9, 10, &11

5x7 oil on ampersand gessoboard Click HERE to bid

5x7 oil on gessoboard click HERE to bid

11x14 oil on canvas panel, click HERE to buy $100

Here are my next 3 attempts.  I gave the palette knife another try on the iris....I still don't seem to "get" it so I went back to brushes.  The large white flower gave me some trouble mostly I think because I painted bigger than I'm used to (11x14).  However, the cows also gave me trouble as I painted smaller (5x7)  Next year when I do this challenge I will definately pick one size and stick with it.

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.)

Candy Apple

6x6 oil on panel click HERE to bid

 I've wanted to paint a candy apple since I saw one painted by fellow artist Kelley MacDonald some time ago.  We have a number of fruit trees on our property and this is the first year we took great pains to spray for bugs and blight and we were rewarded with a great crop of apples.  When I saw the candy apple making kit in the store I had to buy it.  Here's my photo reference, feel free to use it if you've always wanted to paint one too.

Covered Bridge

11x14 oil on linen board  Click here to bid 

Now that fall is finally here I am hoping to post and paint more regularly.  Show season is officially over with the exception of a December widget (craft) show (widgets are things I make that are low in price and SELL, like tiny paintings, magnets, jewelry, etc....Widgets are not real art but they help pay the bills especially around the holidays.  I like making widgets sometimes, it's a nice diversion from painting.)  This painting is from a painting retreat I went to last month in French Lick, Indiana compliments of a wonderful friend and fellow artist Marianne Van Rohr.  We met at a workshop last year and i attended another workshop this past spring with her.  She generously shared her timeshare with fellow artists and we had a wonderful week of fellowship, painting, and visiting.  We took many photos of this idyllic town so I'm certain you will see more of them in the near future.