Quality Time in the Wild.. For lack of a better title at this time.

Quality Time in the Wild
30x24 Oil on Linen Hardboard

I'm calling this one finished.  The painting has been on and off the easel for about 5 months.  Had a lot of difficulty with the size, as its a very large piece for me, since figureing out how to paint a large shape and make it painterly can be a challenge.   You can make it so busy that it competes with the focal point and throws the whole painting off.  There are probably two other paintings under this one.  Now off to find a frame.
Speaking of frames..  I'm going to go to gallery wrapped canvases for my bigger paintings.  The expense for the frames is brutal!  

Vanderbilt Beach Palms -Plein Air

Vanderbilt Palms
8x10 Oil on Hardboard
Plein Air   SOLD

Vanderbilt Beach is a great place to find a lot of different subjects for plein air painting.  I had a great spot for painting, under a teki  hut.  Which gave me great lighting for the few hours I worked on this.
Trying hard to get out more and paint.  Have a few paintings in the finishing stages right now.  One may even be finished tonight.  Stay tuned.  :-D

Plein Air at Shangri-La Springs

Pottery in Oil
8X10 on linen hardboard

Its been a good long while since I did any Plein Air painting.  It really did feel good to get out and paint.

There group of painters from the Estero Fl. area that get together on Wednesday to paint outdoors and I was happy to join in the fun.  We painted for about 2 1/2 hours at  Shangri-La Springs, Bonita Fl.  This painting is done in oil and is a 8X10.  Sometimes the simplest subjects make the best paintings don't they?  I know I needed a simple painting to start off with. 

YSU Festival of the Arts, Youngstown Oh.

Have to give a shout of thanks to all my customers who helped make the show a success.  I always feel so honored that my art graces their walls and homes.

Sunflowers to Bluebirds

Bluebird
5x7 Oil

The Bluebirds are  back!  So I took a few hours from painting sunflowers to painting Bluebirds.


Their such wonderfully colored birds with a kind eye and I do love to paint them.

Sunflowers, Sunflowers, and more Sunflowers

 Sunflowers are the subject for "A Painting A Day" Facebook page that a friend started.  So here are a couple of quick studies.  Most took only a 1/2 hour or so..
The two lighter paintings which gambit to a lighter sepia tonal color scheme are the result of cleaning up the palette.   Always a good exercise to use a limited palette but I think what was left on the palette was just a bit to sparse in terms of darks.  But they still look pretty.  :)

5x7 Oil

8x10 oil

11x14 Oil

11x14 Oil

Violet and Yarn

Violet and Yarn
8x10 Linen Hardboard

#4 done for the Painting Challenge.  SInce I came in a bit late thats all I'm going to get done for the Still Life Challenge.  Today starts the Landscape Challenge.

BTW..   Yarn as a subject matter for painting will really have to be a stellar addition to the painting to make me want to paint yarn ever again..  ;)

Copper and Fruit #3 in the Still Life Challenge

Copper and Fruit
Oil on 8x10 Canvas

  Here is #3 from the challenge.

  Took about 6 hours to complete the painting and its one of the most involved pieces I have ever done. First because of the amount of subjects. Secondly due to the limited palette I used. (T. white, Alz. Crimson, Ult. Blue, Cad. Yellow Lt. and Burnt Umber.) . Thirdly, since the fruit was fake it was much harder to paint.

   If the painting looks a bit flat its because there are no highlights at present.  I will add them later when the paint is dry to the touch.

Thanks Robbie for the CUTE FRUIT and neat copper bowl.  ;)

Vase #2 in the Still Life Challenge

Vase
12x9 Oil on Linen Hardboard

Number 2 in the challenge. Have three more to get done tomorrow and I'll be caught up.

I've started using a new style of painting.. I have made my own slo-dry medium and have more time to paint wet-in-wet.  I think I do like it better than the liquin.  Its something I have been planning and drafting in my head while I do my pottery.

This challenge came along at a good time.  Helped me get off my butt and get some paint on the canvas.

Tea Cup

Tea Cup
5x7 Oil on Linen Hardboard

Lately I have not been up to the challenge of painting.  To much other arty projects going on.  Mainly pottery.
But when Val started I daily painting challenge page on face book I realized I really wanted to start painting again.

This challenge is a 10 day still life.. Day one for me but I think its day 6 for others.  Always a bit late.  ;)
Took about an hour.. course my tea was a tad cool.  But was fun to just push some paint!

Pots fresh out of the kiln!

 Just a few of the pots that came out of the kiln this past week.  I did a few over that I was not happy with how the glaze turned out.  I'm satisfied with the way they turned out this time about.

Did some sculptured fish vases too..  They sure take lots of time to make but the end effect is well worth it.

The Cape Coral "Wild About Wildlife"

 I was honored to have my painting "Bluebird" awarded 1st place at the Cape Coral Art League.  The show was titled "Wild About Wildlife."  Couldn't pass the show up because how often do you see a show that the theme revolves about animals?
  There were many lovely paintings.. as you can see by the one below mine in the picture.  Thanks again to the Cape Coral Art League for putting on a great show!

Berry Bowls, Pitchers, and Sugar Bowls.

Berry Bowls

Small Pitchers and Sugar Bowls

These are a few of the pieces that came out of the kiln Monday.  Of course I'm a bit excited that only 3 pieces did not quite turn out the way I wanted.  But you will have that.   Oh.. and all the lids popped off!!!!  Wow... Last year it seemed like every lid had to be chiseled off.

I will be posting a few more in a few days.