WIP - "Impressing Her" #2

Another post of this painting in progress. No real frustrations with it yet, except maybe that parts of yesterday's session were in the "sticky" stage and I had to leave them alone. Also I was working on it at the gallery today instead of the home studio and I forgot to take the fistful of brushes that I'd brought home to clean thoroughly. It's a good thing I had a few spares in my Jullian! I've decided to change the name to "Muskogee Traditions at Ocmulgee Mounds" since I feel it's important to identify the tribe and locale.

Baby Face

"Baby Face" SOLD
8" x 10" acrylic on gessoed masonite

Seems I've been doing a lot of serious painting of late, so I really needed to pull back and do a "funsy". This is one of my favorite poses of our kitty, Baby Face. She loves to 'hook on' over my husband's shoulder and nap. It's a good thing he's wearing his old faded flannel overshirt... those side claws are sharp!

All American - finished!

"All American"
24" x 36" oil on gessoed masonite

Yippee! I can finally post this as a finished piece. Sometimes larger, more complex pieces like this just take a while... mainly because I get distracted into starting other paintings. I just love to start them, but then when I get 80-90% finished, they say pretty much what I want them to say and I have to talk myself into finishing. I know...I'm just a little bit crazy!

I particularly like the way this high school rodeo instructor turned out. And to think...I actually thought about cutting him out of the composition. Glad I didn't!

What I like best about these guys is the way you can feel the bodies inside the shirts because of the way they are leaning over... and you just got to love those fannies in Wranglers!
There exists a nice visual between this blonde bull and the cream outfit of the instructor and the fact that they are both looking out of the painting in opposite directions. Just a way of reminding the viewer that we are only seeing a slice of the activities that go on at a rodeo.

WIP - "Impressing Her"

This is a 27" x 31" oil on gessoed masonite that I've spent about six hours on... just working out the composition from three references taken at the Ocmulgee Indian Mounds and the patterning of lights and darks to make it flow. This Muskogee maiden has on a lovely pale deerskin dress beaded in blue, which is not your everyday garment. I like the idea that she has dressed up and is quietly watching as the hunter demonstrates his skills with a throwing stick.

Two Pair

"Two Pair"
8" x 10" oil on gessoed masonite

These sun-struck pairs are in a pasture less than a mile from my house and belong to our county's sheriff. I really enjoy seeing the new calves appearing. I've noticed that the farmers in this area have changed the cycle that used to have the calves showing up in early spring. This reference picture was taken as the grass was just really greening up this spring and the calves were already good size. The winters are fairly mild here in Georgia, but the summers can be brutal with drought a real issue lately... that may explain it.

Madison Morning

This is me painting on the square in Madison, GA Saturday, May 2. The weather and setting was absolutely wonderful... and my sister, Pam, was with me! She took these pictures, thank goodness, since I accidentally deleted mine in transferring them from camera to computer.

I had set up to capture the sidewalk tables across the street at O'Hara's, when this guy sitting on the park bench near me caught my eye. It seemed everyone who passed knew him. A car pulled up and the driver gave him a banana, chatted a moment and drove on. By the time he had finished the banana, another car stopped with a sandwich. This is a local character that I really need to capture, I thought. Besides, his profile and body language sitting in the deep shade on that bench were great. I quickly sketched him in and then spent into the afternoon filling in his hometown surroundings. Locals stopping by to see what I was painting would say " Hey, I know him... he's here every morning!" By the time I finished, I knew his name and history!

"Madison Morning"... SOLD
8" x 10" oil on panel

Sorry it's kinda' fuzzy, but it's all I have. This was the first painting bid on at the silent auction that afternoon. It was surprising to see how many people knew exactly who he was! It also garnered me an 'Honorable Mention'.

Three for Lunch

"Three for Lunch"... SOLD
8" x 10" oil on panel

This is the first painting that I did at the Georgia in Bloom paint-out in Madison on May1. The picture encompasses every no-no in the book, but I'm grateful to have it. I deleted mine by accident and this is one my sister took, never dreaming it would end up on my blog. It actually is a nice little painting and the owner of these three Herefords came to the auction and bought it, much to my delight.

The three workmen paintings together

"Floating"

"Tethered"

"Stepping Up"

I know that I have posted these separately as they were coming off the easel, but I thought it would be a good idea to post them together like I intended for them to show. Otherwise you would have to scroll and hunt for them.

Each is 20"x20" acrylic on gallery wrap canvas and are selling as a group of three for $3000 unframed. Email me if interested, please, or contact

Xanadu Gallery.

WIP - "Winning Her Over"

I never seem to be able to get one finished (still working on the cowboys!) before I get excited about a new one... in this case, three new ones! This series of three paintings shows my Dad winning over the cautious adoration of my grandbaby, Brooke. I can read his lips as he sings "Won't You Come Over My House?" just as he did when I was a little girl.

Shirley Stafford, an excellent artist friend of mine, suggested I do an underpainting in yellow on these, so I'm giving it a try. They are in oils and each canvas is 24" x 30" x 1-1/2" gallery wrap.
Still lots and lots to do, but I think I'm going to leave the background very simple with just the hint of the window, focusing all the attention on the relationship of my Daddy to his great granddaughter.

Stepping Up

"Stepping Up"
20" x 20" acrylic on visual edge canvas

Finally! The third and last painting in this series of concrete workers is finished. I'll be painting something a little more organic for the next few days. All these angles and lines have me cross-eyed even when I try to be fairly loose with them. I want the effect, but not the hard edges... tricky. But there is something about putting organic shapes over geometrics that really appeals to my eye. These workers have stripped the forms off of the front of the steps and are apparently rubbing and smoothing. Right now they are steps to nowhere, but in another year or so, there will be students climbing up and down at the largest high school complex in Houston County, Georgia.

Karleen's Daisies

My 8-year old granddaughter, Karleen, brought these paintings of her German Shepherd to me yesterday. I think she did a terrific job of capturing "Daisy". I wish I could be so free with my paint!

My study of Deb Pero's painting

Study of Deb Pero's "Shade Seekers" SOLD
8" x 10" oil on gessoed masonite - nfs

After painting three Hereford cows plein air this past weekend at a farm, I decided to noodle around with the study I'd done of Deb Pero's pasture scene. I realized that my colors were too bold to achieve the atmosphere that comes from viewing things at a distance. So here's my 'noodled' version... I like it much better. Thanks, Deb, for such a sweet little piece to play with!

Happy & Sad

I am happy to report that the past two days have been a whirlwind of artistic delight! The Paint Out in Madison, Ga could not have been better planned or executed, thanks to many caring people with the Madison Art Guild and Madison-Morgan Cultural Center. The weather was ideal and the sites fabulous. I received an Honorable Mention and two of my three paintings sold!
Now for the sad part.... In the tired but excited state I was in once I got home, as I was transferring my images from camera to computer, I lost the images of my paintings and the auction! I was sick! I have one painting to re-photograph, but will have to rely on my sister to send me copies of 35mm shots that she took. The auction was covered by press, so I may be able to get some images from Greg Strelecki, the photographer. None of these being digital, I'll have to wait...bummer. On a positive note, I did not lose the reference shots that I took at some of the lovely locations I visited that will make their way into paintings in the future.
So, as I'm able to get images, I'll post them and tell you more about this event and some of the wonderful artists that I was able to meet. For now, here's the one painting that did not sell that I'm keeping for myself(for the time being).

"Ainslie Oak"
8" x 10" oil on gessoed masonite

This view was looking through massive twisted limbs of one of the centuries old red oaks on the farm where I was plein air painting. Very painterly and joyfully done!