Free Spirit

5 x 7 Oil on Gessobord

$55.00 Unframed

 

I've done this gentleman three times now.  Twice in pastel and now in oil.  There is something about his face with all the lines, marking his years and experiences, that fascinates me.  Oil is so different from pastel, and I wasn't sure I could make it work.  I focused on just a few things, and all of a sudden it worked for me.  I'm so hooked on oils now.  I actually dream about them and what I'm going to paint next.  If I ever see this wonderful man again, I'm going to tell him what joy he has brought me!

Flower Boxes at the Ocean

SOLD
5 x 7 Oil on Gessobord

Believe it or not, what I was interested in wasn't the flowers, but the angle of the house.  I wanted it to be a little "askew," as though the viewer was in the process of walking by.  It was hard for me not to straighten the lines as I was painting.  I'm glad I left it this way and am happy with it.  I kept thinking I was going to start again, but was talked out of it.  It's always good to get feedback from other artists. Whether you are the one giving the critique, or the one getting the critique, it is helpful.

Peanut Butter and Jelly on a Paper Plate

6 x 6 Oil on Board

SOLD

This is one of my favorite paintings.  Again, the colors are much more vivid than they appear here. and it truly doesn't do the painting justice, but I wanted to put it up on the blog anyway.  We're working on getting better photos of my oils.  Some turn out pretty accurately and some don't.  I've had people write in with suggestions, which I really appreciate.  This painting has sold.  I'm going to miss it.  Most of the time an artist doesn't know who buys their work, but in this case I do, and knowing art as they do, I'm honored that they liked it so much.

Wanna Play?

Oil on Gessobord

This little painting was done for an upcoming art exhibit called "The Itsy Bitsy Show."  I painted a study of LuLa in oil, which I will post soon, and decided to take part of it and paint it on a really small board.  The freedom of just getting in there and painting, without sketching first, is something I really love to do.  Somehow they turn out, and it always amazes me.  Plus, LuLa is a good model.  Unfortunately, she doesn't sit still long enough for me to actually do a "live model" painting, but perhaps when she's older, and I'm ancient, she'll pose :-)

Switching the Museum Paintings, Island Style!

SOLD

5x7 Oil on Gessobord

Where else would you see fine art moved this way, but Monhegan Island?!  I couldn't resist painting this.  The art museum on the Island is absolutely wonderful, with some of the finest artists' work hanging.  It was so special to see it.  Since cars are not allowed on the Island, other than the full time residents, I suppose this is as good a way to change out the art as any.  I'm thinking that after hauling lobster traps around, they go and pick up the priceless paintings.  Actually, I'm not totally sure that is what they were doing, but I can't imagine what else it could be, so I'll go with that :-)  As I've said a million times, if you haven't gotten to Monhegan, you're missing out on a terrific adventure.

Beach Walk

5 x 7 Oil on Masonite

SOLD

A quick study in oil.  Thought I'd never say that :-)  There's plenty more to do on this, but I'm happy with the outcome and the hazy feel.  I always hate to go back into my paintings to "fix" things, because that eliminates the freshness of the piece.  I probably will leave this alone and just varnish it, which will bring out the colors.  We are having a issue with photographing these oil pieces.  It seems to be entirely different than photographing pastels.  The latter comes out looking great, but the oils seem to look a little muddy in the photos.  If anyone out there knows the secret, email me.  Meanwhile, I'll be researching on the Web.  By the way, I want to thank everyone for all the kind words about my work.  You have no idea how grateful I am and how much it means to me!!

Dog Wash

SOLD
5x7 Oil on Hardboard

Here's Cooper getting a fast spray off after being in the ocean.  I had more fun watching Cooper play in the water, run on the beach, and even get a "warning" about being off leash by the local authorities.  Thanks to our friends, Gloria and Jim, we had a great time at Emerald Isle, and I have lots of memories to paint.

Crazy Socks

6x6 Oil on Gessoboard

$55.00 Unframed

 

Loved the arch of the foot.  That was my main focus..plus those great socks.  This was done pretty fast, very rough, and the nice thing about oils is the fact that I can go back and fix anything that bothers me at another time.  Quite unlike pastels that allow for a little fussing, but not much.  I did this last week, and when I look at it now I can actually see that I've improved quite a bit since this painting.  I'm getting used to the process of mixing colors.  How wonderful to keep learning.  See...You can teach an old dog new tricks :-)