Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Day 160 Showing at the Grill

 
Too busy painting to take a picture of a painting for the blog.
So, I'm going to show off my current show at Anthony's Woodfire Grill in Everett instead. :)
 
 
This painting sold the day we hung the show!
 

 
View from inside the restaurant. Love those sailboats!

 
We were able to hang 20 of my paintings around the restaurant.
Crossing fingers that many of them will find happy new homes.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Day 159 Iris Vase with Gerber Daisey

 
Iris Vase with Gerber Daisey
5 x 7
Oil on Gessobord
 
Phew! Paintings are framed, delivered and hung at the Woodfire Grill.
I'm going to sleep well tonight.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Day 158 Double Cherry Blossoms

 
Double Cherry Blossoms
Oil on Gessobord
5 x 7
 
Trees with huge, dense clusters of cherry blossoms give
me a special thrill. So of course I had to try painting a bunch.
I guessed they would be a challenge and, by golly, I was right.
 
Spent almost the entire day today getting ready for my show
at Anthony's Woodfire Grill on the Everett waterfront. A reception
will be held this Wednesday evening from 5-9pm. Stop by and
say "hi" if you can. Happy hour prices will be in effect for the
entire evening - just mention you're there for the reception.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Day 157 Spring Green on the Snohomish River 2

 
Spring green on the Snohomish River 2
Plein Air
5 x 7
Oil on Gessobord
 
Returning back to the Snohomish River on yet another gorgeous morning.
More or less the same view as the first one, just a different composition.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Day 156 Plein Air on the Skykomish

 
Skykomish River View
Plein Air
5 x 7
Oil on Gessobord
 
Tuesday I drove out to Snohomish for more plein air and
just kept driving until I found myself in Monroe. This is a
great view from Al Borlin Park. I like to call this painting alla Ned.
That means I painted it plein air, I took it into my oil painting
class with Ned Meuller where he gave me some advice on composition and
also proceeded to paint on parts of it. I wish I had taken
a before picture to show you. Ah well, next time.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Day 155 Snohomish River Plein Air


 
Spring Green on the Snohomish River
Plein Air
Oil on Gessobord
5 x 7
 
 
We have had the most amazing weather recently.
This time of year sunny days MUST be taken advantage of.
In July, August, or September you could waste a sunny day but
the rest of the year, no way. This is because it could be many days,
a week, two or even three before you get that glorious sunny day again.
So naturally I spent it outside painting. One of my all
time favorite things to do. 

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Day 154 Tulip Triangle

 
Tulip Triangle
5 x 7
Oil on Gessobord
 
I once read a book on organizing for creative people. According to
the author, creative or "right brain dominant" people hate to
put things away. The reason being, the moment it's out of sight it
is completely forgotten. I don't know that this is true of all
creative people but it is certainly true of me - much to my husbands
dismay. This painting is a case in point. I put it in a wet painting
carrier to dry and immediately forgot about it. Yesterday, I
rediscovered it while looking for places to store more wet paintings.
 
 

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Day 153 Resting

 
Resting
Oil on Gessobord
5 x 7
 
I tried my hand at painting a live model last Friday at
Eastside Life Drawing in Bothell. I really liked the way
her hand hung gently down and the "S" shape of the red pillow.
 

Monday, April 22, 2013

Day 152 tulips and Pansies

 
Tulips and Pansies
Oil on Ampersand Gessobord
6 x 6
 
The tulips are from my lovely neighbor Melissa. Thank you Melissa!
Somewhere she got the idea I like to paint tulips. The pansies are
from a flower box on my deck. Needing flowers for still lifes has
given me a very dangerous excuse to buy plants. I'm having a
hard time figuring out where to put them all.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Day 151 A Lost Painting

 
Tulips and Daffodils
Oil on Canvas Board
5 x 7
 
I almost forgot to post this painting. I painted about a month ago.
Elizabeth had given me some suggestions to improve the composition
but I hadn't gotten around to following her advise yet. However,
I'm very behind on photographing art. I photographed this
quite a while ago. So here it is! When I get around to applying
Elizabeth's recommendation I'll post the new version and see
what you think...

Friday, April 19, 2013

Day 150! The Neighbor's Camellias and Tea


The Neighbor's Camellias and Tea
Oil on Gessobord
5 x 7
 
Continuing on with the Camellia theme. This is the last one.
A fun little teapot I picked up in a thrift store last week.
 
On a separate note, I have now painted a painting  a day for five months!
Few! Only seven to go......

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Day 149 Neighbor's Camellias #2

 
The Neighbor's Camellias #2
Oil on Gessobord
6 x 6
 
I really enjoyed painting these camellias. It's been interesting
 finding out which flowers hold up well for painting still lifes. Only a few so
far can lay on a shelf out of the water and under a strong light
unwilted for up to four hours. Camellias get two thumbs up for this. 

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Day 148 The Neighbor's Camellias

 
The Neighor's Camellias
6 x 6
Oil on Gessobord
 
I did it! I knocked on the door of a neighbor that I only knew
slightly and asked if I could have a Camellia flower or two. To
be fair it was a low risk situation since I was planning on taking
the flowers that had already fallen on the ground. She was so nice
about it though that I bucked up and asked if I could trim off a short
branch. She was okay with that too. What do you know!
 
Is it just me or do you think this might be a nice Mother's Day present?
Just a thought. :)

Monday, April 15, 2013

Day 147 - Another 8 x 10 for the Grill


Purple Tulips in Tall Glass Vase
8 x 10
Oil on Canvas Board

And another one to be displayed at the Grill in May and June.
I'm pretty happy with this one. More gorgeous tulips from 
RoozenGaarde.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Day 146 Tulips in Glass Carafe

 
Tulips in Silver and Glass Carafe
8 x 10
Oil on Canvas Board
 
Another 8 x 10 for my upcoming show at Anthony's Woodfire
Grill. These are the same tulips from RoozenGaarde.
They were magnificent! The carafe (I'm assuming that's what
it is) is a recent thrift store find.

Day 145 Painting at the Cabin

 
Tulips at the Cabin
8 x 10
Oil on Canvas Board
 
I'm getting ready for a show at Anthony's Woodfire Grill in
May and June. Most of the show will consist of my daily paintings.
I wanted to add a few larger ones to the mix so I'm painting a few 8 x 10s.
This is quite possibly the first 8 x 10 still life I have ever done.
I painted it while we were staying at our cabin on Whidbey Island. Megan and I
purchased the flowers at RoozenGaarde Gardens in Mt. Vernon.
A beautiful place to visit in the month of April.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Day 144 Brass Pitcher Returns

 
Purple Tulips with Brass Pitcher
Oil on Canvas Board
5 x 7
 
A more simplified version of the tulips than I have been
painting. That brass pitcher is a pretty cool little piece. It needs
to model more often. I'd love to know its history.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Day 143 Early Spring in Snohomish

 
Early Spring in Snohomish
Oil on Canvas Board
5 x 7
Plein Air
 
On a breathtakingly beautiful spring morning I packed up my gear
and headed for downtown Snohomish. There is a "sweet spot" there
full of Victorian homes and flowers. I was a little too early for most of
the flowers. Thank goodness for plum trees! I found this very charming,
two hundred and twenty five year old home to paint.
For us in the Northwest that is a really old home.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Day 142 Tulips in Blue Vase

 
Tulips in Blue Vase
Oil on Canvas
6 x 6
 
Tulips continue to fascinate me.
 I especially like the ones with two sets of petals.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Day 141

 
Cherry Blossoms with Red
Oil on Canvas
6 x 6
 
I've been walking my neighborhood with lust in my eye. So many
flowers I'd love to paint! I really wish I knew many of my neighbors
better - especially the ones with pretty flowers. :) It really doesn't pay to
be bashful. Believe it or not these cherry blossoms came from my very own
yard. I just couldn't resist putting red behind them.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Day 140 Elizabeth's Flower

 
Elizabeth's Flower
5 x 7
Oil on Canvas
 
Oh yes, not only do I borrow still life props from friends but
I also run off with their flowers!  A big thanks to Elizabeth Kincaid for
letting me trim some branches off of a beautiful tree in her yard.
The flowers were so crazy I could only get one to cooperate for
a painting. Unfortunately, I don't know what they're called.
Elizabeth could you enlighten us?

Day 139b - Megan Slish Sloshing in the Tulips

 
Megan Slish Sloshing in the Tulips
Oil on Canvas
5 x 7
 
 
The painting I promised yesterday.
Our trip to the tulip fields was a very soggy one.
That red umbrella made a great accent though didn't it?
Couldn't have planned it better myself.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Day 139 - Of course, more tulips



 
 
Thursday my daughter Megan and I took a trip up to see the tulips in Mt Vernon. The
tulip fields weren't at their peak yet but there were some awesome daffodil fields to
see. We stopped at Roozengaarde display gardens while we were there, always a
feast for the eye. Below are a few photos I took while we were there. Later that
evening I painted one of the photos with Megan in it. I don't have a photo of the
painting yet, my apologies. I will have it up tomorrow.
 






Saturday, April 6, 2013

Day 138 Still Painting in Coupeville

Since the weather was not cooperating I had originally planned to paint under cover on the deck of the Island County museum. Then the sun came out and that changed everything. So I found another vantage point to paint from. Things were going pretty well until once again the rain rolled back in....

Friday, April 5, 2013

Day 137 Painting in Coupeville

Spent the afternoon painting in downtown Coupeville. I've always admired the look of these buildings while driving down to Front Street. As I was walking buy the Knead and Feed restaurant the smell of cinnamon rolls dragged me indoors. Guess what I'll be eating for breakfast tomorrow!
Painting buildings in plein air is definitely not my forte. This one will certainly need more work back at the cabin.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Day 136 - Painting in the Valley


Spring Creeps into the Valley
Plein Air
5 x 7
Oil on Canvas Board

We had some truly wonderful weather recently. The kind of 
weather that makes me wish I were an opera singer. Ah, spring.  So
of course one can't paint inside on a day like that. This is a favorite
painting spot near my home - a little artistically edited of course.

Day 135 - Purple Tulips


Purple Tulip Still Life
Oil on Gessobord
6 x 6

I finally found an arrangement of the full bouquet that I liked.
No hair pulling that day either!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Day 134 - Warning!


During my oil painting class with Ned Mueller I spent
three hours painting a charming Chinese red lion. At the end of
class Ned came by and added a few touches pulling it all together.
We were both pretty satisfed with the result. So after class I carefully
put the painting in the trunk of the car and drove merrily on my way.
When I got home I opened the trunk to find the painting below in
the very same place I had put it but with half the paint missing.
Really? What on earth had happened here?
It took me a day or so to notice a paint covered volleyball lurking
in a dark corner of the trunk. So here is my warning -
Wet paintings and volleyballs do not mix
(Unless you like the mysterious look)



Monday, April 1, 2013

Day 133 Tulip Angst


Teapot Lid
Oil on Gessobord
6 x 6

I couldn't resist one last trip to Central Market for a bunch of tulips.
I remember being so excited to get home and arrange them for a great still life.
Little did I know it would take me over an hour to figure out something
I was even remotely happy to work with. I was so frustrated that hair pulling
seemed like a good idea - my hair, my husband's, my daughter's, my dog,
anyone's would do. This is what I ended up with. You'll be happy to hear
everyone's hair is safe - for now.