Roxanne Steed's Painting a Day

Loves Me, Love Me Not, Loves Me

2012-01-28T21:13:00.000-08:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite archival panel

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." -Lao Tzu

Another one from the vault to help you be ready for Valentine's Day. And yes, what a perfect way to honor the one you love, with art! I have a few select pieces that I will offer at a special price unframed for Valentines day, perfect for displaying on a small table-top easel. It is dry and ready to ship!

Don't let those petals fool you, it's LOVE!!

Pink Two Lips- sold!

2012-01-27T21:54:00.001-08:00

8"x8" oil on gessoed masonite archival panel

"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves." ~Albert Einstein

One from the vault- are you ready for Valentines Day? What a perfect way to say, "I love you" with art. I have a few select pieces that I will offer at a special price unframed for Valentines day, perfect for displaying on a small table-top easel. It is dry and ready to ship!

Scout's Honor - sold!

2012-01-26T13:34:00.001-08:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite archival panel

"On my honor I will do my best
to do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
to help other people at all times;
to keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight." - Scout Oath, Boy Scouts of America

This has been quite a fun challenge for me. It's given me some insights into my husband, a cousin, and my father's scouting days. A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent....goes the Scout Law.

This young fellow pictured is the grandson of one of my collectors. At thirteen, he is one of the youngest in his region to earn both Eagle Scout and God & Church Awards. He is a fine young man, and has quite a wonderful future ahead of him! I am thrilled to have the opportunity to paint him.

For more information about this painting, or how to commission a painting, contact me here.

Winter Walk in the Marsh

2012-01-25T13:19:00.001-08:00

6"x8" oil on linen mounted on archival board

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." -Albert Camus

Yesterday I mother nature provided exactly what I needed, a gorgeous sunny day mid-winter here in Connecticut. I'm sure it hit at least mid-forties. It truly felt like spring and of course I knew I'd take the opportunity to go outside and paint.

I kept my supplies small, so I could bring along the least amount of weight, and hopefully get a painting in quickly before the wind picked up and froze me out! This little 'thumb-box' pochade is something I found at the Utrecht Art Supply store a few years ago. I don't use it that often as the egdes that hold your panel in make it difficult to paint with a knife. So I figured, I'd use knife AND brush on this one. It holds a 6x8" panel, and the palette slides in & out to store a few small tubes of paint underneath as well as brushes (short ones!). Finding special plein air supplies can be such fun- and less calories than going through the candy store!

Here's a link to buy this pochade box at Utrecht, scroll down the page to "Utrecht Wooden Pochade Box w/ Shoulder Strap, Lightweight" they're asking $89.99 for it, but watch for some of their online coupons and specials.

I take this little box when I truly am interested in hiking out to a spot and don't want to lug much at all. I'll put that little box, along with 7 tubes of paint inside (a warm & cool of each primary + white)and brushes & painting knife too, inside a tote bag, with some paper towels, plastic bags for trash, small camera (or cell phone camera), 'hand-warmers', a pair of pliers, a 'bulldog' clip to hold the trash bag on to the tote (so it doesn't blow away). It's all pretty light to carry this tote bag on one shoulder, while the on the other side, I'm carrying a little 3-legged folding camp-stool to sit on to paint. Yes, normally I'm standing to paint, but for winter painting, I try to be as comfortable and warm as possible. I figure keeping a low profile will keep me out of the wind, or at least be less of a target!

The other handy thing to go with this little box, is short handled brushes. Now you can either just tote along your regular long handled brushes, or saw them off to fit in your box, ...or just get some short handled brushes that are made to fit into a small pochade. Judson's Art Outfitters carries some that I've been using for many years now (when I bring along the small box). They offer filberts and flats and mine have held up quite well over the years.

When mother nature provides the sunshine, it's up to me to show up! and just paint!!

Bluebird of Happiness, Come By My Way

2012-01-19T18:40:00.001-08:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite archival art board

"Birds have a way of putting things in perspective. They forge ahead and carry on no matter what happens. No dwelling on the past, no regrets, sheer 100% survival..and beauty."
- Susan Halpin, 2008

"The bird feeder is a premium channel"
- Jim Shea, Hartford Courant, 2010

"And when he sings to you, Though you're deep in blue, You will see a ray of light creep through,
And so remember this, life is no abyss, Somewhere there's a bluebird of happiness. Life is sweet, tender and complete, when you find the bluebird of happiness."
- Bluebird of Happiness, lyrics by Edward Heyman & Harry Parr Davies, 1934

I've had bluebirds on my mind for the last couple days. I refilled the feeders outside as they were cleaned out fast! I've been missing my blue birds this winter, but love seeing all the others that show up! Found the reference for this little painting on Wet Canvas, a website for painters/artists that share reference photos copyright free, for other artists to use in their work. I haven't used this site before, but found there's a wealth of images of everything imaginable on there. I still prefer to paint from my own photos, but there are some things we experience and wish to paint, where a good reference photo can be difficult to find or snap when you see it. I'm already looking forward to spring, and the return of the bluebirds to our neighborhood!

Tea Blend

2012-01-15T20:28:00.000-08:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world." ~T'ien Yiheng

Two blends of tea can sometimes be better than one... in this case a green tea, brewed with a bag of raspberry tea. What a nice combination - late in the evening - warmth, aroma, soothing calm after a very harried week.

"A Good Start"

2012-01-08T20:40:00.000-08:00

16"x12" oil on stretched linen canvas

"Your horse is a mirror to your soul..." -Buck Branneman

Over the Christmas holidays I was able to see the documentary "Buck" about horse trainer, Buck Branneman. It reminded me of the years I spent with horses- and so was in my head while I was painting this.

A friend's beautiful young daughter and her bond with her horse. "Your horse is a mirror to your soul..." according to Buck. Very true. The calm and trust between these two is a beautiful thing to witness.

Hoping to re-photograph this in decent light tomorrow. There's still a bit of reflective sheen from dark wet paint.

I do take commissions to paint your favorite memories, contact me here, for more information.

A Good Start

2012-01-05T19:50:00.001-08:00

20"x16" charcoal on paper

Just the beginnings of a sketch, yet to be adjusted, for a commissioned painting that's up on the easel next. What is it about a "girl and her horse"? During my 30s and 40s my bond with my own horse made me feel eternally young.

Do you have special memories you'd like to see on canvas? Whether it's yourself or a family member, contact me to find out more about commissioning a painting.

Kerry Cow Calling - sold! Prints Available!

2012-01-04T14:19:00.000-08:00

8"x10" oil original sold, prints now available!

There are those paintings that have connected with a lot of people, this is one of them. I've finally taken the step of offering prints for sell through Imagekind, a print-on-demand service that has come highly recommended by so many of my artist friends.

I've started with three favorites- 2 from Ireland, and one from Chincoteague. I'll be adding new ones often, so check back from time to time.

For a direct link you can hop right over to my page on Imagekind or- you can always access it from my website

Down To Earth Sinks The Sun

2012-01-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

11"x14" oil on linen mounted on archival board, currently unframed

Ah, the brilliant light show at the end of some days, the last rays of light transforming the surface of land into a rich velvet blanket of deep color...until total darkness sets in. There's something calming, and very satisfying seeing that transition of dusk. This is a place I pass by on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, on my way down to Norfolk (from last October).

Life Savor!

2012-01-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

6"x6" oil on gallery wrapped linen

It feels so good to be back in the studio again, with lots to do to start off the new year. Fresh flowers in the house during the holidays made me realize how much I've missed these. During summer, I always have fresh flowers cut from our garden. For now, the grocery store variety will do just fine...they do brighten your outlook on a cold day.

Savor life....is what I've been spending the last two weeks doing. The week before Christmas, I spent some time with my brother who was hospitalized for a long term illness. The week between Christmas and New Years, our daughters came up to visit from Virginia. It was so much fun to reconnect with family friends over the holiday! Our loved ones (family AND friends) are the best gifts of the holidays or any time!

Lots of things I'm excited to be working on: a new commission, more 'little faces', small still-life, and some larger landscapes.

For the folks that have been following me for a few years, you may remember that I had quite a series of paintings of Ireland. I am in the process of making some of these available as prints! More news on this later in the week!

Happy New Year 2012 - and remember to take a deep breath, ....and savor life!

Kerry Cow on Rolling Pastures

2011-12-13T16:38:00.001-08:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

I've begun work on a commission so this week I'll be posting some older pieces 'from the vault' that are still looking for a good home. This cow is from one of my trips over to Valentia Island Ireland. She was rather vocal, in fact I was a bit worried she'd jump the hedge!

This one is dry and ready to ship immediately for Christmas gift giving! Free shipping/insurance through the end of 2011.

Contact me here at this link or purchase right away with Paypal.

Lift Off! Waterfowl & Marsh (Barn Island)

2011-12-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

5"x7" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

Who got startled first? Ever been on a hike and the sudden swishing and flapping of wings startles the daylights out of you?!

For more information about this painting, click here, or purchase right here:

Windswept Cedar

2011-12-08T16:46:00.001-08:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world." ~John Muir

I pass by this tree when I go takes walks at Harkness Park, down by the shoreline. It appears that the wind has whipped it around for years. It angles over and up against every winter storm, every late summer hurricane and continues its upward sweep even though it has apparently battled a lot just to stay put. I do love how it bends up and over the path at the edge of the field. Steadfast, hanging in there no matter what.

For more information contact me here.

Varying Stages Of Undress; Pears

2011-12-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

8"x10" oil on gallery wrapped stretched canvas

I have always admired paintings of those 'fancy pears' that come wrapped in elegant paper- like the ones in those fruit gifts that come at Christmas! As luck would have it our mother in law sent us a gorgeous box of pears (& other goodies). I ate one already, but realized I have these beautiful subjects to paint....and quickly as they'll need to be eaten! Pears have such a beautiful sensual form...and these three in varying stages of un-wrap are well- very fascinating to me.

Contact me here for more information about this painting.

High Pony, Irish Wool

2011-12-01T19:40:00.001-08:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." ~Kahlil Gibran

What a delight, wind in the hair, walking on the beach...this late in the year in New England?! Being open and accepting of what the day brings is easier to appreciate when the weather is nice! ;-)

I've received my first batch of calendars- and they're all spoken for. The next order arrives tomorrow, and I have 7 left that are still unclaimed. If you'd like one of these (or more) let me know! Here's the link to see what they look like and order if you'd like! You can pay via Paypal or pay with a personal check. I'll start shipping these out on Monday the 5th!

More fun news- tomorrow (Friday, the 2nd)is Opening Reception of "Deck The Walls" at the Lyme Art Association, from 5-7pm. For more about this show, check out this link for "Deck The Walls"!

Honey Blonde, Slouchy Beret, Cool Shades

2011-11-29T17:16:00.001-08:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite archival artboard

"A hat is a shameless flatterer, calling attention to an escaping curl, a tawny braid, a sprinkling of freckles over a pert nose, directing the eye to what is most unique about a face. Its curves emphasize a shining pair of eyes, a lofty forehead; its deep brim accentuates the pale tint of a cheek, creates an aura of prettiness, suggests a mystery that awakens curiosity in the onlooker." -Jeanine Larmoth

I'm really enjoying continuing this series of faces. I have a few more reference shots after Thanksgiving weekend! My daughters are 2 of my favorite models! (okay, my absolute favorites). I had intended to photograph this step by step, but once I got started, I get so deeply engrossed that I don't 'snap out of it' until the whole thing is done!

Remains Of The Day- 2012 Calendar- A Year of Paintings by Roxanne Steed

2011-11-28T21:27:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to do this for the last several years! A wonderfully affordable gift- with lots of paintings, printed on premium glossy card stock! My 2012 Calendar, "Remains Of The Day- A Year Of Painting With Roxanne Steed" is available for purchase and will be ready to ship next week!

Here's the link to purchase.

Overheard, II

2011-11-20T18:28:00.001-08:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

It has been such a delight painting faces again after such a long time lapse since I have even thought about it. Over a dozen years ago I had started taking life drawing classes in earnest. And yes it was a bit of a struggle at first. But over time it got much better, even though the challenges are still great. And I've found whether I'm painting faces/figures or objects or landscapes, I love working from life. There are things you see & notice with your own eyes, that photographs just don't reveal. The human eye and a camera lens are not alike. Now, all that said, there are times when working from life is just not possible. And as one drawing instructor recommended, it is incredibly helpful to draw faces as often as you can, over and over, just to get it into your memory the 'average' human face. From that average, you will tweak the planes of the face, the slope of the eye, the length and width of the nose, the fullness of the lips, etc. So yes, some of that 'practice' can be done with photographs. Repetition, lots of it, getting those shapes into your 'muscle memory'....so then you can observe the specifics. Practicing both truly enhances each other. These last few oil sketches are from photos. I had painted one of these faces about a month ago and was unhappy with the results and swore it would never see the light of day again. But I kept thinking about those reference photos I had, and promised myself I would tackle it again, taking the time to really look, judge proportions AND- focus on the brush work.

One of the things I've been happy with over the last 4 years of working almost exclusively with a palette knife was getting comfortable with using a lot of paint. I LOVE knife or brush work where there is a lot of paint and it is not scrubbed out. Not blobs of it falling off the canvas mind you, but enough to honor the beauty of what oil paints can really do! It's just a matter of taste, that's all, there are beautiful works that are slick and smooth....but seeing the brushwork in a painting (that really looks ' painterly)' really makes my heart sing! So I concentrated on laying down the paint one deliberate stroke at a time, no going back to scribby-scrub in the paint and obliterate the surface.

So, with Thanksgiving upon us, I'm getting the house ready for my daughters to come up to visit. My favorite models are cooking for me on Thanksgiving day. I'm hoping to get in a small painting or two while they're here....or at least lots of reference shots to keep me painting faces through the coming winter!

For more information about this painting, contact me here.

Overheard, I

2011-11-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

For more information about this painting, contact me here.

Under The Brim - sold!

2011-11-17T16:22:00.001-08:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

I'm enjoying these faces, though getting behind on my blogging! I've been picking up paintings, dropping off new ones for shows coming up! And got the bulk of my Thanksgiving grocery run done today!

Meanwhile, here's the upcoming shows:

I have 2 paintings accepted into the Higbee Gallery 6"Show in Costa Mesa, CA. Show opens December 3rd and runs through December 24th.

I'm also in "Deck The Walls" a juried show at Lyme Art Association. I'm always excited to take part in this show!

And, I am included in the show, "New England Landscapes", works by the Connecticut Plein Air Painters Society, a juried invitational taking place at the Nylen Gallery in Westport, CT. This show opens Friday, November 18th (reception 5:30-7:30pm) and runs through January 14th, 2012.

Tomorrow morning I'll be delivering new works to Total Design in Old Saybrook, CT. Whew! It's been a busy month!

For more information about this painting, please contact me at this link!

Classic Glamour

2011-11-13T19:51:00.000-08:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed panel

Lately I've been spending time submitting paintings to shows. Two small paintings are on their way to Calilfornia for the Randy Higbee 6"x6" Show at the Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa. Took another one to the Nylen Gallery in Westport, CT for an upcoming show with the CT Plein Air Painters. Today I took paintings to Old Lyme for their "Deck The Walls" show opening soon.

So I haven't taken the time over the last few days to get outdoors to paint. But I have been trying out some things I haven't tackled in a while, faces- up close! A friend of my daughters in California had put up a new Facebook picture of herself- it was wonderful- she has the most glamorous look- sort of Classic Hollywood, and I knew I wanted to paint this! She's sent a couple photos along for me to paint from. (Thanks Elena!) This is the second attempt at this one, which I like much better than the first version! I'm going to re-shoot this photo tomorrow during the daylight, to try to get some better lighting and and a photo without glare/ and odd angles.

Anyways ladies and gents, I'd love to have some more of these photos to work from! Send them my way, please!!

For more information about these small paintings contact me here.

Foggy Dawn

2011-11-09T15:19:00.001-08:00

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

Serene Solitude, November Marsh

2011-11-07T17:52:00.000-08:00

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival board (Raymar Feather Lite)

"The smaller the boat, the more you use it." - Judy Benson

Hope there's more days like this before the cold sets in. Truly delightful to be outside painting in this! The marsh grasses are drying to their golden hued splendor, the cool mud flat shimmering before it...just enough to know that it is wet and damp, yet the tide is still low. The trees have started loosing their leaves....some without evening turning color. It's been an interesting autumn to say the least.

I've been spending some time catching up with varnishing and cataloging a lot of the paintings that I did this summer and into the beginning of fall. I guess I've felt like I'd rather keep up with painting while the weather is cooperating rather than miss out. But sooner or later, the business end of things needs to be tended to.

Another 'house-keeping' task I've started is checking on supplies to see what I need to order more of. I've been a fan of Raymar panels for years & years, but have recently tried their 'Feather Lite panels'- which are great! They are a bit thinner yet they are still the same strong panel, with a wonderful surface (I really love working on their oil primed panels). The big advantage is that it keeps your gear really light weight. So if you need to hike out to a great painting spot, you don't feel like you're "moving house" just to do it! No point in wearing yourself out hauling gear before you even break out the paints!

Now the quote I offer today is from a friend that I went kayaking with a couple times this summer. I was thinking of that today as I dragged my easel gear with me. It's my 2nd lightest set-up, but it does have a nice big paint mixing space. I set out with small painting panels today, as I didn't know how chilly it might be down by the water today. I found a bit of a sheltered spot on a nature trail there at Hammonasset and it was delightful.

This painting is available directly from me at my DailyPainters.com gallery, or contact me here.

A Promising Morning

2011-11-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

6"x6" oil on gessobord

"Promises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future, making it predictable and reliable to the extent that this is humanly possible." ~Hannah Arendt

Another small study for a grouping of 6x6 marsh scenes.

For more information about this painting, contact me here.

Heron Study II

2011-10-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

5"x7" oil on gessoed masonite hardboard

"Man's heart away from nature becomes hard." ~Standing Bear

Yet another study of the marshy area behind Waterford Beach....and some of those wonderful herons that hunt for dinner there!

This painting is available from my DailyPainters.com gallery or send me a message here.

Tropical Collection, Norfolk Botanical Garden

2011-10-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

12"x9" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

This was the last of the 4 paintings done during the paint-out last week. It feels like so long ago. And coming back home after 2 weeks of travel means a lot of catching up to do at home. I still haven't broken out the paint box yet! But I do plan on some painting time today!

For more information about this painting, please contact me here.

Morning, Along The Path; Norfolk Botanical Gardens

2011-10-25T19:24:00.001-07:00

9"x12" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

Here's the 3rd painting I completed at the paint-out last week, on Friday morning at the Norfolk Botanical Garden. During early morning, this little gazebo structure is brilliantly lit by the sun, and boy do the shadows seem to change quickly this time of year. I've gotten in the habit of marking in the shadow shapes first, and anything else interesting. If you get those BIG shapes put down first, everything else seems to fall into place!

For more information about this painting, contact me here.

Butterfly Garden at Norfolk Botanical Gardens

2011-10-24T13:53:00.001-07:00

12"x12" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

This is the second painting I did last Thursday during the 'Out & About Norfolk' plein air event. I had a quick burger lunch and went back to the Norfolk Botanical Garden since I still had several hours of daylight...and admission still paid for the day! I've spent so much time at these gardens over the years. It is quite a treat for me to return and see what's blooming through the seasons, and changes that have been made over the years.

I did find out on Saturday evening at the show reception, that I had been awarded 2nd Place- with a $750 Memorial Award for the "Japanese Garden" painting! I am so thrilled over this - my head is still swimming over it! The show organizer, Karen Kinser has worked so hard to build this show over the last five years! She has done an amazing job! There's some serious award money, a gorgeous venue along the river at Waterside in Norfolk for the reception, I can go on and on....I plan on submitting work for next year's show!!

For more information about this painting, please contact me here.

Japanese Garden

2011-10-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

12"x12" oil on gessoed masonite archival board

"All gardening is landscape painting." -William Kent

Today I returned to one of my favorite painting spots. It's actually my favorite botanical garden, here in Norfolk, VA. And to be able to return during different seasons, is such a joy.

This will be shown during our wet-painting sale at the Out and About Norfolk, Plein Air show and reception that takes place this Saturday from 6pm to 9pm at Waterside in Norfolk. For more information about the event, follow the link, here.

Heron Study I - sold!

2011-10-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

5"x7" oil on gessoed masonite archival artboard

"In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia." ~Charles A. Lindbergh

Today I'm packing my art bags and equipment to head down to Norfolk, VA for the annual "Out & About Norfolk Plein Air Event". I'll be painting on Thursday and Friday, Saturday we will hang our wet paintings for the show & sale on Saturday evening at Waterside in downtown Norfolk. For more information, click the link above! I'd love to see you there!

Today, in between packing, I got out some of my sketches of egrets, I'm putting together in a much larger painting. But today is a color study of what's to come!

This can be purchased directly from my DailyPainters.com Gallery or by contacting me here.

Weir Studio, Autumn Afternoon

2011-10-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

10"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." ~John Muir

While at the J.Alden Weir Farm on Monday, I pulled out my sack lunch of PBJ & a banana & a pear & enjoyed the shade at a huge stone table that Weir had installed in his life time. Looking like it was part of the landscape I marveled that I could sit at the same space where he had spent time, and painted his family on that very spot as well! Across the yard from where I ate was his studio. The afternoon sun was catching some of the surfaces and turning that deep red to an almost coral orange glow. A magnificent tree had practically grown up against the building.

Technique-wise I had wanted to try a bit of brush work with my palette knife, as Camille Przwodek had done when I studied with her. Sometimes she would lay in the whole painting with a knife, sometimes with a brush, going intuitively, depending upon how fast she needed to go, how much detail, etc. I knew the afternoon sun would be changing fast. Our days are getting shorter and shorter up here in CT as fall marches on. So, I laid in the building and blocked in most of the basic areas with a brush on this one, then came back in with a knife on much of it. Finally the light had changed drastically enough to call it a day!

I really was taken with Muir's quote- and it seemed to really go along with everything I had encountered on my visit to the J. Alden Weir Farm. Weir certainly had a sense of beauty in nature, and preservation. Muir, a Scottish-born American naturalist, was an early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the US, and living during the same years as Weir.

For more information regarding this painting, please contact me here.

Oh yes, and more good news to share- I had a painting juried into the New Britain Museum of Art - 42nd Annual Juried Exhibition. Juror for the show was Elizabeth Ives Hunter, Executive Director of the Cape Cod Museum, in Dennis, MA. I'm so thrilled to be a part of this museum show! My submission for the show was the recent 12"x12" plein air work, "Chincoteague, Late Afternoon".

Autumn Morning at J. Alden Weir Farm

2011-10-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday was the most delightful day of painting. The Connecticut Plein Air Painters Society planned to meet up at the J. Alden Weir Farm over in Branchville, CT - which is a part of the National Park Service!

"In June of 1882, painter J. Alden Weir boarded a train from New York bound for his modest farm among the hills of Branchville, CT. Once here, Weir and his family transformed their summer retreat into a creative refuge for friends and fellow artists. After Weir, artists Mahonri Young and Sperry Andrews lived and worked here, continuing the legacy of artistic expression that still inspires today."(from the website)

One of best parts of the day (besides getting to paint there) was the tour that the park ranger offered to us as special guests of the park. The home and studio are closed to the public as they are currently under renovation.....but we were allowed to go in and see!. What a treat. She also shared much of the history of Weir and his family and friends. Definitely worth a visit, and I'm looking forward to going back!

Following the tour, we returned from Weir's studio back to the Burlingham House (which was where his youngest daughter eventually lived), I spotted the light coming through the golden trees and knew this would be my first painting here on this location.

What I'm finding truly wonderful as I study more about Weir, is that we today, can go back and stand in some of these same places where he stood to paint. The rocks are still there, the trees are much larger, and many of the pastures have grown in, but so much is exactly the same. What a wonderful welcoming feeling for a painter!

For more information about this painting, or my visit to the Weir Farm, contact me here.

Far and Away, Large Marshland Painting

2011-10-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

30"x30" oil on 2" deep cradled panel

"Nature is my medicine." -Sara Moss-Wolfe

This painting was one I've wanted to do for a long while now. I have spent so much time working plein air, and in a lot of different sizes. But I have wanted to take one of my smaller/medium sized works and turn it into a much larger painting. Finally doing this enabled me to verbalize the feelings behind some of what I love to paint.

I love to walk/hike around coastal marshlands (all up the whole Atlantic coast). I've always found a fascination with the large abstract shapes of land and water. And, it is wonderfully quiet in any season, just the sounds of nature about you.....and everything else "gets out of your head". I always feel calm, yet invigorated after a hike through these spaces. I wanted this large painting to give the viewer a feeling of being able to walk into that space... to clear their head, the way I do when I go to the woods and marshes.

And while I'll continue to paint plein air as long as the weather allows it, I'm looking forward to painting the next BIG one! Once the paint is dry on this, I'll be taking it outside for a better photograph in natural light.

These cradled panels are quite beautiful as the edges are wood. Once the painting is dry, I'll be staining these edges to deepen the wood tones. For more information about this painting, please contact Roxanne here.

Roses By North Light

2011-10-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

12"x12" oil on deep cradled birch wood panel (sides painted, not necessary to frame, but of course you may if you prefer).

Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity. ~John Ruskin

I've learned to not always listen to the weatherman. They predicted it would rain all morning and begin to clear in the afternoon. I awoke to find it perfectly sunny and clear this morning, but I had cut these roses the night before. Of course I was determined to paint them. I had re-arranged a bit of furniture in the studio (which I have pretty much abandoned all summer and painted out-side) so I could have just the right natural light fall on them from my north-facing windows (which allows nice even light in all day). Then by afternoon, there came the pouring rains! Glad I didn't listen to that turned around forecast!

To purchase this painting directly from me, please visit my DailyPainters.com gallery or contact me here.

Passing Showers

2011-10-03T12:08:00.001-07:00

9"x12" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival board

"I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright. ~Henry David Thoreau

Thoreau really had it right. When I do get outside to the woods and fields, I really do find it exhilarating (and that I've got myself in the right place). And that's whether I'm painting, hiking, or even taking a short stroll. Lately I've been exploring some additional painting possibilities in our region.

This morning I did take a short trek over to nearby Barn Island, just over in Stonington. I could see that the sky was clearing in that direction, and thought that there would be some interesting cloud cover as the front blew over. It started sprinkling when I pulled out of the driveway, so I wasn't sure if I'd get to paint or just be rained on. But it was a nice heavy cloud cover with band of clearing sky near the horizon. I was really drawn to the way the bands of cloud light reflected into the marsh water pools. On gray days, everything is much closer in value range (and the color can sometimes seem so rich).

This painting can be purchased unframed directly from me at my DailyPainters.com gallery store, or contact me here.

Coastal Light and Calm

2011-09-29T18:07:00.001-07:00

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite archival panel

"Becoming inspired requires that you be curious about, and attentive to, feelings that emerge to help you reconnect with your original self." - Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

This summer I've been doing a lot of exploration in subject matter, size of paintings, and added another color to my palette that I haven't used in over a decade. But I take the advice of "notice what you notice" (what do you really love to look at?)- and I have the good fortune to have done a lot of painting from life this summer!

I have always sold my plein air works as finished paintings, they are usually gone before I even think of using it as a reference in the studio for a larger, or different sized painting. Listening to Dyer's advice about becoming inspired made me realize I had already done just that. I love the big abstract shapes in nature, the effect that light has on color...that changes each hour, each minute of the day.

Making this little gem available before I take on a big one! This painting is available from my DailyPainters.com gallery (check out Newest Paintings) or contact me here.

Late September Morning

2011-09-28T20:09:00.001-07:00

6"x24" oil on linen (2 stretched canvases, 6x12 each)

I've been wanting to paint this bit of garden all summer. Especially for the peegee hydrangea at the corner of the fence. It starts out with limey green blossoms early in the summer, which gradually get huge and a warm white. As summer turns to autumn, they turn a rosey-mauvey-burgundy color. This it the 3rd summer in our garden - and the blooms on this one this year are huge!

This piece can be purchased (unframed) from my DailyPainters.com gallery or contact me here.

Afternoon Light of Autumn

2011-09-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

Back to the same site at Harkness Park, where I painted "Butterfly Song" just a month ago back in August. Now the purple Joe-Pye weeds have almost gone by, they've turned a bit brownish purple. I chose to catch the view from a slightly different angle on this day - as I really liked the afternoon shadow shapes along the left side walls of the barns. Hurricane Irene really did some weird damage to the foliage on most of the trees. Many have browned out and are dropping leaves rather than turning color. Even the evergreens have browned out on the side facing south, where salt-spray comes off the ocean. I'm really curious as to whether we'll get much more color at all this fall here on the shoreline?!

Contact me here for more information about this painting!

Back of the Dunes

2011-09-25T18:47:00.001-07:00

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival board

I am always pleasantly surprised at the wonderful 'abstract' shapes in a landscape that you see when you squint your eyes down to see just the values.

Even on a gray, misty, overcast day, there is some wonderful color in the dried out grasses along the back of the dune. And yes, it's one of my favorite painting spots, over at Waterford Beach Park, the little path before you walk out to the beach, back in the marshy area. I finished this painting before the mist turned to a light rain. It was a wonderful morning of 'information gathering' with some good ideas tucked away in my memory to use for a larger studio painting, that I'll be sharing in an upcoming blog post!

Contact me here, for more information about this painting!

Summer's End

2011-09-22T09:10:00.001-07:00

12"x16" oil on linen mounted on archival panel

Well, hip-hip-hooray! I finally have blogger working again and am able to load photos here once more. Just as I've about decided to go with another blog format. More discussion about that in an upcoming post. Now it's been over a week since I painted this, but my goal that day was to get back to the cove for a simple boat study...of a grouping of boats. In observing them while standing out there over a period of hours, they of course, shift with the winds and tides, swinging to face one direction or another. Usually they all swing to face the same direction, but depending on where they are anchored, some in the grouping may be facing a different direction. So part of my effort - as a painter - was to observe their positions at any one time, and indicate on my painting, where I'd like each of these to be. So while the painting doesn't have the painstaking detail of boats painted neatly in the studio, it is an actual fleeting impression of that moment in time....that part of the day when perhaps the winds were coming from the northwest and the tides changed...you get the idea. And I'm finding that the more I learn, the more there is TO learn. And though I have lived near water most of my life, my boating experience has been limited to canoeing and kayaking with friends.

For more information about this painting, contact me here!

Summer's End

2011-09-20T16:39:00.001-07:00

Okay, not sure why, but blogger is not letting me load any pictures. Very frustrating, especially considering that I'm rather behind in blogging entries. Well, if it does start working again, there will be a boat study that I did last Wednesday down in Old Saybrook!

12"x16" oil on linen mounted on archival panel

Wave Study

2011-09-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

6"x8" oil on linen mounted on board

So, when I finished painting the marsh scene on Assateague beach, I turned around to face the Atlantic, and decided there was still enough time and energy left to do a quick wave study. Which of course made me realize that I'd like to get out there with a slightly bigger canvas and a whole morning to dedicate to the study of this! But even quick 'doodles' are valuable - watching & looking - observing the color changes as the waves break and roll up on the sand. What a beautiful morning it was last Saturday in Chincoteague & Assateague. I am definitely looking forward to my next trip back there!

Please contact me for more information about this little sketch!

Assateague Light

2011-09-13T18:07:00.001-07:00

8"x8" oil on Ampersand's gessobord

Wow, I am behind in my blogging. Seems I go away on a painting trip and it takes me awhile to catch up! This little scene was from my last morning there on the island. Over on the beach at Assateague, Hurricane Irene had made a cut through into Swan Cove! Sure brings it right to you when you see the huge force of nature. Last Saturday (almost a week ago as I'm writing this!) it was a beautiful morning to be out at the beach. Turning back toward the cove I could see Assateague Light house gleaming brighter than the wisps of clouds in the sky!

Please contact me for more information about this painting!

Painting Under Pearly Gray Skies & Light Misty Rain

2011-09-12T14:43:00.001-07:00

Country Church, 9"x12" oil on linen mounted on board

Secret Garden, 8"x8" oil on Ampersand's archival gessobord

Last Friday was a solid gray day, thick cloud cover, and actually a fine mist in the air, that eventually went into a soft rain. I started in the morning painting the little church on North Main Street in Chincoteague. Even though the light is not strong enough for distinctive shadows, there are soft shadows. And the color in the vegetation seems to deepen. For the afternoon, I went over to Channel Bass Inn, on Church Street there on the island. They are a bed & breakfast with a lovely garden behind them. It's like a series of small rooms that lead one into the other. From a city parking lot behind the inn, there is an entrance into the garden that is a wisteria vine covered arbor. This is where I stood to be protected from the mist, which had turned into a very light rain at that point. From under the vines you look into a curved path that leads you past a bench, loads of flowers and around into another opening, until you finally get to the back entrance. It's an enchanting place, and I was glad to return to see it again this year. And glad I had some cover from the rain!

Contact me here for more information about these 2 paintings.

Chincoteague, Late Afternoon - sold!

2011-09-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

12"x12" oil on Ampersand's archival gessobord

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." - Russel Baker

Well, Day 1 of painting yesterday, and 2 of my 3 were keepers. One was a scraper. I decided today that the one I did in the middle of the day, didn't deserve to see another day. But the other two, I'm so happy with. This one is a spot I have painted before, but I decided to paint in a square format this time. I wanted more sky in there, and as luck would have it, we had some very interesting skies yesterday! Really happy with the value contrasts on this one!

This one will also be in the Plein Air event here on Chincoteague Saturday evening!!

For more information regarding this painting, please contact me here!

Misty Morning, Assateague/Tom's Cove

2011-09-08T19:31:00.001-07:00

12"x12" oil on Ampersand's archival gessobord

"Nothing dies as long as there is the memory to enfold it and a heart to love it". -Ida Beebe

I am down here in Chincoteague, Virginia at the 8th Annual Plein Air Event hosted by Chincoteague Cultural Alliance. Here's a picture of me from a previous year, in their web-site. After hurricane Irene blew through the east coast the other week, I was wondering what I'd find down here, but they are doing fine! There is a new cut through on the beach at Assateague, strong storms are always moving shorelines, the power of the sea and weather is really something to behold. I spent the early morning down on the beach at Assateague Island, looking towards Tom's Cove. The weather was looking a bit questionable, as it had rained while I was eating breakfast. Luckily it was a passing shower, moving off to the west. It took it's time in clearing off though, which was fortunate because there was a beautiful misty cloud cover, and as the sun started to burn through the haze, the marsh grasses were a fantastic limey-electric green! What a beautiful way to start the day!

Mark your calendar for the big event- I'd love to see you if you're in the mid-Atlantic and can make the visit over to the island!

Reception, Exhibition & Sale
Saturday, September 10, 2011
6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Paschal Hall
St. Andrew’s Church
6288 Church Street
Chincoteague Island, Virginia

Here's your first preview! Contact me here for more information about this painting.

Summer Passing

2011-09-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

24"X36" oil on canvas

"Summer has set in with its usual severity." ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

I haven't dropped off the map, just off the grid for almost a week. But I did get some good painting time in. I've found my efforts to paint much bigger outdoors eats into the time I would've spent blogging about it once I finally get back inside. I've always loved doing smaller plein air works (averaging 8x10 in size). But I did want to stretch and challenge myself in a big way this summer by taking larger canvases out in the field.

Painting bigger outside is not for the impatient. Each day I thought I might finish, I would find that I wanted 'just a bit more time' (as in at least 3 more hours). Each of those 'three more hours' continued on until I got to a point where I was satisfied with the 'statement'. I was fortunate to start this before hurricane Irene came through and took the rest of the flowers off of the plants. The purple Russian Sage and the yellow day lilies were pretty much blown off. By having a solid block-in of color to begin with, it was easy to see where these all fit it. Luckily this area did not see any damage, at least in the direction I was looking. Behind me, large old oaks & evergreens had split, and workers were clearing limbs from trees and yards in the hill above me.

It's been a bit frustrating around here, as any one who has survived a hurricane or tropical storm (or even bad winter weather). No power for four days makes you realize how spoiled we are, especially in regards to those things we see as necessities now. How did our ancestors do it? Still no cable for internet, tv or phone around here....and of course it's not a life & death sort of thing, but you do get the feeling the world keeps spinning whether or not we put in our two cents or daily-painting or facebook updates. I've found that my cell phone is holding a much shorter charge these days. Time for a new battery perhaps? Hunting down large bags of ice became the daily routine, to make sure I had enough to keep my cooler of food chilled. After one morning of finding no ice to be had any where, I figured I'd try the liquor store. The guy had sold all 72 bags that he had, but.....they had power back on, and his ice-maker was in the basement....and if I would mind the store while he went down stairs, he'd bag up a couple sacks for me! So, there I was chatting up all the customers who came in, talking storm news, when we thought we might get power back on. And there he was, back with my ice, mid-conversation with a small group of folks who were not strangers any longer.

And talk about 'survivors guilt', I've just discovered that one of my fellow Daily Painter artists, Carol Marine, has likely lost her home to wild-fire yesterday. She, and her husband and son managed to escape, taking with them computer, purse, and a few of her small paintings...everything else is gone.

There are still some in our region with no power (as I write this). But I'm glad I finally am able to pass on the news to you, I'll be painting in the annual Chincoteague Eighth Annual Plein Air Event this week. If you are in the mid-Atlantic, I'd love to see you. Saturday, September 10th 6pm - 10pm is the exhibition and reception. It's held in Paschal Hall, 6288 Church Street on Chincoteague Island, Virginia. All hurricanes have been banned from the island, so please head on over and join us Saturday the 10th for a wonderful evening of newly painted works painted by 45 fabulous East Coast artists!

For more information regarding this painting, please contact me here.

Butterfly Song (Harkness Park)

2011-08-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

20"x20" oil on stretched canvas

"This was one of those perfect New England days in late summer where the spirit of autumn takes a first stealing flight, like a spy, through the ripening country-side, and, with feigned sympathy for those who droop with August heat, puts her cool cloak of bracing air about leaf and flower and human shoulders." ~Sarah Orne Jewett

This quote describes the weather today so well. It did feel like just a touch of fall was in the air. A bit scary/suspicious if you ask me, as I'm not ready at all for summer to end. It feels like it just got here! This scene is back at Harkness Park, the joe-pye weeds in this field are so pretty. Butterflies love it, and are flitting along the blossom tops.

This painting is available directly from the artist in my DailyPainter.com gallery store.

Fine Day For A Sail, Harkness Park

2011-08-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

12"x24" oil on stretched linen canvas

"It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage."
-George William Curtis

Ah- today was another really fantastic summer day in CT. Doesn't get any better than this. And I got to be out painting in it, back at Harkness Park, here on the coastline of our state. I do love being out here from season to season. By the time September rolls around the purple Joe-Pie weed will have butterflies from all over flitting in and out of these blooms.

I am enjoying the larger canvases outside - why did I wait so long to try this out? It's only a bit more planning to manage the larger canvases outdoors, but I sure found this to be very satisfying.

This painting is currently available directly from the artist at my DailyPainters.com gallery store.

Boats On The Cove

2011-08-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

12"x16" oil on linen mounted on archival panel

“A rising tide lifts all boats.” -Proverb

Another perfectly fine coastal Connecticut summer day. A cloudless sky and still water in early morning turned to big puffy cumulous coming from the North-west. The ripples from more boat activity broke the still reflective surface of the water.

I'm feeling pretty fortunate that we've had so much good weather for plein air painting this summer. I always find myself wishing it lasted longer. But maybe it's having that cold time in the winter that makes me appreciate this so much!

This painting can be purchased directly from my DailyPainters.com gallery store.

Zinnias of August

2011-08-16T18:14:00.001-07:00

10"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity." ~John Ruskin

After two solid days of non-stop rain it felt so great to be out painting in the garden again! My husband started these zinnias in the yard this year, and they are doing so well! Almost waist high and such a nice variety of pinks, magentas, & cream. The hummingbirds love them, too! Which reminds me.....I haven't mentioned yet that we have 'BABIES'!!!! Little baby hummingbirds! They are half the size of the adult birds. The little ones were staying close to the butterfly bushes - I'm wondering if there was a nest in there! There is something truly delightful when you take the time to paint out in nature. You notice the things that you might not (probably not) have noticed if you were quickly just taking photos. I'm hoping to develop that out-door memory, so that when I am back in my studio again (especially over winter) I have lots of these outdoor memories and smaller paintings to develop larger ones from!

This painting is available directly from my DailyPainter.com gallery store.

Outside the Tasting Room (Gouveia Winery)

2011-08-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

9"x12" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival board

“What is the definition of a good wine? It should start and end with a smile.”
-William Sokolin

Today I met up with several members of the CT Plein Air Painters Society to paint at the Gouveia Winery in Wallingford, CT. It sits atop a high hill with some incredible views. Before I left the house I had in mind painting some wonderful converging rows of grapevines. But there were several other things that caught my eye as well. This grouping of old oak barrels, vats, presses, along the rock wall as you enter the tasting room was hard to resist. The brilliant sky this morning really set off the white cupola and weather vane atop the roof line. I'm thinking this will be a wonderful place to go back to visit in the fall, as the expansive vista from the hilltop is incredible!

This painting is available to purchase directly from my DailyPainters.com gallery store.

North Cove, August Mid Morning

2011-08-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

16"x20" oil on linen mounted on archival board

"Summer is not so much a season as a melody, that tune of contentment we hum as the days begin to beautifully blur." -Sarah Ban Breathnach

I got back home from my travels Tuesday night & rose to a beautiful day for painting this Wednesday morning! Back down in Old Saybrook, our friend Diane shares her wonderful view with a group of us painters. I'm finding that completing these larger plein air works are a bit like physical exercise....the more fit you become, things start to get easier. It's no longer quite so intimidating looking at these larger canvases outdoors. (It's a totally different feeling working in the studio when your surroundings are more stable. The light is not changing, wind not blowing, no bugs, or sunburn, etc.). But there is indeed something wonderful about being out in the weather while painting....painting the 'experience of the day', whatever that may bring.

This painting may be purchased directly from my DailyPainters.com gallery store.

Remains Of The Day

2011-08-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

9"x12" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"People live for the dream in their hearts. And I have yet to know anyone who has not some secret dream, some hope, however dim, some storied wall to look at in the dusk, some painted window leading to the soul." ~Zane Grey

I'm down in Norfolk, VA this weekend, visiting with fellow artist Norma Wilson, and trading out some paintings at London Square Gallery. A few of us got together yesterday just to paint and catch up. Luckily I brought my laptop with photos of Barn Island, in Stonington (CT) that I've been wanting to paint. I love the abstract shapes within the marsh as dusk falls. The colors of the grasses change minute by minute until the sun finally sets...purple dusk turning to night fall, the sun giving its final light show before taking a bow below the horizon.

This painting can be purchased framed, directly from me, through my DailyPainters.com gallery store.

North Cove, Old Saybrook

2011-08-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

16"x20" oil on linen mounted on archival panel

"Do not tell fish stories where people know you; but particularly don't tell them where they know the fish." -Mark Twain

Another beautiful day here in New England! I was able to go back to Old Saybrook and finish the piece I started on last week down on the North Cove. My friend's yard overlooks the cove and all the boats moored out there are so beautiful.

I had been wanting to work on larger pieces on location. I usually work on this size in the comfort of my studio. But I did want to see what I could bring to the effort by being on location. I got the canvas covered last week, with everything blocked in & indicated in placement (in particular the boats and the clouds, which continue to move all the time). Once I indicate the direction of light hitting the boats, that's the crucial point for me. (***And I strongly suggest to artists just starting out, to lay out a lot of paint!)

This week I came back for the finish, which actually doesn't take that long once the "bones" (or foundation) of the painting are carefully set.

This painting may be purchased directly from me, at my DailyPainters.com gallery store

Hydrangea

2011-08-01T09:16:00.001-07:00

12"x12" oil on gessoed masonite archival panel (Ampersand's gessobord)

"Solitude is as needful to the imagination as society is wholesome for the character." -James Russell Lowell

I spent this morning under a shady archway, where this side of the house is in shade during the morning. Our yard is planted with many hydrangeas, but this one has turned out to be the biggest. The blossoms are in various shades of deep purply blue, some of them leaning more towards magenta, and some of them a bit paler blue. There's some plantings of lamb's ear near the base of this huge shrub, which is a nice accent along our garden path.

Being able to stand and really see your subject for a couple hours, really gives you an appreciation of the tonal qualities you are looking at. The warms and the cools in the foliage, as well as the blossoms; with some areas grayed down from being in deep shade. I can't think of many better ways to spend a morning!

This painting is available directly from me at my DailyPainters.com gallery store.

Front Garden, Daylilies and Coneflowers

2011-07-30T21:40:00.000-07:00

9"x12" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"Belief consists in accepting the affirmations of the soul; unbelief, in denying them." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Deep into mid-summer and so many things are still blooming their hearts out! The view of this front garden is interesting from so many angles! Here, I'm looking out from my garage, this time, instead of avoiding the rain, I was seeking a bit of shade. But how wonderful to see things from different view points. Which is helpful in more things than we care to admit!

This painting (unframed) can be purchased directly from my DailyPainters.com gallery store.

Montbresia

2011-07-28T17:32:00.001-07:00

12"x12" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"Art is so wonderfully irrational, exuberantly pointless, but necessary all the same. Pointless and necessary, that's hard for a Puritan to understand." - Gunter Grass

This was such a wonderful day outside painting this from life. This is one of my favorite plants that blooms in the summer, that I had originally learned of in Ireland. Over there, it grows wild in hedgerows, just crazy lush each summer. It's the most wonderful shade of hot-red-warm orangey brilliance, and the foliage seems to vary from lime-green to blue-green depending upon how the sun light is hitting it. While I'm standing there painting, a couple hummingbirds are darting in and out among the blossoms- they LOVE this color of red. I think this is the plant that makes our hummers the happiest. Even with the wind blowing that sunny day and the flowers bobbing up and down, those little birds are tougher than any fighter pilots- they can maneuver in any direction while these flowers are bobbing in the wind. They are so tenacious!

I knew this summer I would get a painting of these from life and it would not be a 'botanical type rendering' but more of an impressionist viewpoint of the feeling I get from these incredible plants. Known as Montbresia or Crocosmia as well, I was happy to find that it would survive in southern New England, if in a protected area. This stand of them has tripled since we planted them. They are protected on one side by tall ornamental grasses and butterfly bushes.

This painting can be purchased directly from me from my DailyPainters.com gallery store

Open To Possibilities

2011-07-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

14"x11" oil on linen mounted on archival board

"A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be." - Abraham Maslow

Open to possibilities....a period of growth...thoughts of change. I have been wanting to work bigger for a while, so I'm inching up gradually again. For work on location, smaller surfaces means I can capture the light before it changes, get my ideas down in a limited amount of time and space. It also means I can keep my gear light. I've worked larger canvases indoors in my studio, but not so much outside. But a bit of exploration is in order. Over the remaining weeks of summer I intend to try to some bigger canvases outdoors. Even if I end up bringing them back into the studio to finish, I know there will be much gained from the effort.

Lavender and Coneflowers by the Fence

2011-07-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

6"x8" oil on linen mounted on archival panel

"A multitude of small delights constitute happiness." - Charles Baudelaire

At any given moment, this fence-line is full of small delights. And it surround my front porch, so that I can sit right there in a bit of shade and just look....and paint. I LOVE it when the lavender is in full bloom, the row of it in this flower bed just smells so wonderful. The arch of roses on the fence had finished its first round of blooms a few weeks ago, but a second round is on its way. Even the New Guinea impatiens in the huge blue pot were filling in their big dash of color. Later afternoon the sun comes from the west (or from the left side of this painting) and hits the tops of the fence, warming those rails before it finally sets in the evening.

Don't we all need a spot like this in our gardens?....that multitude of small delights?

This painting is available directly from me and can be purchased unframed from my DailyPainters.com gallery store.

Cloudy With A Strong Chance Of Flowers

2011-07-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

9"x12" oil on Belgian linen mounted on board

"An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory." - Friedrich Engels

During my 'computer crash' time I decided I'd push a little larger on some of my plein-air work. I had been working on a steady stream of 8x10s, and wanted to gradually push towards some larger pieces. This was not a huge stretch into bigger sizes by any means, but I was pleased with the results!

They were calling for thunder storms the day I painted this. I didn't want to get caught out in bad weather, but didn't want to loose any painting days outside if possible - so, from the protection of my garage, this side of our lawn was a perfect view! Somehow on a gray day colors of flowers seem even more intense. The sun isn't bleaching out the color nor is it so blinding that you can't see. Which makes those gray days quite enjoyable for painting!

This painting can be purchased directly from me in my DailyPainters.com gallery store.

Summer Coastal Fog, Harkness Park, Coastal CT - sold!

2011-07-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

10"x8" oil on linen mounted on archival board

"It's hotter than hell, but not as hot as Texas!" - R. Steed

Seems like I had vanished off the planet for a while there. I just survived a pretty big computer crash/mishap/disaster. What ever you call it, it was not fun. Two weeks without my work-companion left me feeling adrift! At the same time we had our credit card number stolen, and I got a nail in my tire (that was not pluggable). They say things come in threes, so looks like I'm over that hump and am coasting for some good things to come my way! At least that's how one friend suggested I look at it!

In the mean time, I did do a lot of painting done. On the first day back to my easel after "the crash" (as we'll call this computer disaster) I went over to Harkness Park, a favorite spot of mine, whether to paint, walk, or just un-wind. The fog was thick over the coast line during this morning of painting, and was just starting to burn-off, a ray of light seeming to cut through to the garden space I was viewing. For those familiar with the park, this is the area behind the old mansion, where weddings are now held, looking over into the walled garden. The fairy-roses were in their full glory arching over the walls of that garden space.

My postings to come will be like a garden tour of sorts. Today I'm continuing a large painting (24"x24") I started yesterday on the back deck. It's a certainly a challenge to go big when you're working outside. Most of my plein air works are 9"x12" or smaller. But that's a post for another day!

Thanks for following along, and thanks to those of you who asked "where are you"!

Beach Day 4th of July

2011-07-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

8"x6" oil on linen mounted on archival panel

“Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think.”

--Robert Henri

I've had a delightful long weekend, with both of my daughters visiting from Arlington, Virginia. We've been hiking, playing cards, and just enjoying each other's company. Today we went out to the beach where I got to paint a quick sketch of Chelsea, based on Henry Hensche's "mud head" paintings. I brought my little 'thumb-box' once again, to keep things very light weight. With a limited palette this exercise came together quite easily- which was a very nice surprise. I've been trying to push my comfort level on a few things this summer with some of my plein air works.

Mud Bird on the Deck Rail - Sparrow in the Sun

2011-06-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

4"x4" oil on gessoed masonite archival panel

"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."
- Henry David Thoreau

It's funny where & when ideas show up that excite us visually as artists....and the connection from them to other ideas we've been mulling over. Eating my lunch yesterday at the dining room table, I was gazing out at the deck to watch the birds eat their lunch at the feeder outside, when this little sparrow lands on the deck railing perhaps to look at the line up to the feeder? The sun was brilliant outside and just caught her in such wonderful light, it reminded me of the '100 Mud-Heads' project that Frank Gardner is working on, inspired by Charles Hawthorne's Mud Head paintings. I've been wanting to recruit some of my neighbors for a mud-head project of my own, but this little bird in the brilliant sun light made me put down my sandwich and grab a pen. An envelope on the table in front of me was the closet piece of paper. As long as the bird stood on the deck, I would sketch him. They were like quick gesture drawings, and I was enchanted by her poses.

Painting is unframed, a perfect little size to place nearby on a shelf. Price includes shipping/insurance to continental US.

The Perils and Pleasure of Plein Air/Split Boulder at Bluff Point oil sketch

2011-06-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

6"x 8" oil sketch on linen mounted on panel

"Do not be timid and squeamish.....All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sometimes going out to paint en plein air is filled with risk. You can manage a lot of risk by just being prepared. It does get easier over time. But there are those outings where you know you'll have to put some extra thought into it. I've been wanting to bring my paints out to the end of Bluff Point (here in Groton, CT), where the big split boulders lay at the edge of the water. It's about 2 miles out from where you park your car so I knew I'd have to pack really light. I've narrowed down my gear over the years and I've written about my back pack & set-up in a previous post back in April. But there's no way I'm willing to haul that out for two miles on a warm day! So, I decided I'd put my little "pochade box" to use. Some folks call it a thumb box, as there is a hole in the bottom for your thumb to fit, so you can hold it while you paint. It holds a little 6"x8" panel, a tiny palette for your paint, and room for short handled brushes under that. Not much room, but not much weight either. I decided to stick to Tim Bell's limited palette that I had tried out the other day, which is a few tubes less than what I normally carry.

There's a bumper crop of poison ivy out there this year, so I made sure to watch out for that as well as trying to keep out of the brushy areas to avoid ticks! Found a rock to sit on that provided a decent view. The only thing I'd do differently next time is to bring a cushion (of some type) to sit on. I usually stand when I paint with my regular set-up (an 8x10" Open Box M). But with this tiny hand-held box, I knew I'd want to sit. I'd be out in the open with no shade, so I had to turn and get myself situated so that there was no sun hitting my canvas or palette. It can be done, but it wasn't easy. I wasn't sure I was going to be happy at all with this little study. I had hoped to use this as a study for a larger work. The air was perfect out there today & the fragrance of salty sea air mingled with wild honey-suckle is pretty wonderful. Like the fisherman who claims "Even a bad day fishing is better than a good day at......(you fill in the blank). I knew that I'd had a good morning whether I was happy or not with the sketch. I pulled it out of the box a few hours after I got home & looked at it from across the room. Yes, truth! The essence of that brilliant light that I was after was there after all! So, for the box I rarely use, I did find that it served me well to keep things really small and light for this little bit of exploration! I plan to get some more sketches out there. It is one of my favorite places to hike and has been for over the last sixteen years. We have a lot of family memories there.

So even though I wouldn't consider this one a 'finished painting' I did get what I was after. A good collection of color notes to remember the day by and serve me well as a good resource for a larger painting. I've added a little photo of the thumb-box (or pochade box, sounds like po- shawd) so you can see what a tiny thing it really is. I don't love using it, but it really serves it's purpose for a long trek!

His and Hers, Oceanfront; beach, Atlantic, Chincoteague/Assateague National Seashore

2011-06-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

8" x 10" oil on gallery wrapped, stretched canvas, with sides painted

“The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach”

- Henry Beston

After several rainy, dreary days this week, I was feeling like I needed a day at the beach. So I painted one, remembering a wonderful visit to Chincoteague, VA last September. Even though I go down to paint at the annual plein air paint-out & sale, I always try to take a lot of reference photos to bring home with me. I'm going back there this year, and painting this scene brought back memories of what a beautiful place those two islands (Chincoteague & Assateague) are.

Price includes framing and shipping/insurance to continental USA. Please contact me for framing selections. International buyers please contact me for shipping fee.

Mystic River, CT; at the Intersection of River Road & I-95

2011-06-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

6"x8" oil on linen mounted on archival board

"Memory is the diary we all carry about with us." - Oscar Wilde

Rain was on the way, but there was just enough time to get down to River Road, beside the Mystic River. Way up high on the bridge, the traffic of I-95 is rumbling overhead, muffled by the breeze through the trees along the road. A fisherman down below the bank casting a line into the river. Joggers, walkers and cyclists are making their way down the road beside me. The temperature is dropping as the rain nears and you can smell the changing weather in the air. This painting is available at auction at DailyPaintWorks.

Geraniums and Cedars, Harkness Park

2011-06-21T20:14:00.001-07:00

5"x7" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."- Henry Adams

Every little nook & cranny at Harkness Park, here in Connecticut has something interesting in it's many gardens, so it remains a pleasure for me to spend time there and paint, and hike, and photograph, and meander, and picnic...you get the idea. It's a wonderful place.

I began this painting as a little exercise to try out some new (old) paints. I was going through artist Tim Bell's website, and finding out what materials he uses. He keeps a very simple palette, which I tend to do, too. But he even specified his brand of paint, Maimeri Classico, and the colors he uses: Flake White, Cad. Yellow Deep, Cad. Red Deep, and French Ultramarine Blue. His point was to find the closest to the true primaries on the color wheel. I realized that I had several tubes of Maimeri Classico and Puro from when I used to be a part of an artists' co-op in Virginia Beach. A vendor had brought us many samples of his paint. I had tried it, & while I liked it, I was familiar with my old Winsor Newton colors. But today I decided to pull out my old colors (which were not these listed, but true primaries none-the less. My first dip into the blue and I realize it's pthalo blue, so intense, and I haven't touched a tube of that in years. But since this was a 'sampler' to try out my new (old) colors of Maimeri, I decided to just go with it. My focus lately has been a real effort to exaggerate the warms and cools within the painting...and even with these basic colors, you could truly get a lot of mileage out of these. I ordered some small tubes of Tim's preferred colors, to give that a trial run as well. So we'll see where this bit of experimentation leads to.

I'm also trying something new on the business end of things. I have joined up with Daily Paintworks, in order to sell my smaller works at auction. (Yes, those 6"x6" and 5"x7" sizes. The starting bid will be at 2009 prices - $100 for these sizes, unframed. You have a golden opportunity for finding your favorite little painting at a very affordable price. Click here to place your bid!

Escargot Begonias

2011-06-20T11:58:00.001-07:00

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen, mounted on archival panel

"We are made to persist. That's how we find out who we are." - Tobias Wolff

Swirls and whirls of leaf shapes - the only way I know how to describe this plant. I was looking to buy one last year, and the only nursery I knew that had them sold out. This year I was ready! I knew if I wanted one of these, I had to get it while the "gettin' was good"! Sure enough, my friend went to go buy one a week later, and they were all gone. Funny name for a plant, but it does swirl in pattern like a snail shell, bigger and bigger. Hoping I can figure out how to propagate these so I can have some more!

I've found a frame that looks fabulous on this- black with a gold inset, I'll need to order this size. Price is $350 for framed painting and includes shipping to the continental USA.

Coastal Living, plein aire at Harkness Park

2011-06-16T19:06:00.001-07:00

8"x8" oil on gessoed masonite art panel

"Let there be spaces in your togetherness
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you."
- Kahlil Gibran

What a perfect day out by Long Island Sound, here in southeastern Connecticut. Nice and warm, no humidity today, just a bit of breeze, no stiff winds, just perfect.

I've been wanting to get out to do some 'tree portraits' of various kinds. There are several groupings out there at Harkness Park that are very old and huge, with interesting shapes massed together. This morning the sun was coming up behind this grouping of trees, so they were backlit. By the time I finished painting the sun was high enough to light bits of the tops of the trees. I also find it interesting while painting in familiar places, the variety of the quality of light...and looking for warm & cool light, and where these planes hit on each object lit by the sun.

For purchase information, contact me here.

Eden Roses Along the Fence at Morning

2011-06-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

8"x10" oil on linen mounted on archival panel

"Art is a staple, like bread or wine or a warm coat in winter. Man's spirit grows hungry for art in the same way his stomach growls for food." - Irving Stone

I was headed out this morning to go paint along the shoreline, but caught sight of the Eden roses on the fence....summer is filled with so many wonderful things, and it goes...so....fast.....

I pulled my gear out of the car and set up right there in the garden. So many things are just getting ready to pop out with blooms soon, day lilies, hydrangeas, Montauk daisies, and more.

Hopefully, tomorrow will bring another day of sunshine for some more painting outdoors!

Contact me here, for framing information. Price is $450, framed, includes shipping/insurance to continental USA.

Last of the Lilacs

2011-06-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

5"x7" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"Be in awe of all that is alive. Be in natural wonder. It is the pace of peace."- Gunilla Norris

While it poured rain outside this morning, I decided to work inside from a photo & memories of the lilacs that grew at my previous home. The old shrubs were packed with blooms the last summer I lived there, and made for some great painting & photography...and some great memories of fragrance and beauty - yes - even those memories leave great visual impressions!

Morning Sun on the Rose Arbor

2011-06-13T14:16:00.001-07:00

8"x6" oil on linen mounted on archival panel

"Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity." - Lindley Karstens

Thank goodness for a long bit of sunshine today! We've had so much rain lately, I felt like I need to keep checking to see if I've grown gills yet. This past Saturday my hubby and I went over to the Stonington Garden Show, for a bit of inspiration. Even though I don't have the ocean view, I love this garden we have. It's designed to have many intimate spaces almost like outdoor rooms or passages that connect. Passing through this arbor and gate, this climbing rose is a fragrant one, and is so delightful to pass underneath it! Just a little bit of peace and serenity in my own yard.

Rose Oasis

2011-06-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see." - William Newton Clark

Table for two, old stone patio surrounded by roses arched along a picket fence. A variety of other blossoms, fragrance wafting on the gentle breeze. A cool front has taken the humidity of the previous day and blown it out to sea. Come join me in this enchanted space where hummingbirds flit among the blossoms. Feel your heart rate slow, your shoulders relax...and just - be. Please contact me here for more information about this painting.

Hazy Summer Morning at Harkness Park

2011-06-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." ~Russel Baker

This morning came all cloudy, remnants of the previous nights storm. The humidity was rising, and as the sun tried to burn through, you knew it had the potential to be sweltering! But I found a place in the shade, with a good view, and an ocean breeze, what could be better? A bit of protection from the sun and swelter, fog-horns off shore a constant reminder of the weather. The horizon melded with sky in the distant haze, looking like there was no beginning, no end. What a feeling for a summer day!

For more information about this painting, contact me here.

Summer Happiness

2011-06-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

16"x20" oil on linen mounted on archival board

"Summer is not so much a season as a melody, that tune of contentment we hum as the days begin to beautifully blur." - Sarah Ban Breathnach

Finally, we have reached my favorite time of year. Everything wonderful is starting to bloom in the yard. It's the third summer in our garden, and everything is really reaching a wonderful state of lush! Peonies, Siberian Iris, Knockout roses, catmint; and that's just what's blooming right now. Later there are other rose varieties, hydrangeas, lilies, daisies, black-eyed Susans, and more! After all the still-life florals I painted this winter, it's especially fun to take this outdoors. Out on my back patio, the morning light is wonderful. (well, so is the late afternoon, but that's another painting for another day!). A light breeze to ruffle the hems of the tablecloth is a delight after the gusts of last week. I think this is going to be a good gardening year!

I made a few tweaks on this after bringing it into the studio, I'll need to re-photograph & post an update once I get that done. Thanks for following along with my blog & enjoying summer with me!

For more information about this painting, contact me here.

Verdant Hills - Tarrywile Park Plein Air Festival 2011

2011-06-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

8"x8" oil on gessoed masonite archival artboard

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." - John Muir

My last painting at Tarrywile Park. It felt so great to have all these rolling hils stretch out before me, with the tall grasses waving in the breeze. What a wonderful gem we have in our state. It is so rare to have that huge amount of greenspace available, open for hiking, painting- true recreation!

This Saturday (tomorrow, June 4th) is CT Trails Day, and also the Art Exhibit & Sale in the afternoon, from 2pm-6pm. If you're in driving distance, come on over. For more information, and directions, check out the web-site to the park, here. The exhibit will be held inside the mansion on the grounds- a great opportunity to see inside this architectural marvel (as it's not usually open to the public) as well as the works of art done on the grounds this week!

Morning Sun, Red Barns, Tarrywile

2011-06-02T20:02:00.001-07:00

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival board

"A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad."
- Arnold H. Glasgow

This morning it was so windy to be out painting, I think it was the remains of Wednesday's tornado in Springfield, MA. As soon as I had set my easel up and put out some more fresh paint,....whack! There went my easel, just picked up by the wind and slammed down, even though I had it weighted down. So I just had to paint with one hand holding on, to make sure it didn't blow over again! The red barns are now used as the education building here on the property at Tarrywile. If you live in the Danbury area of CT, this is a wonderful park. Mark your calendar for Saturday, the reception, show and sale for the Plein Air Festival goes from 2pm-6pm. I hope to see you there!

Rolling Hills of Tarrywile - Plein Air Festival 2011

2011-06-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.”

Eleanora Duse

8"x10" oil on linen mounted on archival board

This week I have the good fortune to spend some time exploring on the other side of Connecticut. There is a wonderful place right in the middle of Danbury called Tarrywile Park. It consists of a magnificent Victorian mansion built in 1896 and over 700 acres of pristine open space. Artists will be painting through out the park from May 31st through June 4th. On Saturday there is a plein air exhibit and sale in the mansion from 2pm - 6pm. For more information about the park & events, click here!

Looks like it's going to be a super week out there! My first spot to paint was this one behind the red barns, looking out across some of the rolling fields there. It's truly wonderful to have access to this kind of open space. Lots of hiking trails, it's a great place to get yourself "one with nature".

Memorial Day Mist 2011

2011-05-30T11:39:00.001-07:00

"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves."
-Albert Einstein

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite archival panel

This morning I set out to paint my annual 'Memorial Day' painting, with the bunting on my front fence....when thunder started rolling. The skies were already dark, but I thought I could get a small painting in before anything blew through. Well, the wind picked up, too. So I picked up my gear & headed to the front porch where I could just paint another section of the garden. Glad I did, I wasn't painting very long before a light rain started falling.

The day did redeem itself, the sun came out in late afternoon, and I am getting ready to cook for some good friends who are coming over this evening.

Yes, I've been away for almost two weeks now, no blogging or painting happening here. Like Einstein says in the quote above, there are things you just need to give full attention to. I've been down at my mom's house in Florida, helping her move to a smaller place. She's moved to smaller digs in a retirement community, and the house she's leaving is where we grew up, she'd been there for forty-three years. It felt so strange to say good-bye to the place. But mom is ready, and chose the place where her new apartment is, saying she wished she had done this last year. And as one dear friend reminded me, "Home is where your mom is" (thanks Norma!).

Looks like it will be a very busy week. Tuesday, I'm headed to a plein-air paint out in Danbury, CT at Tarrywile Park and Mansion. Hoping to get some good painting time in this week! More about the show and sale in my upcoming blog-notes!

This painting is available in my DailyPainters.com gallery. (will show up Tuesday morning)

Red Right Returning

2011-05-16T16:09:00.001-07:00

15"x30" oil on deep gallery wrapped linen

Everybody's talking at me.
I don't hear a word they're saying,
Only the echoes of my mind.
People stopping staring,
I can't see their faces,
Only the shadows of their eyes.

I'm going where the sun keeps shining
Thru' the pouring rain,
Going where the weather suits my clothes,
Backing off of the North East wind,
Sailing on summer breeze
And skipping over the ocean like a stone.
- Harry Nilsson

As I was posting this painting, I just kept thinking about "sailin' on a summer breeze"...and honestly - if you're my age, you just can't say that phrase without singing it to Harry Nilsson's tune. With all the chilly rain we've had lately, this is one fine daydream, to recall the sunny days out on the water last summer! Watching the boats go by!

Gray Day Spring, Third Year In The Artist's Garden, Plein Air

2011-05-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~Ruth Stout

This week I've spent a lot of time painting BIG! I've been staining/weather-proofing my back deck. I'm reminded how much energy is spent when you are using your whole body in the painting process. Man I am worn-out, but am happy to have completed this project, before this week's coming rains set in! Saturday, once I unfolded all the achy parts of my back and every limb I decided to paint outside. It was that soft gray day, with no cast shadows, no strong sunlight, but no dark clouds just yet either. It has been really fun documenting the changes in this garden over the past three years. Sometimes it's hard to believe all this has been created in such a short time. The rose canes are thick and strong, arching across the fence line, with so many buds forming to blossom in the coming weeks! The creeping phlox is blooming in great mounds of lavender and pink. Soon their show will fade and something else will come along to add some color. It's going to be quite the year in this garden!

Sweeping Evergreen Plein air

2011-05-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours."

-Mark Twain

Monday afternoon I went back over to Haley Farm, a local state park close to us. It was such a nice, bright sunny day. There are so many wonderful views at the park, at every turn of the trail. This huge evergreen with wide sweeping boughs, has part of the trail passing right beneath it. Last fall there was a humongous hornets nest up in there! Yikes! Glad I didn't have a 'close encounter' of the wildlife kind!

To purchase this painting, contact me here.

Apple Blossom Spring Morning

2011-05-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

"Break open a cherry tree and there are no flowers, but the spring breeze brings forth myriad blossoms."

-Ikkyu Sojun

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

Monday morning opened on a beautiful sunny day, and the apple blossoms are opening every where up here in our corner of Connecticut. This old tree is one of my favorites to see in bloom, I wait to go rush and see it in Spring, like an old friend, willing to commune for a while and be (just...be) in its presence. It's over at Haley Farm, a local state park close to us.

"An Easy Start"- Floral

2011-05-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

12"x16" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"No gift to your mother can ever equal her gift to you - life."

- anonymous

"An ounce of mother is worth a ton of priest."- Spanish proverb

"There's a lot more to being a woman than being a mother, but there's a hell of a lot more to being a mother than most people suspect." -Roseanne Barr

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family." -Anthony Brandt

It's been a busy week, shipping out two paintings that were dry and ready to ship, framing up another one that's ready to deliver next. And of course, painting. "An Easy Start" is a little larger than most in my current series of florals (the Sunshine Series). It pictures what I imagine to be an 'easy start' to a day, flowers, and a cup of something hot, perhaps a lump or two of sugar if you prefer?

I also knew that with my time restraints this week from other appointments, that I might take a bit longer to finish this one. So instead of the Cremnitz white that I usually use, I did use Titanium white on this one. Some of the attendees at my demo last Saturday might recall that I usually use Cremnitz white in my work. It is a lead based paint that really has a wonderful consistency and sets up within a day or so, without the stickiness that some alkyd paints have, or runnyness that an alkyd medium might have. This painting, I knew I didn't want it drying too fast on me, so back to the Titanium white paint. Now it will probably take several weeks to dry to the touch on the surface.

Some of my blog readers might remember that last summer I did a little 'white paint experiment' testing out just about every type of white oil paint out there. They do vary by brand and by color name. Each has it's own particular qualities, thicknesses, opaqueness vs. transparency, & drying times. It's useful to know what you can expect out of the tube that you buy. As an artist, you'll find it so helpful to know your materials as well as you can.

*****I hope you enjoy your Mother's Day weekend- whether you are a mom, or are spending time with your mom....or honoring the memory of her, or even being a 'stand-in mom' of sorts to those you love. I think Roseanne Barr would agree, it's a lot more complicated than many would suspect!

Contact me here, for more information or to purchase.

Finding Your Artistic Voice - Daisy Sunshine

2011-05-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

8"x8" oil on gessoed masonite archival panel

"It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent."

- Madeleine Albright

I'm back from a wonderful, though mighty short weekend in Norfolk, VA. I was given the opportunity to present "Finding Your Artistic Voice" and a demo on palette knife painting techniques at London Square Gallery in Norfolk. An enthusiastic group showed up for the demo and talk. Since it was a two hour presentation, I provided a hand-out with information to supplement both these topics as well as a "home-work" assignment! It's an exercise that I found about six years ago, recommended by Kevin Macpherson, which provided a huge breakthrough for me at that time. When I explained the process, I saw heads nodding, wow, yes, that would indeed make a difference! For those in attendance that do try it, I'd love to hear back from you!

One of the fun parts of a demo, is bringing 'the magic' to a blank canvas/empty board.

I'd love to expand this to a full workshop, so that those in attendance will have the opportunity to try their hand at it as well!

I am so grateful to Scott London, of London Square Gallery for hosting this event, and for all those who attended Saturday! Thanks boodles!! If you live in the Hampton Roads area, please stop in to see the eleven new paintings I delivered! They are all part of my 'Sunshine Series' of florals I've been working on the last few months in my anxious wait for Spring to arrive here in New England. They are the pieces that got me through 'bleak winter'. These florals over-flow the boundaries of the canvas with simple, yet beautiful things...which is metaphoric for what I want in my life..the feeling of "good things running over"..... simple but bountiful; full of life, love and light.

London Square Gallery is located at 4410 Colley Ave. in Norfolk, Va. Call for hours: 757-440-0269.

Contact me for more information here.

Refresh, Renew, & Simplify - Floral Bouquet

2011-04-28T15:01:00.001-07:00

6"x6" oil on archival panel

“Purity and simplicity are the two wings with which man soars above the earth and all temporary nature.”

Thomas Kempis

I finished painting this last week before I left for VA to give a demo/presentation at London Square Gallery (more about that in the next post).

This was a rather large bouquet, one that I normally would paint at least 12"x12". I wanted to use this as an exercise to simplify this down to fit a 6"x6" panel. To do so would mean I'd have to really observe the big shapes/ keep it at it's simplest form...details only if there was space to indicate it. I'm rather happy with how this fit down into this size. Of course, larger would allow for more details in the flowers, etc.

To purchase while it's still wet, please visit my DailyPainters.com gallery/store.

Strawberry Splash

2011-04-26T21:19:00.001-07:00

8"x8" oil on gessoed masonite archival panel

"An onion can make people cry, but there has never been a vegetable invented to make them laugh."

- Will Rogers

Tuesday I stayed in the studio making good use of this batch of flowers, as well as catch up on laundry, and clean up before I head down to Norfolk, VA this week. It's been a while since I pulled my dragon-fly teapot down to use with some flowers. It makes such a nice contrast against the pink cloth. I also enjoy getting the lighting such as to leave part of the daisies in shadow, it makes such interesting effects. I haven't opened the little jar of strawberries, in fact I can't ever remember buying canned/jarred strawberries before- but they looked interesting enough to paint! To purchase online, please visit my DailyPainters.com gallery.

*****Just a reminder for my Hampton Roads friends; this week I'm headed to Norfolk! Saturday, April 30th I'll be demo-ing palette knife techniques and speaking about "Finding Your Artistic Voice" at London Square Gallery from noon to 2pm. I'd love for you to join us!

Afternoon Prelude, Floral

2011-04-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

12"x12" oil on gessoed archival panel

“The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.”

- Swedish Proverb

Thursday was windy and chilly, so I stayed in to get caught up with all my framing for the paintings I'm taking down to Norfolk, VA next week. Early Friday morning I went out for some flowers to paint. All the colors they have now that it's Easter week- hehe, they called some of them "Jelly-bean Bouquets", and the colors were just like that! I've set this arrangement up as sort of a tea-break before afternoon- sort of an afternoon 'fortification'. These paintings I've done in this series are a reminder to bring these things into our lives; flowers for the table, a cup of tea, a bit of honey to sweeten, a bit of fruit, and some colorful linens just for the cheer of it. Hope you can make room in your life for some of these things.

To purchase this painting:

*****Just a reminder for my Hampton Roads friends; next week I'm headed to Norfolk! Saturday, April 30th I'll be demo-ing palette knife techniques and speaking about "Finding Your Artistic Voice" at London Square Gallery from noon to 2pm. I'd love for you to join us!

Inlet To Goshen Cove, Gray Day

2011-04-20T14:16:00.001-07:00

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"Make voyages! Attempt them! There's nothing else."

- Tennessee Williams

Wednesday opened on another gray day...perfect for heading over to the cove at Harkness Park. I'm so glad to live so close to the shoreline, the area has certainly provided some wonderful inspiration. While this morning looked a lot like yesterday, and I was probably not a mile further down the coastline, and I dressed about the same, I was cold to the bone. At least my hands and feet were quite chilled being out in this damp air. But the effects of that heavy mist in the air is so interesting. There are some places where the fresh greens of spring grasses are starting to show near the waters edge. The fog hangs thick over the distant horizon, making it look even further away than it really is. Depending on how the air is moving, it thickens and thins in those distant places. Nothing enhances memory of a place, like standing out in it for several hours, and recording everything on your canvas, and on your heart.

*****Just a reminder for my Hampton Roads friends; next week I'm headed to Norfolk! Saturday, April 30th I'll be demo-ing palette knife techniques and speaking about "Finding Your Artistic Voice" at London Square Gallery from noon to 2pm. I'd love for you to join us!

Dunes and Wetlands, Gray Day

2011-04-19T20:23:00.001-07:00

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring."

- George Santayana

Tuesday was calling for rain. There was that wonderful heavy mist in the air, but still okay visibility. I knew the colors of the wetlands behind the dunes over at Waterford Beach would bring me another great morning of interesting color. I finished just as the sprinkles starting getting heavier.

Nordic Tug 39, Essex

2011-04-19T11:59:00.001-07:00

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen/mounted on archival panel

"If a man does not know what port he is steering for, no wind is favorable to him."
- Seneca

Monday morning was bright and clear. The Connecticut Plein Air Painters were all meeting in the town of Essex, to paint about town & down at the end of town at the boatyards. So I drove down, staked out my favorite spot in front of this little tug at the boatyard. What a beautiful little thing it is. For more information about Nordic Tug, click here. To buy the boat, you'll need to go to Essex, CT, their office is in the lighthouse shaped building on the left. To purchase the painting, contact me here.

Spring Comes To The Shoreline

2011-04-15T18:39:00.000-07:00

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"Too many times we stand aside and let the waters slip away, till what we put off til tomorrow has now become today. So don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied. Choose to chance the rapids and dare to dance the tide."

-author unknown

Thursday morning the sun was out, and the remains of the storm clouds were breaking away. So of course I headed back to the same area, there is so much to paint there near Waterford Beach. I love this little spit of land where the rocks jut out into the water, and the evergreens offer continuous color throughout the year. The morning didn't disappoint me, and the clouds were such a wonderful comparison to the skies of earlier in the week. I am determined to spend as much time outdoors painting this year as I possibly can! This week has been quite rewarding!

Welcome to my latest new subscribers! I do hope you enjoy the paintings, photos & stories! I always love hearing comments from my readers!!

Contact me here, to purchase this painting.

Peer Pressure

2011-04-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

6"x6" oil on archival panel

"The reward for conformity was that everyone liked you except yourself."

-Rita Mae Brown

My daughters always scold me about laughing at my own jokes. Wednesday morning it was pouring outside, so I set up a still life that I'd been wanting to paint ever since I put the idea into my sketch book umm, maybe a month ago! "Peer Pressure" just reminded me of the things people do when they are egged on by others, whether it's a good idea or not. I had just finished the painting & called my husband in to have a look. So the big guy comes to stand before the painting and the set-up when, kerplunk, the little chunk of orange and spoon go rolling off of the cup. "He did it!" spouts my husband......and how could I help but laugh!

While it's wet;

Since I shared my outdoor set-up with you yesterday, I thought I'd share my current work-space set-up for small paintings.

Incoming Front Over Ledge Light - sold!!

2011-04-13T09:06:00.001-07:00

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man's growth without destroying his roots."

-Frank Howard Clark

Tuesday morning I went out in hopes of painting before the rains came. I was certainly lucky as I got just what I was after! Interesting cloud shapes and color filled the sky over the Wetlands Overlook at Waterford Beach. Looking out toward the Long Island Sound, I could see Ledge Light in the distance, where just the day before everything was enveloped in a very thick fog.

I had mentioned in a previous post about keeping your plein air gear light for travel. This is whether you're flying to a far destination, or just hiking in to your local park. It's all too easy to try stuffing 'just one more thing' into your bag/backpack. If you've got to carry that any distance, you'll be tired & regretting it before you even set up to paint. Over the years I've tried just about everything out there on the market until I finally came upon this combination. An 8x10 Open Box M easel/palette screws right onto a simple camera tripod (not a heavy one either, just a very basic one (got it for under $20 years ago). I have a little sack attached to the legs for laying rocks in for weight if it's a bit windy. If you're trying to paint in a gale, well, suffer the consequences...wind is just about the worst problem to deal with when painting outdoors. Keeping it simple is still the best idea. If you're determined to 'gut-it-out' in wind, you could detach the small box from the easel & hold it.

Other supplies that fit into this pack are an 8"x10" Raymar wet panel box, it holds 3 panels, but for most nearby outings I just take 2 panels. I bring 2 different palette knives, a couple bulldog clips to hold my trash bag onto the set-up, Kleenex, paper towels, a small container of wet-wipes/baby-wipes (yes they are GREAT for getting paint off your skin). In summer I bring a small bug-spray. I try to remember a water bottle, & a camera, but I've left home without them & it's been fine. For paints, I take a warm & cool of each primary, plus white. If you're working with a palette knife, you don't need any medium, solvents, and clean-up is so much simpler. The little rolling back-pack I found at Wal-Mart ($35 if I remember correctly), allowing you to roll it if you're in an area with sidewalks or hoist it up on your back if you have to hike into an area. This has been the most versatile set-up I've used over the years, and of course, may get tweaked over time as all things seem to. And of course, there's no "one WAY" to rig your set-up, what-ever works for YOU is the key thing! Hope it helps you if you're looking to lighten your load and get out to paint more often!

Chase The Sun

2011-04-12T13:38:00.001-07:00

8"x8" oil on archival panel

"A good laugh is sunshine in the house."

-William Makepeace Thackeray

Monday afternoon I came back inside to paint another cheery bouquet. These yellow daisies and purple statice flowers have lasted so long! It's such fun to change the colored cloths around with each arrangement, looking for every subtle color influence, cast shadows, reflections, all interesting to the eye. I chose the name "Chasing The Sun" since I have a feeling we're going to be doing that this week here in coastal Connecticut. The good thing is, all these April showers are going to make for a fabulous May!

Foggy Day Wetlands, Spring Thaw

2011-04-11T19:11:00.001-07:00

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month."

-Henry Van Dyke

Early Monday morning I went down to the shoreline to the wetlands overlook at Waterford Beach, here in CT. I think this is the first outdoor painting I've done this year. A heavy fog had rolled in over night and mist filled the air, it was actually quite beautiful! And it felt GREAT to be back outside painting again! Contact me here, for purchase information.

**A tip for painters- if you are going to paint outdoors in heavy mist (or possible light rain), you will want to make sure you are working on an oil primed surface. I learned this from a friend in Ireland several years ago while painting out in a light misty/rain. He was painting on an acrylic primed canvas and it began absorbing water and resisted the oil paint like a batik. This was certainly not the look he was after, and was so disappointed. I was painting next to him, and using an oil primed linen mounted on panel (from Raymar) the water beaded up & I was able to push it away with the paint brush/knife. I've since seen this a few times and was glad I had brought along the oil primed panels! AND, it's a great idea to keep your gear light, just in the chance that the weather gets worse and you have to pack up pronto to head for dryer, safer ground.

If you're in Norfolk, VA at the end of the month, I have begun framing new works to take to London Square Gallery in Norfolk, VA; where I'll be doing a demonstration of my palette knife work on Saturday, April 30th. If you're in town, I'd love to have you stop in to visit!

October Wedding (a 2nd commission) - sold

2011-04-09T19:44:00.001-07:00

10"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be."

- Robert Browning

Yes, it's been a few days since I've posted here on this blog. I've been working on a few things this week, including this commission piece- quite similar to one I finished this past November. It is for the same family, but a different family member! I'm so happy and grateful to help my collectors commemorate the big events in their lives in a very special way. Please contact me here if you'd like to find out more about commissioning a painting for a special event in your or a loved ones life

I also have begun framing new works to take to London Square Gallery in Norfolk, VA; where I'll be doing a demonstration of my palette knife work on Saturday, April 30th. If you're in town, I'd love to have you stop in to visit! More information on tomorrow's blog post (or sign up for my Cheer Factor email newsletter here.)

Bountiful

2011-04-03T17:30:00.001-07:00

12"x12" oil on archival panel

"Our ancestors viewed the earth as rich and bountiful, which it is."

-Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

"Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the universe endlessly bountiful."

- Mahatma Gandhi

"Take a rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop."

- Ovid, ancient Roman classical poet

"Bountiful" 12"x12" oil on archival panel, framed, $550.
When I went to look up some thoughts on the word 'bountiful', I found it fascinating to come across the quotes of these three.

You bring your 'gifts' to the world each and every day, no matter what your calling is, artist, scientist, attorney, homemaker, engineer, teacher, etc.

You are the 'bountiful' in the lives of others. Wishing you a day filled with beauty.