Staying busy!

I have been happily busy these last couple of weeks!  I finished and delivered three small ornament paintings and one tiny candy painting to the Hammond Harkins Gallery in Bexley, OH.

 I finished and shipped two commission pieces fro the Wells Gallery in Charleston, SC.

I finished a painting for a cookbook cover,

 and got a new treasure for my studio!!

Small and Wonderful!

Chet from the Hammond Harkins Gallery sent me this photo he took of Matt and myself on Friday, speaking with LaVetta at the Small and Wonderful show opening.

 Loved the event and the picture!
 Hope you can all get in to see the show before it closes in January!

Art-filled Weekend!

This past weekend was wonderfully filled with art and friends, both old and new!  On Friday night, we went to the opening of Small and Wonderful at The Hammond Harkins in Bexley, OH.. Here is my wall of small and wonderful!

The show hangs through January 6th!

And On Sunday evening we attended an artist's reception for the 130 artists who had work selected to hang at the Hilton Downtown Columbus Hotel.  It was a lovely dinner reception where we saw old friends and met many new ones as well!
The project was to decorate the hotel using all mid-Ohio artists and it looked amazing!  They did a fabulous job and I'm very proud to be a part of it!   Click here to see a cool video on it! 

Some of the artists gathering for a photo on the stairs

Now I'm happily back in the studio working on a Christmas commission for the Wells Gallery in Charleston, SC and some small ornament paintings for Hammond Harkins Gallery in Bexley.  

Small Works!

I have been loving painting smaller works over the last few weeks.  I got really excited over some small moody NYC scenes, and then earlier this week, I just really wanted to paint a bit tighter and found this ribbon candy that has been sitting in the studio for a year or more waiting for the right time.  (I wouldn't try to eat it, but it wasn't in bad shape considering! )  :)
How blessed I am to be able to do what I love!
Happy Thanksgiving to you!!

Carrying On  11" x 14" oil on panel

October Snow 8" x 8"  oil on panel

Evening Commute 6" x 6" oil on panel

Sunny Side of the Street  6" x 6" oil on panel

Ribbon Candy  12" x 12" oil on panel

Heart Of Ohio Magazine

I am so pleased and honored to be featured in the Nov/Dec issue of "Heart Of Ohio" magazine!!  My painting titled, Time in a Bottle, is on the front cover!  It's a beautiful magazine that speaks about people and places in our area of Ohio.  If you  get a chance, click here to check out the article and magazine!

Heart Of Ohio Magazine Nov/ Dec

I have also been working on my smaller pieces and here are two works completed so far for the 'Small and Wonderful' show at the Hammond Harkins Gallery in Bexley, OH opening Nov. 30!  I'm hoping to finish a few more for the show and look forward to seeing you there!

Rollin" In 9" x 12" oil on panel

Feels Like Fall 11" x 14" oil on panel

Birthday celebrations!

This week I took some time to work on paintings as birthday presents to two special friends.  The first is"Snowflake" for darling Bailey, who is now 12!  And the second is "Stella", for my dear friend, Michelle, who turns the big 5-0!  Happy birthday ladies, and wishes for many, many more!

Snowflake 11" x 14" oil on panel

Stella 12" x 12" oil on panel

Next week I start on more small works for the "Small and Wonderful show at the Hammond Harkins Gallery, in Bexley, OH. which opens Friday, November 30!  Hope to see you there!

Home Sweet Home!

What a wonderful, crazy week we have had.  A week ago today we unloaded paintings and then enjoying a nice afternoon poolside at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island.  What an incredible place, we felt so blessed to be there!  That evening I did a painting demonstration for The Wells Gallery "Art Uncorked" event in the resort.  I had a great evening talking with, and meeting people from all over the country.  Mary Ellen got the "furthest drive award" and I was so glad she came and we got to talk a bit! Thanks to Hume, Emily, Kelly and the staff of The Sanctuary for a wonderful time.  After the show, we headed north again so we could make it home for our youngest son Ty's last football game of the season Friday night. (They won!)  Saturday was a day filled with family, friends, amazing food and some Halloween fun!  We started off the day with a quick visit with our oldest daughter, Cat, who had just driven in from NYC for a wedding and my fathers' 86th birthday party.  We then went to see oldest son, Connor, at ONU for lunch, drove on to Heidelberg Univ. to see our second oldest daughter, Kaleigh, play is the high schools' district volleyball game (they lost :(.. ) and continued on to The Culinary Vegetable Institute where we changed into American Gothic zombies and enjoyed an amazing meal prepared by Executive Chef Tony Dee of Eddie Merlot's for their October Earth to Table event. On Sunday we celebrated my dad's 86th in style with family and friends and tons more good food as Chef Tony and his lovely fiance', Kacey, came and stayed a day with us before heading back to Indianapolis to finish packing to move to Chicago this week.  His parents, our dear friends, Vicky and Dave, finally made it home to Virginia Beach through Hurricane Sandy yesterday, just a day or two later than they had planned. Cat and her boyfriend, Nick, made it home Sunday evening/Monday morning deciding to ride out their second NYC hurricane in their apartment with their cats on the upper east side.  Phew! So glad everyone is home safe and sound! Such a good week, but I have to admit that I am still catching up on sleep! 
Some paintings I took to The Wells Gallery;

Front and Center oil on canvas 60" x 36"

Making Connections oil on canvas 60" x 48"

One Big Pickle oil on canvas 26" x 54"

Sound of Surf oil on canvas 48" x 60"

Saturday Morning oil on canvas 36" x 60"

End of Cherry season

A few weeks ago I was at the grocery and grabbed one of the last bags of cherries for the season to paint. I love the red cherries in the green jadite dishes and I love the challenge of painting things in the background out of focus!

Double Take  48"X 60" oil on canvas

Down to the wire...

I am working diligently on finishing up the last few pieces for our trip south at the end of the month.  Having said that, I was able to sneek a few days to do two smaller works that will be auctioned off at the Veggie Institute dinner, created by the amazing Chef Tony Dee, on October 27!  http://www.culinaryvegetableinstitute.com/cvi_cms/129.html  The proceeds from the monthly dinners go toward a program that teaches kids where the food and veggies they eat come from. It's a great event for a great cause!!  If you'd like to bid on these, let me know and I will pass your bid along! 

Root Veggies  16" x 16" oil on panel

Colorful Carrots 6" x 12" oil on panel

BTW, I loved painting these veggies and can't wait to do more!

New work!

The past couple of weeks I have been working on two paintings that couldn't be more different from one another.  One is glass, with bright colors and hard edges and the other is a flower with soft whites and soft edges.  I have really enjoyed going back and forth between them. 

A Rose By Any Other Name.. 36" x 48"  oil on canvas

While roses are not my favorite flower, I couldn't resist the challenge of the warm shadows and cooler highlights. 

Minding My B's and Q's 48" x 60" oil on canvas

The jars introduce my new flea market find!  The jar is a Quick Seal and I loved painting that big Q for a change!!

Both paintings will probably head south with me in October.

Another for the doll series

Another painting from the doll series. 

Prayer Chain oil on canvas 24" x 48"

And now back to painting glass and mason jars for a trip south in October!  I will be painting at Wells Gallery on Kiawah Island on October 25 at Art Uncorked.  Art and wine, doesn't get much better! :)

Expired birds..

Last week I found this poor dead bird in the driveway.  We live out in the country and there are tons of these swallows that live in  the neighbors barn during the summer.  They are beautiful to watch and keep the mosquito population in check.  This one must have gotten caught by a car coming down the drive.  I love its colors and shape.  My dear friend Vicky thinks I need to be medicated for painting dead things.  It's not like I kept it or anything.. my husband wouldn't let me.  :)  But I took a ton of reference photos, and not to further scare Vicky, but I loved painting it and am going to do so again.  Soon.

Funeral For A Friend 16" x 20" oil on board

Death at the Doorstep 9" x 12" oil on board

Current Work In Progress..

This week I will be finishing this painting, Peony in Pink. Then I have some great ideas for some smaller works!  Happy Tuesday!  (And a belated Happy Left Handed Day!)

Peony in Pink 48" x 60" oil on canvas

A visit from Mr. Golden!

I am late in sharing this, but hopefully better late than never!  We were so blessed to have Mark Golden, of Golden Artist's Colors come to our little town and give a history of the company and a demonstration of the products they offer.  We had a great morning of experimentation!  They offer a huge array of products- some of which I never knew existed, but thoroughly enjoyed using!!  And, as if being able to learn and play with all the products Golden offers wasn't enough, he sent us each a package of the products with which we wanted to further experiment!  It was like Christmas in July!  I personally am most excited to try the Williamsburg oil paints!  I would encourage you all to check out what they offer and give their paints a try!  THANK YOU Mark Golden and Golden Artist Colors!

Exciting News!

 I am excited to have two new works showing at the Hammond Harkins Gallery in Columbus, OH this month.  It is a lovely gallery on Main Street in Bexley, OH, and I am so thrilled to be a part of their gallery.

Crossing 5th Ave 16" x 20"

Morning Commute 8" x 10"

A few works in progress...

I have been working on a couple pieces at the same time this week.. something I don't normally do, but I have really been enjoying it and learning a lot.. which is what it is all about!
  We were at the beach for a family vacation last week and found this conk shell.  The first thing all the kids did was to put it to their ear.. Hence the name..

Sounds of Surf 60" x 48" oil on canvas

 And this is a painting that I started back when the peonies bloomed, but just now got back to it!

Inner Beauty 36" x 60" oil on canvas

 

 

 

Also this week, I was delighted and honored to find out that my painting, The Station, received the Hazen/Taft award at the Ohio Sate Fair professional exhibit!  It is a great and impressive exhibit and I would encourage anyone in the area or going to the fair to see it!

The Station 60" x 36" oil on canvas

Today I am headed to Mansfield Art Center to help with Art Explosion.  If you are in the area and looking for something to do, stop by!  I think it will be a great time!  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Trying to loosen up!

This week I have been playing with loosening up with my brush stroke.  There are fine lines between loose and busy and messy and muddy.. And I have crossed them all!  Here are the results..

Introvert 16" x 16" oil on panel

Seeing Things Through  16" x 16" oil on panel

Saturday Morning 36" x 60" oil on canvas

Flea market finds.. and baby ducks!

We spent last Saturday morning at the flea market.. so fun!  this is a painting of one of my new treasures! 

Morning Marble 48" x 48"

I didn't get much else done this week because we were too busy watching the baby ducks hatch outside the studio window!

Kaleigh watching the ducklings hatch

One of nine!

Painting and traveling... traveling and painting!

The first half of this year has been a whirlwind of exciting travels!  I have traveled overseas twice, to both coasts, and a couple places in between!  I have been trying to record some of these adventures for future paintings and am also experimenting a bit in the studio as I have time.  Here are a few recent paintings.

Beach Memories 36" x 48"

Taxi! 16" x 20"

Colosseum 8" x 10"

The JZ Line 16" x 20"

Just Us Two 8" x 10"