Finding a sailboat anchored along the coast, with the sun setting behind it? Priceless!! It's fun to explore that sunset color with ink and watercolor - and pushing a bit to the violet in the very dark shadows. I find watercolor more challenging than oil for sunsets - which means I need to do more of them! I love going to my oils for that quick dash of fleeting light, so creamy and predictable they are. Painting number 3307 in 3307 days.
I'm so excited to have many little tomatoes growing hydroponically! There are far too many blooms to count - and my two aerogarden plants grew unto their lights in my absence! So, probably 50 blooms got burned on those lights before I could rescue them. I'm leaving them on until they drop, because one never knows if they might have pollinated and may be starting new tomatoes! I only began this hydroponic adventure in late November, and it has been super fun to garden in the winter! Best part has been eating the fresh greens and herbs - and i think the painting is going to be super fun, too! LOVE painting my garden in February!! Painting number 3305 in 3305 days.
It is fun and challenging to work on miniature metal pieces for Music Art Love in Sainte Genevieve! With the image no bigger than 3.5x2.5 inches - it is a little tricky to work this metal at this scale. No gallery carries these pieces for me - as I sell them quickly. So, in gratitude to Music Art Love - my first gallery space in this lovely town, I am creating a few works of local places just for the proprietor to show. I may have a couple pieces larger than this one, but for now I'm concentrating on the miniatures. My first one is of a favorite place in town - and the only place I stay - Main Street Inn! Artwork number 3304 in 3304 days.
Oh how I love the days of sand and sun! If only the beach were closer to home.... ❤️🎨⛱️
It wa so exciting to work "Kelce" into copper during the Super Bowl!! Working metal is a great stress reliever, and boy was that a stressful game! The sketching the image into the metal with slight pressure starts the process, then I work some masses from the back and others from the front, working until the metal stretches out a bit in 3D fashion. Each time I work a piece, I learn my tools a little more, and find better methods to achieve the result I desire. A little rubbing of the metal and antiquing the edges, and I'm done before I know it. I finished 4 different pieces during that game! Painting number 3700 in 3700 days.
On this windy day, I picked the quiet side of Howard's Beach to paint. The rocks on the ridge sheltered me from the wind, allowing me to easily capture my scene with paint. It is always fun to visit with passersby when I'm painting especially on a beach. Everyone is happy and relaxed in such a place, soaking in the sun and sand of this paradise. My models left the scene just as I was finishing up, and I believe they were from Iowa. This is truly the best place to be in February! Painting number 3698 in 3698 days.
I'm honored this painting won the Brooker Creek Preserve Award in Tarpon Springs! I loved spending the whole day here painting, watching the alligators in that water as I worked. Still and silent, they glide gracefully through the water, barely breaking the surface. The walkers along this trail assure me they do not walk the boardwalk, and so far as I've been here - they are right! It's a beautiful place to visit, and paint! I just couldn't resist painting another! Painting 3697 in 3697 days.
Another gorgeous day on the white sand of Sunset Beach for plein air painting! The sky started to cloud over as I began my initial block in. Working quickly, I marked my colors before loading in the masses. I talked to some lovely people and visited as I worked. The temperature went down as the clouds rolled in, and with Mom waiting on me, I had to hurry. Feels so good to get my daily dose of sand and sun, exploring it all in paint. Painting number 3696 in 3696 days.
What fun to paint the Victoria palm overhead, as I bask in the sun, enjoying this gorgeous day, with a refreshing drink at my side! In ink and watercolor, I sketch the fronds as they blow, dropping color in loosely where I see it. I love getting to paint them - especially on a day when snow is falling back home! It's going to be a shock to return to cold and inclimate weather. I sure do love these sunny winter days along the gulf coast! Painting number 3695 in 3695 days.
I kept an eye out for gators as I painted along Brooker Creek in John Chestnut Sr Park. With only 30 minutes to sunset, I decided to go ahead and paint here, though I knew it was cutting it close on time. The park closes right after sunset, and the trails get pretty dark when the sun goes down. Standing by a body of water in Florida calls for caution, so I was aware of every movement at water's edge. I did hear noises, and saw bubbles ripplev the surface, but kept in painting until i reached this point. Loose and fresh, this one is a quick capture of the beauty, with enough time to pack up and get out before the gates close! SUCH a gorgeous place to paint, I'm so happy I chose to explore this south trail! Painting number 3694 in 3694 days.
The Florida sunsets are gorgeous on the gulf coast and I love painting them in ink and watercolor! I've been painting in oils all week, so it is fun to switch mediums. I love how locals flock to the beaches, just to watch the sun dip down below the horizon. I sketch quickly and lay in color as fast as possible. The light is so fleeting, changing before my eyes. Love spending these quiet moments on the beach. What a great way to end the day. Painting number 3692 in 3692 days.
It is super fun to work a little metal by the pool this afternoon, under the cover of the Florida room. The rain moved in just as I was heading to the beach to paint, so I switched gears and got my metal kit out. With so many wonderful palms in the area, I can sit in one place and see 10 different specimens! I begin by sketching with an embossing tool, then flipping front to back, working from both sides. I love the detail I can achieve this way, and I do wonder if I'll one day push right through that metal! Artwork number 3690 in 3690 days.
It's SO fun to paint at the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs - and the weather is glorious once again. The sun felt so strong as I stood in it to get this vantage. A boat to my right loaded for sponge diving tours each hour and a half, so I had no choice but to stand forward, in the sun. This may be the most iconic strip in the area, with cute shops and Greek dining lining the streets, and I just HAD to capture it in oils. This painting and 8 others will hang at the Tarpon Springs Cultural Center through next Thursday. Painting number 3689 in 3689 days.
I am so honored to have won this morning's Quick Paint at the Brooker Creek Preserve with my painting of the creek. On the back side of the trail that winds through the preserve, the bridge over the creek is a favorite spot to paint. With a gorgeous, clear day, the blue of the sky reflected deep into the water. I moved my easel 3 times on this bridge, landing on this spot right at go time. I had to have this framed and turned in by noon, making this less than a two hour paint. My painting companions today were a mama and baby young alligator, who kept popping their heads up and gliding through that water. It's not every day I paint with alligators! I loved this place so much that I stayed to paint another! Painting number 3688 in 3688 days.
I LOVE painting on the beach as the sun dips to the horizon, golden light warming up the whole landscape. Even the surface of the water changed in an instant, right as it was time to take a pic and clean up. I can see why people migrate here in the winter - the weather is perfect, the beaches so welcoming, and no one is in a hurry around here. Not even me. Painting number 3687 in 3687 days.
It was another painting day in paradise, in absolutely perfect weather here on Howard Beach, in Tarpon Springs, Florida. It feels so good to be painting with my oils again, especially in such a place as this. It's lovely to visit with those at the beach, everyone is so friendly. There's no better art therapy than at the beach. Painting number 3686 in 3686 days.
LOVE finding bold, vibrant tropicals in the landscape to paint! These are so colorful I just had to try them in ink and watercolor! Arriving just this afternoon, I NEEDED to spend time outside in the fresh air. My first experience on a trip in a Jeep (rental) have all but driven me insane! So, to unwind, I took my supplies outside and got to work. Becoming one with the landscape and centering on color soothes my soul. Now all I need is a good run to melt the stress away. Painting number 3684 in 3684 days.
Thinking of summer days full of butterflies and blooms tonight - after a difficult day of trying to get to the beach! Painting number 3682 in 3682 days. ♥️🎨
It's super fun to work in copper again - this time on one of my favorite Chief's! It's been a few years since I've worked the metal - and this piece of copper was cut and ready in a bag. After I was completely finished, I realized that THIS batch of copper was not my favorite! It's thicker and harder to work, requiring more pressure from both sides to get my image in. I think I'll be cutting some of my other pieces to have at the ready - now that I'm getting reacquainted with my supplies - lol! Artwork number 3681 in 3681 days.
So fun to capture this tropical space in the greenhouse of Family Tree Nursery in Shawnee! The tropical plants, quilted fabric flags and pots made such a wonderful scene, i just had to paint it. When I started this sketch - clear through to the end, the tables were not occupied. If I'd only waited, I could have sketched the people that filled the tables, too! Feels like a vacation to spend a few hours here in January! Painting number 3680 in 3680 days.
