Beets, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Panel, Still Life on Purple

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My husband and I had a little getaway this weekend, to South Florida. We stopped off at Palm Beach's Worth Avenue, which I call Net Worth Avenue. That area has the largest concentration of billionaires on Earth, according to the hype. It certainly has the largest concentration of Bentleys. They were everywhere.

Worth Avenue ends at the beach, and it is a very beautiful beach at that. The water was gorgeous-- blue and turquoise--and I got some good photos there and in Ft. Lauderdale. I'll be doing some beach paintings soon.

Carmen

Blue Pots, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

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I love the colors of Mexico. This is Number Five in my series of paintings of San Miguel de Allende, and it almost has a Florida Gators orange-and-blue look (but not quite). Spanish style houses are my favorites, especially if they have beautiful courtyards. In San Miguel there are no front yards or sweeping lawns, but the casas' openness and courtyards make it feel as if you are very comfortably living outdoors.

San Miguel Morning, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

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This is the sight that greeted me on our first morning in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The little bird posed obligingly on top of the dome. Bougainvilleas bloom profusely there, and there were many flowers I didn't recognize.

One night we went to Mi Casa, and heard incredible music; it was so good that there was no conversation or clanking glasses. The violin practically wept with the sound of moving Argentine music. It was worth the trip to hear something so profoundly beautiful.

One night we had a fiesta at the villa, and eleven Mariachi players strolled in playing their wonderful music. They had everyone dancing and our cook demonstrated how salsa dancing is supposed to be done.

So Festive

Surrounded by Mariachis

Beautiful Music

Bouquet, 7x5 Oil on Canvas

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If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? Even though I live in Florida, my yard is so bedraggled right now. A tree is dying of a mysterious disease, my huge frangipani tree has not a leaf on it, but a little cluster of pink blossoms sits at the end of one branch, embarrassed at arriving early to the party. Oh, how I want that TV guy who comes home with you and redoes your whole back yard! I'll be watching for him when I'm at Lowe's! Until then, I'll just paint cheerful flowers and be happy I live in Florida, where the winters are beautiful.

The Lonely Little Frangipani

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.

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.

Fall Island, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

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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.

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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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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Poppy Shadow, 6x6 Oil Painting on Canvas

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I wanted the sidewalk hot and the shadow cool in this poppy painting. It occurs to me that I have not painted a still life in a long time, but I'll get my chance next February at the Qiang Huang Workshop here in Melbourne. Maybe I should brush up a bit; however, I have been to so many beautiful places that I've been inspired to paint outdoor scenes lately. Qiang is a fantastic teacher--his method is well thought-out, and he is kind and patient.

Anyone interested in the workshop may contact me at hbeecher@earthink.net. The dates are Feb 22-24, 2014.

Cascade Mountains, 6x6 Oil on Canvas Board

This scenery in Washington State just takes my breath away. We were above the clouds, in clear, crisp air, and we saw lupine and beargrass flowers blooming. The views were spectacular. At the very top of this little-traveled road we met two girls who were volunteers in a watch tower. They were as enthusiastic about the place as if they had not spent the cold night in a flimsy structure on top of a mountain. That's exactly who we want watching our forests!

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Creek Flowers, 6x6 Oil on Canvas Board

Robert Genn wrote in his blog PainterKeys.com about challenging students to paint a landscape in either 37 minutes or 37 strokes. I tried both, and above is the one I painted in 37 minutes. This was a fantastic exercise for loosening up, thinking more simply, and as the master Qiang Huang says, painting mindfully. I am pleased with the result.  

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Below is the one I first painted in 37 strokes, and that just didn't work. That is very few strokes; the trees used up 14 strokes. When I finished it looked like a first-grader did it, so I went on and noodled around with it a bit until it resembled something. It is the same scene I painted in my previous post dated June 19, with a lot more strokes. Next time I try this I'll make it a simpler landscape. I'm not thrilled with this one, but I'm not giving up. It's also good practice for painting greens, and who doesn't need that?

Hobbitat, 9x12 Oil Painting

I call this Hobbitat because it looks like Hobbits would live there. It is a cool, lush forest and that road leads to some interesting places. No Hobbit sightings, though. Yet.

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Green Forest, 5X7 Oil on Board

Greens can be so difficult to get right. This was a cool forest with bright meadows, and is the preliminary to a larger painting of the same area.

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River of Grass, 6x6 Oil on Canvas

We painted on site at the Pa-Hay-Okee Overlook, and it was so nice chatting with all the travelers who came through. This is the dry season, so most of the grasses are high and dry right now. 

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Sunset

Very Gator-y Place

Gumbo Limbo Trail

Piney Island, 5x7 Oil on Canvas

This scene was painted  in plein air very near our campsite in the Everglades. The only wildlife was an alligator lolling at the shore and a huge black spider that got on my paper towels, possible a Regal Jumping Spider, though I can't be sure. I flicked him away without introductions.

Painting the scene

 

These photos are courtesy of Kathy. Here Cindy and I are in the mangrove forest, a wonderful tangled, twisting example of some of the world's most amazing trees. 

Winter Sunset, Oil on Canvas Board, 6x6

This was the view outside my house the other night. It actually was more vivid than this, but looks so unbelievable if it's painted that way. Florida sunrises and sunsets are just so hard to portray without looking exaggerated, because sometimes they are so dramatic that you feel your eyes are deceiving you. God's paintbrush uses some loud colors very effectively.

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Leap of Faith, 8x10 Oil on Canvas

This painting just returned from my exhibit and I am now putting it "out there." I find this painting exhilarating, capturing the spirit of childhood and fun. I paint so much that I am forgetting to have other kinds of fun. I need to correct that. I could go jump off a big rock into a river, but Florida doesn't have big rocks. We are as flat as a flitter (whatever that is).

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Zentangle, 3/12 x 4 Watercolor

I haven't done a Dailypaintworks.com Challenge in a long time, but since I was stuck on the couch with a sinus infection, I thought it was a good time to respond to the one called The Something New Challenge, to do something I'd never done before. I did a zentangle, which is a kind of freeform doodle. Very relaxing.

He Feedeth Among the Lilies, 8x8 Oil on Canvas

This was done from a photo shot by Uncle Emmett, who is not my uncle, but the uncle of a friend. That makes him my Fruncle.

The artist Robert Genn has many made-up words like that in his blog, The Painter's Keys, today. They are all about art and they are very funny. I was inspired to make up a few of my own:

Liarkinding: Complimenting an artist on a painting you hate because you don't want to hurt their feelings.

Clownvisagia: Going out in public unaware you have paint on your face.

Saddergaller: Depression because you didn't sell well at your show.

And my favorites of Robert's: 

Snooler: A person who gushes over your work but who you suspect privately thinks he can do better but actually can't. 

Superalphabetted: A person whose name is followed by a lot of letters. 

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