Thursday, December 27, 2007

Apple Picking

11x 14 (?) Commission
This was commissioned by a very dear family friend as a gift for her son. I enjoyed working on it - and actually did two other paintings from the series of photos she gave me. I will post them as soon as I am finished with them!
Christmas has come and gone and I am anxious to get back into the studio! If only Christmas decorations could pack themselves away. . . .

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival - Pensacola, FL

I hate that I have not had time to paint much in the past month. Too many fall festivals and also my oldest's 10th birthday to celebrate have hindered my creative time! I did, however, dedicate alot of thought to my art. I took my 3 kids and headed to see my dear friend in Pace, FL. We went to the Arts Festival and had a wonderful time. It was so inspiring to see so many talented artists in one area. They also had a wonderful children's area.
I have started 2 paintings from my husband's Panama trip. I will post them as soon as they are done!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Panama Marlin Fishing

Acrylic 12x12 Canvas $125
This is my husband on his recent marlin fishing trip in Panama, South America. He and his friends had a phenomenal time - the fishing down there is incredible! Look for more paintings of their trip soon!

Friday, October 19, 2007

Buffalo

Acrylic 24x48 Canvas SOLD
This is the monster I worked on today. It is not quite done, their feet need work and so do their faces. Overall, I am pleased with the classic composition. I also enjoyed using some metallic paint in this one in the highlights. A friend of mine has some extraordinary artwork in her house and some of her favorite pieces have metallics in them. After a visit at her house I was inspired to incorporate some metallic paint into this painting.
Finished it today! I am happy with the end result - which is not that different from where it was in the original photo.
UPDATE: I donated this one to the Decatur General Hosital Foundation Gala. It sold at auction and now has a wonderful home with the Sheltons! I hope they love it!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Apples

Acrylic 8x16 Canvas SOLD

I painted this today. I was so excited to finally get to paint again! It has been way too long! when I get behind in my housework, I REALLY get behind! Finally , I am mostly caught up so I painted today! Look for more over the next week or so. My husband has just returned from a fishing trip in Panama South America. Can't wait to get to those images!


Sunday, September 30, 2007

I Got One!




Acrylic 11x14 Canvas SOLD


Due to circumstances beyond my control, I have not been able to paint for a week. Today, however, I let everything else go and enjoyed the beautiful day.


This is my darling niece when she was around 3. It makes me smile! You can see her proud struggle carrying that huge pumpkin! Once again, I enjoyed the texture of the sand and medium on the canvas.

the FINISHED murals









Thursday, September 20, 2007

Pickin' Pumpkins

Acrylic on Canvas 11x14 $125
I enjoyed painting this scene of my father and my younger son looking for the perfect pumpkin. I painted on texture, once again, and found the texture to be exciting and frustrating all at the same time. Look for more pumpkin patch scenes on paper over the next couple of weeks. I will be trying to work something out for a larger painting.

Pumpkin Topiary

Acrylic on Canvas 12x24 $185 SOLD

I am really enjoying trying out new textures and new subjects on the texture. I am also in the mood for fall (as if the subject of the next couple of posts should show!) Enjoy!


Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Skim Boarding

Acrylic 12x24 on canvas $250

I embraced my tendancy toward minimalism and used alot of what I learned at the workshop this weekend and painted this. This is my sweet son looking for the perfect skim with his skim board. I really love the texture!

Claire told me about how she uses sand in her paintings so I went out to the kids sandbox and scooped some into an empty parmesan container and voila! I have texture! Thanks Claire!


Monday, September 17, 2007

Photos from the Workshop






Carole Foret & Claire Kayser Destination Workshop

Acrylic on Canvas



I had a wonderful time this weekend at a Destination Workshop with twin artists Carole Foret and Claire Kayser (to see their fabulous work check out their websites and blogs - links to the left) Two of my good friends and I headed to Jackson, TN for this great workshop at the Art Under a Hot Tin Roof Gallery. I learned a ton! To sum it up:

1. The JOY of a filbert brush.

2.Toning

3. Scumbling

4. I CAN mix the paint on the canvas

5. Accentuate the dark and light highlights

6. Texture the canvas first

7. MISTAKES ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TEXTURE

8. Pallet knives are a great tool for texture


Their next one is in Rosemary Beach, FL. I highly recommend it as a fun girls weekend with some great women - as well as the opportunity to learn from these wonderful artists!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Lobster Feast

Acrylic on Canvas 20x40 $450
I painted this to hang in my kitchen. I wanted somthing whimsical to hang over an antique buffet we have. My kitchen is painted a gray purple and I think this fits in really well!
If you want it for your kitchen, however, I am sure I could let it go!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Haunting Face of Need

Watercolor 20x24
If you haven't noticed, I haven't been able to paint this week! It has really stressed me out! But, it has been for a good reason. I have been getting myself ready (and my family ready for me to be gone) to go to a painting workshop out of town this weekend with two of my closest friends! We are going to Jackson, TN to Art on a Hot Tin Roof to attend a workshop led by Carole Foret and her sister Claire Kayser. I am very excited! It will be the first painting workshop I have attended. I am hoping to come home inspired and full of ideas!
This watercolor is one I did years ago. This woman was in a magazine with an article about the poverty in her area. Her face really haunted me, so I painted it, several times. There are thousands more like her out there that we turn a blind eye to everyday.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Murals




These are murals I am working on for my niece and nephew. Both are shown in progress. They are on floor canvas and measure about 4 feet by 3.5 feet. They have been really fun to work on! I am happy to take commissions for murals on canvas, such as these. They are $550.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Daisy Mae

12x12 Pencil on Paper NFS

I couldn't post CeeCee without posting DaisyMae. She died this past November of old age (15) and kidney failure. She was my constant companion through college, she was with me when I got married and had my children. I miss her dearly. I did this pencil sketch when she was young, 1996. I didn't take it out of the frame and you can see her collar hanging on the side.


Cee Cee


Acrylic 12x12 on Paper


This is my puppy, CeeCee. I got her for myself for my birthday this past February. I have been reluctant to paint her, afraid she would look like one huge ball of yarn. This really is a good representation of her. She is one big fur ball! My daughter loves to coordinate their ponytails - one or two, and what color the holder will be. CeeCee is constantly at my feet or in my lap. She is my first small dog. My husband thinks she is more like a cat - and there really are alot of similarities. (Like her favorite place to sleep is on the pillow over my head!)





Thursday, September 6, 2007

The Brakefield Cabin

Acrylic 12x12 on Paper $120
This is the cabin where I spent many a summer weekend and spring break as a child! Now my kids have the opportunity to share in the same lovely experiences I did. My husband and I took the kids to the cabin to celebrate the last weekend of summer before school started. They fished, went swimming, for boat rides, and tubing. I sketched, read a new book (The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger) and painted this!


Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Hangin' On

Acrylic 8.5x11 on Paper $85

This one was fun! This is my husband holding a net holding a crab that he caught to show the kids during last summers trip to the beach.


Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Apple On Circles

Acrylic 12x12 on paper $60
This is another one I did on Friday. I just had fun with it! I think I will do some more of these this week! I am still working on "2 & 92". I really want this one to work so I am taking my time. When I get excited about a painting I sometimes rush because my brain is completing it faster than my hands can paint! I am so glad I found the DailyPainters.com website! It has truely been an inspiration to me! It has also given me the permission to paint on paper! I had always thought for a work to be taken seriously it had to be on canvas. I see now that is just not true! I have so much more freedom as an artist to paint on whatever I want!

Monday, September 3, 2007

Bullfrog

acrylic on paper 8.5x11 $75
I love this one! Last summer a bullfrog got into my neighbors garage. They were kind enough to come and get my boys when the giant frog was caught. I took a close up of it when my oldest had his turn to hold it. They released it into a nearby creek. I painted this one on Friday. This weekend I started a larger painting of my grandmother with my daughter. I will be working on it today! I hope Labor Day Weekend has been full of fun for everyone!

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Pastel Jazz #3

Pastel on Canson Black Pastel Paper
Ok, so the Princess Ballerina #1 did not turn out as planned - again - even after spending all of my mothers morning out hours on it. So, I decided to post something I did a few years ago while doing various jazz studies for a commissioned painting. This is my favorite out of that series. I will be working on a new daily painting today.

I have decided only to post Monday - Thursday. My goal is 4 paintings a week. Maybe I should say 4 successful paintings a week. . . Who knows!


Wednesday, August 29, 2007

My Princess Ballerina #2

Acrylic 12x12 on Canvas Paper

My precious daughter took her first ballet class this summer - it was called "Princess Ballerina Camp". She LOVED it. A friend of mine captured a photo of her while she was in class and I have been working on painting it. I have finished all but her head - I just can't seem to make it look like her! The photo is a bit fuzzy. So, yesterday, after the 3 year old's birthday party and in the middle of clean up and laundry, I did this study of her head. I am hoping it will help me capture it much smaller on the full length I am working on! I am going to work on it today. Hopefully I can post it tomorrow!
The quick drying time of acrylics is a blessing and a curse - keeps works relatively safe from little fingers, but dries too quickly when I am easily distracted by the day to day. I can see every interruption in this one!

My quote for the week:
"You must be able to create in the middle of things, or else you will not create. You must learn to take whatever practical and psychological actions are necessary to combat the anticreating forces that surround you and live within you."
Eric Maisel from his book Coaching the Artist Within

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Chester Dog

Acrylic on Canvas Paper 8x10 SOLD

I am trying to work out the style I most like to paint in. I am returning to painting after a few years off. . . I have gone from painting in oils to painting in acrylic (it is much more convenient to a busy life full of children!) I have realized over the course of the past few weeks that I cannot paint in the same way with acrylics as I did with oils. So, let the experimenting begin! Here is the painting I did yesterday of our faithful lab, Chester. It is about an 8x10 on canvas paper.