Susan McCall's sheep

11x14 oil on canvas

here's another sheep image from colonial williamsburg.  this was photographed by Susan McCall and she was gracious enough to give me permission to use her reference!.  i am working on a couple more and then i can turn my focus to my bookmarks and the other commissions i have on the horizon..( are you listening judy and alex?)

"Growing up in Colonial Williamsburg"

12x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so this is another of the paintings ive done thanks to the generosity of others!.. this is from nancy saputo.  she is possibly the official photographer for the colonial williamsburg fan page.. not sure but she posts amazing photos every day!.. she's the same one who offered the sleeping lamb that i posted earlier..and i may have gotten her name wrong in that post.. i'll have to check and i can fix it if i need to!..time is running out..and i still have such great fodder i'd like to get to..not sure i'll have time!

another Roving Indiana painting: "Ram"

5x7 oil on panel

so this is another smallish original i've created for the crawl.. i'm ordering note cards and this will be one of them!.. i've also been working on more CW paintings and i'll post them here asap. i have to let them dry just a little before i can photograph them!

"Sleeping Lamb in Colonial Williamsburg"

5x7 oil on panel

so here's a small piece for the roving indiana crawl coming up.  i am so fortunate to have gotten permission from some photographers from Colonial Williamsburg

..(CW as they call it!).. check out their facebook page!..this particular one is from a photo by nancy saputo.  i'm working on a few others by her which i'll post as i go!.. thank you nancy!!

delivery for a client "In the Pasture"

18x18 oil on canvas

so my new friend Janelle came down from carmel to pick up the commission i've been working on for some time!.. we finally connected and i was delighted to meet her after all this chatting back and forth by text....since i had so many Roving Indiana pieces lying around, she decided to browse a bit.. these guys, especially the alpacas, are so funny..she really fell in love with several.. then she thought of her brand new grandson and what would go well in his room..we found the perfect thing.. a painting i did several years ago that i cherish and i'm so glad she felt the same way!  it's called "Gang of Goldens"

this was framed in a darkish distressed frame and she loved it!!  i am a happy girl!!

"Silly Alpaca"

7x5 oil on panel

so this little fellow was fun to paint!.. those alpacas are ridiculous..they're so cute.. often found kissing...this is framed in a nice light blue wooden frame.. available..and will be on the yarn crawl!

still working on finishing a few things up so they can be drying while i work on bookmarks.. getting things organized as to where i will be visiting also..

"Ole Blue Eyes"

 here's another note card possibility and an original for sale.. 12x12 on gallery wrap canvas.  i'm heading back to the studio..work, work, work...but so much fun!!

also.. here's a link to the participating shops with hours listed: http://www.rovingindiana.com/services/

"Kiss Me, You Fool!"

so here's another original for the yarn crawl.. this is 12x24 and framed..i'm not sure this can be turned into a note card but i sure like it as a stand-alone!!..here is a list of participating yarn shops..hope i'm not leaving anyone out!. i'm starting to figure out the days i will be at some, if not all, of them..i'll list that in coming days!

Always in Stitches  1808 conner st. noblesville,
The Black Sheep yarn and fiber 1355 s. 8th, noblesville,
Broad Ripple Knits 6510 n cornell ave, indy,
Clay Purl, 58 e. main suite 3, nashville,
Mass Ave Knit Shop 862 virginia, indy,
Nomad Yarns 218 e. Main st, Plainfield,
Shabby Sheep and Ewe 1113 16th st. columbus,
Star Struck Cat Studio 3130 meridian parke dr, greenwood,
Village Yarn 209 s. main st. zionsville,
Willowes Yarn Haus 226 w. main, greenfield,
Tabby Tree Weaver  9832 north by northwest blvd, fishers

another Roving painting

so this is "Two Sheep".. it's 14x11 original oil on panel and will be framed.  i am in the process of finding out all the shops included in the yarn crawl and i'll post them here soon.. meanwhile.. you can check out the "roving indiana" facebook page.

another "roving Indiana" painting

this fellow is 9x12... oil on panel.  he will be framed and available during the yarn crawl or before if someone wants to grab him up!!.  i've been working on my website all morning and i think it's finally ready to go!..  www.susiegregoryfineart.com  i've had so much fun working on this project the past several months and it's finally HERE!!!!

the big reveal!!!

"The Kiss"

So this is the secret project revealed!!.. last May, i was contacted by my new friend, luann, and asked to create a special piece for "Roving Indiana".. now "roving" is a yarn term.. it's not about roving around..it's something about the process of creating yarn.. anyway.. each year they pick an artist and use one of their pieces for this project.  they chose an image and the colors they wanted.. and i created "The Kiss" .  they dye yarn and several yarn shops in central indiana create projects using this yarn.  the yarn crawl is in about a month.. i am working on my website to get organized for this.. it doesn't help that my computer is down and i'm having to use davey's...in the meantime, check out "roving indiana" on facebook.. so perhaps tomorrow.. maybe sunday.. i'll be up and running..i've created lots of smaller pieces.. and i've had a lot of fun!!  stay tuned!!

another hint....

so here's another little piece..any ideas yet?..i have been busy..and having lots of fun..and soon, very soon now...

super secret....

so i've been working on a secret project for a while now...only a handful of peeps know anything about this and even then..some don't know everything...this is a little teensey weensey tiny little piece of something for you to contemplate... if you want to.. or you could just wait..and wait..how long?..sometime soon all will be revealed!!...but it's been so nice to be occupied with this.. and i'm having great fun!!

"Hogan"

20x16 original oil on gallery wrap

so this is a commission for my friend jeff...Hogan crossed over the rainbow bridge and i hope this painting of him coming in after a snow romp will help commemorate him and bring some joy ...he looked like a true peach!!

Ziggy and Stardust

so this started as a donation..size 6x6..and the fellow wanted a larger size..so now this is a Christmas commission!.. i think i'm finished but still waiting to see if some tweaking is needed!

"Kava"

so this is for my friend Jane.  it's on a 12x12 gallery wrap canvas..wired and ready to hang.  there is still time to commission a pet portrait for Christmas.  sizes range from 6x6 to 16x20 and I can work from your favorite photo! get in touch at sadiedavis7@comcast.net.  i'm getting excited for the holidays!!

"Star" for my friend Steve

so this is for my friend Steve..."Star" is 16x20 and painted on gallery wrap canvas...this is a big larger than usual but I really liked working on this size!!  i'm working on Christmas commissions..plugging along...fun time of year for me!!

a special commission

12x12 oil on gallery wrap

so here is a special commission for a friend.. I can't name this little guy because I don't want to spoil the surprise!  I've been busy with another surprise..can't talk about THAT either!!.. but stay tuned!

The Art and Soul of Bloomington

so I painted these three pieces for the annual Art and Soul of Bloomington.  the top one.."Practice, Practice" The Hoagy Carmichael sculpture (24x20) was juried in to the show) the other two.."The Birth of Venus (24x24) in the Showalter Fountain and "Freshly Shorn at Marble Hill" (30x40) will be at the gallery as well..just not in the special show area!..i obtained permission to paint these lovely sheep from the folks at marble hill .. a local sheep and heritage wool farm located at 8101 S. Victor Pike in Bloomington...The opening for this special show is this Friday at 6 pm.  I'm hoping to see some of  my peeps there.. come out if you can..i'm sure the show will be great.. only 25 pieces have been juried in and I'm delighted to be a part of this!

RyeAnne

7x5 original oil on canvas panel

so this has been on the back burner for a while..i wish i had known this dog!.. for my friend victoria!

first peonies

 

14x11 original oil on linen panel

so it's been a while..we've been working in the yard and one of my peonies started to have some buds..then all of a sudden on saturday we looked over while having a whirlpool..there they were!!.. lots of flowers..really fast!!.. so yesterday we were expecting thunder storms and i knew they would not last!!.. so i cut them..no thunder storm..but i had these beauties to paint!!.. i have commissions waiting but i needed to do this!!  FUN!!

"Heidi heading to the Ocean"

24x12 oil on linen panel

so i've been working on stuff for my gallery in Georgia (Simon's)..since we don't drive down anymore i have to ship things!.. i saw my friend's photo posted on facebook and knew i wanted to paint this!!...so i got permission and here we go!!

"Birdy and Olive"

16x12 original oil

so i do lots and lots of commissions!!.. once in a while, i come across an image..from facebook, for instance..that i feel a real affinity for and just HAVE to paint!!  this is one of those times!!.. i'm not sure which one is birdy and which is olive...doesn't matter...love the names and love this image of the two of them in exuberant expectation!..are their owners just getting home?.. are long-awaited guests arriving?..could it be the mailman?...or ..I KNOW!...some of their canine pals just passing by!....whatever the reason..they are super-excited!!

ce ce

6x6 original oil

i've had so many projects lately..many of them these little 6x6 guys...this is for my friends dave and jeannie..just put it in the mail yesterday!

"Blue Bucket"...donation to our hospice

12x12 framed original oil

so Our Hospice called to see if i would be willing to donate a painting for their gala in jennings county in early february.  they had been on my website (susiegregoryfineart.com) and liked some of my "kids on the beach" stuff.  luckily i had this on hand...

wow.. did i have fun!!!..David Michael Slonim workshop

 

above paintings are from other workshop attendees!!

so..monday i hopped in the car with all my gear and off to anderson i went!!..this last picture is david in front of his white board.. he was doing a power point presentation..i think just a portion of what he will be doing in scottsdale..and recommending several books for us...

so first..he wanted to host a one-day workshop to see if he had the stamina for a five-day one.  and trust me..it takes great stamina to do what he does..(i was there one day and it was exhausting!!!)...not only imparting loads of knowledge..but also handling the group of rowdy ladies..(some of whom had studied with him and abstraction before)...(i was fortunate enough to buy a demo of his from a workshop i took in 2010...a while before he went in this direction..)...back to the ladies...many questions..many thought-provokers..we listened and laughed and interacted all morning and then painted for about three hours in the afternoon...before our critique at the end of the day.....i did four..i think more than anyone..but the whole idea is..paint paint paint!!!..the more mistakes you make the more you learn something... and ..trust me...as a representational painter for all these years.. abstract is hard!!..you can't just throw paint on the canvas.. well..maybe you can but it has to have a sound basis.. structure..and have the dominant feature be one of several themes in  line..which we concentrated on.. to name a few: u-shaped, l-shaped, bridge, cantilever, grid, horizontality, verticality, singe mass, twin masses, circle, s shape, ....etc etc....
       confused?... try being there!!.. i had a plan to use each of four photo references i brought to do one each..u-shaped, diagonal, vertical and horizontal!.. such a plan!!.. to my horror...david wouldn't let me use any of my other references!!...he said he was going to push me..and i had to figure out different formats for JUST ONE REFERENCE!!!!. which i will post...paint prints and all!..
      so his play list was fantastical!!..we painted and hummed and sang and maybe a little dancing...at least i was dancing!!...all the while concentrating on the work at hand...as david says.."art is exploration. it's asking "what if" with a brush in your hand,  it's grown-up play!"...also.."a painting is a harmony of colored marks on a surface that communicates human experience".."a charged area of color that has the power to alter the biochemistry of another person - their mood, thoughts, pulse rate, blood pressure, imagination and mindset"

so this is the reference i used...over and over and over!!!..it's a city scape at night.. a theme that has always tugged at my heart..probably because of the possibilities of abstraction...

a few paint spatters up in the steam area..which i couldn't decide whether to use or not..the steam.. not the paint smears.....

first attempt..a u-shape...12x12

so my next was twin masses.....also 12x12.. he said i had a strong start but i should put it aside and do another...so totally unfinished,,,

he ordered me to have a circular format next..i thought "impossible"...and i was right...i really struggled with this attempt..which i ended up wiping!  ugh, right??  

so my last attempt..a 20x16 canvas...was fun!!..i was still trying for a circle of some sort..i looked at my reference and then put it away and did a sketch ..thinking about lines, shapes, and ended up with this:

this is a little off kilter because of my photo and the angles..but at least you can get the idea..i added that reddish strip at the bottom..just because..david seemed to be impressed with my progress from 1st attempt to last..(my hubby likes the first one best)..but i think i'm getting the idea of using a reference as a starting point and then stretching myself from there!!..he says "without exploration, you will never feel the thrill of discovery and surprise.  and neither will your audience!.. to paint well you have to regularly paint yourself into a corner...to get lost..on purpose!"

     i would highly recommend studying with David Michael Slonim if you ever get the chance!!  his workshop size is always limited..usually no more than 10..so he can really give each one lots of hand-on attention!.. he'll be in scottsdale the first part of february...check out his website for more info...so glad i did this!!!!   

               https://davidmichaelslonim.com/

  

david michael slonim workshop!!!!!!!

First Glimpse of the Sea

so i am very incited (as my kids used to say!!)... i got an email yesterday about a last minute workshop in anderson given by david michael slonim.  i studied with him many years ago.. before he went abstract...he was already stressing shapes and values but since then he's really taken things to a new level!.. so i'm heading to anderson within the hour and will report back!!..

50-50 project ..."Fresh Catch"

4x4 mixed media

so i'm excited i was able to do this!.. i saw a post on facebook about a number of artists creating a small piece of art to be sold at a fundraiser for the arts. for some reason i was not on the mailing list so i called CAAC and managed to get a place because one of the artists dropped out...(lucky for me!!)..so i dashed down saturday morning and picked up a plain block of wood..4x4 and maybe 2 inches deep.  i knew i wouldn't have time to do something in oils so i did a small version in acrylics of a painting i had in a gallery in georgia.. plus i added some iridescent colors to make it seem more like scales...the opening for this little show is this thursday from 4-8 next to the CAAC office..411 6th street!!..i'm anxious to see what 50 different artists have to say!!!

"John Doe(g)"..or John Dog(e)"...anyway it's a secret...

so here's another Christmas commission!!.. and it is super secret!!..this is an 8x8 original oil on gallery wrap canvas.. it's drying.. and will be ready in plenty of time for our Christmas surprise!!...i'm calling him "john Doe"..or John Dog"..or something...and if anyone out there recognizes this face... please keep it to yourself til after Christmas!!  PLEASE!!!!

"Holly" 14x11 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so this is a commission for my friend Ellen!.. she wanted the back-lit view but as you can see..the colors are so much darker in that reference..both the couch and Holly herself.. so she sent a few other references to show more of her true coloring.  we finally got it right and i'm so happy we did!!  it's very important to get it right!!.. now it will dry a bit and i'll send it off!.. this is a gorgeous dog and she is Ellen's sweet baby girl!!

"Gia"

so i just finished this....a friend from bar harbor, maine passed my name along to her friend..and.. next thing you know...a Christmas commission!!.. i think i captured her and this will be a surprise...i love painting animals!.. have two more in the pipeline.. love it!!

"Smooch!"...another donation..

so at the end of last week, as operation fundstorm was wrapping up, i asked if they could use another painting...mine was the last one they posted..and i'm happy to say it sold!!..my new friend Susan in florida will be receiving it in the mail maybe first of next week.  all in all, they raised over $111,000.00  and Susan, my new friend Renee in Virginia and i are all thrilled to be a small part of it!!...now on to Christmas stuff...i just got my first commission for a 6x6 dog painting..surprise christmas gift..and i love painting animals!!

"Whoa!"...so this is really cool.....

so i signed up for an on-line mentoring class with an artist i have long admired, Kenn Erroll Backhaus.  i actually signed up in july but i'm just now getting able to dig into it..but i have a whole year so it's kind of fun!..there is a private facebook site for members but i asked to friend him and he accepted.  so yesterday he posted a painting he was donating to "operation fundstorm".. a very impromptu effort by artists around the country to help the folks affected on the florida coast ...those devastated by hurricane michael...i wanted to get involved but apparently the deadline to donate had passed..i got in touch with those in charge, mainly a fellow named Larry Moore.. and it seems they had been inundated by offers to help..after the fact!!.. so i sent in this photo..it's 8x6..and a few minutes after it went up a gal in virginia bought it!!!!  i am beyond thrilled!!..they have surpassed their goal and are somewhere north of $70,000...and 100% of the money goes immediately to the coast!.. this is so cool!!..everybody benefits...the artist feels good..the buyer gets a painting and a tax write off and the folks in florida get a real boost!!  the auction is going on  til the 28th.. and a few of the artists have donated more than one piece...hmmmmm...here's the link to the site: https://www.32auctions.com/NotForgotten2018