Paint On Our Shoes

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Well, tomorrow I leave for Spencer with >20 paintings. Two art friends and I are being featured at Arts On Grand in Spencer, IA. We will be hanging ~45 paintings in aquamedia. I am both excited and nervous about this venture. There have been a few write-ups in local newspapers and I attached a short write-up that even made it into the Des Moines Register this morning. What a great surprise that was!

I think the issue that is making me most nervous is giving an artist talk at the reception. Gads, I really do NOT like public speaking. Maybe I could just prop up an easel and paint something. I did this yesterday and had alot of fun just painting and seeing people's reaction to my work.

Wish me luck!!!

It's Not A Bowl of Cherries...

I finished this still life and learned a thing or two. I went into this thinking this would be about painting some pears. Wrong! It was much more fun painting the cloth than those pears. I had fun drawing the cloth with watercolor crayons, then dropping in watercolor, letting the wet paint run over the lines and activating/or spreading the crayon lines a bit.

This still life and painting will be set up at our show in Spencer in a couple of weeks. It should be a fun addition to our paintings in the gallery.

Another finish to 'This Just Made Me Smile'

I spent another hour or so today tweaking this painting. I felt the white flowers (or white, negative space) needed some more work. I also got lost in some line and color work (applied by large watercolor crayons, no less!). Now I feel better calling this completed.
Thanks for sharing comments and opinions on my last post. I found it interesting that a few more of you enjoyed the more representational painting.
I am finding that this looser, feeling-type of style suits my moods anymore. The tighter, photorealistic paintings were a big part of my past, but my paintings lately seem to be filled with a sense of abstract color and large, flowing brushwork.
This painting is now matted, propped in my studio and guess what? It still makes me smile!

Attacking the Leaners

Getting ready for a show that will be up in August. I have all of the paintings that will be hung at the framers, and now I am working on paintings that will be in mattes (in a bin) in the gallery during our show. The past 2 days I have worked on 2 paintings that were started previously. They were filed away (along with ~50 others!) waiting for further inspiration. I have completed these 2 paintings. They are in 2 different styles, representing 2 different periods in my painting life---or 2 different days of the week!

I would like to have your input as to which one you prefer. Don't be shy, it's just 'us' here! Your feedback is both interesting and valuable. Please go to the top of the right hand column here to cast your vote.

The top painting is a more traditional floral (no name yet) and the bottom painting I have titled 'This Just Made Me Smile'. I think you can tell by my title attempts which one I enjoyed the most!

Stylin' Leo

Today was a day that started out hard. It was raining and I was thinking alot about my nephew, Ben. I went out to my studio to finish up a piece for an upcoming show. Then got started on a warm-up exercise that kind of took over my day. I have a series of giraffe sketches and photos that keep coming to mind as I paint. I LOVE giraffes. I have a 12 foot one in my back yard who proudly displays holiday lights every year. Anyway, this guy was started by drawing with a small bottle filled with black gutta as I swayed along to a couple of Jack Johnson CDs. Then I flooded the Aquaboard with water and started painting with watercolor, large brushes and loads of water. A few hours later I was ready to sign this project. It ended up being a good day that was full of warmth, some fun, a few tears and lots of color.

Puccini's Dance

I have been traveling, painting, and painting some more. This was completed a week ago. I picked some hydrangeas (don't tell my husband!) and arranged this still life as an art friend was coming over to paint. I went into this painting thinking "this will be a quick study" and soon liked what was happening, so kept going.

I was happy to finish this study in a couple of sittings (before those gorgeous flowers wilted). This Am I will soften a few hard edges on the teapot and a few other places. I may add a small stroke or two on that paint brush, but I do believe I better stop after that.

My highlight was finishing this to Puccini's Tosca.

Traveling a bit...

I just got back from some wine events and traveling in the wine country in California (well, somebody had to do it!). The day before leaving I needed to get rid of some flowers 0n our table that still had wayyyy to much beauty to just chuck in the garbage. Instead of packing, etc., I headed out to my studio for 'just one sketch' and here is what evolved. Needless to say I fell in love with this gorgeous bouquet and fell a bit behind on my schedule. My goal was to finish this the day after I returned, but a family emergency is taking me to the airport today, so this project will be waiting for me a week or so longer.

I will finish, photograph and enter this when I get home. In the meantime, my goal is to continue to get 'just one more sketch' in daily while I travel.

"Bon Voyage"