Little Piggy Banks Ready For Market

Stoneware and Porcelain
Altered pot technique

  When I paint I have the finished painting in my mind and follow it to the end.  But with altering pots it doesn't quite work that way.  When you bang it on the table, pinch, pull or cut it up the end result never quite matches the mental image in my head.  (I think that is why I'm so captivated with the pottery.)
  In saying that, these little piggies have been pitching me fits since September. The results really didn't match how I wanted them to look.  But the outcome is no less appealing to the eye and touch.  As a friend said.. "Oh, how CUTE! They are just adorable!"  And I have to agree.  :)

Wolf

Wolf
Oil on Linen Hardboard
16x20

When I started the art journey I always wanted to paint a wolf or two.  So I had collected a few reference photos and had them in my "When I am a better painter box."  The rule being that when I pick a photo from this box it has to be painted.  Thing was that this time I had a fearfully large 16x20 canvas to put it on in front of me.
So while I finished this with some trepidation I'm almost happy with it!
Because its so much larger than the little 5x7's and 8x10's that seem to pop of the paintbrush so easily.  I'm a bit nervous about putting down brush strokes.  A small brush can explain the dramatic little details on smaller canvas, but those shapes and strokes get lost in the bigger paintings.  I'm sure there is a way to 'explain' the stroke the way I want in these larger formats.  Just have to keep at it.  Practice...

Bluebird

Bluebird
8x10 Oil on hardboard

Finally got the painting to where I was satisfied with it.  The part of the painting that pitched me fits was a 1x1 inch square area.  It only took 4 months for me to get it how I wanted it.  ::Sigh::

But it is done!  ;)

Great Trail Festival

Been busy potting the last month.  Here are a few examples at what I'll be taking to the
Malvern Great Trail Festival   
Aug. 23-24 and
Aug.30-31 & Sept. 1

Lots of reds with lovely blues this year to go along with my colors from last year.  Just can help adding more colors.  Its the artist in me that makes me do it.  ;)

Hope to see you at the show!  Click on the link for directions and other info!

Youngstown Festival of The Arts 2014

It was an awesome show!!   Just want to thank everyone who visited my booth as well as those who took treasures home with them.  Its nice know that my art is appreciated and displayed proudly.  Thanks again!!

Sunflowers

5x7 Oil on Panel

Oil on Panel.. Can't wait for the real sunflowers to come out!

Pottery for YSU Festival of The Arts

Getting ready for the Youngstown State University Festival of The Arts. 

Shown are just a couple of pieces from the first batch out of the kiln.  The wall flowers hangers are beyond cute.

I have new paintings as well.

Hope you all can make the show and see some of the pottery and paintings in person.  :)

Southwest Villa

Southwest Villa
Oil on Canvas Hardboard
11x14

Finally finished this painting.  It was not really a struggle except for the open window which took more thought than I expected.. But focal points are everything!

Chowdown For Hunger

  The last few months have been just a wee bit hectic.  Pottery students as well as painting students have kept me occupied.  But I found some time to setup at the Chowdown for Hunger event in Estero, Fl.

  I have not been physically painting but I have been studying it on a mental plane.   Which sometimes can be as challenging as putting a brush stroke to canvas.
  When I was first starting out on the art road I wanted to know how light works and why atmosphere effects it.  A mentor told me not to worry about it, just follow the suggested techniques/rules artists follow.  Ugh.. Not the answer I wanted to hear, because there has to be a 'reason' for the suggested rule.  So of course, me being far to inquisitive for my own good, I could not let the notion go and the hunt was on.
   After reading several texts on light waves and how atmosphere effects those waves, I realized that the eye is a factor too, on how these waves affect how humans see the world around them.  So off to find books on how the human eye works.  The time was well spent because while I only gathered a rudimentary understanding, it was all I needed to incorporate what I learned into my painting process. The work I produced showed a leap forward in how I represented light planes within my paintings. 
   Artists ask me how I was able to accomplish so much in such a short time.  They write it off as the fact that I have talent above most.  I can not emphasize just how wrong I feel their perception is!  Art is an understanding of paint and how paint is applied so that it represents objects.  So understanding the light and time spent learning how to draw with a paint brush was the key to starting to paint well.

    David Leffel, often called the artists artist, has been a wonderful find for me this winter.  I joined his website and watched some of his videos.   In the videos he mentions how painting is a study of science and how things work in life.  To which I heartily agree.
  

Road Runner

Road Runner
5x7 Oil on Hardboard

Now... we all know how much I love birds.  This one was a little different to sit down and paint.  Love the "hair doo." 
I have been trying out a new toy.. its an oil paint medium that I really have come to love the feel of.  A few years ago I tried Lukas Med. 5 that gives the paint the same wonderful silky feel as the Maroger.  I would have still been using the stuff but the odor was just awful.

The Maroger doesn't have that,  in fact it smells wonderful and it also gives the paint an automatic varnish quality.  Though there are two drawbacks with it though.  One being the price, which is pretty high compared to other mediums.  The second is that if your using a paint with a lower pigment load you end up with more of a glaze than a layer of paint.  I did break down and purchase several tubes of M. Harding's paint to see if my suspicions were correct.  Harding's product has a higher paint pigment load and to my delight his paint did help with keeping an impasto build up.  The photo of 'Road Runner" doesn't show the depth I achieved in painting with the Maroger, but its there.

"Awaiting High Tide" Ref-photo chosen from the dreaded "When I Am a Better Artist Box"

Awaiting High Tide
11x14 Oil on Hardboard

The ref-photo for this work was taken out of my "When I Am a Better Artist Box."   Yes I really do have one of those boxes.  It is where the reference photos which scare the heck out of me end up.   Love the ref but just don't feel accomplished enough to tackle it.

Here is how it works.  Every month or so I stick my hand in the box, mix up the photos, and without looking I pull one out.  The rule is that no matter what the ref is I 'have' to paint it.  I have found picking from the box to be as intimidating as willingly putting one's hand into a hornets nest. I guess its needless to say the box is intimidating, but also rewarding too.

I'm not keen on doing boats as they have such a weird shape to them, I was so very tempted to put the photo back in the box.  But rules are rules and it turned out much better than I thought it would. 

Sweet and Sour

Sweet and Sour
Oil 5x17 hardboard

I usually avoid more than two elements, unless its a landscape, so this was a fun challenge.  I found fruit looses that wonderful sheen when its first cut if you take to long to paint it.  Next time I either have to paint faster or have fruit on hand.  Perhaps maybe a stronger light so that its not to close to the fruit may help. What would probably be the best is to make a shadow box.

The Orange

Orange 1
5x7 panel

Quick 20 minute still life diddle I did while Joe was watching football.  Oil on panel 5x7.  I like the painting though the orange is a tad bit floaty.   Hmm.. Guess I should not have eaten the orange just yet.  ;)  When it drys a bit I'll fix it.

"Color, color everywhere and not a thing to paint."
Sometimes that happens doesn't it?  You find yourself in one of these little ruts and can't seem to find something to paint.  Even though the world is just chock full of things nothing seems to suit.

   I'm trying to shake off one of those little ruts right now.  I've been afraid to paint for the last 4 or 5 months.  Yes, afraid to paint.  Why?  Because people, though meaning well, keep saying things such as, "You have to paint bigger."   Then there is the one I hear most often, "Your paintings are lovely but to win you need to capture more wall space, paint bigger."  I have several large canvases started but don't want to finish.  There is just to much tension to preform going on when I sit down to paint.
  When I was painting for 8 months my mentor gently insisted that I start to enter art shows.  His reasoning?  As a tool to compare my work with other artists to see where I needed improvement and to lean about styles.   He was right, I have learned much from shows.  But, truthfully while its nice to win or place its not necessary.  (Btw.. never say that out loud to an artist who takes winning seriously.) 
   What it all boils down to is this,   I don't want to paint better than other artists I just want to paint better for me.  Wherever that takes my art is where I want to be. 

Ceramic Bird Houses

Took some time to relax and finish the bird houses.  The plant hanger was a perfect find to hang them on.  The bottom has a flat iron wire shelf which you can put a potted plant on it as I did.  The plant gives it a really lovely look whether you put it in the garden or a sunny location inside and it makes the hanger even sturdier.
All the bird houses have nice big clean outs for those who would love to hang them off a tree limb or put them on a post.

Send me an email if you would like one as I am in the process of making different styles right now. 

Giraffe

Giraffe
18X24 oil

I met this fellow at the Naples Zoo.  Got to hand feed him, which was way more than cool. 

I have struggled with this painting for 4 months.  (There are three other giraffes hiding under this one. )   I think the struggling was because of the size of it, 18x24.  It is just plain hard to add interest to large areas that do not have shifts in planes of light.  Learned much and now its time to move on to the next painting.

A little aside about Giraffes:
Such unique animals, aren't they?  Not only to look at, but internally as well.  Did you know that they have special valves in their neck arteries that keeps the blood circulating so it doesn't just keep draining back down to the heart?  God sure knows how to design doesn't he!

Pottery Just out of the oven!

 I have been so busy with creating that posting photos of my artwork and pottery has been lax.  I just keep moving to the next project.

The pottery has most of my attention the past few months with having to get an inventory for the summer shows up north.  Though I now see a bit of daylight and I have been catching up on some much needed r&r with my painting!   Well as least I had a few hours to create the Christmas Kitty posted below.  :)

Christmas Kitty

Purrrfect Christmas
Oil 6x6

The Estero Art League of Florida is hosting the meeting of the Art Council of Southwest Florida.  Members were given a 6x6 canvas to paint something Christmas holiday related to jazz up the meeting and show of member skills. This is my submission.
Normally I don't get excited about my paintings but this one turned out just 'to Cute!'   A fellow artist friend thinks paintings should not be cute.  He is much to serious.. :)

Great Trail Festival

Been awhile since I posted hasn't it?   Painting and potting for festivals leaves little time for other things I guess.  A little about what I have gotten myself into..  . :)  Since I missed out on the Wheeling Oglelbayfest (somehow the application didn't make it and I waited to long to call to find out about it).  I decided to make some calls to other festival events to make up for the Wheeling one.   The worst that could happen is that I would hear "Fill out an application for next year."  The first festival I called was The Great Trail Festival after hearing that the festival was closed to venders this year so I asked to be on the mailing list for next year.  Barb asked what my art consisted of and I gave her my website and next thing I know I was admitted!  Seems they needed a potter.
  First off I didn't realize that it was a two weekend deal so spent three weeks potting like crazy and finishing up paintings.  The festival was right up there as one of the nicest festivals that I have participated so far in my art journey.  It was also the most tiring!  But well worth the effort.  Here are a few photos of the set-up and I was invited back next year, of course I said yes.  ;)

  Oh.. First dress up event too and that added to the excitement of the event.  Where else can you display your work and still get to play in the mud? 

 

The YSU Festival of The Arts

The YSU Festival of The Arts Event is my most favorite show to do.  Its well run and artist friendly with great PR of the event.  This years turn out was wonderful due to the hard work of the coordinator Lori and her staff!  Oops, I better not forget to mention all the volunteers too!
Sold out of all but a few pieces of pottery and 15 paintings went to new homes also. 

Thank You!  To all my customers for supporting me and my art.  Not only those who come to the shows but also those who purchase from me through the whole year.  Thanks again!

Sunflower

Sunflower
oil  12x16 canvas board

I have been wanting to paint this ref. photo for the last year.  Kind of intimidated with how the sunflower was right in the viewers face.  Tried a few little 5x7 and it just didn't do it justice.  So went a little bit bigger and found that the design worked much nicer.
All in all I'm happy with it.. Just might add a few blues/purples in the center though to highlight.  A thought..

Louisiana Swamp

Louisiana Swamp
12x16 oil on mounted p. canvas

   First.. To answer a couple of people's questions.. "Yes.. I'm still painting.  Just not posting as I should."  Now that that is settled.. ;)   I think I'll post a few.. :D

On our way to Sedona the Louisiana Swamp just seemed to go on forever, almost as bad as Texas.   When we stopped for gas I wandered on into the shallow water edge.  Nope.. no gators.  Did a quick thumbnail sketch and painted it from memory color wise.   Not quite what was in my head as I remembered it, but close.
  

Stoneware- Robin Egg Blue

   Stoneware is such a different animal compared to the porcelain!   I had some of the mugs on the window sill after they came out of the kiln.   A few gals walked by and decided they had to have them.   A few other gals stopped in and 20 mugs are gone along with most of the vases, plus I have orders for 3 dozen of the robin egg blue.  If this keeps up I'll be hurting for festival pieces and paintings.  So.. must throw/paint faster. ;)

Porcelain Fresh Out of The Oven

  These are a few of my porcelain dishes fresh out of the kiln.   Have to get a supply started for festivals and these are the first of the year.  Cups and mugs are going in the kiln this week!

    I must say that throwing pots is addictive.  In an odd way it really is so much like painting.  The use of interesting shape and color harmony really sums up how a painting presents itself to the viewer.  I think the only difference between the two is that I don't agonize over the pottery like I do the painting.

I've started mixing some of my own glazes.  There was a lot of trial and error with this batch.  Most turned out great, but now I have to pick which glazes I like the best.  Trouble is.. Well.. I like them all!

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron
11x14 Oil on board

Finally finished this piece, forced into it as a client spied it on the easel and had to have it.  Up till then I did not think that I ever would get the eye correct and was hesitant to continue with the painting.  Their eyes are such odd shapes!  Disk-like so were such an oddity for me.  Also it was very difficult to get it with the right color.  But I percivierd and got it finished today.
Just a bit of a side note..  These birds are just fabulous to paint and to watch.   I took the photo of this bird along the way in Texas.  Seems that some members of the population migrate there to breed.   Perhaps it is just the members of the colder states that migrate.  The heron we have here just stays here.  It is a female so does not have the beautiful colorings that the males do.

Like Christmas!

  Its always a surprise to open the kiln.. Can't wait for it to cool down enough to take a peek!  Three other shelves under these two. Hmm  Still to hot, but hope to have pictures up soon. 
This batch has lots of blue, turquoise, white, and browns.

So.. Back to painting.. :D

Cow With Calf Study

This study is for a larger piece.  Yes.. I did say larger.  Everyone suggests  going bigger so I can compete on a professional level.  But I'm not sure that is all together true.  I was told the judge of the FBAA show where I took 1st immediately went to my piece and picked it out.   The Young herd sire had caught her eye too.  Since you can't have more than one award to a show so she picked what she felt was the best piece.  Those paintings were 8x10 and 5x7.  So I still have it in my head that the more emphatically powerful a piece is at first glance, along with technique of medium on closer inspection, has a greater impact than size with most judges.  But I do know from showing animals its any given judge at any given time.

Coat of Many Colors

5x7 Oil on Linen Hardboard

Just love the colors with these birds.  Didn't do him justice but he does look great on the wall. :D

A Little News

     Got a bit of news!  The Fort Myers Beach Art Association had their reception this afternoon. I was contacted and told I had gotten an award, but didn't know which one. The art there was just so stellar (and my piece so little) that I figured it was an honorable mention or some such thing. I was a bit shocked when I walked in to find out that 'Running Free' I had taken grand.
     The FMBAA had a wonderful reception and I met many talented artists.  I truly can say that this group is serious about their commitment to advancing and giving to the arts.  Everyone I have met over the last few weeks is eager to give a helping hand to all artists.
One more thing though..  I do have to give thanks to the Lord and also to Joe for being supportive. 

On The Way Home

8x10  Oil on Canvas

  This barn is located in Carrolton, Ohio.  I've been wanting to paint it for a long time.  Just could never quite find the time.  Not really thrilled with this one though.  I think the greens got away from me.  Better than the cows getting out isn't it?  I really hated having to chase cows when they escaped. :)
  Hoping to get a few more up this week.  Seems finding time for posting photos of my work is getting scarce too. 

Put The Lime in Da Coconut

8x10 Oil on Canvas

It has been awhile since I posted some paintings.   Finished a few but they left for new homes before I got photos.  

This one has been on my mind since last Feb.  A cute little lime house in Key West that caught my eye.

8x10 oil on canvas

Grand Entrance

Oil  On 12x16 Hardboard

  This was the view as you come into Sedona off of Rt. 179 and 87A.  It was our first glimpse of the famous red rocks.

  Usually I can paint a landscape in a day or two.  The clear sky and brilliant colors  made this a difficult piece for me to finish.  The moving and not having a designated place to paint didn't help with getting it done either.
  Learned much from this painting.  Foremost lesson is that if you don't know the subject well its difficult to make color choices.  The Sedona area was a very beautiful but foreign landscape. 
  Don't have my light box down here so the photo is not quite representative.