A Little Over The Top, Oil, 5x7

When you're stressed, you can't hide it. I've been avoiding Daily Painting lately because I knew they wouldn't be good. I've been frantically searching for a new studio, and I have a 'perimeter' in mind that I won't go beyond. It was so expensive (gas-wise) to commute to my old studio (which is still full of work and supplies) that I've decided to limit my distance to a 15 minute ride. Not much out there, but we were supposed to have access to our building till at least Nov. 1. Now I find out they've been breaking into our studios to see how far along we are in terms of moving out, and they expect us out SATURDAY. So here's my poor little ill-planned daily painting. 'Over the top' because that's where this rose is heading! I was more interested in the little vase, but still. Been painting plein air (see Studio Blog) when I'm not searching want ads, craigs' list and bulletin boards for studio space. (Whine, whine, whine, I know!) Anyway, I painted this little gal with paint all the way around the sides, so I can just hang a wire on the inside and it will lay flat against a wall, no need for a frame.

Oh, yes, and I am looking at studio space this afternoon (more than I wanted to pay, less than she wanted to get...) so wish me luck!

A Summer Gift, 5x7, Acrylic

This was waiting for me from Tim after a long day at my Open Studio on Saturday. Sometimes the best gifts are the simplest. These flowers were from a neighbor named Bill whose house I painted (which sold to someone else at the Opening of my show) I think I called it "Purple Sage". I had wanted to do a longer canvas/board, something like a 6x12, but I'm all out - thank goodness Dick Blick is having a canvas sale! Hoping to paint plein air today, maybe I'll even get a Daily Painting out of it!

Two Cherries, Four Currants, Acrylic 6x6

Bounty from the garden - the cherry tomatoes look huge and motherly compared to the tiny currant tomatoes! Soon the yellow cherry tomatoes will be ready, and I'll paint them, I'm sure. I was happy with how loose I was able to keep this, considering I was a ball of tension when I started - not wound down yet from our Open Studios Tour this weekend. The tomatoes are so welcome but I hate that they signal the 'back half' of summer. I need to make a list of the things I wanted to accomplish this summer, to get back on track!

Cactus Pear Margarita, Anyone? 6x6 Oil

Last night my husband brought home deliciously ripe cactus pears from the Fruit Center Marketplace in Milton. They're hard to find where we live, and it was such a treat. Just slice the very top off and scoop out the sweet plum-like fruit for a nice portable snack, OR.... make margaritas with them! I was playing with quick, thick paint here, not fussing if my outlines remained. I think the effect is fun, and, I hope, happy.

"...Do As The Romas Do" Oil, 6x6

SOLD

Maybe it's a good thing if we all 'do as the Romas do' here and lean on each other when we need to! I seem to require a lot of support and affirmation from my family and friends to be able to paint. If everything's not good, my painting isn't good either. Well, I feel like I'm 'back' in terms of feeling comfortable with my 'Painting A Day', and not trying to do more than a simple painting. I love the muscularity of Roma tomatoes, and they require such little care!

Happy Birds, acrylic 6x6

These are those little salt & pepper shakers I love. They do seem happy, and it was fun to paint them on a yellow-y cloth. Very windy day, but I did manage to plein air paint at the beach (or at least get one started!). I'll post it on my studio blog tomorrow. Gearing up for our big Open Studio Tour at Westport Rivers Vineyard. If you're 'lucky' enough ;) to be on my email list, I'll be sending out directions, etc. tomorrow, too.

What Do You Want On Your Burger? Acrylic 4x6

I'm putting this up just to share that I've been doing Daily Paintings... but this one is BAD! So it's NOT for sale, and it's just here to prove that when you are thinking of something else you don't do a good job! I was chomping at the bit to work on my third Sunflower painting - see my Studio Blog to the right, and I just threw any old setup together - it wasn't even fun, and it shows. OK. Tomorrow's another day, right? :)

Molly's Rose, acrylic 6x12

Tim picked this rose for our daughter and I loved the subtle colors together. Roses are so hardy, and prolific... such a great plant when they 'take'! My success rate is one out of two, though. This is a pink & orange rose, spectacular at every stage.

Sunflower Riot, 6x12 oil on Bristol Board

Taking my cue from Mary Sheehan Winn's Blog (see link to the right) where she talks about travelling far and wide for subject matter, when it's 'all' right in front of you, I went into the garden yesterday morning and plunked myself down in front of the sunflowers planted by the birds. See, if you feed the birds sunflower seeds, they repay you by planting some of them. These are growing on the perimeter of the tomato garden - perfect placement! Yesterday had a beautiful blue sky and I loved the blue I found in my paintbag - Horizon Blue by Holbein. I don't remember buying it but I'm in love with the color. Being New England, today couldn't bee more different, with the morning fog swirling around in violent wind, whitecaps on the river - these pretty sunflowers are bent to the ground! Ah, well, they had a lot of life yesterday, and I think I 'got' it.

Snow in Hull, 6x8 Oil

Since it was so sticky today, I decided to paint a SNOW painting. Went to the studio (where they have demolished the two studios on my right, Joan Brancale's and Diane Scott's) only to encounter the whole building roped off with crime scene tape, and guys in HAZMAT suits and respirators crawling all over the place.

"Is it safe for me to work in my studio?" "OH, SURE!" Well, I did my Daily Painting and working on a couple of things, but really had to leave early.... I was uncomfortable. Sooo glad I paid my rent for August - I probably will not be able to use my space at all!

Anyway I love Hull, and this scene was at sunset at the house I lived in for 2 winters on the ocean there ... wonderful place.

Life is JUST..... 6x6 Acrylic

If not a whole BOWL of cherries, then at least a few choice ones! These were the start of my foray back in to Dailies....

Opening At Westport Rivers Vineyard

Well, we had a very nice night at the Opening for our show, which runs through Sept. 10. Denise and I (below) were sweltering, as the a/c didn't want to cool the room... (hence our 'glow'). But lots of relatives and friends of ours came to make the evening special.

And my son Rory and his girlfriend Akilah came despite her not feeling too well....

And my son Conor was there for the entire 3 hour sweltering evening, he's talking to Denise' friend Millie.

Then my sister (in pain from a horrible ruptured disk) stoically braved the heat and the lack of chairs to show suport...

My pal Bonnie drove down from Hingham (well, John drove, but you know what I mean!)

Old friends Janet and Robert Kingan from Hingham ran into John Riley (also from Hingham)...

And these are a few shots of the paintings we hung.......

Putting on a show like this is a little like organizing a small wedding (except an hour before I was supposed to be there was the first time I thought about what I was wearing that night). There's an incredible about of work, not to mention the fact that I was painting right up until the day before we hung the show! It's very unlike a show at a real Gallery where THEY plan and hang and send out invitations, organize the refreshments, etc. THAT is starting to sound really good to me! But I hope if you see the show you enjoy it. Both Denise and I will be there all day on August 18 and 19, for the Open Studio Tour. I'd love to see you all!

The Show is HUNG!!

I may or may not get to post today, but I wanted you guys to know our Westport Rivers Show is hung and ready to go! Here's the link for directions to this beautiful vineyard. There are tastings and fun tours there. It's about 5 minutes from wonderful Horseneck Beach (dunes, white, soft sand) and a couple of fun restaurants (Bayside, Back Eddy, Handy Farm Ice Cream). http://www.westportrivers.com/visit-index.htm Our blogsite to the Couth Coast Studio tour is http://zompamacdonald.blogspot.com/. Denise's oil painting of a Westport Marsh is on the bottom, my painting of Prudence Island Ferries is on the top. Wish us LUCK!