Blues, 6x6 Oil and a Failure

No time to sign this blueberry painting - I was SPEED painting this morning! Got to the studio early, and by the time I walked Paco, met the other dogs on the bike path, turned on all the fans and opened the windows in the studio, selected the paintings for the Duxbury Midsummer Show (2 larger pieces and 20 BARGAIN priced Daily Paintings), I got down to work. Primed the board with alizarin crimson, sketched out the design - 3 times), blocked in my darks, got paint on the blueberries - the phone rang and it was my son - I needed to come home NOW so he could take me to pick up my car - SO I slapped on the two tones of the shadows, and the yellow background - no time to sign! - and high-tailed it back across the two bridges and home - by 10:45 a.m. OK! Done for the day!

Below is the painting for Outside The Box at North River Art in Marshfield. I really am not happy with it and decided NOT to enter it (sorry Mary C - I'll reimburse you for the gatorboard!). I intended to work 'outside the box' by prepping the surface with a couple of coats of absorbant ground, and doing an acrylic painting with lots of washiness. But an error in drawing led to more layers of paint to fix it, and then all the washes were covered up - so I decided to do it in palette knife (which I dont' usually do, either). Which I ended up not liking. Sorry I yak so much. Thanks for looking, thanks for commenting!

Out Of The Box Prep Work (and a Plum Thief)

There's an event coming up (sooooon) called Out Of The Box, at North River Art Society in Marshfield, MA, that I'm working on a piece for (OK, grammar queens & kings - I know I shouldn't have ended the sentence with 'for'...). You get an 8 inch square of gatorboard and you are to do something different FOR YOU. (Get it? Go outside of YOUR own box!) So I took a board, to try out some stuff and made a couple of fruit arrangements. The board was gessoed, but I added Golden Absorbent Ground - 2 layers, and the plan was to use acrylic paint thinly, making it like watercolor washes.

I also added some Golden Modeling Paste to the plums. This whole time I was being watched intensly by my studio assistant, Paco. (sorry to those who wish I'd leave the puppy out of it - this story involves him!)

Here I'm losing that washy feeling with the plums, and struggling with the yellows on the cherries....

Well, the washiness is gone, and.... I looked down and... HEY! Two plums! What happened to the third? Slowwly I turned and...

Paco says "Why are you looking at ME?" Ahem.... I was looking at the FLOOR behind me - with JUICE all over it and - what's that? A plum pit! No set up is safe from my little fruit bat. I'm going to give the cherries another go tomorrow... When you haven't used acrylics in a while it's like learning all over again!

Tweedles, 6x8 oil

SOLD

I don't exactly remember where I'm supposed to send this, but I'll do a little research and find out. It was a 'Challenge' for July, which is a month of Dogs, and upcoming is Cats in August. This darling girl is named Tweedles, and she is sweet and lovely, according to Paco, and had to be painted. I'll tell you it's a challenge, indeed, to paint the little rounded chin, and the soft, wrinkly forehead! I didn't really do her justice. I'm trying to focus on one type of painting for this blog - like so many 'successful' bloggers - but I'm having a hard time because to me, painting is a language ... and I guess I have a LOT to say about everything ;0. So, it being Sunday, and a non-work day, kind of, here's little Tweedles. LOVE her! And she's on James Parker's Blog, "Windows To The Words" Blog HERE.

And my favorite part is the black part UNDER her chin!

Thanks to all those who clicked on 'follow this blog', and became 'Followers'! I love that and I love to hear all your comments, too. I'm sorry if my last post seemed like an 'invitation' to the painting Challenge I'm a part of - it's a group of Boston-Area artists who meet on a regular basis who are putting up the Challenge and the Blog. The Invitation was to become a 'Follower' of my blog. Thank you all, you are dear to me!

An Invitation

SOLDHi, everyone! I'm going to stop being shy and ask any of you who are so inclined to click on the ''Followers" button on the right to become 'officially' a follower of this blog. I don't know why I get such a kick out of that, but there you go! As far as I know it doesn't commit you to anything, and you still need to put your email address in the 'Google Subscribers' Box' to get this post in your email as they happen, but... whatever. I'll still appreciate you all even if you don't!

So on to today's painting... I'm involved in a 'Challenge' (a la Karin Jurick) with some pretty fine artists, in that we get 'assigned' an object every month and all paint the object in our own way in a 6x6 format and post them on a blog. This is our first month, and the 'object' is the starfish. It made an appearance in the oh-so-forgettable post with the red bead and white ribbon, as well. I like this one better. When we publish our 1st challenge, I'll give you the blog address and you can take a peek. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Possible Wipe Off

Ruby colored snapdragons - I love them! But trying to paint them with JUST quinacridone red is very tough. All my other red oils are at the studio and I am trying to paint at home today. So this may get wiped off at the end of the day!

Summer Memories, Oil, 6x6

Many, many times while I was painting this today I said to myself: "What was I thinking?" All those 'white' items???? Of course none of them is actually 'white', but a combination of white and different colors. I had a hard time with this one in photoshop - the shell had more bluey grays and the ribbon had a yellowish cast to the dark side. But when I tried to correct for that the background got turquois-y. It leans towards that but is more periwinkle. And here I go with the ribbon again - you'll see lots of them till I feel like I've mastered it. Today's is at least better than yesterday's! The addition of the red bead.... just because I have it!

Demitasse, 6x6 Oil

SOLD

This small cup & saucer was a gift from a good friend who visited and haunted the antique shops with me in Warren. I wanted to incorporate a ribbon, but I don't know if it was that successful. I spent so long looping, twisting, draping this foolish ribbon I probably should have left it out. I loved painting the translucent china (it's Limoges - my first!) and the beautiful flowers on it!

Thank You, Thank You!

Open Studio Weekend was sunny and warm... and I learned a lot about using a tent (and my yard, garden fence and front porch) to display my work! People drove such DISTANCES to come, it really moved me. Thank you for all you blogging friends who drove & drove to come, and also for your purchases. It was great for me to see and/or meet you in person, and I hope it was a worthwhile trip for you!

I had some framed Daily Paintings at the regular price ($100 plus $50 in framing, so $150), and a box of 'bargains' that were more than a year and a half old for - $35! Yes, this was the BIGGEST source of activity, and why not? There was nothing wrong with those paintings, but I sincerely needed space (I've literally accumulated hundreds of these) in my studio! As it is everybody gets Daily Paintings for Christmas, their birthdays, etc, and I still have a huge inventory!

Paula Villanova (a friend and fellow blogger) came with her family and I steered them to Gray's Ice Cream down the road, and Evelyn's Drive-In, across the road, which is an experience in Fried Dining not to be missed!

And my buddy Bonnie Hobbs (great painter as well as wonderful architect) and John Riley came down and hung out for a while and visited, too! It was a great weekend, and I met so many new people, too. Thanks to all who came!

Still Life With Wasp, Oil, 6x8

Go with the flow... this morning, after breakfast, I was enjoying looking at the leftover watermelon (I know - leftover WATERMELON?) in the sun, and I decided to paint the plate. As soon as I got set up this wasp or bee or whatever decided this would be HIS breakfast, and no amount of shooing would dissuade him. So... I stuck him in the painting (no, not literally). Such a glorious day, but it turned so windy that in the evening I had to hunt for this painting as it had blown off the front porch where I had left it to dry - it was face down in some grass, so IRL it has bits of fauna sticking to the paint! (which will just flake off when the paint is dry).

What was interesting to me was how light the sides of the melon were that were in the sun - mostly lighter than the plate, and all the colors in the shadow side of the fruit... as well as the plate.

Perfect Day, 11x16, Oil

SOLD

While this is outside the usual size of a Daily Painting, I did it in 2 or so hours from life, so I'm including it on this blog. I went to Fogland Beach in Tiverton, on Friday and it was just about a perfect day. A bit of a breeze, and this lady just in her glory in her beach chair. She read, she napped, she waded into the water to cool off, she sipped her iced tea. I think I could correct the folding chair legs & support a bit but otherwise I'm leaving it. Getting a bit crazed about my Open Studio Tour this weekend...
I tried to post this yesterday but Blogger wouldn't take any posts (mine or Paco's) while I was trying. And I wasn't about to let the computer take up too much time while we had sunshine! Hope you all had a good one...

Bella Sinclair Award

I've been honored by Manon Doyle, who I know I've mentioned before (a beautiful artist and a beautiful soul) with the Bella Sinclair Award! I'm thrilled! And humbled, because I look at Manon, and so many of you out there, and think... "What the heck am I doing swimming with this talented crowd?"

The Bella Sinclair award honors friendship, sisterhood, sharing and caring. I don't know... as artists, are there just more generous, accepting, encouraging people among us? I feel so blessed to have the artist friends I have.. my blogger and non-blogger artist friends alike.

I, also, would like to raise a toast to our 'sisterhood', and thank each and every one of you who has shared in my ups and downs, since we've met! I'll nominate a few (that have not already been nominated for this) artists, and please check out their fine work:

Gwen Bell - because she's quick to show support, and I love her direct, bold viewpoint when she does her still lifes and her beautiful and sensitive pet portraits.

Nancy Medina because she's generous in her kind advice and positive attitude (and I read and reread her emails and comments!).

Mary Sheehan Winn because she's a true 'sista' of the Sisterhood - never lingering on what went wrong, always looking for the best way forward, and her color KICKS.

Katie May because even though she's a relative newbie, she has the heart of a long distance runner (or painter!), and she's the kind of girl who's right there for you, and I love her artistic viewpoint.

Melissa (of Melissa and Emmitt) because she has never failed to encourage and support, no matter how busy she is (and man, can she fill a day with ART!).

And last but not least, Paula Villanova, who is the one you want covering your back, as she is true, positive, and never fails to lend a hand (or a comment, thank God), and is my travel partner-in-crime and a fantastic artist to boot.

Now, there are at least a dozen more fellow bloggers that I love and feel a sisterhood connection to.... I hope you check out my links column and visit them, too... INCLUDING Manon, who... it goes without saying... 'sista'....

And Ice Cream Castles In The Air, Oil, 6x8

SOLD

Today started foggy, rainy and gray. And... then the big dark clouds drifted away and left these puffy, creamy clouds in a beautiful blue sky. So I took Paco out to the front yard and plunked down to paint this little painting from life. One lone sailboat (guess everyone else is at work) danced back and forth in front of Gould Island. After many interruptions (Paco found a dead mouse, he got himself practically 'hung' on his leash, he ran around my easel and toppled it) I finally came up with this. Paying a lot of attention to deliberate brush strokes, color transitions in the water, the sky and the two islands (the big piece of land in the background is Aquidneck Island), and in the clouds. Happy enough, considering how many times I had to jump up...

Off With His Head, 6x6 ) Oil

I had this gorgeous begonia (a different one, but same color as the last post) and I must have been a bit rough with it, because when I turned the light on the 'scene' and backed away - the whole 'head' of the flower fell off! This was try #2, the first was a wipe-off - I couldn't get the red to pop enough. This is better but still, not as 'zingy' as I'd wished. I 'grayed down' the aqua cloth, but I think maybe it should have been lighter, too. Ah, well, hopefully a summer full of begonias await.
Updating (finally) my studio blog and Paco's blog, too, of course!

Tuberous Begonia, 6x6 Oil

Yesterday it was so wet & rainy, I went up to Oceanside 17 Gallery in Hull to paint with my friend Franny Andahazy, and also my friend Jeanne MacFarland. I had a windowsill full of gorgeous red tomatoes and begonias that had had 'mishaps' in the recent storms, with a few aqua bottles, and I loved their color together. So we packed them up and made a still life. I wiped off my first attempt - too many items - and got an order from Jeanne: Do Another One. So I did, but I edited out the tomato, and the recognizable parts of the bottle... for me it was all about that big red flower. Left the background indistinct.

Of course Paco came with, but my daughter Molly picked him up and babysat for the afternoon - while visiting HER friend Molly - thanks to the 2 Molly's for a peaceful painting session. This is Paco with Jeanne in front of the Daily Painting Wall at Oceanside - Jeanne's forearm is next to my painting of a teacup & sugar cubes you may remember! OK. Paco's Blog is updated today, too - 2 posts!