30 in 30 Hop to It – Day 28

Art for the Waterford show delivered, sold paintings mailed, art class attended and painting something new, well just barely.

Another "something to try" -- had to do a lot of fixes to end up with something decent. . . .  I don’t know what it is but things that seem hard, turn out to be easy and easy things, quite difficult!  Maybe that’s the practice (or lack thereof) talking!

Hop to It

Click hereto purchase - Daily Paintworks

Reference photo from PaintMyPhoto, Elle, Lunch Break.

Off to new homes: Persian Hibiscus to Alabama and How Rad & Lemon Tines! to Austin TX.

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 The Barn Door - Day 24

Apologies first, as I wasn’t able to paint yesterday so posting a painting that was in a show, didn’t sell, and is now on the way to a weekend festival in Waterford, VA.  If he still wants to come back home, he’ll go to Daily Paintworks.  Hopefully someone will fall in love and adopt him soon!  He’s adorable if you ask me. 

For the locals (Northern Virginia / DC area) – The historic village of Waterford welcomes fairgoers from around the world each October for three days of living history, food, heritage crafts, and just plain fun. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m each day. OCTOBER 2, 3 & 4. There is an extensive Art and Photography line up at the fair.  http://www.waterfordfoundation.org/

 

The Barn Door

The Barn Door – little puppy waiting by the barn door for whatever is to happen next.  My goal was to depict a blank page for a life of wonderful memories to come. The red door is to emphasize adventure.  Looks like he wants to follow you home!

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Bath Time! – 23

Double dare day.  I’ve always wanted to paint a sink, bathtub, faucet or something quite different from a traditional still life.  Definitely a challenge to capture chrome, porcelain and in this case, soft plastic that squeaks!  Hmmmm. . . . triple-dare?  Really glad I gave it a try – gives the word “bling” a whole new meaning. 

Bath Time!

Click hereto purchase - Daily Paintworks

Reference photo from PaintMyPhoto, Colin Ming, Bath Time!  I’ve never seen a blue rubber ducky, so went back to the traditional for that part.  BTW, polka dots are harder to paint than you’d think. 

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Rainier Cherries Day – 22

Finally rained today so I guess it’s appropriate to have Rainier cherries on the table for painting.  Too bad it was a photo and not the real thing!  Probably needed a little reminder of early summer as this season closes, the clouds begin to gather, and fall looms ahead.  

Ranier Cherries

Click hereto purchase - Daily Paintworks

Reference photo from PaintMyPhoto, Lee Pierce, Still Life 3 Delicious Cherries Vanished 

You all may remember a show I participated in at a winery in Waterford – one of the paintings just sold off the Facebook event page and is on its way to New York City!  A super-favorite of mine, but know it’s going to a great dog-and-art-loving home.  Blog story is HERE

Shotgun Sailor

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog.

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Stuck in More Ways than One – Day 21

Having fun with the fork and finding it’s now my “go to object” when I can’t find anything else to paint!  

•      Stuck #1 seriously running out of ideas,
•      Stuck #2 most things are either too large or too small for a fork, and
•      Stuck #3 perhaps you are thinking – would she please just move on! 

To me, the hardest part about this challenge, and painting in general, is WHAT to paint.  The joy comes when it’s all set up and ready to go – then you get to have fun turning it into art. 

Never even considered painting a cucumber until this idea popped into my head.  It worked, nice slice of an English cuke didn’t topple over the fork.  Decided to move it off center to accentuate the lovely shadow. Love the cool, crisp veggie on the hot yellow background.

Stuck in More Ways than One
Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks 

Hard to believe there are nine more days to go – oh no, what to do?

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Something Fishy – Day 20

How about a sea of fish (no pun intended) to brighten your day?   My crazy, colorful fish seem to be popular so thought I should include at least one in this challenge.  No shadows, no dimension, just flat, VERY colorful, cheery, bright-eyed fish.

Something Fishy
Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

Since I’ve wanted to do a color chart for some time, decided to try it with this painting. Well sort of. Took paint right out of the tube then mixed it with white to see both ends of the value (light to dark) scale.  Turned out better than expected, plus I’ve learned a lot about color behavior. The fish are still not sure about it at all J

For the inquiring minds – the colors are:

Top row:

Cerulean Blue

Sap Green

Cobalt Teal

Second row:

Ivory Black

Dioxazine Purple

Permanent Rose

Cobalt Blue

Third row:

Cad Orange

Phthalo Blue

Cad Green Pale

Fourth row:

Radiant Magenta

Phthalo Green

Cad Yellow

Paynes Grey

Fun rediscovering some of these colors.  A real color chart would have mixed other colors vs. white, but still interesting.   

Reference photograph is from Abner T. Ibarra, Fan Fins Fishes. PaintMyPhoto.

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 "Persian" Hibiscus – Day 19

Okay, there’s no such thing in real life, but time for a little creative license – love this hibiscus photo and painted it before, but wanted to try out my new Radiant Magenta (Gamblin) and tried-and-true Persian Rose (Williamsburg). Well before I knew it, all my favorite reds, purples and pinks were piling on.  Just love the way the pinks and blues play together. 

Fearless at this point, so went out on a limb and tried a new multi-media thing – I guess that’s what it is called.  I have a tool that’s called an eraser – basically a rubber tipped “brush” that lets you remove paint.  In this case it came in real handy to carve out the tip of the stamens (yellow round things), creating a more pronounced 3-D effect. The panel was toned in hot yellow so the carving brings it to the surface.  Since that was so fun, I “hacked” up the background to give it more interest. Use the DPW zoom function to see how fun that part turned out!

"Persian" Hibiscus
Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

Saying goodbye to Stick a Fork in It and Lucky Ladybug who are traveling together to Texas.

Photo reference from PMP, Marsha Woods, Hibiscus

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 How Rad – Day 18

Okay one more fork with about the most perfect looking radish I’ve ever found.  Love painting rads ‘cause the color is so intense, the round shape so challenging, the quirky leaves and “rat tail” or whatever the root is called.  Strange and even stranger shadows on the tail, but I liked the way it's "pointing" off into space.

How Rad
Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Lemon Tines – Day 17

Ridiculous, I know, but had to do a play on the fork part by emphasizing the tines!  You can talk about stabbing things for only so long, you know. 

This was particularly fun because the lavender background with the yellow lemon and lighting caused the fork to reflect blue.  I also like how the shadow of the tines is more noticeable than the last one. Marvelous looking at it now, but gave me a lot of trouble during the process.  Happy ending.

Lemon Tines

Click hereto purchase - Daily Paintworks

A fellow artist stopped by today so I brought out the two forks - the comment was - gee the blog doesn't really show how great these are -- she's right, the web defuses and flattens photos (no matter what).  So I encourage a visit to the Daily Paintworks link for a better view and zoom feature.  Still, she says, the painting is even better than that!  Hmmmm . . . I rather like that the buyers will be pleasantly surprised!

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Stuck on a Fork – Day 16

After receiving a few great comments on Stick a Fork in It – decided to do another one (or two perhaps). This challenge encourages artists to have a theme, but I haven’t been able to be very consistent on that point.  You might notice I do mini-themes for a couple days: yellow flowers, water lilies, windows, hanging fruit, and a few wild things thrown in – basically, I can’t even hold a theme together for more than two or three days! 

We love baby Bok Choy and while preparing it for a stir-fry realized how darling the center is and – uh oh – just about the same size as a fork!   Quick photo op and a star was born.  Did you know that Bok Choy is one of the healthiest foods? Exceptionally high for nutrient density even on the “powerhouse" fruits and vegetables list.   

Stuck on a Fork
Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

Delighted to report that Stick a Fork in It is leaving tomorrow for Austin, Texas.

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 This and That – Day 15

Halfway mark and need a pass.  Exhausting fitting a whole new “job” into your daily routine!  Love painting every day and the good-stress involved.  Finding something to paint, getting used to the color mixes, faster setup, quicker start, etc., but it takes a toll.  So today I’m posting a painting that I did in a class last summer.  On Daily Paintworks I have a separate tab called “This and That” where I’m listing other art events like shows and classes.  So the link will take you to that page. Who knows what will appear there in the future.

Turkish Delight (click here)
14 x 18"
This and That  (click here)

When someone you know buys your art – you are delighted because they know you, are supportive of your art journey, and love your art!  When someone who doesn’t know you buys, you know it is the art that calls them.  Not sure exactly what it is, but it is very special – I guess because it is an independent perspective that embraces your heartfelt goal to pursue art.  Feelings which are hard to put into words! 

Tangerine Tango is headed to Sacramento California and On the Edge is off to Peru, Indiana.

Thank you all for supporting this journey.  Breaks over, now back to "work."

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Do You Want Cream with That? – Day 14

End of summer weather so just had to paint these beauties.  All I could think while painting from this photo was whether or not there was cream at the bottom of the plate.  I guess it will remain a mystery, but I did serve my special strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar for dessert.  Have you tried it?  It is really quite surprising how the sweet and savory goes so well with the tang of a strawberry. Dip in the cream and dab with the sugar – yum!

Strawberry Surprise
Click here topurchase - Daily Paintworks

Lillian Bell is one of my favorite photographers on PaintMyPhoto - I guess you’re realizing that too.   Lillian Bell, Strawberries on White Saucer.

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Daylily Abstraction – Day 13

It’s always fun to paint something a bit abstract even though you hope that it has some semblance of reality when finished.   Loved this photo so dared to try it.  We’ll see what happens -- everyone has their own sense of what strikes them as art.  Personally, being this close to the inside of a daylily reminds me of how delicate and short-lived each flower is – only blooming for one day.  

Truly, being in the moment . . . . take a breath, right now, and have a mini-daydream on me. 

Daylily Abstraction
Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

The reference for this painting is from Barbara Swinton, Abstract Pistils and Stamens on PaintMyPhoto.

Exceptionally pleased to report that Daisy Divas, On the Fence and Waterlily in the Park are headed to Decatur, Alabama to one very, very special lady.  Watch out, she’s looking for more!

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Tangerine Tango – Day 12

Painting this photo has been on my to-do list for awhile. To me, the leaves are more interesting than the fruit, just look how the tangerines are surrounded – must be time to tango!  Some of you are probably thinking, well she doesn’t care much for eating oranges, so that’s why she’s looking at the leaves.  It’s kinda funny because I LOVE the color orange and frequently paint things just because of the color.  

I do like how this turned out, but it took me three times as long to paint it which is not really a good thing for this challenge, but it is a good thing for me every once in a while.  Especially now - class starts next week so I need to switch into painting a still life for two weeks and a minimum of six hours "mode" using a more traditional style of layering paint.  I learn a lot from both perspectives.

Tangerine Tango

Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

In the big news department: Lucky Ladybug is at it again and snagged me a spot on the "DPW Facebook picks of the day!" list (click)  Not the first one I’ve received, but the second – which is pretty much the same to me – one happy & lucky girl.  I just love it when we share in this journey. 

  

Photo reference is from one of my favorite photographers on PMP, Viacheslav, Tangerines.

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Orange is the New Lemon – Day 11

The inspiration for this painting is an amazing photo from Nicola B of PaintMyPhoto.  The photo is titled Orange in the Rain, but it sure looks like a lemon to me.  It’s possible I’m not seeing it right because I really don’t care for oranges.  Not sure why ‘cause I love lemon, lime, and especially grapefruit.  Not even in a cocktail – I’ll take a Lemon Drop, Gimlet or Greyhound over a Screwdriver any day!  

Orange is the New Lemon

Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

Oh yeah, I passed on the rain part since it rained here most of the day.  Tried to keep the dark background though because it really set off the. . . . shall we say “fruit.” 

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Spin the Wheel – Day 10

Welcome Lady Luck, in more ways than one!  

Ladybugs – we all apparently love them and somehow know they bring us good luck.  Well today was my day for that – love the way this girl turned out.  Probably one of the most realistic paintings I’ve done.  I think that kinda happens when it’s a new object and I go into “paint what you see” mode. . . . but it had to be the ladybug that brought the luck. 

Did you know (per The Google) that the appearance of a Ladybug heralds a time of luck in which our wishes begin to be fulfilled, worries begin to dissipate and new happiness comes about? Just say, yes, make a wish, exclaim “Fly Away Home,” and trust in what happens next!   

Lady Luck

Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

Thanks to Mido Modi for her incredible photo, Ladybug on PMP, and the luck she shared!

Wishing you delight, happiness and good luck.  Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Crofter's Window – Day 9

Today’s painting is from photographer Margaret Battye of PaintMyPhoto.  She called it Crofters Window Decoration – I had no idea what a Crofter was so once again The Google to the rescue, this time with a “teaching moment.”

Crofting is a form of Scottish Highland farm residence created in the 1800s.  A pretty meager and dismal existence given the weather and poor growing conditions.   Lots of history behind this topic. 

Suffice it to say that even in difficult situations. . . 

Someone took the time to place a beautiful geranium on a windowsill.  

Someone took the time to make a stunning photograph and 

Someone decided to paint it for the rest of you!  

Art is everywhere. 

Crofter's Window

Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

Thanks for sharing the journey.  Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Open the Window – Day 8

Trying something new that has intrigued me for awhile – windows!  When I lived in Germany, I was told the windows were the “eyes of the house.”  It has always stuck with me, although I’ve not heard that phrase since.  Perhaps a European convention.  

The painting today is from a reference photo taken in Paris, France.  Actually the photo has two windows, but I decided to combine them into one.  I liked the left one that was partially open, but preferred the window box from the right.  Artistic license at it again!

Window in Paris

Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

Rose Herczeg Window Boxes In the Latin Quarter Paris France found on PaintMyPhoto.  Including it here so you can see the full reference.  Wish I had the time, patience and talent to paint both windows and the lovely stonework.  Perhaps I’ll try it again sometime. Definitely a first for wrought iron!

Finally, very pleased to report that Mid-Summer Night’s Gardenia is on the way to Germany.

Thanks for sharing the journey.  Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Stick a Fork in It – Day 7

Pretty sure this is the first time I have painted every single day for a week!  Those daily painters with hundreds of paintings, make it seem so effortless – NOT, but I’m really happy I’m still in the game.  This challenge makes it easy to stay positive since the goal is to TRY to paint all 30.  The true goal is to keep practicing and experimenting.  I do know that it’s now way easier to remember how to mix colors!

When I saw this photo, I just had to give it a try.  Was a lot of fun and I know we’ve all had days where we’re on the edge of done and just need to laugh at ourselves and disconnect for a while.  Knowing I could “quit” at any time was just enough to keep me going!  No pun intended, but I had to take a couple of stabs at this one until I was satisfied with it.

Stick a Fork in It

Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

The photographer of the reference photo, Lillian Bell, has several exceptional photos on Paint My Photo.  She is an accomplished artist so her shots are very well composed, interesting and imaginative. 

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 On the Edge – Day 6

Last lily for a while.  I’ve enjoyed playing around with warm and cool greens.  The color of the water in lily ponds is always intense so got to do more playing around in that part too.  This one looked like it enjoyed being “on the edge” with plenty of room to spread out.    

On the Edge
Click here to purchase- Daily Paintworks

The reference for this painting is from Suzanne Reen.

Thanks for sharing the journey.  Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 What is Labor? Day 5

In a rush today because it’s Labor Day weekend! Doesn’t seem like painting should be considered labor, but after considering the amount of time, money and effort; I guess it has to start out that way.  Most artists will tell you they just have a powerful need to paint.  I’ll admit though that this Day 5 is kinda feeling more like labor. . . .   cross your fingers that Day 6 will happen as scheduled.  Deadlines, deadlines!

Waterlily in the Park

Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

Labor Day is to recognize the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of their country.  We have a lot to celebrate!

The photographer of the reference photo, Janina Suuronen is from a small town in Spain, which reinforces that beauty and artists are everywhere.  

Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 Cool Down - Day 4

All those sunflowers caused me to look for someplace to cool off.  What could be better than a pond of waterlilies!  Love these scenes because they are so tranquil, serene and so wonderfully quiet.  

For some reason water lilies are quite challenging to paint. Perhaps because the mood is soft but all the edges seem to be so sharp and hard - even the shadows are darker than you’d expect coming through what appears to be translucent petals.  Hmmmm. . . .guess not.  Actually I think the petals are quite dense so maybe knowing that, I'll have a bit more luck.  My first art teacher kept saying “paint what you see, not what you think you see.”  A life-long journey that will be.   I will try another one tomorrow ‘cause it’s all about practice, practice, practice and I love water lilies and the amazing colors that follow them around!

I'm also super happy to mention that my Day 1 On the Fence and my Day 3 Yellow Coneflower were both selected as DailypPaintworks Auction picks! Not something that happens very often and then to have two so close together - yay.  Guess painting more really does help.

Sunlit Waterlily
Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

The reference for this painting is from Nichola B Sunlit Waterlily on PaintMyPhoto.

Thanks for sharing the journey.  Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 For Real, Yellow Coneflowers? Day 3

The Google (I love that phrase) tells me that yes, indeed yellow coneflowers exist – botanical name, Echinacea Paradoxa.  A paradox because they are usually purple/pink.  Okay then, nothing better than a paradox to set your imagination free. Learned that the definition of paradox includes “vicious circularity,” Google it if inclined.  I point this out because the photographer and I both live in towns called Vienna – hers is in Europe and mine is in Virginia.  What are the chances of that happening? Not to mention I visited her beautiful city many years ago . Circular, for sure. I just love the coincidence and learning that comes from doing something outside your “normal.”

One of my absolute favorite summer flowers so had to go for it - thrilled to find out they also come in yellow!

Yellow Coneflower
Click here to purchase - Daily Paintworks

The reference for this painting is from Gerlinde Lehner Summerflower on the new PaintMyPhoto website. 

Thanks for sharing the journey.  Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,

30 in 30 From the Side - Day 2

I love summer – the longer days, the warmer weather, the clear skies and lush landscape – everything is so colorful!

Today’s painting is a sunflower from a different angle. A fun painting given the side perspective of the sunflower.  Adding more drama to the petals by using a palette knife and thicker paint to draw the eye to the left.  Wielding a knife is scary, but rather effective.  Scary because it’s like stabbing the painting and hoping you don’t hit anything vital.  En garde Sunflower!   Good thing it’s not facing me. . .

From the Side
Click here to purchase this painting at Dalily Paintworks

The Daily Paintworks gallery (link above) has a great zoom feature - give it a go. 

The reference for this painting is from Dorene Currier's Behind the Sun on the new PaintMyPhoto website.  It is free to register, donations appreciated.  

Thanks for sharing the journey.  Enjoy - life is joy we make one moment at a time,