Summer Nocturne, 6x6 Inches, Oil Painting

$100 & $10 S&H

  This is a town I used to live in.  Every year there's a carnival that comes to town and sets up across the peninsula that is the town.  From high on a hill you can see all the lights, and the wonderful turquoise lights (my favorite) of the ferris wheel, and its reflection in the shallow part of the beach.  I love  it.  I could gaze for hours at those lights!

Did you have beautiful weather this weekend?  We did - and we enjoyed every minute of it!

We are hanging the Girls Just Wanna Paint show this week at the Duxbury Library, stop by if you can.  our Opening isn't for another couple of weeks - I'll keep you posted.  I'd love to introduce you to my GJWP friends!  We also have two new members, Pam Copeman and Jody Regan, and we look forward to painting and hanging with them!

Gurnet Lighthouse, Duxbury Beach, 8x8 Inches, Oil Painting

SOLD
This painting is of Gurnet Light - it is for the Girls Just Wanna Paint Show at the Duxbury Library, which will be hung on May 1.  The Opening is not for a couple of weeks, but this is our Challenge for the month of April - a scene from Duxbury.  There were a lot of things to choose,  as this is a beautiful New England Coastal town. 

Such a super busy time of year!  Getting ready for our show, getting ready for some upcoming travel, preparing for a talk I'm giving on Blogging next Wednesday, and Blogger is going to be totally different as of Tuesday, and all my slides will be outdated - and new ones created this weekend...... AND tomorrow I get to be co-host to Leslie Saeta on Artists Helping Artists Blogtalk Radio Show, where we will interview Carrie Waller and Crystal Cook!  A full plate?  Yup.  That's the way I like it!

Vince, 4x4 Inches, Oil

This is the final mugshot, and we have gone beyond the mugs of the group and have included Vince Fazio who was the facilitator for Karin Jurick's workshop in Hilton Head.  

Please note - this is NOT my last mug shot... I still have about 7 to do!

And you guys were so great about sending me titles for the Beach Woman!  :)

Painting Without A Title, 6x6 Inches, Oil

SOLD

 Usually I can think up a title for a painting.  And while I LOVED painting this painting - her hair! The water! Her wrist (yes, it's the little things...)!  Does anyone have a good name?  If someone who buys it suggests a name, I'll go with that... but if they don't... do you have a good idea?  What is she doing?  I think she's 1) calling her little boys 'in' for lunch, or 2) wondering why it's taking her boyfriend so long to come back from the refreshment stand.  At any rate, she walked over the berm of sand, down to the edge of the water.

I just love painting beach people!

TGIF! And Clams, 4x6 Inch Oil Painting

This painting is in its 'forever' home, but I like the subject, and feel it's about time to return to it!

With the warmer weather, look for some clammy paintings here!

I hope you all got a chance to tune in to the interview with Lori Putnam on Artists Helping Artists Blogtalk Radio.  The podcasts are there for eternity, so download and listen in at your leisure.  Lori is an amazing and accomplished artist, and her story is quite interesting!

*Still a couple of spots in the Hull Workshop - contact fandahazy@comcast.net for info...

Allyson, "Sundance", Hilton Head Gang Mugshot, 4x4 Inches, Oil Painting

Another beautiful artist rendered 'muggy' by my brush... here's what they say about Allyson...

Allyson “Sundance” Schilb does most of her shooting in the evening.  She, too, is one of the more quiet members of the Hilton Head Gang.  We do know that she rides with a biker gang.  She rode all over the island...There were tales of drive by shootings.  When other gang members were strolling beaches, sidewalks and tourist sites, Sundance was laying low...riding quietly and shooting unsuspecting victims.  We also know is she is no less proficient than any of the other members...she is SLR ready and will shoot at will.

For more about the The Hilton Head Gang check out their blog at http://hiltonheadgang.blogspot.com

Join Us!

I'm so thrilled to be able to offer this 3 day 'power workshop' at the beautiful Oceanside 17 Gallery in Hull.  We will do basic sharpening of skills, as well as working on the skills that will let your paintings be powerful and well received.  I'm also, in this, sharing things I learned at Karin Jurick's workshop - I promise will make you successful in including figures in your work. 

Appropriate for all levels.  9-4 each day.  Come enjoy, there are a couple of spaces left!

Today my 'subjects' (new irises) refused to bloom.  For 24 hours these tight buds sat in water in a sunny window.  AS I PAINTED them, one of them started with one petal, then another, and another.  By the time I finished, all but one had opened.  Like painting plein air, you really can't 'chase' something like this.   Enjoy this weather, if you are in New England (notice I didn't say 'NE' - and confuse folks that maybe I'd relocated to Nebraska!~!!)

Gulls II 6x12 inch Oil on Canvas

 These gulls are a little different from the breed we have here in NE.  I hope you're all enjoying the Spring weather!

Queen Of The Ball, 5x7 Inches, Oil Painting

I ran across a photo of my Mom from the 60's, when she was attending the Policeman's Ball with my Dad. My Dad, in the photos always seemed to be either posing for a mug shot or searching the ceiling for dust motes.  My mom, however, was in her glory.  For example she started 'tanning' by laying in depressions in the dunes at the beach in March (yes, we are in New England, but there was no such thing as a tanning salon in the 60's)... she drove all the way to Providence from Fall River (kind of unheard of then...) to shop for a dress like something she'd seen in Vogue.  She saved for months to have a hairdresser come to our apartment the afternoon of the Ball.

She was the Queen of the Ball to us kids, and to Dad, too.

You were so glamorous, Mom....

The Kiss, 5x7 Inches, Oil

This is actually a piece that started as the demo from my figure painting last month.  It still needs a bit of finishing, but I love the design of it.  I love how these two are so wrapped up in each other, literally.  And how their legs and feet keep your eyes swooping around and back to each figure.    This pair was at the door of the Apple store in Boston, and the abstract colors and designs were a perfect backdrop.  So... I'll post it again as I finish it.

I've missed you all, but I had a failing hard drive and thus a forced week off from posting!

I have also been very busy getting ready for the Artists Helping Artists Blogtalk Radio show today (Thursday) at noon Eastern Standard Time - it's on Pinterest, and if you are saying "What's Pinterest?" you are not alone, but it's a HUGE phenomenon, rapidly becoming one of the biggest Social Media movements!~  I'm now a BIG fan of the site.  And you'll notice that by clicking on the button on the top right of my blog you can 'follow' me on Pinterest, OR you can 'Pin' any of my paintings from my blog posts by clicking 'Pin it' below the post.  I'm planning a giveaway soon for my 'Pin Pals', so keep it in mind!  In the meantime.... 

My workshop in Hull on April 25, 26, 27 is filling up.  More Info on the 'Upcoming Workshops' tab at the top of the blog.  Come join us - we always have a great time and come away with some helpful tips and techniques!  To register email FAndahazy@comcast.net.  Sorry for the big post - long time no see!

Fun, Fun, Fun!

This is an old favorite of mine - one I could never let go.  And now, I've managed to scratch the varnish so I have to do some repair work on it anyway.  It was pointed out to me when I first published it that I spelled 'Starlight' wrong, without the 'i'.  And here was the thing... I didn't care about the spelling per se.  It was the look I was after, the look of the whole.

BUT, I've been having a wonderful week - I am fortunate enough to have been asked to be the guest co-host of the radio show "Artists Helping Artists' by Leslie Saeta for the month of April.  Today was my first day and I LOVED it!  Leslie makes it easy, though, being so organized and generous.  You can listen to the show or download the podcast any time  Today we talked about the Top 10 Tips to Jump Start Your Art Career.

I've been slaving away this week, varnishing, framing, etc. etc.  I just am immersed in getting a slew of paintings prepped.  And in addition I'm having hard drive issues (Can you HEAR it crashing?) just when I need to access images- aye-yi-yi!  OH!  And I'm hosting the Girls Just Wanna Paint group at my studio on  Saturday - and hey... isn't it Easter on Sunday????  Somehow it will all happen.  I am sure of it.  New hard drive on Friday.  Wish me luck!

My Friend Kelly's Beach Day, 6x6 Inches, Oil

NFS

This painting was posted on Facebook by my friend Kelly M., who had a wonderful tropical vacation recently.  It is my contribution to the Girls Just Wanna Paint Challenge - Beach Day.  I was entranced by the yellow umbrella against the blue sky.... I altered the chair(s) under it and put a figure in to change it up a bit.

In other news, my one day figure workshop last Friday was SO fun!  Everyone did SUCH a great job!  Here are my 'kids'

I'll post more photos of them and their pieces on Facebook!

Change In Direction, 6x12 Inches, Oil Painting of Seagulls

Also, Not (Yet) For Sale

On Saturday I was frustrated painting.  At the end of the day this was what I came up with.  I was ultimately happy with it.  And thus began... as you will see... a little obsession with seagulls!  I liked the dark foliage on the dunes behind the gulls. 

And this painting, below, is a 30x30 Inch painting which was accepted into the Focus On Figures Show at North River Arts Society, I was thrilled to learn this!

"Three Little Graces"

Rory, Get Your Dory, 8x10 Inches, Oil Painting of Rowboat

Not for Sale... Yet

Normally, I'm constantly flooded with inspiration and ideas, like all artists.  I have the 'seeds' of great paintings in a hundred sketchbooks, on the backs of envelopes, in my photo library, and usually I have to choose between them, to pick out one over the other... it's a great thing.  HowEVER. ... when a deadline looms... when I want/have to have a selection of work for a show, etc.  I can get frozen in front of the easel.  It happened last weekend.  I have a lot of pieces I want to bring somewhere.  New pieces.  I had SO many ideas ... but when it came time to prep the panels my ideas dried up.  I dried up!

So I took the pressure off by going through my 40,000 images on my computer.  (I know, I know... get them off the computer...)  Didn't help.  I tried just plowing through and starting a painting - even though I wasn't excited about it - *wipe*wipe*wipe*.  I tried music... looking at my favorite historical artists..  nuthin... my current living artist hero's... nope...  I 'dialed a friend'... uh uh.... I had some swedish fish.... then had to brush my teeth... all diversionary tactics.  What happened to my zillions of paintings in my head?  

Why do we freeze when the creative process gets 'direction' like this?  Eventually I just started a few pieces, with NO HOPE that they'd turn in to anything.. and I lost the self consciousness, and slowly got lost in the work, and things started to flow.

Regarding the name of this piece:  When I named my first son Rory, the old Irish ladies in the neighborhood would sing to me "Rory, get your Dory, there's a herring in the Bay..." - he'll want to kill me if he ever reads this, I'm sure.

:)

Cozy Cottage, 12x12 inches, Oil

Not For Sale At This Time

I had a good weekend painting away!   My guys were doing home repair stuff that makes me a nervous wreck (definitely not a micro-manager, definitely not...) so I settled in to the studio. With my music turned way up and no one to disturb by singing along at the top of my lungs, I was feeling 'beachy'...  And I found this photo I took last Summer on Cape Cod.  As I was painting, the scene just felt comfortable... familiar, and I couldn't figure out why.  As I was putting the last few brush strokes on, I realized, that my good friend Joan Brancale had painted this exact cottage from this exact angle (we both must have stood at the edge of their driveway), and her painting hangs in the dining room of her Summer home, where I have frequently visited.  Oh, well, great minds think alike, I suppose!

*I have had a last minute cancellation for my figure workshop this Friday, March 30 at my studio!*

Email me for info at kcareymac@hotmail.com

Beach Boy, 6x6 Inch Oil Painting

SOLD
 Here's a favorite subject - a child playing in the sand at the beach...  This photo was from the trip to Hilton Head, and the sand was covered with a thin layer of water, which, in the late afternoon was reflecting the sky... just beautiful with the reflections....  and with the 75+ degree weather this week, here in Rhode Island, I'm thinking ... BEACH! (And I love his little cowlick!)

So I did this painting in the method I learned at the Karin Jurick workshop.  This will be incorporated in the general painting workshop I'm giving in Hull on April 25, 26 and 27.  To register contact Oceanside Gallery, where it will be held....

Moi, 4x4 Inches, Oil

NFS

Trying to catch up on my Hilton Head Gang Mugshots, and you don't think I filed them anywhere, do you?  So I'm back to Week 5, which just happened to be me.  And I'm going to forgive myself for the butcher jobs I did on my friends I've painted previously, as painting this face I know so well was SO hard!  I got the right side better than the left, who knows why?  Maybe it's because of that strange arched  eyebrow.  Or the ear.  

Another tip:  This was done in Karin Jurick's method - painted on gessobord, with black matte Rustoleum sprayed on it.  BE SURE you let the rustoleum dry completely.  I did not, and the paint wouldn't lay down on it, and kept getting gloppy.  3 hours on this one, and it was either say "I'm done!" or take a flying leap out the 2nd story window.  I chose to be finished....  Here's my 'blurb':

Kelley “MacGrins” MacDonald is the next notorious member to be sought.  You may think her smiling face is harmless...until you see your smiling mug on one of her blogs.  She waltzes in to a room, a beach or an event, smiling and acting all “I’m your friend” and then shoots at will.  She doesn’t leave until she has captured every available smile.  When ready leave the island...Suspiciously...her little red sports car was missing...she left Hilton Head in a newly acquired Jag shouting “Girls Just Wanna Paint!”  She drove up the coast stopping along the way to visit accomplices.  She has hideouts everywhere.  Beware the smile...

Birthday Gull, 6x6 Inches, Oil Painting of Sea Gull

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The title of this one is a bit tongue-in-cheek, as it was the FINAL birthday celebration today!   I came back to the studio and found a photo of this seagull grooming itself.  I'd love to paint a seagull from life, but they never stay still long enough!  It was impossible to photograph this painting without the bits of glare on the dark gray feathers, which appear like speckles in the photo.

*March 30 Workshop Full*
I still have openings in the 3-day Workshop, April 25, 26, 27 9-4
At Oceanside Gallery in Hull, MA

After Lunch Wait, 8x8 Inch Painting of girl at the Beach, Acrylic

$150 & $10 S&H 

Yearning for the beach... yearning for warm (but not too) warm weather... In addition this month my Challenge Group's topic will be Beach Day, so there may be a few of these beachy paintings.  In this one... I'm remembering the time limit my Mom used to put on us before we could go swimming after lunch.  One hour.  45 minutes if we only went in up to our knees.  So unfair, but with the thought of drowning from a stomach cramp... we obeyed.  Well, I did.  I am sure my husband, as a child, did not.  We joke that we should have t-shirts:  mine would say "Plays Well With Others" and his would say "Runs With Scissors".  Fortunately we both survived childhood!

It was a wonderful birthday, Wednesday, thank you all for your notes on Facebook, emails etc. One funny thing....

This pocketbook (pug shaped) arrived, and when I opened it Paco jumped up and grabbed it by the ear - he thought it was a 'baby' for him!

#17 of the Hilton Head Mugshots, Judy

NFS

It is week 17 and we can really see the end of our quest...but there is still work to do so I shall present our next Hilton Head Gang member from the famous Karin Jurick workshop...

Judy “Fashionista” Elias is a petite blonde.  She looks harmless enough, but with camera in hand she can be as devious as any member of the Hilton Head Gang.  Her petite stature allows her to sneak into venues with seemingly childlike innocence...but don’t let that fool you.  She enters, shoots then escapes before she is discovered.  She is often enveloped in large decorative scarves that disguise her camera to make it easy for her to focus on unsuspecting victims...then she shoots and is out of sight before she is detected.   

For more about the The Hilton Head Gang check out their blog at http://hiltonheadgang.blogspot.com

And I also have to apologize to Judy, so beautiful and elegant, for making her look, .... well.... evil!

Favorite Jelly Donuts, 6x6 Inches Oil Painting

$100 & $10 S&H 

This is "The Daily Paintworks Challenge" for this week!  Carol Marine asked me to come up with a 'challenge' and... OK, it's paint your favorite donut~ (*wink*wink*).  I must be really missing the Donut War with Susan Roden, no?

I invite all artists out there to do their darndest, and post their efforts on the Daily Paintworks Challenge Page!  The bottom donut in my painting, btw, was filled by a joker at Dunkin's - they put the jelly in on the flat part of the donut that sometimes happens when 2 donuts stick together - looks like a bulls eye!  Where was Quality Assurance?  

Cupcake Tic Tac Toe, 12x12, Acrylic

NFS 

This painting is a donation to the RI Food Bank Auction, which has a Cupcake theme.  I had a little inventory problem, in that my female cat, Isabelle, is driving insane by the smell of chocolate, in any form. And she will risk life and limb to get some.  So the first day when I turned my back she ate the other chocolate cupcake (I painted them from top row to bottom row).  So for the second row I had to buy more - and I put the pieces I wasn't painting in a zip lock bag.  Left it on the counter and overnight she ate the cupcakes, and the plastic bag as well.  The last day in desperation I was buying all the cupcakes on the shelf, just in case they didn't get stocked up and just in case Isabelle somehow could reach the NEW baggie, which I nailed to the top part of the cabinet.  

All of a sudden, as I'm holding 3 packages (because NOW they had the golden and chocolate, bottom row left) and contemplating whether I needed another Snowball... someone tapped me on the back and I turned and this little old lady said "Go ahead dear... take them all...."  and I was mortified!  I tried to explain about Isabelle, and she said "Of course, they're for the cat..."

Well, tonight I stuffed the leftovers in a bag and sent them home with my son!!!!

That being said I'm cooking a lot of shrimp tonight for Ros Farbush's Memorial Service tomorrow, and Harry (my orange cat whose weakness is shrimp) is hunting ME.... let's see if I survive the evening!!!

Sign In The Clouds, 5x7 Acrylic Painting

Did you ever go through a really hard time in life, and you either needed to know if you were on the right path or you just needed to know if you were doing the right thing?  Well I have, and I bet you have, too.  One winter when we lived on the beach my Dad was living with us, and was declining,  and it was very hard - for all involved.  One day I didn't think I could do one more day - looking back I think "Of COURSE you could!" - but I asked for a sign that it would be all right.  That I would and could be up to the task.  And I walked on the beach in the very early morning, praying and thinking, and I looked up and saw this.  I took it as a sign of love.  My digital image is long gone (2 computers ago), but I made a print of it to paint from.

My alternate name for this was "Hope".  Think it is better?

Martini's Over, 6x6 Inch Oil Painting of Olives

SOLD

This was a demo for my recent workshop.  I've been away for a few days, in NYC with my husband, taking in the sights and having a lovely dinner with fellow blogger and fabulous artist Nancy Hartley and her husband, who were in from CA.  We visited the Hispanic Society to see Sorolla's murals, and 4 other of his paintings.  And we walked, I swear, 500 miles.

We had dinner at the Salmagundi Club, which is affiliated with the Providence Art Club, and they were having an Art Auction with some beautiful work.  They have some beautiful pieces in their collection as well.

Everywhere we went in New York, we had good experiences.  People were so friendly, so kind.  Maybe I just expected it and it was so.  

One thing I really wanted was some exquisite perfume I used to get all the time and you can't get it in Boston or Providence.  Apparently they have discontinued it - although it has been around for a long, long time.  I was ... unhappy... and basically talked the ear off the salesman in one of the really big dept. stores on 5th Avenue.  You know, the kind you feel like one of the unwashed masses the moment you walk in.  Well, this salesman listened, then took my contact info and promised if they reissued it he'd contact me.  And still, I lamented.  Whined.... and suddenly he asked me to wait right there and he literally climbed in a little closet hidden behind the counter and was there a LONG time... and came out, put his finger to his lips (shhhhh) flashed a big flask at me with the name of my perfume taped across the front, and quickly wrapped it tissue and stuffed it in my bag.  I don't think I closed my mouth till I got back out on to the street.  He GAVE me one of the last bottles of the perfume!  

"Puggie Love", 6x6 Inch Oil Painting of Pug Dog

SOLD

This Month my Challenge Group, Girls Just Wanna Paint had the topic "Love, appropriately enough for February.  I ran though the list of the usual things you'd think of - weddings, babies, romantic themes, but then.... there's this face that faces me every day, all day.  At 2:30 in the morning, if I open my eyes, this is what I see, in the dark.  First thing in the morning, last thing at night - the smile and adoring eyes never quit.  When I'm cranky, when I'm sick, when I'm annoyed (or when I'm annoying - yes, it happens) there is never a pause in the love.  Oh, Paco!

So!  As tough as it was to choose the subject, once I started it just flowed off the brush.  This painting will be seen in our group show at the Bumpus Library in Duxbury, MA in May and June.

Carnation, 6x6 Inches, Oil

SOLD

Last week at the workshop in my studio this was one of the demo's.  First we painted the image as a value study.  Then we matched the colors we applied to the values of the study.  Good to do, as it keeps you on track in terms of values.  If your values (lights and darks) are off, the painting will not have the punch you hope it will.

I don't know about you, artist friends, but I am very excited about Wednesday's Artists Helping Artists Blogtalk Radio Show at noon, EST.  Carol and David Marine have an exciting announcement.  Hopefully while I am listening I will finally paint my Girls Just Wanna Paint Challenge - nothing like waiting till the last minute!!!

Donut War Day! The End Of An Era!

All good things must come to an end, so the saying goes.  Susan Roden and I have had a wonderful time with the Donut War.  I would like to toast Susan, and wish her every success, and thank her for her friendship and sense of fun throughout our war.  Now... Peace in the Donut Zone!

No, this doesn't mean I'll stop painting donuts, don't worry!   And if you've wondered if I fell off the face of the earth last week... no... I was teaching wonderful artists at a workshop in my studio. We had SUCH a blast!  They produced some beautiful work!  See below:

 

There's more on Facebook - 'Friend' me, and take a look!

Good News/Bad News

Sunday began as a happy, happy day.  My friend and colleague, Lisa Daria Kennedy, was due to paint her 1000th consecutive painting for her blog!  We got together at Kennedy's (no relation) Gardens, a beautiful nursery in Scituate, MA.  I was late (no surprise there) and arrived just as they toasted Lisa's painting.  Check out her cheeky, fun and exuberant blog HERE.  I had about 1/2 hour to set up and get a painting done.  So I basically did an acrylic sketch of Lisa.  She doesn't really look like an elf.  She's gorgeous, funny and a fabulous painter.  Then we went to dinner at PJ's Country House where we drank (I mean ate) dinner.  We dominated the bar area - we did makeovers, shared lipsticks and played "I'll have what SHE's having..."  In short, a MEMORABLE evening.

When I got back to Sally's house and checked my email, however, I found that my friend, teacher and hero, Ros Farbush, had passed away.  She was almost 84, and still painting every day.  It hit me like a ton of bricks, as Paula Villanova and I had gone out with her the night before she left for her 3 month snowbird trip to Arizona.  We made plans to hit a nice Deli in Brookline this Spring, and agreed to have yet another Jeep Trip to Provincetown with Mary Sheehan Winn.  There seemed so much to DO with Ros this year.  Paula and I had visited Ros 3 times in San Miguel, MX for painting trips.  We all went to Holland, so Ros could paint the tulip fields.  Our blog about it, which we nicknamed "Schlepping Ros" (and she LOVED that title) is HERE.  Below are shot of Ros with Valerie Vitali, Lynn Rizotto, and Paula more, on our many, many painting days:

Ros and Paula on our last Jeep Trip...

Me, Ros and Valerie enjoying Ros' favorite Bloody Marys

We cared little for fashion when we were baking in the Ptown sun, painting...

At Ros's condo, Ros painting the Red Sox game, and (Lynn in background)

While we all painted Ros (this was mine - she laughed!)