BULLDOZER

                                                   11" X 14" Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Late one afternoon last summer, we arrived home from an outing to find this very handsome fellow taking a nap in the neighbor’s yard under the rhodies.  Out came the phones and the cameras for a photo-fest!  Of course the lighting left much to be desired as did the less than colorful surroundings - but...what if?  With a little color and imagination BULLDOZER  soon graced this canvas.  What a fun painting! 

These marvelous creatures sometimes wander our country roads and enjoy our lawns.   In places like Cataloochee, a short scenic drive from Maggie Valley,  herds roaming  the meadows attract lots 

of attention . It's nice to pack a picnic basket and spend a pleasant afternoon among these

wonderful animals.

September 13 and 14 we will enjoy the first annual Elk Festival right here in Maggie Valley!                                                   

BULLDOZER is one of my paintings available at Crafted in Carolina Gallery, 3073 Soco Road, Maggie Valley http://crafted in carolina.net.

JACE - ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

                                                16" x 20" Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Handsome talented Jace just graduated from high school and will be headed to college

in the fall.  What fun to capture him wearing his favorite duds, and with a fishing line in the water! 

Jace enjoys the outdoors and fishing is a passion.  It was an honor painting this commemorative portrait to celebrate the closing of a memorable chapter in his life and the beginning of an exciting new one!

Jace is our grand nephew and we are so very proud of him and his accomplishments! 

DESI & MAGGIE

This 16" x 20" oil painting was fun from photo shoot to final strokes!  Wiggling bundles of joy are not easy to photograph.  A lot of time was spent studying their faces for head tilts and expressions.  They are just too precious.  The inside shots weren’t going well, but once we got outside and Maggie saw a squirrel dash through the yard, the stage was set!

The breed is Havanese - nicknamed "Havana Silk Dog" because their gorgeous long silky coats are so beautiful.  The National Dog of Cuba, they are small, friendly, outgoing, extremely smart and easily trained.

Desi (short for Destiny) is positioned to show her personality - always aware of her surroundings and looking out for her younger pal.  Maggie never misses anything, is always alert and ready for new adventures.  They complement each other beautifully making their humans proud!

I so appreciate the opportunity of painting these two darling little girls!

I'M A COWBOY

                                                              Oil on Panel - 20" x 16"

This painting and two more were juried into the 2019 All Florida Cowboy Art Championship Show.
The show may be seen at the Martin Art Gallery, 207 E. Magnolia Street, Arcadia, Florida,  Reception Wednesday, March 6.  The show runs through March 28.

THE PREACHER'S DAUGHTER

                                                           Oil on Canvas, 15" x 30"

Today was the last day to see the Primavera Art Show at the Visual Art Center in Punta Gorda,
Florida!  I am so far behind posting - but am trying to catch up!  Has been a wonderful season of shows, demos, workshops and festivals almost every weekend.  Gotta love Southwest Florida if you are an artist or an art lover!

THE PREACHER'S DAUGHTER won the coveted Bowles Award for Portrait Excellence at the reception held March 14 at the VAC! Oh My Goodness! Painting portraits feeds my soul and you can not imagine how happy this award has made me!  This little girl won my heart waiting for a sermon to end so she could escape to the out-of-doors. Attempting to capture her anticipation was indeed a challenge. You may have seen her as the model for our 2017 Christmas Card.

FLAMING JOE

   

                                                            20" x 30" Oil on Canvas

The magnificent flamingo is a favorite bird known for its stilt-like legs and brilliant color.  Here in Florida it's practically an icon.  This is strange as it was declared native to Florida only a few years ago.  Up until then when seen in the wild, flamingos were thought to be escapees from attractions.  Now they are sighted even in our area of Charlotte Harbor.  They wade and feed in shallow water using their upper beaks like shovels to scrape shrimp, crabs, snails, algae, etc. from the bottom.  Yes, they twist their heads upside down to do this!  The lower beaks serve as strainers and the tongues "pump" the sand and debris out of their mouths.  Their nests look like mini-volcanos built of mud and are where the females lay one egg in a shallow hole at the tops of the mounds.  These big birds are able to "run" on water, thanks to their webbed feet, to gain speed before lifting into the air where their wingspan is about five feet.

I'm especially fond of this pretty bird since our son and daughter in law, both avid sailors, were married by the captain onboard a beautiful 42' blue-hulled Ketch named FLAMING JOE.  The boat's emblem? - you guessed it - a flamingo!   A perfect setting for a most romantic wedding and mini-reception! The flamingo appeared again in decorations at a larger reception held later.

This painting was completed barely in time for entry into the juried WILD ABOUT WILDLIFE show presented by The Cape Coral Art League and judged by Sandra Mark.  What a thrill it was when FLAMING JOE took the first place ribbon at Thursday evening's reception and GAME ON won People's Choice (2nd time)!  A grand night of celebration for me!  The show is wild and colorful and may be seen until March 4 at the Cape Coral Art League, 516 Cultural Park Boulevard, Cape Coral 33990, Phone: (239) 772-5657.

Thank You!

                 
                               Desoto Arts and Humanities Council's Annual Member's  Show

Thanks to each and every one of you who voted GAME ON "People's Choice" in this exhibit!  What an honor for this piece to have been chosen among so many amazing creations by a group of really talented artists!  I am humbled and feeling blessed!  Doing my Happy Dance! 

Game On

                                               14" x 22" Watermedia on Illustration Board

Coming upon this noisy confrontation between a Royal Tern and a Forster's Tern who could resist a few photos!  I snapped away!

Back in the studio looking at the pictures, I wondered what was making these birds so angry with each other?  I asked my favorite question "what if?" - maybe a tiny mermaid perched on a shell pleading for her life, or a conch peeking out his shell, my imagination was running wild when a glance caught a jar of marbles on the shelf.  Light bulb exploded!  Someone had left marbles on the beach and each bird was staking a claim!  The marbles would provide color and keep the viewer's eye bouncing back and forth between the birds!

While my medium of choice is usually oil, for this one the watercolors and gouache came out.  That went well for a little while, but watercolor lifting drives me crazy.  Fluid acrylic to the rescue.  The painting is now framed and will be shown in the Desoto Arts and Humanities Council's Annual Show opening January 10 at Martin Art Gallery, 207 E. Magnolia Street, Arcadia, Florida with a reception from 5:30 until 7:00.  The public is invited and welcome!  Hope to see you there! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

                                                            12" X 8-1/2" Oil on Board

From our home and my studio to yours MERRY CHRISTMAS and a wonderfully creative 2019!
Wishing you, your families, your pets and your friends good health, blessings, and joy with lots of laughter filled days!

Thanks to all who stop by and especially to you who take time to leave a comment or two!

This painting was created a few years ago inspired by a darling little girl who is now a freshman at Western Carolina University.  How the time flies!  I've always been fond of this small painting so it's making a second appearance.  The doll's name is Bitsy Baby and no doubt she is safely tucked away somewhere.  Merry Christmas, Jordan, to you and to your family!

CRAFTED IN CAROLINA GALLERY

Drum Roll - Exciting News!  I am so happy to tell you about my new gallery representation!

My paintings are now available at the lovely and unique CRAFTED IN CAROLINA Gallery at 3073 Soco Road, Maggie Valley, NC.  If you are local to the area or just passing through, please stop in and say hello to owner and jewelry artist extraordinaire,  Beth Craft. Don’t miss her swarovski bead-studded animal skulls! The glowing fire in the fireplace, sunlight streaming through the beautiful stained glass pieces, and friendly atmosphere will keep you lingering.  

Next summer I shall be holding classes and maybe a workshop there - please stay tuned!  

HIGH FIVE

                                                     16" x 20" Oil on Stretched Canvas

This portrait was "fun" with a Capital "F"!  Myah is such a delightful little girl!  There is never a

 dull moment when she's around.  The challenge was to capture her glee.  This was done expertly by  Photographer Bill Killillay  Thank you so much, Bill, for sharing your photo!  Having the opportunity to paint Myah meant even more to me since I had painted her lovely mother, Jessica, at approximately the same age Myah is now.

                                                   Jessica (detail)                                                  

HIGH FIVE  was delivered yesterday.  Painted with love for Kim, Glenn, Jessica and Myah.  

GAME ON

15" x 30"

                                                Gouache and acrylic on Illustration Board

While taking a short break from oil painting, I decided maybe it would be fun to create a fantasy beach scene using water media. Our beautiful Gulf beaches are constantly calling and during an outing in the spring these noisy fellows demanded  attention.  Both were interested in the same morsel of food in the sand allowing time to observe and take photos.  Back in the studio it was time to play "what if?"  What if they were vying for something fascinating, i.e., a tiny mermaid washed ashore, or a sparkling piece of lost jewelry, a torn piece of treasure map,  or...what?

 As I sketched while looking at an assortment of photos,  these two birds and others in many poses, finally an idea!  Why not let the gull and the plover argue over a game of colorful glass marbles?

 This one was fun - early sketches included driftwood, more birds, and even an old bleached sea-swept stump and sea grass.  This could be the beginning of a series!  However, the oils are calling.

WELCOME TO MY NEW STUDIO - "THE TAJ"

A spare bedroom studio - that’s where I’ve painted for many years and it was time to make changes.  I had no desire for “off location” - so renting space was out.  We needed a room addition to the house or a SHED!  What?!    A successful artist in the area enjoys a “shed studio” called The Art Shak!  She encouraged and inspired me. 

Long story short - at the end of November Frank and I visited Robin’s Sheds for particulars...Yes, this might work.  When I spelled out to the salesman just what was wanted and expected, he rolled his eyes and said, “You want the Taj Mahal” of storage sheds - and I suppose I did.  So - months  passed, the  16’ x 13’ shed was finally delivered the end of February and interior work was contracted.   After the walls and ceiling were in, Frank and I painted and installed the floor covering.  Finally, it was mid-April and time to move in!

Wishing to wait until it was "just right" before sharing photos with you,  it appears my time has been spent “burying myself” in painting rather than decorating... so before we leave for the mountains, Welcome to My New Studio - The Taj!

Would really appreciate comments and especially suggestions!  We will landscape, install shelving, and hang more paintings when we return in the fall.

MONDAY MORNING MAGNOLIAS

12" x 16" Oil on Stretched Canvas

My new free standing studio is almost ready to show you but want to put the finishing touches on the outside before photographing. Maybe next week! MONDAY MORNING MAGNOLIAS is the first painting completed in this special new space!

Do artists ever tire of painting the magnolia tree's bounty? I realize this represents a rather trite still life subject, nevertheless, the enchanting beauty and fragrance is most seductive and I am weak. Thank you French Botanist Pierre Magnol for lending your name to this magnificent tree!

Fun, fun, fun trying the new Richeson colors and brushes mentioned in the last post! Love the new paint. Only turquoise wasn't used for this piece. Will mention the brushes in a later post.

On the subject of tube colors, another exciting new color, at least "new" to me is Williamsburg's Cinnabar Green Light. Perfect for landscapes and portrait mixes. Years ago Grumbacher made a Thalo Yellow Green that was similar to this color. I was brokenhearted when it was discontinued. Today's Grumbacher Thalo Yellow Green is nothing like the original color. Williamsburg's Cinnabar Green Light comes close! It was used very sparingly in the magnolia leaves as they tend to be more blue green than yellow green but wanted to share the find.

Would enjoy hearing about your favorite oil colors.

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SURPRISE PACKAGE

There is a new painting ready to be photographed and posted but before showing you that one let me  tell you about the "Surprise Package" I received this week.

In the Art of the River post I mentioned the Jack Richeson Art Supply gift certificate award for  $150  for paint or pastels!  http://richesonart.com/    Turning me loose in  the oil paint isle of any store is dangerous to the wallet - but RICHESON - Wow!   This required very careful perusing  the on line  catalog of 70 colors - decisions, decisions!!   I knew I wanted to try the Ice Blue as that had been recommended,  I have a passion for Indian Yellows, enjoy using Golden Ochre for portraits and landscapes...well, could do pages  discussing how I finally chose eight colors and submitted my order.  An email from the company acknowledged receipt and mentioned, "Sometimes we are able to include a little something extra with your shipment".  The email also provided information about the company,  supplies, their school and gallery,  international art competitions they sponsor www.richeson75.com/ and more!  Who knew?

The package arrived - a large box - for 8 tube of paint?  Well, that must have been some careful packaging.  Then, I opened the box!  Oh my Goodness !!   Did they ever "include something extra"!!  Just had to share!    Note there are six Grey Matters brushes - I'm as excited about trying those as trying the new oil colors!!   You counted nine paint tubes?  Yes - they included their new Transparent Marble White!  Thank you Jack Richeson Art!  I'm a happy painter and will enjoy using all the gifts!