Nursery Lane At Amy's Farm

oil on canvas panel 6x8 inches

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This morning I got out early to Amy's Farm, just down the road from our house. I took pictures for about an hour, then settled on this scene. Nursery Lane is where they line up calves for schoolkids on field trips to bottle feed. Today there were just a couple of horses (rear ends) visible on the right side. I liked the tree and tiny bits of white from a herd of Holsteins in the far distance, the two horses and especially that puddle in the foreground. Amy and her crew welcome artists anytime. So if you're in Southern California, come on out and paint.

Makin' Apple Pie

oil on canvas panel 8x8 inches

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Still having fun with this color scheme. The steel bowl reflections were a blast!

Gracie

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches

Gracie is a little apricot toy poodle owned by my friend, Gwen. Gracie is sweet and happy, but not very smart. I guess not all dogs are created equal. Transparent red oxide, cad yellow medium and white worked well for the apricot color. I left quite a bit of the pink ground peeking through her fur so she'd relate to the background and not look like she was cut out and pasted on. To see Gwen's other dog portrait commissions, go to "labels" below this post and click on "dog portraits." Sadly, Abigail passed away a few weeks after I finished her portrait. Gwen has a new little dog for me to paint, but she has to grow up a bit first.

Apple Pie Season SOLD

oil on canvas panel 8x8 inches

Daily Paintworks challenged us recently to paint signs of Fall in our area. In Southern California, the signs are subtle. My plumeria and Hawaiian ginger blooming? No, that's not it. We have lots of crows around, but they wouldn't hold still. So here it is...Fall at our house means Dutch Apple Pies. I use my corer-peeler-slicer. That red handle was perfect with the yellow green, but the painting would need more than one spot of red, so I hunted down an old cloth napkin with red apples on it. Bingo. I had my painting. Thalo blue and cad yellow light makes that Granny Smith green.

Bed, Bath & Beyond

oil on canvas panel 9x12 inches

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This mountain cabin is in Big Bear. It appeared just as I've painted it, with all the "facilities" out in the front yard. Well, the bed is on the side, but still. I could have straightened the stump, but the pot threatening to slide off kinda fit with all the rest. For me, the appeal of this subject was lots to look at, plus the dappled light. I slowed way down, purposed to leave my brushstrokes alone, and painted it in two sessions.

Road Trip

This coming week my watercolor classes start, so today I've been doing some prep for that. I may not get to my easel until late tonight. Thinking about watercolor and my recent trip to the Denver area, it's a good day to post these shots. This beautiful canyon is in Utah somewhere between Grand Junction, CO and Richfield, Utah. The other photo is my watercolor "Alaska" over my bother's mantle. Last fall he purchased many of my paintings and being an accomplished woodworker, built the frames himself with all kinds of woods and some inlays. He also builds beautiful custom furniture in the Arts & Crafts Style. What a treat it was to see my work framed with such creativity and care.

To see "Alaska" see labels at bottom of this post and click on Alaska.

Prado Pond Field Study

oil on canvas panel 6x8 inches

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As I mentioned a few days ago, Susan Denison from Arizona paid me a visit just before my trip to Denver. One morning we headed over to Flo's Airport Cafe for breakfast, then Prado Regional Park to paint. The weather was terrific as was the company. Wish I'd had someone take a picture of us...too wrapped up in the painting and fun. So here's a shot of her painting in Colorado. She travels all over in her camper-van going to workshops and painting here and there. Man...she left me with a case of camper-van envy!

Lil' Red With Sunflower

oil on canvas panel 8x8 inches

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Mom and I got back from Denver yesterday. It was a really good trip and I'll post more about it later. Here's the last painting I did at the Art Show. Chris Sayers loaned me one of her beautiful painted gourds (thanks, Chris!) and I snatched the flower from our show decor. When you were in grade school did you ever take a flower to your teacher wrapped in a wet paper towel and foil? That's how I keep 'em fresh when I lay them down. I like the resulting shadows. As for Little Red, I think I inadvertently captured the moment she recognizes Grandma is not Grandma at all. She looks stunned!

In the photo I'm painting Baseball For The Birthday Boy. You might be able to see the objects on the table to my left, strongly lit by my gooseneck table lamp.

Cherry On To-sold

oil canvas panel 6x6 inches

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shipping available after Sept. 30

Monday and Tuesday I had a delightful visit with fellow artist Susan Denison from Arizona. She and her standard poodle have been traveling in her camper van hither and yon, and took time out to meet me and paint with me. She arrived subject matter in hand: flowers and this large luscious cupcake. Found out two can paint in my little paint cave quite nicely. We painted outdoors on Tuesday. Will post that painting later. What fun! Thanks, Susan!

Other news: Tomorrow I'll be driving my mom and I to Denver to visit my brother. No painting or posting on this trip. I'll be back in about a week.

Here's The Pitch -sold

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches

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shipping available after Sept. 30

Another painting done while at the art show last weekend, this one started out as just a ball. After I painted the ball it looked a bit lonely, so I added the photo. I think it's kinda risky to change your design when the painting's half done, but I thought it would just be fun to throw in a player. (Oops, unintentional pun there!) Anyway this is Dodger pitcher Kershaw, and my hubby informs me he's on our TV pitching as I type this. Weird.

Baseball For A Birthday Boy

oil on canvas panel 8x8 inches

not for sale

The show is over, and I'm exhausted, but above is the highlight of the show for me. When I did get time to paint at the show on Saturday, I painted this as a birthday gift for our 11 year old grandson. He loves baseball, so our daughter snuck away his glove and ball for me. Papa got a Koufax card image off the internet. When he discovered his glove missing, he had an inkling of what might be going on. Even so, he was surprised and loves it. I can't tell you how happy I am that it came out good. I love that kid so much!

Big Red Onions

oil on canvas panel 8x6 inches

Haven't had any time to paint lately with all the art show preparations. I offer this piece from last March with the good news that it received a Second Place award in Oils. There were over 80 oil entries, so I'm really happy. Tomorrow I'll have time to paint at the show. Yippee!

ART SHOW THIS WEEKEND

Peachy Bouquet

oil on canvas panel, 10x10 inches

The above painting is available at Associated Artists' Open Juried Show this weekend at Victoria Gardens' Rancho Cucamonga Cultural Center. Today we'll take in about 400 entries to the show. Reception and Awards on Friday evening at 6:00pm. Come on out if you're in the area. Show times and location here.

Field Study SOLD

oil on canvas panel 6x8 inches

Last Saturday morning we had some unusually wild weather that offered great cloud formations for painting. Lisa and I climbed another hill, this time in the late afternoon. We had a great time! I felt so blessed to be up there in the wind, listening to the birds and painting with a buddy who could help me when I needed it.

Associated Artists Of The Inland Empire's OPEN JURIED ART SHOW is this weekend at the Rancho Cucamonga Cultural Center located at the Victoria Gardens Shopping Center. Come by my sales table and say hi! I'll be painting there most of the weekend. Over 350 pieces of artwork will be on display. If you live in the area, don't miss it! For hours and address, click here.

Hot Pink Boots

oil on canvas panel 8x8 inches

not for sale

This one was a lot of fun. I used quinacrodone red in the previously posted pig's ear, and it worked here also for that hot color. These are my granddaughter, Grace's boots which added to the painting fun. I tried lots of background colors with them, but turquoise (a bit stronger than seen here) was the only one that worked well...reminds me of the fifties somehow.

Field Study, Chino Hills

oil on canvas panel 8x6 inches

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Last Saturday morning Lisa McDill and I climbed a hill overlooking Pomona Valley. The tree shapes, distant mountain and haze down in the valley made for a nice subject. With Lisa's instruction I was working on my greens and atmospheric depth. I'm pretty happy with the result.

Obnoxious Pig SOLD

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches

Last Spring I visited Amy's Farm, just a mile from our house where this very swiney pig was standing on the bottom rail of the fence squealing for it's breakfast. Very dramatic! We stood and watched a while. In my painting I tried to capture the feeling I got that day of a "real life pig": the smell, the mud and the obnoxious behavior.

Positive Piggy -sold

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches

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"Paint Your Pig" is the latest Daily Paintworks Challenge. I attempted to maintain my simple rectangular brushstrokes, but given the not-so-simple organic shapes of this piggy it was difficult. This is an old sugar bowl I found at a junk store.

The challenge is posed by Carol Marine, whose blog I have followed for several years. I've learned so much about painting and blogging from her, I can't begin to tell you. Sadly, a few days ago Carol and David lost their home and studio to the wildfires near Austin, Texas. Please pray for them, the many others who have lost their homes, and for the firefighters. To read more or to help the Marine Family click here.

Balboa Bikes 'n Blues SOLD

oil on canvas panel 10x8 inches

click here for purchase information and magnifier

If there was a way to warn you about this one, I would have. It's REALLY different for me. See how I've been affected by that one word: "rectangle"?!!! Before I painted so much I was riding my bike(s) all the time. I love bikes for a lot of reasons I won't go into 'cause it's supposed to be about the painting. Anyway, this was painted on a black ground. The shadow made me take the picture. The color made me paint it. I think this is one people will either love or hate!

Paint Me Grapes

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches

Thinking "rectangles" for my previous painting resulted in such a fresh look, I continued with that thought for this one. It seemed to paint itself. That doesn't happen very often. I think I'll keep it, so it's not for sale. :-)