5-Day Challenge, Day 3: Beach Day, 7x5 Oil on Panel

Before I began this, my third 20-minute painting, I couldn't resist drawing a cartoon about the experience of doing a painting in such a short amount of time.

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Robots and Paintings

On First Friday, August 2nd, Kathy Garvey and I will be exhibiting our art at Highland Art Studio, 1425 Highland Avenue in Melbourne. I'll have my oil paintings on display.

Storm's Coming

Kathy has been making ingenious little robots out of clay and luggage tags.  Foreign object removal on the runway at the airport constantly turns up the metal tags off luggage, and only Kathy would see them as potential robots. They are so darn cute!

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Calm Harbor, 5x7 Impressionist Original Oil Painting Florida Seascape Art

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This peaceful scene is Ballard Park in Melbourne, Florida, one of my favorite places. It is part of the Indian River Lagoon, our very endangered waterway that is suffering from years of pollution. It is a hot-button issue around here. In the 70s you could see clammers galore in the river; now you see none. I've been told by people who were here many years ago that the water was once clear. Now it is brown murk. Our new governor promises better water quality in Florida; we'll see. 

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Water House II, Original Oil on Canvas Seascape North Captiva Island Florida

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When we stayed on beautiful North Captiva Island, Florida, we passed this scene every day. I don't know why this house is in the water, but I like it. We kayaked from across the bay to here one day, and I got pictures of the other side and painted it also (below).

Water House (Sold)

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Reflections on Breakfast, Oil Painting on Gold, Daily Painting Print

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I see so many sights when I walk on the beach, including closeups like this one. Prints are available in various sizes and prices, on paper or canvas. 

 

I bought myself a Bluetooth Hat, which is so clever, especially for people who don't like earbuds. You can listen to a book or your music library on your phone, but in your hat while doing your morning walk! 

The only drawback is that I live in Florida, and if the weather isn't cool, I roast. I'm glad that it does occasionally get cool; one day it's 80, another day it's 50...that's my cue to don my Bluetooth Hat and hit the road (or the beach)

Window on the Beach, Oil Painting, 7x5 Florida Seascape

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My painting group gathered at the beach on a beautiful Florida day last week and did some plein air painting. That is always an invigorating experience, and I was happy with my little picture. In picking my spot I noticed how vivid the water looked when viewed through the sea grape window. When I walked to the crossover and looked at the beach with nothing framing it, it didn't seem nearly as saturated with color. I'm sure my friend Qiang Huang could explain this to me in technical terms because he knows everything about optics and about art.

My cartoon today is one I did for a T-Shirt. It's called "The Pleininator" and features a hat with a brush holder, paper tower holder, citronella candle, cup holder, and viewfinder. My inspiration was when I painted in a cow pasture with weeds, bugs, and extreme thirst.

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Stormy Day, 5x7 Original Oil on Canvas Panel Seascape

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The beach and stormy weather are an exciting combination. The colors become subdued, but the action does not, and I love being able to see the rain far off in the distance. 

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Oil Painting on Canvas, "Beach at Oro Pesos," 18x24 Seascape

There's nothing more inspiring than painting in gorgeous surroundings. This beautiful spot is on North Captiva Island on the Gulf Coast of Florida, and my husband and I explored every inch of the place while we were there. While looking for a subject to paint I spotted this scene, and the long purple shadows really clinched it. While I was painting I could hear the Laughing Gulls and the rustling coconut palms, and it was just...indescribable. The island is a paradise for an artist or writer. And of course, for tourists escaping the cold frozen North.

This was a wonderful way to celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary.

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Storm Watch, 6x8 Original Oil Painting on Canvas Panel, Seascape

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One of my favorite dramatic lighting conditions is what we have been having the past few weeks: a dark and threatening sky as a backdrop, with a bright, sunny foreground. In this case, the sailboat might want to get to port as quickly as possible. After our big Florida drought, we should be thankful for all the rainstorms.

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Peace, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Panel, Seascape at Sunrise

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The beach makes me happy. It is a place to escape hectic everyday life, and especially the constant yammering of politics (shiver). I've always marveled that I can walk from the noisy, busy highway, over the crossover, and down to the beach, and I only hear the pleasant sounds of the ocean. 

There's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away.

-Sarah Kay

Tahiti Beach, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Panel, Elbow Cay, Abacos Islands Seascape

For Sale on Etsy

This is the place of my dreams. The water is pristine and clear, the sand is sparkling white, and the sky is blue. Stress is a thing of the past when you are in a place like this. It's beautiful Tahiti Beach, not in the Pacific, but on Elbow Cay in the Abacos Islands, Bahamas. There is no traffic because there are no cars. A golf cart suffices. One of my favorite places ever. Drop me off with my paints for a month or so.

(Back to reality) Coming Soon: My Solo Show

Friday, April 22, 6 - 8 pm

The Parish House

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

105 E. Washington St

Middleburg, VA

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Breakfast Club, 16x20 Seascape on Canvas

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I had the urge to paint something bigger than my usual daily paintings, so I spent several days on this. I love the ocean. I love swimming in it, looking at it, floating on it, and painting it. I'm awed by its power and fascinated by its beauty. I like to look at it and imagine what's on the other side. When I was a kid living in Central Florida, we would come to the beach, and I could smell it before I saw it. 

I have lived in Bermuda and the Azores Islands, surrounded by water. In Bermuda it was turquoise with pink sand beaches; in the Azores it was deep teal or blue or stormy gray, with a black lava beach. I'd like to be back in those places, knowing what I know now about painting them.

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Pelicans in Flight, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Panel, Seascape with Birds

$125, Buy Now

I feel fortunate when I catch a flock of pelicans in flight; with a digital camera at the beach and all the movement going on, it is like shooting blind. 

We are expecting a lot of wave action this weekend due to hurricane Joaquim, so I will be down there with my camera. I'm just so thankful we haven't been hit in 11 years. Makes you wonder why our insurance premiums are still outrageous (grumble grumble).

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Beach People, 10x8 Oil on Canvas Panel, Seascape Daily Painting

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As I am writing this it's pouring outside. I hardly know what is left to say about a sunny beach, I have posted so many, so I'll just say I'm glad to see the rain. I am growing Purple Hull Peas, and I know no one north of the Mason-Dixon line knows what I'm talking about. They are the most delicious vegetable one could ever put in one's mouth; they are the Ambrosia of the vegetable world. Though tedious to shell, they are worth it. What could be better than shelling Purple Hulls while watching Last Tango in Halifax? Of course this assumes that I successfully raise a crop. Flowers come easily to me, but vegetables--not so much. We'll see. 

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Beach Chair, 10x8 Oil on Canvas Panel Seascape

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I know there are a lot of stripes in this painting: the clouds, the ocean, the surf, the beach--even the chair has stripes in it. There really isn't much you can do about it, that's the way it looked. I decided to just go with it. There was more seaweed than I'm showing, but it didn't look too pretty. The Sargasso Sea is a large mass of floating seaweed and when it drifts to our beaches, it helps anchor the sand and it provides food for small creatures. When you see a brown tangled mass on the beach, don't complain about it, just thank it.

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Beach Stroll, 8x6 Original Oil on Canvas, Seascape with Figure

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This is my daughter strolling on Satellite Beach. This is a small 6x6 oil on stretched canvas.

I had a good laugh recently when my grandson told me about riding with a group of other college kids to Houston from Birmingham. It was a long ride and everyone was bored, so my grandson took out my memoir, Crackers and Oranges, and read it aloud to them. He said everyone was cracking up. That makes me one happy Grammy.

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By the Sea, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Panel

$89, Click to Purchase

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.

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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