Waterlily, 8x8 Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Floral Painting

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This painting was done in response to a challenge to paint with three primary colors and white. Every color was mixed from those three colors. Yes, I did long to grab my handy-dandy tubes of Permanent Green Light and Sap Green, but I resisted.

Our painting group, Pieces of Eight, has a challenge each month. My waterlily is for October's challenge, done early because I will spend much of October in Europe. September's challenge is to use patterns from nature, and may be viewed online here.  Each challenge is uploaded in the Pieces of Eight blog on the last day of the month.

 

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Dragonfly Wings, Watercolor on Paper, 11x14 Wildlife Painting

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This departure from my norm is in response to the September challenge for the Pieces of Eight painting group, to create art from patterns in nature. I love oils, but it's fun to do watercolor now and then. There is an actual blue dragonfly like the one I painted.

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Portuguese Grapepicker, 16x20 Oil Painting, Terceira, Azores

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I painted this before I knew what I was doing. I had not taken classes or workshops, but I read a lot about painting. Imagine, children, it was the 70s and there was no Google or YouTube to consult. We lived in the Azores Islands and I really wish I had known more about painting and had preserved on canvas the scenes I saw there every day. I'd like to go back and do better next time.

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I Phone, Therefore I Am, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel, Businessman with Phone, Figurative Art

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I did a series of people on phones, and this man was included. We can't see his face, but we know he is all prepped to receive calls and texts; just look at his grip on that phone. 

On a completely different subject, I am appreciating Charles Dickens and Jane Austen even more lately. It seems that all the more newly-published books I have picked up lately have drunk or crazed women as their protagonists. Some are both drunk and crazed. It is starting to wear thin. Could we have some memorable woman to look up to? I don't need the heroine to be perfect; she wouldn't be realistic if she didn't have some flaws--but could we have someone who doesn't eat business cards, see dead people or drown herself in booze every day? Any recommendations?

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Stepping Stones, 5x7 Original Oil on Canvas Panel, Smoky Mountains Art

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We were hiking near Boone, North Carolina and crossed this little stream with its reflections of blue sky. It was a glorious Fall day and I was with my painting group, some of my favorite people in the world. It doesn't get any better than that.

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Paris Crosswalk, 5x7 Oil on Panel, Daily Painting, France

This is one of my favorite paintings. I took the photo from the window of our hotel in Paris, and I love the simplicity of it. I love Paris in the Springtime...I love Paris in the Fall...

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