For those who serve...

sold

I painted this today on Memorial day in honor of those who have served and who still serve today. Twenty years ago I joined the US Navy and it changed my life forever...Regardless of the cause or the war the troops have to fight, they know one thing for certain, they are fighting for the freedoms of every American to live by the Constitution. Whenever someone disparages the war, the choice of the President to fight a war, or the troops, they disparage their own freedom. God bless America, and take care of those who fight!

All caught up and Epiphany!

So I had an epiphany today after I finished this painting, part of the daily paitworks weekly challenge that I missed while I was away in NC, but thanks largely to Dreama for this challenge, and Carol Marine for all the the past challenges by jove I think I've got it!!!.....I've been in a serious painting rut of late, painting daily since January and I've been all over the place with style and subject matter, struggling to find one that suites me enough to just run with it. The only consistancy in my painting is when I complete the weekly challenge....so when I started this challenge, I thought back to my other paintings that I felt proudest of when I was finished and decided to tackle this one the same way....I used the knowledge from Carol's "One stroke per color" and the latest value challenge to tackle the Kitty, and I am pleased with this one! I think I have found the beginnings of a style, and can't wait to keep going with it, thanks so much Dreama and Carol, keep the challenges coming!!

Work in Progress Barbados Coast

I've worked a bit more on the Barbados coast painting....I have another day or so left of work on it, let me know thoughts/critique/suggestions.....

Weekly Challenge and Dodging Hail

My painting was interupted today for several hailstorms and tornados....I'm out of the basement for a quick break before the next round of storms....Apparantly there was Billiard ball to grapefruit size hail in the area, but I haven't ventured out yet due to all the thunder and lightning still everywhere.....I'm glad I did the quick and easy weekly challenge, just to use one color (burnt umber) and do a value study....

More from the PKR workshop and Catching up!

I'm posting more of my examples from the PKR workshop mostly because I am still catching up around the house and I would like to do the Daily Paintworks challenges today but the rain is keeping me inside....I know when other artists go to workshops I like to see what they've done, so here they are! I really liked the exercise with the lemon on purple....it is 6x6 and the challenge was to do it in under 30 strokes....I think I did it in about 25, but it was fun!

Long time, no post!

Well I am back from my mini vacation at the Peggy Kroll Roberts workshop in Charlotte, NC....I'm still digesting everything, but in a nutshell it was well worth the trek! I'm posting some examples of student work and Peggy's examples as well...while it looks so basic and simple, I must say her style of painting is a whole new way of seeing things! I spent the last couple of days catching up on yard and housework, but am determined to get back at painting tomorrow! If you ever get a chance to study with Peggy, do so, it is well worth it!

Friday the 13th ack!

Fridays come too fast! I have to drive to Toledo today (an hour drive) and it's a gorgeous day so I kind of dread the drive, but since my jeep has no air conditioning, I'll get to drive with the windows down...this is when I really would love a convertible.....I'm spending every last minute in the sun before I have to go, so I'm posting the start of a painting....I tried something new today, doing a value underpainting with venetion/indian red first......I'll keep you posted with the outcome, I'm hoping it will help making my landscapes more realistic!

Quick little bird

After the hailstorm that completely wrecked most of my perennials, flowers, and fruit trees for the season, I had a tough time getting motivated today, but I managed to paint this little guy real quick...he's not done, I still have some details, but you get the gist....he looks so joyful! This is another from my FB friend from Barbados collection, John Webster...

Really Rhubarb???

I painted this yesterday for the weekly challenge....a hail storm came today and destroyed all of the rest of my rhubarb....glad I have some documentation of it....the pics above show the aftermath of the hailstorm and my painting the day before...

Palette Knife Therapy

This is a painting I painted a few months ago, and I just wasn't feeling it. I like painting large flowers, particularly irises, but after my 2nd go at it, I decided to put it aside and try again on a later day....That day was yesterday, and I threw all caution to the wind and pulled out the pallette knives...it was fun! I highly recommend palette knife therapy whenever you get into a rut...pull out an overworked painting and just have a go at it....nothing to lose but a little bit o paint!

Finishing Fridays

I like the idea of using Fridays to finish paintings I started during the week....I might have to make it a new ritual...Here's the one I finished today that I started earlier this week...I usually like to finish paintings in one sitting, but in this case I'm glad I didn't because I think I would have rushed certain areas, and letting it sit a few days helped me look at it a bit differently....This is another of the photos I've been generously granted permission to use as reference by a gentleman named John Webster who lives in Barbados...He purchased several of my paintings a month or so ago, and befriended me on Facebook... His photographs are incredible of the island. This one was of a garden at someone's home in Barbados...he named it "Les Champs"....

Frame Making, dog commission (again!), and strange harbour

I don't know why I do this, but once in awhile I get 4 or 5 paintings going at a time...there's really no rhyme or reason to it.....I have an exhibit coming up for 3 of my larger paintings...and as is the case for me always, I didn't plan ahead and I need a rather large frame for one of them....the frame would cost more than the painting would ever fetch, so I decided to make my own slat frame....If you've never done it before, stay tuned I will post pics and instructions.....it is easy, inexpensive, and actually looks quite professional....

I am starting my third doggie commission, and the picture is just a small sketch to get approved by the owner, I didn't want to fuss too much with the eyes since I'll be doing this much larger.....I just want to make sure the background and composition meets her approval! I'm posting the orignal pic I was given and you will understand why it is very important to take the reference photo yourself, or at least pre-approve it!!!


In the midst of the frame making and doggie painting, I decided to do a knife painting for the fun of it. I liked this harbour scene, but I had significant probs with the lighting of the sky I probably should have just used a brush.....

Self Portrait and kitty litter!

It seems that Monday is becoming my day to do the weekly challenge, as much as I would like to do it on Saturdays when it is first posted, but there's always activities or kids around, and I really need solace to paint.....Today, I went out to the barn to start my self portrait and my immensely pregnant cat "Studio" would not leave me alone...meowing loudly and persistantly and rubbing up against the easel preventing me from painting...I got the message, it was TIME. I took her into my studio where I have had a large cardboard box laid out for her with a blanket inside for her to have her kittens in.....I laid her down and tried to leave her alone to her laboring, but she would have none if it! Meowing and tottering after me....so in the box I go with her (it is a good sized box, and on it's side) and pet her while she labors....her appreciation was genuine, I've never heard her purr so loud...I don't think she knew quite what to do, and her first baby spent too much time in the birth canal, and with the amniotic sack over it...I watched and tried to encourage her to take care of , but the baby lay still. I removed the sack and rubbed it vigorously, but the baby still lay limp...just as I was about to give up, I heard a small squeak....Studio took over from there, and began licking her new baby! The next 4 babies were born about 20 minutes apart, and Momma only completely did her job on one of them...she was exhausted.....I'm still worried about the first one, he's not feeding like the others, but we shall see....Names to follow....Meantime, while all this was going on, I painted my self-portrait, which is a bit of a cheat, as did it from a photo and the photo is at least 5 years old, but given the circumstances of the day, I'm glad I didn't attempt a real one! Perhaps tomorrow!