Red Pepper

This is my first painting in a couple of weeks.  The holidays can really do a number on your painting routine. We have had a wonderful holiday, though, surrounded by family and friends.  We are blessed. Red pepper and knife, oil on 6"x6" panel.
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Little Owl no.2

This little guy is on a 4"x4" canvas that is 1 1/2" deep so it will sit by itself on a shelf.

Oil on 4"x4" canvas. Click here to buy.

Out On a Limb no.2

I've been trying to finish my Christmas shopping this week.  Each day the traffic and crowds get worse, and I get grouchier.  Hopefully, I can wrap it up tomorrow (pun intended).  Then I can stay at home, bake, wrap those gifts and enjoy the holiday.

I've had too much fun with little owls.  These are on a yellow background, oil on a 6"x 12" canvas.

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Christmas Porch Makeover

Whoo Me? Funny owl, oil on a 12"x9" canvas.

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My front porch this Christmas!   I spent Friday morning cleaning and oiling up this old sled from David's childhood.   The skates were Daly's, the reindeer was passed down from my mother-in-law.  






I also gave the window boxes a holiday update.  They make me smile as I come and go!

The wreath smells wonderful every time we open the door.

Dogtown

I've begun a series of Cardinals. I love watching them on the feeder and they speak of Christmas and winter to me.  Cardinal no.2,  oil on 6"x6" canvas.  Click here to buy.

My sister and I traveled to DOGTOWN, AL (really, there is a place named Dogtown) today for a visit to Akins Furniture.  It's a HUGE furniture store in a series of rambling, connected buildings in the middle of nowhere known for their great prices. We traveled about an hour and a half from Birmingham and it was well worth the trip.  Here is the dining furniture I bought.  I got the table and six chairs for what I would have paid for just the chairs.  Score!  Can't wait to have it in my dining room.

Bluebird on Sunflowers

It's cool again today.  Such is the roller coaster of weather in Alabama, air conditioning yesterday, sweaters today.  I painted these sunflowers from an old sketch in my nature journal. When I finished them, they looked like they needed a bird on them.   Bluebird on Sunflowers.  Oil on 24"x12" canvas.

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Pumpkin Stacking

Pumpkin stacking this weekend.  I'm pretty sure that it is a city ordinance that everyone must have a stack of pumpkins on the porch.  This is ours - I certainly don't want to be fined.   I fell in love with the muted colors of these pumpkins.  That's our Golden, Chelsea the photo bomber.

Owl Babies no. 2.  Oil on 6"x6" panel.

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Sunflower

After some rain last night, a cold front has moved through bringing us the first really chilly temperatures and a brisk breeze.  Sweater weather. Yes.

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Little Pumpkin

I spent part of the morning at our local farmstand choosing some pumpkins and gourds to decorate the house for fall.   There is such an amazing variety of shapes and colors it's hard to choose.  Here is a little gourd that is white with orange and green in the creases.
Oil on 4"x4"x1 1/2" deep canvas.  The canvas is deep enough to sit by itself and the edges are finished so it's ready to display.  Click here to buy.

Burrowing Owl

Another owl, this one more serious and stately.  Oil on 6"x6" panel. Click here to buy.

Who's That?

Another funny little owl chick.  Oil on 8"x8" canvas.

Spent the weekend in Daphne, Alabama at their annual Jubilee Festival.  With the exception of about three hours on Saturday, it rained the whole time. Steady, soaking rain, followed by a drenching downpour.  I didn't even sell enough to cover my booth fee. Not to mention  the jury fee, the Baldwin County business license, gas, food and two nights at the Hampton Inn, but who's counting??

Adoration

Another southern bloom, the white camellia, which symbolizes adoration in the language of flowers. Thinking of my sweet mother today on what would have been her 94th birthday. 

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Dignity

It's been a long summer, but this week Anna went back to school.  I think that we all function better on a schedule.  I try to remember this at 6:00 a.m.
This is another white flower close up.  This time, a magnolia blossom.  You can't get more southern than this.  In the traditional language of flowers, a magnolia symbolized dignity or splendid beauty.
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Another White Rose

My entry in the daily paintworks rose challenge.  I have painted from this photo before, it's fun to see and compare how my painting has changed in the past year.  

Oil on 12"x12" canvas. 

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Hummingbird

Lots of activity on the hummingbird feeder outside of my window today.   The tiny birds are so fast and pretty aggresive.  It's fun to watch them fight for position.  It's also hard to get a good photo because they move so quickly, so some artistic license was involved in this little painting.

Oil on 4"x4"x1 1/2" deep canvas.

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Two Hearts

At the Black Creek Arts Festival my neighboring artist was telling me about how she is intrigued by naturally occuring heart shapes like some leaves or petals. I had never given it much thought, but when I was posing these plums, I realized that they were both heart shaped at certain angles. Then I posed them to take full advantage of their shape.  Thus the name "Two Hearts."
Oil on 5"x7" canvas.
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Montgomery Museum of Art

 Anna and I spent the day with friends Devin and Trudy at the Montgomery Museum of Art.  What a wonderful day!  This was my first trip there, and I was quite impressed.  This is the beautiful rotunda of the building. They have some really interesting pieces in the permanent collection, an awesome gift shop and a surprisingly fun exhibit of flatware. (Yes, forks and spoons).

One of Anna's favorites was a painting by Zelda Fitzgerald.  She had studied the early twentieth century in History and English this year.

I loved the color and loose brushwork in this work by southern artist Margaret M. Law from 1915.

Sweet tea and chicken salad for lunch. No southern ladies' day out would be complete without it. Devin, Anna and Trudy in the museum's cafe.

Sleepy Bee

My entry in the Daily Paintworks Insect Challenge.  This bee was napping on the purple coneflower by my mailbox.  The hot, humid weather makes even the bees feel lazy.

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Ganner

A couple of weeks ago at the Black Creek Arts Festival, I took commissions for several dog portraits.

This is Ganner. His portrait was for a Father's Day gift.  Ganner's mom wanted to give her husband this portrait because Ganner is their "baby" together.  What a sweet gift.

I worked from this photo.  What a cutie.  I can work from your photo as well, to immortalize your "baby".  Contact me by making a comment.

Libby, the Decorative Accessory

This is our cat, Libby hanging out in the living room on an end table.  She looked so sweet, I snapped a photo. She has a thing for sitting on top of papers, thus the magazine.  She has since been replaced by some candlesticks.

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Max, the Dog

This guy is from a photo I've had in my inspiration stash a long time.  I have always been so drawn to his face, especially the eyes.   I have no idea what his real name is, Anna just said he looks like a "Max".

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Several people have asked if I do custom dog portraits.  I do, I work from your photos.  Contact me for sizes and prices by posting a comment here or through my gallery on dailypaintworks.com

Mr. Bluebird

Getting into the routine of summer has been a little tricky.  Not a lot of painting going on so far.  The good news is Anna and I have been walking/rolling for exercise on our cul-de-sac every morning this week. (Yay us!)  Anna's friend Devin and her mom Trudy have been joining us, which makes it a LOT more fun.  (Yay Browers!)

This little birdie is on a 4"x4"x1 1/2" canvas that is deep enough to sit on a shelf by itself.  
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Orange Pair

Anna's school year is coming to a close.  She has finals three more days and then she is through.  I am hoping for an art-filled summer for the two of us.  I envision days working side by side on painting and drawing, and maybe collaborating on a project or two.  I may get a reality check pretty quickly, but it is nice to dream.
Two oranges on a 6"x6" canvas.  Sold.

Three Cherries

This week has been all about "filling orders".  I have been blessed to have several people commission paintings in the past few weeks.  It is an odd feeling, not just painting something that appeals to me at the moment, but creating something within the guidelines that someone gives me.  It's a really fun challenge, and it feels awesome to know that a painting already has a "home" before it leaves my easel. These cherries are for a trio of fruit paintings destined for a kitchen.   6"x6" canvas.  Sold.

Veggies

Here's a really fun commission I got from my etsy site.
It is going to a vegan couple for their kitchen.  Cute, right?  She saw the tomatoes and wanted two other veggies to match.  On 8"x8" canvas, SOLD.

Two Kisses

Totally enjoyed my day at Art in Avodale Park yesterday.  Lots of kids making fun art, wonderful artists exhibiting and good music.  At one point in the afternoon, I had a man on a guitar playing for tips right next to my booth.  So fun.  So hot.  It's definately summer here in the "sunny south".

Here are two silver kisses on a 5"x7" canvas, foil is a fun challenge.  Click here to buy.

The New Black

I  have struggled with darks.  I've been warned against out-of-the-tube black.   I have been mixing my own, from ultramarine and burnt umber.  Nice, but not so predictable.   I read about Gamblin's Chromatic Black in the Blick catalog and bought a tube a couple of weeks ago.  It's mixed from Quinacridone Red and Pthalo Emerald green. It is much more transparent than regular black and grays mixes nicely instead of making them flat and dull. Predictably, consistantly.  It's my new go-to. 

"I've been 40 years discovering that the queen of all colors was black." -- Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Mr. Red

I have a small egg shaped bird feeder outside my kitchen window.  Just right for chickadees and titmice..  The cardinals are too big, but that doesn't stop them from trying.  They're fun to watch as they try to cram their big selves into a small opening for some seed.  Lest you feel sorry for them, we do have a large feeder that they can easily access just feet away.  I guess they like the challenge.

Male cardinal on 6"x6" panel.  Click here to buy.

Scarlet Tanager

I think that we've seen the last of the cool weather.  I packed up transitional clothes, jackets and warm jammies today.  Won't need them again until Halloween.  Hello, Summer.

  Scarlet Tanager on a 6"x6" canvas panel.  Click here to buy.

Cockerel

Colorful rooster on a 16"x20" canvas.  Click here to buy.

Red Kicks

Nothing lifts your mood like wearing red shoes. Especially when they are this comfy and cute.  8"x8" canvas panel, unframed.  Click here to buy.

Pink Converse

  I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.
Audrey Hepburn

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White Face

Hey, Mom? Mom?   My second go at a favorite photograph.  This is on a 16"x20" canvas. Click here to buy.

Norton's Floral

A local florist provided a gorgeous floral arrangement for our art association meeting, and held a contest for the best painting.  This is my entry.  I have never tackled such a large floral before, so I cropped in pretty tight to focus on an interesting part of the arrangement.  Painting flowers was really fun and challenging,  and I look forward to trying some more florals.  It sold at the show on Saturday.

My First Art Show

Saturday the weather held up and we had a wonderful day for the Mt. Brook Art Association's Spring Art Show.  This is the first time that I have participated in a local show, and I had a terrific experience. Lots of family and friends came by to say hi, and there was a great turn out even with the iffy weather.  It was unseasonably cool and breezy, but turned out to be a beautiful day, which was an answer to prayer.

Here's my booth.  Most of my paintings are on the small side, so the folding panels we found at Lowe's worked out great.   The EZ-Up tent was actually pretty easy to put up with two people (thanks, David).

The show is held on the athletic fields of an elementary school in a great little village with lots of people with their kids on bikes, babies in strollers and dogs on leashes.

My son Will and daughter Anna came to support me.  It worked, because I sold 19 paintings!!!!!

I was surprised and thrilled to receive one of six "Award of Distinction" ribbons given to artists for their body of work. The judge was very complimentary and encouraging especially about my still life.  Needless to say, I am now even more motivated to pursue my daily painting!