Getting more inspired every day.  From seeing some of my favorite Internet painters, going to classes, getting motivated by my teachers, and well, simply by painting!

I've decided I want to pursue this dream of selling art on the Internet, so I checked out the site more that I want to sell on, and I also have checked into how to ring up sales on my phone or Ipad.  Amazing the technology at my fingertips.

But first, I must produce.

Acrylics-Small

Amazing what happens when you forget your oil paints for class...and brought your acrylics in their place!  Thank goodness I had my small canvases in the car, ready to go with acrylics!  Yet still, I didn't have my normal disposable palette, but I got through the day, and finished TWO paintings!  Small paintings, but two done, regardless!

It's only three inches square, but I like the composition.  I call it "Ecuadorian home" because I took the photo in Ecuador!  Wish I could get the photo in more clear.    

"Flamingo" as I am calling it, is a five inch square black canvas I finished in about 15 minutes.  These two paintings got me motivated to start selling on the internet!  

Here are some more pictures of today's endeavors.

This was my source of inspiration!  I soon learned that a photo from an ipad shows much more light than can be produced on the BLACK canvas that this was.  LIGHT is emitted from the ipad which is what they call positive light.  Pigment is negative light.  (That's the explanation.)

I made do with the small palette set up I had.  I figured how much paint space do I need for a small painting anyway!?!

Here's a close up of the palette I used to paint the Ecuador house and the Flamingo paintings.  With acrylics, I always wet the paper towels, and spritz them with water so they don't dry out.  Luckily, I didn't even need to spritz them today.  Lots of left over paint, but that's okay.  

My teacher, Diane Mannion was starting her 29th painting of flowers (in a row, one a day for a month), yeah, she won't be painting flowers for awhile now!  I found it amazing how FAST she found the lights and did a good composition.  She is pictured helping a student.

Today's lesson was landscapes, so Diane brought in some landscapes she's done.  She does so much plein-air painting, I'm sure she had a ton to chose from!  Never disappoints.  

Next week is portraits.  Can't wait!  

The top picture is my old Tahiti...the bottom is the new.  At first glance, you'd probably like the top one better, but don't let the poor phone photo confuse you.  I know the changes, some are obvious...but most of them are barely visible due to the photo.  Diane, you will see it all on Tuesday!!!

I made it to class today!  Afternoons are so much better for me.  I'm enjoying the new class with Alberto Cruz.  I like Bob Cassell, I like how he teaches, I do good work under him, but the class is just too noisy.  Today as I sat in class, the teacher did three quick demos...which I watched him do one.  I did learn something.  (The other two demos were basics.)  What really surprised me was the noise coming from Bob's class across the hall.  One lady never shuts up!  She has avoice that is like one decibel over normal, and it carries a lot!  Alberto Cruz's class is so much quieter, because they are mostly beginners and they concentrate.  I think I will continue with Alberto, as well as Diane Mannion.

Now, I will admit the best teacher of all has to be Diane...without a doubt.  She is thoroughly gifted artist (like they all are), but she motivates.  When I leave all the classes, I want to keep painting, but right now with Dad visiting, that's impossible.

Diane just has a way of keeping me working and I like that.  I know if I can just get up early enough for Diane's class (those 9 o'clock's, come early for me), I will paint more.  My goal is to sell artwork on the web.  I just need to get in a groove.  Diane is just the person to get me set up and encouraged to keep at it.  (Where she gets her energy is beyond me....gosh, I hope she doesn't say exercise...haha!)

The picture today show the progression I did in Alberto's class.  It is a dark photograph because I forgot to take the photo while in class, so I took it when I got home in the car, and it was dark.  I didn't want to use a flash because then it has glare.

I added more color to the palms, did some shadows on the beach, it's hard to see but I worked on the sky, making it darker in the upper right hand corner, and I put some light behind the mountains on the left side.  I also made the water darker in the bottom right hand corner.  It's hard to see, but the shrub behind the palm trees, I enhanced that too.  The second mountain from the right, I made different because Alberto told me there was too much of a repetitive pattern, and once I changed it I saw it.  I also raised the water line so the mountain on the left appears to be closer.  (Love that!)  What you can't see, in this lousy photo from my phone, is there are some light clouds that are light blue in color, it really popped the sky!  the other thing is, I put some purples in the upper left hand corner.  I added more colors in the mountains too.  I thought I would finish it today, but NOPE...

Still to do?  The shoreline needs improving, I need to punch up the cloud's white area to match where the sun is coming from...which is the upper right hand corner, I mean, the shadows on the mountains are on the left, so it has to be coming from there!  And I want to put a boat or two in the water.  But I have to wait.  The oil has the dry.

See you on Tuesday morning Diane!  And yes, I'll be late.  Haha!

I missed art class this morning.  I slept in.  Didn't get sleep because my husband doesn't know how to be when I'm trying to sleep.  Loud TV, lights on...noisy...I tried all night to sleep but with so many disturbances, I was unable.  Finally he came to bed at 7:15, my alarm went off at 7:30.  Yes, I slept in...with good reason.  His schedule is backwards.  Now I need to get regulated again.  UGH!

See this flower?  I took the photograph while on vacation in Cuenca, Ecuador.  I took the photo so I could later turn it into a painting.  I originally was going to paint it in oils because I paint a lot in oils, but something is telling me to work in acrylics.  So I am getting my acrylics ready for class.  Even though my Tahiti painting isn't finished, I am thinking about my next painting. Sometimes it's good to think of your next painting, but sometimes it distracts from finishing the one you're working on!  

I've been working on my Tahiti Painting

I've been working!

Here is how it looks so far.  Much farther yet to go, I see so many mistakes and things to add.  

The left side of the painting. I still have to do shadows as they fall on the unfinished beach area.  I do like the beginning of the palm trees, but I have a lot of color to add into them! I'm also going to change the horizon of the water a bit as a suggestion of an art instructor. He feels the closest mountain on the left should come down a bit, or raise the horizon, I think I will do both in a way...

The right side of the painting. I plan on placing a boat on his side, and I'm not happy with the clouds.  And more shadow is needed on that left mountain.  Not nearly done!

I find by taking photos of my work, I have yet another way of finding errors in my work, what needs correcting and what can be further advanced for the "WOW" factor I'm seeking.