Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Happy New Year

"Freshly gathered" 22" x 15" Fabriano Artistico 140 lb. CP
I wanted to go out the blogging year on the DSFDF portrait,
but that seemed way too long between posts...so here I am,
back from a short break. It's time to get ready for a new year.
Organize the studio, clean it up (!), file all the paperwork for 2008,
think about taxes (!), plan out shows, plan out vacations (!), gush
over new journals and sketchbooks, make a resolution to fill more
of them (!), take some workshops, teach some workshops, PAINT(!)
and hopefully enjoy a happy, healthy, productive and creative 2009.
WISHING YOU ALL THE SAME AND MORE!

Thursday, December 25, 2008

End of year DSFDF

This was the end of year assignment from the Different
Strokes from Different Folks blog. We all got an anonymous
portrait sent to us that we had to paint and your photo went
to the person who's portrait you got...an even swap. Click the
link here to go to Paula Cravens blog where she has my portrait
posted...It's a great painting and I think it is awesome! She did
such a fun rendition. I enjoyed painting her portrait as well and
I hope she likes it. Be sure to check out the DSFDF blog to see all
the entries...I guess there are 130 participants, plus the blog is
getting a mention in the January issue of Southwest magazine!

Monday, December 22, 2008

Joy and Peace

This was my holiday card this year. Had alot of fun
painting it. It's the second year I made "snow" on the
image. A toothbrush comes in very handy...but it was
hard trying to find a tube of white...it was buried under
all the other tubes and had to be dusted off since it doesn't
get squeezed out on a regular basis! Poor white...always gets
dissed on the palette. Hope your holiday is white and bright.
I might take several days off from posting, so I'll wish you all
Joy and Peace!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Cooking inspiration

Today's post is for the lemon cranberry bread I'm going
to make. It seems I'm on a food kick lately and pairing the
paintings with that inspiration. Maybe after the bread is done
I'll do a quick watercolor of the end result. Could be fun.
We're in for some more snow...the next week is supposed
to be filled with snow days. We get every other day off to
clean up and finish shoveling!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Spiced orange marmalade

"Spiced Orange Marmalade" 11" x 15"
This watercolor is one I painted about 9 years ago for a
Holiday card. It featured this painting, plus the recipe for
spiced orange marmalade. I set up the still life on the kitchen
table and painted the ingredients needed for the recipe. A fun
challenge...I should try that again sometime. I never heard from
any of the card recipients if they actually made the jam! To be
perfectly honest I never tried it myself..I was more interested
in the process of painting the ingredients! Maybe this year, who knows.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Jaunty Jay

"Jaunty Jay" 7.5" x 7.5"
Here is another feathered friend of a different variety.
I did this painting for a specific group show that was all
about birds and feathers. Something a little unique for me.
I haven't seen alot of jays lately..don't know if they head
south for the winter. They are very loud and seem to be
the bully of the bird world. I'm going to dig out some older
holiday cards this week so I can show you an archive.
I've just finished sending off all my mailing list cards and
friends and family cards...more than 350 in all! Phew.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Blue Vase

"Blue Vase" 22" x 15"
An abundance of flowers, flowing forth from a
footed floral vessel. Say that three times fast!
I've been noticing tulips at various flower shops..
Is this unusually early or are we jumping the seasons
as a result of greenhouses or better, faster transportation,
so we can get things from across the globe in a matter of hours?
We used to have to wait until at least February or March
to see those first tender spring bouquets. But I guess it's
a good thing for a floral painter like myself. I do try to
stay a little seasonal, like now the amaryllis are blooming
as are the paperwhites...

Monday, December 15, 2008

Asiana

"Asiana" 22" x 20"
My orchid is getting ready to send another
spray of blooms out. I always thought they were
a tough plant to maintain, but this one obviously
likes where it is and seems to be rewarding me for
whatever it is I am doing for it. Which isn't much
besides just watering it once a week! The art season
has wound down a bit and I am thinking about my
workshop schedule for 2009. I have had several
requests and need to organize a few two or three day
stretches. As soon as I know I will post a notice along
the right hand side of my blog.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Menu

"Menu" 30" x 22"
'Tis the season for parties! This painting makes me
think of all the upcoming holiday parties and various
celebrations. Good food, fun with friends and family
and lots of festive sounds and cheer. It is also the time
of year for soups and stews and big helpings of turkey
with gravy, mashed potatoes and all those comfort foods.
I must be hungry writing this post! Have a great weekend!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Curvaceous

"Curvaceous" 15" x 22" at Green Mountain Fine Art Gallery, Stowe.
Red is the color of the week it seems...It is all around us
this time of year. Red stockings, Santa hats, holly berries,
wreath ribbons, Amaryllis blooms and Rudolph's nose!
Red and Green those opposites on the color wheel. No
wonder they go so well together. We are in for a big storm
this evening into tomorrow...so hopefully I will be able to
paint some winter scenes. Does anyone go out and paint
en plein air during the freezing months? Or have they devised
some ingenious set-up in their cars so they can stay warm?
I'd like to give it a try this year. "They" say there's no such
thing as bad weather, it's how you dress for it!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Country Santa

This was an image I created specifically for a
Christmas card many moons ago. It had to be
at least 7 or 8 years ago. This country santa was
my cousin's favorite. This week 3 years ago, he
lost his battle with brain cancer and I do miss him so.
But this Jolly St. Nick will always remind me of him.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Cadmium Red Cardinal

This painting was in preparation for my Holiday
card last year. I posted the actual holiday card in
July this year..click the link to check out that post.
This image has since been changed by adding some
snow spatters over top. We actually have a cardinal
couple residing in our cedar hedge. One year they
had set up residence in the evergreen outside the front
door and we saw their nest full of squawking little baby
cardinals. I think 3 in all. It's nice to see that striking
red color against a snowy backdrop, which we actually
have received in the last two days. Several inches of snow
and bitter cold! Winter's here...

Monday, December 8, 2008

DSFDF entry

"These boots were made for working"
My latest entry to the Different Strokes blog. I really
enjoyed painting this. Such an unusual subject but it
really made for a great still life. I worked the paint alot
by scrubbing back the highlights...especially along the
top rim of the blue lining. The journal I use is filled with
Canson paper and really takes well to lifting. This was
another two week challenge, but as promised I was going
to get to these "assignments" a little earlier. I'll leave last
week's post in my sidebar for a little while longer. I also
used my new favorite brown...Burnt Umber. It came in my
little travel sketchbox, but I have since added it to my
regular palette.

Friday, December 5, 2008

"Check me out"

"Check me out" 7.5" x 7.5" original watercolor
The above painting is for sale on Ebay. I am going to try
to list one painting a week like this. Check out the link above
to go to the auction page. Just a reminder for those of you who
are not familiar with my website. I have two gallery pages on
my site, one for original paintings and one dedicated to
Giclee prints which are all for sale and have a direct link to Paypal.
I'm reminded of this because an old friend from Highschool
just placed an order the other day...it's fun how the internet has
a way of connecting people...we don't have to wait for school
reunions anymore to be in touch! (which may be a good or bad thing)

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Simplicity

"Blue patterned vase" 15" x 22"
Simple shapes, pure color and an unobtrusive background.
Doesn't usually happen in my paintings...ha ha! I like
negative spaces and filling those up with lots of color. It's good to
stray from the norm every once in a while. I recently
bought some pears and oranges, maybe some inspiration for
a new painting? Actually one pear turned brown within the
day, but remained rock-hard..a lemon perhaps in the pear world?
I just got some new colors and am thinking of overhauling my
palette..start clean and fresh, dig the old, crusty, tired and overworked
dollops of pigment out of my trusty large white palette, rinse it all
under the sink and voila...renewed energy, which hopefully will
reflect itself in some new work!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Holiday cards

It's that time of year to start thinking about sending
out Holiday cards...This was my card four years ago!
Can't believe the time flies so fast. I'm working on this
year's card as we speak. I have close to 300 people on
my mailing list and try to send out something at least
twice a year if not three times. I always do a Holiday mailing
and will announce shows and other news during the rest
of the year. Hopefully the cards make it to the fridge or
some other place for a while, where people can look at them.
I know I save artist's cards and announcements that I like and
hang them on a big corkboard in my studio. There is a group
show opening this Friday from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Furchgott and
Sourdiffe Gallery in Shelburne...for any of you local folks who
might want to stop by...I just dropped off some paintings
yesterday for the show. Maybe see you there.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Hydrangea Shadows

"Hydrangea shadows"
This is this week's (actually it's a double week assignment)
a link on the right side of my blog whenever I finish my entry.
I've been on the tail-end of the weeks lately...I will try to finish
my painting earlier so it will have a longer time on my blog.
It's been a challenge to participate, but exciting just the same.
I always look forward to Wednesdays to see what Karin will
post for a new assignment. If you haven't checked out the
blog and especially the links to see all the work together on
one page, it's well worth it. All the different interpretations, plus
the varied media that's being used. A great idea.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Strength in numbers

"Strength in numbers" 15" x 22" at GMFA in Stowe
I really enjoy painting irises...you might have been able
to tell from previous postings. They are a very versatile
flower and I often use them when I teach my workshops...
I usually start the first day with a simple assignment, compose
an entire painting using just one flower that you turn and twist
in your hand so you record various "poses" of the single bloom.
It's not as easy as it might sound...actually quite the opposite,
because it forces you to really think about composition, relationships
between shape and size and overall design. Try it sometime!