Soon There Will Be Petunias

 Soon There Will Be Petunias

6x6, soft pastel

I painted two pieces yesterday in anticipation of my second COVID vaccine shot today. These shots have been easy-peasey with no discomfort other than slight arm pain at the injection sight. Actually the needle itself is so fine these days, one cannot even feel it going in...which is a blessing for this needle-phobia person.  

The painting today was inspired by a previous painting and the petunias within it.  I love the affordability of the beauties and look forward to seeing them again very soon!

A Bit of Berries

 A Bit of Berrries

6x6, oil

Day 10 Strada Easel Challenge

I purchase grocery items sometimes with a painting in mind (such as these red raspberries).  Often, the food is eaten before a painting is created. This time, there were a few berries left, but only enough to fill this teeny tiny liquor glass. I love it’s deep purpley-red color.  It makes me think of grape jam. I may paint it again. 😊

Thinking Outside of the Box

 Thinking Outside of the Box

6x6, oil

Day 6 Strada Easel Challenge:

Today I needed color! While dealing with shingles...and watching in disbelief as radical protesters stormed the Capital building...I just needed to go to a happier place! That involved searching for items that would make a happy colorful still life. So here you go! The beauty of painting is being able to go into “the zone”...where pain is dulled and the political rhetoric of the day is muted. May God bless and re-direct Americans towards a more tolerant peaceful existence. 

The Last Bloom of 2020

The Last Bloom of 2020

6x8, oil

Day 1 of the Strada Easel Challenge:  2021 Is Here!

I'm not sure the world has ever been happier to start a New Year as it is this year. Of course, we are certainly not out of the woods when it comes to the pandemic in which we have all found ourselves. In fact, the pandemic rages on...it's never been worse. Our hospitals are full and struggling still to help all those who are in need of medical attention...whether COVID related or not. I heard a statistic today that 1 in 11 Americans have it or have had it. My grandson Tyler had a mild case from attending college. My grandsons Zack and Brian currently have mild cases, thank the Lord. And, we suspect my daughter's farm family in Washington state had early cases of it last spring...before testing was widespread.

The world has lost countless lives whether from the virus itself or as a result of it and it's impact on our healthcare system, our mental wellbeing, and the world's economy. Mankind is reluctantly united in a way we have never (in my lifetime) been united...to fight the virus, to get an effective vaccine, and to recover economically. But, most importantly, too recover our sense of freedom. 

Oh how we took for granted the simple things in life! Now, we have to stop and consider whether we can visit our families and friends, go out to restaurants, movies, concerts, sporting events or fly on a plane. Even though our odds of surviving are quite good, most people are doing what it takes to both bolster our economy while at the same time staying healthy so we don't inadvertently spread the virus and further burden our healthcare system.  

COVID19 has by now touched every family I know. Fortunately most have gotten mild or moderate cases and slowly recovered. Some have been in ICU yet thankfully survived. Several friends have lost loved ones and a few of my virtual friends have lost their lives. 

Mankind has weirdly adapted to the uncertainty and heartbreaking reality of COVID19...yet we all yearn for the day we can return to the world we once had. So, in a way, we celebrate from afar, a new year...with new hope that 2021 will be better than 2020. 

May God bless us all and help guide us to healthier and happier days ahead!

Sailboat 1 - Seas The Day

Seas The Day

6x6, oil

Seas The Day is the first in a small series of 10 sailboats I plan to paint in oil. I’m one of twenty local artists participating in a fund raiser on April 30th at Finer Frames to benefit the Eagle Idaho Plein Air Festival (which will be held June 6-13th). Each painting must be painted on a 6x6 unframed wooden panel (which means my beloved pastels just won’t work for this event). However, what a great opportunity to practice painting in oil.  Right?

Anyway, the fund raiser is comprised of 200 6x6 paintings all of which will be up for sale for only $36. each! It should be a wildly popular event...I’m hoping to buy a couple paintings from other artists myself.

Iron and Wool

Iron and Wool

12x12, soft pastel

This is a second still life painting of the old cast iron kettle and wool rug I recently purchased.  I just love all the textures and placed them on a wooden table in my living room against a textured wall.  I'm enjoying this little series.  It reminds me of the resilience of items from the past. These things weren't "throw away" household items but stood up to all kinds of use and abuse over the years. Resilient and strong...reminding me of the pioneering spirit of days gone by.

Cast Shadow

Cast Shadow

12x12, soft pastel

Painting realism can look like tedious work...but, I find it mesmerizing.  Focusing on the details to express a realistic image sends me into "the zone".  On this piece I loved expressing the texture of the cast iron and subtle reflections on the side of it from the rug it sits on and the challenge of depicting the shadow it cast. I loved painting the textures in the rug with all its imperfections and I'm reminded of how beautiful we all are, imperfections and all.

Oh Hummingbird!

Oh Hummingbird!

7.5 x 12, soft pastel

Rarely do I paint plein air (outdoors) but I couldn't resist trying to capture this guy (in a painting that is).  He visited me quite often with his friends during the summer months in Cascade.  I always plant these particular flowers to encourage hummingbirds to hang around my patio...and they really do the trick!  I do confess, I had to take a few photos to see what he really looked like since he didn't want to sit still for me.   Anyway, thankfully I didn't scare him away....especially since I was singing "Oh Hummingbird" the whole time.  (the neighbors must have thought I was a bit looney)

Oh Hummingbird! - Seals and Crofts, 1972

Vintage Ornament

Vintage Ornament Demo

9x9, soft pastel

I will be the first to admit it!!!  I'm not an art instructor and in fact haven't completed a "demo" in front of an audience...that is until now.  Recently I hosted a meeting of local pastelists (who many are members of the Pastel Society of the West Coast). Thankfully my "audience" was kind to me as I completed this little study of a vintage ornament.  Demo'ing may not be my expertise...but I have to admit it was more painless than I had imagined it would be.

Below is a practice piece I did before hand.  I'm glad I practiced a bit.  It sure helped with the jitters!

Vintage Ornament Study

6x6, soft pastel

A Cozy Spot In The Corner

A Cozy Spot In The Corner

11x14, Soft Pastel

I took a winter break from blogging and I have to admit...I miss my old routine of daily painting, blogging and posting works.  Much of what “derailed” me was getting a puppy 1 1/2 years ago...the pup (Benny) is now almost two and about as trained as he’s going to get.  He’s no longer noodling his way into my painting time...but waits patiently nearby in hopes of me finishing soon and going outside for a fetching session...or at least a good wrestle on the floor.

Along The Shoreline

Along The Shoreline

20x16, soft pastel

It's always fun for me to see someone else's work-in-process so I thought I'd post a couple of the  WIPs of the latest, "Along The Shoreline".  I painted this scene before as a 12x9 but decided to go larger this time.  This piece is 20x16 and was just as fun to paint as the first one.  I hope you enjoy!

Holiday Reds

Holiday Reds

8x6, soft pastel

Our local plein air group usually paints throughout the winter months at Edward's Greenhouse in  Boise. The temperature is just right for painting and we typically have a plethora of subjects to paint...especially during the holidays when the poinsettias are in bloom.

Why Am I An Artist?

In the back of my mind I know I'm trying to out-race dementia.  I want to be a REAL artist before I start to forget how to paint!  That's the journey I'm on.  I don't have it now, or even any symptoms but I know it runs in my family. Watching my mom struggle with it for the past 10-15 years has been a sobering reminder.  Alzheimer's or dementia...whatever you want to call it...it stinks!  So, I'm assuming over time I will progress and get better at painting only to decline in later years.  I don't dwell on it because after all...I may not be here tomorrow!  (lol)

If you've ever struggled to achieve a dream that seemed so far out of reach it would be almost impossible to achieve...or, you've felt like that " little engine that could"...chugging, chugging, chugging uphill always thinking..."I think I can, I think I can..."  Then you know a bit about how the past three years have been for me.

Diving headlong into creating art three years ago (at 58), I've been an obsessed woman!  I've had so much to learn and fortunately because of the Internet and workshop teachers there have been mountains of information to absorb.  I felt I was starting out so many years behind everyone else and to top it all off I began with the most brutal self doubt imaginable.  My inner voice was so so critical of every painting I produced I didn't think I would ever feel confident.  And, because of it, I thought about giving up from time to time too.  I'm glad I didn't.   

My tombstone should have one word on it.... "Persevere" because throughout life that's what I told myself to do when things got tough.  It's SO very easy to stroll through life when things are going ok...but challenges call for perseverance.  So, I've hung in there.

For the remainder of my years I know I will love the artist life and continue to be in hot pursuit of that perfect painting...my masterpiece.  Personally, I doubt I will produce an actual masterpiece but every once in awhile a painting does magically "paints itself" (if your an artist, you know what I mean).  

In three years (and over 390 paintings) it's happened exactly twice.  Today I'm happy to report that the second of those two paintings (Along The Shoreline, above) was awarded Best Of Show in the Pastel Society of the West Coast's (PSWC) general members online competition as well as one of the Top 15% FAV on FASO's Boldbrush competition.  I don't enter competitions very often so this is a big deal for me especially because I've taken a look at the wonderful work submitted by all the other artists.  

I was dumbfounded when I got the call from PSWC and humbled to have my work acknowledged in this way.  I also know to "keep it real"...judging is subjective and another judge or panel of judges would most likely come up with a different winner altogether.  But today, I will enjoy the news because I know tomorrow, I will be in hot pursuit of that masterpiece all over again!!!

Along The Shoreline

Along The Shoreline

12x16, soft pastel

Along The Shoreline is most likely my favorite painting during the January 30in30.  Unfortunately the photo doesn't really pick up the true blue and green colors in the water...I'm assuming it may be because of the strong red dominating the center.  Being much larger than the typical 6x6 paintings I often do for the Challenge, it took a week or so to paint.  Painting larger is easier for me if I paint each day, not expecting to complete it all in one go.  Of course, I like the variations of red...but I also like the water and all the trees reflecting in it that were along the shoreline....thus, the title.  I will surely hate to part with this one!

A Walk To Work

A Walk to Work

9x9, soft pastel

Day 16 of 30 is a study piece from a trip to downtown Boise last spring.  I took many photos in March anticipating a few cityscapes that somehow were pushed to the back burner in 2016.  I still have hopes of completing them someday...so, I pulled one out to practice Desmond O'Hagan's techniques.   I may have to abandon my "painterly" technique!

Little Red

Little Red

12x16, soft pastel

Painting 15 of 30:  Little Red is finished.  It's always a toss up to be detailed vs. painterly....my style is somewhere in between.   I like definition...but too much detail and too much precision leads to stiff unnatural paintings with less expression.  If I was painting photorealistic then I'd put much more detail in.  So it's a fine balance every artist has to decide for him or herself when to stop and "let it be".   

This particular scene reminds me of myself.  I'm pretty darn petite...ok, I'm downright SHORT at a whopping 5'0".  Pretty much everyone seems to tower over me.  So I can identify wih this little dingy sitting side by side tied to a manmouth ship.  We may both be small...but we're so dang cute...lol.  Of course the older we get, we get a little rough around the edges.

Toy Boat Regatta - Pastel

Toy Boat Regatta - Pastel

12x9, soft pastel

Painting 13 of 30:  The same painting as yesterday...only in pastel.

WIP: Now a bit more layering...a bit more detail.

Toy Boat Regatta - Oil

Toy Boat Regatta - Oil

10x8, oil on board

Painting 12 of 30:  I like this little scene because of the colors of the water that graduate from dark blue at the top, down to the sandy color at the bottom...and of course I like the cute little toy boats gliding about....and of course, the boat reflections.  Come to think of it, I just like the whole darn thing!  And best of all...painting with oils didn't drive me crazy today!

WIP:  This one below will be a larger version (12x16 unframed, probably 16x20 framed) of "Little Red" which was a small pastel painting I completed a couple years ago.  I've had a hard time selling some of the paintings I really like and this is one of them.  But, my walls are filled...so this one will be sold, eventually.  First, a quick sketch...

Then a little work on blocking in the masses and working a bit on the first couple layers.

Yellow Belly - Pastel

Yellow Belly - Pastel

6x6, soft pastel

Day 4 of the 30in30.  Yellow Belly in pastel (loosely again).  This time I did manage to get the yellow reflection to read more green-yellow as it should be compared to yesterday's oil version. I don't know if it's any better...but on to another boat!  Painting the same scene in a different medium (so far) has been an interesting process.  

WIP Update:  The little dingy "Peaceful Morning"....80% there.

Golden Sunset

Golden Sunset

11x14, soft pastel

I just finished this piece (which is a larger version of a 6x6 painting completed during the September 30in30 Challenge).  It's headed to Arizona but I wanted to share it first, especially since I've been lagging behind in my blog posts this fall.  I guess that's how things go sometimes...never a dull moment!  I've really enjoyed painting skyscapes during the past couple months, hope you like it!