Oh Boy

step 5

Oh boy.  I thought I would have had this painting done last week, but I got all distracted and started working on some home-improvement projects this week, including organizing and spring-cleaning my studio.  I did however, manage a little more work on this painting. It's almost done.  I only have a few things to fix.  Hopefully it doesn't look too crazy on your monitor -- I can't seem to get the colors to accurately reflect what they're like in real life.  Too many slight variations. In any event -- have a great weekend!  

step 4

Packaged Paintings

These two little paintings were recently shipped off to their new homes.  Many thanks to their buyers.  

Back To Blueberries

Getting close.  :)

Also . . .

8"x 10"

I've had some appointments these last two days and am teaching tonight and a good part of tomorrow so I've had limited time in the studio this week.  I started this little one at the same time I started the blueberries and am hoping to finish both of them up by Friday.  We'll see.  I hope you enjoy these progress shots.  Thanks for coming by!

Birdseye Blueberries - continued

"Birdseye Blueberries" - wip
8" x 10"

Here's a little more progress.  The photo isn't so great, as you can see there's a cast shadow on it.  I have the first step below for comparison.  Details take a little while but I'm plugging along.  Thanks for taking a peek.

Birdseye Blueberries

I'm doing a small study (8" x 10") for a much larger painting on a whole sheet.  This is kind of a poor photograph because although it doesn't look like it here, I am leaving the white of the paper.  It's a little more contemporary. I just love painting blueberries!  

I also have to get back to finishing my large whole sheet grape painting.  I'm hoping to get a few of these types of large fruit paintings done, so I am starting with the smaller studies to get me back into the groove.  I have a small grape one in mind that I will be starting, so that I can get back to the larger one and finish it.  

Thank you for stopping by.

Bixby - All Done!

"Bixby"
9.5" x 7.25"
watercolor on paper

Click here to bid - starting bid $100

All done!  Below I've posted the previous steps and an example of what this painting could look like framed.

Have a nice day!

Bixby - continued

"Bixby" - moving along,
but I still have a lot more work to do

At this point, I'm feeling like this is starting to come together.  The image with the first washes is below so you can compare. This painting is about 9.5" x 7" give or take a few. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Bixby - WIP

Bixby - work in progress

I started this painting the other day and thought I'd share the first few washes.  It looks pretty lousy at this point. I was thinking "how am I ever going to save this one, it looks so bad."  :)

Have a good day.

Sturbridge Broom

"Sturbridge Broom"
10.25" x 7.75"
watercolor on paper

Click here to bid - starting bid $85

This painting is of an interior of the Freeman Farm at Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. I wanted to depict the stillness and light of this scene: a completed morning chore.  Below is an example of what this painting could look like framed - my "virtual frame" courtesy of Photoshop.  :) However, this painting does not come framed.

Hope you have a lovely weekend!  Thank you for viewing my work.

(what this painting could look like framed)

Changing Things Up

"Sturbridge Broom"
work in progress
10" x 8"

I changed things up today and worked on this little painting.  I took the reference photo when I was at Old Sturbridge Village back in the Fall.  I'm not sure if it's done.  Some of the lines look a little crooked, but I think that's mostly due to the camera.  If not, I'll have to do a little adjusting.  I'll let you know when it's done.  

Thanks for visiting -- happy painting!

The Adventures of New Old Painting

work in progress

I'm revisiting a painting I did a couple years ago, but on a much larger scale - this measures about 15" x 25."  I'm trying to play up the drama and get a fresher look to it with some different choices in paint colors.  I'm more experienced now than when I did the first time. 

So this is one of the things I'm working on in the studio.  Back to painting now . . . and to figuring out how to make that lemon look less like an orange.  :)

Have a good day.

work in progress - detail

Happy Mother's Day!

"Mom's Old Coffee Pot"
(watercolor on paper)
private collection

Have a wonderful day.

My First Slideshow

Oh boy.  Hopefully this works.  I posted this to Facebook and the "still frame" at the beginning is a superimposed image of two of my paintings. Nice.  Ha!  So I'll have to figure out how to make that not happen. I made this in Adobe's Lightroom, but it may be easier to do with something else.  I'll keep experimenting.  And don't enlarge this, it will most probably pixelate out. (so much to learn).

Oh and by the way, I purchased the music from www.pond5.com and it's by Patrick A. Thompson.  Just wanted to give credit.  :)

Thanks for coming by.

New Class!!

I think I posted this little sketch the other day before I toned down the shadows, so I'm posting it again for you to compare. 

I've been busy working on other things like bookkeeping, photographing/editing still lifes for future paintings, planning classes, learning new software programs, and making updates to my website. Some of my changes have been uploaded while others are still in the works, so I haven't gotten much painting done.  One thing that has been updated, is my "Workshops" page - both here and on my website.  (I really do have to get better about updating my site.  I was amazed at how long it's been and how outdated my info was - yeesh!)  So check out my new class, I think it's going to be fun.

It's late on Tuesday -- so I'm off to bed -- have a great night!

Newsletter and Circus Elephants?

So, I've been catching up on Artists Helping Artists blogtalk radio with Leslie Saeta and got all pumped up about a newsletter.  I've wanted to do one -- just seasonal -- for a while now.  (I don't think I could commit to anything more than 4-times-a-year-for-now.  I'm a disaster when it comes to following routines like that.  You know, the "Tuesday is laundry day and Friday is dusting day, etc."  I just can't do it -- I'm truly the worst . . . but I digress.)  So I'm taking the plunge.  With the newsletter, not the laundry . . . that's another issue.  If you'd like to receive a seasonal newsletter from me -- where there will be some newsy bits, exclusive offers, workshop info and perhaps even "early bird specials" on new paintings . . . please fill out a form on my website under "newsletter."  I'm looking forward to getting my first one out very soon.

In other news . . . 

"Circus Elephant"
8" x 10"
(framed watercolor on aquabord)

Click here to bid - starting bid:  $125

I'm opening the bidding again on "Circus Elephant" - one of my first Fisher Price paintings.  The price is the same, yet now it comes framed in a lovely blue, wooden frame with very slight distressing on the edges.  (The frame really does pick up the blue in the elephant and is more complimentary than what my monitor is showing).  The painting has been coated with a UV protective, matte finish and is not framed under glass, however is mounted so that it appears to float within the frame.  It would be pretty cute in a baby's nursery and would make a great shower or new baby gift.

Thanks for stopping by.  Happy first full week of May!

Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts Annual Exhibition

"Crystal Skyline"
16.5" x 12"
(watercolor on paper)

"Crystal Skyline" has been juried into the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts 103rd Annual Exhibition.  This is always a beautiful show and I feel lucky to have had my work accepted.  The exhibit is up from June 13th until July 26th.  So if you are in the area of Mystic, CT this summer, please check out the show . . . and visiting Mystic is always a treat!

Thank you for visiting.

Quick Raspberries

I worked on this quick little raspberry sketch along with another one today.  I still have to go back in and tone down the shadows with a little burnt sienna.  I'm also finishing up a commission in acrylic.  

Happy painting!  Thanks for stopping in.