Friday, December 30, 2011

Pimienta, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

I got this red pepper and had to paint it with my little salt shaker wearing a pepper on his sombrero. After all the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas fare, doesn't Mexican food make a nice change? E mucho gusto!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Dry Dock, 5x7 Oil on Canvas

I reached into the archives for this one, one of my first Etsy sales. I have been busy during the holiday season and it has been difficult to find time to paint.

This boat belongs to my cousin in Alaska, who lives on Big Lake. In the winter Big Lake freezes and it becomes his shortcut to town. I just can't get over the idea of driving on a lake. It's hard for a Floridian to grasp such an idea.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Pear on Red, 4x4 oil on canvas

I can't seem to settle down to any large serious paintings during the Christmas season. There is just too much going on. It doesn't seem like Christmas here in Florida, since it was 85 degrees yesterday. That is just too freakish. I can remember being very cold in December in Florida, and in fact, it got to 29 degrees in 1989. The palm trees and orange trees froze. That's hard to imagine today.

Merry Christmas, everyone, and many blessings in the New Year.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Grape, 3x3 Oil on Canvas

This is a tiny little 3x3-inch painting on stretched canvas, and it comes with a tiny little easel. Aren't grapes wonderful? From them you get jelly, jam, preserves, juice, wine, raisins, vinegar, and paintings.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Apple, 4x4 Oil on Canvas



The titling part of my brain isn't working today. I don't know how Carol Marine comes up with so many clever titles, especially since she is so prolific. This is on stretched canvas and comes with a little easel, so no frame needed. This is tiny and affordable.
SOLD

Friday, December 16, 2011

Esmeralda, Collage on Canvas Board, 24x18

This collage took me way longer than I anticipated. I used a canvas primed with gold gesso, some of which is peeking through. After doing the whole painting I added touches of copper and gold paint, keeping with the whole gypsy vibe.

This is all fashion and home decor magazines. The finished product is varnished for protection from UV rays and other atmospheric problems. I must say, a small "daily painting" is going to be very restful after this!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Conleys Creek, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

Nothing can be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning...especially in the vivid colors of Fall.

Yesterday Pieces of 8 (or is it Pieces of 8's?) Kathy, Cindy and I exhibited and sold our work at a fundraiser for our local Women's Center, a wonderful cause. It was a lovely event. The night before, I must have been a bit anxious, because I had a wild dream that Lady Gaga was performing for us and selling her own fashion line. Most notable was her line of sensible shoes. I doubt Lady Gaga even knows what a sensible shoe looks like. Years ago, when I would tell my college psychology professor about a dream like this, he would say, "See me after class."

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Apple Time, 5x7 Collage


I am now alternating between collage and oil paint. As the local surfers used to say (and maybe still do), I am stoked. People are giving me magazines with wonderful paper and pictures, and my creative juices are bubbling.
SOLD

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

First Snowfall, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

All this snow was pretty exciting for me, since I'm from Florida. It was a very cold day, and I tried to capture the feel of that first snowfall.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Fowl Play Collage, 8x8

I liked this guy so much I did him as a collage as well as an oil painting. This is an 8x8 collage on gallery-wrapped canvas, all sides completed so it may be hung unframed.

SOLD

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Fowl Play, 8x8 Oil on Canvas

I was painting the little corncrib at the farm at Oconluftee Visitors Center in the Smoky Mountains, and this fellow strolled by to watch. He's much more interesting than the corncrib.
This is painted on gallery-wrapped canvas, so no frame is needed.

SOLD

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Night of the Iguana, 24x18 Collage

Once I start a collage, it's hard to stop. I am loving this medium. There are a lot of interesting things in this one. Can you see the bowl of popcorn?

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Red House, 6x8

An alternate title for this would be "Summer's End." The inner tubes are stacked on the dock and the leaves are turning. This house is up the road from artist Carol Schiff's house in North Carolina. I can't imagine having a bright red house, but it looks just right in this setting.
SOLD 

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Femme Fatale, Collage, 24x30

I'm venturing off into a new area here, and it's a little break in my Travelogue. When I returned home I attended a Derek Gores workshop and learned this technique. I almost forgot to go home, I got so deeply involved in ripping and pasting. Next time I'll try full color, and I can tell you there will be a next time. This was really a lot of fun. I'm looking at magazines in a whole new way.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Bourbon Street, 11x14 Oil on Canvas Board

After Nashville, we drove down the Natchez Trace Parkway, and what a glorious road that is. Little traffic, gorgeous scenery, and historic sites along the way. Meriwether Lewis died on the Trace (there is controversy about murder or suicide), and he is buried there. There was a cypress swamp that I will paint someday. We stopped in Tupelo, saw the birthplace of Elvis (two rooms, no bathroom or electricity), and   then we went on to New Orleans.
What a place. Where else can you ride in a streetcar and a man with a silver face and a Confederate uniform gets on? Then you see a large, pot-bellied man wearing a cowboy hat, a bra, and shorts. The music being played on the street was amazing, and the beignets were my particular guilty pleasure.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Nashville Cats, 8x6





After the Pieces of 8 art retreat in the Smokies, my husband picked me up and we drove across Tennessee to Nashville, where we visited with my granddaughter who is attending Vanderbilt, my niece and her family, and my songwriter friend Bobby Braddock and his family. Bobby wrote the country hits "He Stopped Loving Her Today, Time Marches On, and more recently, "People Are Crazy," as well as many others.

On the way to Nashville we stopped to see friends who told this story: their daughter was teaching a Sunday School class of little tots and she asked if anyone wanted to lead the prayer. A little boy volunteered. He bowed his head and reverently prayed: "God is great, beer is good, people are crazy."

I enjoyed sharing that with the writer of the song. 

This painting is of Broadway in Nashville, with historic Tootsie's Orchid Lounge prominently featured. You have to love a city where guys walk around with guitars and music is everywhere. This one didn't qualify as a "daily painting," it was too complicated and took two days to complete.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Apples and Wine, 10x12 Collage

I could do collage all day. This was one of our activities during our retreat in the mountains, and we had a great time, guided by Donna, our Collage Leader and Noted Limerick Writer. This week I will be taking a collage class from Derek Gores, whose work is quite awesome. What fun!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Corncrib, 8x8

The Pieces of 8 went to the Oconluftee Visitors Center in Cherokee at the entrance to the Smokies, where we painted farm buildings. This was a corncrib in pioneer days, and it is completely painted on location. I didn't touch it in the studio. That was really an accomplishment for me, because one always wants to nitpick and perhaps destroy the spontaneity. The visitors center is wonderful, with recordings of mountain people talking about their very colorful lives.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Big Splash, 8x10





I've traveled a lot this Fall, and I hardly know what to paint next. This is a view from the cliffs of Prout's Neck, Maine, Winslow Homer's stomping ground. It's so much more dramatic than our beach here in Florida, except during hurricanes.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Neon Mountains, 8x10





I can truthfully say that these were the brightest trees I've ever seen. They just glowed. It was pretty exciting for someone from Florida. This is the first of my paintings from our artists' retreat this year. My group, Pieces of 8, goes to the mountains every year, and we hit it right at peak color this time. Glorious!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Whirlpool

This is third in my "Agua" series. After this one I will get back to the real world and start posting paintings from my recent travels in Maine, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Louisiana.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Homage to Hokusai, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board





This is a nod to the great Japanese artist Hokusai, who created The Great Wave of Kanagawa in the 1800s. There have been as many reproductions of The Great Wave as there have been of the Smiley Face. This was the second in my series exhibited at the "Agua" show in Melbourne, Florida.
$99

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Tossed, 8x10 Oil on Gessoboard

This painting was one of three recently displayed at the Egad! Art Lab's "Agua" exhibit in Melbourne, Florida. It's quite a departure from my usual work and was a lot of fun to do. I simply called it "Tossed," but my mind kept saying, "Don't Throw Out the Baby With the Bathwater."

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Dancers in Pink, after Degas

The colors in this painting really grabbed me. My husband once pointed out to me that every other shirt I own is the color that is dominant in this painting, so this must be my favorite color. I hope I have done Degas justice in this copy of his painting.
SOLD

Friday, October 21, 2011

Street in Venice, 8x10 after John Singer Sargent

I copied this Sargent painting because I liked its mysterious air and because I felt I could learn from it. The two characters on the right look a bit shifty, if you ask me. Sargent spent a lot of time in Venice, as any artist should. It is a completely unique place now as it was then, Old-Worldly beautiful.
175

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Italian Girl with Flowers, after Joaquin Sorolla

I really enjoyed copying this wonderful painting by the Spanish master, Sorolla. When I think of Sorolla I think of sunlight and beautiful people. He was fortunate enough to have a family of beautiful women and his paintings of them are exquisite (see below).

Friday, October 14, 2011

The Breakfast Table, Oil, after Sargent





Due to circumstances beyond my control, I couldn't stockpile many paintings to post before leaving for the Pieces of 8 artists' retreat, so I am reaching into the past. A few years ago the Pieces of 8 spent months painting copies of the masters as a learning exercise. This was my copy of one of my favorites by John Singer Sargent.
NFS

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Sunset Bay, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board





The sun was setting over Porpoise Bay and creating this beautiful color combination. It's quite a contrast to my last post.
SOLD

Friday, October 7, 2011

Rock and Roll, Oil on Linen, 5x7




I never tire of painting water; whether it's wild or still or in between, it is a wonderful subject. This is another scene in Maine, seen from the cliffs.
69

Monday, October 3, 2011

Fisherlicious, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

Here is the other view at Nubble Light, the hunky guy on the rocks. He did not go unnoticed. As you can see.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Cosmos, 16x12 Watercolor

I don't do many watercolors, but I take them with me when traveling. When I saw resident artist Judith Kinsman painting in the garden at Hidden Pond Resort in Maine, I hurried there with my watercolors to paint the beautiful Cosmos flowers. People told me I would see fall colors in Maine, but instead I saw sunbathers and lush flowers. It was a joy to meet Judith and paint with her. Artists are really nice people. They aren't all like Picasso.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Maine Wave, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board





My plucky sister and I walked the cliff walk around Prout's Neck, Maine, and it was hallowed ground. Winslow Homer's footsteps trod upon the same path, and I was trying to channel Homer when I painted this. It was a very rough trek in places, but oh, so beautiful. The rocks are so black and the sea so blue. Homer's studio is 75 feet from the sea. It's being redone, so we didn't get to go inside.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Nubble Light, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board

We found this beautiful scene on our drive up the Maine Coast. It was kind of funny, because there were a lot of people there with cameras, and they would take this shot, then turn left and take one of the hunky guy fishing on the rocks. Perhaps I'll paint him soon...yes, I shot him too. That's what you call a photo opportunity. 
SOLD

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Dinghies, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board


I went to a little wharf at Cape Porpoise in Maine and painted this scene. It had all the usual challenges, including changing light and moving boats. I'm always surprised when I get indoors and look at the actual colors I put down. They never look like they did outside.
$69

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Andrea's Gate, 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel


I spent the week painting in Maine, and this was the gate to our cottage. My sister was writing while I was painting, the weather was perfect until Thursday, and the scenery was breathtaking.
NFS

Friday, September 16, 2011

Hanging Onions, 6x8, Oil on Canvas Board

Hanging onions are both decorative and fresh. My daughter has a massive number of onions from her garden. They should be called Onyums. What would life be without onions and garlic? Darn dull, I'd say. Maybe it's just the Italian in me.
$79, free shipping

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Morning, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Panel





While on the farm in Pennsylvania, I was delighted to see the warm morning light and the mist in the distance. I am submitting this to the Daily Paintworks Help Africa challenge. The proceeds will be donated to Mercy Corps.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Smiling Pig, 7x5 Oil on Linen on Panel

I painted this for the Daily Paintworks Challenge. I always planned to paint it someday just because it's a smiling pig. I can't take credit for the photo, my friend Elaine took it when visiting a farm. The photo is below. As you can see, I revved up the color.
SOLD


Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Sunflower, 7x5 Oil on Linen


This is entered in the Daily Paintworks Rectangle Challenge. Every stroke is a rectangle, and it was a good exercise for me. I need to do more rectangle paintings. And speaking of challenges, I also made this a jigsaw puzzle. Click here to see if you can solve it!

My heart goes out to artist Carol Marine, who has lost everything in the Texas wildfires. A close family friend, Jennifer, has organized a fund to immediately assist Carol & David. There is so much loss from disasters this year, it is heartbreaking. 
$69

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Oceansong, 18x24

This was a real challenge. I painted this from a phone photo. I don't think I will be doing that again. I was reminded of how much fun it is to paint larger, and I need to do that more.

To enjoy this as a jigsaw puzzle, click here.
NFS

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

On the Farm, 8x10 Original Oil on Canvas Board

It's hard to depict on canvas the actual greens of Pennsylvania. It just would not look believable. My granddaughter took me out in a Ranger through pastures, woods, creeks, and over hill and dale. She showed me a coyote den that used to be a bear den before the coyotes moved in. It was all very beautiful and I guess I won't be painting dead rock stars for a while. So much to paint...so little time.
$79

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Janis Joplin, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Board


I can't look at this portrait without thinking of "Me and Bobby McGee," which was released after Janis's death. She seemed to have a great time when she was singing. How did brilliant talent and drugs ever get so intermingled? I'll never understand it. I like seeing her happy like this.
$85