"The Spiritual America" Cocktail, 6x6 inch Acrylic by Kelley MacDonald

At a place called Pearl & Ash in Manhattan they are dreaming up Spring cocktails.  Now... how fun does this look? Tastes like Blood Orange with Rhubarb accents.  Sounds like a winner, even though I can't figure out how they came up with a name like that!

Come on Spring... I know you can do it!  I think here in Rhode Island we're going to pretty much skip Spring, and leap from the mid 50's to the 70's.  I'm enjoying saying goodbye to frigid weather and snow injuries.  Looking for some tulips to brighten the days, too.  Enjoy, friends!

Lifting Spirits, 6x6 in Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

"Lifting Spirits" 6x6 Inch Acrylic Painting

$100 & $10 S&H

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It has been a loooong Winter!  Even now, officially Spring, we are sloshing and scraping and salting...  these tulips have such fresh color and really pierce the Winter Blues!  

They tell me warm weather is just around the corner.  I will believe.... 

Reconnecting with a lot of my artist friends this week - I think we've all been hibernating - it is just wonderful stuff.  Sharing meals, celebrating occasions, talking about upcoming workshops and painting trips - is it just us or is everyone beginning to emerge into a more joyful place?

Be well, friends, and be thankful for every day.  I'm thankful that you are sharing my art journey.

Yearning For Spring, 7x5 Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

Well, I'm really getting into the abstract frame of mind.  This painting, little as it is, has taken me over a week of working every day.  Believe it!  There are probably over30 layers of paint and semi-gloss gel medium on this.  I am liking how each layer of paint was a neutral off white, and the blue/green center was a different color layer.  Some times it was deep turquoise, sometimes bluey green, sometimes a lime green.. and the layers of medium between gives it a depth (you can see it better in person, but here....)

And it looks like the colors float and merge.  So much harder to get it 'right' than a realistic painting.  But I love that, too, you know it.  And get your coffee ready, there are donut paintings coming tomorrow!

Come on, dip your toe in...

Blue Grace, 10x10 Inch Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

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This is 10x10 inches, and I was just so inspired by my Irises the other day that I dragged my easel into the garden and painted them as they were just unfolding.

My favorite time in the garden!  I ate my first strawberry from the strawberry plants today!  Like sugar on the tongue!  

I liked the unusual background, the blue just popped out against it.  

To Us, 8x8 Inch Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

We have so much in common, but you like olives and I like lemon twists....  here's a toast to the best of times!

Spring is finally here in full swing, and everywhere we look there are celebrations - festivals, weddings, graduations, etc.  So... a toast to all the good things, and good people in our lives!

Tuxedo Bunny, 5x7 Inch Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

Isn't he adorable?  It's a companion piece to Honey Bunny, for that special little girl.  I have to say I love, love, love painting eyes, and glass.  :) 

I'm also thinking of changing the background on Honey Bunny to this color - too 'matchy-matchy'?  What do you think?

So much is going on - lots of deadlines.  I'm happy with them, though.  I'm enjoying my commissions, too, and only have a couple more.  Spring is the beginning of Plein Air painting, too.  And I'm thinking of putting together a Painting Safari Class - where we meet at a different location every week, with a demo, instruction and a critique if desired.  Anyone interested?  Let me know.

You Are The Only One, 6x6 Inch Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

$100 & $10 S&H

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Nothing says 'Spring' like flowers!  I find it very hopeful to see yellow and blue bursts in the gardens and sides of the road.  In the language of flowers, Daffodils (even the mini's) means a few things - one of them being "You're The Only One".  Hyacinths - and these are Grape Hyacinths (blue) means "Constancy".  So I think they go well together, as a message as well as visually!  I love love loved painting the green glass mini bottle, too.  Picked it up at Brimfield, and it's a treasure.

I've been working at my 'other' job a lot lately, and that's a good thing because I like to eat, and turn lights on in my house!!!  :D BUT I did take a day out for fun, and met a couple of friends, and went to the Museum of Fine Art in Boston.  We took a rather unfortunate 'selfie', which I can post tomorrow if you want to see it.  Let me know.

Flowering Quince, 11x14 oil painting by Kelley MacDonald

$350.00 & $15 S&H

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OK, it's much bigger than my usual Daily Paintings - 11x14 inches! This painting kind of came to me in a dream.  In that I dreamt about a design like this, knowing my two gorgeous flowering quince bushes were just bursting with blooms.   So, coincidentally, I stumbled on the glass panels I purchased TWO YEARS ago and promptly lost.... I knew it had to all come together.  I found a beautiful ultramarine tissue paper and put it under the glass, popped the little vase on top...and just reveled in the reflections. 

I put this up on Facebook and got record numbers of 'likes' (for me, anyway!).  I had been planning to save this painting to put in the Gallery this summer, but ... I was just so tickled that it got such a rush of good responses, I thought I'd like to offer it online.  Normally, framed, this would go for double this amount, but I just get such a KICK out of people being enthusiastic about a piece I LOVE, love, love, I am happy to offer it at this price.  So, I'd be happy to see it go to a 'good' home with one of my blogger friends, I guess is what I'm saying!

Be well, all... be happy, and enjoy the blooms of Spring!

Forsythia In Pink, 6x6 Inch Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

$100 & $10 S&H

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Had a hard time painting today... all my work on my big paintings has to be done over.  I could manage this small one, though, and am very happy with it.  I was talking it over with my daughter and she said she, and others with ties to Boston, is having the same issue.  It's like a hangover of grief.  Everyone will work their way through it, but yesterday and today it seemed like I was standing in wet sand up to my knees.  So PINK was the perfect remedy.  Be well, be happy...

Exuberance, 6x6 Inch Oil Painting of Forsythia, by Kelley MacDonald

 This week in my Saturday class we discussed composing a painting with Negative Space in mind.  That's the space BETWEEN the branches, the shapes being determined by their relative distance from other shapes.  I think Forsythia is an excellent example, although chairs, trees, and such do a great job as well. Well, too, the blue jar was as fun as the flowers to paint!

I hope you enjoy these lively flowers!

Joyful, 6x6 Inch Oil Painting of Forsythia by Kelley MacDonald

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 There's something about Forsythia that lifts the heart.  Those cheery yellow bushes reaching for the sky, and the vibrant blue of a Spring day provides the perfect backdrop for these symbols of new life.  I can never fathom the urge to crop them into little rounded bushes, because what I love about them is their reckless reaching out, the irrepressible nature of their outstretched limbs.  

Which, of course, I cut and put in jars and vases around the house!

So... a new spring, a new season, and new and interesting things to come, for each of us.

Fun Time Tulips, 8x8 Inch Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

$125 & $10 S&H

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Painting today was frustrating.  I wanted to paint shore paintings, gulls and plovers and children in the waves.  But after 3 tries, nothing was working.  Why?  I had great reference material... I had new-ish brushes and all my favorite colors laid out in front of me.  I had time and space to myself.. good music on....  I complained on Facebook, 'got it all out', meditated, took a walk, looked at other art I like...  Then I decided to clean up and forget today's work.  But I had a bit of paint on my disposable palette and I thought, I'm just going to design a painting of my tulips, and it can dry and I'll work on it tomorrow.  But when I got the design in I decided to pop in a few color notes, and one thing led to another and I was IMMERSED.  I had a blast!  It's a little different in technique, but hey, experimenting is good!  So thrilled with it I want to share it.  So instead of the usual $150 for this size work I'm offering it for $125.  And I'm going to do more like this!

My other title I was going to go with was "Exuberance!"  Do you like it better?

Renewal, 6x6 Acrylic Painting of Tulips by Kelley MacDonald

$100 & 10 S&H

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Springtime MEANS tulips to me.  I adore all the different variations.  A few years ago my friend Paula Villanova and I went to Holland the week the tulips were supposed to be peaking.  Well, when we arrived there had been a historic heat wave in the Netherlands, and the temps hit 90 many days in a row - which is a death knell for tulips. We managed to paint a lot and have a ton of fun anyway (right?  of course right!)  You can check our blog about it HERE.

This painting just thrilled me.  Who would have ever thought that violet would be a good background for red tulips?  I tried it out tentatively, and then went right into it, full force - loving how it came out.  Dedicating this post and bouquet to a friend who is dealing with caring for her husband's mom, navigating all the options of best care, with her open heart.  I keep her in my prayers, as I know how hard it is on that road.

Pussy Willow Shimmer, 6x6 Inch Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

$100 & $10 S&H

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Loving my pussy willows still... and in this painting I decided to use a bright gold metallic paint for the background. I love the way the blueish pussy willows stand out against it.  Just exploring paint and shapes and design.

Saw sunshine today.  Took THREE walks.  Ahhhhhhhh... I am SO ready for Spring this year!

The Gift Of Tulips, 4x4 Inch Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

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I can't resist these tulips!  YES I have a list of paintings I'm working on or should be working on, but this little 4x4 inch panel just snuck up on my easel!  

We had snow yesterday, Thursday, but it was beautiful.  All the more beautiful, I think, because at this time of year we know it won't last!!!  

I'm doing the 21 Day Meditation with Oprah and Deepak... I'm not usually into them, but I tried the first one today (yeah, I have some catching up to do) and it was wonderful.  Anybody else have tears stream down their faces when they meditate?  It's just such a safe and loving place.... anyway.

ALSO - hey... maybe you're not an artist.  Maybe you have friends you like to spend time with. ?

I'm doing these Art Parties... on Thursdays, or by appt.  BYOB, we supply the art supplies and smiles for you.  You can book the whole night, or just COME ON BY.  First one is Martini Madness...  Next month:  April In Paris....

Cherry Blossoms, 8x8, Acrylic

$100 & $10 S&H

It is a snow day here in RI - a couple of storms have collided overhead and given us a nice Nor'easter.   After shoveling and cocoa, it was time to break out the paints!  I'm already tired of snow, so it helped that I got a commission to paint Cherry Blossoms.  I could really live without the lawn and fill my yard with flowers and flowering trees.  That would probably make me the crazy cat/pug lady with the weird yard. But they're so beautiful!

I had an image to work from - no, they're not blooming here in the snow!  And I just had to keep in my head the voices of all my teachers "Simplify, simplify, simplify..."  And words of wisdom from Peggi Kroll Roberts : "Be a designer!"  So without the background and the zillion of other branches, flowers and such, this is what I came up with!

Ranunculus, Oil, 6x12

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Today I felt like painting flowers.  It's Spring, and sunny out - and I'm yearning for my own flowers in my garden.  I'm working on my edges, and on the values here, shockingly the easiest part of this painting was the glass vase!  Thank you guys for all your comments - it is so great to hear from you!

The Other Penny, Acrylic on Canvas, 6x6

I love this Chinese Proverb: "When you have only two pennies left, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other". This stalk of lilies was just a stick with uninspiring buds when I bought it on Sunday (yes, it cost more than one penny!), but they bloomed and seem to reach out to give, not receive joy. I had to paint them.