Shall We Dance?, 6x6 Inch Original Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

SOLD

Sticking with the 'birds' theme, I guess.. the Birds show at Lovell Studio at 4 Corners in Tiverton is over this Saturday - and it was a huge success!  About 50% of the paintings sold!

These gulls we at the beach across the street.  I'm always amazed at what seems to be the different KIND of gulls there.  I always thought the brown gulls were babies.  Now there seem to be giant brown gull, dwarfing these dark and white gulls - no way they are offspring!  I enjoyed the brushwork doing this one.  And in my research I'm finding there are more than one kind of Rhode Island Red Chicken - there is the 'old' style and the 'new'(lighter) style.  Also there are Rhode Island Whites.  I find chickens and gulls fascinating... sparrows, too.. guess I'm a Bird Girl at heart...

And for my friend Mary, who missed this sunset tonight, believing the weatherman....

You could've painted THIS!

Playing Around

Officially I'm 'off' this week, but I decided to pull out my old watercolors and play with a theme...  (I WAS planning on revamping my website but apparently 40,000 photos slow down a computer too much - who knew?)  I have a lot of images of sparrows on a white fence against a coral wall.  I painted with watercolor for about 10 years before I dipped my toes into oils...  I was always searching for a way to be freer, but then when the oil bug hit I was a gonner.  I'd love to study with Sean Thomas someday, but I have so MANY goals to achieve before that one!  So I just thought I'd show you what I was doodling with today.  Hope you're all in a Happy Christmas Cookie Coma...

Birds On A Fence, 12x12 Mixed Media

This is another for my show at Nest in Dedham, for the month of September.  I painted on the Cape last week for a few days, and on our way home, Sally Dean and I attended a talk on mixed media by artist Mary Moquin, who is one of my favorites.  She is doing oil and cold wax medium work, and I was completely inspired.  So I picked up some cold wax and mixed it with my oil paint in this.  It makes the paint thicker and 'waxy', and leaves it a little translucent. Still fiddling around and working it out, but I was happy with how this came out.

Little Blue Birds, 6x6 Oil

A couple of weeks ago my Challenge Group met at my studio in Warren, RI.  A couple of girls came down early and we hit the antiques stores (we have REAL antiques stores, where you can really find good things!) together.  At the Wren and Thistle I found these two ceramic birds - irresistible!  So different from painting plein air, and tough to shift gears.

This painting is $100 & $10 S& H via Paypal

I want to share some valuable information with other bloggers, too.  Today I found Leslie Saeta's blog and saw that she has a radio program on Thursdays at noon about Artists Helping Artists.  She has the links on her blog so if that's a bad time for you it's there when you can listen at your leisure.  Thusday's topic is:  Sell Your Art While You Sleep!  Check it out!

Work In Progress, Mailbox

The North River Arts Society  in Marshfield, MA, has a big Festival every Memorial Day weekend, and they ask artists to help with fundraising.  This year it is mailboxes.  I spent some time at Sally Dean's studio on Tuesday when I went to pick mine up and she offered invaluable advice (sand it, wipe it with a tack cloth) that NEVER would have occurred to me.  I always get nervous painting on anything other than canvas or board or paper.   Last year, you may remember my hyperventilating over the pillows we were supposed to decorate (for good reason - my 2 pillows were among the handful that did NOT sell!).  

I have learned a lesson (thank you, Sally).  I was thinking "What would people want on their mailboxes?"  Sally said "NO.  Think... 'What do I like to paint?"   Ahhhh.... well, birds!  I love to photograph, draw and paint them!  So here's my start ... and man, did I LOVE painting on the metal!  It's acrylic, and they will get a couple of coats of protection to deal with the harsh New England weather.  All will be on sale (and I'll also have about 20 unframed, bargain priced pieces at Art In The Barn) during the festival.  I'll show this (both sides) when I'm done!

Birdie #2, Oil 6x6

Today I gave this little bird another try. It's funny, but it's like figure drawing, you have to keep doing it to be ABLE to do it! And I love the shapes of birds. So I think this one's a little better, but I don't think I'm 'there' yet!

Little Bird, Oil 6x6

This little sparrow was a gift this week, and I thought it would be a good subject for the first day of Spring. I haven't done a bird painting in a while, and I think I'll do more of these to get comfortable again with bird shapes and gestures (not that a resin bird can have a 'gesture').

Safe Landing, Oil, 6x12

I just love these little birds.  I have so much work to do, finishing up larger pieces, starting new painting projects, and I just can't seem to make myself stop doing these little birds, donuts (look for the next post) and - yes, ackkkk - stones.  I raided my husband's stash of beach stones in the garden for the next little stone painting.  Anyway, thank you all so much for viewing, and I love to get your comments, too!

Strutting, oil, 6x6

SOLD

Obviously I love birds.  Animals of most kinds (millipedes are definitely left off the list!), actually.  But I seem to be able to paint what I feel for birds, as opposed to dogs or cats.  I like the neutral background - rather than it 'being nowhere', I find it focuses more on the character of the bird.  Or am I crazy?

Sometimes You Just Have To Sing, 6x6 Acrylic

Enthralled with the sparrows, still. I've been out painting some plein air in Bristol, you can see it at http://welcometomyartworld.blogspot.com/.