Day 4 and 5

6x6 oil on panel $50 click HERE to buy

8x10 oil on canvas board $75 click HERE to buy

I forgot to post my painting yesterday, so it's two for one day!  I really want to get better at using the knife, but I have to say I really struggled with this.  I don't know if it's because I'm tryng to fit a lot in to a small canvas or what, but I'm going to keep at it.  The cupcake was done with brushes and is 6x6, the tulips were done with knives that Leslie Saeta recommends on her website.  (Dick Blick about $8 each and there are 3 sizes.  I'll try to get a picture for the next blog post.)

Red Barns

8x10 oil on panel click here to bid (starts at $60)

This summer I'm going to be doing a few art shows, and I realized that I need to start painting a few larger paintings or I'm going to have to figure out a way to display 6x6 unframed paintings....little easels are ok for some of them, but then i'm at the mercy of the weather.  I can frame some, but that gets expensive and people like to frame their own works anyway.  I have lots of nice wood frames for 8x10 though, so I'm going to start to do more paintings in that size, and maybe a really big one every couple weeks since those tend to draw a crowd to your booth,  but don't sell very often.

 Today I painted a farm from down the road.  I love this grouping of red barns so you will likely see it again, but I wanted to see if I could pull it off with the clear blue sky and still make it interesting.  There was not a cloud in the sky that day so it was a crystal clear flat blue.  I figured the palette knife always makes it interesting, so here is Ohio red barns on an autumn day.

Refreshing Change

6x6 oil on panel $60 Click here to buy.

I tried something new today. After 21 days straight of still life paintings in my 30 paintings in 30 days competition with Ruth Ann, I needed to try something else. I took this picture of my back driveway a couple of weeks ago and wanted to paint it, but wasn't quite ready for landscapes yet, but today I just didn't feel like trying to set up a creative still life. I used a palette knife, something I like to do once in awhile just for a change.

Still Life with Still Life

6x6 oil on panel, click here to bid

I went out to the studio today with every intention of setting up more eggs and spoons, but I had put my finished apple from yesterday in the still life set up to get better light for a photo, then left it there. When I came in this morning, it was just calling out to me to paint the painting. So here it is!

Hay Rolls

8x10 oil on streched canvas $65 click here to buy.

I love seeing fresh cut hay in the fields, and those rolls look like such fun! If I was a kid again I probably would be sitting atop one of them in the warm fall sun reading a book.

Cookies and Milk

6x6 oil on panel $50 Click here to buy. My fiance wanted to know why I was photographing my cookies the other day....The last time I tried to paint cookies I turned my back for not even a minute and someone ate them before the painting was finished. This time I had a back up plan.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year....

Ok, at the risk of offending some, (as I clearly did on Facebook earlier today) I can't tell you how excited I am that the kids are going back to school. I have 4 children, one with autism who graduated but is seeking out his first job, one that just started college, one in high school AND college (Mr. Smartypants) and one in Jr. High. I love them all dearly and enjoyed my time with them this summer. HOWEVER....anyone that tries to work at home knows how difficult it can be with all the interruptions. Sooo...as I said in my title "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the YEEAARRRRR....."

Ok, celebration done. The junior higher is still at home, but I did manage to finish a painting I started on my Staycation. When I was painting it on the boat I knew the values were all off, so today I took the photo of it and turned it black and white so I could just deal with value. I had no color reference, except for memory of the day, and it was very very difficult. However, I do feel that I stayed true to the values, and that is a big plus for me, I tend to make everything too dark and intense.....

Best Laid Plans Part 2

6x6 oil on panel $65 to puchase click here

6x6 oil on panel $65 to purchase click here

If you have ever read my other post titled "Best laid plans...." you'll know what I'm talking about and can skip the the next paragraph....if not, read on.....

I have a close friend/former co-worker in art who is fighting for his life right now. He is dealing with his second bout with colon cancer...the first time was when he was 20, now, he's 40 something....It's much more serious now, not just physically...he's happily married, has 2 children, one in college, one in high school. He lost his dream job 2 years ago, through no fault of his own, and struggled to find ANY job to cover the bills....Just months after finding a job, he was diagnosed AGAIN with cancer....He underwent massive surgery, and is now enduring chemotherapy and radiation treatments weekly....He and his wife work full time, yet the mounting bills and expenses are taking their toll....They live in a very old house that is in serious need of updating, but that is the least of their problems....This family does not even have air conditioning during the hottest summer on record in NW Ohio...yet they maintain a brave face and refuse help of any kind....I've taken it upon myself to try to elicit assistance for this family... I truly respect their desire for privacy and insistance to "go it alone" but I see they are suffering,...They are very close to losing the home they have lived in and raised their children in....


How can you help? I started a facebook page for his cause...Please add SOS (Support of Scott) to your FB account and post to your wall...I am planning future online and local fundraising events....Please help, he is one of the most generous people I know.



Oh, and I have been painting....sunflowers and colorful landscapes, nothing too serious, waiting for kids to go to school to actually concentrate.......