Happy 4th!!

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 Wishing you all a Happy Independence Day!  I hope you get to enjoy family gatherings, or parades, or fireworks, or just a quiet day to relax.  Thank you for checking in on my blog. 

Merry Christmas!!

This painting was done on December 19th, 2009 during a huge snowstorm here at Smith Mountain Lake.  At least it was huge for Virginia.  That storm wound up closing roads and schools for quite a while, mostly because we are not prepared for that amount of snow.  I know it was over a foot.  Up North, a drop in the bucket...

I wish you all a safe holiday.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  Let's hope 2013 brings us all peace.  (I would insert a peace sign, but there isn't one :-)

LiLi - Pretty in Pink

Pastel on Wallis Paper

This pretty young lady found a quite corner while we were having our Grand Opening of ArtVisions, and I couldn't resist painting her in her great outfit.  Actually, it was her socks that got me!  Her name is LiLi and she is absolutely adorable.  The painting is not totally finished, but I thought I'd post it now.  It helps me to see it from another perspective.  I've noticed a couple of things I will change, but I'm basically really happy with it. 

Enjoying Smith Mountain Lake

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Thinking Spring, even though we haven't really had winter.  This scene is like so many here at Smith Mountain Lake:  Sparking blue water, white sailboat, beautiful mountains... Life is good!!

Wood and Hay

20 x 24 Pastel on Wallis Paper (Framed)

This was a beautiful old barn I came across on my travels.  It could be any barn, anywhere.  The actual pastel painting has a lot more color in it, but for some reason a lot of the colors are muted in this photo, so you'll have to use your imagination and see sharp purples and teal along with richer wood colors.  I hope you get that "old barn feeling" though :-) 

Ferry Thoughts

I've been wanting to paint this since our trip to Monhegan Island last summer.  Although it's devoid of bright color, I think it's really atmospheric and works well.  It was a cold, rainy ride back to the mainland, and we were all bundled up inside the cabin to keep warm.  Even in bad weather, it feels so good to be by the ocean.  The only drawback to being in the cabin was when the captain said over the loudspeaker: "If anyone feels sea sick, there are bags for you."  I felt fine until he made that comment...then not so much...

Bluebird Man

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This is a wonderful man named Herb who is the keeper of the bluebird houses at Booker T. Washington Park.  He and his wife go around to all the houses to check on the bluebird population and status.  I met them at the park when I was there to plein air paint on a beautiful day.  At the time there were baby sheep, so I didn't get much painting in, but I did get a lot of pictures.  If you're ever at Smith Mountain Lake, check out the park.  It's well worth the visit.

Chivalry

As you can see, chivalry is not dead.  This couple owns an inn with absolutely beautiful flowers and landscaping.  He does the cooking for breakfast, and she works in the garden.  A perfect match!  We stayed there for two nights and really enjoyed the visit and the stories about the owners' lives.  My need to document the everyday occurrences in my life is what pushes me onward with my painting.  I can never wait to start the next one, even though I may not be totally finished with the one on the easel.  Life is full of paintings waiting to happen.

Smith Mountain Lake Sunset

Sky studies are the hardest, I think.  They look like they would be relatively easy to paint, but getting the cloud tones and the movement is difficult.  If painting from a photo, the colors don't show up as vibrantly as the actual scene.  If you've ever tried to take a picture as the sun was setting, you know what I mean.  I'm happy with this one, though.  I think you can feel those clouds moving.  I'm so happy to be back in the studio painting again.  Even Tallulah (my Sproodle) is content to be left in her crate for a while....

Conversation Pit

Three men sitting in a space between the rocks, probably discussing politics or the stock market :-)  However, I prefer to believe they were discussing the beauty of the landscape, which was breathtaking!!

Snowman with Shovel

Keeping ahead of the falling snow is the key, according to my husband.  That way he just has to push and not lift.  I love painting snow, and this one was no exception.  There are so many colors you can use in the white.  Actually, there isn't too much pure white in this painting at all....only at the very end of my painting process as a highlight.

View From the Cape

This might be a disappearing scene here at Smith Mountain Lake.  The land is for sale, and we are all hoping it doesn't sell too fast.  This was last winter's snow.  I know I'm not popular when I say I hope we will see more snow scenes like this during the winter of 2012.  You can't beat the beauty of a new snowfall!

AARP Rocker and His Groupie

This is really a rough preliminary painting, and I've gotten a lot of information from the process of getting it started.  I've found that this helps me quite a bit and impacts the final painting.  I thought I'd put it on the blog so that when I complete the final version, it will be fun to see how it changed.  These two men were enjoying the outdoors and gathering quite a crowd.  The man to the right was keeping time with his hand.  He looked very dapper with his red tie.

LuLa in Motion

This is my first painting of Tallulah, and my first painting done since we brought her home.  It felt so nice to get back to painting again.  I really missed it!  I painted this in our new gallery/studio at Envisions in Boones Mill, VA.  Some of my artist friends and I have been lucky enough to get a space that is perfect for us to use as our joint studio.  The best part is that we are able to paint together and enjoy the process in the company of friends.  What can be better than that!!?  I'm looking forward to lots more time there.  Happy New Year everyone! 

Christmas Tree With Red Dye #3

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What fun this one was to do!  It took me over an hour to set up the candy.  I first tried to stack them, and naturally they wouldn't hold in position.  My next thought was a glue stick, but I couldn't get it open.  So...being creative (or crazy), I decided to lick each one.  The only trouble with that was that I hate mint, and every time I stuck one on, three came off because I was so sticky.  By the time I was done, I really wasn't in the mood to paint.  I photographed them and painted them the following day.  I must say though, I smelled very minty for quite a while.  I used this as my Christmas card this year. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!

Smith Mountain Lake Christmas

This was one of my Christmas cards from a few years ago.  I had a commission to paint a tree on the end of a dock, and this is what I came up with.  I've sold a lot of these cards the last few years.  It's always fun to open cards people send me and see my own paintings.  This isn't any particular Smith Mountain Lake scene.  It's just from my imagination and could be anywhere here at the Lake.  I still like the "feel" of the cold water and winter sky.  I love Christmas!!!

Hardy Road Vista

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This painting was done in the Fall before the leaves fell from the trees.  Growing up on Long Island in New York which is extremely flat, I'm always awed by the mountains.  This particular view is really beautiful.  I painted this quite a while ago when the barn was still kept up.  Now, it has deteriorated but remains mostly intact.  I don't know how much longer that will be the case.  I'd like to paint it again, now that I have a few more years of  painting knowledge and experience.

Thanksgiving Rooster

OK...I realize that this is not a turkey, but this is as close to it as I'll come this year!  It will have to serve as a Thanksgiving Rooster, although I'm sure the rooster will have something to say about that.  It would certainly taste better than the tofu turkey I served one year.  My kids will never let me live that one down :-)   I wish you all a very happy, safe Thanksgiving. 

The Buffet

I observed this gentleman at the buffet table at an art gallery reception.  I've seen him a few times since, and always at an art reception, and always at the buffet table.  He's my type of guy!  Art and food...  Two very important aspects of life. 

Barns in Winter, Smith Mountain Lake

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As I've said, I love snow, and I did this painting for my Christmas card a few years ago.  It is one of my favorites.  Again, the barns are in Floyd which is a perfect place to get inspiration.  The rest of it is Smith Mountain Lake.  By the way, stop by Goose Creek Studio in Bedford.  They are presenting a funky Christmas tree event.  I will post the painting I submitted in the coming days, but you can see all of the artwork there soon.  As it turns out, I think I'll use the one I am putting in as my Christmas card for 2011.  I am so inspired by Goose Creek Studio and Patrick and Mitchell (the owners).  They are the most supportive guys in the world, and I'm truly honored to have my work there.  If you have time, check out Goose Creek Studio!