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Showing posts with label Nest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nest. Show all posts

Monday, October 27, 2014

Full Nest, 6x6 Inch Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

SOLD

Sometimes in our lives things are very full... like with little ones, and business and dreams and hopes.  That's what a full nest feels like.  Everything changes, so we learn to hold on to this sweetness and the moments as they come.

Today in class we did the 'counted strokes'  lesson.  We painted our image, counting each stroke - no limit.  My first one was 230 strokes.  The next one we did we cut that number in half - I only could cut it, this time, to 120 strokes.  The third is the most difficult - cut the number in half again.  Doing this makes you think VERY carefully about the stroke you're putting down.  It makes you deliberate.  Keeps you from 'house painting' where you 'pet' the canvas or board, almost mindlessly, until you think of what color comes next.  Here, we are practicing 'thoughtful' strokes.

At the end we paint the image again, with no counting, just the lesson of thoughtful paint application in mind.  This, above, was my last effort.  Here is the set of 4 below, from my demo (the painting above is on a regular square of gessobord, and I just taped it to my big canvas in space #4.
The colors were a little yellow in this photo...
And the little dabs were my way of counting each stroke - no, they do not match up - the first one took more room for the dots than I needed, so I continued down on #4's space (which I didn't need because we didn't count on that one!).


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Robin's Nest, 5x5 Inches, Acrylic


This sweet little painting speaks to the 'nesting' lots of us feel, where we want to make safe places, comfortable places to care for the ones we love.  I love robin's egg blue, and it just makes my day in the Spring when I find the empty shells on the ground - hopefully signifying that a tiny robin has made it's way safely out!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Nest, 12x12 Inches, Oil

This is hanging at 'Nest' - the shop in Dedham today!  I delivered my paintings and am looking forward to the Opening on Saturday from 4-7.  This nest is special to me, it was sent to me while I was on a painting trip from a dear friend, to ensure there were wonderful things to paint.  While I didn't get a chance to paint them then, I have done  a couple of paintings of the nest since.  I love the symbolism of the eggs in the nest.  I love the shapes, the colors of the eggs and the twigs.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Birds On A Fence, 12x12 Mixed Media

This is another for my show at Nest in Dedham, for the month of September.  I painted on the Cape last week for a few days, and on our way home, Sally Dean and I attended a talk on mixed media by artist Mary Moquin, who is one of my favorites.  She is doing oil and cold wax medium work, and I was completely inspired.  So I picked up some cold wax and mixed it with my oil paint in this.  It makes the paint thicker and 'waxy', and leaves it a little translucent. Still fiddling around and working it out, but I was happy with how this came out.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Gloaming Glory, 8x8 Inches, Oil

Another one, for my upcoming show.  Sorry I cropped the painting at a little tilt!  I just love, love, love this view down the Sakonnet River, if you stand on my front porch and turn your head to the left, at the end of the day.  My blood pressure goes down...down...down... just looking at it!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Beach View, 6x6 Original Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald


This was inspired by a walk in the dunes at Rexhame Beach in Marshfield, MA.  Such a chilly, windy day today I had to post a memory of a sunny, warm day!  Did the last drop off today of paintings in Dedham, MA at this wonderful shop called "Nest".  Yeah, OK, I shopped while I was there!  And, in theory, the things I bought were for other people.  It remains to be seen if I have the fortitude to actually give them away as gifts - I loved everything in the store!  Hey, I don't get out a lot to shop.  When I find a cool shop I'm in HEAVEN! 
So... if you're in the area, check it out: 622 High Street in Dedham, MA!
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