1st Maine Painting. 6x8 Inches, Oil

This is the first attempt to paint in Maine this week.  Damariscotta harbor area.  Gotta run - no juice, no good internet connection!!!!

Hazy, Hot and Humid, 6x8 Inches, Oil Painting

This was a demo from my Painting Safari on Friday.  It was the OPPOSITE of hazy, hot and humid, and for that I was grateful, but no one was feeling intrepid, so we had the session at my studio and worked from photos.  I asked people to try to select from my photos an image that had close values, as much like the day we were experiencing.  This image from a past Summer did the trick.  I really, really like the way it came out, and truthfully, I've painted those 'lozenge' suns many times before and this time I got it.

I'm sorry for those of your who like hot weather, but I'm as happy as the clams here in Maine on my painting trip!  To connect to the internet I have to drive for 1/2 hour - for a public wi-fi, so there probably won't be many posts this week, and I apologize.

Please send Paco your good thoughts as he is on 'vacation' with my son, Conor in Boston.  As you can see above, he adores Conor.  But he still worries about whether his Mom will come home....

Got Vermouth? 5x7 Inches, Oil

SOLD

OK, for now... an end to the Olive series (some of you are going "YAY", I know!)  No, I'm not done with cocktails... I have a few more - ahem - in mind.  I love the blue in this Bombay Sapphire bottle.  And - what's more fun than green olives and red pimento's?

I get into the label, too...  maybe in another life I'll be a sign painter.  OK, tomorrow I'm headed to Maine for a painting week with some awesome painters.  My household will miss me, and I them... but I will be in a happy (but not internet connected) place.   

Happy Anniversary Toast, 6x6 Inches, Oil

SOLD

Lots of people (me included) have anniversaries this month.  We've been so busy that we're putting off the actual *celebration* (read: Al Forno's for dinner) till July, but I can be sure Tim will make me one of his Signature Martini's on the 24th, which is our Day.  I want to say Happy Anniversary to all you out there who also celebrate this month.  Hey, I'm so into painting the olives this week I just couldn't help myself.  Next week it'll be the rocks and wilds of Maine.  So.... Cheers to ALL my blog readers!

And.... remember I did the 'giveaway' of the Kelley's Jellies T-shirt? Here it is!  Sheila from CA won it, and I was thrilled because I've been a fan of HERS for a long time!  Check her blog out!

Olive-ya, Olive-ya, Olive-ya!!! 6x6 Inches, Oil

SOLD

Olives x3, on a mylar-covered cloth!  They are so fun to paint!  But I promise there will be other subjects...

OK, also, I'm getting ready for a painting trip to Maine next week. Aside from the devastation Paco and the kitties will once again feel... I'm pumped!  

Painting clothes:  packed

Painting gear:  packed

Now to decide: wine or vodka...

and brownies or banana bread....

Plein Air Demo, 5x7 Inches

Last week we had our first Painting Safari - a fun, plein air class that happens in a different location each week.  I swear I'm the luckiest person in the world - these students are amazing women and we have the BEST time!  Aside from losing my camera (found the next day...) it was a perfect day.  Above is an enlargement of a portion of it - I made use of Laurel Daniel's "mother color" which is ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson and a bit of burnt umber, to establish the darks.

  Then, because the light changes so much outdoors, I made "color notes - see below - so I'd have accurate colors from the MOMENT I had chosen to paint:

This image seems to have lost the lavender sky at the horizon, but you get the idea.  We believe we were looking across the river at Barrington, RI.  

If you live nearby, you can check the upcoming location for our Safari and join us!

Tower Of Olives, 8x6, Oil

SOLD

I was going to do a stack of donuts for the Daily Paintworks Challenge this week.  Oh, sure, at first it was all 'teacups and plates' in my mind, but then I thought "Wait... I could do a stack of DONUTS!"  Of course I stopped at a new DD's, with the skimpiest frosting (see my other post about WHY people order frosted donuts) I'd ever seen.  Still, I thought, I could make it work.

I put down a jelly donut (properly 'encouraged' to give up a little jelly), and topped it with a Strawberry Frosted, then took a bite out of a Boston Cream (this was a sacrifice - they are one of my LEAST favorite donuts!) and put it on top.  Zooomed all the way in with my viewfinder and was SO excited about this until... all of a sudden... PLOP - SCRABBLE - gulp, smack, gulp ... the top two donuts had SLID off the bottom one!   And my trusty Studio Pup was on them like a fly on watermelon!

So... without further ado I slid a bunch of olives onto a skewer.  Stuck the skewer through the top of a box, and set the light up.  Olives were a TON of fun :) The skewer tilts a little but, but that's OK!  Find the Gin & Vermouth!   I'm going to do more!

This Little Piggy... 6x6 Inches, Oil

$100 & $10 S&H

This little piggy came from Sedona.  Carol Marine, Mary Sheehan Winn and I all were captivated by them.  So look for them to pup up here and there on the blogsphere.  It is actually a 3 legged pig.  I'm getting my painting legs back - and really really liked the way this little guy came out.  However after I finished him, I should have quit, but I plowed ahead, and painted this painting, below, which ended up getting wiped off!

I spent 3 hours today with my 'talking' Prius at the dealership - for a 15 minute scheduled appt.  After all they they 1) couldn't figure out why the car was beeping, chirping and flashing all the warning lights at me, and 2) they completely forgot to replace my headlight.  A not-so-sood morning all around.  So I'm not surprised that the one below was not up to par, and got 'the axe'.  Just so you know...

Three Olive Martini-time

This painting is reserved for a very good friend, who said she wanted it but may have forgotten about it... :)

I'll hold on to it for her.  It's been a Three Martini YEAR! :)

Time is flying so fast, but there's more and more to do and see and experience... I'm very, very grateful for my life and everyone in it.  I have been blessed with wonderful family and friends, both near and far. So, yes, this is a painting from a while ago, but it spoke to my mood, more than the wipers I've been producing.  Someone told me that when you are frustrated with your paintings you are at the cusp of something new.

Let's hope it's something both new and wonderful!

Peppermints, 6x6 Inches, Oil

SOLD

I had so many things to paint, but I couldn't decide.    So I grabbed my little peppermints and painted them.  I just love the shapes and colors of them.  And then there's the celpohane...:)

Sheila from California won the "I Love Kelley's Jellies" T-shirt!  I'll do another giveaway - when I hit 200 subscribers.  Hopefully soon!

Ugh... just read that we have severe thunderstorms and rain and hail are moving through our area.  I left every window in the studio open so the night air would drift in, nice and cool, for my class today.... uh, oh!

Belated National Donut Day, 6x6 Inches, Oil (T-shirt Giveaway)

$100 &$10 S&H

Well, I missed posting a donut on National Donut Day last week because I was in Sedona - a town, believe it or not, without a donut shop.  Can you imagine?  I was totally out of my element.  The closest they came to a donut shop was a bagel shop, which, .... come on!  So... clearing out the cobwebs, and jet lag, etc. today I went to Sip & Dip (remember Tina, the greatest Donut Girl ever?  She remembered me - "Oh, the Donut Lady!") and got a great big (about 2 1/2 inches tall) jelly donut.  My favorite part of the painting was the drip, of course, in the detail below:

Now, here's the thing.  I got a T-shirt made that says "I love Kelley's Jellies!" with an image of one of my donut paintings on it.  Size Large (will definitely shrink).  The first person to email me saying they want it, and gives me their address gets it - I'll pay for the shipping.  

Happy National Donut Day... Belated!

Sedona Views, 2x3 Inches each

I've been out of touch for about a week, as I was on a painting trip in Sedona.  We stayed in a wonderful suite with a balcony with a 180 degree view of the gorgeous red rocks.  Here, is that view, from the left view, the straight ahead view, and the view to the right.  My favorite was Snoopy Rock,  the straight on view - as he lies on his doghouse on his back:

These were each done at different times of the day, so the light was different on each.  It took DAYS to get the hang of the red rocks.  It was so magnificent.  I kept looking and saying to myself "This is perfection - anything I do will be 'less'.."  but still I had to try!

When I arrived, my friend Mary and I stopped at the Scottsdale Artists' School and picked up new, AWESOME plein air easels.  Photo below:

And...well it was really, really, REALLY windy the first day out, and I had set up near the edge of a cliff (yes... I do now look back and ask myself "Why?") and the expected happened:  a huge gust of wind picked up my easel and tossed it over the edge of the cliff - fortunately before I had opened my Gamsol container!!!  See cliff below:

It's hard to see, I know, but this little ledge at the bottom was about 4 feet from the top level, and my palette broke away from the tripod and got caught on the rocks to the left of the dead tree which was hanging over the edge of the cliff, and the tripod and panel got jammed up in the tree.  My brushes were jettisoned off the cliff entirely, landing like missiles on the bank of the creek below.  Fortunately Carol had just had a dream about mountain climbing, and, instead of being mad that I almost impaled her, grabbed the brushes and bravely scaled the sheer side of the rock, and brought them back to me!

Note to self: Remember what you already knew about filling a bag with rocks and hooking it to the easel....

Sorry this is such a long post!  It was such an EXcellent adventure!

Gulls, 6x6 Inches, OIl

SOLD

There's a little beach across the street from me with a little building - white with a blue trim... and a cedar roof.  Often the gulls hang out up there, watching for someone to walk away from their blanket so they can grab their lunch.

Ptown Bike Ride, 6x6 Inches, Oil

$100 & $10 S&H

Once again on the black background - it's so different, but makes me really think!  Everything is so exciting right now.  My friend Nancy Colella is in NYC taking Karin Jurick's class.  I can't wait to see  what she does there!

And on Friday I'm off to Sedona for a painting week.  I'm so excited I can hardly think!  Please send grilled salmon and steak tips to Paco to comfort him in my absence..... (that's his favorite, along with pizza bones.... :)

Thursday's Demo

This was a demo from this week's class.  It was all about painting on black canvas or panel.  I was reminded how much I like using a black canvas - and letting little snips of lines of the black paint act as kind of an outline.  This painting is a loose copy of one by M. (I think) Svob, from his book "Paint Red Hot Landscapes That Sell".  I like his a LOT better, but I am pretty sure he wasn't trying to do his in 45 minutes, as a demo :).  My students absolutely, positively ROCKED using this method, which had you use the correct value, in any color you wished.  The paintings had a mosaic feel.  We worked from black and white photos and let our imagination run wild.  Fun, fun, FUN!

Red Ribbon, 6x6 Inches, Oil

This silver bowl was a great lesson on reflective surfaces.  I put it together to paint as a demo for my class last week, then I thought "Holy Cow, I haven't painted a shiny silver surface in, like, a YEAR - why am I doing a DEMO with one?"  Something like this really puts you through the paces, which is a good thing.  And the ribbon was just fun, and gave a nice reflection inside the bowl.   I just have to say... I have such a GREAT group of artists in my class... I'm so grateful for their enthusiasm and focus!

Anchor Hocking Green, 6x6 Inches, OIl

Sorry for the lack of posts last week - every once in a while you just need to step back, you know?  On Friday I went to the Brimfield Fair - it was my first time - and I was in Prop Heaven, I tell you!  My favorite 'fields' were the ones where the tents had a little of a rough look to them, not too polished, no entire sets of highly polished items.  For example, there were six of these cups - the woman clearly wanted to sell them as a set, but she kindly let me buy just one.  If I bought entire sets of all my cups, etc - I'd fill my whole studio!  This was a challenge because usually when I paint something green it's foliage  - something from nature.  And there were so MANY greens in this glass -it was so fun to paint.  And, also, it was square-ish.  Why do I torture myself?  I hope I made it look square-ish :)

If I Had A Halo... 6x6 Inch Acrylic

I'm humming "If I were a rich man.... yabba dibbi dabba... "  See., the Daily Paintworks is sponsoring a Challenge, a sort of unconventional self portrait challenge.  I was roaming the house, looking for a hat, when I saw my 'halo' (yeah, I have one... don't you?) and decided to paint myself wearing it.  Well, one wing led to another... you get the drift of what happened when I put the halo on!  So here I am, ageless, thinner, and looking... well, like I don't believe the story you're telling me!  How'd this happen?  Too much time alone, I guess :)

I didn't paint over the Mothers' Day weekend, I gave myself the gift of family and friends.  Friday night I attended and Opening of a show in Norwell, MA at the James Library.  A number of my friends were in the show and my husband and I made a night of it.  We bought a gorgeous painting of birch trees by Valerie Vitalli, (and here I'd LOVE to put in a link to her amazing work, but .... we're waiting for that web site to show up!).  I think on Facebook I'll post a picture of it.  ('friend' me if you want to see!)  I think, actually, that artists buy a lot of art.  I know I'd love to fill my house to the gills with fabulous paintings.  They never get 'old', every viewing of them reveals more... and they make you happy!  Win-win-win!

The Truth About Family Favorites, Oil, 8x8 inches

Commissioned Piece

Now a while ago I painted a donut painting called 'Family Favorites'.  Well, I guess they may have been SOME family's favorites, but I had totally blanked out the absolutely necessary 'Sprinkle' donut!  And in the meantime I bought 4 different boxes of donuts and they were all unsatisfactory in some way - crushed by the delicate hands of the 'donut lady', skimpy frosting (shame on DD's in Warren - people who want a frosted donut... LIKE frosting!), old, cracked glazed on the 'dipped' donut... uh, you NAME it.  So finally - old die-hard Dunkin fan that I am, I went to Sip and Dip donut and explained what I wanted (you see, I'm even happy to pay for TWO donuts to get extra frosting on one!) and Tina, the lovely waitress, took these back and gave them extra wonderful, gooey frosting and RE-DIPPED the honey dipped one.  I love this girl - she GETS it!

I hope my customer and her children enjoy this painting!  Susan Roden is only HALF expecting this post - kinda like our recent raid in the country that beings with 'P'!  She'll have chocolate frosting all OVER her!  heh heh heh... the Donut War resumes.....  She has been killing me lately with her pastries!

And I'm going to post some 'Challenge Meeting' photos from my Girls Just Wanna Paint group - some are hysterical, some I may have a 'hit' taken out on me for.... but I'll put up a 'page' on my blog for them!!!  Last month's theme was 'Fluffy'!

Daffodil Days, 6x6 Acrylic

SOLD

There's something so cheerful about these flowers, and they are the sure sign, for me, that Spring has arrived.  I was left in the dust by my inspiration here, but like the result anyway.

My Challenge group, Girls Just Wanna Paint, had our meeting this week and we had a 'prop swap'.  I got a Dreamcatcher, which will be a challenge to paint... but I am up to it!  I was thinking of posting some photos from the meeting, but only a couple of us are photogenic ( NOT me).  Would you like to see them?

Negative Space

Been super busy with commissions lately.  This is a demo I did a couple of weeks ago for my class. I was explaining negative space, which is the space between things.  In this piece it is the 'air' inside the cup handle.  It was a rough, quick demo, just to give them an idea.  They got it, all right. I think I must have super-geniuses in my class - look at their pieces below.  These guys have only had the feel of the brush in their hands for LESS than 4 months.  They were painting my husband's great grandfather's lunch pail.

Cup Of Irish Breakfast Tea, 6x6 Inches, Oil

SOLD
I guess painting the Fiesta cup reminded me how much I love tea and teacups! This is a Wedgewood "Nantucket Basket" patten for the cup and saucer.  What did I love most?  Confession time:  while the teacup is a wonderful challenge, with the warp and weave indications, I love painting the TEA!   The reflections, the deep colors, and let's be honest, teabags are so cool to paint!

And I got this cloth when I was like a 'painter gone wild' at the fabric store last month.  A foot tall stack of fabric swatches and about a dozen different colors of buttons.  The checkout lady screwed up her face and said "What ARE you making?" 

:D