Puppy Dog Eyes

8x8 inch oil on linen canvas

Available in my Etsy Shop

Last week I was painting a lot of plein air and then the temps starting going up to 90 degrees during the day this week, so I was longing to paint some sweet puppy dog eyes.  Need to get up early and get back out, I am determined to keep it up. I still have a couple of paintings I did not post last week, which is nice for a change. I need to change the name of my blog— not so daily or trying to paint daily. 

Thanks to all my blogger friends for their continued encouragement!! You guys are the best!! 

Garden Study

5x7 inch oil on linen canvas

Available in a Daily Paintworks Auction- Starting bid $28

SOLD

I painted this a few weeks ago at Cheekwood and was not happy with it at the time. It grew on me a little after having it in my studio. I think it is good to post the ones you are not so happy with, so you can see your  progress, where you are improving and where you need to improve. It has helped me to see artist I worship share paintings that did not turn out so well. It is all a learning process and such a beautiful journey! 

Round hay bale study #2-SOLD

9x12 inch oil on ampersand
SOLD

This was a morning plein air painting, which was so peaceful. I cheated and sat down for this one with my cup of coffee. I just have to remember before I drink a big cup next time.... there are no bathrooms in a field. It did make me paint faster though. 

Plein Air- Round Hay Bale Study #1

8x8 inch oil on linen 

Email me if interested. 

I have painted plein air the last 3 days!! I am so proud of myself for getting up early and getting out before it gets up to 90 degrees. This one was the first I painted late in the afternoon. You can see the shadows creeping up on the hay bales. It was so nice to listen to the hawks and watch flocks of birds swoop down into the field. I am so glad I finally got brave enough to get out and paint, it is so worth it. 

Cat Nap - SOLD

 

8x8 inch oil on linen canvas

Available in Daily Paintworks Auction. SOLD

                   Available- 5x7 inch oil on linen canvas           Kimberly's Studio Kitty

Special thanks to Kimberly Santini for her daily paintworks challenge and reference photo this week!
Kimberly asked us to, "Using the same reference, create two paintings, each unique in scale. The paintings you create should be different compositionally - take advantage of cropping/modifying the scale/shift in focal point and build two separate pieces."
I enjoyed this challenge and ended up making changes because I could see what I liked in one painting over the other. Loved the graphic quality of the shapes the light and shadow made in the photo. 

"Sally" - Jersey Girl

24"x18" Oil on Cradled board

Available at The Laurel Leaf, Leiper's Fork Tennessee

SOLD

She comes to moosic city from up north looking for her guy Harry. Today she is headed to Leiper's Fork in search of the tall, dark and handsome guy that stole her heart. She heard he was at Puckett's singing at the latest writer's night, he is of course a true cowboy at heart. This is soon to become a bovine soap opera.

When Harry meets Sally in the Fork. :)

Don't Tell Mom

9x12 inch

Oil on ampersand board

Available at the Laurel Leaf

I have to admit I love the feel of this painting. I had the music cranked up and I was totally lost in the shapes and movement of everything. I loved the photo reference of the calf with his tongue in its nostril. I used to be totally grossed out by this watching cows do this on the farm. Now that I am a mom of two boys, nothing phases me. 

I have been studying the Notan way of painting.(Wikipedia) Nōtan (濃淡^?) is a Japanese design concept involving the play and placement of light and dark as they are placed next to the other in art and imagery. I did not sketch out the dark at light values before I painted this, but I am going to start working more with the placement of these areas in a painting. 

Hope to share more as I study the Notan way. 

Fragrant Beauty

  5x7 inch oil on linen canvas panel
Available in my Etsy Shop

"At one point I said that “I will spend my life trying to paint something beautiful.” Now, I would change that, and say instead, “I will spend my life painting what is already beautiful.”

Words from artist Michael Klien.

Just subscribed this week to a wonderful new online magazine called "Artist on Art". There are so many inspiring wonderful articles! I have started a routine in the morning of the treadmill and reading. Hope I can make it more then a week! 

Oh boy!

Available in Daily Paintworks Auction

5x7 oil on linen panel

Top 3 reasons this painting makes me happy!

1. Dog on the beach. 

2. White Animal (lots of colors)

3. My new favorite color—Ice Blue, Richeson Oils (light blue on beach)

Gentle Giant

Available in Daily Paintworks Auction

6x6 inch

Over the weekend I was greeted by a bobcat outside my studio while walking Coco. I have never seen one around our home, so I was amazed by its size and beauty when it ran across the field. I did not have a chance to run in and grab my camera for a photo to share. The beauty of wildlife through God's incredible creativity was the inspiration for this painting. Love these gentle giants, and wish I could see one outside my studio. Might have to make a trip to the Nashville zoo. :)