Inking again!

 Flower Field  11x14  Bidding starts at $50 click HERE to bid

Poppy Field 8x8 ink on panel Bidding starts at $50 click HERE to bid

Birches 11x14  Bidding starts at $60 click HERE to bid

Ink painting again!  I'm obsessed with these inks and I've been neglecting my oil painting but hey, art is art right?  I'm hoping to have enough by summer to do some shows with them as well as with the oils.

Chance of a Lifetime and Catching up again.....

12x16 oil on panel "Birches Revisited" $150 click HERE to buy

6x6 oil on panel "Cedar Point Marina" Click HERE to bid.  Starts at $20

"Not all Roses are Red" 5x7 oil on panel Click HERE to bid.

As always I'm playing catch up with my blog, but I'm starting to be ok with that.  Perhaps you all don't want to hear from me everyday anyway eh?  Here are a few of my latest paintings, just kind of plodding along with subject matter and getting through the winter blues.  

I also have a link to share for a friend and fellow artist.  She rec'd an offer that would could be likened to a painter getting the opportunity to study with Van Gogh or Monet. A chance of a lifetime, if you will.  However, in order to accomplish this she has to raise the traveling costs herself.  Click HERE to read the story/fundraising campaign if you are interested.  Kelly Alge she has been a great mentor to me and has taught me everything I know about glass work art, and is just a great person all around.

Trying to find my wings....

5x7 oil on panel  click HERE to buy

8x8 oil on panel click HERE to buy

Those that have followed my art for the past few years, or know me well, understand that I haven't quite found my niche or direction yet in art.  I feel like I'm refining my skills and style, but have yet to settle on something, my voice, I suppose, that sets me apart from other artists.  One of the topics that I enjoy and seems to elicit the most emotion is my Navy series that I started when my son was in boot camp and I was too frantic on how he was doing to focus on much else, so I painted pictures that the recruit training command posted weekly and generously gave me permission to use as reference.  I really enjoy painting this series, and as a veteran myself, I often can put myself in the shoes of the subject I am painting.  Perhaps this is my destiny for painting, but I'm not sure yet.  While I've been given permission to use the photos, I'd like to gather my own references and material myself, perhaps the Navy would let me on a ship to get some of my own shots (ha! not likely)  Another idea that hit me was, surprisingly, during the super bowl commercials.  My two favorites were the Budweiser Clydesdales, and the Farmer one by Dodge.  Both of them showed concepts that elicited emotion and the idea of the everyday life of hardworking Americans.  I have always been drawn to the American story and the American dream and memories of how I grew up in a small town.  The generations of today seem to be missing a lot of that and I hope to try to capture some of these ideas before they are gone forever.  Stay tuned, likely I will still be painting random stuff until I formulate a plan but I think I'm getting closer................

30 in 30 is over!

Well, the 30 in 30 challenge is over and I learned a ton! Next year I would do things a little different like pick a theme and set size, and I would definately blog more.  I finished more than 30 paintings and I tried to put them all in a grid but somehow ended up with only 25 in a grid.  As an added bonus, the local newspaper did a write up on me and another daily painter from my town.  Thanks to everyone who bought my paintings, encouraged and commented on my work, it keeps me going and truly makes the journey worth the hard work!