Monday, December 30, 2013

Topless

This week's DPW challenge is "The Root and Bulb Challenge".   As I was heading out to the grocery store it occurred to me pick up some carrots if they had any with the tops.  Luckily there were some organic carrots with the longest tops and greenery I've ever seen.   Like most vegetables they were put into the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator.  Later while working at my computer my husband approached me with the carrot tops hanging from his hand..........to let me know not to store carrots with the tops on.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Pink cone flower

This was painting was done over a year ago it won a ribbon at an art exhibit.  It was painted in my Flemish style and not sure how it got missed but here it is.  It is only  5 x 7 inches however you can see the detail from 40 feet away.  The juror noted that it was a small painting yet really caught her eye.

Today was 46 degrees, sunny, snowy, perfect to paint plein air.   So skipped out of the studio to enjoy the outdoors.  Hope everyone was able to get some fresh air today.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Rosebud 2

I was feeling melancholy thinking about my Brother and Mother.  So may this rose represent those lost but not forgotten and to take time reminiscing., it felt great. 

 It was only a bud it never blossomed yet managed to be outstanding.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Eggshells

Sold
What a way to start your day.  This was the beginning to my creation ""a bowl of breakfast.   In a bowl put a layer of fried hash browns, cooked scrambled eggs, then add sauteed onion, green pepper, bacon or sausage, tomatoes and whatever else you have.  Top this with cheddar cheese and melt the cheese in the microwave and enjoy.  Over the summer the Hammy Slammy became my favorite breakfast to buy when traveling.   Guess what the only difference was it had ham my choice of meat for breakfast when eating out.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Persimmon 1

Other artist have been painting these and my recent grocery store visit prompted me to try this fruit.  The lovely reds and oranges are my favorite colors to paint and this fruit is pretty interesting.  It seems rather confusing to determine when it's ripe.  My problem, a couple of years ago I lost my smell and taste so my husband will have to do the tasting.  It's amazing how foods make your glands react  sour, bitter, and salty is easy for me to without the taste.   Most foods are in my memory and I enjoy eating them, only if I stop and think do I get disappointed.  This fruit is not in my memory so not sure how this will end.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Snowman sledding 2


What do I collect....snowman, it happened by accident it wasn't a conscious effort.  After many years it dawned on me, I purchase a snowman of one kind or another each year for myself.  These have become my subjects for my Christmas Cards.  Hope you enjoy these happy snow lovers who visit during winter and the holiday season.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Rose bud 1

Sold
What a struggle to get the light hitting this correctly.  The thing about painting sometimes you must walk away.  This is what happened with this painting today it is a success yesterday it seemed like a failure.  Darn good thing it was so pretty as a bud it's wilting and not going to open.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Cantaloupe 1

Sold
Not sure where this melon came from, it lacked flavor, this didn't surprise me, this is not the time of year to buy melons in Michigan.  Although Pinckney is my home town, Howell is just North of me, they celebrate melons with an annual festival, we take them pretty serious around these parts.  Melon slices make a great painting bringing back memories of warm summer days.  This could really cheer someone up over the winter months.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Apples 3

Sold
I see glare from wet paint, sorry about that, my camera has been sent out for repairs so using my Ipad camera.  Guess it isn't to bad of a picture.  Anyway new shapes and more apples.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Cherry 1

Sold
My granddaughter Kaylee is painting this cherry and her painting is looking so good awaiting her return. So, anyway stole her cherry to paint today for myself and glad I did.  Enjoyed painting the cherry and that fading background.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Apples 2

THIS WAS WON BY A DPW CUSTOMER
Added a whole apple to the twist of things.  Looks like the leader of the pack.   You must see Apple 1 which was only quarter pieces.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Apples 1

Sold
When kids are young they prefer their apples cut up and the core removed.   My grandson is five and he will now eat the skin.   For painting purposes the seeds and cores and some interest to the composition. This would make a great gift for a teacher or someone who is the apple of your eye.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Peach 1

Sold
This isn't my first peach painting I made an executive decision to start numbering the subjects as they are painted instead of trying to come up with new names.  Not that remembering what number is next won't be difficult after all peaches are out of season now and who knows when the next peach painting will be created, will I remember that it should be number two?

Monday, November 11, 2013

Acorn

Seeds are everywhere if your looking.   Remember acorn fights?  We use to collect bags of them and then have a war.  Growing up with four brothers toughened me up just a little.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Gladiolus squared

Sold
Flowers are always fun for me to paint so had to try them in this 4 inch size.  This was my last board and in the future this size may get used again.  The 6 inches seemed small when I started however you get comfortable with what is familiar and it's good to break away once in awhile and change things up. 

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Pear 2

Sold
Same pear different angle.  This time my focus was about the overall composition.  Looked for some hard and soft edges used more solid brush strokes for the color field changes and kept them as thick as possible without being obsessed with just applying thick paint.  What a difference and it was more enjoyable for me to paint.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Depot Street Commission

This painting is 24 x 48 inches with a frame painted as part of the scene.  This was a commission requested by First Martin of Ann Arbor.  Over 25 years ago 25 artist were commissioned to paint Ann Arbor and in celebration of that collection, this year 25 artist were commissioned to paint Ann Arbor again to become part of that permanent collection.

 ANN ARBOR PAINTED will be on display at:

ANN ARBOR ART CENTER.
117 W. Liberty
Ann Arbor, MI

From November 22  -  December 22

I can't wait to see all the paintings and hope they have the first 25 on display also.   After the exhibit the paintings will be on permanent display in the many First Martin buildings in Ann Arbor.


Thursday, October 31, 2013

Pear 1

The second of my 4 x 4 inch series.  These are so much faster to paint and this time my paint is thicker.  Two more boards to paint then will see what becomes of this little venture.  This heavier paint seems suited to focusing on color and shape very different from my usual scrutiny.  

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Gathering

Recently purchased some 4 x 4 inch hardboard to have some fun using a thicker paint.  It was surprising how difficult it is to get the paint loaded on the brush and stuck on the painting.  Next time maybe the palette knife is worth trying.  These are being offered at a lower price.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Enduring

Sold
What a toughie still hanging around after a week of hard frost.  These could become my favorite flower if they were a perennial.   I purchased some yellow daisies this year that make me think they are getting pretty close to developing a similar breed.  My horticulture skills are very limited.  Gardening is my willingness to pull weeds and play in the dirt.  The blooming of the flowers is what excites me and makes the work worthwhile.

Monday, October 21, 2013

The same pumpkins

They maybe the same but different perspective so totally new composition.  Caught some glare from wet paint on the top left pumpkin so that looks a little strange here but looks fine on the painting leaving it be there isn't enough daylight to rephotograph.

Something new about purchasing my paintings, you can Buy It Now if their hasn't been a bid placed, or place a bid and participate in the auction.


Friday, October 18, 2013

Delectable

Sold
 Have you ever added olives to your hamburger meat?  I was getting ready to make patty's when it occurred to me how good they looked coming out of the jar covered with olive oil so dinner took a little longer than planned.   The deli dill pickles  encroached on the scene a little but that was all right with me.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Three pumpkins

This paint was applied much thicker than my normal process.  Viewing art online vs. seeing it in person can be a very different experience, whenever possible it is better to see it up close.   Now I want to paint this grouping again and not worry about trying to obtain thicker strokes.  

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Breakfast II

Sold

This painting is more focused on the raspberries the spoon set a diagonal creates movement.  My brush strokes are applied more loosely in this painting.  The shadows are very interesting and it seems every part of the painting draws your attention but for different reasons, which is a good thing that is happening.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Hunky-dory

SOLD
Hunky-dory and peachy really mean the same thing and this peach is now in it's third painting. Each time you paint something it will never be exactly the same especially if you change the view point.  If memory serves me the peaches didn't move my position was changing.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Peppy

click to bid
One sweet pepper standing up to the black and white contrast.  After naming this painting my thoughts went to Pepe Le Pew from Looney Tunes cartoons from my youth which I still enjoy watching.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Red again

Sold
Flowers really attract my attention.  This is another painting of the red gladiolus. They were spectacular along with the leaves and buds it creates a beautiful combination.  The combination of color and dark area's appeal to my sense of drama.  

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Uniquely styled

BUY IT NOW WITH PAYPAL
My last two plein air paintings were done while up north delivering "Dusk" a 30 x 36 inch painting to Crooked Tree Art Center in Petoskey where it is on display and for sale.  I got permission from the owner to sit in the field to do this painting after clarifying that I wanted to paint a picture of the barn "not" paint it.  I thought he was pulling my leg however a couple of years ago people from down south came around looking for work painting barns. When I see this barn from the road it has a beautiful field in front, trees and Lake Charlevoix in the distance which is really a great landscape.    

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Forsaken

Sold
This was a plein air subject interesting yet very creepy.  I was able to pull up the driveway to get off the road and park.  Grass and bushes had laid claim to the land.  To set up my easel took a lot of stomping down the weeds.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Skinny jeans

My granddaughter stopped by wearing these great boots.  Talk about something being blue this is off the charts.  They look real good with her skinny jeans and long legs what fun she is.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Let's hang

Let's hang out.  In the kitchen and around camp fires are my favorite places.  Where is your favorite place to hang out?

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Reds

Gladiolus are still blooming they must be having a good season like so many other flowers.  We received enough rain over the summer months to keep everything healthy and we have a record apple crop after not having any last year Yeah!  Talking about summer yet this painting looks more like Christmas it's good for all seasons.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Your a peach

Sold
"Your a peach" is someone who has been very generous or kind to you.  Maybe this is a gift for someone who deserve's a little appreciation.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Watermelon slices

Sold
Summer just flew by and moving into fall but can't let it all go yet way to many paintings that didn't get on the easel yet. Tomorrow it is going to be 90 degree's at last an Indian Summer we haven't had one of those for awhile.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Daisy group

Back to the daisy's and shadows. These were cut from my garden and the light coming in through my studio window was perfect for photographing that day. One of my work tables has wheels on it and the arrangement was sitting on it all I had to do was keep turning the table and the flowers kept casting these great shadows.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Breakfast

Sold
The title speaks for the painting and this is one of my favorites.  Now that summer is coming to an end and my camping trips and travels are slowing down it is time to start painting these again.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Meander

This picture is a little blurry since I rushed to take a photo on my Ipad not with my good camera.  This was my plein air painting for a recent event in Dexter, Michigan.  It was wonderful they allowed 4 days of painting which allowed me one day to get there and paint, were busy remodeling our kitchen, along with working on a 24" x 48" commission and some daily paintings.  This is the best photo available because the painting sold.  This was just a little update on my current happenings and the variety of paintings that keep me busy.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Adirondack chair

These chairs are everywhere however this one was from our porch out East when we recently traveled there.  I try to paint things that are around me and my surroundings were different for a little while anyway.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Anchored

Another painting from my recent travels East a spot we stumbled upon to have a picnic lunch.  It was peaceful calm a spot to sit and ponder.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Orange demo

Now I can live with it.   My first demonstration is over and learned some things about being prepared.

The demo painting

This was painted during my two hours minus the time holding conversation with onlookers.   My easel was in the shade of a tent and my reference photo was on my Ipad which was impossible for me to see.  It would have worked better with a still life set up with light and light on my easel.  So this wasn't a very ideal situation and my color and values were wacky, so it was worked again.

Demo drawing

Over the weekend the town of Brighton had their street art fair.  One of the art groups that I belong to is the Brighton Art Guild and they had two tents set up with continuous demonstrations going all weekend. I was painting for my demonstration so I had my sketch all ready done on my board ahead of time my slot was for two hours.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Monday, July 29, 2013

Cape Cod look

Last week we traveled out to the Cape and spent five days enjoying the ocean.  The  appeal and charm of the old days remain as everything is beige or gray lots of shaker shingles white trim and picket fences.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Strictly red

Grabbing another piece of a gladiolus stem this one is all about the reds.  This composition has two focal points and when that happens and they both work together it's a huge accomplishment, that's how I see this but we all see things differently.


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Gladiolus time

I don't grow these myself they are available at the store for $2 a bunch and they adorn my house for several weeks during their season.  What a variety of color and shapes and the length three feet tall in a vase.  This looks really neat, it's painted on a 1 1/2 inch gallery board so the sides are painted as part of the picture, frame not required.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Who's looking

Getting carried away with cherries and having fun. Maybe I've had my fill for now, maybe not, just bought more from the market.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Looking at you

Pears and cherries along with my sunglasses this makes five paintings in this series.   I really do wear these sunglasses they are two years old and now every where I look others are wearing them too.