Reserved Parking

"Reserved Parking"...SOLD
8"x24" acrylic on visual edge canvas

These seagulls had parked in the space next to my car. I think that they must have chosen the parking lot instead of the beach to help soak up some of the warmth radiating from the asphalt, as the reference photo was taken on the same chilly winter day that you saw in yesterday's beach painting. I can't help but chuckle when I see these birds with one leg tucked underneath because of my youngest nephew's comment to my sister. . ." Look, Mimi! Chicken on a stick!"

Forecast: Clear & Cool

"Forecast: Clear & Cool"
24"x36" oil on gessoed masonite

This is Panama City Beach on a very crisp, cool day in early winter looking down from the pier. The tide was low, leaving hard packed wet sand perfect for walking or hunting for shells. My goal was to capture the clarity of the air and the "temperature" of the beach at this time of year.

Jaguar

"Jaguar"

8"x24"x3/4" acrylic on visual edge canvas

I lucked up on a small exotic species zoo in Panama City one fall during one of my husband's business trips where I was able to tag along. I just had my Minolta 35mm and I'd already been to the beach, the pier, the shipyard... all the places you go with a camera. I only had twelve shots left, so I took all of them on the big cats. I've never been able to be so close to the cats at larger zoos. It was almost closing time, which must have been their feeding time, because they were all up and pacing close to the fences looking toward the center building.
There were two jaguars... this one and a black coloration. What impressed me most was the fact that, though not very large, these cats were extremely thick and muscular. I'd seen many images of the jaguar's lovely rosette coat but I was pleasantly surprised when this one showed me what beautiful patterning is on the underside. That contrast of black and white just POPS!

One Paw

"One Paw"
Art on the Avenue Gallery...SOLD
4"x12"x1/2" acrylic on visual edge canvas

One Paw, the raccoon, lives at Dauset Trails near my home in Georgia. All of the indigenous species animals at the Rehabilitation Center cannot be returned to the wild, usually because of injuries that would lessen their ability to survive. In One Paw's case, he lost an arm but none of his charm! At the Nature Center, children are taught to preserve habitats and wildlife and to respect the animal's wildness... no matter how cute they are.

Congress Avenue Bridge Bats

"Congress Avenue Bridge Bats"
9"x12" acrylic on canvasboard

EBSQ's Member's Choice Award

The Congress Avenue Bridge spanning Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin is the spring and summer home to some 750,000 Mexican free-tail bats with up to 1.5 million at the peak of the bat-watching season. It's the largest urban bat colony in North America. Each evening around sunset the Congress Avenue bats emerge like a black cloud from the crevices under the bridge. Covering the countryside in search of food, it is estimated that the bats consume from 10,000 to 30,000 pounds of insects. Giving birth in June or July, the bats and pups hang around til October when they head back south. Watching the nightly forays for food is a favorite evening activity, especially in late summer during Austin's Batfest.

This painting is my entry into ebsq's October Bat Show to raise awareness of truths about bats as opposed to myths. I chose to give the static elements crisp edges and hard colors in opposition to the moving bat's softer treatment, lending a friendlier feel to the often maligned little creature.

Feather Dancer

"Feather Dancer"
Art on the Avenue ... SOLD
9"x12" acrylic

The object of this painting was to capture movement, energy and color. This was one of the Indian dancers that I photographed several weeks ago when I was on an outing with my daughter. We had no idea a festival was being held at The Village at Indian Springs and they were doing their last dance when we arrived. The batteries were low in my camera and I was so afraid the pictures wouldn't take... I only got four! My husband and I went back this past weekend to their Indian Museum to have arrowheads identified and discovered that we have one broken projectile that is paleo-Indian... approximately 13,000 years old! Wow! They scanned, measured and cataloged information about it. They also suggested we might want to donate it to a museum later.

Black-eyed Susan

"Black-eyed Susan"
Art on the Avenue...SOLD
4"x6" acrylic on visual edge canvas
EBSQ's Patrons Choice Award

This sweet little painting is my entry into the ebsq 'Flower of the Month' contest. Normally, when rendered this up close, a butterfly takes center stage. I wanted the rudbeckia to be the main focus, so I muted the butterfly somewhat so that it would be more of a design element than an eye-catcher. The coneflowers in my yard reseed freely and this one popped up under a lavender butterfly bush. I really like the color combination.
Be sure to see all the entries this month at ebsqart.com and check out my fuller portfolio while you're there!

Sketching from live model

"Valerie"... nfs
14"x18" pencil on paper

I had the opportunity to sketch from a live model ... always a good thing since I paint a lot from photo references in my studio. Valerie was a wonderful model! I couldn't believe that she could maintain that mischievous twinkle in her eye. I've modeled before and it's NOT easy. Sometimes it seems hard to squeeze these purely learning/practice times in. Glad I got to this day.

Blue Ram

"Blue Ram"

4"x12"x1/2" acrylic on visual edge canvas
EBSQ's "Art of the Day" Nov. 22, 2008

My reference for this Dall Sheep ram was typical winter grays against a busy rock backdrop of more grays. Knowing how brilliantly blue the upper sky can be in winter, I chose to pretend this proud ram was on top of his mountain overlooking his domain. With this small format, he is edited down to the elements that interested me most, which are the swirling texture of the horns and the intent expression in the eye. Limiting my palette to only four colors helps intensify the editing.

Buddies

"Buddies"... SOLD
8"x10" acrylic on gessoed masonite

Buddy is my son's part-Siamese rescue cat who has a delightfully smug expression. Sitting in bright winter sunlight in our south-facing windows, he is the perfect subject to explore all the lovely variations that can be expressed in the color 'white' and the shadows cast by such strong light. Sunlight shining through his ear gives a strong punch of warmth to an otherwise cool color palette. I used two poses of Buddy to double the fun, so the title has a double meaning, too.

Forest Floor

"Forest Floor"... nfs
11"x14" mixed media on paper

This painting is a combination of pencil, colored pencil, oil sticks and watercolor. I created an embossed effect by tracing around the leaves in pencil after applying the watercolor. I like the variety of textures the mixed media achieves which reflect the difference between the dead leaves and the ones that are alive. Nice!

Promo Work

I do have a half-finished beachscape on the easel, but the last 2 days have been used creating promotional materials for upcoming shows. The long weekend with my sister was GREAT... met some interesting people and saw some terrific artwork. The writers' workshop even rekindled my desire to publish a children's book that I wrote and illustrated several years ago and published as an illustrated poem within another book. So many avenues to explore...

Refilling the well

I'll be spending a long weekend "replenishing my soul" with my sister. We've got some interesting arts and writing events planned and a block of time unplanned, which is sorely needed. I'll have my camera and sketch pad. Later, 'tater...

Night Run

"Night Run" SOLD

30"x40"x1.5" oil on canvas

If you love horses and are into purple/blue/crimson... this one's for you! Painted edges on deep wrap canvas so framing is optional.

Wednesday

Well, today was spent doing the myriad things artists HAVE to do besides paint! Back to the easel tomorrow.

Sax in Savannah

"Sax in Savannah"
16"x20" oil on gessoed masonite
in 3" antique oak frame

Jazz isn't just a night thing... especially on River Street in Savannah! I couldn't resist this guy with his Captain's hat and mutton chops.

Tropical Foliage

"Tropical Foliage"
24"x30" acrylic on canvas

Time to get loose and large! Good for me after the few smaller ones that I've done recently. To make sure I would joyously sling some paint around, I pulled out a canvas with an older sketch on it that I had abandoned, so I would feel like I had nothin' to lose. I even squeezed out some remnant tubes of paint that needed to be used. I enjoyed myself and love the results... hope you do, too!

White Mini's

"White Mini's"
Macon Arts Gallery ...SOLD
4"x6" acrylic on canvas

When I think of pumpkins, I think orange. Well, Karin gave us the challenge this week on 'Different Strokes' of white mini-pumpkins to paint. So... if pumpkins can be white, then paper can be orange! This fun little piece is 4"x6" acrylic on canvas painted around the sides. Unfortunately, neither the camera or the scanner could quite capture the brilliance of the orange, but trust me... it really POPS!

See all the other artists' interpretations at http://differentstrokesfromdifferentfolks.blogspot.com

Jekyll Stone Crab

"Jekyll Stone Crab"
5"x6"x1.5" acrylic on canvas

Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia is known for its' Marshes of Glynn. Anyone who has visited will recognize the muddy color of the water which is teeming with wildlife, including this stone crab that my daughter caught. We snapped a picture of him and released him back into the brine.
Prints available on Imagekind.

Daybreak at Bruceton Yard

"Daybreak at Bruceton Yard"... SOLD
9"x12" acrylic on gessoed masonite

Many thanks to Lee Billings, fellow ebsq artist, for permission to use photos he posted as 'what I see at work' on an ebsq forum. He's a railroad engineer and took photos one morning pulling into the yard. Such a pleasure to paint...after all, he'd already composed it for me! See Lee's great handmade jewelry at http://ebsqart.com and while you're there, check out this painting in my portfolio and see Lee's fantastic reference photos that I used.

"Stripes"... completed

"Stripes"

24"x30" acrylic on gessoed masonite
in gunmetal strip frame

Finished 'tweaking' this one last night and took the photos this morning. It was so bright and cheerful sitting there on my easel waiting for me!

"Stripes" (in progress)

"Stripes"... (in progress)

I wouldn't want y'all to think I'm not painting, so I'll show you what's on the easel. This 24"x30" acrylic on gessoed masonite has a brilliant color key! The sunshine coming through the translucent canopy of the carousel bathed all surfaces below in a warm glow. It's bright and festive and FUN! Still have a few minor details to do and the final glaze will really make the colors pop!

The Bird Bench

"The Bird Bench"
8"x24" acrylic on canvas

He's reading the movie reviews but little does he know that the leading characters are reading them, too! This is my tribute to Alfred Hitchcock, although these birds are hopefully just interested in a little company and a sunny spot to perch. This little painting is part of a learning 'challenge' posted by artist Karin Jurick. In this challenge, artists take the same reference photo and create their own original works of art within a one week time frame... in this case, 83 artists submitted work!

Be sure to see differentstrokesfromdifferentfolks.blogspot.com for all the interpretations.

The Eyes Have It

"The Eyes Have It"... SOLD
18"x30" acrylic on gessoed masonite

Each calf has its' own little personality. Hope they make you smile!

Basket 'o Cat

"Basket 'o Cat"... SOLD
9"x12" acrylic on gessoed masonite

This is my entry in the Nibblefest Art Contest, a themed art contest beginning on the 20th of each month on Ebay. Please be sure to search for NFAC in the art category to see more great entries, each starting at just 99¢ with NO RESERVE. The theme this month is 'smiling black cats'. This little kitten has a lot to smile about this Fall with a basket to play in and apples to roll around.

Update: One of my fellow ebsq artists won the bid on this one...YEAH!

Canadian Club

"Canadian Club"

12"x12"x1.5" oil on canvas

This oil painting of three Canadian geese is 12"x12"x1.5" on canvas with the sides painted black. The photo was taken in bright sunlight, so the larger image has quite a lot of 'bounce' off the wet oil. Still need to get that photo area set up in the studio!

Drift Fence at Rehoboth Beach

"Drift Fence at Rehoboth Beach"
5"x6"x1.5" acrylic on canvas

This little painting makes me want to go to the beach! It's part of an artist challenge called "Different Strokes from Different Folks" hosted by artist Karin Jurick. Check out all the different interpretations at differentstrokesfromdifferentfolks.blogspot.com.

September 13, 2008

How 'bout a kiss?

Today started out slow and quiet -- all still getting over yesterday. In the afternoon, my daughter April and her two girls asked me to go to Dauset Trails, a local nature center. It was so healing to get outside and be happy with them! I took the camera and got some good reference shots of wildlife indigenous to Georgia plus some goats and pigs. As we left there, we decided to drive through Indian Springs. Happy surprise! ... they were having an Indian Festival with Native Americans in authentic costumes doing dances and telling stories. The whole area had undergone a fabulous renovation since we'd been there last. We couldn't see it all, so we'll be going back. I urge you to check it out at www.TheVillageatIndianSprings.com. They even have a new art gallery with classes. It was just what I needed to get me back on track!

September 12, 2008

No painting today. We sadly had to have our 18-year-old family dog, Pete, put to rest. The only thing I've been able to do is mindless housework.

The Hickories Beyond

"The Hickories Beyond"... SOLD
36"x48" oil on gessoed masonite

Well, a friend helped me decide what to do with the tree painting ... sign it!

This was painted from a reference photo that I took while standing in deep shade within our woods, looking out into a very bright mid-day in fall. The sun on the hickories was a brilliant yellow while the shadowed understory of dogwood was muted and soft. It made for a very interesting juxtaposition of textures and colors. The perspective looking upward gives the viewer an intimate feeling of being within the scene. The painting technique is a softer approach than most of my work and I think that's what made me wonder if it was finished initially, but it's definitely what the scene called for. See... sometimes waiting can be a good thing!
Prints are available on Imagekind but only up to 11"x15".

Study of Craig Nelson's "Interior Illumination"

Study of Craig Nelson's "Interior Illumination"
8"x10" oil on gessoed masonite

I am a big fan of Craig Nelson! He's a terrific artist and teacher in California and does workshops, video and has at least one instructional book out. I saw his work at a gallery in Charleston, SC not long after I bought his book and video.
By physically doing a study of another artist's work, I gain a better understanding of their brushwork, color palette, lighting, composition, etc. This was such a joy to do and a marvelous learning experience! It's signed on the back and attributed to Craig Nelson.

Update on the trees: Took the painting to my daughter's frame shop (where I have a display) and hung it to get some feed-back.

Miss Mouse in Sunshine

"Miss Mouse in Sunshine"... nfs
18"x24" acrylic on canvas

Sorry folks, I'll just have to keep this one! Miss Mouse has been gone for several years and this is so "her". As she got on up in years, she sought the sunshine to warm her and it was so bright on her this day that she was purely fuzzy with the reflection of it. Somehow I was able to capture it and no one would probably appreciate that glow as much as me. I do miss her... though I'm grateful that she lived to be 15.

Also, this morning I turned the tree painting to the wall. I've been thinking about it, but need fresh eyes to see it... maybe tomorrow!

Tree painting in progress

Have been working on a 36"x48" fall scene that still needs a little tweaking. Taking photos that are true to the brightness and color are a challenge that has to be met! I've got the information... just need to set aside the time to set up a photo spot. I've been relying on that perfect(?) time of day and taking them outside. That's becoming increasingly difficult, especially with the larger paintings. So I'll show you a dull photo of what I'm working on and promise you a better one of the finished product.
Went to see a one-man show of Eric O'Dell today. Impressive!
Oh, and the kitten painting "Upon Reflection" sold yesterday! Will take a better picture before it leaves the gallery so prints can be available on Imagekind.

Update: The koi painting "Fish Soup" sold today! Prints of it are already available from Imagekind. It would make a nice giclee on canvas as well.

Jack

"Jack"
5"x6"x1.5" oil on canvas

They say "eyes are the windows to the soul" and Jack's were so-o-o soulful! Jack was the photo reference for an artists' weekly challenge called "Different Strokes". Several artists take the same reference and create their own originals to see how many ways a subject can be handled... fascinating exercise!

Fish Soup

"Fish Soup"... SOLD
12"x12"x1.5" acrylic on canvas

Koi are fun to paint, as there are so many color variations and no two are ever alike. I photographed these at the Birmingham, AL zoo several summers ago. They were very effectively begging for food from their audience. Actually, the water was so clear that the challenge here was to keep the main trio from appearing to float in air on top of the water, so a series of glazes helped to 'sink' them into their environment. The bodies of two deeper fish add design and depth while a few reflective ripples give the water surface a definite plane as well.

Prints are available on Imagekind.

Upon Reflection

"Upon Reflection"... SOLD

18"x24" acrylic on canvas

These two precious kittens are trying to figure out how that other cat got inside my kitchen table! The white manx kitten is Bob and the orange tabby is Cheddar, although sunshine and shadow have got to be the main subjects in this painting. The table itself is always a conversation piece for new people coming to visit. It's been in the family for 50 years and I've painted it numerous times, as did my mother before me. It currently matches the blue/purple/red phase I'm in.

Day One

"Day One"
11"x14" oil on gessoed masonite

Bright morning sunlight on a fresh bed of straw highlights the night's big event... the birth of Cherry Moon! We named her that because she was born a deep rose color and had a half-moon crescent on her forehead. You'd never know it today, as she has matured into a lovely gray Arabian mare. But on this morning, her proud mother had licked her until she purely glowed rosy red... and, yes, she did grow into those long legs!

Sittin' on a Crack

"Sittin' on a Crack"... SOLD
5"x6"x1.5" acrylic on canvas

I took time out while showing at Arts on Riverdale in Macon, GA to snap some photos of two adorable Boston terrier pups. This little painting captures one of them sitting on a crack in the sidewalk. I couldn't resist using University of Georgia bulldog colors! Prints are available on Imagekind.

Puddle Guard

"Puddle Guard"
5"x6"x1.5" acrylic on canvas

This little foal seems to be saying "Chill out! I'm not interested in your puddle!"
Prints are available on Imagekind.

Best Value

"Best Value"

5"x6"x1.5" oil on canvas

This little study reflects what I've been doing when not painting... canning tomatoes out of my garden! I plan to expand this study into a larger canvas and call it "Waiting to be Canned". Prints are available on Imagekind.