Dominique...

Dominique

6x6 oil on canvas panel

so here's my painting of my friend ginny's grand...i took a break after we beat kentucky because i'm working on a great big homage to that day in assembly hall - i finally was able to get back to her and fix her eyes - aren't they gorgeous! her mom is panamanian and i think she's quite exotic-looking!!  but oh - that game last night!  they had us whooping and hollering for a while there but couldn't quite sustain it...and "welcome to the big ten, cody!"...poor guy - he's got some quick catching up to do i'm thinking!!  meanwhile davey had shoulder surgery this morning and, not to be outdone, he also had a rotator cuff tear so they had to cut him open...same thing that happened to me so now we're fighting to see who had the bigger tear...he reminded me that i also had a labrum tear so i guess i win! hoping to get soime painting done during his recuperation because he is not demanding at all...only thing is...i'll be cooking for a while...hmmm..i'm thinking we may actually lose some weight!!!  happy new year!!

IU at michigan state

been a while... i think the last time i posted i was working on ginny's granddaughter and her eyes were too far apart.  i think i've nailed them at last and it's too dark to photograph the painting but i promise that will get done tomorrow. my hubby is having shoulder surgery in the morning and he'll be doing a bit of lying around and not that much cooking.  my life is about to change drastically ....hope i can find time to paint!!!  merry christmas and happy new year!...and now on to the game....

getting back to work

well...we've had a lot going on around here...family turmoil...but life is good and getting better...and i'm determined to get back to my "grand" project.  i spent the afternoon painting my friend ginny's youngest grand and just was so totally in love with it...and then i discovered the eyes were too far apart!!!!!...back to the drawing board and hopefully i'll be able to finish it tomorrow.  i did do a bunch of small acrylics for a new kids' shop downtown - "ochild" - lovely people - the took over bob anderson's store on washington...but i totally forgot to even take any pix...just some small cupcakes and fairies - more to come...

happy thanksgiving!!!

my oldest grand, will, is now all of nine years old! - this is his mom's favorite picture of him as a baby and i've done this painting for her...one of many i've done of willie over the years.  my grands are so much fun to paint and i'm hoping to paint lots of my friends' grands over the coming years.  i haven't been able to post much lately...lots of reasons...but we have so much to be thankful for this year...and we are gathering today as a family for our thanksgiving feast!!!  yum!!!

another sea turtle

georgia sea turtle two (SOLD)

8x10 oil on canvas

here's the other painting i did while here in wonderful sunny and windy and a litle bit cold georgia!!!...the thing is, when the sun is out, i have to take off my windbreaker..but then i have to put it right back on when the sun goes under the clouds...and with all this wind that happens ...ALL THE TIME!!!!!....davey and i played jekyl today - we had to wait for the comcast people to arrive and we had the nicest fellow - very non- comcast-ish, i must say...so we didn't get to tee off til quite late but had a very fun time!!  we're already almost in "packing" mode....getting ready to depart the island ...never to return...until next spring...

we're in georgia...

georgia sea turtle (SOLD)

8x10 oil on canvas

so here we are in sunny and cold and windy st. simons...just played a fabulous course - frederica - very private and exclusive and we're lucky to be good buddies with some members...we've played jekyl and a couple rounds at sea island....trying to squeeze the very last drops out of the golf season before we venture back to indiana.  i did a couple sea turtle paintings while i've been here - this is one of them - i'll post the other later.  off to dinner so i have to run!~!!!

reins for recovery

12x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas

NFS

i ran into an old friend the other day whose son is big into horses.  he's volunteering for an organization called http://www.reinstorecovery.org/ .  they are holding a fund raiser this weekend and i offered to do a painting for them.  this will be tweaked a tiny bit ..i need to pull some of the green in the sky down into the rest of the painting for color unity and the mane in the sunlight needs to be more colorful but this is a pretty good idea of what it will be llike when its finished.

Chinaman's Bluff

16x20 oil on stretched canvas

i just posted this on the richard robinson challenge page.  this is the second month of this on-line workshop and last month i had so much stuff going on i didn't have a chance to enter til very late...hopefully i can get some feedback from some of the painters world-wide who are a part of this.  it's so cool...i was emailing back and forth with richard..in freakin' new zealand!!!!!....isn't this technology something???...i may tweak it a bit...usually once i get a photo of what i'm working on, i see what needs to be done...we'll see what the others have to say!

Teein'it up!!

11x14 oil on canvas panel

this little guy is really into it, isn't he???  i think the golf club is at least as long as he is!!  wish i'd started that young..

cousins...on the beach...

11x14 oil on stretched canvas

i love this image!! - this is taken from a photo my friend shelli let me borrow...they are actually HER grands..all dressed up and walking hand-in-hand on the beach.  i may take this to my gallery in indy...don't know yet..

Lucy

6x6 oil on canvas panel

so here's my painting of lucy...i've painted all of these kids several times and i never tire of it! - this one goes to dave and olivia, her other grandparents.  i've been working on a few things which i will post in the next few days...finally have had some bad weather so i could get up to my studio!!

willie

6x6 oil on canvas panel

so here's my grandson willie...this is part of my "grand" project...i'm painting this for will's other set of grandparents, dave and olivia.  i hope they enjoy having this as much as i enjoyed painting it for them!

In the Wings

12x9

oil on stretched canvas

so this is a painting i took off the wall yesterday...it was bothering me...a little boring...so i thought it could use some jazzing up and this is the result.  now i'm happy with it!!

Winter Sentinel

11x14

oil on stretched canvas

so today i finished richard robinson's challenge painting..actually he is holding an on-line workshop and i signed up weeks ago for september but haven't had a chance to get to it til this weekend.  i'm trying to upload it to his site and having problems. we all painted the same image from a photo he posted.  we were free to change it, crop it, to take artistic license wherever needed...and it was lots of fun.  i've enjoyed reading the posts - people from all over the world are participating in this and it's a bit mindboggling!  so far there are 84 entries...all very different..and mine will be the 85th..if it ever shows up.  and tomorrow is the last day to enter your painting.  wish me luck!  

sleeping babies...

8x10 oil on canvas panel

so i think i'm done with this one.  hopefully it will dry in time to send it off with them - if not, i'll mail it and it should beat them home since they're taking their time getting back to oz.  a real round the world trip...such fun!!  i've been glued all day to the 911 remembrance stuff - it's riveting and i remember exactly that morning like it was yesterday.  i hope we never ever forget!! - off for a walk and then to tillie's birthday party!!

tils and ols in progress...

this is a painting in progress of two of my grands..matilda and oliver...sound asleep.  i need to get this finished in the next day or so...tillie's aussie grandparents are visiting and i want to be able to send this home with them midweek....and the weather is finally turning..i can feel Fall coming on and that means less golf and more painting!! can't wait...in a way...

happy birthday carol marine

so a couple weeks ago, david marine set up a challenge to surprise his wife carol for her birthday.  we could paint anything we wanted..and i wanted to paint her!! - but then things were happening with my friend sukey...she was preparing to head to heaven and i was not prepared to paint..for quite a while.. carol marine is one of the driving forces of the daily painting phenomenon...along with her husband david...and this painting is taken from her website and blog photo...such a happy gal...

6x6 oil on canvas panel

so sad....

me friend sukey went to heaven friday night.  she waged her battle against a vicious disease with courage and grace and she will be missed! our love and prayers are with her family.

chocolate cupcake..in progress...

5x5 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so we've been on the road a bit lately...my hubby had to testify as an expert witness in a trial on tuesday...so we wended our way down to scenic Owensboro, Kentucky.  the drive was beautiful and, even though we're IU people and HATE kentucky...the people were beautiful as well....and friendly!!!..i stopped in three shops near the courthouse..one on frederica - where they were so friendly and accomodating and actually taught me how to take a picture with my Iphone!!..then i went down to 2nd street to find the promised antique stores....some of which were open..some not so much...but i did happen upon two wonderful places...one is called Crowne gifts and events...and rosemary the owner couldn't have been nicer.  i bought a fantastic and strange ceramic statue of a lady which i snuck in to the floor of the back seat and almost made it home without davey seeing it.... but i digress...rosemary sent me to a place down the street called c-ing polka dots..owned by carol reader.  both shops were chock full of very fun and unique stuff and i'm happy to report that i'm going to be painting for carol - she particularly wanted me to do some cupcakes so here's my first piece..in progress.(and sorry for the hazy picture..i snapped it this evening and the sun is low)..i may add polkadots to the backgroud...any thoughts or suggestions?...anyway - we are at the lake for a few days - trying to fit in a bit of golf and a bit of painting...and if you are even in owensboro, kentucky...you simply MUST  stop in at these two very fun and unique shops...actually you can see the polka dot place at http://www.c-ingpolkadots.com/ .  very cool!!!!

Ella

Ella

6x6 original oil NFS

this is for my friend sukey.  this is her granddaughter ella and i wanted to paint this to go along with the piece i did of her grandson jackson.  they are two beautiful children and they were a joy to paint!! 

Bria's Ride...

11x14 oil on stretched canvas

so here's my finished painting for Bria's Ride - i like this and i hope it brings some good money for Bria's medical expenses.  i love that the Harley folks are so into charity work - very impressive!!

road trip..

i've been working on my painting for "bria's ride"...i posted one i did last year around this time - very cool..just the handlebars of a harley at night...it went over very well at the silent auction i heard!!....so i'm doing one of a rider tearing off into the distance and i was going to post it but after seeing it through the camera's eye, i want to tweak it a bit...maybe tomorrow if i have time.  the ride is the 13th so i still have a bit of time and i may or may not get to it tomorrow.  we head out to visit our good friends tim and katie in michigan tomorrow and we always get together with a bunch of high school buddies..i am so damn lucky to still be so close to these people!! anyway - then on to the cottage to celebrate my brother john's wedding to his fiance karen...should be lots of fun but there will be no chance for painting in the next several days.  meanwhile my knee is on the mend - still limping around but every day brings promise...as my mom used to say.."every day, in every way...i'm getting better and better...."

brogan..in progress...

so this is brogie...i'm still working on him - i need to do his hat - and tune up a few things..but i'm really liking this right now! i'm happy to be back in the studio..although we did manage to sneak in nine holes today - bad knee and all - but i think i've gotten a bit out of balance and haven't been putting enough energy into my paints - but i hope i'm on a better track now - maybe another lesson from the golf cart crash?....

patti on the pier

7x5 oil on canvas panel

so i know this may look strange...my cousin patti posted this photo on faceboook and i thought it would make a cool painting! - the photo's taken at the cottage snd she's standing on the pier and i think this is just a lighting phenomenon - very surreal, don't ya think?  and a good way for me to get my juices flowing again - quick and loose and a good thing cause that's all i could manage up there today! for some reason i'm more sore today than i have been at any time since the wreck! gonna post this on facebook!   

today...

..is the last of the "2011 Golf Tour"!!  thank heavens!!!  at one point i think i counted up 14 rounds of golf since my birthday on the 7th of july...most of them command performances because i had signed up and had to play in spite of the longest heat wave i can remember (happy now, al gore?). some regular golf,  two south central outings, a pro-am, the city tourney and  today was our annual rally for the cure at greenbelt and it was actually not too hot! i opted to ride this morning because of an incident yesterday at bear chase golf club in shelbyville.  before play even started, we were heading out to our designated tees and the gal who was driving our cart started down this very steep, curved incline..realized she was going too fast.. . slammed on the brakes  and sent us into a skid - three sixty - and the cart rolled over on top of us!!!!!.  may have been the most scared i've ever been in my life!!! - i was sure we were dying...thank God there were a lot of people around - i don't know who it was or how they managed to get the cart off of us but we were screaming and praying and it was a nightmare!! they called the ambulance and the other gal went to the hospital for x-rays but i knew i hadn't broken anything.  my left knee was all scraped and starting to swell, my left arm was cut, my shirt was a mess, things had broken in my purse,...but i called davey and told him about it..said nothing was broken and that i really wanted to play...and of course he said.."TEE IT UP GIRL!!!!".  yea!! - and probably the smartest thing - to keep moving around - i had to sign off on the trip to the ER and, armed with a trusty, ever-present ice pack,  struggled my way off to join my playing partners..who were dears, by the way..it took me a while to settle down and it was really hard getting my weight shifted but who cared~! - i was playing golf and for the first time i felt so free and happy to be there and not at all wrapped up in my swing or the results...actually had a couple birdies! - and i am one thankful girl - and one sore girl today!! but i managed to play in the rally this morning, all the while realizing that this game we play and get so wrapped up in and so frustrated with...is just that.  a game.  and we are so fortunate just to be out there!!!  maybe tomorrow i can stand for a few hours at my easel - i couldn't yesterday and i can't today - it takes lots of muscles to stand - believe it or not..and my arms are still too sore to hold a brush at arms' length - but all in due time!! i am one lucky and one happy girl!!!!!

city tourney over...

and thank heavens!! - i have no golf swing at the moment...which probably seems strange since i've been playing so dang much golf lately!! - but that's part of the game..it comes and goes - and mine went today! - hopefully i can get a little painting in tomorrow between trying to get the house in order and laundry done.. i love summer..but it wreaks havoc on my yard and my organization and my sanity!!!

i've got my babies...

...well they're not babies anymore...will's 9, tillie's 8, lucy's 6 and oliver's 5..and joe (who's at the lake and not here) is 4...but we're here having a sleepover at gan and paps's - lots of swimming this afternoon - after davey and i played a practice round at otter creek - too much pool and sun time, i fear...but everyone's chilling in the basement for now.. we may have a rousing game of rummykub before too long (because i love it so)...and they're clamoring for one more dip in the pool...but i have to be sensible...tomorrow is the first round of the womens' city championship...and for some strange reason i find i've signed myself up for that...no clue why...the way i'm swinging...but i like to support my local sherriff and so in this 95 degree heat i will be playing at harrison tomorrow and at otter on sunday! wish me luck and no heat stroke!!!!

profile

6x6 oil on canvas panel

so this is a study i did a few days ago after going through my art magazines.  one article suggested starting with a totally wrong color and see what happens.  in this case i started with a green face!  if you look closely you can see some green undertones.  this was fun!  no time to paint right now...heading out the door to play in a pro-am tourney at eulen country club...and it is RIP-roaring HOT out there!!!!

FINALLY!!!!!...Little Girl Golfer

6x6 oil on canvas panel

NFS

people may have thought i'd fallen  off the end of the earth...but i haven't...i finally finished painting my bedroom..(i'll take some pix)...and then when we got home from the lake, i finished putting the bookshelves back together.  then, for my next project, i got the laundry room in order....THEN...in between rounds of golf, of course, i tackled the studio once again...somehow it just gets away from me...i've been going through old art magazines and gleaning the articles i want to save, ripping them out and stapling them..at a much later date i will further organize them but for now i'm fairly proud of meself!  then..after watching that wonderful darrin clark win the open and crying most of the way through the last several holes...i trundled myself upstairs and got my paints out for the first time in more than a week.  of course by this time, my mind is swimming with ideas to try but i decided to be practical and do a painting that i really needed to get done...and so...my "Little Girl Golfer."  i'll be donating this to our local Rally for the Cure on the 29th of this month...a golf tournament to raise awarness for breast cancer.

twins...in progress

this is a photograph of the four feeties of a set of twins...such a neat photo but actually very difficult to capture in paint! - i'm working on it - i just found out we're heading home tomorrow instead of monday so my schedule is a bit different.  i'll work more on this today but may not have this done for several more days.
....actually it's now sunday morning - i've worked a lot more on this but not enough to post...heading home in an hour and must get cracking!!!

tools of the trade..

6x6 oil on canvas panel

so here's another small painting i did a couple days ago - i don't have the best lighting up here and it's hard to see this but it was fun.  i have so many brushes and pallette knives - and this is one of my paint / pallette scrapers.  they wear out so fast - i'm working on a painting today and i'll probably post it later in progress - we head home tomorrow so i need to wrap everything up.

yesterday

6x6 oil on canvas panel

so this is my warm-up from yesterday.  i needed to find sometihng from around here to practice on so why not steal from our traveling bar?...i also did a small painting of some brushes and a pallette knife which i will tweak a bit before i publish.  hoping to paint some this morning before we hit the course at noon!

two small warm-up paintings this morning...

..unfortunately, it's too late and too dark to post them.  plus i need to tweak a bit.  it's been a while, after all...BUT...we had a great day! - my cousin terry treated us to some golf at the white hawk course in crown point.  davey, bad back and all, managed to eke out an 80 and i was cruising along til i hit a bump on the back ( tripled a par three, for one thing..) and ended up with an 82.  not too shaggy for an old person!  and a birthday girl!! the dogs were alone for so long and we tore back to the cottage and are now heating up the charcoal for a steak and some good red wine to top off the day.  tomorrow i will post my things from this morning and hopefully do a bit more painting.  if davey's back doesn't get better, that may be it for the golf...hope not!!...

at the lake...

i am finally finished with painting every stitch of woodwork and bookshelf in my bedroom and i am ready to get back to the kind of painting that is truly energizing, fulfilling, fun...i dragged my paints up here and i just found out we will be without family for the rest of the week and weekend so i am psyched!!  we do have plans with my cousin terry to play some golf tomorrow...to celebrate my birthday  (ahem)..but i think i can get a bit of painting in beforehand and then who knows...i have plenty of canvas and some projects to tackle - i just need to get my painting legs under me again.  meanwhile...this is the view from our deck..that's our pier that gets shorter every year as more and more sections either float away or fall apart...but we ( read: my son-in-law) lovingly erect it every year while contemplating the cost of a permanent dock/pier the likes of which grace our neighbors' homes.  but i digress...

one more day...

i think with one more day's work, i'll have the whole project  (bath, den and bedroom...INCLUDING that pesky built-in wall of bookshelves)....all double coated with paint and i can finally get back to my life!!!..i may take a picture or two of the final product and post it here.  meanwhile, we're heading up to the lake on wednesday and this time i'm taking my paints and no matter what, i'm getting back in the saddle!!!...i also have golf on my mind...played nine holes today and, wouldn't you know it, i had three pars, two bogies, two birdies, a seven and a TEN..and shot a 44..but oh my goodness, what a score i might have had.......and that's called golf...

i have not fallen off the face of the earth......

...it just feels like it sometimes!!!!  actually  i have been doing lots of painting...but..alas.. not in my studio...in my bedroom!!!..since i was finaly allowed to update my bathroom...that led to a double coat of paint on all the woodwork, doors and windows in my bathroom, bedroom and study..all adjoining.  i am completely done with EVERYTHING  except the one wall of built-in bookshelves...and i can't decide if i want to  paint the whole thing or just the fronts of everything, since the original color is an off-white and the new color is white white..it may be kind of fun to have a bit of contrast  and i'm not sure i can take much more of this!!  i NEED to get back to painting...in my studio!!!...on another note, i did paint some champagne glasses as a gift from our group for a young couple getting married in the fall...we had a couples' shower for them this past weekend which ended up to be a lovely event.  and on yet another note, our group..(cindy, judy, sally and i) had the most magnificent time playing in our member/guest tournament today!!!....  the weather was spectacular...the food was wonderful...and we fricked and fracked our way to a win at two over par 74!!  we actually shot a 34 on the front with three natural birdies..and a bogie...(BOO!)..but we got a bit full of ourselves or we may have actually been able to close it out at even par...the golf gods gave us a serious slap of humility, as we limped in, bogying two of the last three holes...ok..so we were tired and hungry...how do the pros do it for 4 straight days???  what fun though!! - and life is not just about painting...it's also about golf with your friends!!  who's with me?????

Best of the Best Challenge...."Headin' Home"

This is my submission for the "best of the best" challenge for the (www.dailypaintersinternationalartgallery.blogspot.com)  ...a very simple painting, done years ago, sold years ago ( i have giclees available)...but i love it for a couple reasons..a couple of "firsts"...it was the first painting i ever did on linen...(WOW!!)..and the first where i used a limited pallette (ultramarine, yellow ochre, alizarin crimson plus white)...i love the design, the depth and this was the first time ( and i'm sure you guys know what i'm talking about)...where the painting just literally fell off my brush!..

 

plein aire paint out in columbus

t

Millrace Park

11x14 oil on canvas panel

so there was an IPAPA paint out today - actually here in columbus - and i almost didn't make it..the weather was iffy...had stuff going on...but eventually headed down to the park. everyone else painted at the Irwin gardens and that would have been very fun but this was my effort for the day - at least i was outside and the paint was flowing!! this is a view of the white river from one of the overlooks in the park.  i love the tree overhanging the water!

old abe challange

Abe Lincoln challenge by Susie Gregory

6x6 oil on canvas panel

so the challenge here was to just use two colors and work on values.  i used untramarine blue and burnt umber.  i really needed to get my juices flowing again because i've been away for so long and i'm happy to get back at it!!

home from georgia...

so we're finally home...and what a great time we had!! papper took us all on a shrimp trawler cruise...they showed us how they lower the nets and trawl the bottom for shrimp...and whatever else!!!  each time they brought up the net and splashed the contents all over this table, there were at least 3 or 4 sharks, along with a billion other things...all of which my grandchildren actually held in their hot little hands!!  very proud of themselves and very dirty and smelly at the end of the day!!..but so was I!!!!...we learned how to dehead shrimp with just our thumb and forfinger and tils, ols and i really got the hang of it.  shrimp are scarse down south at the moment but we cought enough to each have a good heaping plateful which they had cooked up for us.  what fun!!!  of course we had to sit outside at dinner that night and hope the wind was blowing in the right direction!!  and i'll be throwing those clothes away

heading south...

the other day i was heading to my studio to paint.  my hubby was working in the new bathroom...putting things in the brand new recessed medicine chests (love em!)...so i thought i'd change direction and paint in there.  i'm talking woodwork.  i got a really good start - the whole tub room, all the ceiling trim, one door, but then there's the room with the vanity which attaches to the bedroom with one wall of built-in (wooden) bookshelves, which attaches to the den.....in other words..i really have my work cut out for me! - and then golf has started..and then we leave tomorrow for the house in georgia where we will be barging in on our two daughters who have tandem weeks down there.  but fun, fun, fun!! - i'm not taking my paints and i'm not even mixing paints because things will dry out by the time i get back.  but we have an IPAPA paintout here in columbus the following saturday and i'll be dragging some buddies to that!!  time to get back at it..next week..

power....

we lost it..and then we got it back long enough to watch the final episode of IDOL...so happy for scotty...and then we lost it again..all night long...far into the morning....so we've been without power for a long, long time...we got slammed last night - possible tornadoes...lots and lots of trees uprooted but nothing...i'm telling you..NOTHING.. like we've seen in missouri or other places! - just a bad storm!  thankfully!!  at times like these, as we're cutting up the tree limbs fallen in our front yards, we thank our lucky stars and pray for all those people who've lost everything.  heart-breaking, i'll tell you!...slowly putting the bathroom back together...bringing in lots of peonies and photographing them for future reference - don't have the time i need to do any painting justice right now...priorities, and all...the one above is a definite possibility...

value study...new challenge from carol marine

so here's the latest daily paintworks challenge...a value study with one value being the"most", one value a bit less and one value just a "smidge"..in this case i went for the medium value being dominant with a bit less of dark value and the lightest value the smidge.

 
so this is my value study - i can see that the middle value doesn't read middle enough above...in the  color study below, i tried to carry the value study through.  it's a good and valuable tool - being able to make your values "read" - i think i need to go at this again  after i get my bathroom a bit more in order...they delivered the granite top today and i am very excited!! 



lemon meringue...

30x24 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so here's my final painting for the sweetrose bakehouse...she gave us a whole pie so i've had a bunch of pieces and saved this one for the painting!! i may tweak it a bit as it's drying but i'm so happy to get back to the studio.  i cut a bunch of peonies today so some flower paintings are definitely in my future

backyard rose

6x6 oil on canvas panel
so here's the painting i did yesterday...i think i'm too distracted to do much justice to anything right now...they started to install my cabinet today - the granite top comes tuesday - there's much painting to do up there...but until i can get to that next week, maybe i can get something done in my studio.  davey picked up a piece of lemon meringue pie today - i have one more big painting to do for the sweetrose bakehouse - hopefully tomorrow - or at least i can get a good picture of it if i can't paint it from life...if it's nice we may just have to golf!!!!!

working on a rose

this is a rose from my backyard.  i HAD to try and paint something for me today.  i faux finished walls...i hand embellished two giclees for a client...after stretching them on very thick and difficult stretcher bars...(hrumph!)...and now i'm working on this rose- after seeing the photo, i'm not happy so i'll work some more tomorrow and post something then for sure.  i thought i'd put a pic of the unfinished bathroom project up.

the lighting is terrible so you can't see the finish well..lots of bronze, copper, tealy green-blue, my vanity is being delivered tomorrow.  you can see the chocolate brown tiles on the bathroom floor in the background.  i've decided on white white wordwork...can't wait to get started on that.  will i EVER get back to my studio???

too busy

i've been busy faux-finishing my bathroom walls...painting...but not the sort i can post.  maybe i'll take a pic tomorrow...and hope to get back to the studio soon!

yardwork!!

i am knee deep... elbow deep...muddy...sore and tired.  and not done!!  i have my last tennis match tomorrow so i can finally get on with my summer - golf, gardening, painting - can't wait!!  i am so excited  about the birth of my good friends ben and ceebs very first grandchild - he will rock their world!!!!

"Lost in New York"

5x7 oil on canvas panel
so here's another of the daily paintworks challenges..she's into her mobile device...cell phone? ipod?  totally absorbed...thus the name.....i'm so behind on these - but little by little i'm sneaking up...i think mostly i'm trying to put off doing the self-portrait, which was last week's or maybe the week before. i have yet to attempt any of the challenges from the two new sites i'm on - http://www.dailypaintersinternationalartgallery.com/  and http://www.artistsinternationalgallery.com/ ..soon!!...got to get to the yard today!

"White Peonies..Blue Pot"

6x6 oil on canvas panel
i finally got to do what i wanted for the whole day...it being mother's day and all...and i got to spend almost the whole day in my studio.  i managed to fit in a scrumptious breakfast and lunch fixed by my hubby and a dog walk in the park but other than that, it was paint, paint paint!!!  this is a little floral piece - i'll be taking this out to elsbury's with some other florals.  i may be doing some fruits and veggies for them as well.  i did another of the challenges i'm behind on and i'll most likely post that tomorrow.  i'm working on a nude but i'm not sure it's done...have to take a break and see what i think....happy mother's day to all of us fabulous mothers all over the world!!!!

chicken challenge

6x6 oil on canvas panel
so here's another of the daily paintworks challenges.  i'm a bit behind in these - i think it started when we went to georgia and i couldn't paint as much as usual...we spring-cleaned the porch today and i worked in the front yard a bit - getting ready to have a super fantastical home made meatball and spaghetti dinner prepared by my wonderful hubby!

frosted mother's day cookie...

i had to paint this!!!!  and i know i didn't do it the justice it deserves because it's the end of a long day and i rushed a bit.  but isn't this the coolest thing ever?  the sweetrose bakehouse has a few left...they have some in green and they also have decorated purse cookies!!!  i took a closeup picture of this and may have another go at it but i'm first gonna EAT it!!! on another note.... we had such a nice day - i joined my friends cindy, phyllie and sukey at the new "Millie's" lunch spot at elsbury's greenhouse.  after many years, gorden and family have retired and it's under new ownership..kim mckinley and husband and daughter and son-in-law and other miscellaneous rels...such a wonderful spot to visit...and they even have PLANTS!!!!!  if you haven't been there in a while, i highly recommend it!!! very user friendly and kim has lots more surprises in the works!!

busy with other stuff...

i haven't had much time to paint in the last few days...working on bathroom remodel stuff and trying to get a bit more organized around here. i have been asked by K Madison Moore (http://www.kmadisonmoore.blogspot.com/)  to consider joining two sites, Daily Painters International Art Gallery and International Artist's Gallery. check it out by clicking on the widgets at the right! i think this will be a good thing and i am hoping that joining forces with other artists from around the world will be stimulating, exciting and, hopefully, eventually profitable.   this will take some doing to set up and i'm trying to squeeze it in among my other chores and projects and parties.  got to get ready now for a plate-painting party in honor of my friend margaret.  anytime one of us turns 60 we gather and each of us paints an individual plate so she'll have a set of 8 or sometimes 9.  margaret is a teensy bit past 60 but somehow missed out on her stack of plates.  of course this always involves wine....we have too much fun!!

getting closer...

so i have been working and working on this...since the glass of milk is a cylinder..it needs to look like a cylinder...tough to do...i'm almost there.  i've been dashing up and down from my studio...watching the golf playoffs and thinking i'm done with the piece and then seeing that i'm not quite done..and dashing back up!  at the moment bubba and webb simpson are dead even after the first playoff hole.  i love playoffs!

more of george's...

so i worked a bit on this yesterday...browned up the cookies a bit and added a bit of background..actually it looks as if i've painted the milk white but that's only the white of the canvas - i didn't do an underpainting for this one..unusual for me.  i think i was so excited to get going on it, i just plum forgot!...bob anderson's stillframes is moving tomorrow so i had to get all my stuff out of there today...i ran into my good buddies kendal and linda as i was arriving and they were leaving.  many thanks to them for taking the time to stop in to see the work. i'll be taking a bunch of the new stuff to the galleries in indy next week and, after a bit more yard work, it's back to my studio - i'm excited to get back at it!!!

sneaking up on "george's" cookies...

so i promised rose (sweet rose bakehouse, 16th and home) i would do another large-ish painting for her bare walls. the great big cupcake will go in there either friday or saturday and we need another one or maybe even two paintings for the space. i have discovered "george's cookies"...an unbelieveable concoction with white chocolate, macadamia nuts, dried cranberries, nuts... gorgeous and to die for!!! i am trying to do them justice and it may take some doing. i can see now that i've photographed the piece that they need to be a bit more toasty brown colored....the thing is...i need to finish this because they won't last forever! - each time when i finish working i cover them with plastic wrap so i know they'll still be good. rose doesn't sell anything a day old - several weeks ago i begged her for some cookies because i had my grands coming and she was closing and said she had none - but she GAVE me a few because she wasn't going to sell them...how cool is that???...a break from the rain today but it's COLD!!...there may be time for a bit more yard work.

sisters....

so today i worked in the yard...we had a bit of a respite from the rain and i thought the weeds would just pop right out...not so much!...i'm working on another great big painting for rose's bakehouse and i'll post that tomorrow but for today i thought i'd post these two little studies i did of sisters...they have two brothers that i have yet to get to...my bad...i'm taking down the exhibit at stillframes on friday. i was thrilled to have the opportunity and i've had so much positive feedback...lots of fun!!