Friday, May 30, 2014

Niagara Falls Couture



8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

All the while I was painting this I was thinking about the Rolling Stones song "Shattered."  "People dressed in plastic bags. What kind of fashion?"  This is part of my cousin's road trip and such fun to paint!  It's the Maid of the Mist, and I remember fondly being on it on one of my trips as a child.  Here is a study in preparation of doing a larger piece.  I haven't worked out everything, but I like the spontaneity of it.  Once again, the colors here are not accurate to the actual painting.  When I can, I will take another picture and post it.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Running with the Cows




8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

Obviously, this is not the NYC Marathon or Boston Marathon :-)  This is in the Himalayas.  It must have been disconcerting coming around the bend and seeing a cow in your path.  Especially one with horns... Loose and fun little painting.  I so love doing these!  Hope everyone out there is having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. 

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

CJ's Cupcake Extravaganza

 


8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

I posted a cupcake for Mother's Day, but that one was from a "boutique" cupcake store in Roanoke, VA.  Our local Smith Mountain Lake coffee shop now has their own beautiful cupcakes, and they launched them last Saturday.  They had a great turnout and apparently sold out.  Who would think that cupcakes are such a draw?!  Here at the Lake we don't have many chain stores and restaurants, (like Starbucks, Olive Garden, etc.), but we do have our own take on these things, and they are so well received.  Most of us are transplants from larger cities so we get really excited when something new appears, especially when it is good :-)  So, YEAH for CJ's...Great coffee and now great cupcakes.  Life is Good....  

Friday, May 16, 2014

Atlantic City Boardwalk Babe




8 x 10 Oil on Gessobord

My cousin, a watercolorist, sent me a photo of this woman sitting on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ.  She suggested we both paint it; so never being one to procrastinate, I got right on it.  She's traveling, so I'm sure it will take her a while, but I can't wait to see what she does with it.  She is the reason I attempted to begin painting.  Her work is just wonderful, and there was always the hope that some of her talent would have found its way to me through our family ties.  I'm always so surprised that you can have lots of artists painting the exact same subject, and yet the results are so diverse.  Here's my version of this "Jersey Girl" who was so kind to let us paint her.  When she paints her version, I will post it.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Zach and Grandpa


SOLD

11 x 14 Oil on Gessobord

This painting is a commission I was asked to do and really enjoyed.  It's always hard to paint people you don't know and have never seen.  I was given a good photo, though.  I really had to study the image and call to ask lots of questions because colors in photographs are not accurate.  Even the image of the painting I did (shown here) is not...Too much of a green tint to this.  I will try to take another picture to see if I can get a better match to the original and post it.  Another thing....Children are really hard for me to paint if I want to get a portrait type of painting.  I enjoy doing them, but for a commission it has to be what the buyer specifically requests, AND everyone has their own perception.  This buyer was really happy though, so I'm really happy :-)

Friday, May 9, 2014

Summer Coffee Break


12 x 12 Oil on Gessobord

SOLD

I would think Monhegan Island, Maine, is a great place to work for the summer.  We did notice that they seem to attract a lot of young Irish people who come to the US to work for a while.  We noticed this in the Hamptons in New York, as well.  I would think it's a great way to travel while making some spending money.  Kind of like summer camp with a lot of hard work involved.  These kids were taking a much needed break on a bright, chilly morning.  I know I've said this before, but the light on Monhegan is spectacular.  There is something so different about it, so I guess that's why you see so many artists all over the island...the light and the beauty...Ahhhh!

Sunday, May 4, 2014

It's a Party!



8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord


A cupcake for Mother's Day.  Our local coffee shop is about to have cupcakes in their display case, and I'm pretty excited about painting them.... Not necessarily eating them.  This is a Roanoke cupcake.  I think it looks good enough to eat.  Don't you?  I will be auctioning this on Daily Paintworks.  It would make a good Mother's Day gift...Hint, Hint, Wink, Wink......:-)

Thursday, May 1, 2014

About a Boy


8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

An exercise in movement...Nothing too specific, just limited color and a large brush.  I'm used to using relatively small brushes which tends to make my work more detailed than I would always like.  On this one, I stood back and just placed color as I saw fit.  Very little detail, but it all seemed to come together.  I've been watching a lot of painting DVD's and would recommend that others who are basically self-taught do the same.  It's not always easy or convenient to travel to take classes, and the DVD's are an excellent second best.  They have certainly helped me and continue to help me define my personal style.  I don't try to "copy" what I see, but use it to define my own sense of painting "reality."  By the way, this is Rocky.  One of my favorite people to paint :-)