price and size.