Full Nest, 6x6 Inch Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

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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!).

P.S. The recent post had a link to get Blog Traffic from Allison Stanfield that didn't get live - HERE is the live link!  

Lobster Twins, 6x12 inches, Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

I'm in love with the light turquoise vs. the red color scheme.  I also love drawing these babies!  This painting is going to the Black Whale Gallery in New Bedford, MA.  Yup, it's right where Moby Dick hung out.  If you are interested in this painting you can contact Heather Frymark Viera by clicking HERE.

(I SO feel like a lobster now… with melted butter and beer).

In a dead heat painting this week.
* Providence Art Club Little Pictures

*North River Arts Society (Marshfield, MA)

*Fall River Historical Society

*South Street Gallery

and last but not least, the *Art Stable Gallery!

Pour Vous, 8x6 Inch Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

Today's lesson at the Art Club was "color matching".  That's when we take little squares of random colors from magazines and tape them to a piece of canvas, then 'match' the color - it always has to be mixed, and even the most veteran painter can have a bit of a struggle.  After everyone successfully matched their colors up we painted - from life, or a photograph, if they preferred ... but we made sure to 'match' the color correctly.  Our room was filled with silver pitchers of roses and hydrangeas from a recent wedding.  I grabbed this lovely bouquet - then instantly regretted it because I hardly ever paint flower bouquets.... but is really enjoyed it and just was fearless about all those petals and colors!

Sunday was the Hingham Arts Walk - it was a blast being with my art buddies from the South Shore, and seeing 'blast from the past' friends who stopped by!  One lovely woman insisted I looked ten years younger than the last time she saw me - and that alone was worth the whole day!  Thank you Page Railsback for hosting and doing all that work for the Arts Walk, you rock!

Mine, 6x6 Inch Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

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There are few things as fun to paint as whiskey and ice.  There.  I've said it!  Glass, ok, that too.  Now... I want to reassure everyone that I have NOT quit my blog.  I simply have had an avalanche of things to do for my painting career.  I'm teaching 2 classes... getting things in my gallery, the Art Stable Gallery in Westport, MA, entering and picking up paintings from shows and Festivals... yeow... not to mention family things and pet things and house things and.... and...  well... recently I DID take another day off (I think one a month is allowed, no?) and had my friend Mary Sheehan Winn (check out her blog!) over to my new studio in Warren!  Below you can see how enchanted she was with this big cow on our walk from the parking space to the delectable lunch at the Providence Art Club. (the meter maid saw us park her car, and we timed it perfectly for the 1-hour zone - 57 minutes!)

I've missed this girl!  She's back from a warmer clime, and came all the way to Warren to visit me.  We later had pizza on my porch, with a poor excuse for a sunset, but she was a good sport anyway.  

Also....

I'm going to be doing a "Painting Safari", where we have a plein air class once a week in the East Bay RI once a week, with a demo, and a critique (if wanted)... details coming soon.  I will also travel for a one-day plein air lesson - within an hour's drive of Providence, just email me.  It's almost summer, we might as well!!!!

Greening Up, 6x6 Inch Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

$100 & $10 S&H

Click HERE To Purchase

This was the painting I WANTED to do for my Girls Just Wanna Paint Challenge for Sunlight.  But being me, I 'lost' the photo before I could paint it.  And as it usually happens, as soon as the Challenge was done... you guessed it, I found it.  This is a big old tree in our neighborhood.  I've love the shadows on grass as well as snow.  I started this as a demo for my Providence Art Club class as an example of 'negative space'.  Took it home and completely reworked it, so I'm happy now.

During my class Monday I started getting tons of messages, and phone calls - unusual, since everyone I know KNOWS I teach Monday afternoon.  It wasn't till I spotted the message that flashed on the screen  that said "I'm OK Mom, don't worry..." that I decided to look at the other messages, and realized something was very wrong in Boston.

Took a long time to be certain my kids and friends were safe, as cell phones were not working from Boston due to the bombing.  Texting, however, still worked, and I literally spent over an hour texting everyone checking to be sure... 

My daughter was supposed to be running the Marathon this year... for a couple of reasons she decided not to... but that was right around the time she usually crosses the finish line, and we've been IN that crowd, waiting, and were 'supposed' to be there this year....  angels watching over us, I guess.

  

Evil is resilient .... but goodness is even more so.  The messages from friends and strangers across the country in support of Boston was... incredibly moving.  From a day filled with heartbreak, I am coming away with hope, and strength, and confidence that goodness will prevail, that we are One.