Solace, 6x8 Oil on Canvas

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This is a lonely, moody scene. What is the woman thinking? Whatever it is, she is finding solace in the movement of the surf and the magnificence of the sea. This is a peaceful painting, in spite of the wave action; the sound of the ocean can be very soothing.  

Antigua Women, 20x16 Oil on Canvas

SOLD

I haven't posted in a while. I don't know if it's Christmas or what, but I seem to have lost my groove. I am not used to this. I painted a successful painting that sold right away, then I did two scrapers. What the heck?

Maybe it's bad Karma from criticizing George Zimmerman's art...nah, it couldn't be that. He sold that thing for over $100,000. I think I will coin a new term for bad art that is done by notorious celebrities: "Zimmermanist." If I paint something so bad I want to shoot someone, I am Zimmering. This week I have Zimmered twice. 

Speaking of bad art, there is a Museum of Bad Art at http://www.museumofbadart.org/ and it is a hoot. Nothing can cost over $5, and if you found it in the trash, even better. Descriptions by guest "interpretators" are hilarious.

The above painting is one I did after visiting Antigua. I loved the ladies on the beach carrying their shops around with them. When I get my groove back I will post something new.

By the Sea, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Panel

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Walking on the beach is such a calming experience, and very good exercise if you can refrain from stopping frequently to take pictures. I just can't pass up a shot of beautiful light, or lots of wave action, or nice colors. There is always a lot going on.

I see that there is a painting on eBay by George Zimmerman, and the bidding is up to $99,966.00. Apparently notoriety equals artistic success. Carravagio killed someone too, but he could paint.

Sultry, 6x8 Oil on Canvas

SOLD

This all started with a tube of gold metallic paint from Ralph's Art Supply in Melbourne. I needed an exotic subject so I could use the gold. You can't really appreciate the metallic quality looking at it online, but I used it in the medallion on the turban, the earring, and the cloth on her shoulder. I liked the result so much that I'm going to do more.

Raindrops on Roses, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

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Just saw "Sound of Music" on TV and while I was painting my rose, These Are a Few of My Favorite Things was running through my head...raindrops on roses...etc. This is worse than the day "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead' got stuck in there. You wouldn't want to see that painting.

We had a great Pieces of 8 Holiday Sale last Saturday. It was very festive and a good time was had by all. Thanks to all who stopped by and made it such a wonderful day!

Ocean Dawn, 8x8 Oil on Canvas

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While ice storms are predicted today for much of the country, I get to see scenes like this while walking on the beach. I am very fortunate. I was interviewed after winning a competition and was asked, "Where in the whole world would you most like to live?" After thinking for a moment I responded, "Right here." I like to think I have always known when I was well off. 

Beets on Red, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

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On a rainy day in Georgia the Pieces of Eight gathered around the table to paint beets. The red background was Denette's daring idea, and it has quite a vibration, doesn't it? They were a good subject and quite delicious as well.

Remember: The Pieces of 8 Sale is next Saturday, rain or shine. We promise objects d' art, refreshments, and repartee. Our prolific painters must reduce inventory, so bargains will abound! Here is the link that will show the map and details: http://piecesof8art.blogspot.com and watch for signs like the one below leading the way.

The Racer, 10x8 Oil on Canvas

This is a ten-year-old boy named Reece racing a quad in competition, and he is a champion racer. When he is not in a serious race, he's driving his quad over the hills on the farm in Pennsylvania where he lives. 

Early Birds, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

$89

I love early morning at the beach; it's very active yet peaceful. Birds are fishing, people are fishing, there are joggers, walkers, even Tai Chi. It's the best time of day.

At risk of being repetitive, don't forget the big Pieces of 8 Sale on Dec 7 from 9-4. It's at 3532 Samuel Place, Melbourne. Click here for a map and details.

Purple Lily, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

Reminder: Don't forget the Pieces of 8 Sale on Dec 7th! Go to piecesof8art.blogspot.com for info.

$89, Click to Purchase

I love waterlilies, but they have been painted so much that it's hard to not be a cliche'. I've noticed that Florida artists paint Birds of Paradise, Crotons, and water birds so much that it is hard to stand out in the crowd. That's why I enjoyed painting my Dragonflower a while back.

I have a plant that is so unique and weird that I won't even try to paint it. It's a Starflower cactus and it is beige and fuzzy. I call it my Alien Flower because it is very other-worldly.

Pardon My Back, 24x18 Oil on Canvas

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This is the first in a series and it's a bigger painting than I usually post. I didn't pose these birds, they were standing exactly like this, so this was one of those paintings that got named before I started it.

While in the Everglades I got to see plenty of mangroves, mangrove forests and mangrove islands. What fascinating trees they are. They thrive in salty environments because they are able to obtain fresh water from saltwater. Some secrete excess salt through their leaves, and others block absorption of  salt at their roots. Their intricate root design makes a protective nursery for tiny marine life.

Rites of Spring, 18 x 24 Oil Painting

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I went to the beach on a fine Spring day, and after a hard Florida winter (ha ha), everyone had the same idea. The water was this incredible turquoise color and the whole atmosphere was just exhilarating. I am so lucky to live here.

Rubber Ducky, 6x6 Oil on Canvas

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I am posting this in honor of the Rubber Ducky being inducted into the Toys Hall of Fame this month. Well-deserved, I might add. It is an icon, reminiscent of happy childhood bath times by generations of people, and now popular as design decor as well. It has been serenaded by Kermit the Frog and it has competed in races. 

To show how the Rubber Ducky gets around, I found this little Hawaiian-themed beauty in a stream near Boone, North Carolina! Far from home, she still smiles in her lei, with her jaunty flower on her head. She makes me smile too. Congratulations, Rubber Duckies everywhere!  

Don't forget the big Pieces of 8 Sale on December 7th if you are in the Melbourne, Florida or Orlando area. We'll have art, birdhouses, jewelry, painted furniture, and more. Great bargains! Hours are 9 to 4.

It's at 3532 Samuel Place, Melbourne. 

Fall Island, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

$89 Click here to buy

Well, my ten-year-old Mac finally let me down, and at a crucial time. I did manage to post on my iPad, but not everything worked exactly like I wanted. Now I am looking at my brand-new marvel of technology with a giant screen and no box, no round little base, no nothing that indicates there are magical things going on inside to help me do my job. Once you go Mac...

The painting above is on Lake Oconee, Georgia, a little island we pontooned to and explored. It is just a beautiful place. 

If you are in Central Florida, save the date! The big Pieces of 8 Holiday Sale is December 7, and you can click here to link to the map.

The Old Barn, 6x8 Oil on Canvas

                                                                                                               $89 Buy Now

This old barn was painted en plein air on the grounds at the Washington Grass Inn near Greensboro, Georgia. The Pieces of Eight painting group spent hours there taking photos, painting, and having a fantastic luncheon. We were on our annual retreat and stayed with Pieces of Eight emeritus Phillis Holland on beautiful Lake Oconee. Painting and eating--two of my favorite things!

I am thrilled to be one of the Judges' Picks in the Daily Paintworks monthly contest. Check it out.

Front row: Denette, Cindy, Mary; Back Row: Kathy, Carmen, Phillis

Holiday Sale!

The Annual Pieces of Eight Christmas Sale will be December 7 beginning at 9 am. We will have a large array of beautiful things this year: oil paintings, watercolors, digital art, jewelry, handmade birdhouses (each one unique), painted furniture and other great gift items at very affordable prices.

Above is one of my small paintings, "Fatherly Love" which will be on sale.

Thar She Blows; Moby Dick as Art

Cindy Michaud and I took on the ultimate challenge this year: the Mystery Build Competition. The whole idea is to make a recreation of a work of art from the objects in a small box. The Mystery Build organizers mailed the box to us, and we had to make our piece from nothing but the items inside, including the box itself if we wanted, and paint. That's it. So the box contained a small variety of wood blocks and veneers, clay, a piece of rope, a square of canvas, a loose canvas, Elmer's glue and a few other things.

To see how we did it (there's a video) and (we hope) vote for our entry, click here: Mystery Build.

Rise and Shine, 6x6 Oil Painting on Canvas

I thought I would walk to the beach to catch the sunrise, but I was late coming out the door, and this is what I saw. I didn't make it to the beach in time, but I love the silhouetted palms against the colorful sunrise. Florida sunrises and sunsets are so fabulous it's hard to make them look believable.

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Zen Mushrooms, 7x5 Pen and Ink

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It is fun to make up your own world. With Zentangle, it's not "less is more." It's "more is more."

By the time this post is online our artists' group, Pieces of 8, will be off to Georgia to paint, eat, and do other fun things. We will visit our former member, Phillis, who has lots of good things for us to do. It will be a riotous good time, as always, and we will have new scenery to paint. I am getting my Pleininator outfit together today (below). For painting en plein aire. It even has a citronella candle.

Ruby Beach in Black and White, 7x5 Oil on Canvas

There was so little color when the mists were over Ruby Beach that I saw it as an opportunity for a black and white study. The Pacific Ocean comes rolling in, making a stark contrast to the dark rocks. Qiang Huang's gorgeous paintings with grays have really inspired me lately, and not mixing color was a nice little rest for my brain. 

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Highway 70, 10x8 Oil on Canvas

It seems that every time I travel this highway there is a big rainstorm and my favorite light happens, that dark gray sky with the foreground bright green (after all, it is Florida, where I have seen it rain in the front yard and not in the back yard). A little while farther there was blinding rain, then a while after that, sun! It's kind of like life, isn't it?

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Liquidity, Acrylic Abstract, 6x6

I've gotten carried away with abstracts lately. They are more relaxing (and messy) than my other work. This one looks very fluid, rather like a gentle stream. The colors are not very gentle, though, are they? I'm thinking of the 70s...tie dye...lava lamps...

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Check out the Pieces of 8 Blog today for a wonderful new book by member Cindy Michaud, Sainted and Painted, Stories of the Not Wholly Holy. Cindy's cleverness never ceases to amaze me!

DeniZens, 7x5 Pen and Ink Drawing

My shading in the waves is made up of sea creatures, hence the title. I actually made this larger, but it did not enhance the drawing, and diluted the impact. I like this much better. I mounted it in a 10x8 mat. Zentangle techniques are so much fun, especially if making up my own designs.

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Greenleaf, Acrylic Abstract, 4 x 4.5

This one just makes me happy. I love the colors and it looks very botanical to me. Leaves and flowers, some of my favorite things. The surface is nice and glossy and the support is wood that is a half-inch think. I painted the sides black, so the painting can be on a little easel or framed.

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There Will Be Light, 6x6 Oil on Canvas

We were driving across South Florida on an emotional day, seeking medical attention for a family member. It was very stormy, but there was bright light on the other side of the darkness. After a blinding rain we finally came into sunny skies. I am praying that the same thing will happen for my loved one and a very weird illness will just be a bad memory.

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The Depths, 7x5 Acrylic

I could have called this Abyss but The Depths sounds much friendlier. The word Abyss seems to imply a one-way trip, not the invitation to adventure in turquoise waters that I am trying to portray.  

Out of Obscurity, 7x5 Acrylic on Canvas

I toyed with the idea of calling this "Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave." I find it a lot harder to title abstract paintings, though some of them are easier than others. I can't get enough of that bright turquoise color. Makes me think of when I lived in Bermuda, where the water is that color and didn't even look real at times.

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Stormy Day, 7x5 Oil on Canvas

The ocean is so exciting. What's in it, what's on it, what shines through it--all exciting. I never liked reading girlie books when I was young, but I loved seafaring adventures. I had a couple of seafaring adventures of my own as an adult, and I can only say that it sounds better in books. Especially if you are reading about it in a warm, dry, stable, level place.

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The Kayakers, 6x6 Oil Painting

These folks were kayaking on beautiful Lake Crescent in Washington State. They presented a bright and sunny picture with lots of color. Wonder how long I'm going to mine my photo collection from our Washington trip?

Happy to report that I won Second Place in the Contemporary Fine Art International September Art Challenge with my collage, "Femme Fatale."

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Baby Rachel, 6x6 Pencil Drawing

I have been cleaning out my "art room" where I store paintings and supplies, and I found this copy of a drawing I did when my granddaughter Rachel was a baby. She will graduate from Vanderbilt in the Spring, and we are so proud of her. She is fulfilling the dreams we all had for her when she was this sweet little baby.

I had done this drawing for my son and daughter-in-law and I framed it with decoupaged pictures of Rachel covering the frame. Let's just say it was tricky and I have not done another frame that way.

Witch of Zendor, 8x10 Pen and Ink

I was just doing Zentangle type designs, very freeform, when I realized I was drawing a witch. I put the hat on her head and got her all ready for Halloween. I put her in a double mat, outside size 8x10. This is my first holiday drawing. Wonder if a Zentangle turkey will come out of my pen for Thanksgiving?

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Palm Before the Storm, 6x6 Oil on Canvas

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I must be losing it. I could have sworn I posted this painting before, but I couldn't find it anywhere on my blog. I referred to it in my last post, then couldn't find it. It's always good to come up with another painting to post. This is my neighbor's coconut palm again, and a big storm was coming. When I see weather happening, I try to grab my camera and shoot this palm as it gracefully braces for some of the exciting weather we get here in Florida.

If there were a competition for "Widest Variety of Media this Month" I think I could win. I have oil paintings, poured acrylic, zentangle, and a graphite drawing that I am posting this month. I haven't done a collage lately, and I won't be squeezing that time-consuming activity in any time soon.

Dragonflower, 20x20 Oil on Canvas

When I shot this picture I practically had to stand on my head; it was fairly dark but the light was shining through the flowers. This is the flower of the dragonfruit, and I have always heard it referred to as Night-Blooming Cereus. After doing a lot of daily paintings, and I mean a lot of daily paintings, I just had the urge to paint a big floral. I like using my big bristle brushes now and then.

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Big Hair 80s, 6x6 Oil on Canvas

This self-portrait is in response to the Daily Paintworks Challenge this week to paint our Younger Self. The 80s was a colorful time for fashion, with big shoulder pads and what we called "Mall Bangs." Those were the days. Who didn't have the Farrah haircut? My hot rollers were my best friends.

Coconut Palm, 6x6 Oil on Canvas

I can see this palm over our backyard fence. I painted it before in my painting, "Palm Before the Storm." I like to catch it in different light. Yesterday was so blistering hot and sunny and these clouds were building near the ground. They had that "just watch what I'm going to do later" look about them. Sure enough, we had a much-needed good ole frog-strangler in late afternoon, so I was glad I got the palm in  bright sunlight while I had the chance.

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A Rest in the Park, oil on linen, 11x14

In this park by the famous Pike Place Market in Seattle, one can escape the crowds and loll on the grass. With the fresh air and the view, it's just a wonderful place to be.

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Hydrangea, 6x6 Oil on Canvas

Hydrangeas are very hard to paint. Each one is like a bouquet. They grow in lush profusion in Washington State, in colors I never knew possible. This is the most common Hydrangea, and I like the complementary colors with the lavender and green.

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Flowers are the alphabets of angels, whereby they write on the fields and hills mysterious truths. ---

-Benjamin Franklin

Ramshackle, 6x6 Oil on Canvas Board

This was a pristine farm except for this old shed, which I thought was the most interesting building on the property. The Olympic Peninsula boasts magnificent rocky shores and lush rain forests, but there are also pastoral scenes like this.

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City Girl, 9x12 Oil on Board

Seattle is a beautiful city, and a very busy one. This girl caught my eye as she was striding purposefully down the sidewalk with her big bag. I love all the hanging plants in the city, especially the dangling ones like the one above her head. The composition pleases me, as do the reflections in the doors.

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Serpentine, 6x6 Abstract

Had to loosen it up a bit after the previous post. This is acrylic paint and glue, truly mixed media. For some reason "Far out, Dude" keeps running through my head when I look at this one. Maybe it reminds me of a lava lamp.

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Waterlily, 7x5 Oil on Canvas

I've been posting vistas, so here's a change of pace--a closeup of a waterlily. I do quite a variety of subjects, but I do seem to lean toward landscapes and seascapes. Every now and then it's good to get a bit closer in. This is a redo of a painting I did years ago and I just like the dramatic value contrasts.

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Ruby Beach, 20x20 Oil on Canvas

I am not used to painting misty places like Ruby Beach on the Olympic Peninsula. It was so beautiful there, but very gray. Out of view in this painting were piles of bleached driftwood that had washed down from the mountains during floods. Everything was just overwhelmingly BIG. It's another world out there.

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Shoreline, 6x6 Oil on Canvas

The Olympic Peninsula has everything to offer: seashores, mountains and rain forests. Take a jacket, though, because one minute you are in a cold mist and the next the sun is shining brightly and everything changes from gray to color. In the distance in my painting you can see Vancouver Island in Canada--until the mists roll in.

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