Copper Pot with Apple, 10x8 Oil on Canvas

$99, Click to Purchase

Taking a break from my San Miguel series to post a still life. This one was started in the Qiang Huang workshop in Melbourne. I have been so pleased to get thank-you notes from some of the people attending the class. Learning from Qiang is a very enriching experience, and some people came from a long distance and were glad they did. It's so gratifying when all the effort to put on a workshop is appreciated.

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.

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.

Yellow Buoy, 6x6 Oil on Canvas Board

I'll be painting the Northwests' mountains and rocky shores in a few days, but I liked this little boat so much that I just felt like painting it yesterday. It was in a calm bay with no mist (we saw a lot of mist) and bright sunlight.

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Below are some pages from my journal depicting some of the things we saw during our trip. I added a running theme of coffee and ice cream, which provided sustenance quite frequently.

Everglades Sunrise, 6x6 Oil on Canvas

I left my warm and cozy cot with sleeping bag, blankets, and jackets, to go look at the sunrise. It was worth it. The birds loudly proclaim the morning, as do the rich colors. I forgot to even notice where the alligator might be lurking, the one we saw in the lake the day before.

There is a fine line between not being at all scared of alligators and being too scared of them. Stay fifteen feet away, the rangers advise. Don't crouch down and look small and edible. This is very good advice.

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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

View from the Top, 20x20 Oil on Canvas

When the Pieces of 8 were in North Carolina, this is the sort of view that greeted us every morning from Cindy's balcony. I don't think I have done it justice. The mountains are like islands in the clouds.

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My good news: I am featured in an article in Space Coast Living Magazine, a beautiful local publication. Here's the link: Link to article

Hurricane: Before and After, 8x10 Oil on Board

Before the Storm

After the Storm

My first reversible painting! It's stormy on one side, sunny on the other. I'm always fascinated by the changes in the ocean, and a hurricane passing by Florida creates awesome drama. This family wisely stayed in shallow water and watched the mighty waves crashing.

Hurricane Isaac was long and drawn out, so it was many days before the peaceful, warm, sunny scene in the "After" painting. I am so lucky to live here--barring storm surge, of course.

This painting comes with an easel so it may be easily displayed according to your mood. It's kind of a "Mood Ring" of art, and it's two paintings in one!

 SOLD

Perky Poppies, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board

I have so many wonderful things to paint, I guess I will soon get off the poppy kick. I haven't tried them as collages yet, though. Hm. That might be interesting.

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Poppies at Brookgreen, 10x10 Oil on Canvas

 I love poppies, and these were abundant at Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina. They surrounded a long reflecting pool and were so beautiful against the dark background of the water. This is painted on a deep stretched canvas. Look at the photo below to see why I love my iPad. It's wonderful to paint from.

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Denette, Cindy, Me on Surfside Beach

Plaid Pears, 8x10 Mixed Media

This was just plain fun. I didn't know where I was going with this, but I rather enjoy the result. It's hard to get me away from oils and collage, but sometimes it's good to play around with other media. This is definitely a kitchen painting, wouldn't you say?

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Just a Little Pear, 4x4 Daily Painting

This is a perfect companion piece to my painting, "Just a Little Apple." I had such fun painting these loose little daily paintings.

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Below is the sight from my front yard this morning as Space Shuttle Discovery flew by on top of a jumbo jet, on its way to Washington DC. My camera battery chose that moment to die, so I used my iPad. It's an emotional goodbye for the Space Coast.

Just a Little Apple, 4x4 Oil on Canvas

I felt like doing something loosey goosey, and this satisfied the urge. An apple is always a good lesson. I should do this with a lemon, as lemons are my nemesis. Or is it nemeses?

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Green Parakeet, 4x4 Collage

This little birdie is actually named "Birdie," and loves the guitar. These tiny collages are just as hard to do as big ones, so I think I will stick to bigger ones soon. However, there is a tiny cardinal coming up...

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Soft Landing, 8x10 Collage

Color follows trends, and I guess bright yellow is not trendy now, because it was difficult to find a yellow that would give this butterfly some "punch." I finally discovered this buttery yellow in Dr. Oz's sweater. He is always so helpful, isn't he?

 SOLD

Pineapple and Friends, 10x8 Oil on Canvas Board

Pineapples are a real challenge to paint. This one was so little and cute, and needed some companions, so I added strawberries.

On another subject: just when you decide all politicians are, shall we say, character-challenged, you see someone like Gabby Giffords. She has a light from within. They should all take a lesson from her. That's my soapbox message for the day.

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Apples and Wine, 10x12 Collage

I could do collage all day. This was one of our activities during our retreat in the mountains, and we had a great time, guided by Donna, our Collage Leader and Noted Limerick Writer. This week I will be taking a collage class from Derek Gores, whose work is quite awesome. What fun!

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Sunflower, 7x5 Oil on Linen

This is entered in the Daily Paintworks Rectangle Challenge. Every stroke is a rectangle, and it was a good exercise for me. I need to do more rectangle paintings. And speaking of challenges, I also made this a jigsaw puzzle. Click here to see if you can solve it!

My heart goes out to artist Carol Marine, who has lost everything in the Texas wildfires. A close family friend, Jennifer, has organized a fund to immediately assist Carol & David. There is so much loss from disasters this year, it is heartbreaking. 

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$69

Yellow Waterlily, 6x6

Our Artists' Guild was invited to an open house and there was a lovely pond with waterlilies, so that was the subject for our Pieces of 8 painting group yesterday.

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We were eating at a family restaurant where a man was making really great balloon animals. He came over and made us a ladybug. It was so cute, I had to paint it.

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