My paintbrushes aren't gathering dust!

This is the beginning of a new painting.  I did the blue background, let it dry, then started, just started to lay in the foundations for the clouds, with the water below.  I have a "vision" of what this will look like in the end.  I'm far from even getting anywhere on this one, but I thought I'd at least show it's something I'm working on.  I have so much to do on this one, starting with that blue in the sky, too purplish of a color, I'm going to add some payne's gray to dull it down.  

16" X 20" Oils

Now for something totally different...I'm painting zebras!  

Acrylic 16" X 20".  

I'm only on the first coat of background and blocking in color of where the zebras are, but it's coming along!  My thought is to make it very, very dramatic.  

Here's a close up of the zebras.  It's one littler zebra under a larger zebra.  It's only the beginning. 

It will look so much different as time goes on.  That is the one thing about being an artist, you can't give up when a painting is in those developing stages, you have to envision it completed and work to make it come to life.   

16" X 20" Acrylic.  

I know who will like this one...my friend Bonnie, she is obsessed with zebras! Hopefully in the future I can put it into shows and sell it.  

Help from other artists always helps!

One of the best things an artist can do, is to ask another artist for input, a critique or at the very least, ask another artist for help in "seeing" for you.  My good friend and fantastic artist Diane Mannion saw my "Lemon-Lime Refresher" painting and told me to round out the bottom of the glass, to think of a baby food jar's bottom.  She said, "you'll get it, you'll see it now that I pointed it out."  And yes I did!  

Up close you can see, what I did, just a slight rounding up of the bottom did the trick!

But now I'm seeing too much of the pencil lines and I don't like that, and I don't like the top rim...will this painting ever be done?  Regardless, it's been a fantastic experience.  And yes, I will paint glass again, it hasn't stopped me.  In fact, my next painting is of a car's headlight!  

I just love to paint the beach...I call this one "Flip Flop Beach".  I need to paint the frame white.  

Here it is without the frame.  Simple, simple painting. 

4" X 5", Oils 

A 5" X 7" oil painting of the beach and I titled it,

"Vacation View".

I'm not crazy about the clouds, but I really like how the water changes color and it's the best sand I have ever done!  With every painting I learn.  

Just when you think you're done...

Stay out of the studio for a week or so and when you look at your work once again, those things that were bothering you haunt you all the more.  I just KNEW I had to make corrections on my lemon lime refresher painting.  So here is the detailed explanation on what I did.

First I took a piece of tracing paper, you know the frosty transparent type?  And I took a pen, and outlined the glass, both sides and top.

This is what it looked like when it was taken off the painting.  

Next I folded it in half to see just how far off I was with the roundness of the glass...pretty far off!  YIKES!

When I opened up the tracing paper after cutting it out, I placed it on the painting and could now see, just how far off my judgment call was for rounding the glass off.  

So with the tracing paper in place, I picked up a WHITE PASTEL pencil and traced the outline of it.  Why a white pastel pencil?  Well, you can see where you're putting the new line to follow and when you are done painting, it comes off quite easy with a chamois cloth!  

Yes, much better.  That little change made all the difference.  I only used white, payne's gray and raw sienna to make the corrections.  Why payne's gray?  I couldn't find my ivory black!  But I figured the payne's gray, which has blue in it, would help make it less harsh looking.  

While I had my paints out I pumped up the whites so they showed up a little stronger.  

Now I'm pleased.  First time I ever painted glass, so I feel pretty good about it.

Now I'm done!

I had a week off from art to recover from a procedure I had done on my knee.  You know I'm feeling better when I get back into the studio! 

I worked on this portrait and made little tweaks and finally, it is done.  I think I captured the little girl.  I know the little boy I did a great job on him, he's simply adorable, and yes, his eyelashes are that long!  Actually, both kids are adorable...and sweeter than sweet!

I hope their mother likes the portrait.  I showed it to the grandmother and she loved it.  (Grandmothers always do though...haha.)

But it's done and signed. 

...next!?!

I think I'm done, I think I'm done...

I sent the photo to the grandmother, and she's honest.  Soon I will know.  I think I have to make her hair more blonder, it's hard to tell from the photo.  And her teeth were next to impossible to do.  

Finishing up before moving on...

I finished up some work before continuing on Dalton and Abby's portrait.  

First, I applied gloss to this acrylic painting upon suggestion of an artist friend of mine.   It made the colors pop!

Then I went to apply a second coat to the sky of this painting.  Not doing clouds in this sky as it would make the final painting too "busy".

Finally, I finished an acrylic I've had sitting around for a few weeks in the studio.  I really, really like this painting.  I named it "Awaiting God's love".  It is 4" X 12".  I love how soft it came out.  I've never done one which I deliberated on so much and then finished it in record time.  I think this whole painting took about an hour to do, tops.  And I love it.  It's one I may make into prints.  I wanted to make it like she was waiting in the clouds of Heaven...

Working on Dalton and Abby's portrait

I started working on a portrait of my friend's grandchildren.  Their names are Dalton and Abby.  Adorable children...

Here is the beginning of the drawing.  I am working in pastels.

Starting to apply color!

Going a little further...at this stage, all portraits look ridiculous...

More done on Dalton (but not nearly done...but it's a start).  Amazing the difference between one layer of color like on Abby's face, and two layers on Dalton's.  Still yet, I have a LONG way to go!  

At the same time I am painting a beach scene on a 6 X 6 canvas turned diagonal.  In between the two palm trees will be a hammock.  The hardest challenge on this painting (besides holding it), is going to be painting the hammock with all the mesh work...but then, who knows, it may turn out wonderful!  

Getting ready to start working in pastels...and I finished two paintings!

Thought you all would like to see my unique set up that I have for when I do pastels.  I LOVE IT!

Here it is opened up, but not fully extended out.  (And yes, I have hundreds of more pastels! All stored underneath!)

Here it is partially opened, showing you how it closes and opens.

And when fully closed, you'd never know the pastel storage I have!  Isn't that so efficient?  Gives me more room in my small studio!  The easel on top also folds completely down!  And yes, it was expensive, but I use it all the time!  

I am going to start doing a dual portrait of my friend Debbie's grandchildren for her daughter Tracy.  Those kids are adorable!  There are two more pastel paintings after this one as well, one of Tracy's other son, and another silly portrait I am doing of her daughter when she made a funny face...it's just like a kid to do that, so why not?  

This is the opposite side of the studio where my easel is.  I used to have a gigantic easel but with the smaller space I had to go down in size with my easel and I'm not working as large anymore, although I do have one in the works and occasionally when I do work larger, like 24 X 30, this easel can handle it.  Haven't tried anything larger but I'm pretty sure it could handle it.  

Now for the paintings close ups.  The palm trees are finished, they are done in oils.  I LOVE the clouds in this painting.  The palm trees I feel are weak and not bushy enough, but I'm FINISHED with it.  One must know when to be done and not putz, piddle and play with a painting until you end up overworking it!

And finally, my lemon-lime refresher.  It was the first time I did glass.  I'm pleased with portions of this painting but I see so many mistakes.  It was a learning experience.  I will do more, as I'm happy with my first response to working in acrylic to create an image of glass.

Another painting I haven't shown is one that is only 6 X 6 inches (the size I of like craze to paint on), and it's a beach scene with a palm tree, but with a twist.  I turned the painting on an angle.  It looks good so far with the initial drawing.  There's also a hammock in it, and I'm a little timid to do all those lines of a hammock, but I'm up for the challenge!  

Thanks for being a part of my creative world!  

Having fun, painting but not posting...so here goes!

Since I last posted, I have gone to a friend's house to paint plein air.  Her name is Diane Mannion and she is a fabulous artist.  I am blessed with her friendship!  Her ability to plein air paint outshines mine by a HUGE margin because she does it all the time and she has the ability to squint.  I don't.  (Ever since I had my eye surgery, I can't squint.)  Regardless, she has talent, no doubt...and she's teaching me to be more confident (Good luck Diane!), and how to better promote myself.  Thank you Diane!

So, the first thing I'm posting is the plein air painting I started.  I took a picture of what I was working on before I finished.  I didn't paint the horse's head statue she had there in the set up.  It was a lovely set up.  

Of course I've been painting in my art class too which I take on Wednesdays.  It's not finished, I still have the palm trees to finish, and whatever else I see that needs finishing, but here it is so far.  (When you see what I love to do and spent time, you'll understand why I like to paint beach scenes, not flowers...gosh I LOVE the beach and waves...fun to paint.  Not to mention, I LOVE to paint clouds.  LOVE IT!  This painting is 10" X 10" in oils.

Now, time for fun!  My friend Joan is visiting from England and we went out for lunch at a place called "Sharkey's on the pier" and then we went shopping.  

While shopping, we saw huge painted turtles and dolphins.  Venice, where we shop, is our yearly special time together.  

Venice is so pretty.  And the beach is so A-Typical.  Simply "Lovely" as my British friend would say!

This is the Venice pier as seen from the restaurant.

And this is the Venice Beach.  I see a future painting here!

The waves were beautiful.  

Joan went home to have a lemonade, and I went home and painted a lemon-lime refresher.  It's an acrylic, 6" X 6".  And of course, now that I photographed it, I see more mistakes...but not too many so I will leave it for another day.  

Hope you enjoyed seeing how I relax with friends and the progress of paintings as they come to life.