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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Going Crazy! Acrylic 20x30




Yesterday I painted with talented artist Franny Andahazy in Hull. Well, Paco came too, and despite the fact that he SOMEHOW jumped into my palette after I'd loaded the cad red and orange onto it (so he had one orange and one red front paw, one orange back paw and what LOOKED like lipstick). I was not able to concentrate too well after the Big Cleanup, but other than that he was very good. I was playing around with new texture in this big sunflower painting - channeling Van Gogh ;), letting it be about fun and color. Maybe after I work on it a little , doll it up a little, I might like it better. There are things about it (the squishy, free brushstrokes on the petals, the layered color of the background) that I do like, but it's like my left and right brain were doing battle.

Below... Paco as we were visiting his 'birth mother's' grandmother, after our session, where he ran around her yard and snatched Grape Hyacinths from their stalks, and lastly, a snuggly spot in my husband's jacket on a chilly morning - no other place would do...

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

This is for Karin Jurick's DSFDF Challenge - a statue of Diana, I think. I did it the day before Paco, but now that I upload it I see that her left leg is pointed in the wrong direction. Well, I have a full day today (introducing Paco to some painting friends) so I'll try to correct this in the studio tomorrow. Funny how you can look at something and it looks OK, then when you look at it in a photo anything that's 'off' glares out at you. New Paco photos soon - I promise. He's so smart and cute!

Friday, April 24, 2009

New Parrsboro Sunset, 11x14, Acrylic


Well, I say it all the time but this looks better in person. I didn't do a small daily painting yesterday, but did try to work on this smalled version of a big oil (see my Studio Blog). You wouldn't believe, given the simplicity of the subject, how difficult it is. It so easily slips into being trite. Now... even if no one believes me, I have painted that magical night when the sky erupted into the most unbelievable colors - even I as a huge sunset fan - had never seen. This is acrylic, and I did many, many layers, and used lots of medium, and IRL it has a luminous quality (or maybe I'm just drinking my own kool-aid!).

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Big Little Beach Girl In April, Acrylic 6x8

SOLD
The afternoon we got the puppy I hung out at Nantasket Beach in Hull, and we saw this little girl with big dark glasses and new pink Crocks striding around with her hands balled up in her sleeves. I shot a photo, and did this yesterday while *you-know-who* was napping somewhere other than my lap. I think the beach is unclear, and although it would mean changing reality - in that I shot the photo looking UP the mile long deserted beach, I may add a strip of water and sky to the very top of the painting. What's that saying - If it looks right but it's wrong... it's right, and if it looks wrong but it's right, it's wrong. Go ahead.. think on that one ;)

And I've been tagged 3 times for awards within the past 2 weeks, and I'm HUGELY honored! I promise I'll make good on passing them along... but this week it's all I can do to churn out a few Daily Paintings! Thank you!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Pearls, 6x6 Oil


My son 'babysat' for me today so I could go to the gym and the studio for a little while! I stood there wondering what on earth to paint. I've had this bag of pearl onions for a while (you have that in YOUR studio, don't you?) so I tore it open and spilled a few onto a white cloth. What, was I CRAZY? White onions on a white cloth? Well, I looked and looked and fooled around with the lighting, and saw lavender in the cloth, green, yellow and pink in the onions.... so I quickly set about getting some paint on the board. I felt an urgency... I didn't have all day, my son was being generous, but I know that the puppy is feeling VERRY comfortable by now and is a ball of energy, and can wear you out, so I didn't want to stay too long at the studio. I came home and he'd turned into Cujo and was trying to terrorize everyone and everything in the house! All of a sudden, an hour later, he flopped into his little bed with his snuggly toys... totally done in! Sorry. I promise this will remain an art blog, not a pug blog, I just couldn't resist this photo of him. Names are down to: Kumar (we have a cat named Harold), Paco, and Nacho....

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Sorry For The Interruption of Service




I've been a little preoccupied this week with our new addition... He doesn't have a name yet, but we're working on it! I'll be on 'pupternity leave' for a few days till life settles down, but already I'm chomping at the bit to get back to painting! The couple of days before he arrived I TRIED to paint, and it was so awful I couldn't post them. Even the DAY I picked him up I thought I could get 2 plein air sessions in, and Paula and Ros were so kind not to LAUGH at my attempt, then I just gave up and sat in the sun and talked the afternoon away! It's been like a whirlwind since he arrived, and I do not have the kind of house where you can block off a room when you need to do other things (like go to the grocery store or shower), it's been... an adjustment. But I know we'll figure it out and he'll be great. Even the cats have decided not to kill him.... yet. ;)

Thursday, April 16, 2009

First Forsythia, 6x8 Oil, Plein Air


This is a wimpy photo (the blue of the water is much richer in person and the yellow stands out in more contrast, but I've fiddled and fooled around with the image I'm practically cross-eyed. I have been stuck in a storm of technology, appliance and auto crises, and I can hardly THINK let alone paint! Yesterday, on the long stretch of Metacom Avenue through Bristol and Warren that leads me to my studio, I kept hearing what I thought was a plane flying low overhead. Then I noticed I was hearing it every time I had to stop at a red light. Rolled down the window, and realized it was MY CAR. By the time I got to the studio it was making this grinding noise all the time, not just when I was stopping. So I crawled home at 20 mph (SORRY, anyone who was behind me!) and dropped it at the mechanic. The list of things that was wrong with my brakes went on.... and on... and now I'm car-less for a day. Sorry to unburden!

When I got home it was a gorgeous day - like a wind storm on the back side of the house - calm as can be on the front porch - so I hunkered down on the front steps and painted this less-than wonderful painting of an old forsythia. Behind the forsythia is the road, about 3 feet lower than the grass, and the sea wall that keeps the river from my steps. Bear in mind that it is the FIRST plein air attempt of the year!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Gerbera and Seashell, 6x8 Oil

Well, I'm back in the blogging saddle! I took a few days off to get ready for Easter and get my house organized, and it was almost painful being away from my paints. And then today, the first day back, it was such a struggle to do the Daily Painting! I'm seeing many things I would do differently as I upload the photo. But... I'm going to leave it, and move on to other things. I started Karin Jurick's latest 'Challenge' yesterday, too, and will post that soon. I hope you all had a good weekend!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Red Gerbera, 6x12 Oil


Sorry! The TOP image is the one that should've gone with this morning's post - about the teacup - many apologies for missing the boat on that one. The BOTTOM image is today's Daily Painting - it's a red Gerbera Daisy in a putty color vase. I struggled with all those neutrals, but I wanted the flower to be the JOLT of color in the painting. In other news: can't they not sell Easter candy till Saturday?????? Too tempting.

Ah... I don't exactly know how this one will come out - I'm trying to upload a photo that my friend Franny Andahazy sent me of my Daily Painting. We painted with Margaret McWethy at the Oceanside 17 Gallery in Hull, MA yesterday, and Margaret selected the subject. Sorry for the glare on the right side.. this was the most correct photo in terms of color. It was fun doing something different, and getting 3 artists' take on something. Next week I'll post a photo of everyone's Daily Painting just to see how 3 sets of eyes and 3 artists minds have a different 'take' on a subject!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Pour Me A Pelligrino, 6x6 Oil

I mixed it up a bit by putting the San Pelligrino bottle behind the blue glass. I have these glasses in green, blue and aqua. They also come in purple and bright green, new this year. I may get them, but being extra wide they seem to chip in the dishwasher, so... maybe not. This was particularly challenging because the bottle showed through the glass, AND had a design of it's own on the label. I think it's kind of 'in your face' close, but maybe not. I was going to do some pansies today but I forgot them at home! I used Carol Marine's 'trick' for the elipses - and, you know... it was easier!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Fiesta Tea, 6x8 Oil


My mind's on other things today, and I only managed (barely) to get a Daily Painting done, and get to the gym. Other than that.... nada... And now that I SEE this posted I can see things that are 'off' and I wish I could fix, but I'm home from the studio so it'll have to wait. AND I added a better image to yesterday's post, so if you go to my blog you can see the better color on the newer glass of tea. Back to this one - I love mixing up Fiesta Ware, and for some reason this orange and seafoam mixture is appealing to me. I hate doing the elipses, but I make myself because it's good 'art exercise'. Anyway this missed the Tea Show, because the drop off was today (surprise! Maybe I should check my calendar more regularly!), and even yesterday's Daily Painting was too wet to put in :(

Wednesday, April 1, 2009


My morning tea...*** Edited to add - it looks more like the top one! I got Photoshop and was trying to learn it with the bottom one - looks like I should stick with iPhoto till I get the whole hang of it, huh?
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