Mango and More

"Mango"
oil on linen panel
4" x 6"

"Monday Morning, 7:40"
colored pencil and graphite
10" x 16"

At the top is a little oil which I did today. I painted it from life, with just natural light from the window falling on it. (Yay for no thunderstorms today!) I was pleased with how it turned out.

Also pictured is my latest drawing. This one is colored pencil and graphite. I set this one up on a Sunday evening with a strong light on the left side of the still life. I was intending to do it just in graphite. Early the next morning, I happened to walk into my studio and literally caught my breath - there was a soft light from the window falling on the cups and linen. That's when I decided to try this in graphite and colored pencil and try to capture the soft subtle lighting and color that had so taken me by surprise.

Challenges

"Keeping in Touch"
oil on linen panel
7" x 5"

Sold

I mentioned in my last post that I am wanting to do more daily paintings, partly due to being inspired by the Daily Paintworks site. On the DPW site, they are now posting weekly challenges for artists to encourage us to try something new. This week's challenge was to paint the above lady. Artists who do the challenge can post their work to the site. It's fun and educational to see so many different interpretations of the same reference photo. This was my first attempt at figure painting - I've done some figures in pencil, but never paint. It was fun (until I got to her hands!) Click here to see all the different paintings of the "NYC Lady Challenge".

I also mentioned in an earlier post about my framing mishap with some recent miniature work. (I picked out frames which ended up being too big for the requirements of the show that I was going to enter.) I've decided to offer some of these pieces on ebay. Click here to see my ebay auctions.

And if you are wondering when I'll post a new drawing - it will be tomorrow. I just finished up one today but still need to get photos of it.

Little Flower, Big News

Lenten Rose II
oil on canvas
6" x 6"
SOLD

This is a small painting of one of my favorite little garden flowers - the Lenten Rose. I've been inspired by the Daily Paintworks site and am determined to paint on a regular basis. I do enjoy taking a break from my larger drawings to do these little paintings. I'll be offering them on ebay as I get them done.

I received some big news a few weeks back that I hadn't posted in my blog yet. As I shared last fall, I was a finalist in The Artist's Magazine's 2010 competition. A small handful of finalists are selected to be featured in the magazine's Competition Spotlight throughout the year. My colored pencil drawing Red Pears at Play was chosen to be in the June 2011 issue of the magazine. Click here to see it in The Artist's Magazine's blog.

More Waterlilies

Balboa Park Lily 2
oil on canvas
24" x 18"

I've had a severe posting lapse. My apologies. Above is another, larger waterlily painting which I painted last month (or maybe in February? - time flies). This one will be in the May Realism show at M. A. Doran gallery in Tulsa.

While I've not been posting, I have still been making art. I painted/drew four miniature works last month. I was doing them for a particular miniature show in Washington state which takes place later this month. Unfortunately, I didn't pay close enough attention to the show requirements. After I got them back from the framer's I realized that all of the frames were a tad bigger than what the rules allowed. Shucks!

Finished!

Pomegranate and Pitchers
colored pencil'
18" x 34"

If you heard a shout about 10:00 on Monday morning, it was me yelling "Done!" I started this large drawing back before Christmas. I had to set it aside over the holidays and just started back on it about two weeks ago.

It's now on to the other two works in progress that were put away before Christmas as well. Neither one is as large as this one, so hopefully I'll be posting again in the near future with another completed drawing.

Pears, Singled and Paired

No Fun Being a Single Pear

graphite

8" x 12"

This is a new graphite drawing that I just finished up. It bears a striking resemblance to a previous drawing of mine (The Crush) because this setup came from the same "photo shoot". I don't think that I will ever get tired of drawing pears. There's just something about their shape that really appeals to me.

Back to Work

Balboa Park Lily

oil on canvas

8" x 16"

Well the holidays are over and I'm back to work now. We had a great Christmas with a house full of kids. Four young people pretty much fill up our three bedroom home, especially since one of those bedrooms doubles as my studio. I got some painting done, in between the cooking and eating. Above is my latest painting. It is from a reference photo that I took way back last May when my husband and I traveled to San Diego. While he was stuck in meetings, I did some sightseeing which included a trip to Balboa park. Unfortunately, the Botanical Building was closed while I was there, but the lily pond in front of the building was in full bloom. I hope to do some more paintings of the waterlilies from there - I took lots of photos (love those 4GB SDHC cards!)

I just heard from the National Association of Women Artists that my graphite drawing The Crush was selected for their National Small Works Exhibit which will be in New York City next month. One of my goals for this new year is to create more graphite works, so this is a welcome "green light" to my plans.