Italian Girl With Flowers, 11x14 Oil on Canvas, after Sorolla

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I've had no time for painting this week, so I am posting a throwback to 2008, when our painting group, Pieces of Eight, decided to copy Impressionist masters as a learning exercise. I love Sorolla, so I copied one of my favorites, with the above result. Below is the original by Sorolla.

I also copied John Singer Sargent, the master portrait artist. The best thing I've ever done is team up with seven women with the same passion for painting that I have. It has been such an enriching experience in so many ways, and I have learned so much.

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Hairy Buddha, 11x14 original Oil onCanvas

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I see this quirky plant as a lady with flyaway hair and modestly folded arms. My husband sees a woman kneeling on the left, and on the right there is a dog being hugged.

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Desert Rose, Adenium Arabicum Original Oil on Canvas 11x14 Succulent Art

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This succulent is a kind of Desert Rose, Adenium Arabicum, and it has the most interesting twisty roots. This is my third succulent painting, and I am enjoying painting these fascinating plants.

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Rare Bromeliad Oil Painting, Encholirium Horridum Original 11x14 Oil on Canvas

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This is number two in my series of succulents, bromeliads and cacti. This weird plant is called Encholirium Horridum, which, loosely translated, means a whirlwind full of spikes. It is a rare bromeliad from Brazil. 

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Oil on Canvas, Euphorbia Francoisii Caudiform Succulent Plant Painting 11x14

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Euphorbia francoisii, a small caudiciform succulent from Madagascar, has the most variable leaves in the plant kingdom. No two plants have the exact same leaf shape or color, even if they are clones. The new leaves emerge as new shapes and colors, completely unpredictable! Some plants will have several different leaf shapes, sizes and colors all on one plant! So weird. This plant is on the critically endangered list.

I will be painting more from the exotic world of succulents. They are some of the most interesting plants on Earth. For the real thing, check out Paradise Found Nursery.

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Everglades Spoonbills Bird Art Print Florida Birds Free Shipping

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I visited Marzek Pond in the Everglades and was thrilled to see flocks of birds of various kinds. Spoonbills are my favorites because of their beautiful color and comical faces. This image may be ordered as a high-quality giclee print on stretched canvas in the sizes listed by clicking on "Select Dimensions" above. It is mounted on stretcher bars and the sides are black, so it may be hung with or without a frame. The materials are pigment inks on acid-free archival canvas and guaranteed to last over 100 years.

 

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Woman in Gold, Female Portrait, Mixed Media on Canvas,11x14 Oil Painting

 

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This is a mixed media painting, using gold gesso, gold acrylic paint, ink, stamps and oil paint. I was inspired by seeing Gustav Klimt's work in Vienna and found his technique for painting skin as fascinating as all that gold. This was my response to the Pieces of 8 painting group's challenge for December, using materials I have not used together before. The gold is more metallic than it looks online.

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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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Waterfall, 11x14 Oil on Canvas, Smoky Mountain Landscape Painting

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It's amazing what you can find a few steps off the road in the Smokies. This was a magical place, with mossy green rocks and falling water. I love my home at the beach, but those mountains call to me now and then. This is a signed original, ready to frame.

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Everglades Bird, Giclee Print on Canvas, Wildlife Painting

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This painting represents a very happy memory of camping in the Everglades with my buds Cindy and Kathy. We saw at least 50 alligators, but no pythons, thank goodness. Although we painted en plein aire on the shore of a lake with a big gator resting nearby, my real scare was when a huge furry black spider got on my paper towels.

This is a high-quality print in several different sizes, on stretched canvas. 

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The Harpist, 11x14 oil on canvas, Figurative Art

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This young woman was so beautiful, playing such a graceful instrument, with the light shining through the window. It's so much more attractive than a woman playing, say, a cello or a trombone. However, I do love cello music in spite of the awkward knee placement of the cellist.

This beautiful musician was playing at my beautiful niece's beautiful wedding.

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The Breakfast Table, after John Singer Sargent

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When our painting group, Pieces of 8, first began painting together, we agreed to hone our skills by copying the masters. I love the work of John Singer Sargent, I so I copied this rather complex piece. I really identify with this woman--eating and reading at the same time.

Here is my favorite copy I did of a Sargent painting. 

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Cowboy, 14x11 Original Oil Painting of Mexican Vaquero and Horse in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico , FREE SHIPPING in US

This cowboy was in the center of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico with his horse, watching the celebration going on in the plaza. Horses, cars, and pedestrians combine peacefully in that colorful city. This painting will be available at our upcoming Pieces of 8 art sale.

Suzanne and Laddie, 11x14, Oil on Canvas, Original Painting

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My daughter Suzanne lost her beloved horse, Laddie, this year. I know this painting will make her smile and cry at the same time. Laddie is deeply missed.

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Lining It Up, 11x14 Original Oil Painting on Canvas Panel

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This is our grandson Reece, age 14 when the photo was taken, lining up a putt. His father and son activities have always included ATV racing, hunting, fishing, baseball, etc, but as far as sports go, he fell in love with golf and is really good at it. His dad is the golf team coach. What a good dad.

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Original Oil Painting, "Cowboy," 11 x 14 Oil on Canvas, Mexican Vaquero

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20% off and Free Shipping! Sale ends December 20th.

This cowboy was in the center of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico with his horse, watching the celebration going on in the plaza.

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Whitewater Grannies, 11x14 Pen and Ink Drawing, Cartoon of a Real Event

This is the tenth anniversary of the first Pieces of Eight artists' retreat, when we went to Carol Schiff's home in North Carolina. The highlight of the trip for Denette, Donna, Carol and me was our whitewater rafting adventure in the Nantahala River. We had some trepidation at first, but soon became confident and--truth be told--smug. We had a great time until we hit something called The Slot, which is a little waterfall that eats rafts. I saw Donna fly by me and reached out to catch her, not realizing I too was airborne. We were rescued by a kindly man in a boat we had earlier complained about going too slow! Shame on us! As we met again on the shore, Donna said, "We have bonded over a near-death experience!"
Below are our Before and After photos. Notice we have no helmets? Safety precautions were sadly lacking but we were clueless.

I had one of those cheap underwater cameras sold in drugstores, so we got to commemorate the moment. 

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Caricature of Suzanne, Pastel, 11x14

Due to our closet remodeling, I recently discovered some caricatures I did years ago. This is my daughter Suzanne in her poofy blue dress in the 80s. I was still working for the Air Force then and I did many caricatures of retiring VIPs. I moved on to oil painting, and now, to book illustration. Since I'm too busy to paint much, I'll be posting more of these "oldies" for a while.

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Yellow Roses, 11x14 Oil on Canvas Still Life Painting

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Roses are challenging, and so is that yellow teapot. This is a very warm painting, and I think that's why I like it. The red pear adds a dash of hot color.

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White Pitcher, 11x14 Still Life Oil on Canvas Panel

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I'm trying to be more colorful with still life painting, especially when there is a subject with a lot of one color, as in this white pitcher. I had to depend on shadows and reflections for added interest.

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