TaDa! Done.......

"Scrambled?" 4 x 4" oil on gessobord Daily Painting

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I'm done! I'm hoping the gallery owner likes them.

Now on to working towards a May Exhibit at Higher Grounds in Golden, CO. Still will be working on the small format paintings....a lot of square formats (4", 6") and some 5 x 7's.

Nine Down, One to Go

"Apple with Slice" 4 x 4" oil on gessobord Daily Painting

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"Two Pears" 4 x 4" oil on gessobord

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This has been a most fun challenge, to paint 10 paintings in this small format for a gallery. I finished two today and will do one more tomorrow then I will be back on Etsy. I sort of miss that venue and watching to see whose viewing and favoriting the paintings.

June's gone off this afternoon for a commitment and I'm thinking about going home and taking a nap! Just because I can......

See you tomorrow!

Two Today...

"Cutie" 4 x 4" oil on gessobord Daily Painting

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"Red Pepper Top" 4 x 4 oil on gessobord Daily Painting

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New brushes today...can't believe I was using the old ones. Finished two of these guys today and home by 3pm to take a nap before we watch our granddaughter tonight and tomorrow. I need my strength!!

"Eggs - actly!" 4 x 4 Daily Painting

"Eggs-actly!" 4 x 4 oil on gessobord Daily Painting

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I have painted eggs in pastel but never in oil...tough little buggers to make interesting. I'm not sure this will go off in the gallery shipment or not, but I thought I would share it with you.

Gosh, I love Colorado! I was coming home from Hobby Lobby (brushes are %50 off until the 29th of Jan, I believe) and as I was heading back west the foothills were getting snow showers. They were drenched in what looked like fog or smoke but it was really snow and then the sun was shining in spots and the color was orange. It was truly amazing.

Friday at the Studio..What Fun!

"Red Apple" 4 x 4" oil on gessobord

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"Three Cherries" 4 x 4" oil on gessobord

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Well, this was just one fun day.....painted in the morning, took a break for lunch at this cozy little restaurant down the street from our studio that serves Empanadas (and everthing Venezuelan).

Back at the studio this afternoon to paint the cherries. There is a theme to these paintings that I am sure is becoming apparent. The opening at Castle Gallery is a Valentine-themed event. She wanted cherries, apples, fruits and vegetables that would complement the theme.

Might try some eggs tomorrow (symbol of fertility) on different colored cloths.

Cherries and Oh Boy, Pinch Me!!!

"Spoon and Cherries" 4 x 4" oil on gessobord
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"Single Cherry" 4 x 4" oil on gessbord
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OK....here's my exciting news. A gallery owner bought one of my daily paintings off of Ebay. After she received it, she contacted me to let me know she loved it.


AND.. she was interested in buying 8-10 more for their Valentine Opening of a new exhibit. The two paintings above are part of her shipment.


AND..would I be interested in submitting images of my pastels for review? They might be interested in representing my pastels in their gallery. The gallery is called Castle Gallery in Fort Wayne, IN.


You just never know who you might be in contact with! Isn't the internet wonderful??

Cherries - Daily Painting

"Cherries" 5 x 7" Oil on gessobord

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Back to the studio after a day with sweet Emma, our granddaughter. She is such a loveable little thing and always wants "mo hug". She'll be two in a couple months. Yesterday afternoon I drew a cat on her chalkboard easel and she yelled "Cat-Cat!". I guess my drawings skills are sufficient.

Red Pepper 5 x7 Daily Painting

"Red Pepper" 5 x 7" oil on gatorboard

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Ah, Monday in the studio...another beautiful day...mid 50's.....Loreena McKennitt on the CD player. Ideal for painting......

Hope you enjoy the red pepper, Hubby picked it out at the store yesterday. He also brought home some other produce...tomatoes, cherries, onions. I told him last week to find some "sensual shapes", so yesterday he said he spent a little too long with the onions, as people were beginning to look at him. He's such a sweetheart.

Big Ol' Fat Lemon - Daily Painting

"Big Ol' Fat Lemon" 5 x 7" Oil on Canvas Gatorboard

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Very productive day at the studio today, plus the weather was superb! 54 degrees, warm enough to have our front door open. June and I always take turns picking the music to paint by, so I was going through some gems she had brought in.....I found Nat King Cole! I was so into the music...reminded me of listening to my Mom and Dad's LP's when I was a teenager.

This lemon was huge, and I picked a small pitcher to accompany it....which makes the lemon look even more huge. Thus, the title.

Apple with Stripes - Daily Painting

"Apple with Stripes" 5 x 7" oil on canvas gatorboard
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Well, my "fruit purchaser" (AKA Hubby) brought home some apples from work yesterday. (He would have made a good hunter/gatherer!) These apples were nice and dark red. So by themselves they were a little bland to paint. So I drug out the never-used Target striped tablecloth and thought the colors went nicely together. The hardest part of this painting to paint was the jug in the back left. I must have wiped it out and repainted at least 4 times.

June and I took a trip to the coffee shop in downtown Golden and found out we were on the schedule to have an exhibit in May. I may have to start painting two or three of these a day, or hold back from selling them online. Online is so much easier because I don't frame them...for an exhibit I probably should put on a nice frame (equates to $$).

Welcome to my new followers! I appreciate your interest in my artwork and my ramblings.

Bluesy Pears Daily Painting

"Bluesy Pears" 5 x 7 oil on canvas gator board

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Just painted this morning. I posted it on Etsy to list it for sale. It hadn't been listed more than 5 minutes and it sold. It must have struck a "bluesy" chord with the buyer from CA.
This is more fun than I can express.......yippee!

Pear and Shadow 5 x 7 Daily Painting

"Pear and Shadow" 5 x 7" oil on canvas/gator board
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It was a snowy day today, so I painted at home. Hubby was making a bank deposit run and asked if I needed anything. "Would you get me some pears?" So he came home with three lovely pears and a lemon...in case I got industrious with my painting. I didn't but there is always the proverbial tomorrow.

More Classical Approach-First Color Layer

"Mandarin Orange - Classical" 5 x 5 on gallery wrapped canvas
First Color Layer

The daily paintings I have been posting are a "one-session put the paint on and be done" approach. A more classical approach which is the way "Mandarin Orange-Classical" is being painted is to do it in layers with drying time in-between.

Obviously the classical approach takes more time and discipline but has a wonderful effect of depth that is very hard to capture in the one-session paintings. This is still a work in progress as only the first layer of color was applied yesterday and "whiffed" with a mop brush. This gives soft edges, removes any ridges of paint to have to deal with in subsequent layers. The next layer will be more specifices, edges, and highlights.

Pepper Blues - 4 x 4 Daily Painting

"Pepper Blues" 4 x 4 oil on gessobord - Daily Painting
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One thing I've learned quickly with this very small format of 4 x 4" is to keep the subject very simple and use big brushes. So different for me who started as a colored pencil artist and used the sharpened tip of a pencil to apply pigment. But I'm having great fun!

Cup and Spoon - Daily Painting

"Cup and Spoon" 4 x 4 oil on board - Daily Painting
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Apple and Slices Daily

"Apple and Slices" 4 x 4" oil on board - Daily Painting
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What's left of my Harry and David apples.....

Back in the studio this morning with the space heater, it's been a little nippy in here over the last week with our sub-freezing temps. What we won't do to paint?!

Sunday Pepper - Daily Painting

"Pepper" 4 x 4" oil on board - Daily Painting
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This was another piece of produce confiscated from my son's refrigerator the other day. Certainly easier to paint than yesterday's tea cup, I'm still recuperating from that!

Concentrating on keeping my brush strokes loose, keeping the colors clean (not muddy) and wielding a medium size brush on this little format.

Meakin China Cup for January 1, 2011

"Meakin China Cup" 4 x 4 oil on Gessobord Daily Painting

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Well, this was a challenge to paint...what was I thinking?? However as it turns out it's hubby's favorite so far. This sets a dangerous precedent in terms of difficulty for the rest of the year. But tomorrow I'm doin a lemon or something simple.

Happy New Year to all! May your year be full of whatever brings you joy....