Donut War! Jelly Heart, 6x6 Inches, Acrylic Painting of Dunkin Donuts Jelly

$125 & $10 S&H

Monday is my appointment with my Donut War Rival, Susan Roden, and this week... I am UNBEATABLE!  Because I "have a heart"!  Dunkin Donuts has started their ramp up for the big V day, and they had 3 different kinds of heart shaped donuts.  Well, the jelly had me at 'Hello'....  Take THAT, Susan! (Let's check out what she's slapping me with HERE!)

My daughter hosted Paco for the weekend in Boston, and I went to pick him up - I would have missed him more but was a bit under the weather - but was SO glad to see him (and vice versa!)  And as we arrived home, we came down the hill to see this view across from our house.  Sweet, no?

*Also I have added a new Page to the top of the blog - on how I wrap and package my paintings, for those of you that have asked!*

Bristol Sunset

$100 & $10 S&H

One day I was driving home from the studio, and just as I was getting on the Mt. Hope Bridge (which is a very pretty bridge - if you've never seen it) and I noticed a pattern of vivid light on the clouds over the sunset on my right.  Now.  I'm in the car, in a single line of cars, and there's no way I can stop and get a shot - so I opened the sunroof and wildly snapped my camera - with no idea if I was getting this wonderful light show.... and I was lucky.

So today, after a wonderful breakfast out with my husband, his mom and our daughter, feeling so happy and full of gratitude, I pulled up this photo and tried to do it justice.  It's in acrylic, and sometime I'd like to do one in oil as well, just to see the difference.  I did it while listening (at last) to the Artists Helping Artists radio show I missed on Thursday - "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Paints" - and boy, I wish I'd listened to it live - I have definite opinions on the good and bad ways to bring your paints, various easels, and getting your paintings home safely!!!  Check out this one, if you have plans to go plein air painting - which, if you're a painter, of course you should!!!!

Come Sit With Me, 6x6 Inch Original Oil

SOLD

There's a spot in a little town called Bristol, RI, where you can sit and watch the sunset on a wrought iron and wooden bench.  In winter, at a certain time of day, the sky is yellowish, the water is ice blue and the snow is lavender.  The fishing boats wait in the harbor off to the right for the tides and fish.  It's beautiful in it's loneliness.   I just wanted to share that place with you.

Just Amazing, 4x4 Inch Original Oil Paintings by Kelley MacDonald

This is a sunset that I saw from my front porch, over the Sakonnet River.  Sunsets give me such peace, such hope, such a sense of centering.  If I couldn't see the sunset like this every night, I'd plaster a wall with paintings of them - like my friend Mary's daughter did who lives in NYC.  It just stops you in your tracks and lets you really breathe.  

Lozenge, Original Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

SOLD

I suppose I should actually call this "Lozenge II", because I see I've named another painting 'Lozenge'. Anybody got a good name for it? I'll change it, if you send me one I like! Does it look familiar? Yup, it's the view from my front porch. Every morning and every evening a different color scheme, a different atmosphere (well, I know it's the same atmosphere, but it LOOKS different).

I know a lot of artists don't like painting sunsets - too sweet, too much, too amateurish... but I simply don't care - I paint what inspires me, and man, this inspires me! Donuts again next post - watch out, Susan.....

End Of The Day Sizzle, Original Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

SOLD

This month my Challenge Group (Girls Just Wanna Paint) is painting The Sun. Well, I love sunshine, sunrise and sunsets, so that was perfect for me! My problem was deciding WHAT sun to paint! Here the sun lowers itself onto the horizon behind Aquidneck Island... Portsmouth, to be exact. Yes, it's the view from my porch. I know a lot of people think sunsets are too 'kitschy' but I find them serene, peaceful... inspiring, almost like a prayer. I used a little pure cadmium orange near the sun, and while it was very vivid, it made it's point! SIZZZLE!

Just letting the blood sugar settle down a bit... a day off from the donuts!

Evening Song, 6x8 Original Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

SOLD

This is one of my favorite sunsets from my porch. Last time I used a taller canvas... this time more rectangular. I still think I'm going to do a HUGE one of these! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I enjoyed my time off and am 'off to the races' now. I have more plans for my 'donut war'... so I hope you don't mind!

Getting ready for my Open Studio on my front lawn this weekend - 11-5 ... you can see this view from there... I've heard from so MANY of you saying you were taking a girlfriend on this tour - I think they should call it the 

"Open Studio Girlfriend Tour"! So fun!

End Of Day Reflections, Acrylic 6x6

SOLD

Another view down the river. I never tire of it. This morning I woke up and saw the moon setting - I took photos and hopefully soon I'll show you that.

Reflections On Clouds, 8x8, Acrylic

SOLD
With this painting I was just experimenting with surfaces.  I'd made the canvas very 'textured' with layers of paint and medium, just playing with how one of the sunsets would look.  I think I still prefer a nice smooth surface for the sunsets, or for plein air as well.  This is kind of fun with contemporary subjects, or something kind of abstract, but I think it makes a person confused as to what they're supposed to be looking at.  Maybe.  I must say that the camera exaggerates the texture.  In person it's less defined.  I think this will be NFS, and I'll hold it out for my Open Studio Tour in July.  Hope you all had a nice weekend - it was perfect weather here in New England!

Last Light Over The Sakonnet, 6x8, Acrylic

SOLD

This is a little painting of one of my many sunset views, overlooking the Sakonnet River.  The land mass is Aquidneck Island, which is home to Portsmouth, Middletown and Newport, RI.  I have always loved to paint these sunsets, but since the Fall I'd not been able to bring myself to.  A rejection of these paintings, which I said would not bother me, apparently did, more than I realized.  But now I'm able to put it behind me and move forward, and love this every changing view again.

And because you are so wonderful to me I'm going to share a photo from our Challenge Group's Meetup last week - with NO NAMES attached (because I value my life) - trust me these were fabulous 'grandma's'  - and the strudel was TDF.

Pepper Gymnasts, 6x6 Oil

SOLD

I'm not going to say too much about these peppers, except that if I were to paint them again, the cloth I set them on would have more orange in it.

And below, a gift to my friends, a shot of last night's light... enjoy!