"Hairy" Painting

"Steady Gaze"
oil on canvas
6" x 6"

Here's my newest little painting. This was done for the Daily Paintworks Weekly Challenge. It's been fun to do these challenges each week. As a still life artist, it's good to get out of my comfort zone and try something different. I have drawn cats before, but never painted one. It was a little "hairy" at first, trying to decide how to start. I finally decided to start with the eyes after getting a loose sketch down. It was fun to "brush" on that fur! Ok.. .enough puns for now...

Paint Your Veggies!

"Turnip"
oil on canvas
6" x 6"

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This is a little oil that I did yesterday for the Daily Paintworks Challenge. This week's challenge is to paint a vegetable from life. I really enjoyed doing this one. This was my first painting after taking Jonathan Aller's online lesson mentioned in my last post. It was a bit more challenging since I was working from life instead of a photo, but the principles of paint application were the same.

I received good news this past weekend. My colored pencil piece, Cherries, Grapes, and Plums (pictured above), is in the 122nd Annual Member's Exhibition of the National Association of Women Artist currently on exhibit at the Sylvia Wald and Po Kim Gallery in New York. I received a letter Saturday informing me that it had been awarded the first place award in the works on paper category.

Continuing Education

Pear
oil on canvas
7" x 5"

A few weeks ago, I ran across the blog of artist Jonathan Aller. I really liked his alla prima paintings, so when I saw that he was offering an online painting course, I sent an email to find out more. To make a short story even shorter, I just did his first lesson this week. It consisted of painting the above pear in six steps. Jonathan provided written directions outlining the steps as well as videos showing him painting the same subject every step of the way. As I completed each step of the painting myself, I sent him a photo of my progress and he gave me feedback on how I was doing. What I really liked is that he uses a painting method that is very much like drawing. Now, how cool is that?

Tea and Hydrangeas
colored pencil
18" x 18"

I'm very happy to announce that my colored pencil drawing, Tea and Hydrangeas, has been accepted into the Colored Pencil Society of America's 19th Annual International Juried Exhibition. This will make my third CPSA International show to participate in which means that I'll be awarded signature status. The show and convention will be held in Dallas in July.

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"

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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"
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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!