Shoppers On the Go

6"x6" oil Price $100

This is the last painting for the 30 in 30 challenge.  These shoppers are taking off for new and more exciting things and so am I (in the painting realm at least).  This was fun to paint with all the blacks and movement.

The S6"x6" inger

6"x6" oil price $100

One of the nice things about going to gallery openings, besides the wine and appetizers, good company, and great art, is the music.  I took a photo of this musician singing and playing at the Chaffee Art Center which is housed in a lovely old mansion.  It really is a treasure for Rutland City, and the central Vermont area.  I liked using the birch panel for the floors and walls.  Actually the walls are white and the floor is oak.  I do not know this musician and am sorry I didn't write his name down. He looked to me to be part Native American.  Is it wrong to mention what you think someone's ethnic background is???  Mine is Dutch, English, Irish and German.  There You go!

Sand Play

6"x6" oil Price $100

It is hard enough for adults to gracefully navigate deep sand, but for a little one whose balance is questionable to begin with, it is quite the exercise.  The cool thing about sand and going to the beach is that it truly is ageless entertainment.  Tiny people to really old people love to just be there and it requires very little to keep them entertained.

The fishing Expedition

6"x6" oil Price $100

This was fun.

Calm Morning

6"x6" oil $100

I love the idea of paddle boards.  I love the idea of doing yoga on one.  I love watching people navigate waves and dance around a body of water.  But, they are HEAVY and really big and not cheap!  It is on my bucket list, but I am going to choose a lake where I can unload where there is a boat access.

And the Road Goes Here

6"x6" oil Price $100

This young man on the right is giving engineering layouts to his patient dad while little brother gets to work on his part of the castle.

And the Road Goes Here

6"x6" oil

Kid's with their dad on the beach are a compelling subject matter.  What really got me about this trio where the dynamics of their personalities, which I hope I captured here.  The older brother on the left is clearly the engineer,  dad is patiently taking instructions while little brother has no patience for all the talking and planning and he just wants to get to work.  They actually weren't all dressed identically, but I thought that brought unity to this piece.

Sand Play

6"x6" oil Price $100

Thank you Lowell Klock for having such a cute grandson!

Fluff

6"x6" oil Price $100

Something different for Day 23 of the 30 in 30 challenge.  I accepted a challenge to paint a cat and got the photo from a fellow painter. When I first painted it, it looked like a ball of fluff so I softened the edges and darkened it so that it would blend into the background better.  Mostly it is about the beautiful emerald green eyes.

The Harpist

This piece tells too much of the story.  I liked yesterday's painting better because it told only enough of the story...her hands.  I also liked the abstract quality of that painting.  I am learning....and one thing that really struck me this week is the importance of some mystery in the work.  I think that is true. This is Day 22.

The Harpist Hands

6"x6" oil $100

Can you hear the music?

This dog is not happy to be dragged into this crazy, swirly, loud movement of waves.  His owner is trying to convince him but it is a no-go as far as he is concerned.  It was a good idea on the drawing board, but alas, it doesn't always work out.

Stroll Down the Street

6"x6" oil  Price $100

I took a photo this summer in Provincetown during that golden hour when the colors are golden and the shadows are long.  I was captivated by the blue-ness of the shadows and have exaggerated it in the painting.

Morning Walk

6"x6" oil Price $100

Every morning this lady does her fast walk along the beach. I thought she was bold to wear a bikini because....well she wasn't that young! I also kind of admired her boldness...what difference does it make anyway? She is out taking in the beauty of the ocean daily. Her life is good!

Skimboarding

 

 

6"x6" oil Price $100

This is one of those cool sports that is really fun to watch and kids can do it with some practice.  I love watching people play at the beach.  Besides swimming, body surfing, splashing in the waves, building sand castles, flying kites, throwing things for dogs to fetch, surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, gymnastics, there is always the fascinating sunbathers and those crazy people in the sky, like those parasailing.  All in all, the beach is quite entertaining.

6"x6" oil Price $100

Day 16 two gardeners heading out to the fields.  I think using the birch background works well on this one.

Beach Fairy

6"x6" oil  Price $100

I saw an add in a magazine when I was looking for something to draw and decided to use it as inspiration for this painting.  I made numerous changes and am happy with the result.  Sometimes when I am in a situation where I want to draw and can't get inspired by my surroundings I will practice drawing figures from magazines.

Work To Do

I took a photo in a park forest in Portland, OR, of this person walking down a path with a determined stride.  The big hat and tight posture caught my eye.  I liked how the image is framed by two large Douglas Firs with the light filtering through the background forest.  This is Day 14.

Days 11, 12 and 14

Connected    oil    6"x6"

Smirkus

I love the circus acrobats.  I love Cirque De Soleil, Circus Smirkus, the Big Apple Circus, and even Circus Circus.  I love the Olympics and other sporting events.  It is thrilling to see what the human body can do with determined effort and practice.  This board is completely covered in paint which wasn't my initial plan, but as I worked on it I just felt it needed more paint to accomplish the lighting effectively.

I Can Do It

6"x6" oil

Day 9 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  She was so serious about trying to catch the ball.  She clearly didn't understand that holding rigid and not moving does not aid catching the ball!  We just hoped she would loosen up and stick with it without giving up out of frustration.  My granddaughter is trying to learn to do a handstand and all I can do is encourage her to keep trying.  I would show her how, but I just don't trust my joints to that extent! 

Ready For the Pros

Day 8 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  We are at the beach and the weather is not that perfect blue sky, warm breeze kind we all love.  However, for what we lose in sunshine we gain in waves for body boarding!  There are lots of other things to do as well, including playing this game with fuzzy balls and a Velcro mitt.  This young man really knew how to balance his body for maximum efficiency and I loved trying to capture it.

Good Form

6"x6" oil

Day 7 of the 30 in 30 day challenge.  Again I covered the whole piece with paint only leaving little bits of the drawing showing.  I made up the background which was fun and allowed me to think more abstractly using patterns.  We have been having beautiful weather this summer and I know my golfing friends have made the most of it.  It has been really dry though, and I can't help but think that they must have watered the golf courses a lot.

The Swimmer

Add caption6"x6" oil

Day 6 in the 30 in 30 challenge by Leslie Saeta.  I painted this from a life drawing I did.  Actually all the paintings I am doing this month, so far, have been from drawings and then I paint them without photo references.  There are things to be learned from this.  It makes me think carefully about the colors I want to use and it frees me from trying to interpret a photo.  I am having fun with the process.

Better With a Straw

6"x6" oil

Milk is good for you but it is better with a straw.  I like the magic look of a bit of paint on top of the board.  It is like a ghost image appeared in full color.  I am still figuring out how to keep pencil marks visible....not there yet.  This is day 5 in Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 Challenge.

Boys Club

6"x6" oil

Day 4 of the 30 in 30 challenge by Leslie Saeta.  Day four is special because Mother Theresa is becoming an official saint by the Catholic Church and it is my daughter's birthday.  I find that interesting because my daughter, Ruthann, was blessed by Mother Theresa when I met her in 1977.  This painting is completely covered in paint which wasn't my original intention, but sometimes you have to switch tracks in the middle. The Boys Club is that group of men who sit on the sidelines while their wives shop, or go to art museums, or flower gardens.  I do like the soft look of these paintings.

The Drummer

6"x6" oil

This is day 3 of the 30 in 30 Challenge by Leslie Saeta.  I am painting on birch panels coated with a clear gesso.  I am trying to use slightly less saturated colors than my normal palette, leave some of the birch showing, and although it is not evident in this one, I am trying to also leave some of the original drawing.  I am learning a lot and tweaking this method with the hopes that I find a technique that really works for me combining realism and abstraction in a pleasing way.

The Long Journey - 30 in 30 Challenge #2

Day 2 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge by Leslie Seata, is of my friend Susan walking along a path at Lefferts Pond. I am really loving painting on birch panels covered with clear gesso.  My goal is to leave some of the wood showing as well as using more subtle color choices and leaving an element of the original drawing evident.  This is a really fun experiment.  My hope is to do 30 figurative works in this style.

Swinging - 30 In 30 Challenge #1"

This is the first painting of Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  I am already behind as I usually post the painting I did the previous day.  Yesterday was a migraine day and today is a migraine hangover day, but I am determined to stay on task.  It is a beautiful day to be out in the studio and with the double garage doors open, it is like being outside, so I am going to listen to beautiful music and paint, paint, paint.  For this challenge I am doing a combination of drawing, painting and showing the background of birch by not painting areas.  We will see how it all goes, but I am happy with #1.