Orange and Grapes

10" x8" oil

No Baby yet!

I am at my daughter's and we are on baby watch.  After several false starts that looked promising, we are trying to be patient.  Thank goodness that my two grandsons offer excellent distraction!

Lighthouse

There are so many things I don't know how to do with my iPad that I wished I had figured out before I was in situation where it is my only tool for posting.  I guess I will have the opportunity to learn if I can find the time.  I am at my daughter's.  She is due to have a baby and I am offering support both in the delivery and in taking care of her adorable boys. I am not finding time to seriously paint, but am getting to do creative things with a three and five year old each day.  Today we painted watercolor for about two hours.  It was a blast and reminded me how much fun it is to just play with paint and try out new things.  Unfortunately I haven't figured how to post photos from my iPad library.  I am sure it is possible but can't find that option!

Chocolate Covered Waffles

I have no idea how these two paintings animated themselves...but it is very cool!

Block Village

Early Morning Walk

8"x10" oil

20 minute painting....just to get the gist....

Babushka Baby

8"x8" oil

One of the reasons I write a blog is to catalog my work and the thoughts involved in painting it.  This way I record something about my frame of mind as well as the process of discovery and growth that I am experiencing on the journey.  Of course I also do it to expose an audience to my work and hopefully create an interest for buyers and those who want to have a commission done. I read other artists blogs to get insight into how they work and because I am so amazed at how well so many people tell their story through color and brushwork.  This little one gave me fits!  I spent so much time on this painting which really looks straight forward an d simple.  I tried painting it loose and I tried painting it detailed.  So what did I learn? (that is what Jo MacKenzie always asks in her blog).  Once again I am reminded that the tools you use make a big difference.  The texture and quality of the panel, the consistency and color of the paint, and the brushes and other tools all have a big impact on how it will turn out.

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The View

8"x8" oil

I did this painting in acrylic but was not happy with the results so I changed some things and re-did it in oil.  I am really disappointed in how the photo looks because the colors are all wrong, but this was after multiple attempts so I am going with it, and after the snow storm which is burying us right now, I am going to change up my indoor set up and come up with a better way to take photos!  So, use your imagination with this one!
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Still Life 9

8"x8" oil

I think I am about done with this series.  I may do a couple more, but I am thinking about my next project.  I am currently working on these, a series of portraits of kids and families, and I have been thinking about a series of abstract landscapes I want to do.  Today I was listening to a classical radio station and they were featuring a violinist and quoting this musician about how he came to the understanding that thinking about his performances in terms of being the best or not good enough limited his ability to fully experience his art form.  He realized they were never as good as they could be or as bad as he thought they were so he quit designing his programs around these ideas and just started to enjoy his own work.  I think this applies to so many aspects of our lives.  We tend to live in a state of comparison and we need to free ourselves to do what we love and share it with others.  So this is for you in hopes that you get some enjoyment from looking at it!

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True Pleasure

8"x10" oil

I understand our arctic temperatures are going to reach seasonal norms tomorrow.  Yeah!  That means 20-30 degrees which sounds down right balmy to me right now!  And...we are going to have sunshine to-boot!  In celebration I decided to paint this picture which was inspired by a photo I saw a long time ago in a newspaper.  There were several kids in the photo, but I thought this expression told the whole story.  We should all find this much pleasure in the simple things!

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Chosen Child

8"x8" oil

When I paint someone's portrait from a photo and they are smiling, I smile too.  I am totally in love with this little guy and I haven't even met him...yet!  I approached this painting differently than others I have done.  I finish my own painting boards with many layers of gesso that I sand down.  I used a roller to apply the gesso on the last batch I made and there is quite a bit of texture to them.  They are more absorbent as well.  At first I thought of this as a flaw, but after using them, I realize I can get a different effect from them and it really worked on this portrait.  I blended my colors instead of layering them, and he came out very soft looking which I like.  I hope you do too!

  SOLD

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Boy Toys

8"x10" oil

Back to still life painting.  I set this one up with my husband's favorite growler, a toy wooden ladder, and some wooden blocks...so, I call it "Boy Toys."  I am learning a lot from doing these still life paintings.  I plan to do more, until I am really comfortable with setting them up and getting the lighting right.  I am looking forward to the growing season so I paint still life paintings with fresh flowers!

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Entertainment8"x8"

8"x8" oil

The inspiration for this was and old vinyl album cover I saw.  I have great memories of listening to records with my sister on an old player like this.  My mom didn't learn how to read until she was an adult because she was severely dyslectic.  When her mother died, she had to stay home and help raise her brothers and sisters.  She kept this a secret for most for her life which just goes to show how brilliant she really was, as none of us knew and she was a bookkeeper in the Navy.  Anyway, she gave us many story and music albums when we were little because she didn't read out loud to us. One of my favorites was Peter and the Wolf, which also was a method for teaching different instruments in the orchestra.  Mom eventually became an obsessive reader.  I have great admiration for her all the things she overcame to become an artist and fabulous person.
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Forgotten

8"x8" oil

I sometimes feel like I am always in school...never becoming the expert...the professional...but always the student stumbling through the exercises, trying to learn new things.  This applies in most aspects of my life.  Maybe it isn't so bad and maybe my brain will benefit from it in the long run.  Anyway, this painting reflects experiments in many things including using a palette knife and in creating the effect of snow.  The values show up better in person, and so do the colors of the snow.  It is still winter where I live and we are hoping to stretch out the ski season until we are all just too exhausted to put on so many layers.  I have been wanting to paint this little cart since Christmas.  It is located outside Greenbrier Gift Shop in Killington, VT.....a really fun place to spend some time.
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Blessings

8"x10" oil

Frequently people (especially beginning artists) ask the question, "When do you know when the painting is finished."  I don't really have a good answer for this, but I am sure someone does.  For me, the answer is frequently, "stop before you mess it up!"  This painting was like that.  It just came very easy and quickly and I felt really happy painting it.  How could I not?  She was smiling her contagious smile at me the whole time!  There are things I could refine about this, but I just wanted to keep the spontaneity of  it and the fresh strokes.
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A Mother's Joy

8"x8" oil

I needed a change from painting still life paintings so I decided to do a series of portraits of children.  They are adorable, don't you agree?  That makes them especially fun to paint.  I haven't been able to paint as much lately because life and other responsibilities keep getting the better of me.  I am busy working on the annual fundraiser for the Carving Studio, which is very time consuming, but rewarding as well. And, the best distraction in my life, my grandkids, are another excuse!

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A Face to Love

8'x10" oil

Happy Valentine's Day!  We are so fortunate to be surrounded by family and friends that we can share our celebration of love.  My husband and I met on Valentine's Day 28 years ago, so this holiday is always special for us.  However, I can't help but think about all the children in the world that need to be taken care of and loved who aren't because they are in sad circumstances.  So I am dedicating this painting to all of you little ones who deserve better.

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Sweet and Healthy - Pineapple Heart

6"x6" oil

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Abstract Flower

8"x10" oil

I had a need to do something really loose and leaning towards the abstract,  I decided to do flowers using the dark background I have been using in the still life paintings I have been doing.  Then using both a brush and a palette knife, with thick and thin paint, I just let myself go with it.  I really like the suggestion of the flowers without defining them.  It was a good exercise.

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Still Life 8

8"x8" oil

We are snowed in today so this is a cheerful image to stare at for a few hours.  I don't think this photo does it justice.  The contrast is not enough.  I keep complaining about my photos so I guess I am going to have to get someone to tutor me on how to get the best ones I can.  I used smaller brushes on this painting and it is evident to me in the finished product...not so much fussy, as more precise.  I think it is a nice effect, but I really like loads of paint and juicy brushwork.  These still life paintings are from a video course by Daniel Edmondson.  He is very generous in responding with video critiques which are quite helpful.  This is the first time I have done something like this and I recommend it, especially if you need to jump-start a new series of paintings.  It reminds me of the important basics.  I am getting close to the end, so I need to figure out what to paint next.  My husband has been looking at these and his comment is always the same, "I think you are a portrait painter."  My son says, "It looks like fruit and flowers and stuff," but he doesn't use the word 'stuff.'  I am not getting a lot of encouragement from the home front, so I hope some of my friends in cyberspace like it better!

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