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"

old computer..new work!

Sorry for the lapse in posts.. my old computer decided it would no longer let me access my blog.  It was only 10 years old or so... I had to break down and get a new computer, and there is a bit of a learning curve for someone not terribly  into technology and who would rather paint than type.  But, on a good not, I can now update my blog!

I have been trying to loosen up a bit with the paint and have been enjoying it.  I have two paintings that I recently completed and I see progress!!  One is another Mason jar of shells, and the other is a night scene of a gas station I took a picture of the other morning on the way to the airport.  It's kind of hard to see in the photo, but I really like the way this one turned out.  I'll try to re-shoot it one of these days and see if I can get a better photo.

Beach Memories 36" x 48"

The Station 36" x 60"

The Butler Institute of American Art Mid Year Exhibition

This past weekend I was in Hollywood, CA for the TCM film festival with my mother and my daughter.  We had a fabulous time and saw more movies in four days than I had in four months!  Our favorite by far was seeing "The Grapes of Wrath" on the big screen.  What a visually beautiful film!!   If you ever get the chance to see it in the theater, I would highly recommend it!  When I got home I was so happy to find out that my painting, "When The Devil Whispers in Your Ear, Look the Other Way" has been accepted into the The Butler Institute of American Art Mid-Year Exhibition!  Very exciting!  And now back in the studio for a few weeks until we head to NYC to see our oldest graduate from college and see her movie on the big screen for the first time!! 


When The Devil Whispers in Your Ear, Look the Other Way
18" x 24"
Oil on panel



New work.. Old dolls..

I started working on some new paintings of old composite dolls.  A friend that runs a thrift store posted them one day on Facebook, and I had to have them!  They have been sitting in my studio for almost a year... but recently I have been drawn to work with them.  I just love them!!  I am going to need to look for a few more dolls but in the meantime, here are my first two paintings!



Red Lips and White Lies

36" x 60"




When the Devil Whispers in Your Ear, Look the Other Way
18" x 24"

To Charleston!

These are some paintings I am planning to take to The Wells Gallery Charleston next week.  Roman Window' is my first painting from our trip to Rome earlier this month.  :)  Have a great weekend!



Steaming Up!
60" x 36"




Roman Window

36" x 48"

  

Sillside
48" x 36"



Recent Paintings

I took over 1200 photos during our week in Rome!  Some were tourist shots, some were goofy photos of me and Cat, but most were reference photos for future paintings.. oh my!  The only trouble with that is that I already had thousands of reference photos!  If I never took another photo.. (not likely) I 'd have more than enough with which to work for the rest of my life.. and I can't wait to do them all!   So yesterday I started a painting from Rome, but am posting a few recent works from a trip to New York City in late October. 







Rainy Day Red Light 36" x 60"





Taxi!  16" x 20"





The Morning After the Storm Before 48" x 60"



Rome, The Hilton, and more

Last week I returned from an amazing trip to Rome, Italy, and am now trying to catching up on things... like blogging!  My oldest daughter gifted me with the trip for Christmas and she and I had the best time!  We walked a marathon and saw SO much art and history and ate SO much good food!  A bit surreal!!  This week has been back to reality in Ohio, but with temperatures in the mid 70's in March, it is a bit surreal here as well!  I will take it!  I am finishing up a commission for the Hilton Hotel in Columbus.. I was so thrilled to have been chosen to participate in this project!  I have also been busy on some new work to take to The Wells Gallery in Charleston the first week in April!  I will be part of a three person show there with two artists whose work I very much admire- Mark Bailey and Curt Butler. 

The Game (Hilton commission)

Cherry Coke

 

More Than Half Full



Photos from Mason Murer "Refresh"

We had a great trip to Atlanta and Charleston!  Here are some photos of my work hanging before the show opened!

 

Invite for the "Refresh" show

I am really looking forward to the show and am thrilled to be showing with some amazing artists!  Hope you can join us next Friday if you are in the Atlanta area!!

Salon International 2012

I was so pleased to hear yesterday that my entry in the Salon International 2012 at The Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio, TX, has been accepted!  Most of my work is too large to enter into shows, so I entered this small still life.  Now I need to get it framed and shipped!



Natural Light
oil on board
8" x 10"



Getting ready for a road trip!

We booked our final hotel and I think we are ready to go!  We are headed to Atlanta, to Mason Murer Fine Art to drop off work for "Refresh", the group show opening February 17.  Then we are driving up to Asheville, NC because we have heard so many great things about the area, then down to Charleston, to The Wells Gallery and to visit for a couple days, then back to Atlanta for the opening Friday night, then home on Saturday!  Phew!  It will be a lot of driving, but we are looking forward to seeing everyone down south!
A few of the paintings we will be bringing..

A's and B's
oil on canvas
36" x 60"

 

Blueberry Juice
oil on canvas
48" x 48"



Pickle Spears
oil on canvas
36" x 60"

Two More for the show..

Two more for the show at Mason Murer Fine Art in Atlanta..


Tomato Juice 36" x 60"




At Odds 48" x 60"



Canned Heat

I have been painting quite a bit over the last few months in preparation for my upcoming show, Canned Heat,  Part of "Refresh", at Mason Murer Fine Art in Atlanta, GA.  Here are a few of the pieces I am working on!


A Pair of Pickled Peppers 36" x 60"




Pickle Juice 48" x 48"




Blueberries 36" x 60"



Two recent paintings..

My New Year's resolution is to post more often and more images!  So I will start a day or two early with one painting that was a Christmas present, and one painting from our trip to NYC in Oct. when they had that freak snow storm!  Great photo ops there even though my husband and daughter were getting a little annoyed with all my picture taking. :)  But on the flip side, I have a whole lot that I'd like to paint from that trip... and they still love me!  It's all good!



It's Five O'clock Somewhere
12" x 9"

















Against the Wind
60" x 36"



Recent Paintings

A couple recent paintings and a commission!

Purple Peony 36" x 60"

Graniteware 36" x 60"

That Line is Tied Up At The Moment 36" x 48"

Small works to the Wells Gallery

I have been working on some small paintings and got 4 shipped today to the Wells Gallery in Charleston for their Small Works December show! 

Odd Man Out 6" x 12"

Ready For More 12" x 12"

Hints of Pink 6" x6"

W 16" x 16"

Second Commission and third painting for The Metaphoric Show at The Wells Gallery in Charleston

This is another commission... 

Three Deep
28" x 54"

and a third painting that is being shipped to the "Metaphoric" Show at The Wells Gallery in Charleston, SC. 



Making Ends Meet
36" x 60"

Commissions and the Canning Series!

I have been painting Mason and Ball canning jars mostly empty, and showing the transparency and distortions of the old glass so I was a little scared when a commission came in to paint one full of something-  I was asked to paint stewed tomatoes...   But that commission has led to me to think more about their original purpose of storing food through the winter.  So I have have been working on a series of the jars full of, or containing the things for which they were created!  It has been great fun to research all the things that people used to can.  I remember my parents putting up pickles and tomatoes every year but it seems that it is possible to can just about any fruit or veggie there is!  And over the next few months I will be working with these as my subject matter!  I will be debuting the series at Mason Murer Fine Art in Atlanta in February!


Stewed Tomatoes
48" x 60"
oil on canvas