My Sketchbook is ugly.....

In school we had to do small thumbnail sketches as prelim work for larger paintings.  Consistently, I was "encouraged" to put a bit more detail in those drawings.  I still don't.  

Much like my handwriting, my thumbnails are "rough".  However, my sketchbook is an extremely valuable tool to me.  

I use it to work out formats and compositions, paintings for classes I teach, & to help me decide if I even want to do a larger painting.  

I'm always in awe of artists who show their sketchbooks & they truly look like works of art.  

That works for them.  My crazy sketchbook works for me.  :-)

Like me on Facebook!

The blog is back!

Well, I took a year or so off from the blog, but thought I would get it going again.  Thanks to those of you who've let me know what you would like to see on the blog site.  Where to start?  How about a finished painting from a previous post of a work in progress.

Here's my Hollyhock.  I'm crazy about my flowers.  Oil on canvas, large format 54" x 42" inches.  

I started out on the wall and after I blocked in, stretched the canvas and completed the painting.  I love working on these large formats when I'm living in Kentucky.  (And have the space.)  I used several photos of this beauty while working.  Plus, I had the luxury that first season to walk outside and get some closeups.  I've been working on some smaller works un-stretched then mounting them on masonite.  Helps with traveling so I can just roll them up after painting outside. 
Happy Painting!!!

Summer paintings...

I love the growing season here in Kentucky.  I can remember as a young girl walking thru my grandparents fields and appreciating the beauty of the tobacco as it grew in rows on their farm.  We did get a surprise in one of our fields behind the new construction on the house.  We aren't and have never grown hollyhocks.  Yet, three sprang up in the middle of the hay. 



I took a bunch of photos for future paintings.  Such a sweet surprise!  

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

Places I love to paint....

We just got back today from Eagle lakes and I can't wait to do some paintings from the area.  It's one of my favorite bird watching spots and it did not disappoint today either.  In addition to the birds, the wetlands have such an array of greens and blues I wish I could just go there everyday and paint, paint, paint.  We all have our favorite subjects and plein air sites I guess.  I'm so inspired right now!!!

 

**I guess blogger got the photo issue resolved...so I'm baaaaccckkk!!!! *** 

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

Hello Florida!!!

We made it!  What a crazy and wonderful month December was!  It feels great to be down here breathing the warm air again.  I just got out my paints this past week and I'm loving painting here. 
Sorry, no images.  Blogger is having problems and now I can't upload any photos at this point.  Hopefully this will be fixed soon. 

 

 



Holiday shipping....

I was at the post office today shipping out a painting and the line wasn't bad at all...at least where I live.  Could be we're not at crunch time yet.  Always ask if you need something sent faster than my usual first class postage.  Especially this time of year. 

For this or other little paintings I have up for auction on ebay this week, just click on the link at the above right.  Remember my ebay paintings all start at just $ 0.99.  (That's right!!)  Thanks!



East coast....

I'm still blown away at the devastation on the east coast.  I've done several paintings of the water at Long Beach and Robert Moses Beach.  We have many photos of us at Cape May and the other Jersey shores.  My heart and prayers go out to everyone there.  I've actually got a family who has come to several of my painting classes that was impacted.  They're on their way up to help out some relatives.  They've no idea what they'll find. 

 

For this or other paintings I have for sale on ebay, just click on the link at the above right.  



Where has the year gone???

We were talking this week and it will only be a few weeks before we head to Florida for the winter!  What!!!???  Where has the time gone???  Though I am down to the last of my beach paintings from earlier this year.  Can't wait to do more. 

 

For this or other paintings I have for sale on ebay, just click on the link at the above right.



Painting feels good!!!

I'm still settling in at my new place, but it's been fun to paint here. I love Florida, but I'm a bit cramped there during the winter. (Totally worth it by the way! LOL!). It's really fun to be able to work larger which I am today. I loved pulling out a huge pre-stretched canvas to start blocking in a studio painting.

For this or other paintings I have available for sale on ebay, just click on the link at the above right.

Busy week...

Crazy week. What else can I say! I've been doing more drawing than painting this week. I'll definitely show them off in a later post.

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

Painting days...

While I'm here in Florida, and away from my usual studio in KY, I sometimes have to "make" myself paint. Now don't get me wrong...I love painting but I'm in much smaller quarters here and the sun beckons me to ride my bike, go for jogs, or layout almost every day!!!! (For those of you up north...yes, I can imagine your eyes are rolling.) On top of that, I can't leave my workstation/paint/paintings set-up. It can be difficult to drag everything out, then put everything up, verses having a couple easels and full length tables set up and ready to go at all times. Believe it or not...that's the bigger problem than all this beautiful weather. I miss my studio. I did however have a great painting session a day or so ago. Can't wait to share those with all of you!

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

Artist Trading Cards...

I'm going to start listing some of these little 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch paintings (now that they are dry enough). Most are plein air and I like them because when I'm outside, I can just hold them in my hand and paint. This one is on unstretched canvas, but most I have are stretched canvas on these cute little stretcher bars. The biggest problem I can see with them is they look better in person than the scan. My naked eye doesn't see that close up, but my scanner gets every detail!!

This little 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 oil painting is currently available on Ebay by clicking the link at the above right.

It's Raining!!!

Ok, so most folks visiting Florida aren't happy when it rains here. However, there has been a great lack of rain this winter. Brush fires and watering restrictions have been in the news every night. We watched the clouds move in this evening, and I got to enjoy the storm move in. (One of my favorite things to watch.) Of course, this painting has nothing to do with that. It's from a cool morning (early) at the beach.

For this or other paintings available on ebay, click on the link at the above right.

Morning Solitude

5 x 7 inches, Oil on canvas board

Currently available on ebay.

Bad day....

Well, my day started out pretty great. We ran some errands that morning, then attended an art show with some very famous artist work (very cool). After that is when things took a bit of a bad turn. On the way back, we were involved in a car accident. We're all ok. In Florida, they have these little u-turn sections in the middle of US-41. Most people use them because Tamiami Trail can be 6 or 8 lanes across. Well, a lady, (trying to get to the mall!!!!!) decided to try to cut all the way across. She made it across the northbound traffic (we were heading south). We saw her and she looked like she was going to stop in the median section. Before she came to a complete stop, she decided she would gun across all four lanes and slammed right into the drivers side of our car. She said she didn't even see us. We think she was looking behind us trying to beat that traffic. The rest of the day was spent a the hospital and happily we're back home tonite. We didn't have the dog with us thankfully. Right now I've got a big knot on my arm and lots of advil in my body. What a day!!!!

For this or other paintings available for sale on ebay, click on the link at the above right.

Evening Blues

8 x 10 inches, Oil on stretched canvas

Available for sale on ebay after 3/20/2011

Getting Ready....

What am I getting ready for? Well, in the next couple of weeks I'll be packing up to head back north to Kentucky. Before that, I've one more workshop to teach. I also have to finish my own school work, and in between all of that, I'm trying to soak up as much of the Florida sunshine, beaches, atmosphere I can! (Ok don't hate me!) I'm also going to be getting ready for all the possibilities that year has to offer. What's coming? I can't say...but I'm getting ready!

For this or other paintings I have for sale on ebay, click on the link at the above right.

Tropical Reminiscence

5 x 7 inches, Oil on board

Available for sale on ebay after 3/14/2011

Keeping it simple...

I have so loved my time here in Florida and though we won't be going home for another month, I'm already thinking about how I'll be spending my time at home. Problem is, I have more ways to spend my time, than time. I'm really going to try to focus more this year on organizing my time better. Honestly, I would just work (paint) all the time...every day. (I certainly wasn't that way when I worked in an office!) Those of you who are artists I'm sure can relate. This painting kind of makes me think of that. Many times when I set out to get prelim sketches, I'm sort of scouting/working. Here, I stopped and just sat there for a while. Really enjoyed the place. It may be hard to believe, but I need to allow myself to do that more. I'm so concerned with sharing the spot with others, I forget to really enjoy it myself.

For this or other paintings I have available for sale on ebay, click on the link at the above right.

Placid Thoughts

5 x 7 inches, Oil on board

Available for sale on ebay after 3/6/2011

My hands are finally warm!!!

Florida is so lovely! It's not as warm as usual here, but they tell me tomorrow the temps will be back to normal (high 70's). Wehoo!

It's an understatement that most of my money is spent on art supplies. I had one small suitcase and my laptops. The rest of the car & trunk were packed to the gills with art supplies. It was really more than I would normally need, but I have a still life painting class I'm taking next semester and have no idea what I'll need...so I brought it all!!! Plus, I'm scheduled to teach some painting classes while I'm here. So you can imagine the supplies I needed for that as well. Packing the car was like putting together a complicated puzzle, but my guy did it! It is clear to me now why my wardrobe is lacking....I spend most of my money on oil paint, easels, paper, canvas, charcoal.....oh and the books/magazines....it's terrible!!! (And typical for me.) It just feels like home if I have my paints & brushes with me.

For this or other paintings available for sale on ebay, click on the link at the above right.

"September Sky"

5 x 7 inches, oil on canvas board

Currently available for sale on ebay

Looking forward to Florida....

I can't wait to get my toes in warm sand. That being said, I am so behind as far as getting ready to go!! I love talking about going south for a while, but hate packing for it. I'll no doubt come home with some new paintings started, tons of photo refs for future work, and another semester under my belt. I'm getting fired up just talking about it....not enough to start packing though!! Ha!

For this or other paintings I have for sale on Ebay, click on the link at the above right.

Red Marsh Grass

4 x 4 inches, Oil on canvas board

Available for sale on ebay after 10/21/2010

Florida Marsh

Florida Marsh

8 x 10 inches

Oil on Stretched Canvas

Sold

I've been so blessed to be able to spend a great deal of time in Southern Florida. The winters there are just fantastic. There's something about the green of the marsh grasses againt the reflected blue skies in the still water. I'm looking forward to spending more time there this winter again.