Merry Little Christmas

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

A view from under the Christmas tree!  Wishing everyone a Merry Little Christmas and a great new year.

Snow Day

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on canvas panel, 6x8 inches

A friend let me use her photo of the snowman she helped create with her grandchildren.  I love the unusual looking snowman, he really has his own personality don't you think?  The visual contrast of the light on the pristine snow in the background compared to the shadows and bootprints in the foreground make an interesting composition.

Angel's Song

NFS, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

I found these little angel ornaments a few years ago and thought it would be fun painting them and so I paired them up with the whimsical cupcake jar/container thingy.  I like a little whimsy now and then.

Mischievous Santa's

Click Here To Buy It Now - $75, oil on canvas panel, 6x8 inches

These Santa's are some ornaments I made years ago.  After setting them up to paint they looked so naughty as if they were getting ready to play with a forgotten Christmas ornament and watching to see if anyone was around.  Or maybe they knocked the ornament off the tree and were watching to see if they had been discovered.  Either way they look very mischievous.

Temptation Tea

Click Here To Buy It Now - $75, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

The apple turned out looking so luscious to me I can understand better how Eve was tempted.  I think it must be because the apple is surrounded by all that white then reflected back again in the pot.  This photo doesn't do the apple color justice, it is a much richer red in the original painting.

Since December is going to be so hectic this will be my last new painting until next year.  I will continue to post some older paintings completed before I set up my blog and Daily Paintworks site and many of them will be very Christmasy so stay tuned.  

The Game

Oil on gessobord, 8x10 inches, not for sale

This represents a world I know little about but find intriguing.  Is life really a game to some?  I'm happiest in my world creating and painting but there is a whole world out there I know nothing about and that intrigues me. 

I've discovered that bright colors don't photo very well, the photograph doesn't show the subtle brush work on the red tablet.  I also noticed that on the bright orange colors when painting my pumpkin series.  Now is a good time to note that various technologies used to reproduce art work are not always accurate, there are limitations and inconsistencies of various display monitors also and the colors you see on your screen may not be totally accurate.  That being said I try to get as accurate a representation as possible.

Olive Contemplation

Click Here To Buy It Now - $75, oil on canvas panel, 6x8 inches

Olives are great fun to paint, I don't know why I haven't used them more often.  There is something about the composition with the olives and polka dotted cup in the background that works.  This is an older piece that I painted before setting up my blog and DPW so I'm posting it now.  When first starting to paint small I painted on canvas panels and looking back I'm enjoying the texture.  Suddenly I'm fired up to try more canvas panels!

Art work makes great Christmas gifts!

Party's Over

Click Here To Buy It Now - $75, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

Shoes can speak volumes.  When I see vintage shoes I wonder about the lives of the people who wore them.  These shoes speak of a young preteen or teenage girl who has just come home from her first school dance and is now on her mobile phone sharing all the excitement with her best friend.  Sometimes it's hard for me to get rid of old favorite shoes mostly because of comfort but also of the memories tied to them.  Why don't I feel that way about a purse, what is it about shoes? 

Holidays are coming so I won't have the chance to paint much.  Enjoy your time with family and friends and be thankful!  

Give the gift of art for Christmas!

Garden Arbor

Click Here to Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

Remembering summer.  I'm feeling a little nostalgic about my gardens, soon they will be covered with snow and I won't see them until May.  I painted this from one of my garden photos and thought I would try to loosen my paint style a bit.

Grouping Small Paintings

Small paintings are great for grouping together on your walls.  You can hang a painting series together or create your own painting groups such as flowers, vintage cars, pets and animals etc., or simply by color and color combinations.  You can hang small groupings or large groupings depending on your wall space, they can be all in a row or stacked as the grouping pictured.  There are no limits, they work on large wall spaces or small wall spaces and they come with reasonable prices.  

All my paintings are sold unframed, however in my FAQ page I have provided information on framing these small paintings along with links to several frame sources.  The three alike frames above are floating frames which I recommend for small paintings as you don't lose any of the painting image.

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Oil on gessobord, 8x8 inches, not for sale

After my Mom passed away we were going through her belongings and found three old Bibles.  The one in the painting is a gift from my Dad in 1960.  It was such a happy discovery even though the Bible was falling apart, marked and underlined throughout, it told a story of love on many different levels and I will always treasure it.  The Bible was also filled with cards, notes, letters and articles that gave Mom comfort and gives me a better idea of who this woman was.  I added the coffee cup and piece of chocolate in the upper right because they were two of her favorite treats.  When I look at this painting I feel as though Mom has been called away for just a moment and will return at any time.....and so she has been.

The Flower Umbrella

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

Just for fun!  One of my paintings this summer using the little flowers that I had fun with in other paintings and which to me looked like tiny umbrellas, especially in this composition.  I can imagine the flower in one of those tropical drinks where they add the small umbrellas.

Car In The Yard

Click Here To Buy It Now - $100, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

While visiting in California this spring and on one of my morning walks I saw this old car sitting in the yard in full shade.  At first I thought the car was being sheltered by the homemade tarp thing but then realized that the tarp was actually a homemade awning for the window as it would be in full sun in the afternoon.  I wonder if the car still runs or if it sits there waiting for someone to fix it up, someone who has good intentions.  Maybe I should have called this The Car Of Many Questions but at any rate I loved the composition.  I wish I had gone back to photo it in full sun. 

Jack And The Pink Umbrella

Click Here To Buy It Now - $100, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

We were adventuring through little towns in Door County Wisconsin last fall and came across a shop with all this pink, pink chairs, cushions, umbrella and shutters all surrounded by gardens.  I love the contrast between the summer lawn furniture and the jack o'lanterns, to me it was a statement saying we are just not ready to be through with summer yet.  I feel the same way even though I love fall and try to embrace it.

Pumpkin Celebration

Click Here To Buy It Now - $75, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

#5 in my pumpkin challenge series with the new heirloom pumpkin, the big blue gray guy.  I love all the heirloom pumpkins available now, so many colors and shapes.  Of course the object of my challenge was to paint using the color orange but this still qualifies as I added all the other pumpkins along with the new one and that re-energized me.  Will there be more?  Maybe, I have one other idea I'd like to pursue.

Pumpkin Pretense

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

#4 in my pumpkin challenge series.  The little one is actually a gourd but it was so darn cute I had to include it in my series so thus the title, it's pretending to be a pumpkin.  I have accomplished my objective to paint all four of the pumpkins in my challenge but the other day I went for a Fall drive and found some beautiful heirloom pumpkins.  I particularly fell in love with a blueish one so yesterday I painted it with my original group of pumpkins.  I will post it soon.  The weather is not cooperating at the moment, too windy for a wet painting outside which is where I photo my paintings.  Stay tuned for #5.

Autumn Tea

Click Here To Buy It Now - $100, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

#3 in my pumpkin challenge series and my favorite so far.  The day I sat down to paint I was tired and really thought it would be unsuccessful and wiped off.  There is something magic that happens to me as I paint, the world goes away and I become re-energized, it requires me to stay the course and not give up however.  That's not saying I don't have paintings that miss the mark but most times if I hang in there I'm rewarded.  So stay the course, don't give up!

Fall Harvest

Sold - oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

#2 in my pumpkin challenge series.  I thought I would try some raffia in my composition and it made all the difference; really gave a nice break from all the orange.  I also handled this one with looser brush work.  I'm much happier with the oranges on this painting and learning to have some confidence working with the color.  Tomorrow I will post #3 and so far my favorite.

Pumpkin Polka Dots

Click Here To Buy It Now - $40, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

#1 in my pumpkin challenge series.  What I love about this pumpkin is the stem, it has such wonderful scruffy stuff at the top and that's my favorite part of the painting.  I'm getting better with each pumpkin painting as the ideas for compositions start to flow; tomorrow I post #2. 

Pumpkin Challenge 2014

As October arrived I decided to give myself the challenge of painting a series of pumpkins, not just because of the seasonal beauty but also, for me, orange is challenging to capture.  I've been so frustrated trying to figure out how to mix a nice bright orange that I picked up a tube of strictly orange paint but even that only solved part of the problem (I use a limited palette and usually mix most of my color from the primary colors).  Anyhow, I went to my color charts and discovered that using a color called permanent rose makes a really nice orange when mixed with cadmium yellow.  So I picked up the pumpkins above, the littlest is really a gourd pretending to be a pumpkin, and began a series of pumpkin paintings which I will be posting over the next four days.  Who knows, I've been having so much fun with the challenge I may continue with a few more paintings as the ideas keep flowing.  Please check back to follow this little series of paintings and see how they go.   

Morning Trek

Oil On Gessobord, 5x7 inches, Not For Sale

This summer I enjoyed many early morning walks with my sister in Colorado while visiting our brother.  This painting is a result of a moment captured on one of those walks.  We all live in different states and don't get together enough so these moments are treasured memories.  

Yellow Slice Of Paradise

Click Here to Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches 

On a visit to Florida we stayed at an RV park where all these old vintage trailers were still in use, some as winter homes but some lived in year around.  They were and are some peoples little paradise, with lots of sunshine, shuffle board tournaments, card nights, walking paths and a life of leisure.  I loved the stripped awnings and felt like I had gone back in time.

Red Truck

Oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches, Sold

I saw this wonderfully restored old truck in Door County Wisconsin last fall.  Even though it was an overcast day the photo turned out pretty good.  This was the first old vehicle I tried painting and the results have made me eager to try more.  My favorite part of the painting is the wind shield with the reflection on it.

Walk Of Light

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

I planted myself on a bench along a corridor of windows, it was morning and the light was shining in so beautifully.  I caught several people walking through the light, this little girl was one of them.  I plan to paint another light walker one of these days when the mood to paint another figure strikes me.  

Grapes Of Breaking Fast

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

I had no idea of what to name a painting of grapes until the movie title "Grapes Of Wrath" came to mind.  But these are grapes that are helping to break the fast which sounded better than breakfast grapes and since there was no wrath involved the name was finally solved.  Grapes are wonderful to paint, each one has so many different colors and interesting vine shapes, they have a simple beauty.....and good to eat too.

Hangin With Dad

Click Here To Buy It Now - $75, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

It must have been Dad's day out with the kids!  I fell in love with this group of burly looking guys, holding hands with their little ones at the park.  These were some cool guys, big boots, cut off jeans and lots of muscles but they were tenderly watching over and spending time with their children, a moment frozen in time.

Birthday Tea

Click Here To Buy It Now - $250, oil on gessobord, 8x10 inches

This is a larger piece than I normally paint but recently I've had the urge to paint larger and it's hard to ignore that inner voice.  When I was in college any painting under 18x24 inches was considered small, now this 8x10 seems huge; it's just a matter of perspective.  I'm looking forward to stretching myself to do larger pieces in the future.

Bowl Of Pepper

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

The pepper fit perfect in the little bowl so I had to paint it.  Seriously, this was me having fun painting glass and I loved the stem on this pepper (but the pepper did fit perfectly in the bowl).

Pears And Polka Dots

Click Here To Buy It Now - $75, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

I loved this pear with the T stem so I had to paint it.

Beach Buddies

Oil on gessobord, 8x8 inches, Not For Sale

When my grandchildren came to visit one summer, I took this photo of them on a lake beach.  It was very challenging trying to capture the water but I'm happy with the results.  Soon after the photo was taken they discovered that there were small leeches in the water and that put an end to their lake swimming.

Some Sugar

Click Here To Buy It Now - $100, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

I wanted to paint bottles but the bottles all by themselves were boring in my opinion so I added some sugar.  The little stripped sugar bowl with a spoon and lid just perked up the whole painting.

I See Spots

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

I found this little spotted bowl in Door County Wisconsin and I've been having fun incorporating it into some paintings.  As you can see, I also had fun with color.  

Pink Carnations

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

I was grocery shopping and saw these beautiful pink carnations and couldn't resist.  It seems wherever I go my thoughts always turn to whether something would be a good paint subject.  Also I love this tiny little bottle I found at the Goodwill, It will probably find it's way into more paintings.

Radish Trio

Click Here To Buy It Now - $75, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

I was inspired to paint radishes by a gal in the painting workshop I went to last fall.  I believe there is beauty in the ordinary things that surround us everyday, even radishes.  Radishes can grow right along with roses and both have their own beauty, like people.  I got a little deep there but it's an interesting comparison.

How Now

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

I was visiting a small town in Colorado this past summer, a very rural little area where many of the town streets are dirt streets.  I was out for a morning walk, stopped at a coffee shop for the WFYI and heard bellowing from a cow.  Upon investigating I found this young brown cow tied to a post & not happy about being left behind by it's owner.  I've never been close to a cow so I was a little afraid of approaching and even a young cow is very large.  It turned out this little guy was so friendly, gave me a lick or tried to and let me pet and scratch him.  He would have followed me home if not tied to the post.

Summer Festival

Click Here To Buy It Now - $100, oil on gessobord (6x6in)

I love going to events and places where I can capture (via my camera) interesting groups of people.  This little group was captured at an Art Festival where I knew interesting folk would abound.  I was a bit overwhelmed with everything going on in the photo but decided to have fun and things seemed to come together.  My favorite part of the painting is the girl in the background with the red shoes.

Yellow Trio

Click Here To Buy It Now - $75, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

I've been having great fun painting these Rudbeckia flowers from my garden, they look like little umbrella's.  I think I'm finally getting the hang of capturing them after adding them to two other paintings (soon to be posted).  I'm going to miss my flowers, these are about the only ones left in my garden.  I suppose I'll be painting pumpkins soon.

Vanilla

Click Here to Buy It Now - $100, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

I found this old Chevy Van in front of an ice cream shop in Door County, Wisconsin last fall while attending a painting workshop.  I loved the photo and had to paint it as I love all kinds of vintage subject matter.  The license plate on the vehicle just made me smile since it was sitting in front of the ice cream shop.