Peaceful Day, 4x6 Inch Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

4x6" Acrylic Painting

$100 & $10 & S&H

Click HERE To Purchase

Today.... was blissful.  Perfect temperature, low wind, gorgeous sky with an army of cream puff clouds gliding along.  I HAD to have the 'studio' outside today!  

But I didn't feel like painting alone... so I called my friend Susan Medyn, a brave and sassy watercolorist, (see her work here), and took my Studio Assistant (Paco) outside.  

Inspiration floated back and forth between Susan and I, and we egged each other on to step outside of our comfort zones, while noshing on pb&j's (I'm a real hostess, I tell you).  We slapped that paint around, talked about our upcoming trip to the Cuttyhunk Island Artist's Retreat, shared career tips and  brainstormed.  I have been in a really fertile mode about my work, it's direction, ways to market it while maintaining the focus on development of my skill.  The stars must be aligning for me in this area!  I'm enjoying good connections to collectors, who give me valuable feedback, and enrich MY life with their friendships.  

Tonight.... a trip to Marshfield to North River Art Society's Outside The Box - a really fun event, where we paint and our pieces go on the wall unsigned for a silent auction.  Tonight the paintings went to their new homes.  I think the quality of the art this year was superior to every other year.  Actually, the actor Steve Carrell painted a piece titled "Buy This Painting For $50,000".  Pretty much he just painted that on a square.  I fear the bid went for slightly less than that... :)  still fun.

Intensity, 5x7 Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

5x7" Oil Painting "Intensity"

SOLD

Did you know that Tuesday was National Dog Day?  Yeah, well, .... we celebrated it in our house!  No, not Harry, the orange cat or Isabelle the torti cat, but Paco and I... and my husband (who did not know exactly that he was celebrating).  I love this painting.  It was part of my 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta.   I really like that you have to delve... dig and be creative - because trust me, no matter how much you love your subject, at about day 10 you are smacking yourself in the forehead asking everyone you know why they let you commit to this!  And you get to know a subject INSIDER OUT! :D

So.  Here I am, considering it again for September.  I have a really, really, really busy month.  I'm doing a workshop on Cuttyhunk Island as part of the Cuttyhunk Island Artist Retreat.  I'm teaching at the Providence Art Club.  And I'm teaching 3 Fridays at the Portsmouth Arts Guild on Aquidneck Island. (Please ignore the typo's, I just copied and pasted from their website):

Honestly, I'm just glad there are 2 e's in my first name and an 'a' in my last name.  I don't ask for much! But there are still a few spots left if you're interested!

One more, kind of personal, thing.  I actually consider all you guys my friends.  You are, actually, more real than my Facebook friends, since you've shared my journey for many years, so... OK.  I haven't posted since Open Studios, which was fine, fun and fabulous.  Because as I was catching my breath over that, we learned that my godchild is very sick.  With God's grace she will not only survive but thrive, but it's been a rocky week, and honestly, I couldn't paint.  I couldn't even string a thought together.  All the crazy stuff going on in the world, and then to find out someone who is wonderful in a 'lit from within' way is literally holding on by a thread.  So.... if you can spare a prayer, we'll take it.  Thank you.  And now.... I promise surprises and fun scenes from Open Studios tomorrow.  Goodnight and thank you.

What'cha Doin' This Weekend?

8x8 inch Acrylic - "Triple Threat"

This is a new one for my Open Studio this weekend.  8x8.  Aye-yi-yi!  I have it framed.  It walkways surprises me just how far people will drive for one of these paintings - so I made sure I have plenty available this year!  I opened the box of donuts tonight and there was only ONE there.  I have no idea what happened to them..... Paco?  Well, tomorrow I am giving away a donut painting :D  AND I will have tiny little jelly donuts available to nosh!  Don't come to me last - I can't run out and get more when they're gone!!! 

You can see the other artists, etc. here, and don't worry, I have plenty of maps and I'm right off the highway!

Good weather tomorrow - perfect.  Sprinkles on Sunday - also perfect.

To be eligible to win this 6x6 inch original painting, just print and cut out the invitation below, put your name and email address (clearly) on the back, and drop it in to my fishbowl at the studio!

Good luck!

Donuts Here, Donuts There.....

"And In This Corner...." 12x12 Inch Acrylic painting

Getting ready for Open Studio here... so I know what you're thinking - "She's cleaning, polishing, putting up new curtains, painting the porch, etc. etc. "  Well, not exactly.  Not anything like that, actually.  I am painting bigger donut paintings!  These 4 donuts were painted right in the DD's box, which I held in my left hand while painting with my right... all the while listening to Colin Page's interview on Artists Helping Artists!

Who eats the donuts, you ask?  Good question.  Depends on the day.  Today Paco barked like a crazy dog at the BOX till I put it out of sight.  I may re-arrange and paint them again tomorrow, but, in this ONE thing I'm a perfectionist, and if the frosting has lost it's sheen or the jelly has become transLUCENT instead of trasPARENT.... out they go.

So, yes, I'm giving away "Luscious Lips", below:

To be eligible, just print out the invitation, below.  Put your name and email address (clearly, please!) on the back, and when you visit my Open Studio this weekend, drop it into the fish bowl (which is really a vase).  I'll pick the winner on Sunday at 5!

Getting Closer! Open Studio This Weekend!

This weekend the South Coast Open Studio Tour is in full swing!  So many cool studios to visit.  Beautiful vistas of the Sakonnet River, and farmland falling away to the coast.  Delish food stops.  Gray's Ice Cream.  AND my studio!  (and that's just Tiverton - there is also Little Compton, Westport and Dartmouth!)

I'm giving away this little painting - for followers of my blog exclusively (yes, people can sign up for the blog there at my studio).  

Simply print out the little ad below, and put your contact info on the back and drop it into my fish bowl when you visit!  (Name, email, physical address, and phone - if you are comfortable with that - I'll only use it to notify you!).  

The walls are packed.  :)  I'd love to see you!

Ooey Gooey Chocolate Frosted, 6x6 inch Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

SOLD

Oh, the chocolate does me in!  I will admit!  And SOMETIMES, like this time, I ask them to re-dip the donut in the chocolate.  Evil, I know, but they do it for me!

I promised I'd post the painting I'm giving away this weekend at my Open Studio, so here it is, below:

All you have to do is print and clip the invitation BELOW.  Write your contact information on it and when you stop by my Studio, on the South Coast Open Studio Tour, drop it in the fishbowl.  At the end of the day on Sunday, my assistant will reach in and choose an entry.  I will ship it for free.  Good luck!

Extra Chocolate Frosting, 6x6 Inch Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

$100 & $10 S&H

Click HERE To Purchase

LOTS of stuff going on.  Really.  Yesterday's painting was selected as a Daily Paintworks Pick of the Day!  This past weekend I had a couple of paintings in the Pembroke Arts Festival, and I did a donut demo there on Saturday.  Got interviewed on a local cable show there too.  I painted 4 donuts, below:

Today's donut is part of the plethora (now, haven't you always wanted to USE that word?) of donuts I'm painting for this upcoming weekend's Open Studio at my home/studio.  Ah-cha-cha!  The craziness here!  I tell you it's astounding!

If you cut this invitation out and bring it to my Open Studio, write your contact information on the back, because I'm GIVING AWAY a painting if you come because of my blog or my Facebook invitation!  Tomorrow I'll publish the painting I'm giving away.  Gonna be FUN!

The Way Maine Makes Me Feel, 6x6 Inch Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

Perfect blue sky, gentle breeze, deep blue ocean... lone island against a far shore.....  shell pink horizon... one tiny puffy cloud.

Slight wind... two, no three more puffy clouds, still small.... then more... then larger, heavier, plump and luscious clouds..... wind picks up... water unsettled...

Then GUSTs of wind.. a parade of chunky clouds, water flipped by the wind that picks up my palette and throws it facedown on the rock bound coast of Maine.....  the growth of a Maine morning....

Laughter of fellow painter....  another rushes with paper towels, scramble to save the tubes of paint skittering away into the crevices... a decision to save the rest of the painting for another day, when the scent of the ocean is a vague memory and the visual of the army of clouds bringing flinging breath disrupting my efforts..... *love* Maine.

Day's Cottage... Revisited, 7x5 inch Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

Love all things 'outer Cape'.  I am reading a book called "The Orphans of Race Point" by Patry Francis, and many of my good artist friends are spending time in Ptown, Wellfleet, Truro right now, posting their images on Facebook, and making me LONG to visit!  Also, out of the blue, this painting from 2011 sold from my blog.   Have I mentioned how much I love my blog AND my blog followers??  Well, of course I couldn't find it and did my research and turns out someone had purchased it... so I revisited the original photo and re-painted it.  Honestly I loved this image, and it calls to mind those wonderful little cottages you drive by on the way to Provincetown.  I know for a fact it's going to a good home - with a beautiful Springer Spaniel named Molly!  

Pink Beach Rose, 4x4 inch Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

Last weekend I was lucky enough to visit a friend who has a camp in Maine on a beautiful lake.  After I painted the vista a couple of times, something was nudging me from the back of my mind.  I'd been to Sakonnet Point recently and the scent of the Rosa Rugosa (Beach Rose) garden swept me off my feet.  there were a few different varieties, and I snapped photos of them all.

So, what evolved, through the first day, when I was alone at the camp awaiting my friend (I mean alone with Paco - my glued-to-my-hip sidekick) was a small series of up-close-and-personal portraits of these heavenly scented flowers.  I was inspired, partly, by Connie Hayes' florals that were 12x12 inches, and glorious, that I had seen a couple of months ago at the Dowling Walsh Gallery.  I'm going to buy some 12x12 canvases after my next Open Studio and make a number of large paintings like this.  

I see them hung individually, or like this:

I think they would make a stunning arrangement at a beach house, a home near the ocean, or the wall of a rose-lover.  AND mine will NOT be $5,000 EACH, like Connie's, so that's good.... :D

Red Dory I, 24x48 Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

This is a section of a painting that I donated to the Tiverton Land Trust at their event on Thursday evening.  I was a bit disappointed at the low winning big (roughly 1/3 of what it would be listed at in a gallery).  HOWEVER, it wasn't framed.... OK,  and I was happy that someone who also valued the Land Trust would have it in their home.

Then... as it would turn out... the Red Dory was going to the owner of the new restaurant near my home... and the name of his restaurant, The Red Dory, was the inspiration for a small series of paintings I did, including THIS one.  And I met him and he was so nice and he and my husband brainstormed about the way they should develop the empty gas station across the street from the new restaurant, at the beach.  And they came up with - a big gazebo... which would be really really nice - and would allow Tiverton residents to sit in the shade and enjoy the wonderful view. (We will not mention that I have been saying this all along, right?).

At any rate, it was a wonderful night, with a fabulous sunset, an amazing moonset closely following (a red crescent moon - so unusual!).  Great food, fun beverages, lively conversation and great auction items - I was proud to be among the donators!

"Tree", 8x8 inch oil painting by Kelley MacDonald

This month, our challenge for Girls Just Wanna Paint is "Tree".  I've driven by these trees a thousand times.  They sit in a large hay field. They bring my blood pressure down just by looking at them.  I painted them over and over for this Challenge.  I hope you check it out and enjoy our work.