Empty Beach 5"x7" #4 (Revised)

Now for something a little different. This was originally done back in January of this year but,I wasn't happy with the effect. It was too bland. Ta Da, add a beach ball and while it's still seems empty, I'm much happier with the result. Thanks for stopping by.

Reflection 6"x8" SOLD!

I took this picture of my niece only seconds after I missed getting pictures of her doing a little jig at the water's edge. Oh, I could have used those for years to come for excellent auntie blackmail! Rats! Luckily I have the memory. So, here is the 4th in my series of 5 paintings containing people or parts of them. Thanks for stopping by.

(Maria's Watercolor: Thank you! I can't wait to go back to the beach myself. It has been fun/frustrating trying new subject matter but definitely worth it. Sorry, I'm still having trouble replying to comments on my own blog. It will no longer accept comments from me. Go figure!)

Waiting!!

It appears Tilly Rae is tired of waiting for my next painting but, Mom still has a few more kinks to work out before she will feel comfortable posting it. Hang in there Tilly Rae and if you want to too, that would be nice. Thanks for stopping by.

Muscle Beach 8"x10"

Today is a bird day because I needed to give myself a little break from figuring out how shadows and light effect clothing. I was getting way too stressed about it! This painting did not turn out quite as I imagined but, it made me smile. Hopefully, I will be passing that smile along. Thanks for checking in.

A Walk With Gracie 6"x8"

When my guy and I were in Oregon, we met a great many wonderful dog people. While waiting for the steam train (my guy is a big train fan) we met Gracie (a beautiful standard poodle) and her parents also waiting for the train. I asked if I could get a few pictures of Gracie and they were happy to oblige . I caught this snapshot as her Dad took her for a walk prior to boarding. The beach is totally fictional but I liked the idea.

Follow The Leader 6"x8"

So, here is my second foray in painting people parts. I'll be honest, this has been on and off my easel for the last 6 months. I've wiped this painting off 5 or 6 times and I'm still not totally happy with it. But, I'm going to give myself a break as I've just started to attempt to paint any part of the human anatomy. If I compared myself to Karin Jurick or other great "people painters" I'd go hide under the covers and give up but, as Dreama Tolle Perry said in her article on "How To Feel Miserable As An Artist", comparing yourself to another artist is one of the quickest ways to be miserable. So, I'm going to be kind to myself. I have a lot to learn and a year ago I wouldn't have even made this attempt. (Also, one of the great things about painting from photos is that I can go back when I'm feeling more confident and try it again.)

I took this photo while we were on vacation in Oregon and waiting at the station for the steam train. I liked that they looked like little ducks in a row. Dad, unfortunately, was walking out of sync and he got cut from the picture. Sorry Dad.  Thanks again for looking.

Belly Jeans 5"x7"

OK, so here I am trying something "very" different for me. I've never painted any part of the human body before so this was a challenge. Please don't laugh too hard at my bellies, it isn't as easy as you might think to find belly reference pictures. I try not to look at my own so it was no help at all. The remaining 4 in this challenge should be interesting.

The title makes me giggle. I'm not usually a big giggler but, I can't help myself. Thanks for stopping by.

Beach Nap 10"x8"

When I started this I wanted the bird to be roughly done, childish. It was a lot of fun and I am happy with the result. I like the less than perfect rendering. I also like the slightly tilted ocean. (I promise I wasn't drinking but a margarita would have been nice!)

This is also the 5th bird in my challenge and since I'm doing series of 5, tomorrow I try something new. Should be fun to see what happens.Thanks for looking.

Time To Go 10"x8"

I  like the easy energy that sea gulls put into taking off. A little push and off they go. I don't know it I'm totally satisfied with this one and may take another pass at it after looking at it for awhile. Thanks for stopping by.

Landing Gear Down 8"x10"

When I first started this painting, I found that I was driving myself insane by trying to paint every single feather I saw. Well, that wasn't working and my frustration level was going through the roof so, I did the only sensible thing I could and  made myself stop. Now, I don't paint realism and what I hope to convey is an idea through my paintings. So, I took another look at my reference photo and asked myself what did I see. What really made an impression on me were those magnificent drapery wings. Once I had the idea of drapery in my mind I started to paint in a much looser fashion and pretty soon I started getting happy with what I was doing.

I'm lucky enough that my guy and I usually get to spend a week at South Padre Island in Texas every year and I was fortunate to capture this image on film. I love pelican watching while we are there and always try to come back with lots of reference photos. So number 3 in my challenge is done. Thanks again for looking.

Standing By 8"x10" SOLD

So this is the first in my new challenge. It seems only appropriate that I start with birds. It has been awhile since I picked up the paintbrush but, it was a lot of fun figuring out how to make things work in the painting. I do believe I'm ready for the next! Now if I can just figure out my new camera!

Thanks Shelley. Still having trouble posting replies to comments. I think it is funny that his shadow turned out like a 60's bird cartoon. SOLD

Re-Boot Nice Flight Charlie Chan

I know I said many, many, many moons ago I was going to post something soon. Well, that didn't happen. I will be starting a new challenge in the next week or so where I will paint 5 paintings in 5 days. Life being what it is, I'm a little reluctant to try a 30 day challenge but these shorter ones should be fun. It may be 5 landscapes or 5 paintings of dogs. I'm going to let inspiration find me and then go with it. Or if inspiration decides to debunk I'll just wing it.  In the meantime I am reworking Charlie Chan. While I love the openness of a blue sky, I felt it was too much and now am taking my first stab at doing clouds. This is a work in progress and I'm keeping my fingers crossed I don't mess it up. Hopefully, new paintings coming soon!!! Thank you for your support.