Did It Again!

"Tropical View"

6" x 18"

Stretched Canvas

I am available on Etsy!

I am on a roll!  This is another one that just sort of jumped off of my brush and threw itself onto the canvas.  Truly, even my brushwork looks a little spontaneous and free -- just like I think I might actually be if I were on this island!  I have had a hard time breaking out of the blendy-blendy painting habit, but the clouds are really helping with that.  I love painting them and I think I am going to move slowly from an island vibe into a cloud- y one!  Maybe my brushwork will affect my personality a little and I might be able to chillax this weekend........nah!  Have a wonderful holiday, everyone!

Outta My Head

"Calm Before the Storm"

10" x 10"

Stretched Canvas

Look for me on Etsy soon!

I am so excited!  I was still on my tropical kick, groovin' on the clouds, in particular, and this painting kind of just happened.  No reference photos of sky or surf.  No inspiration but a paintbrush and a some yummy globs of color on the palette.  This is a BIG deal for me because until now, I have never painted "out of my head" -- I have always used a model and/or reference photos.   Gives me hope that there may be something in my head, after all!!

"Summer Storm II"

8 x 10

Stretched Canvas

Look for me on Etsy soon!

I guess I am just in a tropical kinda mood, since Jim is spending the week in Hawaii (without ME, boo hoo -- thus the storm on all my horizons!).  This was fun to paint and I am still in the mood to paint more scenes.  Jim IS tasked with the job of taking pictures of sun, sand, and surf for me to use -- hopefully he will have time after doing all that hard work on the island to take a few shots.....*sigh*

Wish I Were There...

"Summer Storm"

8 x 10

Stretched Canvas

Look for me on Etsy soon!

Yes, even if it were storming, I would rather be there, digging my toes into the sand and picking up shells along the shoreline.  I am certain that there is a sweet beach shack or pavilion just out of the line of sight and if it rains I can run there and have a pina colada while the worst of the weather passes over.

Or, I could just sit here in my hot, humid yard and slap mosquitos.  Either way....

One of the Girls

"Bockers"

8 x 10

Stretched Canvas

Look for me on Etsy soon!

I painted this picture from a photo of one of my son, Spencer's, "girls" -- a trio a Buff Orpington chickens that he loved from chick to hen.  In this picture, she was standing partially under a tree, so the shadow of it fell over her shoulder.  My first impulse was to remove the shadow and just paint her golden, but I kind of liked the way her feathers looked jewel-toned in that area.

Spencer still misses his "chucks", but until we move out of "clipboard village", there will be no livestock.  Heck, we can't even put out a pot of flowers unless it is "approved".  And yet, you can have a freaking huge ugly, trampoline in your backyard....but I digress...

Interestingly, when a friend saw this picture she was sure to note that I was still painting food.  It took me a minute, but then...  Don't tell Spencer, okay?

Summer!

 "Summer!"

5 x 7

Stretched canvas

Summer has not reached some of my northern friends yet, but it is already here in Houston and other points south!  The kids are looking forward to making a big splash next weekend and some of our neighborhood pools have already opened for the season.  Wish I had one in MY backyard, but instead I have a stupid house in Nashville.  Hmmmm.  How is that a benefit to me here, I am wondering?  Perhaps I should have painted a great big mortgage payoff check, but, in view of the fact that the world will be ending tomorrow anyway, I thought a pool scene would be more fitting.  Par-tay, everyone!!

Sunshine on the Half Shell

"Sunshine on the Half Shell"

5 x 7

Stretched Canvas

Look for me on Etsy soon!

This painting was such fun!!  I love the light and dark contrast, but the best part was using some pure pigments in the orange -- they are so bright and happy!

Recently, a friend that still lives in my hometown, Dreary Erie Pennsylvania, was complaining about the dark and depressing weather there and I was thinking that folks that live where there is a lot of gloomy days should surround themselves with bright colors to perk up their moods.  They don't tend to, though.  When we were in London last year we looked like a family of circus freaks with our brightly colored rain jackets -- purple, three greens and only one darkish blue.  It seemed like everyone in the city was dressed in crow's colors -- black, darker black, grey, blue so dark it was hard to tell it was blue.  The effect was somber and really, kind of depressing.  They all need  a little orange in their lives -- even if it just hangs on a wall!

More Birthday Watermelon!

"Watermelon Slice"

6 x 6

Stretched Canvas

Look for me on Etsy soon!

As the birthday nears, I get more and more excited about the "Birthday Melon".  This year, I think I will have candles in mine, as suggested by my friend, Anne (here comes another shameless plug), from Etsy at The Chunky Mermaid.  

But I digress.  No candles in this painting, but still a whole lot of melon.  Try as I might not to be a "blendy" painter I am still at it -- blendy blendy blendy all over the place.  I did try to NOT blend this one to begin with, but it didn't look like much of a melon -- it was just a Christmas-y sort of blobby red-and-green abstract.  *Sigh*  I guess I might have to resign myself to painting like a frou-frou blender drink instead of "straight up".  Hmmm.  I guess birthday drinks might be on my mind, too!!

The First in a List of Things I Will Never Paint Again!

"Popcorn"

4 x 4

Stretched Canvas

I thought it would be a lot of fun to paint a few kernels of popcorn, so yesterday I popped a bagful of Lime & Salt (yum! my favorite!) and threw a few on my table to photograph.  I also used an old movie ticket to complete the vignette.   Fun does not quite describe the experience I had painting these things.  Plus the table was wood, but reflective, so I had to deal with a reflection of each kernel as well as painting the kernel itself.  They say whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but this just made me frustrated!  At least I scored a bag of popcorn in the process....I should've ordered extra butter, though...I deserve it!! 

A Slice of Sunshine

"A Slice of Sunshine"

4 x 4

Stretched Canvas

Look for me on Etsy soon!

This little painting is dedicated to my boys, Andrew and Spencer, who think mandarin oranges are "cute".  I guess I am just relieved it isn't girls yet -- I am terrible at painting people!!  

This was fun to paint because the light was shining right through the orange slice and just lit it up like a lantern- just the way the boys' smiles light up their faces when they are happy!  There is nothing finer than a big smile on a child's face ...except perhaps a big smile with an orange peel peering out the way kids like to do...that works, too!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

"Apples for Sue"

8 x 10

Stretched Canvas

Look for me on Etsy soon!

Okay, it IS a day earlier, but I am going to take a mini-vacation from posting tomorrow to celebrate!  This painting is dedicated to my mother-in-law and my kids' favorite Grammy, Sue.  She loves painted lace, and I did this one with her in mind.  She has an earlier painting of mine of some hydrangeas in a vase with a lace tablecloth that I think it is just about the ugliest painting I have ever seen!  Just goes to show, when you look at something with eyes of love, it always shines!   We love you, Grammy Sue -- Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

BIRTHDAY WATERMELON

"Watermelon Still Life"

8 x 10

Stretched canvas

Look for me on Etsy soon!

Ok, ok, I know -- what do birthdays and watermelon have in common?  Well,  I LOVE watermelon and instead of birthday cake every year on my birthday, I have a watermelon -- even though it isn't usually the best of melons (my birthday is May 29 -- hint, hint) because they aren't technically "in season" yet!

I did use a photo for this, but I bought a little icebox melon to set in front of me for extra added effect.  It was hard to depict how juicy the melon looked.  I will have to practice and maybe do some studies of just melon!  Of course, that will only work out if I don't get distracted and eat my set up!

PEAR MARTINI

Pear Martini

8 x 10

Stretched Canvas

Look for me on Etsy soon!

Well, I finished this painting, but I can't get the photography right. The background is shiny and the whole thing is a bit blurry. Tomorrow I am going to try and fix it by using a tripod - and by then the paint will have dried somewhat.  I did this one a little looser than my usual style because I couldn't sit at the canvas for too long--I just got back from running my first half marathon with a bad case of knee and foot pain and overall malaise. That all equals a good excuse for a little laziness, but it has been four days since I painted, so I didn't want to be too lame (no pun intended!)