Pink Grapefruit

Reference photo is from an amazing photographer on Paint My Photo (PMP-Art.com).  Stunning work. Many of his photos look like paintings and are quite inspirational.  He definitely has an artist's eye for composition and lighting. This is one of my favorites.  A bit of artistic license getting it to fit into a 6 x 6 tho.

Pink Grapefruit
click to zoom / purchase

Viacheslav's photo - registration required, but free.  

Update -  Thread the Needle has been updated to include a reflection under the thimble. Click here for the auction, it's much better now - thanks for the help (you know who you are).  

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

Let's Get the Party Started

This one was so much fun to paint.  The grape tomatoes from the farmer’s market were looking for trouble and happened upon the jalapeno pepper who wanted to start a party.  They huddled together and made a plan, then headed off to find the rest of the team (oh, I mean ingredients).  Guess I better go hide the limes I’m planning to paint!

Salsa Plan

This painting will be added to the Daily Paintworks auction on Sunday 8/11.   

Life is joy you make one moment at a time. . . 

Recharged!

Getting back into the swing of painting now that we’re back from a wonderful vacation to Bermuda.  Going to try painting a few of the photos – the colors are so fabulous and the island so beautiful.  I suspect it will be a bit of a challenge switching from painting real life / still life, but ready to dive in.

This is a do-over of a painting because the panel was damaged on the first one. So very disappointing and I think added to my lack of painting mojo.  Hopefully that’s behind me now!  I am mesmerized by these beautiful royal blue, gold rimmed plates we found on our honeymoon.  I think you know I LOVE grapefruit.  Not too many of us do, but hopefully we all at least like looking at them.  I am enjoying the fact that I get to keep the first one despite its flaws. . . 

Luscious Elegance #2

This painting will be added to the Daily Paintworks auction on Saturday 8/10.    

Quick Update

Apologies for not updating the blog lately – no excuse.  Wanted to let you know that I’ll be doing the Studio tour 20% off selection tomorrow morning and will notify everyone no later than Monday 7/22. 

Meanwhile, I’m adding this painting to the auction starting on Sunday 7/21.

Best of luck to all!   

Me and My Shadow  (auction)

p.s. again I apologize for the poor grammar. . .  It should be My Shadow and I. 

Sunday Morning

Big weekend and another milestone – not one, but two, paintings have sold in the auction so they will be off to new homes!.  It’s always exciting to see who wins the final bid.  I guess for good reason, even I can’t see who’s bidding on a painting – only the final highest bidder.  Guess that’s so I know where to send it.  

Adding this one to the auction tomorrow.  I’m calling it Sunday Morning. Happy orange slices.  This was created for the challenge painting that ends this weekend.  Whew, just in time.  See The Composition Challenge (link).

Sunday Morning

After this blog email arrives in your mailbox around 11:00 am, you will see a very special edition later that evening around 11:00 pm with the surprise event I mentioned yesterday.  

Enjoy

Swiss Miss

Some of you may know that I had the most delightful opportunity to live in Europe during my high school years.  As an American family, we had the luxury of traveling and learning a lot.  To me, experiencing other cultures is the best education you can possibly have, especially when growing up.  This darling cup came from a small hotel in Switzerland on one of our many ski trips.  It has the subtle, yet distinctive feel of a tulip.  Can you see the petals?  Such fond memories, better than a T-shirt souvenir don’t you think?  I recall the hotel refused my offer to pay for it, but were gracious enough to give it to me.  A cherished memory.  Perhaps I should try this again because the delicate white got a bit lost in trying to render the whole.  I love it anyway.

Swiss Miss

Delish!

What’s could be better than triangular fruit on a square plate!  I just love the way light sneaks through watermelon unlike other subjects – it’s not translucent nor opaque but some mysterious place in between.  How lovely to have such variety in life.  This was both fun and frustrating to paint.  I hope to do more in the future. 

Delish!

One of my fondest childhood memories was the “watermelon dress.”   Growing up with a brother and three sisters – there were a lot of hand-me-downs (clothes, toys, furniture, etc.).  That has to be an ancient term.  I wonder what it is called now. Gently-used-pre-re-cycle-wear or something like that.  Ha, ha.    At any rate, it was a great dress – starchy white and dark green with big bold, appliqué watermelon slices on it.  All the girls got to wear it and you can see it was a favorite when you look through any family photo album.   Funny how some things just stick with you for a lifetime.  I cannot think about watermelon without thinking about the dress and I bet my three sisters are the same!  Normal people probably just think watermelon means it is finally summertime!

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

Trying on Some Black

Hello again - Earlier I mentioned that I had a few new paintings, but was not very happy with them.  I “called a friend”, got the CPR going, and will post them over the next few days.  In addition, I’m trying out black backgrounds because they seem so intriguing.  The black I use is Phthalo Green and Alizarin Crimson (learned a few years ago from DT).  Somehow, the dark green and red make the most luscious black.  These are both considered cool colors, who knew.  Perhaps that explains why anything warm will pop out at the viewer.  So much to learn.

Every day I try to take a three-mile walk.  The path has a number of wildflowers and it’s always delightful to see what’s blooming.  Go figure, all the time we spend hand-holding and tending our garden plants doesn’t seem to apply to these hardy specimens that brave the drought and the torrential rains!  This painting was to capture their bravado.  Calling it Daisy Divas, because it looks like they are actually singing into the wild clover “mike” and jockeying for the limelight!

Daisy Divas

Tomorrow I will post my favorite of the three and put it up for auction. I am delighted to report that last week's painting, Lemons Four Ways, has been bid on (auction to end on Sunday June 16th).

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

Pretty in Pink

Painted a few new ones, but not happy with them so far - Looks like I'll have to and call in CPR (Creative Painting Rescue) again!    Also, adding two items to the auction over the weekend (one today and one on Sunday).  This is one I really love and have blogged about before – took a few adjustments to get it to the happy place.  

Pink Roses with Silver Creamer

First Auction – We Have a Winner!

So very exciting when literally, in the last few minutes, my first auction received a bid.  Smart cookie waiting until the very end to swoop the deal!  Honestly, I have to say that they are one of my “collectors” so I get to learn the process for shipping, etc. with a known quantity.  Made my day and really helps provide the extra boost to do this in the first place.  We are both winners. Surprise and delight all rolled into one.  Didn't even know they were watching!

The following painting has been posted to last week’s challenge “The Plein Air Challenge.”  Plein Air means you brave the elements and go outside to paint.  Huh, really?  Those of us in Northern Virginia have been waiting for spring to arrive – already more than a few weeks late.  A couple of my daffodils started to open so I thought I would go get them and bring them inside to paint – a bit of cheating there!  It was just too cold, cloudy and gray last Saturday.  Now spring has arrived, yet I ended up painting them in the house anyway ‘cause I picked them all.  Grrrr. . .  Today it hit the low 80's - welcome to spring on the east coast!   

Double Lion Head Daffodils
 Since I was cheating anyway, the canvas tone is hot pink and I chose turquoise for the background, just because I love how it plays off the yellows.
Listed as PayPal buy it now, but for you insiders if not sold, will be added to the auction in a few weeks. 

Me and My Shadow

I love the Daily Paintworks weekly challenges, but somehow I don’t get around to them before the next challenge arrives – must get better about that!  This challenge is called “The Meaning of Spring” and about how everyone has their own unique thoughts that come to mind.  

Tulips are all about spring, but they are extra special in this house as we have a tradition of searching  high and low to make sure we have a bunch on March 1^st and on the first day of spring.  Gets us through the winter!  This little guy is the last one standing and well aware of the fact that his shadow is larger than life. . . .

Alice in Wonderland

With prompting from an artist friend, I’m entering a show in Falls Church VA.  A bit out of the ordinary now that I’m painting small.  So Alice, I guess we better get big!  Luckily, I happen to have a few favorites that I’m willing to share and hope they find a new home.  It’s nice to have the joy of creating something and then enjoying others having it for their own.  The parting is still a struggle that never seems to get easier. I don’t have a photo of the second painting, but will try and post it tomorrow. 

Celebrating 10 years of Art in Falls Church  – DECADEnt All-Member Show, 

April 5-28, 2013.  410 S. Maple Ave. Falls Church, VA 22046

I love this painting because of the strong contrast of the bright, warm tulips against the cold, dreary window – you can just feel Spring getting ready to erupt.  BTW, the photo is accurate, it's painted in the Macchiaioli (Italian) style that was a precursor to French Impressionism.  See, something to learn every day!

Ah, Spring Time

Back to getting small again - working on the “barn” painting from last Sunday – still too early to ask about it. . .  not sure if it’s going to survive, but will take a few more stabs at it later this week.