Ice Cream for a Snowy Day

"Ice Cream for a Snowy Day"

8 x 8 Oil on Archival Board

We had 16 inches of snow this week, so naturally, I thought of ice cream ?!

Screen Porch Flowers

"Screen Porch Flowers"

8 x 8 Oil on Archival Board

Flowers are not my thing, but here is my feeble attempt at a vase of flowers on a screen porch. I love other artists' floral paintings but for some reason I find it hard to loosen up when painting them...and for me, I look for action. Not much action here. Perhaps if they were in a field with the wind blowing :-)

January Tulips

9 x 6 Oil on Archival Board

A good friend brought these beautiful red tulips to me for Christmas.  I am not really comfortable painting flowers, but they were so lovely I had to try.  I'm not sure why flowers intimidate me, but I approached this subject as I've been doing lately with everything.. as just shapes.  The name of certain objects seems to get in the way of just expressing what I see and feel.  This still life was done at my kitchen table using my little Gorilla box…on a cold, gray, snowy day.  

Happy Halloween!!

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!  Hope you all have a safe, scary, candy-filled one.

Flower Study

8 x 8 Oil on Archival Board

To Purchase Click Here or Email Me at shelleykoop@gmail.com

I set this still life up to paint as a study for a larger painting and to work out all the kinks, but now that it's finished I really like the size, looseness, and spontaneity of it.  I'm enjoying working from life.  There is a totally different feel to my paintings, I think.  I'm also still  amazed at the colors I can get from those three primaries.  I now realize that I didn't need to purchase every paint color imaginable from the Blick catalog :-) 

Dock House Clutter

10 x 8 Oil on Archival Board

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Our dock house is a mess so my project the other day was to clean it up, but before I did I took a few photos.  The colors and textures really interested me.  If it wasn't so hot, I would have brought my easel down and painted then and there, but the AC was calling me back to my studio :-)  Thus, the dock house clutter in oil....

Island Creek Farm Bouquet

8 x 10 Oil on Archival Board

 

This is part of a beautiful bouquet from our community supported agriculture farm.  Not only was it beautiful to look at and paint, but it smelled so fresh and herbal.  It was a surprise to see what kinds of flowers I would get along with my vegetables.  Can't wait until my next pick up!

Mother's Day Flowers

9 x 12 Oil on Gessobord

 

To Purchase, Click Here or Email Me Directly

 

 Happy Mother's Day, Everyone!  These flowers are pretty much guaranteed not to wilt.  If you would like to purchase them for your mother, or for you (that seems to be how I roll...), just click on the link below.  This would be a gift that keeps on giving :-)

Good Morning!

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

This is my favorite cereal bowl.  I use it all the time for my oatmeal and for soup.  I'm not sure which potter created it, but I know it was a craftsman in Virginia.  I've tried to track him/her down, but without much success.  This was one of the paintings that just worked for me, unlike the last post that I struggled with.  Perhaps it was my love of the pottery...or that delicious banana :-) 





Geraniums in an Old Maine Window

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6 x 8 Oil On Gessobord

The window here was in a very old house that was in bad shape and needed a lot of repair work done.  The paint was peeling and there were all sorts of paint colors showing through.  The geraniums were a welcome change to an otherwise dreary interior. 

Cook's Paradise

6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord

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For a small painting, I found this difficult.  It might have been caused by taking a little break from painting everyday to do lots of social Holiday things.  I struggled to get back into it, and started to get too picky.  That's when I knew I had to stop and call it finished.  I really like it, so I plan doing a larger version to capture more of this scene, which is the kitchen of my favorite restaurant.

Happy New Year One and All!  See you in 2015!  2015...YIKES!!

Landscape Through the Glass

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

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OK...This was a really big challenge, but a complete joy to paint.  Glass is difficult, but I handled it abstractly and again with a very limited palette.  The joy for me is the day to day learning and experimenting.  I'm always fascinated with how or if things turn out and even if the painting doesn't, there is the possibility of another one to follow.  Right now, this is one of my favorites...Until tomorrow, hopefully :-)

Bouquet

9 x 12 Oil on Gessobord

We had out-of-town company recently and to make their guest room cheerful and inviting, I got a bouquet of flowers. They served their purpose, and I got to paint them after they left.  I have a lot of respect for artists who paint such beautiful florals now.  This was not an easy painting for me.  As a matter of fact, there were a number of times I wanted to toss it out the window...and then stomp on it.  As I've said before, it is what it is (that's getting to be my mantra).  I stuck with it and am happy with the results....Mostly because it's a done deal :-) 

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....  

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......:-)

Going It Alone

6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord

One lonely flower from my daughter's birthday bouquet.  I think the weather has gotten to me.  I usually don't paint flowers, as I have said before, but lately that is what I want to do.  I'm enjoying the process and waiting for Spring, as I think we all are on the East Coast.  We just came back from a trip to Florida where I complained about the heat.  When we got to North Carolina on the trip back the rain became snow, but I was careful not to complain about it because I didn't want to be thrown out of the car :-)  This is a very long winter....

Beekman 1802 Honey and Oatmeal

6x6 Oil on Gessobord

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My new favorite breakfast!  Ive always loved oatmeal, but I just ordered Beekman 1802 Cinnamon Honey and Lemon Honey and WOW.  I love them!!  They are raw honey spreads and just a little in my oatmeal really makes a big difference.  It says on the jar "It took 648 bees one year to make the honey in this jar."  Well, they all did a wonderful job and I thank them :-)  The colors in this photo of the painting didn't come out quite right ..A little "mushy."  (Technical term)  The bee was not part of my breakfast experience...Just an ode to those 648 workers.

Bowl Full of Love

6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord

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"Text Me" .....  Really??!  Whatever happened to "Be Mine" or "Be My Valentine"?  And "Soul Mate" reminds me of the Sanford hiking the Appalachian Trail episode.  But, it is almost Valentine's Day so here's my little painting full of sweet things and pastel colors.  A quick study of sugary bliss :-)

Peonies to Start the New Year

6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord

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Here is a bouquet of flowers for all of you out there to thank you for stopping by to browse my blog, website, and Facebook pages.  As I said in the Christmas post, your feedback and emails are so very much appreciated.  I love hearing from you all and especially love being a part of the World Wide Web of artists.  I wish you all a Happy, Healthy, and Productive New Year.

Christmas Tree with Red Dye #3

Pastel on Wallis Paper

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I painted this and used it for my Christmas card a few years ago, and I still love it.  Every time I see the  photo I have of it, I can taste peppermint (not a favorite of mine).  I licked each and every one of those candies to get them to stick together so I could paint them.  I wasn't feeling so great after setting it up, but being a dedicated artist, I pushed on and painted the still life.  What hardships we artists have to endure....Hope you all are finishing up on your Christmas shopping.  I'll post again before Christmas to wish you all a good one.