sand dollar

6x6 gallery wrapped original oil

if you look hard enough you may find a sand dollar on our beach...i think they may be more common on the gulf.  i remember collecting tons of them when we had a cottage in bellaire beach, near clearwater. but, once again, a little memento of the ocean!
getting ready to head home from the lake tomorrow...had a great time - golf....food...wine...a bit of painting...perfect!

bria's ride #3

8x10 original gallery wrapped oil

so we're at the lake...it's been gorgeous the last two days...miserable when we got up here thursday afternoon..no air conditioning, of course...but it's been breezy and delightful since then.  but...heating up again i fear!..supposed to be 104 in chicago by monday...anyway... i painted this for bria, the little girl who has special needs.  the wonderful harley davidson people hold a rally for her every year and i've been thrilled to be able to help out.  i also am working on another "grand" painting..one of my friend katie's grands - hope to be able to take it with us next weekend when we head up for our annual visit ..meanwhile - we're enjoying our grand joe and watching and playing a bit of golf...nice vacation!!!

seahorse

6x6 gallery wrapped original oil

i'm not sure i've ever seen a seahorse on our island...but when i think of the sea..and there's lot of it down there..i always think "seahorse"...they are such intriguing little creatures. we went to an exhibit telling all about them at the indianapolis zoo a couple years ago...fascinating!
....p.s.:  we're finally back at the lake - i painted a piece yesterday which i will post in a bit... 

starfish...

6x6 original oil on gallery wrap canvas

here's another beachie little painting...a small token of a trip to the island, perhaps?..

ok ..so i mentioned i was going to finish the story about our trip...i've slept since then so i'm not sure how much i can remember...i do remember i screwed everything up on the trip out there..and so it was so gratifying to me that davey reciprocated on the trip home!!!..after a lovely and relaxing last day,  we got to bed early since we needed to leave sixish...davey was packed and rarin to go...already down in the lobby - i was packed and doing a last minute survey of the room - checking under the bed, opening all the drawers..(i even do this in motel rooms we've only just slept in for the one night!!...)...and..lo and behold...there in  his drawer by the sink was all his medicine!!!...i had him now....so i grabbed it, smiling, and headed downstairs...we didn't know where we were supposed to meet so there was much texting and swearing and then packing the car and repacking the car...remember it was small ..and as my friends sally, ceebs and marjie can attest...my motto has always been..."be heavy..travel heavy!"... and apparently i traveled so heavy that davey has to have more surgery because he tore his labrum hefting my suitcase...but that's another story....ok ..so we set out on our 4-1/2 hour or more (just in case there's traffic) drive to portland.  now remember...on our trip down from portland there were so many gorgeous views to paint!! - beautiful green vistas...that sinewy river..can't remember the name..is that bad?..(just remembered umpqua?).and  of course we were in such a "hurry" to get to bandon we couldn't stop - even to see the famous elk preserve that everyone was flocking to!!!  for cri-yi-yi!!!...and so i kept my cool, thinking all the while i could always get some great photos for painting fodder on the trip back to portland...WRONG!!!!!...it rained the whole way...wait..portland..rain??...yes...rained or misted or clouded over or whatever..and remember we were on a mission to get to the airport in time to have several hours to have lunch....okay...so we were about 30 minutes away from bandon and i noticed davey rifling though his briefcase...looking for..what?..breakfast?..roadmaps?...ah..cellphone!!!!...really?!?...i said - simple...call your phone from my phone..( i didn't get a D in logic for nothing...)..true story....and...tada...dead air!!!...nothing...i actually pulled over..almost anathema to my hubby...and we searched...everywhere...and at this point i don't even remember if i told him about leaving his medicine in the room...next step...he called the hotel and asked them to search our room...he said he'd call his cell in five minutes and lo and behold...they answered...it was lying on the bathroom floor -the last place he remembered having it...funny how it's always the last place you look?..and i swear i never saw it...maybe under a towel??.what wonderful people...they said they'd send it and it was waiting the morning after our return...NOT the end of the story, however...we tooled along in the rain/mist/whatever for hours...we traveled through that wonderful stretch of road named for someone...i think jason boe...and we stopped for gas and no-one had ever heard of him...and as we eventually approached portland i kept saying let's get gas before the airport...davey, in all his wondrous knowledge, said.."no, i talked to the lady...the gas is just a little more at the airport".....and i remembered this was maybe not so much true...but i acquiessed...anyhoo....we pulled into the portland airport with enough time to return the car, get gas, go through checkpoint, have a sit down lunch and wait for about an hour...as we met up in the check point line he looked somewhat sheepish...a look i can't get enough of, by the way...and, as it turns out, the gas was something like 1200 dollars a gallon...i may be exaggerating..but you get the gist...i loved it, to say the least!!!...so we head to the plane...and all is well..we go to our stopover in vegas and of course it takes us ages to get to our gate!!  thank heavens we are in good shape!! - even with the traveling walkways, we didn't have a lot of time to sit and wait for our flight...just enough for me to play a few quick games of video poker, though!!...i actually WON  maybe 14 or 15 bucks but the lady was going off shift and i almost had to forfeit..i kept saying..."no - you don't understand..they're calling my flight..NOW!!..."...eventually she paid up and i was feeling GOOD!!...uneventful flight home to indy...almost done...we'd spent the night in a motel and they gave us free parking and a ride to the airport...so now - we needed to just get in touch with them and reverse the scenario...we found the van but couldn't get our clubs through the door..by this time it was growing late and we were enzausted!!! (as my kids always said)...so we finally were in the shuttle, riding to the motel to pick up our car.  davey was fishing through my wallet looking for a bit of tip money for the driver and gave me a twenty..and said here - i said do you want to give her that?  he said yes...when we stopped, i had to hurry to the potty and just handed her the money as i got out.  the bags were transferred..we were on the way home...when davey said..."what did you give that driver?"..i said " the twenty, isn't that what you told me to do?"..he said.."no, i had a few bills in my hand i was going to give her but you just went ahead!"...ok - so neither of can hear worth a damn!!!...we howled most of the way home...thinking..after all the money we spent on that trip..what was a few hundred  dollars more on gas (ok..i may be exxagerating...)and a twenty dollar bill for a tip...at least it most likely made her day!!!!...in the end we had a wonderful time and a whole lot of laughter...which is what we mostly do.....

lighthouse...

16x8 oil on gallery wrap canvas

this is my first painting of the famous lighthouse on st.simons island.  i really don't know why i haven't painted it before...i've only been coming to the island for thirty seven years!!  since it's such a landmark, i thought i would do a small painting that perhaps one of our renters would like to take home!  more to follow...

a few paintings for the beachhouse..

well today i finally shipped several paintings to georgia! - the large one is entitled "Reverie" and i posted it in progress but i'll post the finished version here. it's 36x36, gallery wrapped, and will hang over the bed in the queen bedroom.  i also did 7 smallish paintings and nestled them all inside the back of the big painting and sent them off on a wing and a prayer!! - we leave for the lake in a few days...where on earth is this summer going?? - don't have a lot of time for painting because i have too dang much golf to play!!!  rats!!

i still have to finish the story...

we'll we're home but i have so much to tell about the end of the trip i don't have time tonight...getting ready to go to a party.  i've been working on a painting for the queen bedroom in georgia and i'm sneaking up on it.  it's large..36x36 and i don't have a name...since i photographed this i added another flower in front of her...i'll undoubtedly keep at it and let you know...

such fun..and a new find...

so - yesterday we played pacific dunes...an absolutely gorgeous track...ocean views on almost every hole - some right on the coast - some within sight...davey finally broke 80- i think he shot a 78 and i shot an 84...pretty good for some walking oldies...although our caddie jeff told us about a couple in their mid-eighties who played 36 a day and carried their bags...don't know if he was telling us this just to fire us up??..anyway...our bartender alex, pictured above, has given us some great touts...alloro being the first and then he told us it was worth the drive to the western-most part of the continental US - port orford, a town of 1150....  probably a 50 minute drive last night to a place called "redfish"...the view was spectacular and never comes across in photos!! - but the food!!! - we had the most delicous crabcakes prepared with watermelon radish and cucumber relish with chili ad garlic aioli, fantastic bread! - wonderful green salad with goat cheese and the most delectable shinook salmon, freshly caught from the rivers near by - can't find anything like it in indiana, i tell you what!!!...served on a bed of couscous...i couldn't have alot of wine since i had to drive home but they let us take it home with us so we could have a drink with alex.  today, it looked like rain so we ventured out to the par three, the preserve - a gorgeous 13 hole track where we carried our clubs in a pared down quiver bag...- greens super slow and davey was 2 over and i was 3 over - we probably would've both been under par except we could not get the ball to the hole!!!! - cancelled our afternoon round - looks too iffy - venturing back to bandon for lunch at the wheelhouse - relaxing and packing and home tomorrow - it's been grand!!! - almost back to the real world!!!

such a find....

what a nice time!!!! - we ventured out to bandon for dinner - thanks to alex, our bar tender, we went to a little italian place called alloro wine bar and restaurant.  and i am telling you....a great find!! - great people...we didn't have reserves..but they had a spot for us at the bar..we were joined by two wonderful gals - bets - who's known as elisa in her european tour business (www.tours-europe.com) and pat who is a masseuse here at the lodge...they were delightful and knew the place well...even shared their olives and almonds with us...the owner, lian schmidt, who's husband was trained in italy and is the chef...was also a delight!!  and the food!!!!! - unbelieveable!!!! - the ex-mayor was visiting and happened to be celebrating his 62nd birthday so of course we had to sing..i may have instigated it..i'm not sure... and of course we finished off the night at the cigar bar - learning more about the area from alex.  we have decided to venture off the reservation again tomorrow for dinner - this time to a restaurant called red fish in the town of port orford...westernmost point of the US...great food and great views! - we play pacific dunes tomorrow...alex says it's the best one...and it's not supposed to rain..so we'll see...

old mac donald

that's the name of the course we played today...and the day was gorgeous!! a bit chilly but no rain!!! the only things hurting tonight are my feeties...and as soon as i get into that hot whirlpool, i'm planning to let the jets have their way with them!! this is davey walking with our caddie jeff...tall lanky guy - very nice with lots of stories to tell...the course was beautiful with some of the hardest greens ever!  very fast and hard to read..even for jeff..tonight i think we're going to head into bandon for italian..stay tuned!!!

glorious morning!!

day has dawned....and it's going to be glorious!!!  lots of blue sky and no rain!!! - we have our golf stuff strewn all over our room - even our cash was sodden - there's a nice round circular fan thing sitting on the floor and now we know what it's for:  you can put all your gloves, etc over it and hold them there with a glass or a sleeve of balls and they can eventually dry...davey's wallet is hanging there as we speak...we plan  to head to the driving range today - we figured if we did it yesterday, we'd get so wet we'd give up the round of golf! we've enjoyed the food tremendously! and we found a nice little cigar bar where we head before and after dinner.  alex, the bartender is so knowledgeable about the area and the resort.  he told us about a place 30 miles away..port orford...the farthest western point of the united states.  we need to go to there!!! we're thinking maybe a little brunch and photo op tomorrow morning before we golf.  today we do the old macdonald course...a bit longer than ours at home so it may be a struggle...but a piece of cake compared with yesterday!!  i must say the sauna and whirlpool helped immensely!!!  ....stay tuned!!!

we did it!

i can't believe we actually played today... mid fifties, raining the whole day...wind chill felt like 30..but we came to play golf!! i started off bogie par and then i doubled and then i quit keeping score..as they advise you to do here!...i it got really dangerous when our hands were so wet and so numb that the club kept flying out of our hands! learned a lot about playing in the rain today...what you need to be prepared...most of which we didn't have! - guest services will dry our rain suits but for everything else we're on our own - right now our clubs are all leaning up against the wall..toweled off the grips as best we could..we're drinking a beer and heading to the sauna!! - hope it gets better tomorrow!

out of towners....

we're HERE!!!!!!!...a fourteen hour trip...with so many screw-ups..starting with my almost not getting our boarding passes..then davey wrenched his newly fixed shoulder getting my bag out of the car - then i was 4 pounds over at the airport...(never tell me to use the big suitcase...) then there weren't enough seats in the boarding area so we sat on the floor...quick flight to chicago..(no prob)..then a 4+ hour flight to portland and to have enough room, we went all the way to the back of the plane - a nice seat between us...didn't look like the plane would be full....when all of a sudden 22 screaming, shouting, giggling, ipod-wearing teen-age girls came streaming on the plane...several basketball teams from a chicago high school on their way to camp.......just when we thought we had it made!! and of course - the biggest one ended up sitting with us - we gave her the window - she kept turning around and kneeling - looming over me to chat with her buds...eventually she calmed down and fell asleep...finally made it and got our luggage with no problem - davey rented a car...the car from hell...we couldn't figure out how to work the seats, the key, the gear shift...it's sort of an automatic-shifting sort of thing...but the drive from portland to bandon was worth all the trouble!!!  absolutely awesome - especially the drive from route 5 over to the coast...we drove along the Umpqua river much of the time and the views were spectacular...the road was a joy to drive - nothing like the ones in indiana - anyway - we arrived safely and ended up having a very late meal - the portions are huge so we learned a lesson there.  the good news:  we got here just in time for a cold wave from alaska!!! - it's not pouring today but a steady drizzle but that is not stopping the folks from golfing. (check out the view from our window..those are actual unbrellas out there!) our tee time is 12:30 and we plan to play!!!  as we keep telling each other.."we're on an adventure!!"...i hope the sun comes out a little so i can take some good pix - i brought my watercolors because we'll have mornings to relax - since this is a walking only course, we'll get plenty of exercise...maybe we'll actually eat all our dinner tonight!!!

heading out

yesterday was BIG!!!!!  davey's last day in the ER...he's finally graduated!!!!!!..i had already planned to play in sally's guest day so i wasn't here when he got home....  had a minor meltdown before golf...but pulled myself together and did all right - we didn't win but we played with some lovely gals and enjoyed lunch afterwards..it was a two man best ball out of the foursome and we each bought 2 mulligans - i used one on a putt and one on a drive - hit one ball in the water - shot an 86 - but not really a true score! - packing up our clubs and heading out tomorrow.  they tell us we shouldn't even keep score at bandon - it will distract from the scenery - i'm taking my computer and plan to post some of the pics..i'm taking my watercolors and maybe i'll paint and maybe i won't but i sure hope i can!!!

home-made bread

12x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas

there was this lovely family next to me - they have a booth all summer and i highly recommend them! - i just wish i could remember their name...i hope they contact me so i can tell you later!  anyway - the children were so well behaved and pleasant ..very accomplished...josiah was about to head to indy and put on a tux in the dreadful heat to sing in a choir...the younger girls also sang and they all did daily chores on their farm as well as being home-schooled.  anyway - i bought two of their breads - the one was called a ladder bread with bacon and cheese - yum! and i can't remember the other! - i should have written it down and i should have taken a photo of the setup - i think it would be fun to do another painting with a dark background with the bread on a breadboard...anyway - it was a lovely day and i saw so many people i haven't seen in a while...and it was a good opportunity to paint - something that's been at a premium this summer.  getting ready to leave for indy on wednesday and then fly out for oregon early thursday morning.  i'm getting ready to review my golf lesson right now and then head to indy tomorrow for a guest day with my good friend sally.  can i get any busier??????  we did have a lovely father's day celebration here and the aftermath of our wing-dings is always huge! - since jen did all the cooking i wouldn't let her help in any of the cleanup...but it's always fun to reminisce as i work...so no worries...

red gerbers

6x6 oil on panel

so i set up at the downtown farmer's market saturday morning.  my plan was to purchase something from one of the vendors and then do a small painting.  i took some of my smaller things along and had a lot of nice compliments but no takers...maybe i should have mentioned that i take master card and visa?...anyway - this is the first painting i  did..a little batch of gerber daisies...lots of thick paint and it isn't dry yet! i did another which i'll try and post before i leave.

i'm excited

ok  - so i haven't been painting but i've been getting ready for golf - my lesson is kicking in and i'm ready for the dunes!! - just found out i will have a spot in our local farmer's market this saturday.  i plan to set up and paint!!!! maybe something i purchase from one of the vendors?...we'll see...but i have to take my stuff over to the Venue in bloomington tomorrow so all of a sudden life is getting very busy...all of a sudden??????

my bad....

i feel so bad - it's not that i haven't been painting..i have..a bit...i entered three paintings in the IHA exhibition..none of which got it..again...and i was very bummed for about 24 hours and then i decided to move on..it's summer and it's all about golf because in one week we head to bandon dunes in oregon to celebrate my hubby's "graduation" from the ER...and we need to practice!!! - i will make every effort to post SOMETHING here in the next week..but i guess i'm not much of a summer painter...life is too short, what with golf, grand kids' sporting events, lake visits, dog walks, and, of course, golf........(p.s....just for fun i posted one of my favs...a mary cassatt...and i do love it!)

"Whole Bunch of Crabs!"

24x24 oil on gallery wrap canvas

i have been so busy, i haven't had time to post anything...this is a crab painting i did for the house...plus, i've been busy getting giclees stretched and hand-embellished.  our new rental agent wants to advertise our cottage as "an art gallery on the beach" and have all originals and prints (giclees) on the walls and have the renters purchase something if they like.  bit of a wild idea but i'm there!! who knows!! - anyway - i left a bunch of stuff down there...then sent several with mike and judy and then sent two boxes full with boogs and greg.  i'll have over fifty pieces in all.  we've also been busy recovering furniture, ordering bunk beds, ..the floors will be refinished, there will be painting done...all to get the place a bit more user friendly...here's a link to see the ad: http://www.vrbo.com/417633 ..i'm offering this painting as a hand-embellished giclee - gallery wrapped and ready to hang.  fun, huh? $260.00

Windy Day at the Beach

6x6 oil on panel

here's another little painting i left down on the island, at Simon's on mallery in the village.  home again and ready to get back at it - you should see the yard!!!! yikes!!
$275.00

today's effort

8x10 oil on canvas

so it's been a while... our couples' trip is over and we had a great time! - but no time for painting!! - this is a blue crab that i'm working on...these are very unusual creatures...and you run across them on the beach once in a while...they really scare the dogs!...today on our walk, i met a gorgeous young man named sebastion...he reminded me so much of my grandson oliver...and then down the beach we saw a little guy who looked just like joe!!...some good painting fodder for when i get home!!

"Ready for Takeoff"

6x6 oil on panel

so this is a small painting i did yesterday - i'm not really sure which one of the many types of birds this is...probably not a pelican?..i'll look into it...meanwhile today we get back to golf..if the weather holds, that is...they don't call these the "golden isles" for nuttin'!!

in georgia

6x6 oil on panel

so here' another georgia sea turtle...since i'm here, i thought i'd do another couple for this one antique store/gallery down here. we were supposed to golf today but my hubby was under the weather so i did three small paintings...i'll post them later this week.  we have our good friends coming in tomorrow and it will be all about golf...so no painting but i hope to find time to post.

been a while...i have been so busy...

i really have nothing to post in the way of paintings...been busy with lots of other stuff...gearing up to watch the masters and just got some great news!! - my hubby texted danny dakich to see if he would give me a player...(he always gives players away before major events and if you win you have a chance to come in and co-host with him)...anyway - he gave me martin kaymer...who was world #1 for about 35 seconds a couple years ago...it's always fun to root for someone!!  not that i would have to courage to actually co-host with danny if martin wins!!! - pouring down rain today so our golf plans have changed...going to spend the afternoon in my studio...maybe i'll have something to post one of these days!!

this is emma...

6x6 oil on panel

so this is emma - another in my "grand" project...i may do a larger painting of this...we'll see

tomorrow

this weekend was all about basketball and yardwork!! - i promise to post something tomorrow...i did do a small study of one of my friend's grands....

the duckpond...

6x6 oil on panel

this is another painting done from one of my father's old black and white photos...there was a duckpond in leeper park near our home in south bend.  we spent a lot of time there, feeding the ducks, having fun...i painted this on the day daddy would have turned 96.  i  may get to the studio today - i've been doing yard work but it's pouring down rain so....

babe on the beach...revisited

11x14 oil on canvas

so i worked a little bit more on this...i wasn't happy with the strong horizontal line in the background and wanted to make it more melodic...i think i like this a lot better!

chicago in the rain

10x8 oil on panel

this is another painting done from one fo my father's old black and white photos..i had to dream up some color for this...

babe on the beach

11x14 oil canvas

this is a larger version of a little 6x6 i did a year of so ago...this could maybe by anybody's little beach baby, don't you think?...we are celebrating the hoosiers' victory over VCU last night...felt like we were the underdogs the whole game!...what a thrill for those guys!!!

alden...i think...

6x6 oil on panel

so this is my friend sally's grand..one of them...and i think this one is alden...i didn't have a very close view of his face so i'm hoping i captured the little guy!...(and i'm sure if i got the name wrong she'll let me know pronto!!!)

lolly's girls...

8x10 oil on prepared panel

so i've had this image for a while...actually my friend alex sent it in a christmas card and i knew i was going to have to paint it sooner or later!...i kind of like it...

Grand Canyon Ride

8x10 oil on panel

this is a painting of the scary ride down the pathways of grand canyon.  years ago we visited this glorious place with our dear friends tim and katie - we WALKED down...i was not about to trust my life to a horse or a burro...even though they say it's the safest way to go down...uh.uh!!!!

Home from Church

10x8 oil on panel

so this is interesting.  my physician father died in 1971. he was an avid photographer...darkroom on the third floor - pans of developer and toner..smelly stuff..but i loved to watch him work...black and white images magically appearing out of sloshing pans..hung up to dry...he had so many photos -i've had this photo for years - probably taken on a trip to europe with my mom...i had to dream up my own color of course..but he had a great eye and sense of composition....i wasn't sure if i wanted to add the cross but then decided to be true to the idea of the thing..i'll post a better picture after i decide if i'm done!

Caydence

6x6 oil on panel

this beautiful child is the great grand daughter of my dear friends tim and katie...between them, they have about a bazillion grands...i'm thinking they will keep me very busy with my project!!!



16x12 oil on stretched canvas

so here's that bad boy...yet again...i needed a bit more of a melodic line on his left side (our right) and i think with the added lights and darks and this newest change, i think i'm liking him a bit better!!

it's good to be the king...revisited...

16x12 oil on stretched canvas

so i revisited my lion friend...he needed to fit better in his space with a better value arrangement. i darkened some of the background while lightening other areas.  now..looking at this, i can see something else i need to change...more tomorrow...



little gianna....

24x18 oil on stretched canvas

so this is gianna...for some reason i called her gabby when i posted this in progress...but i know this is gianna...she's a delightful and funny child...really gonna break some hearts one day!...i think i'm finished...i haven't put this into photoshop yet - i may tinker a bit with it but maybe not...



"Lyla Jane"

6x6 oil on prepared panel

so this is lyla jane...not faison...as i announced earlier...she has a very special look and i'm hoping i captured it...i was working on a panel of masonite that i prepared with a couple layers of gesso - not sure about the surface...

"It's Good to be the King"

16x12 oil on stretched canvas

so here's my lion...i came across this bad bay the other day in my studio and i got real excited...i really wanted to paint him!!..and i just love this!! - don't know what i'll do with him but i had a lot of fun painting this gorgeous beast!!! ..i delivered carolyn's painting of ethan today - she seemed very happy and that's the whole point of this "grand" project!!

"Catch of the Day"

6x6 oil on prepared board

so this is a small painting i'm donating to my high school..of all things...they're finally moving and having a big fund raiser which i won't be able to attend.  so i thought this might do.  actually i love this image and i may do another larger painting down the road.

Ethan...

6x6 oil on prepared panel

so this is my friend carolyn's grandson, ethan.  what a cutie pie! - i've been working on getting some of these finished - i have a family of four kids - their mom bought my donation to last year's kids commons fundraiser...and it's already this year and another fundraiser has come and gone and, since she wanted all her kids painted, i decided i'd better get it accomplished.  the girls were done long ago and i've been working on the boys - she said "no hurry" ..but you really can't say that to me, can you...



gianna...in progress...

ok ..so this is gianna - and she already had her first birthday!!!  i am very tardy with this painting, i'm afraid!!...she's sitting in a big chair in our place in georgia - lots of stripes - needed to let a bit of the chair color dry before i added the stripes...and maybe there needs to be more shadow over her face - according to the photo i'm working from...stay tuned...

pears, grapes and a nice white jug

11x14 oil on panel

so i worked a bit more on this today - i got some feedback from other artists around the world and tried to implement their advice.  that's what's so fun about this workshop - making friends from faraway places...

Pears, Grapes and a Nice White Jug

11x14 oil on canvas panel

so i finally had some time to do this month's richard robinson challenge.  we had to set up a still life including a peaar and grapes and a white pitcher of some sort.  i guess i may have gone a bit overboard but i had a great deal of fun with this.  i tried maroger medium for the first time and loved it!  and the best part:...davey saw this and said "that's nice.  those aren't just pears..you have a lot of complexity going on"...wow! - my boy!!...and i already see something i have to fix. rats!! more tomorrow!

busy, busy

20x16 oil on stretched canvas 

i have just been too busy in these last few days to get any painting done!! - but busy in a good way! - i'm finally attacking my studio..organizing my reference photos..my still life props...my paints...my art books...and it is a disaaaaaaster!! - i'm not sure i can keep it up - i may have to get back to the easel before i finish...but then that's always been my problem...i'm in the middle of something and then i see something else that needs to be done - and...whoops - there i go...very tangential and somewhat project-completion challenged!!..i discovered a new antique mall today and got some great stuff - can't wait to put some things together - richard robinson has a still life challenge for this month - and we can do anything we want - i posted my "glass of red" on the site but only because i had already done it...i'm planning to do a proper challenge painting in the next week or two!...meanwhile...i think i forgot to post this painting of my grandson joe - it's hanging at the carmel midland and it's called "Hangin' out at the Beach"

"Glass of Red"

7x5 oil on canvas panel

this is the painting i will be donating to our local philharmonic fundraiser.  they're having a gala wine auction and i'm pitching in since i know i can't get my hubby to attend the black tie affair.

"ON POINT"

20x16 oil on stretched canvas

here's another in my ballet series...currently hanging in the carmel midland gallery...i am having such fun with these!!...i have several more images i want to explore...can't wait!

cloud study

cloud study

11x14 oil on canvas panel

so here's the painting i should have done a couple weeks ago.  i took an on-line webinar from johannes vloothuis on clouds.  you can do a painting as "homework" and submit it for critique.  i've been so busy i missed my chance to do that but here it is finally...i may be able to submit it and at least hear from some of the other artists involved on wet canvas, a wonderful on-line reference site for artists of all kinds! i really shold photograph this again - you can see a little area at the top right that isn't part of the painting - it's part of the surroundings. - a bit confusing...

Tying her Shoe

11x14

oil on stretched canvas

here's another of several ballet paintings i've done lately- i took a few up to carmel midland last week...don't know why i'm so enthralled with ballet at the moment...taking me back to my childhood, i'm thinking...but i'm having a lot of fun.  i did a painting today that will be donated to our philharmonic.  they are having a big wine auction and gala next month and i'm doing a little painting of wine and grapes.  we'll see how it turns out...

Christian Watford...the shot!

20x16 oil on canvas

so this is the shot that beat kentucky! - i was really hoping to turn this into a poster ..and i may yet...but i found out that there are ncaa rules that prohibit anything like this while the student is still in school.  so i'll hang in the weeds...and wait...