What I do when I don't feel like painting....

Well...I paint...

I do what I call "block ins" and lots of them.  Here's a few from here in my RV.  

If it looks like they're done in chalk, that's because I do a lot of my block ins in black and white oil paint.  I love this process!  These are some small format paintings, but by putting things in black & white, I can see if I want to continue.  Because they are at such an early stage in the painting process...I don't stress about them.  It's very fun for me!

If you look in the middle of the above photo, you'll see the block in of this little ballerina I have up for auction on Daily Paintworks.

These small paintings are a nice & fun change for me.  Sometimes I feel like I'm always trying to come up with class paintings (for the painting classes I teach) and it feels good to just paint.  :-)

Happy Painting!!

Happy Independence Day!

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day Weekend! 

On my daily outdoor walks (with my camera..always!), there were a bunch of these fungi that popped up.  I almost didn't take a photo of them, but decided to.  The next day they were gone.  It amazes me how fleeting some of these beautiful things in nature really are. 

For current little miniature paintings (& the above painting),  I have up for auction on ebay, just click the link at the above right. 

Changing formats a bit for ebay...

Some of you may have noticed that I've only been listing miniatures and ATC's for ebay.  I may throw in some larger format, but most will be in this small format for the time being.  I'll see how it goes.  As always if you want to commission something larger, just email me.  

Some of you who take painting classes from me may recognize this scene.  Though this one is 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches....way smaller than the one we did in class, I like the scene.  Small canvas, big art right!!

This is another one of the spring wildflowers.  I think it's a Dwarf Larkspur.  I watched this plant along the sidewalks where I walk for days and days.  This was the last photo I got of it.  I couldn't wait for it to bloom out.  The next day, the landscapers came in with a weed-eater and chopped it and several other of the wildflowers I had been watching, down.  I guess they didn't have the same appreciation for them that I did.  This is also a fairly common wildflower for Kentucky. 

Summer's end....

I don't know where the time has gone this year.  What a busy and fun summer!  We're prepping to do some more traveling out west and I can't wait!  I've got a very large painting of the Rocky Mountains in the works, but no photos yet.  Here's a few updates on a couple of paintings I've been working on.  The first is a work in progress of one of our horses that is no longer with us.  I don't have many photos of him and the one I have is not very good.  I'm enjoying the painting though.  I've also included an update of the Hollyhock painting as well.  I'm farther along now and need to take an updated photo. 

I've got a lot more work to do on him, but he's blocked in.  My camera did some adjusting after I darkened the background.  Also, below is another shot of the Hollyhock.  I've been doing more work on the leaves and I've made a few changes.  I'll try to post them next time. 

For the below painting...or other little paintings I have up for auction on ebay this week, just click the link at the above right. 

Yum....

Here's another little still life...that didn't last very long!  By the time I was finished painting it, this little danish was hard as a rock.  Thinking ahead...I had bought extra.  Painting food can be fun! 

The below landscape painting along with the other little landscapes I have up for auction on ebay this week can be found by clicking on the link at the above right. 

 



The Highlights have it....

 

 

I'm always forcing myself to push my lights and darks.  This little still life was painted on a gray toned canvas and underpainted with terra rosa.  Once I block in the main colors, I start pushing the highlights and shadow colors. 

 

You can see the difference. 

 

For the little landscape paintings I have up for auction on ebay, just click on the link at the above right.  Thanks for your interest in my work!!!