Vacation Hat

Isn't she lovely!

When I see this picture, I hear Stevie Wonder's voice singing "Isn't She Lovely!"  from 1976!  Need a reminder?  Click and listen... it will take you back a few decades...

I loved working on this piece.  It just seemed to fall into place.  The hardest part was the skin... I'd never had to paint so much of it!  The key was to keep it from looking flat.  (I laughed that I'd never spend so much time studying an armpit!)  I had the same situation with the beach behind her.  Although it was flat, I needed it to have dimension.

I also played with manipulating parts of the piece - like fixing her necklace that was twisted.  Also, the scene behind her is actually what was in front of her.  That worked out fine until... I realized that the scene reflected in her sunglasses was the beach... the scene that was now behind her... confusing?  Yeah... So...  I just fuzzed out the reflection and called it done!

And, isn't she lovely?  No, wonder... her mother is my "Wedding Hat" lady!

And just for fun... she's also the mother of my "Li'l Punkin'" guy!

:) Smoky Mountains

No, I didn't paint this week...
But... I took many photos that may become paintings!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Fella in a Big Fedora

How do colors and shapes come together to make eyes, nose, cheeks, chins, wrinkles, and folds? 

Here's how I do it - one step at a time.  The hardest part is having faith - knowing that the "ugly stage" is normal and necessary - believing that it will come back together in the end.

Little Fisherman

What is a triptych?


I always wanted to try one of these three-paneled paintings.One of the hardest parts for me was choosing a picture that would work.  


This little fisherman has been the star of several of my paintings.  He was also in "Honk!" and in "Hello, Butterfly!"

Original Oil Painting on 6x12, 9x12, 6x12 Wrapped Canvases
[SOLD]

Wedding Hat

What does it take to be brave enough to wear a hat?

Isn't she lovely!  And best of all, she's not some random lovely lady, she's my very own sister.  I always kind of thought of her as my own Sister Maria (from The Sound of Music).  Maybe that was because she took care of me a lot when I was little or because I always thought she looked like Julie Andrews.


I experimented with several new challenges while painting this portrait.  
First of all, it was the first time I had tried combining two pictures.  In the original photograph, she was standing  in a department store - clothes racks didn't seem as pleasant as the lush tropical backdrop from the actual wedding. 

It was also the first time I'd dabbled in removing information - who wants to see reading glasses or price tags!    The last thing is that this was the first adult I'd tried to put on the canvas.  Although I like the finished product, I discovered that this was not my calling. 

Gulf Fritillary on Echinanea

Who doesn't love a butterfly?

A butterfly is the one insect that nobody wants to swat.  I've learned recently that butterfly populations are diminishing.  And, one of the reasons it's happening is because people keep their yards so manicured that butterflies can't find the weeds that they love to lay their eggs on.  This sounds like a good excuse to use for not mowing the lawn!

Thanks to my friend Lisa for letting me paint her gorgeous photograph. This little butterfly was enjoying himself on a flower in the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks.

Orange Lilies

Tiger Lily  or Day Lily? 


Take your pick!  I love hardy flowers - those that come back year after year, that manage to survive and be stronger than the weeds, that are able to thrive without much attention. I guess that's why I've always been drawn to lilies. They grow and multiply and never to fail to announce that summer has finally come.

Click GREAT (and say that word like Tony the Tiger would say it!) to enjoy an Etsy treasury (collection of related vintage items and art pieces) celebrating all kinds of tigers - including these tiger lilies!

Red Barn in Springtime

What's right?  What's wrong?

Right... it's peaceful... the grass is green, the daffodils are blooming, the barn is red, the sky is blue...

Wrong... a real farmer's working barn would have old equipment all around... there would be cow poop surrounding the barn area... there would have been fences or else the animals would have trampled and eaten the daffodils...

So... I've lived the real-life one.  But, I love the idea of the beautiful (almost enchanted) one.  It would be a good place to set a story.  

Enjoy an Etsy treasury (collection of related art pieces) celebrating Pinks and Red or another celebrating Trees by clicking. Go to a horse-themed collection is titled Horseback Riding. Also enjoy My Springtime. Then have a look at other treasuries like Life in the Country..., Country Cozy or Country Sampler for a little bit of everything country.  Finally, stop by Spring Babies where each selection shares the same lovely spring green.

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