Flowers and Fechin (sold)

8"x6" oil on linen mounted on archival panel

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By the time mid-winter sets in, I am snow weary.  I'm getting antsy to be outside, but either it's too cold, or as in yesterday's case, it was possibly warm enough, but there was no place for me to park in my usual painting spots without risk of getting my little car hung up on an ice berm. (and doing some permanent damage!).  By the time I got to the 4th place of looking yesterday, I did find a place to park in a safe place, where I could actually walk out to a safe place to paint, without falling into a deep drift of snow....I was tired, hungry, and seeking 'facilities'. Yes, I shot the whole morning looking for a 'place' outside to paint. By the time I got home, my husband had delivered flowers for Valentine's day! - Yay!!! Some wonderful painting material and beautiful colors to cheer up a dreary winter case of 'ice-blues'.  

Painting ...and learning to paint, is all cumulative. You spend years learning, experimenting, combining some techinques, eliminating others.  All of it eventually comes into play at any given time to make up you 'the artist'.  I have been toying with combining several different techniques that I have employed over the years, using both brush and knife, laying some thick & thin areas with transparent oils in the darkest areas, topped with ever lighter layers.  Thanks to my hubby for the wonderful flowers. I usually never stack things on my art books in my studio, but I had placed this bouquet on top of my Nicolai Fechin book (that was on top of the large Edgar Payne book).  So of course I decided to paint them this way as well!  I hope these flowers last, I think I might spend the next several days painting more bouquets!

Nurturer

8"x8" oil on gessoed masonite archival panel


“Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.” -Lao Tzu

And who or what doesn't need nurturing? From plants and animals, and people....and ourselves, we all need tending to...with loving care.

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Price: $200 USD

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Bluebird of Happiness, Come By My Way

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!

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Price: $150 USD

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Refresh, Renew, & Simplify - Floral Bouquet

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.

Peer Pressure

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;

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Price: $150 USD plus $10 USD s/h
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Since I shared my outdoor set-up with you yesterday, I thought I'd share my current work-space set-up for small paintings.