Daily Painting

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I enjoyed a great workshop this past week with Carol Marine. Even though we worked small  6x6" or 8x8", getting a painting done in a day was a challenge. 

To give myself a break, it wasn't a whole day because Carol did a demo or 2 each day. We painted shoes, a still life, flowers, people and a wrapped package. Carol taught me to pay attention to value and to start over if the drawing wasn't quite right. I did that a lot. 

Carol was right. I got better with each do-over. I painted 7 canvases in 5, 1/2 days. Below aremy somewhat successful attempts. Sue Bown did a great job feeding us 3 squares a day at "Bide a While". All in all it was a great experience. 

My beloved boots

Flower de jour

A rose is a rose is a rose

My first wrapped package

Cuppa Jo Day 3

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This is what I did today on Cuppa Jo. The hands look better, but still need a tiny bit of work. I added a sign to the right site to bring some of the blue color to that side of the painting for color balance—it needs A bit more futzing. I added detail to the plant... I like the purple. What a surprise! The perspective needs tightening up and the shoes need some contrast, but we are getting there—slowly but surely

Cuppa Jo

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I shot this photo in Galveston and got a good start on the painting yesterday and today.  The hands, face and perspective all need work. Consider it a work in progress. I have to let it dry before I go any further—I hate it when that happens. I should have several paintings going at once!  Hopefully I will post the finished painting soon.

Abstract Painting

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I have been interested in experimenting with painting abstractly for some time. The textures and colors in a successful abstract piece can attract your attention and evoke and emotional response from the viewer.

If you think it looks easy, think again. You need to follow the same principles of design that you would in any other successful art. I actually find it harder to paint abstract art than representational art.

Although I don’t think I will ever leave representational art altogether, I love the mental and emotional challenge of painting abstractly and the intellectual and emotion reaction it often receives.

Watching Paint Dry

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For those of you who paint competitively and have painted down to the wire on your entries like I have, you may be interested in paint drying times.

Reds blues are the slowest to dry (rats, I Luuuuv purple) and earth tones are the fastest to dry. Greens are somewhere in between. Oils dry from oxidation rather than evaporation. Make sure you painting is drying in a non humid well circulated environment with an indirect fan to circulate the air. Using a Hair dryer doesn't work and could possibly cause the paint to crack.

Here are more tips on getting oil paint to dry
Use a fast drying medium like Liquin while you paint (I personally don't use Liquin)
Linseed oil dries faster than Walnut oil
Use fast drying titanium white
Paint oil over Acrylic
Use thin layers

Let's get real, allow three days minimum for an oil painting to dry to the touch. Wait a minimum of 6 months before you varnish.

Shopping Cart

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I now have a shopping cart for the 70+ paintings on my website.

Now you can order:

Original Oils

Original Acrylics

Original Watercolors

Giclee Prints on canvas in multiple sizes.

Giclee Prints on paper in multiple sizes with or without mat

Blank Note Cards in two sizes

Note Cards in two sizes with a personalized message

Local customers can eliminate shipping by selecting “will call” in the shipping method drop-down. As always a portion of my proceeds will go to Breast Cancer Research.

Look for the Web promo code to save 25%.

Painting Competition Entries

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There is more than just painting that an artist must do. Web updates, marketing, social media, ordering supplies, keeping books all have to be done.  

I've been doing all that and more in the last week that I was going to delegate to painting. Now I need to focus on just painting!! My deadline to finish my entries for my next completion is Monday. Yikes. It was my plan to enter three new pieces, but that may not happen. 

May the paint drying fairies be kind to me.

I Can't Work Under These Conditions!!!!!

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Welcome to my mess. It is getting harder and hader to find my paint brushes so I am going to need to tidy up!

Featured Artist

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"Coastal Clouds" sold during
the Preview Party.

The Featured Artist Preview party was great. Although I started the evening with apprehension facing a 5 minute talk, I had a good showing of guests, with fellow artists, people I didn't know and friends from my neighborhood. I managed to get through my talk—not easy for me. I guess I am more comfortable one on one or one on a small group than I am with a crowd. 

After the talk a women bought "Coastal Clouds". That put a smile on my face. Then a lady came up and introduced herself as a 6-year breast cancer survivor. A comment I always like to hear. 

She then announced that "Guarded Gaze" was a great painting for a Breast Cancer Survivor and that she wanted to purchase it. Uh oh....I brought the painting not to sell, but to illustrate how I painted it (a nude with her hands covering her breasts) before I was diagnosed with bilateral Breast Cancer, pretty eerie. 

My Guardian Angel—I wanted to
keep the original, but was able
to sell a gallery wrapped print.

With that, and the fact it won a Best of Show at a national competition, I just can't bring myself to part with it. I told her I could sell her a print of the painting which was fine with her. This evening was getting better and better! 

Then a fellow artist bought a print—quite a compliment! I went home with a much better feeling than when I started.

If you missed this event the show will be ongoing through January. It will also be up during ArtWalk Sat., January 18 from 6-9 pm at The Galveston Art League Gallery at 2117 Postoffice St., Galveston, TX.